This Fresh Hell by Katya de Becerra and Narelle M Harris

Title: This Fresh Hell

Author: Katya de Becerra and Narelle M Harris

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Publisher: Clan Destine Press

Published: 10^th July 2023

Format: Paperback

Pages: 280

Price: $36.95

Synopsis: A driver picks up a hitchhiker from the side of a road; a family moves in to a house that may be haunted; a visit to the cabin in the woods goes terribly wrong…

We all know how those stories end – or do we? In This Fresh Hell, every story begins with a well-known horror trope but ends with a twist, bringing new life and unexpected resolutions to old ideas. Our fears are interrogated, ghosts re-examined, and monsters reconfigured. Emerging and established authors from around the world reignite and subvert horror tropes in 19 wholly original, genre-bending stories.

Among these unexpected tales, a Slender Man is sent to offer help to a boy in trouble; a restorer develops an unusual bond with a cursed doll; a heartbroken influencer has her mettle tested aboard a luxurious cruise from hell; a haunted house hesitates to terrify its new residents… Ranging from the chilling to the quirky, these stories will appeal to dedicated horror fans as well as those dipping their toes into the genre for the first time.

Curated by Katya de Becerra and Narrelle M. Harris,
This Fresh Hell presents stories by:

A.J. Vrana, Annie McCann, C. Vonzale Lewis, Candace Robinson, Chuck McKenzie, Claire L. Smith, Claire Low, Clare E. Rhoden, Elle Beaumont, Eugen Bacon, Gillian Polack, Greg Herren, Jason Franks, Katya de Becerra, L.J.M. Owen, Narrelle M. Harris, Raymond Gates, Sarah Glenn Marsh, Sarah Robinson-Hatch, Tansy Rayner Roberts.

~*~

Horror stories and ghost stories have been a part of human culture for millennia. Whether these stories have been about cursed dolls, haunted houses, curses, abandoned cabins as well as vampires, witches and werewolves. These are the types of tropes and stories we see in horror movies and horror novels like Goosebumps and sometimes they are played with in television shows like Criminal Minds. Often though, these tropes are used in ways that we are used to seeing, where we know what might come next (but still get scared, of course), because we know how these stories will play out. Not so in this anthology from Clan Destine Press. Katya de Becerra and Narelle M Harris have curated a new horror anthology with writers from around the world that plays on the classic horror tropes but with a few twists that subvert and give new life to classic horror tropes that make us question who the monsters really are.

A diverse range of authors contributed to this inventive anthology, showing that cursed dolls and haunted highways can be written about in different ways that show just how broad the horror genre can be. From distinctly supernaturally driven stories, to ones that are a little bit lighter than others, ones that send chills down your spine, and ones told from an unexpected perspective, the settings span the world, from small towns in Australia, to dark American roads, and ancient Scottish villages, as well as a visit to the Belanglo State Forest, it feels as though these stories traverse the world, identities, stories, mysteries, our greatest fears and a range of emotions and ways of seeing the world, the things that scare us, the things that worry us. Often, the stories use the supernatural – a curse, a ghost, a possessed doll to explore and interrogate our fears. They all show the world as a terrifying place, and some stories dwell on the realities of horror more than others, especially those that are set in the contemporary and real world.

Equally, the stories that have a supernatural feel are just as terrifying, as they cleverly subvert what people expect from supernatural horror, making the monsters the main characters. These stories and the way some of the characters were presented leave the reader wondering who is right and questioning the morals of those around the main characters, particularly in the stories where the horror element bubbles along gently, almost in the background at first. Sometimes it felt as though the stories were going to be pure fantasy, a speculation on a myth or rumour from history, drawing on curses that were said to have claimed the lives of archaeologists. As a result, it felt like these stories had a logical explanation at first. But when you’re reading an anthology like this, what you see is never what you get. Tales of the unexpected abound, including the point of view character – different in each one, and executed in creative ways that show how writers can create a horror story that differs from the norm. And by norm, I mean what people expect from horror – the things we know are often associated with horror and its tropes.

Each story flows well and captures a sense of all the different things that scare us and keep us awake – perhaps to the point that even the most seasoned horror fans will feel the urge to hide. Yet mixed in with the spine-tingling tales are ones that are a little lighter, providing a perfect mix for horror readers at all stages, and giving new readers a chance to have a taste of what the horror genre can offer in a myriad of ways. A spooktacular book that chills and thrills.