Strange Horizons, February 2016 by Niall Harrison
My rating: 0 of 5 stars
***** The Opening of the Bayou Saint John – Shawn Scarber
Ooh, this one gave me chills.
Scarber is a new author to me (and, not a prolific one) but this is a jewel of a horror tale.
Drawing on mythic tales of the ferrymen who bear one to the afterlife, and infusing them with Lovecraftian weirdness, the action is moved to the rural Louisiana bayou. Here, women know that if they miscarry or suffer a stillbirth, there’s another option. They can summon the ferrywoman for an eerie journey.
Creepy – and also rather lovely.
readingtrance 