Behold!: Oddities, Curiosities and Undefinable Wonders

I took one look at the cover and decided I had to read this. I wrongly assumed it was about the carny life and ever since reading Geek Love by Katherine Dunn I’ve been drawn to those types of books. These stories aren’t about sideshow freaks and pop-up carnivals but they’re mostly pretty good despite that.

The book is broken up into three sections. Oddities, Curiosities & Undefinable Wonders. I enjoyed more of the stories in the first two categories and started to feel a little fatigued by the end. This is typical of me and short story collections and likely says nothing about the collection but there it is.

Let’s start with the ODDITIES.

Larue’s Dime Museum by Lisa Morton
Julia is intrigued by two old photos she discovers at an antique shop and brings them home. Soon her life has turned into a creepy Twilight Zone episode. This tale sets just the right tone for this collection.

Wildflower, Cactus by Rose Brian Kirk
The price of beauty and the ugliness of human nature leads two women down the path of body modification and helps them find their power.

"The world is a mirror. What do you want to see?"

I wish this story had been a bit longer but I truly enjoyed what was there.

The Baker of Millepoix by Hal Bodner
A heartbroken man buys a bakery and gives it his all (and that’s all I’m saying!). Before long, miracles start to happen. I do believe this was my favorite story in the collection. It has it all. There is a great setup, character building, fabulous storytelling and even a little humor. You must read it.

Jacqueline Ess: Her Will and Testament by Clive Barker
I've read this one twice before in Clive Barker’s Books of Blood Vol. 2. I nearly skipped it this time around but am glad I didn’t.

Jacqueline discovers she has a grisly talent that terrifies her a little. It would terrify me too. It’s a pretty dastardly power. But once she realizes what a rush of power it brings, she develops a new lust for life. She perfects her talent and wields it to exact revenge and rid herself of pesky men. It’s dark, bloody, visceral, horribly humorous (if you’re warped) and classic Clive Barker. Even on this, my third reading, I enjoyed it as much as I did the first time.

An Exhibition of Mother and Monster by Stephanie M. Wytovich
This is a damning poem on those who glee in the sideshow freaks. Now I almost feel bad for my little fetish.

Next up: CURIOSITIES

I love shops filled with old treasures. The creepier the better.

Madame Painte: For Sale by John Langan
Intrigued by a "must be kept outside" sign accompanying a strangely painted garden gnome, “you” decide to bring it inside and learn more about its story. And it's a horrible story, indeed! It's devilishly evil and I adored it. How come the old crap I bring home never has such a sinister secret life?!

Chivalry by Neil Gaiman
Gaiman’s dry wit is on full display as he tells this tale about a stubborn old bitty who stumbles upon the Holy Grail and refuses to part with it! Sir Galaad brings her all sorts of gifts in order to get it back but she is not at all impressed. If I had the ability to laugh out loud while reading, this would’ve been the story to make me to do it. Simply charming.

VERY IMPT. BONUS NOTES: I just discovered that Levar Burton reads this in episode 7of his new podcast! Drop everything and go listen!!

Fully Boarded by Ramsey Campbell
I know Ramsey Campbell is a legend in horrorland but his writing has never quite worked for me. The same goes here. This story is about a travel reviewer, a wristband and some truly terrible hospitality. I’d give this a three. It was ok, slightly on the “meh” side of the scale and not my favorite here.

In Amelia’s Wake by Erinn L. Kemper
This story is slathered all over with grief. It’s about a group of brother’s who are watching over Amelia Earhart's plane and about a slithery thing that hides in the shadows. I thought it was slightly eerie but slow and it ended too suddenly.

A Ware That Will Not Keep by John F.D. Taff
A dying man shares a terrible story from his past. Now this one was took my breath away. It’s a creative and haunting little tale and that ending? Damn, that will be hard to forget.

Earl Pruitt’s Smoker by Patrick Freivald
A bee keeper’s old smoker brings one woman the freedom and excitement she so desperately craves but it also brings out the worst in her. This is such an imaginative and chilling little story that smacks you in the face with the consequences of your darker side.

As a Guest at the Telekinetic Tea Party Stephanie M. Wytovich
A whimsical poem that takes a dark turn. This one, at least, didn’t leave me with the guilts!

Hazelnuts and Yummy Mummies Lucy A. Snyder
This tale lures you in with the funny but then takes a sad turn as a woman faces the one moment she wishes she could redo.

And, finally, we have UNDEFINABLE WONDERS. This is the part of the collection where my attention began to wane. I only found one of the stories exceptional and completely engaging. The rest were a little bit of a struggle for me to finish.

The Shiny Fruit of Our Tomorrows by Brian Hodge
This story follows a bunch of down on their luck train hoppers as they attempt to find a tree that is rumored to have magical powers that may lead them down a better path. It’s strikingly real but maintains a sense of wonder but was missing a little certain something for me.

The Wakeful Kristi DeMeester
This is a weird story about a teacher, a bad relationship, a strange little girl and a terrible garden. Is it a tale of madness or something else? I am left unsure but it I do know that it left me feeling unsettled.

Knitter by Christopher Coake
My favorite of the undefinable wonders. The author creates a dark vision of another world where people are trying to live their lives while attempting to avoid ever seeing a creature they call "knitters" who have a devastating power that they use at will. It has a fairytale like feel with a pitch black undertone, hypnotizing prose and an ending that hurts.

Through Gravel by Sarah Read
There is a society living underground who call themselves “The Kindred”. As time goes by, their numbers shrink but a newbie arrives with new ideas that will invigorate their group but The Kindred’s greed may be their downfall. This story didn’t do it for me. I cannot explain the reasons.

Hiraeth by Richard Thomas
I may have been out of steam by the time I arrived at this story because I didn’t understand it. It could be my lack of brain cells that caused me to miss nuanced symbolism or whatnot but honestly I’m too tired to think and don’t want to work this hard to comprehend a short story. It’s about a poor farmer’s son who has a hole running through is body, a prickly tree with forbidden fruit and the pain the hapless boy brings upon himself – I think. It was weird, that’s for sure.

Anyway, I’m beat and that’s all I have. There is some wondrous storytelling within these pages and, even though some of the stories weren’t meant for me, it’s most definitely a collection worth checking out!

To be fair, I'm still early in the book, having finished only about four stories. But to this point I find them creepy enough that I may not finish the book. The stories aren't scary so much as just distasteful. Even the one by Clive Barker, though well-written and not gory, I found distasteful. If you don't mind stories about ugly characters stuck in unpleasant circumstances, have at it.

UPDATE: I *did* continue reading, and had to improve my rating. I still hated the first section ("Oddities"), but the second ("Curiosities") included a story by Neil Gaiman, "Chivalry," that I thoroughly enjoyed. An old woman visits her favorite thrift shop, and finds the Holy Grail. She recognizes it, takes it home and cleans it up, and finds the perfect place to display it. Pretty soon a knight shows up on his charger, informs her that he is on a quest for the Holy Grail... and we're off. I found this story laugh-out-loud funny. In a much more serious vein, I also appreciated "A Ware That Will Not Keep," by John F.D. Taff, a story set during the Holocaust. Also interesting was "In Amelia's Wake," by Erinn L. Kemper, which offers a fantastical alternative explanation for Amelia Earhart's plane going down.

The third section of the book, "Undefinable Wonders," again, I didn't care for. So overall, not a big change in my rating. If I could rate individual sections of the book, I'd rate the first part one star, the second part four stars, and the final part two stars.

A great collection of stories featuring work from Clive Barker, John Langan, Neil Gaiman, Ramsey Campbell, Lisa Morton, Brian Kirk, Hal Bodner, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Erinn Kemper, John F.D. Taff, Patrick Freivald, Lucy Snyder, Brian Hodge, Kristi DeMeester, Christopher Coake, Sarah Read, and Richard Thomas. With a foreword by Josh Malerman.

'Slide into the spaces between the ordinary. Embrace the odd. Indulge your curiosity. Surrender to wonder. Witness as the finest talents of our time bring you tales of the strangeness at the edges of existence'

I especially enjoyed 'thought gravel' and would love to see a novella of this.

A really enjoyable anthology and some great names too.

I received this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

There is plenty to like here. BEHOLD! is a premium collection of stories, many deserving of multiple readings for full appreciation. This is a collection worthy of a permanent place on the bookshelf as well as a book that should be shared and recommended to all fans of quality horror story-telling.

As an avid reader of horror, I always approach new anthologies with curiosity and expectations. I begin by searching the back cover description for the theme, and then review the list of contributing authors. I’ll often skim through the foreword or preface (if there is one) to learn more about the collection. Finally, I’ll consider who the editor is and their reputation.

As reputations grow, so do expectations. Doug Murano has a well-earned reputation for editing premium anthologies, and received high accolades for his work in putting together GUTTED: BEAUTIFUL HORROR STORIES. After noting the exceptional list of contributors to BEHOLD!, I was pleased to learn that Murano edited the book. My expectations were raised to a higher level.

I was not disappointed. Every one of the sixteen stories and two poems in BEHOLD! satisfied my expectations. Seven of the stories went beyond that to the next plateau of excellence. Plus, there are an additional three stories in this anthology that represent the best of the best, the absolute cream of the crop.

Two of the three highest-achieving stories are reprints, but their inclusion here is entirely appropriate. They incorporate so well the themes of the anthology and blend in perfectly with the other tales in their respective sections of the book. Clive Barker’s “Jacqueline Ess: Her Will And Testament” (originally published in 1984) is a sexually-charged masterpiece of fear involving a suicidal woman whose recovery brings her transformational powers that lead to fatal promiscuity. Neil Gaiman’s “Chivalry” helps break the high tension of the first six stories with a whimsical and humorous update on the quest for the Holy Grail. Finally, Ramsey Campbell chills to the bone with the disturbing tale of a travel writer assigned to review the resort from hell.

BEHOLD is divided into three sections, with four stories and a poem included in the opening Oddities. Curiousities, the middle section, contains seven stories and a poem and is the strongest of the three divisions. It contains the Gaiman and Campbell stories, as well as three more tales that were above expectations. The final section is named Undefinable Wonders and includes five stories.

The stories that exceeded expectations are written by Lisa Morten, Brian Kirk, Hal Bodner, John Langan, John F. D. Taff, Patrick Freivald and Christopher Coake. Meeting my high expectations were two poems by Stephanie M. Wytovich and stories by Erinn L. Kemper, Lucy A. Snyder, Brian Hodge, Kristi DeMeester, Sarah Read, and Richard Thomas.

There is a very entertaining and evocative introduction to the book by writer Josh Malerman, and some gorgeous illustrations and paintings throughout the collection.

I received a complimentary digital copy of BEHOLD! with the hopes of an honest review.

This anthology delivers on the promise of its subtitle and cover art. If those sound/look appealing to you, give this anthology a shot. Many wonderful stories, it was a delight to read this selection.

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