4 stars

The concept of this book is awesome! The lineup of authors is top tier. I found that I like more of the daytime horrors more, but all the stories were quite good. As with all anthologies there were some that just stood out more but overall this is a solid book!

First of all, thank you to Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, for the free e-copy of Night & Day, edited by Ellen Datlow for review. I really enjoyed reading Night & Day, which is split thematically into the two separate titular parts. Nearly all of the stories in both parts are solid tales; however, my absolute favorite is The Door of Sleep by Stephen Graham Jones. Overall, this collection featuring heavyweights such as Jones, Malerman, LaRocca, and Harrison is a must for fans of horror.

I think that this is such a unique and fun concept for an anthology. I loved the idea about horrors in the night and day and found that I was even more interested in the day time haunts. I found a few of the stories stood out a bit more than others in the collection but enjoyed each authors' voice shining in their own stories. I think this would be a fun anthology to take on a book retreat or getaway with friends and read it together.

Dreadful Dark and Merciless Sun, Ellen Datlow brings together a fearless group of talented horror authors to give us Night & Day: Tales of Nighttime and Daylight Horror, a horrifying anthology with a blend of terror under both the sun and moon.

A horror anthology edited by of the genre's greatest, Ellen Datlow, with one side featuring stories about what haunts the night while the other side showcases the terrors that can exist in the light of day in this new addition to the Saga Doubles series.

This anthology contains stories from some of the most evocative and bestselling writers of horror and speculative fiction. Night & Day features Dreadful Dark: Tales of Nighttime Horror stories: Trash Night by Clay McLeod Chapman; We Take Off Our Skin in the Dark by Eric LaRocca; The Door of Sleep by Stephen Graham Jones; At Night, My Dad by Dan Chaon; The Night House by Gemma Files; The Night-Mirrors by Pat Cadigan; Fear of the Dark by Benjamin Percy; The Picknicker by Josh Malerman; and Secret Night by Nathan Ballingrud.

On the other side we get Day—Merciless Sun: Tales of Daylight Horror stories: The Bright Day by Priya Sharma; Faire by Rachel Harrison; Trick of the Light by Brian Evenson; One Day by Jeffrey Ford; The Wanting by A.T. Greenblatt; Hold Us in the Light by A.C. Wise; Dismaying Creatures by Robert Shearman; Bitter Skin by Kaaron Warren; Cold Iron by Sophie White.

Each side of the book reveals the horrors that unfold at day or night. Similar to most anthologies, some stories truly stand out, while others didn't connect with me as much. But that's the beauty in such collections–they offer something for everyone. Among the highlights in Night & Day, Trash Night by Clay McLeod Chapman and Faire by Rachel Harrison are two tales that lingered with me long after I closed the book.

The Tales of Day side of the book resonated a bit more with me. We seem conditioned to associate fear with the darkness of night, but invoking such a sense of true terror during the daylight hours is a rare and impress feat. Those authors who tackled the Merciless Sun: Tales of Daylight Horror stories had a significant challenge in crafting these daytime horrors, and for the most part, they succeeded. This isn't to detract from the Dreadful Dark: Tales of Nighttime Horror stories, as they delivered plenty of chills in their own right. However, there is something uniquely unsettling about fear under the bright light of the sun.

A major highlight of this anthology is with the design and presentation of its stories. The dual-side book, with covers for night and day, is something that captured my attention from the start and will likely do the same for other horror readers. This creative format stands out in a crowded horror genre, offering something truly special for my bookshelf. Fans of this format will also enjoy more from Saga Doubles, including Double Killer on the Road / The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones.

Like many other anthologies, Night & Day delivers a mix of outstanding tales alongside some solid stories. Yet, what truly makes this collection special is the authors that can really bring to life stories which can frighten us in the stillness of the night or under the brightness of daylight. Ellen Datlow has wonderfully curated and edited this horrifying collection of stories with outstanding presentation and design.

Ellen Datlow knows what she is doing with her decades of experience with horror. I will be purchasing on release day for my home library.

It never feels great writing attempted reviews. There comes a point where you realize though, I’m struggling with this book. This book really isn’t for me. And you realize you have to move on. That doesn’t mean the book is bad, it just means it wasn’t for me.

And thats where I am with Night & Day. Night & Day is an anthology of short stories, one part is night and the other part is day. The physical is a flip book, while the digital version, which I received from Net Galley, is just separated by sections. Would I have liked the physical version better? I don’t think so. It would have been neat to flip the book, sure, but as far as the stories go, some of them were interesting while many others were not.

The book started out great with Clay Mcleod Chapman’s Trash Night. It has a killer opening line that hooks you in right away and you’re like WHAT THE?! and you want to know what’ll happen. And there’s Eric Larocca’s story We Take Off Our Skin In the Dark, which is super disturbing. Very on brand for them. I say that with all the love in the world. They are such a great writer. And then The Door of Sleep by Stephen Graham Jones, which is very creepy. The collection goes downhill after that though.

The stories in the rest of night are not bad, but I had a tough time getting into them. And then Day was even worse. Though I did love Rachel Harrison’s Faire, which is creepy and has a disturbing ending.

Night & Day isn’t a bad collection but I just couldn’t get into most of the stories. I do think that this book will hook others. I think you have to be very patient with some of these stories and I was not. Its my fault, not the books, that I couldn’t finish it. This just wasn’t for me. I am still very honored, as always, to get an early look at the book.

Night & Day comes out September 2nd, 2025. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing an early digital copy.

2.5 stars

A collection of horror stories, some books some esteemed authors like Stephen Graham Jones, Josh Malerman and others, half involving the night, half set in the light of day, a concept that has always interested me, because if you can scare me during the day….well, that is scary! ((There’s a scene from the movie “Nope” that takes place at midday that I will never get over. Never.)

Sadly, though, though most of the stories weren’t bad, few really stood out to me. My favorite was “Faire” by the talented Rachel Harrison.

Night & Day is a standout horror anthology showcasing Ellen Datlow’s curatorial mastery, with chilling tales that prove terror thrives in both darkness and light. Featuring top voices like Eric LaRocca, Gemma Files, and Rachel Harrison, this flipbook-style collection delivers eerie atmosphere, psychological tension, and haunting originality. A must-read for horror anthology fans.