Anthologies
Horror writers such as Ron Dee, Matthew J. Costello, Chet Williamson, and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro have contributed to a story collection about the terrifying world of Dry Plains International Airport.
Gathers horror stories by Karl Edward Wagner, Clive Barker, Brian Hodge, Kathe Koje, Poppy Z. Brite, Melanie Tem, Elizabeth Massie, Nancy Holder, and John Piwarski
An original anthology containing thirty-three short stories and poems by writers such as Joe Haldeman, Jane Yolen, George Alec Effinger, Karl Edward Wagner, Brian Hodge, Poppy Z. Brite, among others. Limited edition anthology distributed free to members of the 1994 World Fantasy Convention in New Orleans.
A sexy new repackaging of the extremely popular anthology of vampire erotica, edited by acclaimed author Poppy Z. Brite. The classic horror tale is about fear. But in the last few years a new literature of the macabre has arisen, one that goes deeper than horror, beyond fear, to explore our darkest, most intimate hungers. The ones even lovers are forbidden to share. Acclaimed dark fantasy author Poppy Z. Brite has brought together this genre's most powerful and seductive authors in an original collection of vampiric erotica, a shameless celebration of unspeakable intimacies. It is not for everyone. But neither is the night.
A collection of the best horror stories of 1994 includes contributions by Terry Lamsley, Norman Partridge, Richard Christian Matheson, Garry Kilworth, and Kim Newman
A premier collection of contemporary horror fiction includes shocking and macabre tales from Ramsey Campbell, Kim Newman, Neil Gaiman, Lisa Tuttle, Michael Marshall Smith, and many other masters of the horror genre. Original.
The award-winning team of Jones and Sutton once again push the boundaries of fear in this new collection of horror and dark fantasy. Drawing from both sides of the Atlantic, Dark Terrors 3 features stories by some of the genres' biggest names as well as their rising stars, including Ray Bradbury, Poppy Z. Brite, Pat Cadigan, Ramsey Campbell, Christopher Fowler, Neil Gaiman, Julian Rathbone, Mark Timlin, and Michael Marshall Smith. An anthology that will take you to the furthest reaches of your imagination--and beyond.
Sixteen tales of dread and desire by Nancy Holder, Max Allan Collins, Graham Masterton, and others reveal our deepest fantasies. The eighth anthology in Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett’s boundary-breaking Hot Blood erotic horror series delivers sixteen thrilling tales that will leave readers tied up ever tighter, even as the stories themselves defy all restraint. Four-time Bram Stoker Award–winner Nancy Holder, Shamus Award–winning and bestselling author Max Allan Collins, and award-winning authors Graham Masterton and Brian Hodge are just a few of the writers who bring the Hot Blood series to new heights. Nebula Award–winner Edward Bryant, reviewing for Locus , said “the variety will appeal to your every kink.” Praise for the Hot Blood series “Read Hot Blood late at night when the wind is blowing hard and the moon is full.” — Playboy “Outstanding . . . A daring combination of sex and terror.” — Cemetery Dance “[An] aggressive and daring approach to erotic horror . . . Riveting.” — Gauntlet “Seek out this one (or its predecessors) for some naughty fun.” — Booklovers
A collection of old and new Dracula yarns includes unpublished stories by Graham Masterton and Michael Marshall Smith, along with a long-lost version of Bram Stoker's classic tale, published for the first time since 1897. Original.
Joyce Carol Oates, Lawrence Block, Ramsey Campbell, and others blur the lines between terror and temptation in fourteen hedonistic tales of horror. Crimes of Passion , ninth in the award–winning Hot Blood series of erotic horror, has a criminally good array of talent—fourteen stories by authors as diverse as literary giant Joyce Carol Oates, mystery giant Lawrence Block, horror giant Ramsey Campbell, musician Greg Kihn, and Brian Hodge, who pens the stunning Bram Stoker Award finalist “Madame Babylon.” It’s “like a powerful handgun being cocked in your ear” (award-winning author Edward Bryant for Locus ) and “should serve to warm your veins quite nicely during the long winters night” ( Booklovers ). You’ll find yourself cuffed to the page until you finish this inescapable, essential volume. With some of the biggest authors and best stories, Crimes of Passion is erotic horror at its sinful, wonderful best. Praise for the Hot Blood series “Read Hot Blood late at night when the wind is blowing hard and the moon is full.” — Playboy “Outstanding . . . A daring combination of sex and terror.” — Cemetery Dance “Will appeal to your every kink.” — Locus “Seek out this one (or its predecessors) for some naughty fun.” — Booklovers
In this tenth edition of Hot Blood, the "original" award-winning erotic horror series, fear has never felt so X-citing, X-quisite, or X-traordinary. Join seventeen of today's top authors as they X-pose the evil side of human -- and not-so-human -- nature. Take a seat in a bar where "three in the side pocket" has nothing to do with pool....Sexercise in a gym with a woman whose appetite for murder is insatiable.... Enter a body-piercing shop where betrayl and revenge are on the tip of the customer's tongue....Get seduced by a horror groupie with a body to undie for.... Join two amateur filmakers as their video camera captures the most gorgeous -- and deadly -- creature anyone has ever encountered.
The horror short-short isn't easy to master, but more than 100 of the genre's critically acclaimed authors & hottest up-&-comers have taken a stab at it in Horrors! 365 Scary Stories , an anthology that contains a short tale for every day of the year. Steve Rasnic Tem, Wm F. Nolan, Tom Piccirilli, Yvonne Navarro, Peter Atkins, Brian Hodge, Martin Mundt & 166 others give you short, sharp shocks. Who got the most slots? The final scorecard: 13: Brian McNaughton 9: Tim Waggoner 8: Benjamin Adams, Wm Marden 7: David Niall Wilson, DonD'Ammassa, Linda J. Dunn, Steve Rasnic Tem 6: Adam-Troy Castro, Del Stone Jr, John Gregory Betancourt, Phyllis Eisenstein, Tom Piccirilli 5: Adam Niswander, Brian Hodge, Hugh B. Cave, John B. Rosenmann, Peter Atkins, Terry Campbell 4: Don Webb, Gary Jonas, Lawrence Schimel, Lisa Lepovetsky, Lisa Morton, Wayne Allen Sallee, Yvonne Navarro, Scott M. Brents 3: Martin Mundt, David Annandale, Donald R. Burleson, Greg McElhatton, Jessica Amanda Salmonson, Joe Meno, Judith Post, Juleen Brantingham, Lawrence C. Connolly, Michael Mardis, Michael Scott Bricker, Nancy Kilpatrick, Richard Gilliam, S. May Amarinth, Scott David Aniolowski, Stephen Dedman, Tina L. Jens 2: Andrew Sands, Blythe Ayne, Brian A. Hopkins, Brian Craig, Brian Stableford, Dawn Dunn, Francis Amery, Gordon Linzner, Greg van Eekhout, James Robert Smith, Joel S. Ross, John Maclay, Kay Reynolds, Kevin Andrew Murphy, Lillian Csernica, Kevin Shadle, Larry Segriff, Lawrence Greenberg, Lisa John Bothell, Lisa S. Silverthorne, Lois H. Gresh, Mark Hannah, Michael Gillis, Michael Grisi, Randy Miller, Robert Devereaux, Scott Edelman, Steve Eller, Thomas M. Sipos
A new collection of short stories of horror and dark fantasy based on the legend of the gargoyle, enigmatic carved stone figures that protect humankind from evil, features the contributions of Jane Yolen, Harlan Ellison, Brian Lumley, Charles de Lint, Neil Gaiman, and Katherine Kurtz, among others. Reprint.
The latest volume in the world's biggest and most acclaimed horror anthology series
Skull Full of Spurs: A Roundup of Weird Westerns is a gorgeously produced limited numbered edition (1000 copies), with cover art by Allen G. Douglas and an introduction by Norman Partridge. Following each story is a complete bibliography of the author, including books and short stories -- an indispensable reference for the genre collector.
A striking and ambitious collection of gay horror fiction, covering a wide range of creatures of the night and all manner of urban terrors.
18 extraordinary stories of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and suspense . . . a junkies corpse that refuses to decay . . . a clan of bears with a sacred trust . . . a murderer with a knack for media . . . an ancient ruin on an alien world . . . a bus ride from hell . . . a man with the power to undo the past . . . Fiona Avery Tippi N. Blevins Paul Cornell Erin Cashier Denton John Grant Brian Hodge Graham Joyce Lee Martindale Terry McGarry Paul Melko Vera Nazarian Kate Orman Lisa Silverthorne Del Stone Jr. J. Michael Straczynski Laura J. Underwood
The finest exponents of horror fiction writing today, Neil Gaiman, China Mieville, Ramsey Campbell, Kim Newman, Graham Joyce, Paul McCauley, Stephen Gallagher, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Basil Cooper, Glen Hirshberg, Jay Russell, feature in the world's premier annual horror anthology series, another bumper showcase devoted exclusively to excellence in macabre fiction. To accompany the very best in short stories and novellas is the year's most comprehensive horror overview and contacts listing as well as a fascinating necrology.
Fatal Attractions, edited by Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett, is the eleventh Hot Blood erotic horror collection -- and according to Cemetery Dance, “one of the best volumes in this long- running series - a top rating.” Like a moth to a flame, Fatal Attraction draws a diverse array of award-winning authors from the horror, mystery and thriller genres (and Hollywood) into its orbit, including Max Alan Collins, P. D. Cacek, Graham Masterton, Edo van Belkom, Nancy Holder, Brian Hodge, David Schow, Mick Garris and Yvonne Navarro. In fact, Fatal Attractions is the most lauded roster of contributors in the rich three-decade history of the Hot Blood series. Be Manhandled. Have an Epiphany. Work the Graveyard Shift. Go on Separate Vacations. Awaken to Moist Dreams. Fatal Attractions is One to Die For, the pinnacle of erotic horror and a must read for fans.
Descend to the depths of primal horror with this chilling collection of original stories drawn from H. P. Lovecraft?s shocking, terrifying, and eerily prescient Cthulhu mythos. In twenty-one dark visions, a host of outstanding contemporary writers tap into our innermost fears, with tales set in a misbegotten new world that could have been spawned only by the master of the macabre himself, H. P. Lovecraft. Inside you?ll find DETAILS by China Mi?ville: A curious boy discovers that within the splinters of cracked wood or the tangle of tree branches, the devil is in the details. VISITATION by James Robert Smith: When Edgar Allan Poe arrives, a callow man finally gets what he always wanted?and what he may eternally despise. MEET ME ON THE OTHER SIDE by Yvonne Navarro: A couple in love with terror travels beyond their wildest dreams?and into their nightmares. A FATAL EXCEPTION HAS OCCURRED AT . . . by Alan Dean Foster: Internet terrorism extends far beyond transmitting threats of evil. DARK OF THE MOON by James Dorr: A cosmonaut watches helplessly as her husband walks on the surface of the moon?into inescapable horror. SPECTACLE OF A MAN by Weston Ochse: Crucifixion becomes a seductive maelstrom of madness with this postmodern twist on an ancient torture. The true horror of Lovecraft?s extraordinary fiction lies in the unknown. He beguiles us with very real worlds filled with sheer terror, which lie just beyond comprehension. Children of Cthulhu features twenty-one modern masters bring who Lovecraft?s original ideas and stark images roaring into the twenty-first century in all their grisly, godless glory.
For more than a decade, readers have turned to The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror to find the most rewarding fantastic short stories. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling continue their critically acclaimed and award-winning tradition with another stunning collection of stories. The fiction and poetry here is culled from an exhaustive survey of the field, nearly four dozen stories ranging from fairy tales to gothic horror, from magical realism to dark tales in the Grand Guignol style. Rounding out the volume are the editors' invaluable overviews of the year in fantasy and horror, new Year's Best sections on comics, by Charles Vess, and on anime and manga, by Joan D. Vinge, and a long list of Honorable Mentions, making this an indispensable reference as well as the best reading available in fantasy and horror. The critically acclaimed and award-winning tradition continues with another stunning collection, including stories by Kelly Link o Kim Newman o Corey Marks o Eric Schaller o M. Shayne Bell o Helga M. Novak o Terry Dowling o Michael Libling o Zoran Zivkovic o Bentley Little o Carlton Mellick III o Brian Hodge o Conrad Williams o Tom Disch o Melissa Hardy o Joel Lane o Nicholas Royle o Tracina Jackson-Adams o Karen Joy Fowler o Jackie Bartley o Peter Dickerman o Ramsey Campbell o Adam Roberts o Robert Phillips o Jay Russell o Luis Alberto Urrea o Margaret Lloyd o Stephen Gallagher o Robin McKinley o Haruki Murakami o Theodora Goss o Kathy Koja o Lucy Taylor o Elizabeth Hand o Kevin Brickmeier o Sharon McCartney o Susan Power o Don Tumasonis o Nan Fry. Rounding out the volume are the editors' invaluable overviews of the year in fantasy and horror, Year's Best sections on comics, by Charles Vess, and on anime and manga, by Joan D. Vinge, and a long list of Honorable Mentions, making this an indispensable reference as well as the best reading available in fantasy and horror.
First introduced in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Van Helsing was the ultimate adversary for the vampire—as complex as the fiend he relentlessly pursued. In this anthology, masters of horror and fantasy give Van Helsing his due as they reimagine the history and adventures of the original vampire hunter—the greatest foe of the most evil icon in literary history. Featuring C. Dean Anderson • Kim Antieau • William D. Carl • Adam-Troy Castro • A.M. Dellamonica • Kris Dikeman • Christopher Golden • Joe Hill • Brian Hodge • Nina Kiriki Hoffman • Sarah Kelderman • Kathe Koja • J.A. Konrath • Tanith Lee • Thomas E. Monteleone • Rita Oakes • Chris Roberson • Kristine Kathryn Rusch • Steve Resnic Tem & Melanie Tem • Thomas Tessier • Lois Tilton
A gruesome collection of stories delves into the mysterious creatures and dark forces that lurk in the shadows, featuring contributions from such noted horror authors as Don Tumasonis, Lee Thomas, Mark Samuels, and Joseph A. Ezzo. Original.
Mondo Zombie edited by John Skipp illustrated by Alan M. Clark Welcome to Mondo Zombie! This is the legendary, long-lost anthology that living dead lovers have been waiting for. If you like: samurai zombies wrestling chainsaw zombies political zombies sex with zombies heartbreaking zombies hardcore zombies celebrity zombies wannabe zombies zombies in love zombies in pieces zombies in power, over a world turned to dust... ...then treat yourself to this titanic time-capsule of flesh-eating, apocalyptic terror. Brought to you by some of the finest minds ever to dream the dark fantastic. Mondo Zombie Its horror with teeth. And a hunger. Just for you.
Here is the latest edition of the world's premier annual showcase of horror and dark fantasy fiction. This collection features some of the very best short stories and novellas by today's masters of the macabre including such writers as Neil Gaiman, Glen Hirshberg, tanith Lee, ramsey Campbell and Charles Coleman Finlay. The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror also features the most comprehensive yearly overview of horror around the world, lists of useful contact addresses, and a fascinating necrology. It is the one book that is required reading for every fan of macabre fiction.
Cemetery Dance Publications is proud to announce the sixth entry in this award-nominated and best-selling anthology series! Shivers VI weighs in at 410 pages and contains more than 110,000 words from today's most popular authors of horror and suspense including Stephen King, Peter Straub, Al Sarrantonio, Jay Bonansinga, Lisa Tuttle, David B. Silva, Melanie Tem, Brian Hodge, Brian Keene, Alan Peter Ryan, Blake Crouch and Jack Kilborn, Bev Vincent, Brian James Freeman, Norman Prentiss, and many others.Two of the longest pieces are a long lost novella -- "The Crate" by Stephen King, which has never been in one of his collections and hasn't been in print in more than three decades -- and "A Special Place: The Heart of A Dark Matter" by Peter Straub, a novella that is "creepy to the core" and "shines a terrible light on the backstory of Straub's acclaimed A Dark Matter" according to the coveted Starred Review from Publishers Weekly.Featuring original dark fiction with a handful of rare reprints, Shivers VI is available only from Cemetery Dance Publications.
Many of us grew up on The Pan Book of Horror Stories and its later incarnations. For the first time in a decade or more, there's a successor: A Book of Horrors features brand-new, never-before-published stories by the international Grand Master of horror Stephen King, John Ajvide Linqvist, author of the cult hit Let the Right One In, award-winning playwright Robert Shearman, Sunday Times bestseller Michael Marshall Smith and many others. One word of warning: be sure to read this creepy collection of terrifying tales with the lights on!
A doctor makes a late-night emergency call to an exclusive California riding school; a professor inherits a mysterious vase... and a strange little man; a struggling youth discovers canine horrors lurking beneath the streets of Albany; a sheriff ruthlessly deals with monstrosities plaguing his rural town; a pair of animal researchers makes a frightening discovery at a remote site; a sweet little girl entertains herself... by torturing faeries; a group of horror aficionados attempts to track down an unfinished film by a reclusive cult director; a man spends a chill night standing watch over his uncle's body; a girl looks to understand her place in a world in which zombies have overrun the earth; a murderous pack of nuns stalks a pair of Halloween revelers... What frightens us, what unnerves us? What causes that delicious shiver of fear to travel the lengths of our spines? It seems the answer changes every year. Every year the bar is raised; the screw is tightened. Ellen Datlow knows what scares us; the seventeen stories included in this anthology were chosen from magazines, webzines, anthologies, literary journals, and single author collections to represent the best horror of the year. Legendary editor Ellen Datlow (Lovecraft Unbound, Tails of Wonder and Imagination), winner of multiple Hugo, Bram Stoker, and World Fantasy awards, joins Night Shade Books in presenting The Best Horror of the Year, Volume Three.
Spanning over twenty years, 20 masters and modern authors of hardcore horror share their most bad-ass stories in this special edition from Red Room Press. Many hard to find and out of print, some that were banned, Necro Files covers every imaginable mode of mayhem with stories that dial into the dark side of human nature. EDITORIAL REVIEWS "Necro Files is practically perfect. Every story is an absolute hit...and why not? We’re talking John Everson, Bentley Little, Edward Lee, Joe Lansdale and George R.R. Martin, to name a few. All of the stories are dark and disturbing in their own ways, and, well, extreme. This is one anthology that horror fans, not just of the extreme variety, should have in their collections. Highly recommended." --Monster Librarian TABLE OF CONTENTS: George R.R. Martin - Meathouse Man Joe R. Lansdale - Night They Missed the Horror Show Ronald Kelly - Diary Elizabeth Massie - Abed Randy Chandler & t. Winter-Damon - I am He that Liveth and was Dead ... & Have the Keys of Hell & Death Edward Lee - Xipe Ray Garton - Bait Gerard Houarner - Painfreak Wayne Allen Sallee - Lover Doll Charlee Jacob - The Spirit Wolves Brian Hodge - Godflesh John Everson - Every Last Drop Mehitobel Wilson - Blind in the House of the Headsman Monica J. O'Rourke - An Experiment in Human Nature Graham Masterton - The Burgers of Calais Nancy Kilpatrick - Ecstasy Bentley Little - Pop Star in the Ugly Bar Wrath James White - The Sooner They Learn J.F. Gonzalez - Addict
The farther we've gotten from the magic and mystery of the past, the more we've come to love Halloween ― the one time each year when the mundane is overturned in favor of the bizarre, the "other side" is closest, and everyone can become anyone (or anything) they wish... and sometimes what they don't. Introducing nineteen original stories from mistresses and masters of the dark celebrate the most fantastic, enchanting, spooky, and supernatural of holidays.
Fear is the oldest human emotion. The most primal. We like to think we’re civilized. We tell ourselves we’re not afraid. And every year, we skim our fingers across nightmares, desperately pitting our courage against shivering dread. A paraplegic millionaire hires a priest to exorcise his pain; a failing marriage is put to the ultimate test; hunters become the hunted as a small group of men ventures deep into a forest; a psychic struggles for her life on national televi¬sion; a soldier strikes a grisly bargain with his sis¬ter’s killer; ravens answer a child’s wish for magic; two mercenaries accept a strangely simplistic assignment; a desperate woman in an occupied land makes a terrible choice... What scares you? What frightens you? Horror wears new faces in these carefully selected stories. The details may change. But the fear remains. Night Shade Books is proud to present The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Four, a new collection of horror brought to you by Ellen Datlow, winner of multiple Hugo, Bram Stoker, and World Fantasy awards.
The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror series continues to be the world's leading annual anthology dedicated solely to showcasing the best in contemporary horror fiction. The latest volume is comprised of more than 20 of the most outstanding new short stories and novellas by both contemporary masters of horror and exciting newcomers.
This anthology could be the most unusual and original collection of stories you'll ever read! Twenty-six literary reflections embody the themed, classical artwork devoted to the spectrum of humanity's intriguing interactions with the Angel of Death in all his/her/its manifestations.
Fear is the oldest human emotion. The most primal. We like to think we’re civilized. We tell ourselves we’re not afraid. And every year, we skim our fingers across nightmares, desperately pitting our courage against shivering dread. A paraplegic millionaire hires a priest to exorcise his pain; a failing marriage is put to the ultimate test; hunters become the hunted as a small group of men ventures deep into a forest; a psychic struggles for her life on national televi¬sion; a soldier strikes a grisly bargain with his sis¬ter’s killer; ravens answer a child’s wish for magic; two mercenaries accept a strangely simplistic assignment; a desperate woman in an occupied land makes a terrible choice... What scares you? What frightens you? Horror wears new faces in these carefully selected stories. The details may change. But the fear remains. Night Shade Books is proud to present The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Four, a new collection of horror brought to you by Ellen Datlow, winner of multiple Hugo, Bram Stoker, and World Fantasy awards.
Black Country - Joel Lane "'Black Country' is one of a sequence of weird crime stories set in the West Midlands that I've been working on for years," says Joel Lane. "A collection of them is forthcoming with the title Where Furnaces Burn . 'Black Country' is also a sequel to my earlier story 'The Lost District', which describes another narrator's experience of Clayheath. "I'd like to thank The Nightingales and Gul Y. Davis, whose words influenced this story. It was originally published as a chapbook by Nightjar Press, with an enigmatic cover illustration by Birmingham photographer Trav28." We All Fall Down - Kirstyn McDermott "I carried the bones of this story around for quite a few years before I finally stumbled upon its beating heart," explains the author. "In my head was the image of a doll house, huge and not quite right, and a woman searching desperately for something concealed inside. But I could never work a story around it that didn't seem twee. Doll houses, you know? "But then Emma and Holly appeared - trapped within their own fractured, futile relationship - and everything just, well, fell together. Beautifully. Awfully. And now I have a doll house story. Of a kind." Telling - Steve Rasnic Tem "As for the following story," reveals Steve Rasnic Tem, "it began with a dreadful image at the end of a dream. I couldn't remember the other details of that dream, but I was determined to find out where that image might have come from." A Revelation of Cormorants - Mark Valentine "'A Revelation of Cormorants' first appeared in the excellent series of chapbooks published by Nicholas Royle's Nightjar Press," explains Valentine, "and I first encountered the dark grace of the cormorant while visiting Galloway with Jo." Just Outside Our Windows, Deep Inside Our Walls - Brian Hodge "I hardly ever write extended fragments of things and then leave them indefinitely," Brian Hodge reveals, "but that's how 'Just Outside Our Windows, Deep Inside Our Walls' got started. "I first wrote the part about the fantasised magic show, plus the earliest bit about Roni moving in, after rereading a Thomas Ligotti collection. It may not be apparent to anyone else, but some flavour of his lingered in me for a little while and wanted to come out, and the magic show was the result. "Then it sat idle for three years or so before I knew what more to do with it. Maybe because I had to forget about how it had begun and get back to being myself again."
It’s too late! The living dead have already taken over the world. Your brains have been devoured. Nothing is left but spasms of ravenous need—an obscene hunger for even more zombie fiction. Forget the metaphors and the mildly scary. You want shock, you want grue, you want disturbing, gut-wrenching, skull-crunching zombie stories that take you over the edge and go splat. You want the bloody best of the ultimate undead. You have no choice . . . you . . . must . . . have . . . Extreme Zombies!
This collection of thirty-eight terrifying tales of serial killers at large, written by the great masters of the genre, plumbs the horrifying depths of a deranged mind and the forces of evil that compel a human being to murder, gruesomely and methodically, over and over again. From Hannibal Lecter ( The Silence of the Lambs ) to Patrick Bateman ( American Psycho ), stories of serial killers and psychos loom large and menacing in our collective psyche. Tales of their grisly conquests have kept us cowering under the covers, but still turning the pages. Psychos is the first book to collect in a single volume the scariest and most well-crafted fictional works about these deranged killers. Some of the stories are classics, the best that the genre has to offer, by renowned writers such as Neil Gaiman , Amelia Beamer , Robert Bloch , and Thomas Harris . Other selections are from the latest and most promising crop of new authors. John Skipp, who is also the editor of Zombies , Demons and Werewolves and Shapeshifters , provides fascinating insight, through two nonfiction essays, into our insatiable obsession with serial killers and how these madmen are portrayed in popular culture. Resources at the end of the book includes lists of the genre's best long-form fiction, movies, websites, and writers.
"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and theoldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." This statement was true when H. P. Lovecraft first wrote it at the beginning of the twentieth century, and it remains true at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The only thing that has changed is what is unknown. With each passing year, science, technology, and the march of time shine light into the craggy corners of the universe, making the fears of an earlier generation seem quaint. But this "light" creates its own shadows. The Best Horror of the Year , edited by Ellen Datlow, chronicles these shifting shadows. It is a catalog of terror, fear, and unpleasantness, as articulated by today's most challenging and exciting writers. The best horror writers of today do the same thing that horror writers of a hundred years ago did. They tell good stories--stories that scare us. And when these writers tell really good stories that really scare us, Ellen Datlow notices. She's been noticing for more than a quarter century. For twenty-one years, she coedited The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror , and for the last six years, she's edited this series. In addition to this monumental cataloging of the best, she has edited hundreds of other horror anthologies and won numerous awards, including the Hugo, Bram Stoker, and World Fantasy awards. More than any other editor or critic, Ellen Datlow has charted the shadowy abyss of horror fiction. Join her on this journey into the dark parts of the human heart . . . either for the first time . . . or once again.
Title: The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror Binding: Paperback Author: PaulaGuran Publisher: PrimeBooks
“Some stories are more explicitly Lovecraftian than others, but all demonstrate how Lovecraft's dark mythology continues to inspire outstanding tales of modern horror.” - Publisher's Weekly Many of the best weird fiction writers (and creators in most other media) have been profoundly influenced by the genre and the mythos H.P. Lovecraft created eight decades ago. Lovecraft's themes of cosmic indifference, minds invaded by the alien, and the horrors of history - written with a pervasive atmosphere of unexplainable dread - are more relevant than ever as we explore the mysteries of a universe in which our planet is infinitesimal and climatic change is overwhelming it. A few years ago, New Cthulhu : The Recent Weird presented some of the best of this new Lovecraftian fiction from the first decade of the twenty-first century. Now, New Cthulhu 2: More Recent Weird brings you more eldritch tales and even fresher fiction inspired by Lovecraft.
Nothing so commonplace as a werewolf or zombie lurks within these pages. No, on offer here is an altogether more complex assortment of evils and a sampling of humans who battle, retreat, suffer and are changed. ~Rob Dunbar from his Introduction ...between these covers is a breath of fresh air to those of us who have grown a bit weary of the usual zombies and beasties. ~Gary Braunbeck Introduction by Robert Dunbarby The Storm by David Morrell Mr. Mumblety-Peg by Tim Curran Terms And Conditions by Violet LeVoit Hate Me Afire by Thomas Sullivan The Mouth by Ray Garton In Hell, An Eye by Gemma Files Morgenstern’s Last Act by Bracken Macleod One Last Drop Of Blood To Remember Me By by Matt Moore Fly Away Home by Elizabeth Massie The Hole To China by John Everson She Sits And Smiles by Chet Williamson Carry On, Carrion by Paula D. Ashe One Possible Shape Of Things To Come by Brian Hodge
"Superstar editor Datlow makes no missteps...." — Publishers Weekly Take a terrifying journey with literary masters of suspense, including Peter Straub, Kim Newman, and Caitlín R. Kiernan, visiting a place where the other is somehow one of us. These electrifying tales redefine monsters from mere things that go bump in the night to inexplicable, deadly reflections of our day-to-day lives. Whether it's a seemingly devoted teacher, an obsessive devotee of swans, or a diner full of evil creatures simply seeking oblivion, the monstrous is always there—and much closer than it appears.
For more than 80 years H. P. Lovecraft has inspired writers of horror and supernatural fiction with his dark vision of humankind's insignificant place in a vast, uncaring cosmos. At the time of his death in 1937, Lovecraft was virtually unknown, but from early cult status his readership expanded exponentially; his nightmarish visions laying down roots in the collective imagination of his readers. Now this master of the macabre is accepted as part of the literary mainstream, as an American author of note, and the impact of his work on modern popular culture - in literature, film, television, music, the graphic arts, gaming and theatre - has been profound. As Stephen King wrote in Danse Macabre , the shadow of H. P. Lovecraft 'underlies almost all of the important horror fiction that has come since.' Today, Lovecraft's themes of cosmic indifference, the utter insignificance of humankind, minds invaded by the alien, and the horrors of history remain not only viable motifs for modern speculative fiction, but are more relevant than ever as we explore the mysteries of a universe in which our planet is infinitesimal. This outstanding anthology of original stories - from both established award-winning authors and exciting new voices - collects tales of cosmic horror inspired by Lovecraft from authors who do not merely imitate, but reimagine, re-energize, and renew the best of his concepts in ways relevant to today's readers, to create fresh new fiction that explores our modern fears and nightmares. From the depths of R'lyeh to the heights of the Mountains of Madness, some of today's best weird fiction writers traverse terrain created by Lovecraft and create new eldritch geographies to explore . . . With stories by: Laird Barron, Nadia Bulkin, Amanda Downum, Ruthanna Emrys, Richard Gavin, Lois H. Gresh, Lisa L. Hannett, Brian Hodge, Caitlín R. Kiernan, John Langan, Yoon Ha Lee, Usman T. Malik, Helen Marshall, Silvia Moreno, Norman Partridge, W. H. Pugmire, Veronica Schanoes, Michael Shea, John Shirley, Simon Strantzas, Sandra McDonald, Damien Angelica Walters, Don Webb, Michael Wehunt and A.C. Wise Praise for the editor: 'For fans of Lovecraftian fiction and well-wrought horror' - Library Journal 'Guran smartly selects stories that evoke the spirit of Lovecraft's work without mimicking its style.' - Publishers Weekly 'It's a pretty impressive line-up, with nary a clunker to be found. . . . You don't have to be a Lovecraft fan to enjoy this anthology... You'll find alienation, inhumanity, desperation, cruelty, insanity, hopelessness and despair, all set against the backdrop of a vast, unknowable universe filled with vile, indifferent monstrosities. You'll also find beauty, hope, redemption, and the struggle for survival. What more can you ask for?' - Tor.com 'I highly recommend this collection... If you have even the slightest interest in contemporary horror fiction, you'll want to try this one on for size!' - BookGuide
A town is held hostage by an unholy bargain made by some of the inhabitants; a party game on Halloween brings back memories better left forgotten; one misstep changes the balance of survival during the apocalypse; a group of seemingly typical travelers are stranded in an airport; a widower’s holiday in a seaside town becomes a nightmare . . . The Best Horror of the Year showcases the previous year’s best offerings in short fiction horror. This edition includes award-winning and critically acclaimed authors Neil Gaiman, Kelley Armstrong, Stephen Graham Jones, Carmen Maria Machado, and more. For more than three decades, award-winning editor and anthologist Ellen Datlow has had her finger on the pulse of the latest and most terrifying in horror writing. Night Shade Books is proud to present the eighth volume in this annual series, a new collection of stories to keep you up at night. Table of Contents: Summation 2015 - Ellen Datlow We Are All Monsters Here - Kelley Armstrong Universal Horror - Stephen Graham Jones Slaughtered Lamb - Tom Johnstone In a Cavern, In a Canyon - Laird Barron Between the Pilings - Steve Rasnic Tem Snow - Dale Bailey Indian Giver - Ray Cluley My Boy Builds Coffins - Gary McMahon The Woman in the Hill - Tamsyn Muir Underground Economy - John Langan The Rooms Are High - Reggie Oliver All the Day You’ll Have Good Luck - Kate Jonez Lord of the Sand - Stephen Bacon Wilderness - Letitia Trent Fabulous Beasts - Priya Sharma Descent - Carmen Maria Machado Hippocampus - Adam Nevill Black Dog - Neil Gaiman The 21st Century Shadow - Stephanie M. Wytovich This Stagnant Breath of Change - Brian Hodge Honorable Mentions
More than 160 short stories from bestselling and award-winning authors. This volume will introduce you to horror, mystery, fantasy and thrills, from the dark worlds of Lovecraft to the cutting-edge suspense of the mean streets of the cities of the world. This monster collection speaks in the voices of some of today's leading masters of the short story, with something certain to appeal to every reader. Find a new creative voice to follow. Find a new world to love. An amazing wealth of fiction and imagination. Included in Corruption at the Crossroad: 12+1: Twelve Short Thrillers And A Play — Raymond Benson The Devil Made Me Do It Again And Again — Paul Dale Anderson Seeing Red — David J. Schow Bedbugs — Rick Hautala Destinations Unknown — Gary Braunbeck The Call Of Distant Shores — David Niall Wilson Falling Idols — Brian Hodge In The End, Only Darkness — Monica J O'Rourke 13: A Collection Of Horror And Weird Fiction — Michael Boatman Vapors: The Essential G. Wayne Miller Fiction, Vol. 2 — G. Wayne Miller Scars And Other Distinguishing Marks — Richard Christian Matheson
An elderly man aggressively defends his private domain against all comers—including his daughter;a policeman investigates an impossible horror show of a crime; a father witnesses one of the worst things a parent can imagine; the abuse of one child fuels another’s yearning; an Iraqi war veteran seeks a fellow soldier in his hometown but finds more than she bargains for . . . The Best Horror of the Year showcases the previous year’s best offerings in short fiction horror. This edition includes award-winning and critically acclaimed authors Adam L. G. Nevill, Livia Llewellyn, Peter Straub, Gemma Files, Brian Hodge, and more. For more than three decades, award-winning editor and anthologist Ellen Datlow has had her finger on the pulse of the latest and most terrifying in horror writing. Night Shade Books is proud to present the ninth volume in this annual series, a new collection of stories to keep you up at night. Table of Contents: Summation 2016 - Ellen Datlow Nesters -- Siobhan Carroll The Oestridae -- Robert Levy The Process is a Process All its Own -- Peter Straub The Bad Hour -- Christopher Golden Red Rabbit -- Steve Rasnic Tem It's All the Same Road in the End -- Brian Hodge Fury -- DB Waters Grave Goods -- Gemma Files Between Dry Ribs -- Gregory Norman Bossert The Days of Our Lives -- Adam LG Nevill House of Wonders -- C.E. Ward The Numbers -- Christopher Burns Bright Crown of Joy -- Livia Llewellyn The Beautiful Thing We Will Become -- Kristi DeMeester Wish You Were Here -- Nadia Bulkin Ragman -- Rebecca Lloyd What’s Out There? -- Gary McMahon No Matter Which Way We Turned -- Brian Evenson The Castellmarch Man -- Ray Cluley The Ice Beneath Us -- Steve Duffy On These Blackened Shores of Time -- Brian Hodge Honorable Mentions