Havok’s new anthology promises to take us on a world tour of stories set around the Earth. For this Havok anthology, I rated each story based on three categories: story, mechanics, and theme. The story rating is how much it entertained, its creativity, the stakes/conflict. In essence, how moving was it? The mechanics rating measures how the writing supports the plot and characters. Did the author use a unique style, variety of words, or otherwise inject a lyricism to the story? The last category was if the location of the tale could be identified, if it matched the world theme, and if the setting lent some important element to the offering. For fun, I also captured the type and subtype (e.g. Fantasy / Urban Fantasy) and the country’s location.
Most stories averaged in the “exceeds expectations” tier, and I congratulate authors and editors for such an engaging anthology. The anthology was a quick read, and the variety of genre, tone, and setting elevated this above most anthologies.
I’d like to highlight a few entries that stood out.
“In the Shadow of Ol Doinyo Lengai” by Lisa Godfrees.
“Man Nor Beast” by Rose Q. Adams.
“That’s the Spirit!” by Katie Hanna.
“Protocol One” by Caleb A. Robinson.
“Hinewai” by Deborah Bainbridge.
The following would’ve been “best in class” in any other anthology.
“New Jersey and You” by Austin Grisham. This story only works in New Jersey; it nailed the theme.
“The Worst Kind of Betrayal” by Rachel Dib. A rare mystery offering that plays like a Hitchcock episode.
“The Quest for Terlinvir” by Hailey Huntington. How did a story with such a large scope fit in a flash fiction word count?
“Perforation” by Ryan Helcoski. Horror writers take note of the writing in this piece.
“Gentleman Dracula” by J. L. Ender. Really enjoyed this idea, and it could only happen in London.
“The Secret in Kensington Gardens” by Mia Rumi. This drew me in. I wanted it to continue.
“Portage, Ohio, in Early Autumn” by Emma E. Murray. Absolutely stunning, and contrasts nicely with many other offerings.
My favorite offering had to be “Those Unseen” by Rachel Dib. The combination of idea, writing, and adherence to theme all worked wonderfully in this short, gripping tale. This is one I won’t forget for a while.
The stories were everything from funny to disturbing, from wildly fantastic to grounded in reality. Entering a new world in each piece was a highlight. But, near the end, I noticed the stories clustered in certain places: the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. I would’ve preferred a few stories from different locations like Spain, Russia, or India. It would’ve made it seem more “worldly.” “Those Unseen,” for example, is set in Ukraine which stands out in the Europe section. However, in my last Havok review, I bemoaned the lack of horror entries. Someone listened, because Portage, Gentleman Dracula, and Perforation were all top-notch horror stories. Havok will publish a light fairy tale or a grim huis clos tale as long as it’s of high quality.
Again, many thanks to the editors and authors of Havok for creating such an interesting anthology. I hope their themes continue to be this inspiring.