Lee Murray author, editor
Books Curated and Edited
Showcasing some of my favourite creatives, who have been kind enough to trust me with their stories. For the list of youth anthologies I've edited, please check the dropdown under EDITOR.
Under Her eye (forthcoming nov 2023)
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Edited by Lindy Ryan and Lee Murray
Black Spot Books
ISBN:
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A follow-up to the award-winning poetry showcase Under Her Skin, UNDER HER EYE features the best in never-before-published dark verse and lyrical prose from the voices of Women in Horror, themed on domestic horror and the terror women too often experience in their own homes.
Edited by Lindy Ryan and Lee Murray, UNDER HER EYE celebrates women in horror from cover to cover. In addition to poems contributed by over one hundred poets worldwide, the collection features poems from Stephanie M. Wytovich, Jessica McHugh, and Marge Simon, with cover art by noted horror artist Lynne Hansen and an introduction by Bram Stoker Award®-winning poet Sara Tantlinger. This showcase is produced in partnership with The Pixel Project, a global non-profit organization focused on ending violence against women globally.
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For a full ToC, reviews, articles, and podcasts, see the book page on this website.
Unquiet Spirits: Essays by Asian Women in Horror
Edited by Lee Murray & Angela Yuriko Smith
Black Spot Books
ISBN: 978-1645481300
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From hungry ghosts, vampiric babies, and shapeshifting fox spirits to the avenging White Lady of urban legend, for generations, Asian women’s roles have been shaped and defined through myth and story. In Unquiet Spirits, Asian writers of horror reflect on the impact of superstition, spirits, and the supernatural in this unique collection of 21 personal essays exploring themes of otherness, identity, expectation, duty, and loss, and leading, ultimately, to understanding and empowerment.
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For a full ToC, reviews, interviews, and articles, see this the book page on this website.
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Of Horror and Hope
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Compiled in collaboration with Angela Yuriko Smith on behalf of the Wellness Committee of the Horror Writers Association, Of Horror and Hope is an anthology of poems, flash fiction, and reflections on mental illness and horror from HWA members. An uplifting and humbling read, this volume is available for free download to the public on the HWA website. Includes a foreword by my HWA Wellness Committee Co-Chair Dave Jeffery and cover art by Australian artist and horror writer, Greg Chapman.
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You can access the work for free HERE.
Asian Ghost Short Stories
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Foreword by K. Hari Kumar, Intro by Luo Hui
Associate Editor Lee Murray
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Another deluxe edition of new writing and neglected perspectives. Asian ghosts – from India to Sri Lanka, China to Korea, Japan to the Philippines – can be both terrifying and comforting. Underpinned by strong cultural beliefs in the cycles of life and ancestor worship, the nature of Asian spirits differs from that of their counterparts in other areas of the world. The possibility is more instinctually accepted that ghosts remain with us, as part of the world, whether we can see them or not. Featured here are all kinds of stories from across the region: classic weird tales by the likes of Pu Songling, Rabindranath Tagore, S Mukerji, Im Bang and Yi Ruk, Lafcadio Hearn and Yei Theodora Ozaki, are complemented by stories by Asian writers of today. An egui (the Chinese version of a 'hungry ghost') is exorcised, a vicious jiangshi (Chinese zombie-like revenant) is encountered in the night, a Bengali shakchunni (the ghost of an unsatisfied bride) poignantly seeks love with devastating effect, a family is haunted by vengeful Korean gwishin, and the iconic Japanese tragedies of Oiwa and O-Kiku are revisited.
Between You & Me
Culture in Context in Aotearoa
Edited by Lee Murray, Piper Mejia, & Jean Gilbert
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Culture is the gift one generation passes to the next though song, dance, and story. It resonates with every heartbeat, movement, and breath. We are shaped by these experiences, transformed by our culture, and when we share our stories, we have the power to teach empathy, uproot racism, and inspire mindful revolution.
In this collection of short stories and poetry, diverse Aotearoa-New Zealand authors embrace their culture in the context of their identity. Writing loudly into the silence of the page, they remind us that everyone has a story to share about how they found themselves still standing.
With a foreword by Victor Rodger, and stories and poems by Sarah Dunn, Jean Gilbert, Dan Rabarts, Isaiah Tour, Shriya Bhagwat, Kyle Mewburn, Ikey Ihaka Tunui, Gina Cole, Lee Murray, M.L.E. Brown, Sally McLennan, Jack Remiel Cottrell, Hina Tabassum Cheema, Donna McLeod, Piper Mejia, and Jade Kake, and by student writers Elizabeth Chua, Emma Sio, Jacob Hagan, Kevin Lee, Sian McIlroy, Rebecca Talsma, and Robbie Murray.
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Midnight Echo #15
Edited by Lee Murray
Cover Art by Greg Chapman
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WINNER: AUSTRALIAN SHADOWS AWARD 2021
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Featuring fiction and poetry by Martin Livings, Jay Caselberg, Deborah Sheldon, Anthony Ferguson, Melanie Harding-Shaw, David Schembri, Jason Franks, Rebecca Fraser, Nikky Lee, Tom Dullemond, Juleigh Howard-Hobson, Joanne Anderton and J.A. Haigh. The issue is guest-edited by Lee Murray. The issue also includes the 2019 AHWA Short and Flash Fiction competition winning stories from 2018 by Stuart Olver and Alissa Smith.
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Black Cranes - Tales of Unquiet Women
Edited by Lee Murray and Geneve Flynn
Raw Dog Screaming Press US
Cover Art: Greg Chapman
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Almond-eyed celestial, the filial daughter, the perfect wife. Quiet, submissive, demure. In Black Cranes, horror writers of Southeast Asian descent both embrace and reject these traditional roles in a unique collection of stories which dissect their experiences of ‘otherness’, be it in the colour of their skin, the angle of their cheekbones, the things they dare to write, or the places they have made for themselves in the world. Black Cranes is a dark and intimate exploration of what it is to be a perpetual outsider
Introduction by Alma Katsu, Afterword by Nancy Holder.
Stories by Nadia Bulkin, Grace Chan, Rin Chupeco, Elaine Cuyegkeng, Geneve Flynn, Gabriela Lee, Rena Mason, Lee Murray, Angela Yuriko Smith, and Christina Sing
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For more information, including reviews, articles, podcasts, and panels see the book page on this website. To read the Women in Horror Month Interview on The Horror Tree follow this LINK.
Trickster's Treats 3: Seven Deadly Sins
Edited by Marie O'Regan and Lee Murray
ASIN: B07XX9SHYS Things in the Well, Australia
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The third anthology of Halloween stories from the pumpkin-master himself, the Trickster! Our tricky theme this year 'The Seven Deadly Sins' means for each of the 7 sins, we've gathered a crop of 7 spooky stories of 700 words each, giving you a real treat of 49 short stories! All proceeds this year go to Charity: Water. Artwork by horror writer and artist Greg Chapman, and edited by an international lineup of 2 co-editors and 7 sub editors (one for each 'sin') and assisted by Steve Dillon from 'Things in the Well'.
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Breach #11: NZ & Australian SF, Horror, and Dark Fantasy
Edited by Lee Murray
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Breach #11 continues our quest to find the best dark fiction from emerging and established writers. Opener "Brought to You by Abyss Cola" by Chris Moss takes us to the bottom of the Mariana Trench for a corporate-sponsored challenge, while Andrea Teare’s "Seaweed" basks in its painful memories of a childhood accident. Kel E. Fox’s poem "Butterflies and Thunderbirds" provides, as Lee Murray puts it, "a rare moment of whimsy and a message about how things that might appear innocuous or enchanting at first view can sometimes transform and ultimately threaten our safety." Greg Kelly's "The Hikikomori and Death" offers a Harajuku-set update of an old Aesop fable that we feel makes compelling reading.We end with the return of two old friends, Hari Navarro and Piper Mejia, whose stories could not be more different. Navarro's prose poem "The Hotel Excelsior Deluxe" is a dark tale of a tower, a lake, a pine tree and a young couple, written in Navarro's signature evocative style. Mejia's "Keen" may seem familiar to readers of Barry Crump, but our hunters in an NZ backblock have more on their minds than culling deer. A tin shed, a cup of tea and something lurking in the dark bush - a brilliant end to this edition of Breach.
Breach #12: NZ & Australian SF, Horror, and Dark Fantasy
Edited by Lee Murray
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Guest editor Lee Murray returns for Breach #12, delivering a fresh batch of fiction from Australian and New Zealand authors. LL Hanley’s "The Harvest-Fly" is a military thriller that takes place in a grim post-apocalyptic future. Army grunt Sprog is pondering desertion, when he's nominated to be the squad’s next ‘fly’—his job to act as bait for the slobbering mob. In Deborah Sheldon’s "The Littlest Avian", Winston’s budgerigar Maude is evolving into her true form: a giant and vengeful goddess. Tom Adams’ "Detached" presents an entrepreneurial opportunity begging to be exploited. Space-tourists Jon and Jake are headed to Mars on a sightseeing tour. But Jon has some questions, and the answers provided by the Russian crewman are hardly satisfactory. Finally, Tabatha Wood’s "Butterfly", is a beautiful story of transformative horror which tells of a young girl horribly disfigured by an unknown disease. The narrative explores a parent’s spiralling desperation to make amends. Claire Fitzpatrick flexes her drawing skills to give us a cover inspired by Deborah Sheldon's "The Littlest Avian".
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Hellhole: An Anthology of Subterranean Horror
Edited by Lee Murray, Introduction by James A. Moore
ASIN: B07J1H5WBM Adrenaline Press
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WINNER: Australian Shadows Award, 2019.
Legends tell of a hollow earth, a world beneath our own. A world filled with wonders... and danger. But what if the legends are true?
Delve into dark worlds in HELLHOLE, where death lurks around every corner, and come face to face with creatures from your worst nightmares in this collection of dark thrillers. New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry and Bram Stoker Award winner Rena Mason headline a cast of bestselling and award-winning authors.
All the Devils are Here- A Joe Ledger/Lizzie Corbett Adventure by Jonathan Maberry, The Devil's Throat by Rena Mason (Bram Stoker Winner for Superior Achievement in Long Fiction), A Plague of Locusts by Michael McBride, Pit of Ghosts by Kirsten Cross, Where the Sun Does Not Shine by Paul Mannering, Guard Duty by SD Perry, Black Lung by Aaron Sterns
The Offspring by JH Moncrieff, Ginormous Hell Snake by Jake Bible, Ghosts of Hyperia by Jessica McHugh, and He Who Fights by Sean Ellis.
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“Deliciously gory, and enough monsters and mayhem in the depths to satisfy even the most jaded spelunker. ” —William Meikle, author of The Midnight Eye Files​
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“A collection of claustrophobic horror that drags readers into the darkness.” — Paul E. Cooley, author of The Derelict Saga
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“A thrilling collection of underground terror from a cross section of the best horror writers working today. It’ll shine a light on your deepest darkest fears.” — Alan Baxter, author of Devouring Dark.
Te Korero Ahi Ka
Edited by Grace Bridges, Lee Murray and Aaron Compton
Foreword by Juliet Marillier
ASIN: B079QHH1F7
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​Here, between the realms of the Sky Father and Earth Mother, hellhounds race, ghosts drift aimless, and the taniwha stalks. Home fires drive them back, at the same time sparking stories and poems that traverse seconds, eons, and parsecs. Tales of gatekeepers, cloak wearers, and secret keepers. Of pigs with AK-47s or ruby-hued eyes, of love-struck moa, and unruly reflections. Stark truths, and beautiful possibilities…
Te Korero Ahi Ka, a term which means to speak of the home fires burning, is an anthology of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, showcasing work from both established and emerging members of the SpecFicNZ organisation of writers, poets, artists, and creatives. It is a statement about how New Zealand creators of speculative fiction and art shine their light on our literary landscape.
"This collection explores many aspects of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, and has something for everyone, from time shifting cows to a revelation concerning the last moments of life. I am glad to see Maori writers are prominent and we certainly experience the presence of the Taniwha."—Phillip Mann, Arthur C Clarke finalist and author of The Disestablishment of Paradise.
Featuring stories and poems by Eileen Mueller and A. J. Ponder, Kevin Berry, Aaron Compton, Daniel Stride, Grant Stone, Mark English, Gregory Dally, Mike Reeves-McMillan, Kevin G. Maclean, Robinne Weiss , Dan Rabarts, Sean Monaghan, Grace Bridges, Alan Baxter, Debbie Cowens, Sally McLennan, Piper Mejia, Paul Mannering, Jane Percival, Mouse Diver-Dudfield, Simon Petrie and Edwina Harvey, Lee Murray, Darian Smith, I. K. Paterson-Harkness and Matt Cowens. Interior art by Serena Dawson and Marolyn Dudfield.
At the Edge
Edited by Dan Rabarts and Lee Murray
ISBN-978-0-473-354152
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Winner Sir Julius Vogel Award, Best Collected Work, 2015
Finalist Australasian Shadows, Best Edited Work, 2015
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Step up, as close as you dare…
…to a place at the edge of sanity, where cicadas scritch across balmy summer nights,
at the edge of town, where the cell phone coverage is decidedly dodgy,
at the edge of space, where a Mimbinus argut bounds among snowy rocks,
at the edge of the page, where demon princes prance in the shadows,
at the edge of despair, where 10 darushas will get you a vodka lime and a ring-side seat,
at the edge of the universe, where time stops but space goes on...
From the brink of civilisation, the fringe of reason, and the border of reality, come 22 stories infused with the bloody-minded spirit of the Antipodes, tales told by the children of warriors and whalers, convicts and miners: people unafraid to strike out for new territories and find meaning in the expanses at the edge of the world.
Compiled by award-winning editing team Dan Rabarts and Lee Murray, and including a story by Arthur C. Clarke finalist Phillip Mann and introduction by World Fantasy Award winner Angela Slatter, At the Edge is a dark and dystopic collection from some of Australia and New Zealand’s best speculative writers.
Baby Teeth
Edited by Dan Rabarts and Lee Murray
ISBN-978-0-473-25691-3
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Winner Sir Julius Vogel Award, Best Collected Work, 2014
Winner Australasian Shadows, Best Edited Work, 2014
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Ever felt the hairs on your neck rise at something a toddler says? Inspired by the creepy things kids say and do, this collection of horror stories features unexpected frights, nervous giggles and often poignant reflections on life, childhood, and the terrors of growing up - such as when your new house gets a taste for human flesh. And remember, when you hear your child calling for you in the middle of the night – the things that go bump in the night aren’t always under the bed. All proceeds from sales of this book donated to Duffy Books in Homes, to support their child literacy work.
Featuring thirty seven chilling stories by Debbie Cowens (including Caterpillars, which won her an Australasian Shadows Award), Grant Stone, Paul Mannering, M Darusha Wehm, Jack Newhouse, Elizabeth Gatens, Lewis Morgan, Jean Gilbert, Matthew Sanborn Smith, Jake Bible, Celine Murray, Alan Lindsay, Sally McLennan, Matt Cowens, Eileen Mueller, Darian Smith Paper Anna Caro, Jan Goldie, Jenni Sands, AJ Ponder, Michael J Parry, Kevin G Maclean, Piper Mejia, Morgan Davie, and JC Hart.