Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror

Guignard (That Which Grows Wild) makes a fitting tribute to the 1950s with this 18-story compendium of hot rods, rock ‘n’ roll, and creature features come to life. In “Tremble” by Kasey Lansdale and Joe R. Lansdale, a girl descended from sirens, on the verge of musical stardom, seeks revenge against her childhood tormentors. In “The She-Creature” by Amelia Beamer, a girl must choose between a mundane life where she’s forced to conceal her queer sexuality and one where she surrenders her humanity in order to live and love freely. Other outstanding entries include “Dr. Morbismo’s InsaniTERRORium Horror Show” by Lisa Morton, in which a traveling magic show’s manufactured ghosts collide with the genuine article in a haunted theater, and “Mystery Train: An Arcane Investigation” by Max Allan Collins and Matthew V. Clemens, in which a private nurse is hired to care for a supernatural investigator who’s convinced he has died. Despite an intermittent reliance on hackneyed tropes, this eclectic collection is ideal for fans of classic spooky fiction. (Nov.)