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Book: “Beyond the Bounds of Infinity: An Anthology of Diverse Horror” by Vaughn A. Jackson (Ed.) & Stephanie Pearre (Ed.)
Publishing Info: Raw Dog Screaming Press, July 2024
Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from the editor.
Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound
Book Description: Welcome to a world of horror viewed through a kaleidoscope lens. Embark on a journey to untangle the writhing tendrils of human terror in a dimension where the possible and impossible blend-an unstable realm where comfort can be found in the coldest pits, and dark gods feast upon the sweetest suffering-where infernal sounds birth silent letters that drift along midnight shores and the unexplained lurks beneath crumbling urban structures. Step over the edge of what you think you know, and find yourself…Beyond the Bounds of Infinity!
Featuring stories by L. Marie Wood, S.A. Cosby, Jessica McHugh, and Mary SanGiovanni-alongside newer voices like Cassius Kilroy, Jessica L. Sparrow, and Vicky Velvet-Beyond the Bounds of Infinity offers a collection of weird fiction and cosmic horror stories that are diverse down to the cellular level. From Taíno folk horror to the horror of identity in a world that just doesn’t understand, from cozy to apocalyptic, and everything in between, let these authors show you what fear really is, and what it means to them.
Review: Thank you to Stephanie Pearre for sending me an eARC of this collection!
I don’t really collection many things, but one thing that I DO collect is hardcover annotated classic novels. I have about seven as of now, from “Dracula” to “Anne of Green Gables” to “The Hobbit” and more. One that I have that is a bit of an outlier is “The Annotated Lovecraft”, as I haven’t actually READ anything by H.P. Lovecraft, but wanted yet another Annotated tome for my shelves. One of the reasons I haven’t checked it out, in spite of his works being SO formative for horror, especially Cosmic horror, is because of what a bigot he was. Because of this, I’ve stayed away and relied on the cultural zeitgeist to be informed about Cthulhu and the Old Ones and all that. So when I was approached by Stephanie Pearre to read “Beyond the Bounds of Infinity: An Anthology of Diverse Horror”, I thought this was the perfect chance to finally dive into a bunch of Cosmic horror tales, written specifically by Own Voices authors whose works reclaim a sub-genre jump started by a bigot.
As I always do with short stories collections, I will review my three favorite stories, and then review the collection as a whole.
“Effigies of Monstrous Things” by Pedro Iniguez: While there are PLENTY of horrifying stories in this collection, I think this was the one that really cut to the bone for me. A single father living in poverty is working on trying to solve the mold problem in his apartment complex in a neighborhood where children are going missing. When he stumbles into a crawlspace and finds a terrible effigy, he realizes that mold may be the least of his problems. This one was not only a deeply upsetting tale involving decay and death, it was also an insightful take on poverty, microaggressions, racism, and how some populations are easier targets for violence or inaction because of their marginalized status. This one really made me shudder.
“A Dampened Embrace” by Christopher Hann: If any of the stories had a hook right from the jump in this collection, it was this one, as it describes a mother dying, then her body being dug up under mysterious circumstances. A son is mourning his mother’s death, while also grappling with a family legacy of worshiping a deity at the cost of so much. Now he tries to figure out what is next, when inevitability may be the only outcome. This one was an interesting blend of generational trauma, family loyalty, and the way that children can suffer at the hands of well meaning parents, and it had moments of beauty as well as moments of despair.
“24 Points” by S.A. Cosby: This is honestly just a good reminder that I need to read S.A. Cosby’s novels, as I have been meaning to but haven’t done so yet. Because wow, this one was so, so utterly unnerving! Three hunters, a boy and his father and his uncle, go into the woods looking for a deer, and see the biggest deer that they have ever seen. But when the uncle shoots it, it becomes quite clear that they should have left it well enough alone. I felt that ultimately this story was more of a folk horror tale than cosmic, but there were definitely things that overlapped between sub-genres that worked well. And that ending! DANG. I won’t spoil anything, but DANG. I think this one may have been my favorite.
As a whole collection, “Beyond the Bounds of Infinity” has some real stand outs, and some stories that didn’t connect as well for me. But I did really appreciate the wide swath of topics, perspectives, and levels of horror that were within its pages. As I mentioned above I am not someone who is super versed in Cosmic horror, but I really got a good sense of the sub-genre and its beats from this book. And what a great way to reclaim a sub-genre that was in many ways created by and still defined by a bigoted creep like Lovecraft. I love seeing people that he would have looked down upon (to say the least) saying that they have every right to have their place at the Cosmic horror table, and how it shows that horror, be it this sub-genre or ANY sub-genre, has room for everyone.
“Beyond the Bounds of Infinity” is a must for Cosmic horror fans, old and new alike. I feel like I got a crash course in a sub-genre I’m not as familiar with, and I enjoyed the ride.
Rating 8: A compelling collection of Cosmic horror from many different perspectives, “Beyond the Bounds of Infinity” is a good intro to a sub-genre that has lots of room for new voices.
Reader’s Advisory:
“Beyond the Bounds of Infinity” is included on the Goodreads list “Cosmic Horror That’s Not Lovecraft”.
The Library Ladies 