Edited by Christopher Golden

Titan, out now

Walk into the darkness of cities past, present and future…

The latest horror anthology from Titan is edited by Ararat’s Christopher Golden, who’s an accomplished purveyor of terror-filled tales in his own right – and his own contribution to this book is suitably creepy. Each story within takes the idea of a “dark city” and runs with it in its own way: for some, it’s the darkness to be found when you make the wrong turning down any metropolis you could arrive in today; with others,  you’re transported to new places… about which you come to dread finding out more.

The collection begins with Scott Smith’s The Dogs, with reference to which Golden has put a trigger warning on his own site; there are sexual assault issues in this story which many may find difficult to read – and certainly makes for an unforgettable start. Some tales are visceral in their horror; others more psychological in their effect, but there’s not one weak story among them and few, if any, of the authors mince their words as they inveigle their ideas inside your mind. Probably the best compliment I can pay this book is that it reminds me how strong the authors are whose names I recognise – and it’s given me a load of new writers to seek out.

Verdict: The word “dark” is used advisedly – a very effective and fear-inducing collection. 9/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to order Dark Cities from Amazon.co.uk