As most of you have surmised by now, there will be no volume four of The Year’s Best Fantasy and no volume six of The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror. Nor will there be future volumes. Both series are at an end. I apologize for my silence about this, but I’ve been unable to comment for several reasons including the fluctuating status and future of both series over the last year. As most of you know, the Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror series has been around since 2010. It has been a part of my life a long time. The fantasy series is much more recent but has been a very enjoyable and welcomed project. Nevertheless, I am not downhearted about these changes. All good things end and as Heraclitus said: “The only constant in life is change.” I’d like to thank Rene Sears, my editor at Pyr, and Jarred Weisfield of Start Publishing for supporting and allowing the anthologies continued existence and Sean Wallace of Prime Books for starting the Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror series. Thanks, as well, to all the wonderful authors who have allowed me to reprint so many fine stories over the years. And, of course, to all of you readers.

The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, Volume 4
Publisher: Pyr
ISBN-13: 978-1645060673
Pages: 400
Publication Date: October 17, 2023

Why is there a new cover? Because it was discovered the art for the other cover was AI generated. When the image was selected many months ago from licensable stock art, there was no indication anywhere it was generated by AI. We had no idea. When I “revealed” the cover on 23 July (the cover has been public for a few months on Amazon and elsewhere) it was noted on social media it was AI generated. Thanks to Ellen Datlow, who saw posts online and related the controversy to me, and to Michael Kelly, the ONLY person to actually email me about this, I became aware of the problem. Despite being up against a print deadline, my editor Rene Sears and Pyr art director Jennifer Do immediately took the steps necessary to rectify the situation. Pyr never intended to use AI art. Thus the new cover. Going forward, we will be checking any art more closely.

It is, by the way, my FIFTIETH (50!) published anthology.

Escape on a journey from the ordinary to the extraordinary with award-winning fantasy editor Paula Guran.

Discover bewitchment and wonder, the surreal and the chimerical, in a fantasy anthology representing a diverse array of accomplished talent from around the world . . . and perhaps beyond.

Find places to buy here.

Reviews:

• Nerd Cantina
• The Book Reporter

Even though print copies (supply chain problems, printers lacks…whatever) have not reached all venues (most importantly, probably, Amazon) The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, Volume 2 is officially released.

I do have copies (almost enough for all the authors, more coming) I need to mail out this week. Yay!

Ace publicist Samatha Lien (@samijolien) of Kaye Publicity, Inc. sent me a list of stuff that has been posted. I don’t watch or listen to the podcasts I’m on because I cannot stand to hear or see my recorded self, so I have no idea how any of these turned out. Nevertheless, here are (so far) links:

• Oct 19, 2021 – Jessica Belmont’s Blog: #BOOKREVIEW | The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror Anthology edited by Paula Guran
• Oct 18, 2021 – Fanbase Press: “Fanbase Press – Fanbase Press Interviews Paula Guran on the Upcoming Release of ‘The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror: Volume Two’”
• Oct 15, 2021 – The Nerd Cantina: “The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, Vol. 2 by Paula Guran: Book Review – The Nerd Cantina”
• Oct 5, 2021 – Publishers Weekly: “The Good Fight: Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror 2021–2022″
• Oct 4, 2021 - Black Gate: “The Nexus of Horror: An Interview With Paula Guran”
  Oct 1, 2021 – Hasty Book List: “Books Coming Out in October – Book Review – Hasty Book
• AND, the earlier STARRED Publishers Weekly review.

Read the full review at Publishers Weekly. Among other things, it says:

The stellar lineup of 30 stories selected by Guran for this annual “best-of” volume attest to the imaginative breadth of dark fantastic fiction written in 2020…not a story in the mix that doesn’t merit the appellation of “best,” and the diversity of the selections bodes well for future annuals.”

Cover reveal! Click here to see both front and back.