Mind At Bay
Description
An anthology of horror/SF stories with mental illness as their theme, stories of people who literally drive themselves crazy or whose fears become real: Contents 7 Introduction (Mind at Bay) essay by Christopher Evans 11 The Frontier Guards (1929) short story by H. Russell Wakefield. The nocturnal visit to a haunted house unleashes a haunting of a completely unexpected kind. Pailton, the haunted house of this story, turns out to be the frontier portal. Two ghost hunters get into a sphere, where the laws of reality are suspended. How exactly will this affect them? That is not revealed, however, it is repeatedly hinted that an alarming number of visitors do not leave Pailton alive. 18 The Ash-Tree (1904) short story by M. R. James. The Wicked Witch casts a curse on her executioners; what was commissioned with the implementation crawls out of the tree at night. 32 Back to the Beginning (1952) short story by John Connell. Even for a modern pact with the devil, the price has to be paid at some point. The devil cheats, but he does not allow himself to be cheated. 39 The Idol of the Flies (1942) short story by Jane Rice. Pruitt is a tyrant who likes to menacingly hint at his protection from the "Lord of the Flies", which will one day be put to the test with diabolical consequences. 62 Caterpillars (1912) short story by E.F. Benson. The visitor dreams of ghastly beings chasing his host, and this dream has a chillingly real core. An unforgettable story of a man’s cancer manifesting itself in the form of squirming yellow Caterpillars. The author captures the helpless fear of a deadly and secret disease in a symbolic but truly horrifying story. Your own body can fail you and self-destruct in a pandemonium of terror and pain. There is a certain irony and validation in the fact that the author himself died of cancer. 71 Silent Snow, Secret Snow (1932) short story by Conrad Aiken. A boy's decline into autism. Paul has always been a loner, but now he is completely isolated and lost in his private world. 90 The Master Plan short story by John Sladek 106 The Watch-Towers (1962) novelette by J.G. Ballard. Gigantic towers hang silently & menacingly from the clouds over the city; their residents never show themselves - or have they secretly taken power long ago? 137 Breakaway (1966) short story by Alex Hamilton. The narrator is cast adrift on an iceberg which is slowly melting as it enters a warmer climate. 146 We Fused Ones (1968) novelette by Perry A. Chapdelaine 179 Crab Apple Crisis (1966) short story by George MacBeth. Here we see a petty squabble between two neighbours that quickly degenerates into all out war between their families.