After Sundown is a surprisingly consistent high quality anthology (i say surprisingly as there’s probably only one story i didn’t enjoy, and many were excellent, whether sinister, shocking, quietly atmospheric or just old school nasty... personal highlights were Alison Littlewood;s Swanskin, Sarah Lotz’ That’s the Spirit and It Doesn’t Feel Right by Michael Marshall Smith.
Whilst i read most of the stories last week (hottest week of the year...) it will be perfect reading when it comes out before Halloween - curled up by a fire on a dark night...

Thoroughly enjoyed this collection, thank you so much for approving a review copy!
Impossible to pick a favourite, so here is a brief review of the stories that stood out to me.
CJ Tudor - taut, thrilling, immense cliffhanger, wish it had been a novel!
Sarah Lotz - neat little ‘fake psychic’ story with a twist.
Ramsey Campbell - classic Campbell, hallucinogenic and creepy.
Angela Slatter - vengeful ghost, but does it even know why?
Michael Marshall Smith - takes a familiar scenario to parents that has that trademark flip into something dark and strange.
Robert Shearman - definitely not one for dental-phobics.
Stephen Volk - heartbreaking domestic tragedy.
Paul Finch - I live near a disused railway line like this and the tale certainly adds a frisson of fear to my walks there.

I shall look forward to recommending it in groups on Facebook (have already seen it mentioned in Folk Horror Revival) and to friends and family.

Most anthologies have some stories that are hit or miss, but the overall quality of the horror stories in "After Sundown" was very good. The first one, "Butterfly Island", was well-written, but it seems like we're seeing an awful lot of stories now days where most of the population is dead and the last survivors are fighting for their lives. Not that this is bad, but I keep seeing stories in this vein. A story that made me sad, because it showed the cruelty of mankind, was "Swanskins." Still a good story, but sad. The one that really creeped me out was the very last contribution, "Branch Line," because we've all had the experience of being followed by something, or someone, that didn't look or feel quite right.

Those are just three I chose to mention, but all are good, none are terrible, and there is plenty of variety to choose from.

A big thanks to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for allowing me to read an advance copy.

This collection of horror is a mixed bag. A few pieces stood out as truly excellent, among them "Swanskin" by Alison Littlewood and Simon Bestwick's M. R. Jamesian "We All Come Home." Other authors had good ideas but couldn't figure out quite what to do with them, as evinced in C. J. Tudor's "Butterfly Island," in which the ending feels unsatisfactory. I was horrified and appalled, though, by Michael Marshall Smith's "It Doesn't Feel Right," which uses stereotyped symptoms of autism to represent monstrosity among children. I am autistic, and I strongly recommend that this chapter be removed from the volume. It is exactly the kind of misrepresentation that so many of us in the SFF community are working against. Otherwise, it's a fine if not stellar collection.

Another short story book. Different authors some I've read before some I haven't. As with most short stories some were better than others. All were a good read though.
If you like short stories this book is for you. Enjoy!!

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for an early release of this book.

3.5 stars.

After Sundown is a collection of horror short stories made possible by Flame Tree Press. It collects 20 stories with a focus on new/emerging talent (four of the stories were found by using an open submission format). While there are some familiar names on this list (Ramsey Campbell for one), it is an admirable goal to showcase newer talent in such an open ended and flexible genre. Taken as a collection, it's a bit of an uneven ride. Some stories are fantastic throughout, if a bit derivative at times. (I'm certain I've read at least two other horror stories with the same premise as "Creeping Ivy" but it's still an effective trope.) However, there are a few that fall short of the mark by either not packing enough scares or ending abruptly right when something of interest happens. While an abrupt ending is a common theme in horror, it always works better when it's justified and feels believable.

While genre fans may not find much that is new in this collection, it is still a fun read that is easy to pick up and read in small bursts.

**Thanks to Flame Tree Press and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.**