Fearful Implications

Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award winner Campbell (The Lonely Lands) is in top form in this collection of 20 stories featuring ordinary people trapped in nightmarish situations. In “The Dreamed,” British tourist Donald Jones is hoping for a relaxing visit to a Greek island. Based on his initial disorienting conversation with his hotel’s receptionist—the weirdness of which Don writes off as a product of her broken English—it’s clear the trip won’t go as planned. “Speaking Still” is another highlight. Widower Daniel saves the final voicemails from his late wife, Dorothy, to listen to, but what starts as a moving depiction of grief shifts in tone once new voicemails start coming in from beyond the grave. The creepiest entry is “First a Bird,” in which a six-year-old boy is lured away from his grandfather by a voice from a bush. Campbell’s ability to unsettle readers shows no sign of flagging. Agent: John Jarrold, John Jarrold Literary. (Nov.)