Look Out For … Dark Stars: New Tales of Darkest Horror, edited by John F.D. Taff

“Paying homage to the groundbreaking anthology Dark Forces, Taff has collected all new tales from the Dark Stars of modern horror fiction.”

Forty-two years ago, an anthology was released that changed horror fiction forever. Dark Forces opened the doorway and expanded the canvas of horror in ways readers had never seen before.

Now, under the guidance of John F.D. Taff, we witness the new stars of horror fiction. Horrifying monsters, some real, some otherworldly. Familiar tropes, twisted beyond recognition.

Blending neo-noir, dark fantasy, the traditional, and the exploration of new horrors, the time has come for these Dark Stars to shine.

Why we’re excited about this book:

Readers should be familiar with the work of “the King of Pain” John F.D. Taff. The author of The End in All Beginnings, The Bell Witch, Little Black Spots, Little Deaths, Kill-Off, and The Fearing, Taff’s work is featured in I Can Taste the Blood (with Josh Malerman, J. Daniel, Stone, Joe Schwartz, and Erik T. Johnson), and has been featured in numerous anthologies and publications. As well as writing, Taff also edited The Bad Book anthology. Paying homage to the groundbreaking anthology Dark Forces, Taff has collected all new tales from the Dark Stars of modern horror fiction. Featuring stories by Caroline Kepnes, John Langan, Priya Sharma, Usman T. Malik, Livia Llewellyn, Josh Malerman, Chesya Burke, Alma Katsu, and more, with an afterword (and story) by original Dark Forces contributor Ramsey Campbell.

Brian Keene (The Rising, With Teeth) calls Dark Stars “A perfect snapshot of modern horror fiction and an essential showcase for its many voices, Taff’s Dark Stars is to this generation what Kirby McCauley’s seminal Dark Forces was to mine.” Gemma Amor (Dear Laura, White Pines) says: “Masterfully bringing together the very best of the best voices in contemporary horror, Dark Stars fairly resonates with an assured sense of sadness, mystery and wonder. As soulful as it is disturbing, these stories linger like smoke long after the reading is done. ”, and Brian Evenson (Last Days, The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell) says: “Dark Stars provides not only an image of where horror is now, but a roadmap of where horror is going.”