Titan snares Shirley Jackson tribute anthology of new stories

Titan Books is releasing a collection of original stories in tribute to late horror author Shirley Jackson, edited by Ellen Datlow and featuring tales from Joyce Carol Oates, Josh Malerman and Paul Tremblay among others.

Managing editor George Sandison struck a deal for world all language rights with Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House for world all language and audio rights. When Things Get Dark: Stories Inspired by Shirley Jackson will publish as a hardback in the UK, Commonwealth, Ireland and North America in autumn 2021.

Jackson was an author whose horror and mystery fiction explored humanity through the veil of the strange and inspired a generation of readers and writers; When Things Get Dark is a celebration of this legacy and a tribute to her works, curated by Datlow, the recipient of numerous Hugo, Bram Stoker and World Fantasy awards.

She said: "I love Shirley Jackson's writing. I've been a fan since reading We Have Always Lived in the Castle when I was a pre-teen. I, of course, read 'The Lottery' and 'An Ordinary Day With Peanuts' and was hooked. I am so pleased to be editing a volume of stories by great writers who have been inspired by Jackson's work. I know we'll do her legacy proud."

Other authors in the line-up include Elisabeth Hand, Victor LaValle, Cassandra Khaw, Laird Barron, Nathan Ballingrud, Ben Percy, Karen Heuler, Richard Kadrey and Seanan McGuire, with further contributors to be announced.  

Sandison added: "Ellen Datlow might just be horror personified. I've admired her immense passion for the genre, and her standing within it, for many years, so to be able to work on a project with her — in tribute to the mighty Shirley Jackson nonetheless — is a bucketlist job for me."