Ah, October. It's a magical time of year when even the most reluctant horror movie watchers open their watch list in search of a new scary movie to watch. And while 'Scary 3' is sure to be October's highest-grossing horror film, and the leading contender for October's best new scary film is 'V/H/S/Beyond,' the latest film in the 'V/H/S' franchise. With the introduction of a consistent central theme – and a handful of emerging horror directors giving their all in each segment – “V/H/S/Beyond” returned the series to its former glory and reminded us why horror anthologies can be such a fun way to tell a story.
But if “V/H/S/Beyond” marks the rebirth of the horror anthology cinema, but not the only one. It was a banner year for horror anthologies across all media, with new collections and series dominating the shelves of local comic and book stores. bold declaration: we've entered the golden age of anthology horror films in entertainment, and audiences may never enjoy short-form horror movies as much again.
The horror anthology goes beyond the movies
While V/H/S/Beyond clearly stands out among horror anthologies, it's not the only 2024 release to make great use of the form. It was also a big year for anthologies and comics, as several new releases and recurring series hit our shelves.
If you're a comic book fan, one of the biggest stories of the year is the return of EC Comics. Independent comic book publisher Oni Press – Best known as the home of Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim series. — has come back to life with a new lineup of titles to replace old mainstays like “Tales from the Crypt” and “Weird Science.” These new series share their predecessors' approach to the genre: “Cruel Universe” is a collection of science fiction short stories, while the charmingly named “Epitaphs from the Void” focuses on more traditional horror narratives.
Oni Press isn't the only publisher leaning into horror anthologies. In July, BOOM! Studios has launched a new monthly anthology series, Hello Darkness, featuring a mix of horror, fantasy and science fiction. Like its EC Comics counterparts, Hello Darkness features an impressive lineup of writers and artists, combining established horror auteurs such as Cullen Bunn and James Tynion IV with a wide range of newcomers.
Meanwhile, a wide range of literary horror anthologies have also been released over the past few months. For the YA crowd is “A Black Girl Will Survive In This,” a collection of short stories that subvert the typical experiences of black girls in horror (features an introduction by respected horror author and producer Tananarive Due). “Blood Bound,” another new anthology series celebrating haunted book stories, stars Eric LaRocca, who specializes in short stories and whose new collection, “This Skin Was Once Mine,” also hit shelves earlier this year.
And if two collections weren't enough, the collection also features Eric LaRocca's The Darkest Night, a new collection of short stories centered around the theme of winter. This collection also includes contributions from writers such as Josh Malerman (“The Birdbox”) and Jamie Flanagan (“The Shepherdess”), adding to the few paperbacks on your shelf that also explore horror through the lens of short narratives and a diverse range of groups of artists.
They are the antidote to franchising and prestige storytelling
So why are horror anthologies more popular than ever? Like any other trend, the rise of anthologies seems to be something of a course correction for the entertainment industry.
To start with, many of them have their roots in the success of horror in Hollywood. Horror films are more popular and more profitable than ever before. In fact, they seem uniquely suited to solving some of the industry's problems over the past decade. These include the death of the movie star – the genre itself often headlines in a way that most actors no longer can – and the fact that horror sometimes seems to be the only type of cinema immune to Hollywood's temptation to minimize/maximize its product. In an industry where each new release must cost $100,000 or $100,000,000, horror is a safe middle ground.
And the rise of nine-figure franchise films also set the stage for counterprogramming in the form of shorter stories. Anthologies seem like a natural reaction to franchise fatigue. If audiences are indeed both overwhelmed and disillusioned with the homework involved in today's narrative universes, the ideal antidote is short story telling. It doesn't matter if I miss an issue of “Epitaphs from the Void” or if I'm scrolling through one of the middle “V/H/S” videos in my Shudder queue; I can go into each story or segment as a stand-alone experience, without worrying about continuity or chronological order.
It's time to dive into the horror anthology
Finally, in the mortal bondage of peak television, where every prestige show is stoned on its own resources, there is something wonderful about a simpler form of storytelling. Horror anthologies can be as thoughtful as their longer-form counterparts, but within a modest structure – one cautionary tale or a big idea – that conveys the message in the smallest space possible. Do I need to watch all eleven seasons of The Walking Dead and its various spin-offs to appreciate the grim nature of the zombie apocalypse? Or can I just enjoy the six pages of Tyler Crook's Gray Green Memories in the second issue of Epitaphs from the Abyss? When it comes to modern entertainment, less can be more.
In short – pun very much intended – there has never been a better time for little horror films across a wide range of media. Whether you prefer film, fiction, or comics, horror anthologies continue to celebrate our favorite genre while offering a refreshing alternative to the over-the-top storytelling that dominates so much of the media we consume. You may not be able to lose yourself in your chosen anthology format for an entire evening, but you can put it down and pick it up without feeling like you're failing some kind of open-book entertainment test. Sometimes horror is best served on the smallest plate.
