I find myself yet again owning a debt in reviews for
some of the books I read recently and one such title for which I feel even
sadder not being able to properly put my thoughts on the paper yet is A.R. Deleanu’s collections of stories, “Achluophobia, 10 Macabre Stories”. The
main reason for feeling such sorrow because of this overdue review is that I
don’t get many chances to read Romanian horror. Not because I am not willing to
offer it my time and energy, but because its presence on the Romanian
literature is scarce, to put it light. Considering once more the extremely rich
vein of inspiration found within our folklore, mythology, history and modern
society it is an issue that nudges me very often nowadays. However, there are
reasons of optimism and signs of health for this genre, after all we’ve seen
here published lately an excellent short novel with elements of supernatural
and horror, “The Chocolate Testament”
by Marian Coman, a gothic novel, “…and at the end remained the nightmare”
by Oliviu Crâznic, a couple of themed
anthologies such as “Beyond the Night:
12 Faces of the Gothic” edited by the same Oliviu Crâznic and “Zombies,
The Book of Living Dead” edited by Mircea
Pricăjan and the constant appearance of the online magazine, Revista de suspans (The Suspense Magazine), run also by Mircea Pricăjan, just to name those
that come immediately into mind. Covering mystery, crime and horror it is
always a delight to see Revista de suspans releasing a new issue, and I am not
saying that because I assist this magazine at its editorial work, but because
it offers a proper medium for the Romanian horror genre and writers. From the
works published within the virtual pages of Revista de suspans comes a new
exciting title, “Best of Mystery &
Horror #1”, edited by Mircea Pricăjan and released by a bold new Romanian publisher,
Herg Benet. Gathering 16 stories from
the 105 published in the first 12 issues of Revista de suspans “Best of Mystery & Horror #1” brings forth some of the established and young voices of the
Romanian genre literature tackling the suspense in its many forms. It is the
perfect initiative, and again my opinion is not influenced by my collaboration
with Mircea Pricăjan, for offering further hope to the Romanian horror genre.
And I do have hope that this volume of best mystery and horror short fiction is
the first of many.
Table of contents (in alphabetic order by author):
“Cuvânt înainte” (Foreword)
by Mircea Pricăjan
“Credit restant” (Bad Debt)
by Diana Alzner
“Răzbunarea mută” (The Mute
Revenge) by Cezarina Anghilac
“A doua moarte a domnului Michael Conrad” (The Second Death of Mister Michael Conrad) by George Arion
“Proprietarul” (The Owner)
by Raluca Băceanu
“Prin grele văluri de visare” (Through
Heavy Shrouds of Dreaming) by Alexandru
Dan
“Stingerea” (The Curfew)
by Marian Dumitrașcu
“Păpușa” (The Doll) by Cătălina Fometici
“Ultimul zbor” (The Last
Flight) by Teodora Gheorghe
“Un crâmpei de lumină” (A
Scrap of Light) by Lena Kart
“Spaima” (The Dread) by Cristina Nemerovschi
“Omul cu șobolani sub piele” (The
Man With Rats Under His Skin) by Alexandra
Niculae
“Scurtă întâlnire” (Short
Meeting) by Liviu Radu
“Vino la mine” (Come to Me)
by Radu Romaniuc
“Arhanghelul” (The Archangel)
by Paul Tudor
“Înainte să putrezească totul” (Before
Everything Rots) by Felix Tzele
“Iluminare” (Illumination) by Ioana Vișan
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