No wonder this won the World Fantasy Award

This collection by Tim Lebbon just won the World Fantasy Award, and let me start by saying... Rightly so.

Now go buy it... Lol.

Okay, I'll try and convince you some more.

Let's start with the presentation. PS Publishing is absolutely top notch and extremely good value for money. Every time. Daniele Serra has created another great cover here, and it's also cool to see it underneath the dust jacket on the book board, too.

So, the title: ALL NIGHTMARE LONG works beautifully.

This book unfolds like a never-ending nightmare. Stories blend together in a sort of skewed-like manner. The way a mind goes off in tangents. Especially in dreams. It's a clever piece of work, and I don't know if it's a stroke of luck, genius, or clever planning. Maybe all three.

Anyways... some thoughts I wrote down along the way.

IN STONE: A thought provoking story. Has a touch of curiosity and loneliness about it. Centres on those unexplainable times when your mind plays tricks on you at night.

3.5 stars.

TRICK OF THE LIGHT: A good choice to follow on from the last story, but I so wanted this one to be a lot darker and more terrifying than it turned out to be. Are we warming up to something darker? Hmmm.

3.5 stars.

CLOWN'S KISS: Again, very well placed in this collection. This had me evil grinning at the start for some reason. It had a sort of dark humour lingering around it and wouldn't let go. A little absurd, but in a good way, and the ending... pushed that smile even further.

5 stars.

RELICS: Okay, that opening line probably made me laugh more than it should have. I'm telling you. This collection has the most perfect story placement ever. This one digs deeper into absurdities with adult fairytale-esque qualities and glides through to a thought provoking heartfelt end. I would love to read a novel like this. Absolutely wonderful.

5 stars.

SOUL SURVIVORS: A fitting title. A sense of I've come too far to turn back now. Weaves around the psyche. That feeling when a character thinks they know what's going on, thinks they are in control, but really they are just desperately trying to make sense of their situation. Not so much of a shock ending, but one that could leave you in fear if you thought about it too long. Excellent.

5 stars.

SKIN AND BONE: Back to reality, we drift into a cold and isolated environment. Anything more scary? Put it this way, there is a line in this about a scream way off in the distance that can't compete with the wind. Ohhh... chills.

5 stars.

STRINGS: One of those rare short stories where I feel like I missed something the first time around and immediately read it again. Mysterious and a bit of a WTF, where did that come from?

4.5 stars.

STRANGE CURRENTS: Engrossing little story that left me wanting just a little more.

4.5 stars.

A MAN WALKING HIS DOG: Again, loosely connected. They all are. Whether it's a place, an object, something said or whatever. Every story is connected. You genuinely feel like that, almost on a subconscious level. Like you shouldn't really notice it. The first line in this story does that. It's super clever. I truly appreciate creativity like this. There is something quite hauntingly beautiful and yet really disturbing, too.

5 stars

EMBERS: I don't want to keep mentioning the connections with each story because I think there is genuinely some fun in discovering them for yourself, however subtle they are.

I am enjoying the slight change of tone in the narrative. No two stories feel the same. Sometimes you get a little dark humour. Other times it's just plain dark. I am approaching the halfway point in the collection now, and this one somehow manages to pull all the elements together. Hmm... Elements. Is this called Embers for a reason? Fire...

5 stars.

FLOTSAM: There's an underlying sadness in this message-in-a-bottle story. The closing paragraph felt absolutely right to me. Clever wording. Right up my street.

4.5 stars.

INTO THE DEATH ZONE:

Discovery but from a different perspective. Would have liked this one to be longer.

4 stars.

EMERGENCE:

An intriguing beginning here but for me it became a little too much in such a short space of time.

3 stars.

LAND OF MANY SEASONS: Beginning similarly to the last story, this one draws you in with its creepiness. Or paints you in. I love the line that says about how he can tell someone a deep history of how art often grows out of discomfort and difficulty.

5 stars

THE LONELY WOOD:

The several mentions of cake throughout this collection makes wonder if after each story Tim rewards himself with a cheeky wee slice to celebrate. Anyway, I enjoyed the setting in this one, the altered reality.

4 stars.

IN THE DUST: Tim Lebbon always gets the post apocalyptic story bang on. Somehow he manages to make them feel unique. You can tread similar ground but it's the tiny details that make the difference. You'll see what I mean when you read it.

5 stars.

MAY THE END BE GOOD: I'm not saying if it was or wasn't. I will leave it at that and give it a solid...

4 stars.

SLEEPER: After a real gut punch of a scene with a mother and son in the beginning, this one becomes more and more devastating. For me, this is the heaviest hitter by far in the collection. Quite the emotional drain.

5 stars.

THE GLEEFUL ONES: Reminded me of a certain character in the TV series HEROES in a way. I love a good deviously smirky ending like this, too. Who doesn't?

5 stars.

THE FLOW: Edging into wakefulness towards the end of the collection is a lovely touch. Not that it's a pretty story... Jeez. This one is proper nightmare fuel. The scene with the yellow orb eyes... but really... that's nothing. The whole vibe here is brilliant. Equal favourite with SLEEPER.

5 stars.

THE PROTECTOR: Reality and imagination blend together in this thought provoking story about troubled home life. The reasons why some people read. To escape.

5 stars.

CARRIED AWAY ON A SUNBEAM: I still feel we are continuing this journey into the morning and yet again we are travelling even further into the unknown. Wonderful.

5 stars.

SEARCHING FOR THE ROOM YOU CAN NEVER FIND: All I want to say about this story is that it is truly a great fade out for a stellar collection.

5 stars.

Always great to read story notes at the end of a collection, too. I need to get my hands on the Relics trilogy now. I was also surprised to see that only two stories here were original for this collection. Especially the way they've blended together. I guess things are just meant to be.

Don't let this collection pass you by.

Pick up the ebook from PS Publishing at least. Or be like me and buy a hardback as well.

5 stars.