Backlist Bonanza: 5 Underrated Speculative Anthologies

(Flatiron Books; 2019) I love a good young adult take on classic literature, I love YA speculative anthologies, and I love Edgar Allan Poe’s oeuvre, so this book might as well have come with a giant neon sign flashing “THIS IS FOR YOU, ALEX.” These stories are less a retelling and more of a remix. What I mean is they don’t just adapt Poe for a contemporary teen audience but bring in diverse voices that honor the spirit of the original tales while also seeing how the perspectives shift as the characters do. One of my favorites of the bunch is Lamar Giles’ spin on “The Oval Filter.” The authors included were all fairly well-established when this was published, but for those not already widely read in YA horror, fantasy, or thrillers, this offers a great introduction to some of the best in the age category.