Northern Nights, Edited by Michael Kelly

From the introduction and “Rescue Station” by Nayani Jensen, I knew I was in for a wild and wonderful ride. While not a constant reader of science fiction, I can certainly appreciate why some favour the genre, and this book solidifies that belief. 

“The Needle Song” by Simon Strantzas is the second story in the collection, and it tore my heart out with its innocence, plot, and climax. The heart of the story was its strength, with a group of eleven year olds going on a class trip to camp. A coming of age in the most dramatic of ways, this short story had me begging for more. 

“There are places as thin as the skin on a soap bubble…” from "Sandstone"

“That winter, the dark consumed me…” from "Lightbringers".


This collection is a mix of authors throughout Canada, from east to west, and with all levels of writing experience — from Marc A Godin’s first publication to Rory Say being published in prestigious collections such as The New Quarterly, Michael Kelly simply found great stories, and honoured speculative fiction that will leave readers guessing, trembling, and wide awake.

While there were some stories I loved more than others, the collection as a whole has a lot going for it. Clearly a love story to the dark and macabre, every story broke barriers of the norm and the expected while being real enough to add layers of relatability, accountability, and drama. The commonality I saw most was humanity and death, even when that might not have been obvious in the tales which were weaved. 

Reading these short stories made me desparately wanting to see even a glimpse of the Northern Lights to ground me, comfort me and protect me until I dove right back into the next chilling story. A collection definitely not for the faint of heart but definitely packs all that is described and a whole lot more.

Michael Kelly is the former Series Editor for the Year’s Best Weird Fiction. He’s a World Fantasy Award, Shirley Jackson Award, and British Fantasy Award-winning editor. His fiction has appeared in a number of journals and anthologies, including Best New Horror, Black Static, Nightmare Magazine, The Dark, and The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror; and has been previously collected in Scratching the Surface, Undertow & Other Laments, and All the Things We Never See. He is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Undertow Publications, and editor of Weird Horror magazine.

Publisher: ​Undertow Publications (October 1, 2024)
ISBN: 9798227243607

I am a struggling artist, a challenging and challenged mother who always thinks she is failing, an emerging freelance writer and reporter, an author with my name on several books crossing genres and always hoping to find more readers who enjoy them.

I am also a successful artist, a wonderful and thriving mother of one, a reacher towards both people and dreams despite all of the turned backs and obstacles in my way. I am a thriving freelance writer and reporter, an author loved by enough readers to make it worthwhile and a discombobulated conundrum who loves to hear new music, tell new tales and meet new authors. And I’m doing something I always dreamed of doing – reviewing books to support others as well as myself and my family.