Rob Shearman is one of the only people on the planet whose stories consistently surprise, shock, delight, horrify and nauseate me all at the same time. ‘Granny’s Grinning’, I’m loathe to say, made me throw up in my mouth a little, which will no doubt make Rob’s day. It’s only because what came before in the tale was simply a normal domestic family Christmas story that just happened to have a suit that could turn you into a real life zombie. Then, when Granny gets vocal, the tale goes from amusing to all-out horrifying and, once read, it’ll never be forgotten.

First published in The Dead That Walk, Ulysses Press, 2009. Collected in Remember Why You Fear Me, ChiZine, 2012