Best of
Horror

1997

Johnny the Homicidal Maniac: Director's Cut


Jhonen Vásquez - 1997
    Dark and disturbingly funny, JTHM follows the adventures of Johnny (you can call him Nny), who lives with a pair of styrofoam doughboys that encourage his madness, a wall that constantly needs a fresh coat of blood, and--oh, yeah--his victims in various states of torture. Join Nny as he frightens the little boy next door (Todd, known to fans of Vasquez's work as Squee), thirsts for Cherry Brain Freezies, attempts suicide, draws Happy Noodle Boy, and tries to uncover the meaning of his homicidal existence.

The Annotated H.P. Lovecraft


H.P. Lovecraft - 1997
    Lovecraft is one of America's giants of the horror genre. Now, in this second volume of annotated tales, Lovecraft scholars S. T. Joshi and Peter Cannon provide another rare opportunity to look into the mind of a genius. Their extensive notes lift the veil between real events in the writer's life—such as the death of his father—and the words that spill out onto the page in magnificent grotesquerie. Mansions, universities, laboratories, and dank New England boneyards appear also as the haunts where Lovecraft's characters confront the fabulous and fantastic, or—like the narrator in "Herbert West—Reanimator"—dig up fresh corpses. Richly illustrated and scrupulously researched, this extraordinary work adds exciting levels of meaning to Lovecraft's chilling tales . . . and increases our wonder at the magic that transforms life into a great writer's art.

My Soul to Keep


Tananarive Due - 1997
    Yet she still feels something about him is just out of reach. Soon, as people close to Jessica begin to meet violent, mysterious deaths, David makes an unimaginable confession: More than 400 years ago, he and other members of an Ethiopian sect traded their humanity so they would never die, a secret he must protect at any cost. Now, his immortal brethren have decided David must return and leave his family in Miami. Instead, David vows to invoke a forbidden ritual to keep Jessica and his daughter with him forever. Harrowing, engrossing and skillfully rendered, My Soul to Keep traps Jessica between the desperation of immortals who want to rob her of her life and a husband who wants to rob her of her soul. With deft plotting and an unforgettable climax, this tour de force reminiscent of early Anne Rice will win Due a new legion of fans.

The Blackstone Chronicles


John Saul - 1997
    John Saul, the master of supernatural suspense, John Saul, brings to chilling life the small New England town of Blackstone--and the secrets and sins that lay buried there. . . . — From atop Blackstone's highest hill, the old Asylum casts its shadow over the village. Built in the 1890s to house the insane, the Asylum has stood vacant for decades. But now, the wrecker's ball is about to strike--and unleash an ominous evil. Strange gifts begin to appear on the doorsteps of Blackstone's finest citizens.Each bears a mysterious history.Each brings a horrifying power to harm.Each reveals another thread in the suspensefully woven web of . . .THE BLACKSTONE CHRONICLESPart I--An Eye for an Eye: The DollPart II--Twist of Fate: The LocketPart III--Ashes to Ashes: The Dragon's FlamePart IV--In the Shadow of Evil: The HandkerchiefPart V--Day of Reckoning: The StereoscopePart VI--Asylum

Delta Green


Dennis Detwiller - 1997
    Do you know who is pulling the strings? Delta Green knows. Things from beyond time and space that lurk and titter in the shadows, the slow rot at the core of humanity, the dark stars that whirl madly above- these are the true masters of the world. Delta Green has been fighting them since the 1928 Raid on Innsmouth, and the fight still rages on. This book is your weapon and your guide. The largest Call of Cthulhu sourcebook ever. Inside you will find the secret history of the 20th century, and the movers and shakers who are players in the game: Delta Green, the outlaw conspiracy working inside the U.S. government to fight the darkness; Majestic-12, the clandestine agency that cuts deals with aliens and reports to no one; Saucerwatch, a UFO study group closer to the truth than they know; the Karotechia, immortal Nazis who serve a risen Hitler; and The Fate, an occult criminal syndicate that knows where the bodies are buried. Plus: new skills, new spells, new weapons, new Mythos tomes, profiles of thirty-six real-world intelligence and law enforcement agencies, with character templates for each.A look at Mi-go biology, philosophy and operations, analysis of the Cthulhu Mythos in the modern day, a factual history of the U.S. intelligence and law-enforcement community, dozens of useful NPCs, campaign construction guidelines, two scenarios, a short campaign and more.

The Evil Garden


Edward Gorey - 1997
    They soon realize their mistake, as harrowing sounds and evidence of foul play emerge. When humongous hairy bugs, famished carnivorous plants, ferocious fruit-guarding bears, and a sinister strangling snake take charge, the family's ominous feelings turn to full-on panic—but where's the exit?Edward Gorey leads us through this nefarious garden with a light step. His unmistakable drawings paired with engaging couplets produce giggles, not gasps. Perhaps The Evil Garden is a morality tale; perhaps it's simply an enigmatic entertainment. Whatever the interpretation, it's a prime example of the iconic storytelling genius that is Edward Gorey.Book Details: Format: Hardcover Publication Date: 3/15/2011 Pages: 32 Reading Level: Age 8 and Up

The Dead Zone/Cujo


Stephen King - 1997
    The books contained are "Dead Zone" and "Cujo".

Hellblazer: Freezes Over


Brian Azzarello - 1997
    Reprinting issues #157-163 of the series, HELLBLAZER: FREEZES OVER collects the ...Freezes Over storyline illustrated by Marcelo Frusin (HELLBLAZER: GOOD INTENTIONS) as well as the one-shot ...And Buried? illustrated by Steve Dillon (PREACHER) and the 2-part Lapdogs and Englishmen illustrated by Guy Davis (SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE). In these three episodes, after another unwelcome meeting with FBI Agent Turro, Constantine continues his journey through America's back roads. For more information, see the feature article. (STAR MATURE READERS SC, 7x10, 168pg, FC

Museum of Terror, Vol. 2: Tomie 2


Junji Ito - 1997
    Well, then I've got the horror manga for you Junji Ito, the man who brought the world Uzumaki, has one of the most inspired minds in horror today. That's why Dark Horse manga is proud to bring you more from Ito's Museum of Terror series. Continuing with his "Makie" stories, about an eternally youthful and perfectly beautiful girl who inpires people committ murder, volume two promises to invent new ways to shock you. For instance, who'd have thought of making sake out of the remains of the killed and hammered-to-mush Makie? See? It's crazy. Junji Ito promises to entertain you in the most cracked, yet pretty ways.

Museum of Terror, Vol. 1: Tomie 1


Junji Ito - 1997
    Full of compelling and charming characters and relationships, and featuring some of the finest comics art available, Junji Ito has seen his works translated into successful films in Japan. Ito's Uzumaki, the thrilling and grotesque manga and film, has already found success in America, and now we present "Tomie," the first story in this fantastic series. "Tomie" is the story of an eternally youthful and beautiful high school girl, whose admirers are obsessed to the point of murdering her. But to their horror, she is reincarnated over and over. "Tomie" also became a popular film in Japan, and now it launches Dark Horse's series of Ito's horrific works, Museum of Terror.

Spirits of the Dead: Tales and Other Poems


Edgar Allan Poe - 1997
    The poems are full of melancholic beauty whether in the disturbing images of death and events beyond the grave described in 'The Raven' and 'Lenore', or in the hypnotic fantasy of works such as 'The Bells', 'The City in the Sea' and 'Annabel Lee'.Possessed of a powerful, richly inventive imagination, Edgar Allan Poe explored the darkest corners of the human psyche and is recognized as one of the first writers to offer a genuine American voice.

Clive Barker's A-Z of Horror


Stephen Jones - 1997
    Here is the unspeakable stuff of which Barker's vision was formed: a wonderfully eclectic and wide-ranging collection of nightmares from the literature and film. Meet serial killers and serious authors, outlaw directors and rebel artists, legendary monsters and movie stars from Psycho to Silence of the Lambs. From exorcisms to zombie dances, chaos to cannibalism, Lovecraft to Elm Street, Dracula to Deuteronomy, discover the dark and grisly world of Clive Barker.

The Long Dream; 長い夢; Nagai Yume


Junji Ito - 1997
    The first chapter in volume 14 of the Horror World of Junji Ito series, The Story of the Mysterious Tunnel;トンネル奇譚; Ton'neru kitan

The Chalice: A Glastonbury Ghost Story


Phil Rickman - 1997
    When Diane Ffitch returns home, it’s with a sense of deep unease. As the town becomes increasingly split by violence and death, Diane and her friends face up to the worst of all possibilities: the existence of an anti-Grail—the Dark Chalice.

In a Foreign Town, in a Foreign Land


Thomas Ligotti - 1997
    Originally published with Current 93's 1997 album of the same name.

Dracula the Undead


Freda Warrington - 1997
    . . - It is seven years since a stake was driven through the heart of the infamous Count Dracula. Seven years which have not eradicated the terrible memories for Jonathan and Mina Harker, who now have a young son. To lay their memories to rest they return to Transylvania, and can find no trace of the horrific events. But, beneath the earth, Draculas soul lies in limbo, waiting for the Lifeblood that will revive him . . .

The Price


Neil Gaiman - 1997
    Animated short story narrated by the author.From SF Signal:In 2006, filmmaker Christopher Salmon really, really wanted to create a 3D CG animated film of Neil Gaiman’s short story, “The Price”. So he created this proof-of-concept short animation to convince Neil to grant him the rights to the story.Salmon posted his touching proof-of-concept short online. http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2013...

Cain


James Byron Huggins - 1997
    Piece by piece, they rebuilt his soulless flesh and transformed it. A team of scientists outfitted him with the most powerful muscles and the deadliest weapons that the generals could ever have wished for. Alive, Cain had been their deadliest killer; dead, he became their greatest nightmare. When Cain awakes, he is transformed: he has become the ultimate predator. His body is now inhabited by a spirit that's been wandering the earth for millennia - one of the crown princes of hell. The only force that can stop him is made up of three tragically flawed mortals - a soldier who's lost his family to a terrorist's bullets, a priest who's lost his faith, and the beautiful young scientist who created this modern Frankenstein. Together, though, they form an unstoppable team who will fight the forces of hell itself to save themselves and humankind.

The Haunting


Paul Doherty - 1997
    Oliver is a hard-working, committed priest, and he has one gift - that of the exorcism of 'divining spirits'. The Archbishop tells Oliver that Lady Seaton, owner of Candleton Hall in Norfolk, has appealed to the Church for assistance in allaying the terrifying and haunting experiences taking place at the Hall. Father Oliver goes to Candleton and within hours, he and his sister Emma have first-hand experience of the phenomena: pools of blood form on the floor, a woman dressed in black walks the Long Gallery, the sound of knocking, cries in the night and hurried footsteps and, above all, a sense of malevolence which seeps through the house. Painstakingly, Oliver, a natural scholar, delves into the family secrets of the Seatons and finds chilling truths which span four centuries.

Titus Crow, Volume 3: In The Moons of Borea, Elysia


Brian Lumley - 1997
    Titus Crow and his faithful companion fight the forces of darkness--the infamous and deadly Elder Gods of H.P. Lovecraft--wherever they arise. The powerful Cthulhu and his dark minions are bent on ruling the earth--or destroying it, yet time after time, Titus Crow drives the monsters back into the dark from whence they came.Volume Three contains two full novels, In the Moons of Borea and Elysia.

The Throne of Bones


Brian McNaughton - 1997
    Imagine mephitic gardens where the sarcophage, selenotrope, and necrophilium bloom. Then throw in star-crossed lovers, crazed zealots, stalwart heroes, bloodthirsty renegade armies, hideous monsters, and likeable misfits. You've got just a hint of the wondrous and original visions in the dark fantasy world of Brian McNaughton. Horror scholar S. T. Joshi, in the afterword to this collection of stories, notes the strong influence of Clark Ashton Smith, Lord Dunsany, H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, and Greco-Roman decadent works such as Petronius's Satyricon. "McNaughton seems to have mastered one of the most difficult of literary arts: to draw upon the classics of the field without losing his own voice.... The world that McNaughton has created in this book is the world of the ghoul; and who knows but that The Throne of Bones will become the standard textbook for the care and feeding of ghouls just as Dracula has become that for vampires?"Contents:Ringard and Dendra (1996)The Throne of Bones (1997)The Vendren Worm (1990)Meryphillia (1990)Reunion in Cephalune (1997)The Art of Tiphytsorn Glocque (1997)A Scholar from Sythiphore (1995)Vendriel and Vendreela (1988)The Retrograde Necromancer (1993)The Return of Liron Wolfbaiter (1997)

Monsters in the Closet: Homosexuality and the Horror Film


Harry M. Benshoff - 1997
    Drawing on a wide variety of films and primary source materials including censorship files, critical reviews, promotional materials, fanzines, men's magazines, and popular news weeklies, the book examines the historical figure of the movie monster in relation to various medical, psychological, religious and social models of homosexuality. While recent work within gay and lesbian studies has explored how the genetic tropes of the horror film intersect with popular culture's understanding of queerness, this is the first book to examine how the concept of the monster queer has evolved from era to era. From the gay and lesbian sensibilities encoded into the form and content of the classical Hollywood horror film, to recent films which play upon AIDS-related fears. Monster in the Closet examines how the horror film started and continues, to demonize (or quite literally "monsterize") queer sexuality, and what the pleasures and "costs" of such representations might be both for individual spectators and culture at large.

Brian Lumley's Mythos Omnibus Volume 2


Brian Lumley - 1997
    Brain Lumley is the author of Necroscope.

Shackled


Ray Garton - 1997
    When a washed-up investigative journalist does some poking around, he suddenly finds himself mired in a shadowy conspiracy. Its targets are the weakest members of society and its weapon is a diabolical system of high-tech communications.

Brian Lumley's Mythos Omnibus Volume 1


Brian Lumley - 1997
    THE TRANSITIONS OF TITUS CROW: Fleeing from the Burrowers, Crow discovers the secrets of time and space and learns the lore of the Great Old Ones. But Lord Cthulhu seeks not only the domination of Earth but the destruction of the Elder Gods and the space-time continuum itself! De Marigny answers Crow's call from the depths of space to join him in the battle for universal sanity against all the forces of evil. THE CLOCK OF DREAMS: From fathomless ocean depths, Cthulhu's dreams disturb the minds of men to reshape the waking world. Diverted from his search for the lost Elysia, de Marigny pilots his space-time machine into subconscious worlds of dream and nightmare in a bid to save the lives and very souls of Titus Crow and Tiania of Elysia.

Tomie 1


Junji Ito - 1997
    The first volume of the series introduces us to Tomie, a girl who simply will not die.In the opening story, Tomie incurs the homicidal wrath of a lust-driven schoolteacher and his students.In "Photograph," she returns as a member of the oppressive Public Morality Committee and entraps an aspiring young photographer, Tsukiko."Kiss" continues Tomie's pursuit of Tsukiko and her favorite schoolteacher.In "Mansion," Tomie and one of her minions take control of an old man, his house, and his only daughter, with grotesque results."Revenge" finds the demonic girl as the object of jealously rivalry between two bone-weary mountaineers.Collected Works:TomiePhotographKissMansionRevengeThe Basin of the Waterfall

Creature Features: The Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Movie Guide


John Stanley - 1997
    From features, made-for-televsion, and straight-to-video, here are all the films you love and hate; the films you forgot about and never knew existed. Horror and science fiction fans will find films that matter and films that splatter in one critical and humorous guide.Featuring * Thousands of capsulized reviews * A five-star rating system * Hundreds of obscure and rare titles * Video distribution informaton (including mail order) *Cross-references to secondary titles, sequels and tricky retitlings * And more.

The Birds & Don't Look Now


Daphne du Maurier - 1997
    These two stories are perhaps even better known as films (The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock and Don't Look Now by Nic Roeg), but here we bring you the full terrifying texts, superbly read by Peter Capaldi, who brings the true dimension of these works to the imagination.

The Infernal


Kim Wilkins - 1997
    Can these 20th-century murders be linked to events in Elizabethan England?

Blood Thirst: 100 Years of Vampire Fiction


Leonard WolfHanns Heinz Ewers - 1997
    In film, television, novels, and short stories, he keeps coming back to life, fed by the vital imaginative energies of a world-wide audience that cannot seem to resist his abominable charms. Aristocratic and urbane, deeply erotic and profoundly evil, Dracula's bloodsucking savagery has cast a mesmerizing fascination not only over his victims but over his readers as well. And, as Leonard Wolf suggests, "Vampire fiction...exerts an amazing pull on readers for a reason that we may find disturbing. The blood exchange—the taking of blood by the vampire from his or her victim is, all by itself, felt to be a singularly symbolic event. Symbolic and attractive!" Now, in Blood Thirst; One Hundred Years of Vampire Fiction, Leonard Wolf brings together thirty tales in which vampires of all varieties make their ghastly presence felt;male and female, human and non-human, humorous and heroic;all of them kin to the dreadful bat. From Lafcadio Hearn, Mary E. Wilkins-Freeman, Edith Wharton, August Derleth, and Ray Bradbury to such contemporary masters as Anne Rice, Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, John Cheever, and Woody Allen, and in settings as diverse as rural New England and outer space, this collection offers readers a dazzling compendium of vampire stories. Wolf organizes the collection into six categories;The Classic Adventure Tale, The Psychic Vampire, The Science Fiction Vampire, The Non-Human Vampire, The Comic Vampire, and The Heroic Vampire;which allows readers to see the many guises Dracula's descendants have assumed and the many ways they can be interpreted. In his penetrating introduction, Wolf argues that such an arrangement enables us to see the evolution of the vampire from an unmitigated evil to a creature we are more likely to identify with. "In a century in which God and Satan have become increasingly irrelevant in the popular arts, there has been an accompanying secularization of the vampire idea. And, as the stories in Blood Thirst will show, sympathy for the vampire has grown as we have become increasingly interested in the workings of the mind." Indeed, the vampire's ability to change over time, to draw into itself such a richness of symbolic meanings, to conjure itself into so many diabolical shapes, may account for the enduring appeal of the literature written about it. Here, then, is a definitive collection for aficionados and novices alike, and whether readers find the vampires who inhabit these pages sympathetic or horrific, psychologically intriguing or spiritually repellent, morbidly seductive or comically absurd,Blood Thirst gives us all something to sink our teeth into.

The Chuckling Whatsit


Richard Sala - 1997
    Part noir, part horror and part comedy, this labyrinthian tale of intrigue follows an unemployed writer named Broom who becomes unwittingly ensnared in a complex plot involving mysterious outsider artist Emile Jarnac, the shadowy machinations of the Ghoul Appreciation Society Headquarters (GASH), and the enigmatic Mr. Ixnay. Sala's deadpan delivery makes this ingeniously layered narrative a roller-coaster ride of darkly pure comic suspense. Sala's drawing style, while most often compared to Edward Gorey, also reveals the influence of everything from Hollywood monster movies and Dick Tracy to German expressionism and Grimm's fairy tales. It's a style that's perfectly suited to the narrative, constantly flirting with Sala's fascination for the grotesque and lending palpable tension to the gruesome riddle of The Chuckling Whatsit.Sala's eclectic career includes contributions to Art Spiegelman's RAW magazine, MTV's Liquid Television, The New York Times, Playboy and his ongoing Evil Eye comic book series from Fantagraphics, though The Chuckling Whatsit remains his most popular work.

Dark Passenger


Donald Allen Kirch - 1997
    As the voyage progresses, passengers and crew become the victims of several grisly murders - not seen since the infamous Jack the Ripper. All clues point to the impossible: the murderer is a 3,000-year-old mummy named "Ka-Re." Amid all the death and chaos, Parker is ultimately forced to choose between preserving his lifelong discovery and saving himself.

Titus Crow, Volume 2: The Clock of Dreams; Spawn of the Winds


Brian Lumley - 1997
    Lovecraft. Cthulhu and his dark minions are bent on ruling the earth. A few puny humans cannot possibly stand against these otherworldly evil gods, yet time after time, Titus Crow drives the monsters back into the dark from whence they came. Volume Two contains two full novels, The Clock of Dreams and Spawn of the Winds.

Two Tales of Terror: The Tell-Tale Heart; The Masque of the Red Death


Edgar Allan Poe - 1997
    One is a tale of murderous obsession while the other tells of a masquerade party that is visited by Death himself.

The White Road


Ron Weighell - 1997
    In this new Sarob Press edition a few of the minor, or otherwise readily available stories from the original have been left out and ‘replaced’ by a novella bringing together two of Ron Weighell’s most popular characters, ‘James Calder-Stuart’ and ‘Vallance’, and taking ideas in its plot from one of the ‘lost novels’ mentioned in the introduction to the original edition ... “Out of the Hidden Land” has been written especially for this volume. The original stories have been newly typeset and re-imagined.THE WHITE ROAD is a Hand Numbered Lithographically Printed Limited Edition Hardcover, Bound in WHITE wibalin (fine linen style) with a blocking design to the front boards. Spine Blocking. Full Colour Dust Jacket with wrap cover art, premium Munken Cream 80gsm Bookwove, 16pp section sewn binding, head/tailbands, ribbon marker and, a first for Sarob Press, gorgeous illustrated end-papers.

The Little Girl Who Lived Down the Lane (Play)


Laird Koenig - 1997
    Pamphlet style (staple bound).

Recreational Terror: Women and the Pleasures of Horror Film Viewing


Isabel Cristina Pinedo - 1997
    Challenges the conventional wisdom that violent horror films can only degrade women and incite violence.

Three Shocking Tales of Terror


R.L. Stine - 1997
    One body. Three stories. One book. He's the three-headed monster of your nightmares Meet Lefty, Slim, and Righty: the spokesmonster who'll get you scared There's something for every horror taste in this triple-treat of stories including "Ghost Granny", "Spin the Wheel of Horror", and "Teenage Sponge Boys From Outer Space".

The Dedalus Book of French Horror: The 19th Century


Terry Hale - 1997
    Huysmans, most appearing for the first time in English. It traces the full development of a genre that initially appeared in the aftermath of the French Revolution, and has been used to explore the most terrifying aspects of science and social life.CONTENTSIntroduction · Terry Hale · in *The Lamp of Saint Just · Frédéric Soulié; trans. by Liz Heron · ss *The Travels of Claude Belissan · Eugène Sue; trans. by Terry Hale · ss *Solange · Alexandre Dumas · nv The London Journal, 1849Monsieur de l’Argentière, Public Prosecutor · Pétrus Borel; trans. by Terry Hale · nv *The Covetous Clerk · Alphonse Royer; trans. by Terry Hale · ss *One Eye Between Two · Xavier Forneret; trans. by Liz Heron · nv *Dorci, or the Vagaries of Chance · Marquis de Sade; trans. by Terry Hale · ss *Mademoiselle Scalpel · Charles Baudelaire; trans. by Terry Hale · ss *The Penitent · Catulle Mendès; trans. by Terry Hale · ss *The Astonishing Moutonnet Couple · Villiers de l’Isle-Adam; trans. by Terry Hale · ss *Constant Guignard · Jean Richepin; trans. by Terry Hale · ss *The Hanged Man · Charles Cros; trans. by Liz Heron · ss *Monsieur Mathias · Jules Lermina; trans. by Liz Heron · ss *A Burnt Offering · Léon Bloy; trans. by Terry Hale · ss *A Family Treat [from Becalmed] · J. K. Huysmans; trans. by Terry Hale · ex, 1992; revisedThe Prisoner of his Own Masterpiece · Edmond Haraucourt; trans. by Terry Hale · ss *Jacques Cazotte’s Prophecy · La Harpe; trans. by Terry Hale · ss *The Story of Hélène Gillet · Charles Nodier; trans. by Liz Heron · ss *The Green Monster · Gérard de Nerval; trans. by Terry Hale · ss *The Invisible Eye · Erckmann-Chatrian; trans. by Anon. · ss Temple Bar Dec, 1870The Reincarnation of Doctor Roger · Henri Rivière; trans. by Terry Hale · nv *The Head of Hair · Guy de Maupassant; trans. by Terry Hale · ss *Mademoiselle Dafné · Théophile Gautier; trans. by Liz Heron · nv *One Possessed · Jean Lorrain; trans. by Liz Heron

King Blood


Simon Clark - 1997
    Tonight there's going to be the party of the decade, the brother he hasn't seen for years has just flown in, and Rick is all set to do something about Kate Robinson, the beautiful girl he just can't get out of his mind. In the pleasant village of Fairburn the evening air is warm ...But this is also the night that Rick encounters the stranger in the wood. And soon he's waking up to find 30,000 refugees choking in the streets. People are running for their lives. Only there's nowhere to run. Inexorably the ground heats up. Cities erupt into flames. Lakes boil. Survivors search desperately for refuge in a landscape burning forever hotter beneath their feet. But they have yet to confront the Grey Men -- and the demons inside themselves. Because their blood itself is beginning to boil ...with savagery, hunger and lust ...

Bruce Coville's Box of Thrills and Chills


Bruce Coville - 1997
    Bruce Coville's Book of AliensBruce Coville's Books of GhostsBruce Coville's Book of MonstersBruce Coville's Book of Nightmares

Silent Night


R.L. Stine - 1997
    each one full of holiday fear!In Silent Night Reva Dalby was the richest, snobbiest, nastiest person in Shadyside. Three Christmases ago, Reva went too far, and found herself being followed everywhere. By someone who wanted revenge.Reva escaped and promised that she'd change.But she didn't stay on Santa's nice list for long. The next Christmas, in Silent Night 2. she went back to being her old, spoiled self. Until she was kidnapped--by men who wanted her rich father's money.Now, in Silent Night 3, Reva is home from college for the holidays. She's determined to have a good time this year. But she doesn't know that once again, Santa's leaving terror in her stocking. And it's going to be anotherscary Christmas!

The Diary of Victor Frankenstein


Victor Frankenstein - 1997
    In a weather-worn, aged journal, young medical student Victor Frankenstein shares the events of his life and offers a horrifying account of his forbidden experiment in which he creates a monster out of the bodies of the dead.

Zen in the art of Slaying Vampires


Steven-Elliot Altman - 1997
    Death deals no mercy to one man who rises in a SoHo alleyway to find his lover dead and his own body ghastly transformed...Straining to overcome his murderous instincts through zen meditation and blood deprivation he is reclaimed by The Ministry, an underground society waging war with the undead. Again and again he will find his will to resist tested by the killers who demand his allegiance and the zen masters who will burn him down at his first missed step as he strives to walk a tightrope between the living and the dead... to master himself and the way of the wooden stake.

Bruce Coville's Book of Spine Tinglers: More Tales to Make You Shiver


Bruce Coville - 1997
    This collection of short stories includes tales from Bruce Coville and a variety of authors.

Weird Tales: Seven Decades of Terror


John Gregory BetancourtHenry Kuttner - 1997
    Since then, however, it has been revived four times, proving the enormous popularity of a genre that encompasses science fiction, mystery, horror, and the occult. This anthology includes the best of the most frightening stories that have made the famous pulp magazine a household name for more than 70 years. Contributors include H.P. Lovecraft, Tanith Lee, Ray Bradbury, Nancy Springer, Robert Bloch, Mary E. Counselman, Steve Rasnic Tem, and others.

Atomic Chili


Joe R. LansdaleJohn Garcia - 1997
    Lansdale, it's hard to think of a more delicious treat than a well-produced collection of 10 comic adaptations of his short stories. From the striking mixed-media color cover by Dave Dorman, to the biography and bibliography at the end, Atomic Chili: The Illustrated Joe R. Lansdale is a lovingly executed homage to the storyteller from East Texas. Included are top-notch versions, in a variety of artistic styles, of "By Bizarre Hands," "Night They Missed the Horror Show," "Dead in the West," "Tight Little Stitches in a Dead Man's Back," and "Steel Valentine." The New York Times places Lansdale in the tradition of "country-noir" pioneered by writers such as James M. Cain, Erskine Caldwell, and Jim Thompson: "They share a total trust in the straightforward power of a man's voice speaking when that man has a witch's brew of a tale to tell. No tricks, no stylish ennui, no somnambulant remoteness or pointless savagery are required, but a rare sort of gift is, and Joe Lansdale has his in bushel baskets."

Freak Show


Bruce Jones - 1997
    But life is not without its own irony and his true self is revealed in a twist of fate and revenge.

The Monkey's Paw and Jerry Bundler (Classic Frights)


W.W. Jacobs - 1997
    That's what the Whites think when the old Sergeant-Major tells them that the gnarled monkey's paw will grant three wishes, but no good will come of them. Still, to humor his son, Mr. White wishes for 200.The next day, the Whites learn that their wish has been granted -- in a horrifying way Mrs. White, wild with grief, turns to the paw once more to undo the tragedy. But will the monkey's paw restore to them what they have lost -- or bring forth an even greater horror?The Monkey's Paw is one of the great tales of terror. Presented here with another suspense-filled tale by Jacobs -- Jerry Bundler -- and 21 black-and-white illustrations, it is sure to capture a whole new generation in its frightful spell.

100 Fiendish Little Frightmares


Martin H. Greenberg - 1997
    James, Michael Marshall Smith, H.P. Lovecraft, Lisa Tuttle, Ramsey Campbell, Paul Wilson, Donald Wandrei, Poppy Z. Brite, and Tom Ligotti.

Hellboy: The Lost Army


Christopher Golden - 1997
    According to Greek history, a hurricane-force sandstorm struck near the end of their six-hundred-mile trek. The army - all fifty thousand men - vanished without a single trace. Fast forward to 1986. A British archaeological team, sent to the edge of the Great Sand Sea to exhume evidence of the incident, has also gone missing. It's up to Hellboy to find the missing Brits and to discover what became of The Lost Army. This illustrated novel is written by Christopher Golden, best-selling author of the book Of Saints and Shadows. Hellboy creator Mike Mignola has done sixty-eight black-and-white illustrations for the story.

Dark Thoughts on Writing: Advice and Commentary from Fifty Masters of Fear and Suspense


Stanley Wiater - 1997
    In Dark Thoughts: On Writing he has thematically grouped well-selected quotations from horror creators: major influences; the day-to-day work of writing; choosing a form (short stories, novels, comics, or movies); fame and fortune; the game of making movies (as seen by Wes Craven, John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, and George Romero, among others); sex and death; censorship; personal fears and philosophies; surprising advice; the function of horror; and "Where do you get your ideas?" Also included are two choice reading lists, and a guide to print and electronic resources. A sample quotation from Joe R. Lansdale: "It's very easy to offend--but it's not easy to offend deeply." Peter Straub: "Sometimes you want to 'hurt' [your] readers. But at the same time you don't want to hurt them too badly--I mean, you do want to hurt them very badly at a couple points--but you don't want to leave them that way." Clive Barker: "Writing about the unholy is one way to write about the sacred." Horror readers and writers, as well as movie fans and moviemakers, will find much here to savor, laugh at, and learn from.