TALES FROM THE BLACK MANOR and The Rise of the Anthologies

Genre anthologies are on the rise, and there’s a good reason why. From Love, death and robots TO Black mirror AND V/H/Sthese short story collections have found a way to appeal to viewers who want just enough to be scared, curious, or amazed, without committing to a long narrative.

Tales from Black Manor– a series about a family’s dark legacy with Death itself, spanning from the 1300s to the present – ​​taps into this trend with short, punchy stories that quickly get to the heart of the story.

The beauty of Tales from Black Manor lies in its setting: each story is a look at another member of the Black family facing Death in their own way, but each tale connects to a larger, more disturbing story.

One story might show an ancestor’s willingness to kill in the name of Death in medieval times, while another skips ahead to a more modern character grappling with that same dark presence.

It’s the kind of approach that lets the story unfold in bits and pieces, keeping each episode fresh and building a deeper, shared story over time.

And since each episode is self-contained, there’s no need for filler or extensive explanations.

Genre and story go hand in hand. Why? Because the format forces every moment to count. In a short anthology story there is no room to relax. It’s about providing a single effective idea, like the perfect scare or the perfect moment.

People love the unpredictable nature of anthologies. In an era where binge-watching means hours spent on a story arc, an anthology series seems refreshing.

Think about it Black mirrorwhere each episode feels like a unique near-future nightmare. And in Love, Death & Robots, the short format helps each piece feel like a glimpse into a strange, unknown world, where not everything needs to be fully explained.

Tales from Black Manor brings the same focus, but maintains a shared history, a family history that ties everything together.

Each episode is a mini-thriller in its own right, but it also adds a piece to a larger puzzle: a family choosing their immortality over the life of another. This allows the series to tell stories in different eras, with different characters, giving each their own unique look and feel.

Even an anthology gives a lot of freedom. It doesn’t have to stick to one plot, so it keeps things fresh. You never know what the next story might bring.

For Tales from Black Manorthat’s half the fun. We see how the Black Family evolves with the times, how each generation encounters Death a little differently. Every story draws you in, every setting feels different, and every episode ends with the same lingering question: What other extremes has the Black family reached in their quest for immortality?

Nick Trivundza