Yeah yeah, I know. Bad form to review a book I'm in. But really, I just wanted to mention one particular story - the one that closes out the anthology. Kaaron Warren's The Blue Stream was chilling and disturbing, and a reminder that when it comes to horror, there's nothing a monster can do that is more horrific than what we do to ourselves. The most dangerous and awful creature in the universe is a fearful human, and the ugly truth of it is that it is not horror that creates fear, but fear that creates horror.
There are a lot of good stories - great stories, even - in Dead Souls (which makes me worry for the editor's sanity that my work is also included...). But The Blue Stream stands out as one of those rare sparks of brilliance in the short fiction world. It's an honor to share space in the same anthology.
I'll definitely be seeking out more of her work. Because, y'know, the to-be-read pile isn't big enough yet.