Collections Worth Collecting

So far this year I've read quite a few collections of short fiction. Most were good, some not so good, and a few were great. I'll only bother you with the collections I thought were great and worthy of your time.

Told by The Dead by Ramsey Campbell- 
I'm a huge R. Campbell fan. I'm disappointed I only just discovered his talent a few years ago. His horror fiction has a very distinct old school British vibe to it that takes some getting used to, but it's his way of weaving a good horror story that has me seeking out all of his work. If you're looking for blood and guts and splatter porn, Campbell is not your man. But, if you love the unexpected in the ordinary, speculative horror at its finest, then I can't encourage you enough to pick up one of his books. An older collection I highly, highly recommend of his is Dark Companions. If these two Campbell books don't have you hooked, I'm not sure whats wrong with you.

Beautiful Sorrows by Mercedes M. Yardley-
The title of this book perfectly describes the work within its pages: Beautiful, tragic, heartfelt and so much more. Mercedes really grabs hold of your emotions and twists and turns them with this collection of dark fiction. If I had to describe the writing further, whimsical horror is what comes to mind.

How to Die Well by Bill Breedlove-  I loved this book. The collection of short horror was one of the best I have read in ages. Bill comes up with some of the most imaginative stories that kept me captivated cover to cover. This is the kind of horror I strive to write when I pick up my pen. It's a bit of Bradbury and Hill and Campbell rolled into one. I can't wait to see what Breedlove writes next.

Robbed of Sleep edited by Troy Blackford- This collection of horror and speculative fiction is editor and writer Troy Blackford's first such attempt at a collaborative collection and it does not disappoint. With writers such as Todd Keisling, Mercedes Yardley, John Boden, David Eccles, MC O'Neill, and Troy himself, this is a fantastic read. Troy is currently working on a second collaborative collection that will be out later this year. I'm very much looking forward to it.