Real World War II battles are reimagined with the intervention of supernatural creatures—dragons, vampires, witches, kaiju, and more—who alter the course of history and blur the line between human and monstrous. This anthology explores the brutality and surrealism of war through a blend of fantasy, horror, and alternate history, challenging readers to reconsider what truly defines a monster.

Reader Review Summary

"Combat Monsters: Untold Tales of World War II" is a wildly imaginative and engrossing alternate history anthology that takes famous battles and events of World War II and infuses them with fantastical monster elements. Editor Henry Herz has assembled an all-star cast of speculative fiction authors who truly deliver with their creative reinterpretations of the war through a fantastical lens.

One of the biggest strengths is the incredible variety on display in these tales. From vampires and werewolves to dragons, mermaids, witches, and beings from diverse mythologies and folklores, every story brings something fresh and unexpected. The monsters seamlessly blend with the well-researched historical backdrops, making the impossible feel plausible within the context of these war-torn settings across Europe, Africa, the Pacific, and more.

The quality of the writing is top-notch across the board, with each author bringing their own distinct voice and style. The stories run the gamut from action-packed to philosophical to bone-chilling horror, providing something for every taste. There are clever reimaginings of famous battles like Kursk and clever twists on events like the atomic bombings. The ability to blend genres like fantasy, horror, and historical fiction so deftly is incredibly impressive.

While the monster elements are very creative and fun, the authors also use them to explore deeper themes about the nature of war, inhumanity, and what truly constitutes a "monster." The brutality of the real-life war events forms a compelling backdrop that gives extra weight and poignancy to the stories. There is a great balance of entertaining thrills and the opportunity for more substantive emotional and philosophical contemplation.

The structure of the book is well-designed, opening and closing with evocative prose poems and assembling the stories in rough chronological order of the war's progression. The editor's historical notes provide helpful real-world context for each story. There are so many standout tales that linger in the imagination like Peter Clines' "The Night Crew", Catherine Stine's "Grigoriy's Army", and David Mack's "Bockscar" to name just a few of the highlights.

Overall, "Combat Monsters" is an absolute must-read for fans of genre-blending speculative fiction, historical fiction, war fiction, or simply fantastic storytelling in general. It is a testament to the continuing relevance of World War II as a significant cultural turning point as well as the boundless imaginations of these authors. Unique, thrilling, unsettling, and unforgettable - the incredible talents assembled here have created a brilliant and cohesive yet kaleidoscopically varied journey through the nightmare landscape of war with the added frights of the supernatural. An unqualified achievement and a strong contender for one of the year's best anthologies.