Book Review: Diabolica Britannica Anthology
Diabolica Britannica: A Dark Isles Horror Compendium
Edited by Keith Anthony Baird
Not only is this an absolutely brilliant collection of short stories, the proceeds from this are going to the NHS’ fight against COVID-19. So please, after reading this review, do go buy the anthology – not only do you get a brilliant reading experience, you’ll also be doing something good!
Diabolica Britannica (one hell of a title) brings together established British writers alongside some newer names. There are names you’ll recognise, and maybe some you won’t, but the quality is consistent throughout. The authors involved are Adam L G Nevill, Tim Lebbon, Keith Anthony Baird, John F Leonard, Morgan K Tanner, Arthur M Harper, Christopher Henderson, Beverley Lee, Sarah E England, Catherine McCarthy, Stephanie Ellis, Janine Pipe, Sarah J Budd and Alyson Faye. All bring their A game, contributing solid, varied stories across a wide range of topics and horror sub-genres.
And maybe – just maybe – I’m a little bias, but my favourites were definitely the ones with strong Welsh ties. ‘Carreg Samson’ (a real stone structure, located in Pembrokeshire) opens the anthology, after a fantastic forward from Ramsey Campbell. The story, told from the point of view of Carreg Samson, manages to strike a particular tone, and feels very hard-hitting with the current circumstances. It also very much feels like it could tie-in to the final story in the anthology, Adam L.G. Nevill’s ‘Call the Name’, and these stories give a really solid opening and strong finish.
Christopher Henderson’s ‘Tourist Traps’ convinced me he had, perhaps, been on the same London walking ghost tour I’d done a few years ago (highly recommend them, by the way). The nods to aspects of the city, the lesser known areas that visitors still might be familiar with, added an extra touch to this story, and its creep factor ramped up throughout. Next time I visit London’s Roman wall – worth walking along, if just for the contrast between the old crumbling wall and modern office blocks behind it – I’ll have to do it during the day, to avoid thinking of this story and growing too scared to go near it.
I have to admit, all the stories contained in this anthology are deserving of shout outs, but I’ll touch on just a couple more. Stephanie Ellis’ ‘We Plough the Fields and Scatter’ is folk horror at its finest, as a small village re-enacts an old ritual. ‘The Flow’, by Tim Lebbon – originally published in Terror Tales of Wales, which I very desperately need to read – confronts a very real aspect of Welsh history, through the eyes of a woman confronting her own past. This struck a deep chord in me. It’s centred around a village flooded years before, with previous residents revisiting as the waters briefly recede. To those who might not be aware of the significance of such a story, please look up Capel Celyn, a Welsh village flooded to create a reservoir for Liverpool.
Again, every story here deserves a mention, but the review would be very long if I did that. What I cannot stress enough is how solid this book is, how fantastic the voices are. I would strongly urge everyone to grab this one. I feel like this is one of those books I’ll be shouting about for a long time to come. The only downside is it’s only available as an e-book right now, but it would be great to see it in print sometime in the future.
Grade: A
Review by Elle Turpitt
I received this book from author Stephanie Ellis for review consideration.
