Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror edited by Jordan Peele
A Review By: AT
A cop begins seeing huge, blinking eyes where the headlights of cars should be that tell him who to pull over. Two freedom riders take a bus ride that leaves them stranded on a lonely road in Alabama where several unsettling somethings await them. A young girl dives into the depths of the Earth in search of the demon that killed her parents. These are just a few of the worlds of Out There Screaming, Jordan Peele’s anthology of all-new horror stories by Black writers. Featuring an introduction by Peele and an all-star roster of beloved writers and new voices, Out There Screaming is a master class in horror, and—like his spine-chilling films—its stories prey on everything we think we know about our world . . . and redefine what it means to be afraid.
Featuring stories by: Erin E. Adams, Violet Allen, Lesley Nneka Arimah, Maurice Broaddus, Chesya Burke, P. Djèlí Clark, Ezra Claytan Daniels, Tananarive Due, Nalo Hopkinson, N. K. Jemisin, Justin C. Key, L. D. Lewis, Nnedi Okorafor, Tochi Onyebuchi, Rebecca Roanhorse, Nicole D. Sconiers, Rion Amilcar Scott, Terence Taylor, and Cadwell Turnbull.
Review Notes:
Audio Book Publication Year: 2023
An installment in a Series? No
Narrator (s): Full Cast
Horror done the Neo-Black way.
Although labeled a collection of horror tales, many of these stories also include elements of speculative fiction, science fiction, and paranormal fiction. Each tale is as unique as the authors who penned them, a veritable buffet of excellent storytelling. There are, of course, standouts with my favorites being The Rider by Tananarive Due, Wandering Devil by Cadwell Turnbull, Pressure by Ezra Claytan Daniels, and Hide and Seek by P. Djéli Clark. However, all are worth the listen.
Best narrations go to Robin Miles for The Most Strongest Oneah Woman in the World by Nalo Hopkinson and Dion Graham for Pressure. Both were absolutely amazing at conveying the content.
With each story assigned a different narrator, this collection was intriguing, at times terrifying in its social commentary, and astonishing in its creativity. Highly receommend!
Reading Recommendation? Yes!
Rating: 5 (I need another one!)
Content Warnings? None
