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British writers currently dominate the horror fiction scene, so much so that the American publisher Cemetery Dance acknowledges the fact by releasing an anthology of twenty-one stories by UK-based contributors under the title British Invasion.

Supposedly, the volume collects work by the best british horror writers, but several distinguished authors (L.H. Maynard and M.P.N. Sims, Graham Masterton, Mark Samuels, to mention a few) are unfortunately absent. At any rate, the book does include a number of top-notch tales which confirm the excellent state of health of the horror scene in the UK.

"Respects" is a typical Ramsey Campbell story squeezing pure horror from daily events, namely the death of a young car thief chased by the police and the consequent stalking of a blameless woman by the boy's family (and spirit?).

Similarly Tony Richards provides yet another of his superb tales where horror is gushing out of everyday existence. His chilling "Birchiam Pier," by far the best tale in the book, depicts effectively the apprehensions of parents for their kids in a world where dark enemies keep lurking at the end of a dilapidated pier.

The fears of a twelve-year-old boy with a dying mother and a missing sister become real in the deeply disquieting "The Nowhere Man" by Sarah Pinborough, while childhood memories prove to be deceptive in the nightmarish and unsettling "Never Go Back" by Steve Lockley & Paul Lewis.

Allan Ashley contributes "The Spaces in Our Lives," a slipstream piece describing in parallel the progressive drifting apart of a couple and the changes in the planet environment.

By contrast, "The Crazy Helmets" is solid horror, penned by the unfailing imagination of Paul Finch, a master in creating colourful stories. In a foggy countryside, a graveyard, where German POW are buried, unleashes terrifying horrors as well as repentance and sorrow.

In the author's words "a supernatural police story," Joel Lane's "Beth's Law" is a grim, fascinating piece taking place in the dark atmosphere of a ruthless Birmingham.

Mark Morris' powerful "Puppies For Sale" describes a case of indirect psychic vampirism leading to the progressive destruction of a happy family. Although the basic idea appears a bit implausible, the tale does work, thanks to Morris' uncommon skill as a storyteller.

Worth mentioning is also "Yellow Teeth" by Adam Nevill, a literary tour de force about a man whose flat is invaded and gradually turned into a filthy wreckage by a former schoolmate now reduced to a religious nut with unwholesome habits. Irritating but entertaining, the story is a quite enjoyable piece of fiction, although barely classifiable as horror.

Having recognized the superior quality of british horror fiction, we are now awaiting an adequate response from the other side of the ocean…

Mario Guslandi lives in Milan, Italy, and is a long-time fan of dark fiction. His book reviews have appeared on a number of genre websites such as The Alien Online, Infinity Plus, Necropsy, The Agony Column and Horrorwold.