 The specialist anthology is doing well in the world of small-press horror these days, and as the genre slowly sheds its conservative image we are seeing the emergence of more and more fiction from LGBT+ writers. It’s not just Clive Barker beavering away on his own anymore, and in the last few years I’ve read quite a few collections of LGBT+ fiction (the best being Steve Duffy’s Queer Fear anthologies.) However, Celine Frohn’s Unspeakable: A Queer Gothic Anthology (Nyx Press) is even more specialized. As the title implies, its focus is Gothic literature. The “queering” of Gothic tropes and the use of the genre as a springboard to interrogate questions of minority sexuality, transformation, gender identity and the return of the repressed has become increasingly common in our present-day literary landscape, but this was the first time I’d encountered an anthology entirely devoted to such concerns, so I approached Unspeakable with interest. As you might expect, a good few of the stories here draw heavily on traditional early Gothic content: huge, structurally unsound pieces of real estate, mirrors, moons, chandeliers, women in white dresses running around in a state, artistic blood spillage, rampaging ivy and dreams groaning with significance. The quality of these varies, though for my money the lesbian haunted house two-hander “Moonlight” by Ally Kölzow is the best and most professionally written, with decent pacing and a vividness of imagery reminiscent of Angela Carter’s seminal story ‘The Lady of the House of Love’. “Moon in the Glass” by Judith Reid offers a similar vibe, although it’s written in a more on-the-nose style reminiscent of the darker end of the romance market, so may have more niche appeal. The Victorian and Edwardian eras are also mined by several of the authors here. ‘’Doctor Barlowe’s Mirror” by Avery Kit Malone is a dark and competent work-out on the evil mirror theme, and its restrained, psychic-detectivey voice and mild sci-fi flavour set it apart here. “An Account of Service At Meryll Point” (which instead of the author’s name has the words “As recollected and set down by C.L.” appearing under the title), is a sweet little piece with the best use of 19th-century language this book can provide, though I suspect the sting in its tail would’ve been a lot stingier if the story had appeared in a more general anthology! I’m not sure exactly when “Quicksilver Prometheus” by Katie Young is set, but it feels late Edwardian, and more importantly it’s a properly weird, original bit of writing about a closeted gay painter and his relationship with a peculiar piece of art he is making while staying at a seaside town. The end felt a bit flat to me, but on this showing Young is one to watch! Generally speaking, the stories set in the modern world do less well. They seem particularly prone to the pedestrian style that mars quite a few of the stories in this collection – some of these authors are just not ready for prime time yet – and none of the comic stories manage to amuse. Two of the contemporary offerings do stand out, however. “The Ruin” by E. Saxey is very different from the other material in the book. This confessional exploration of a sombre love affair between two fans of apocalyptic fiction benefits from an understated style intriguingly reminiscent of the quieter end of 70s sci-fi (think Christopher Priest or Susan Cooper in adult mode), and clever use is made of some Old English poetry to add emotional resonance and a feeling of the epic. The story’s realistic central relationship also offers a two-for-one shot of “alternative” sexuality, since it features a gay transman and his lover, though that’s far from the only feature of interest here. Oh, and one of the characters is rude about D.H. Lawrence, which is always a plus. However, the prize for best story (an old chocolate coin I found down the back of the sofa) goes to “Leadbitter House” by Mason Hawthorne, which stands head and shoulders above nearly all the others in terms of style. Set in the present day, though oneirically vague with regard to place and time, it features a young heir who moves into a rambling country house he has inherited from an Aunt. In terms of both the plot and the vibe (sun-steeped, sentient gardens, great dark houses, sexual tension and a sense of latent mystery), it reminded me a lot of Barbara Vine’s classic modern-Gothic crime novel A Fatal Inversion, though that’s not to say it’s any kind of copy. An aura of true fantasy is achieved as the house and grounds slowly become unmoored from conventional reality, but the events stay believable thanks to some very sharp literary brushwork that almost makes you feel like you’re in the story at times. Hawthorne seems to be a new writer – at any rate they keep a low online profile - but hopefully we will be seeing a lot more of them soon. The anthology also succeeds in having a pretty inclusive feel where gender etc. is concerned (a pretty important requirement!) It is sometimes said that the “L” part of “LGBT+” has a tendency to be overlooked by mainstream culture, but that’s certainly not the case here! There are plenty of sapphic stories, and women writers too - the literary descendants of Ann Radcliffe and Mary Shelley are fitly represented. It also boasts a variety of subgenres – in addition to the material I’ve mentioned above there’s sword-and-sorcery, pirates, cyber stuff and so on. It’s a reassuring reminder of how flexible and future-facing Gothic can be. Review by Daisy Lyle  Unspeakable contains eighteen Gothic tales with uncanny twists and characters that creep under your skin. Its stories feature sapphic ghosts, terrifying creatures of the sea, and haunted houses concealing their own secrets. Whether you're looking for your non-binary knight in shining armour or a poly family to murder with, Unspeakable showcases the best contemporary Gothic queer short fiction. Even dark tales deserve their time in the sun.
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