 Inferno:
New Tales of Terror and the Supernatural
review by Dida G. Shepard
Inferno is a collection of
horror stories edited by Ellen Datlow, the “horror” side of
the Terry Windling/Ellen Datlow short story collection
series editing duo, (namely the Years Best Fantasy and
Horror )
Never overly awed with Datlow’s choice
of horror stories, usually it left only vague impressions of
having read of something in the genre itself and nothing
more. Datlow seems supremely gifted in picking the
disturbing, rather then the outright terrifying novels. She
relies comfortably on old fashioned concepts and themes to
scare the reader, rather then milking suspense with gore to
compensate.
While gore does occur in these short
stories occasionally, it’s more focal on the down right
disturbing nature of humanity, rather then humanities
reaction to extraneous supernatural creatures within. It’s
in this last point that the series is undoubtedly different,
at least different in the sense of what this reader has
encountered in short stories before. For there are staples
of every genre, old familiar roles that characters easily
step into and move the story along as expected.
However Datlow intentionally set out to
create a non themed short story collection, that thankfully
doesn’t rely on old staples to get us by. There are no
zombies, no witches, no werewolves, no vampires, there are a
few ghosts or at least what one could consider ghost like,
either way it leaves the readers with different kinds of
terror that are just as effective if not expected.
In Inferno, there were more then
a few times this reader was left mulling over certain scenes
from stories read within that made tossing in an old
familiar movie of some happier, and lighter subject
necessary. Even taking a walk in bright sunshine to clear
the head and purposely think of something else less
disturbing. It’s in this that the stories succeed, and while
the collection was not entirely perfect it was as close to
as this reader has encountered for this genre in an
extremely long time.
Whether it was the subject matter of
the stories or a commonality found within that disturbed the
most is unclear. It‘s in this way it’s succeeds as being
genuinely terrifying rather then merely, gruesome, strange,
confusing or suspenseful. The purpose of horror is to
terrify and while all the previously mentioned do indeed
contribute, there’s a noticeable lack of balance in the
genre. Where one compensates for the lack of others, faults
usually laying with the authors inability to find a match to
evenly balance out the story.
The commonality found within Inferno,
at least as noticed were the commonality of children’s
involvement. Stories about things having been done to
children and the horrible things the innocents do, are among
the most down right horrifying things humanity encounters
everyday. Datlow jumps upon this and uses it to a great
advantage. Some stories within were well written if
confusing in execution.
Its lack of clarity and confusing prose
were not benefits in these cases. Some stories use
confusing, trippy language to add to the terror of the tale.
If one isn’t entirely sure of what’s going on that in itself
is surely terrifying. To this reader it was merely annoying.
More clarity would have been welcomed. It’s these last two
things that keep this collection from being perfect, but
these could indeed be attributed to mere personal
preferences rather then real faults of the collection
itself. What matters is recommendation and this collection
is highly recommended as a fresh breath of air to any
seeking something new in the genre itself.
Four out of Five Stars.
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