Black Feathers Dark Avian Tales: An Anthology

Ellen Datlow — 2017

A dazzling anthology of avian-themed fiction guaranteed to frighten and delight, edited by one of the most acclaimed horror anthologists in the genre. Birds are usually loved for their beauty and their song. They symbolize freedom, eternal life, the soul. But there’s a dark side to the avian. Birds of prey sometimes kill other birds (the shrike), destroy other birds’ eggs (blue jays), and even have been known to kill small animals (the kea sometimes eats live lambs). And who isn’t disgusted by birds that eat the dead—vultures awaiting their next meal as the life blood flows from the dying. Is it any wonder that with so many interpretations of the avian, that the contributors herein are eager to be transformed or influenced by them? Included in Black Feathers are those obsessed by birds of one type or another: A grieving widow takes comfort in her majestic winged neighbors, who enable her to cope with a predatory relative. An isolated society of women relies on a bird to tell their fortunes. A chatty parrot makes illegal deals with the dying. A troubled man lives in isolation with only one friend for company—a jackdaw. In each of these fictions, you will encounter the dark resonance between the human and avian. You will see in yourself the savagery of a predator, the shrewd stalking of a hunter, and will wade into this feathered nightmare, braving the horror of death for that which we all seek—the promise of flight.

Reviews

Kiersten@gaiasbones

Sep 30, 2024

Some stories were 4.5 stars, others 2.5 or 3! Overall, a good read.

Dee B. @deeisreading

Aug 19, 2022

Weird in all the best ways! deereadsforfood.wordpress.com

Maggie Gordon@maggieg

Aug 13, 2022

Black Feathers: Dark Avian Tales caught my eye on NetGalley because who doesn't think birds are a bit creepy? If you don't, go look at some closeups of birds and let their dinosaur-like tendencies give you nightmares! The collection focuses on the darker side of birds. It is, unfortunately, a bit uneven in terms of quality, but that's a sin that most anthologies commit. There are several standout stories though that are definitely worth picking up the book. The Mathematical Inevitably of Corvids - Seanan McGuire I love McGuire stories, and the fact that she was a contributor lured me into reading this book. This short story about nursery rhymes and mental illness is gripping and terribly sad. Something About Birds - Paul Tremblay Tremblay is another favourite of mine. He does weird and disturbing so well! The highlights of this story are the unnerving visuals of bird masks, and the steady creeping horror that builds into a bizarre, but shiver-worthy conclusion. Great Blue Heron - Joyce Carol Oates This story is about grief and herons and perhaps a bit of magic. But mostly it is about grief that too many people poke at until our poor protagonist explodes. The Murmurations of Vienna Von Drome - Jeffrey Ford This was a great Victorian style mystery-horror story with shades of The Island of Doctor Moreau. I loved the atmosphere and feel of the city. The Secret of Flight - AC Wise A tale that makes great use of shifting timelines to tell the story of a missing woman and a playwright who wonders how it all went wrong... It's melancholy and paced fantastically well. Thank you to NetGalley and Pegasus Books for giving me an ARC of this book for review purposes!