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horror - The anthology's name and title of a short story where two ghouls fall in love?


I read a short story in a horror/scifi anthology back in about 2005. Not sure when it was actually published. There was a love theme to the anthology.


A girl hung out by graveyards and ended up becoming a ghoul. When a ghoul would eat the living, they would take on the memories and personalities of the person they ate, for a very short time. It was mostly comic relief for the other ghouls.


But the girl who became a ghoul fell in love with another ghoul, and they ended up killing and eating a young couple who were in love so they could experience love.


Ringing any bells?



Answer



It might be "The Throne of Bones" by Brian McNaughton. It's a short story collection; ghouls absorbing someone's personality by eating their flesh feature in most of the stories.


If so, there's a decent chance that you're referring to "Meryphillia", described in one review:



“Meryphillia” returns to the subject of ghouls. Meryphillia began her life as a lonely and death-obsessed girl. In death, she became a lonely and life-obsessed ghoul. Somewhere along the way, she falls in love with a poet. Once again, McNaughton proves he is as deft with subtlety as he is with outrageousness.




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