These Our Monsters

📖 The Scoop

'Marvellous and menacing.' Daily Mail

'The shadow from which I thought I had unshackled myself has returned. Whether this Horror is real or merely the handiwork of my imagination I cannot say. Nor can I say which of these possibilities disturbs me more.' from 'The Dark Thread' by Graeme Macrae Burne

From the legends of King Arthur embedded in the rocky splendour of Tintagel to the folklore and mysticism of Stonehenge, English Heritage sites are often closely linked to native English myths. Following on from the bestselling ghost story anthology Eight Ghosts, this is a new collection of stories inspired by the legends and tales that swirl through the history of eight ancient historical sites.

Including an essay by James Kidd on the importance of myth to our landscape and our fiction, and an English Heritage survey of sites and associated legends, These Our Monsters is an evocative collection that brings new voices and fresh creative alchemy to our storytelling heritage.

'Nobody believes you when you talk about the whispering. Oh, Monny, you are funny, they say, you've such an imagination. There's a lot they don't believe.' from 'The Hand Under the Stone' by Sarah Hall

'This varied collection scratches the soil of the country to dig up some of the fairy tales and fantasies that have helped form the English identity.' Financial Times

The atmospheric locations:

Edward Carey - Bury St Edmunds Abbey

Sarah Hall - Castlerigg and other stone circles

Paul Kingsnorth - Stonehenge

Alison MacLeod - Down House

Graeme Macrae Burnet - Whitby Abbey

Sarah Moss - Berwick Castle

Fiona Mozley - Carlisle Castle

Adam Thorpe - Tintagel Castle

With original black-and-white illustrations by Clive Hicks-Jenkins.

Genre: Fiction / General (fancy, right?)