Final Curtain

Berman (editor of Brute) brings together 15 haunting tales loosely riffing on Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera. As Berman puts it in his introduction, the anthology is “an homage to Erik—the first truly human monster of modern horror—and to those still drawn to his tragic song.” Several stories, such as “Trompe l’Oiel” by Tim Newton Anderson and “The Road of Mirrors” by James Bennett, offer straightforward tribute; both are set in turn of the 20th-century Paris and studded with invocations of and appearances from the Phantom himself. Some stories, however, go to truly unexpected places, such as Orrin Grey’s standout “The Phantom of the Wax Museum,” starring a young lesbian reporter in 1930s Hollywood covering a series of strange events following Phantom actor Lon Cheney’s death. Addison Smith’s eerie and grotesque “The Music We Became” is another highlight, following two teen girls who seek to create their own world in a sinkhole behind a theater. Capturing much of the menace and enchantment of the original, this will be a treat for Phantom fans. (Nov.)