Chocolate fireguard, the spavined, captured Environment Agency says 'we will not hesitate to take robust enforcement action where appropriate'.

It's appropriate. So why is that not 'We are not hesitating and are taking robust enforcement action *now*.

Robert Aickman — “Bind Your Hair” (Dark Entries). Not often quoted as one of his best, but I love this one: unsettling in all the best ways. Especially the children. What happened? You'll have no idea. That's Aickman. But you know it was not good.

The cover, sadly, is also not good.

Carys Davies — “The Quiet” (The Redemption of Galen Pike). Beautifully restrained, elegantly spare and a wonderful and unexpected turn about.

Dearbhaile Houston — “The Tenants” (Banshee 19). Grimly familiar to many, some lovely, sad touches (‘paralysed by the rest of their lives’) from the excellent but new to me Irish lit mag @bansheepress.bsky.social

M. John Harrison — “Gifco” (Things That Never Happen).

Yet another MJH story that almost leaves me feeling as if I have queasy motion sickness, as if the world is moving under me but I can’t see how.

Claire Keegan — “The Ginger Rogers Sermon” (Antarctica).

Jesus. Another Keegan story that is the beautifully-written equivalent of being punched hard in the gut. Didn’t see where it was going, almost wish I never went. Wonderful voice.