Best of
Horror

2000

Uzumaki


Junji Ito - 2000
    this town is contaminated with spirals...Kurouzu-cho, a small fogbound town on the coast of Japan, is cursed. According to Shuichi Saito, the withdrawn boyfriend of teenager Kirie Goshima, their town is haunted not by a person or being but by a pattern: uzumaki, the spiral — the hypnotic secret shape of the world. This bizarre masterpiece of horror manga is now available in a single volume. Fall into a whirlpool of terror!

Cold Fire / Hideaway / The Key to Midnight


Dean Koontz - 2000
    This will be the first time The Key To Midnight will be available in hardcover.

The Bottoms


Joe R. Lansdale - 2000
    In 1933, the year that forms the centerpiece of the narrative, Harry is 11 years old and living with his mother, father, and younger sister on a farm outside of Marvel Creek, Texas, near the Sabine River bottoms. Harry's world changes forever when he discovers the corpse of a young black woman tied to a tree in the forest near his home. The woman, who is eventually identified as a local prostitute, has been murdered, molested, and sexually mutilated. She is also, as Harry will soon discover, the first in a series of similar corpses, all of them the victims of a new, unprecedented sort of monster: a traveling serial killer.From his privileged position as the son of constable (and farmer and part-time barber) Jacob Collins, Harry watches as the distinctly amateur investigation unfolds. As more bodies -- not all of them "colored" -- surface, the mood of the local residents darkens. Racial tensions -- never far from the surface, even in the best of times -- gradually kindle. When circumstantial evidence implicates an ancient, innocent black man named Mose, the Ku Klux Klan mobilizes, initiating a chilling, graphically described lynching that will occupy a permanent place in Harry Collins's memories. With Mose dead and the threat to local white women presumably put to rest, the residents of Marvel Creek resume their normal lives, only to find that the actual killer remains at large and continues to threaten the safety and stability of the town.Lansdale uses this protracted murder investigation to open up a window on an insular, poverty-stricken, racially divided community. With humor, precision, and great narrative economy, he evokes the society of Marvel Creek in all its alternating tawdriness and nobility, offering us a varied, absolutely convincing portrait of a world that has receded into history. At the same time, he offers us a richly detailed re-creation of the vibrant, dangerous physical landscapes that were part of that world and have since been buried under the concrete and cement of the industrialized juggernaut of the late 20th century. In Lansdale's hands, the gritty realities of Depression-era Texas are as authentic -- and memorable -- as anything in recent American fiction.

The Stephen King Universe: A Guide to the Worlds of the King of Horror


Stanley Wiater - 2000
    This definitive reference work examines his novels and short stories, as well as the motion pictures, miniseries, and teleplays that King has written. The authors spent three years discovering and tying together the threads that exist in King's fiction. Their insightful results will entertain and surprise readers new and old. Once you have read The Stephen King Universe, you will never read Stephen King the same way againContents:The Worlds of The Dark Tower and The Stand --The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger --The Dark Tower II: The Drawing of the Three --The Dark Tower III: The Waste Lands --The Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass --The Eyes of the Dragon --The Talisman --Hearts in Atlantis --The Stand --Related Tales --"Night Surf" (from Night Shift) --"The Little Sisters of Eluria" --The Prime Reality, Part I: Derry --IT --Insomnia --Bag of Bones --Related Tales --"Autopsy Room Four" (from Six Stories) --"The Road Virus Heads North" --The Prime Reality, Part II: Castle Rock --The Dead Zone --Cujo --The Dark Half --Needful Things --Related Tales --"The Body" (from Different Seasons) --"Nona" (from Skeleton Crew) --"Uncle Otto's Truck" (from Skeleton Crew) --"Gramma" (from Skeleton Crew) --"The Sun Dog" (from Four Past Midnight) --"It Grows on You" (from Nightmares and Dreamscapes) --"The Man in the Black Suit" (from Six Stories) --The Prime Reality, Part III: Jerusalem's Lot and Stephen King's Maine --Carrie --'Salem's Lot --Pet Sematary --Cycle of the Werewolf --Gerald's Game --Dolores Claiborne --Storm of the Century --The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon --Related Tales --"Jerusalem's Lot" (from Night Shift) --"Graveyard Shift" (from Night Shift) --"One for the Road" (from Night Shift) --"Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" (from Different Seasons) --"Mrs. Todd's Shortcut" (from Skeleton Crew) --"The Reach" (from Skeleton Crew) --"Secret Window, Secret Garden" (from Four Past Midnight).

Anne Rice's The Tale of the Body Thief (A Graphic Novel)


Faye Perozich - 2000
    Now transformed into a Dark God, he must make a journey into the heart of darkness, where he must confront his own cursed immortality and the emptiness of his soul.

Hellboy: Odd Jobs


Christopher Golden - 2000
    Brite, Nancy A. Collins, Greg Rucka, Chet Williamson, legendary horror/humor cartoonist Gahan Wilson, and many moreto produce a prose anthology of Hellboy short stories, presenting original tales of the world's greatest paranormal investigator. Illustrated by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola.

Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare


Darren Shan - 2000
    In the midst of the excitement, true terror raises its head when Steve recognizes that one of the performers-- Mr. Crepsley-- is a vampire! Steve remains after the show finishes to confront the vampire-- but his motives are surprising! In the shadows of a crumbling theater, a horrified Darren eavesdrops on his friend and the vampire, and is witness to a monstrous, disturbing plea. As if by destiny, Darren is pulled to Mr. Crepsley and what follows is his horrifying descent into the dark and bloody world of vampires. This is Darren's story.

House of Leaves


Mark Z. Danielewski - 2000
    No one could have anticipated the small but devoted following this terrifying story would soon command. Starting with an odd assortment of marginalized youth—musicians, tattoo artists, programmers, strippers, environmentalists, and adrenaline junkies—the book eventually made its way into the hands of older generations, who not only found themselves in those strangely arranged pages but also discovered a way back into the lives of their estranged children.Now, for the first time, this astonishing novel is made available in book form, complete with the original colored words, vertical footnotes, and newly added second and third appendices.The story remains unchanged, focusing on a young family that moves into a small home on Ash Tree Lane where they discover something is terribly wrong: their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.Of course, neither Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Will Navidson nor his companion Karen Green was prepared to face the consequences of that impossibility, until the day their two little children wandered off and their voices eerily began to return another story—of creature darkness, of an ever-growing abyss behind a closet door, and of that unholy growl which soon enough would tear through their walls and consume all their dreams.

Bag of Bones/the Green Mile/the Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon (set of 3)


Stephen King - 2000
    

M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense: A Novelization


Peter Lerangis - 2000
    Both are trapped in a world where nothing is what it seems.

From the Corner of His Eye


Dean Koontz - 2000
    He sees beauty and terror beyond our deepest dreams. His story will change the way you see the world. On the heels of his #1 bestseller False Memory, Dean Koontz brings together his most compelling themes and an unforgettable cast of characters to create what is perhaps the most thrilling and emotionally powerful work of his critically acclaimed career. Bartholomew Lampion is born on a day of tragedy and terror that will mark his family forever. All agree that his unusual eyes are the most beautiful they have ever seen. On this same day, a thousand miles away, a ruthless man learns that he has a mortal enemy named Bartholomew. He embarks on a relentless search to find this enemy, a search that will consume his life. And a girl is born from a brutal rape, her destiny mysteriously linked to Barty and the man who stalks him. At the age of three, Barty Lampion is blinded when surgeons remove his eyes to save him from a fast-spreading cancer. As he copes with his blindness and proves to be a prodigy, his mother counsels him that all things happen for a reason and that every person' s life has an effect on every other person' s, in often unknowable ways. At thirteen, Bartholomew regains his sight. How he regains it, why he regains it, and what happens as his amazing life unfolds and entwines with others results in a breathtaking journey of courage, heart-stopping suspense, and high adventure.

A Colder War


Charles Stross - 2000
    It follows a "What If" scenario where the follow-up expedition in Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness" has occurred, and inexorably fuses the Cold War and Cthulhu Mythos.

High Cotton


Joe R. Lansdale - 2000
    Lansdale stories represents the best of the “Lansdale” genre—a strange mixture of dark crime, even darker humor, and adventure tales. The stories are varied in setting and theme, but they are all pure Lansdale—eerie, amusing, and occasionally horrific. In “The Pit,” modern gladiators square off against one another using Roman methods. An alternate-history tale called “Trains Not Taken” shows Buffalo Bill as an ambassador and Wild Bill Hickok as a clerk. Lansdale’s love of large lizards and humor are evident in the stories “Godzilla’s Twelve Step Program” and “Bob the Dinosaur Goes to Disneyland.”

The Yellow Sign and Other Stories


Robert W. Chambers - 2000
    Chambers' weird fiction works including material unprinted since the 1890's. Chambers is a landmark author in the field of horror literature because of his King in Yellow collection. That book represents but a small portion of his weird fiction work, and these stories are intimately connected with the Cthulhu Mythos -- introducing Hali, Carcosa, and Hastur.Short stories from The King in Yellow, The Maker of Moons, The Mystery of Choice, The Tracer of Lost Persons, The Tree of Heaven, and two complete books, In Search of the Unknown and Police!!!This book contains all the immortal tales of Robert W. Chambers, including "The Repairer of Reputations," "The Yellow Sign," and "The Mask." These titles are often found in survey anthologies. In addition to the six stories reprinted from The King in Yellow (1895), this book also offers more than two dozen other stories and episodes, about 650 pages in all. These narratives rarely have appeared in print. Some have not been published in nearly a century.A Chambers novel, The Slayer of Souls (1920), is not included in this short story collection.

Requiem Vampire Knight Vol. 1: Resurrection and Danse Macabre


Pat Mills - 2000
    When Heinrich Augsburg, a German officer fighting on the Eastern front, is killed, he finds himself reborn into this corrupt reality as one of the vampire elite. Renamed Requiem Vampire Knight, he explores the bizarre world of Resurrection and its terrifying vampire society - all the while looking for his lost love and one hope of redemption.

The Whalestoe Letters


Mark Z. Danielewski - 2000
    Lièvre sent her son, Johnny Truant, a series of letters from The Three Attic Whalestoe Institute, a psychiatric facility in Ohio where she spent the final years of her life. Beautiful, heartfelt, and tragic, this correspondence reveals the powerful and deeply moving relationship between a brilliant though mentally ill mother and the precocious, gifted young son she never ceases to love.Originally contained within the monumental House of Leaves, this collection stands alone as a stunning portrait of mother and child. It is presented here along with a foreword by Walden D. Wyhrta and eleven previously unavailable letters.

The Evil Dead Companion


Bill Warren - 2000
    To read the words therein is to release a hideously unspeakable force...Rigorously made on an almost absent budget in the backwoods of Tennessee, the film was a phenomenal success--the true definition of "cult film"--launching the careers of its director, Sam Raimi; producer, Bob Tapert; and star, Bruce Campbell. It also spawned two deliriously different and wildly inventive sequels, The Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn, and Army of Darkness, which have won over legions of fright fans around the globe. At last, acclaimed film critic Bill Warren takes us on a no-holds-barred behind-the-scenes tour of the making of the three films, including exclusive interviews with key cast and crew; rare and previously unpublished photographs, story-boards, and concept sketches; harrowing tales of hardship, discomfort, and practical jokes; and much more. Enough to keep any puss-oozing deadite drooling through the night.

Tales of Pain and Wonder


Caitlín R. Kiernan - 2000
    Caitlin R. Kiernan has added a new voice to the world of horror and supernatural writing. Her stories consistently make it into The Years Best Fantasy and Horror and The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror. Her writing is unique, thought provoking, and leads you to places that you fear, yet find fascinating.

October Dreams: A Celebration of Halloween


Richard ChizmarJack Ketchum - 2000
    Brite * Rick Hautala * Steve Rasnic Tem * Elizabeth Engstrom * Thomas Ligotti * Gary A. Braunbeck * Jack Ketchum * Thomas F. Monteleone * Hugh B. Cave * Simon Clark * Christopher Golden * Ray Bradbury * Jack Ketchum * Alan M. Clark * Gahan Wilson * Paula Guran * John Shirley * Tom Piccirilli * Jack Cady * David B. Silva * Robert Morrish * William F. Nolan * Michael Cadnum * Richard Laymon * Douglas Clegg * Douglas E. Winter * Stanley Wiater * Caitlín R. Kiernan * Lewis Shiner * Yvonne Navarro * Tim Lebbon * Kim Newman * F. Paul Wilson * Owl Goingback * Dennis Etchison * Stephen Mark Rainey * Charles L. Grant * Kelly Laymon * Dominick Cancilla * Kristine Kathryn Rusch * Michael Marshall Smith * Wayne Allen Sallee * Ramsey Campbell * Ed Gorman * Stefan Dziemianowicz * Peter Crowther

Sandman


Sean Costello - 2000
    People put their lives in doctors' hands every day--but in no other situation is this so literally true as the moment the anesthesiologist looks casually down at you and says, "You'll be going off to sleep now..."What if the eyes that gaze down at you in that moment of trust and surrender belong to a madman? What if, as you feel yourself slipping away, you see something in those eyes so rank, so terrifying you want to leap off the table and scream?But by then, of course, it's too late.A novel of terror and medical suspense from the author of THE CARTOONIST and HERE AFTERPray you never meet the Sandman...

Resurrectionists


Kim Wilkins - 2000
    Faking a wrist injury, she takes time off to return to England, her mother's home country, to search for her own roots and to find out more about her grandmother, a 'white witch' who settled in a bleak village on the North Yorkshire coast. Maisie's mother is set against her going, and refuses to tell her daughter anything about the woman, other than that - even dead - she is dangerous. On her arrival in Solgreve, she receives a hostile welcome from her new neighbours and begins to find clues to her grandmother's mysterious death. Amongst the clutter in her grandmother's house is a diary written by a young French woman who eloped with a penniless English poet and settled in the village. Through this diary, Maisie discovers the existence of an unnatural presence which still preys on the lives of the people of the village, past and present. This book will appeal to the huge Anne Rice market: a gothic, romantic horror story with a credible, strong and extremely likeable heroine at the heart of it, backed by atmospheric descriptions of Yorkshire and a convincing setting in the music world.

I Have a Special Plan for This World


Thomas Ligotti - 2000
    The text appears on each left hand page in English, on each right hand page translated into Greek. There's a closing essay by the translator Katerina Golem, in Greek.

Stay Awake


Poppy Z. Brite - 2000
    It had a limited printing of 607 copies, 600 numbered and signed copies and 7 hardback copies, lettered and signed.Hard to find, this chapbook answers the question of whether Steve Finn and Ghost (from Brite's amazingly popular novel Lost Souls) were ever more than "just friends."

The Best of Cemetery Dance, Volume 1


Richard ChizmarDouglas Clegg - 2000
    Braunbeck109 • The Pig Man • (1993) • short story by Augustine Funnell125 • Mobius • (1987) • short story by Richard Christian Matheson129 • The Rendering Man • (1994) • short story by Douglas Clegg147 • Weight • (1994) • short story by Dominick Cancilla159 • Layover • (1991) • short story by Ed Gorman169 • Johnny Halloween • (1992) • short story by Norman Partridge181 • Hope • (1993) • short story by Steve Bevan187 • The Mailman • (1988) • short story by Bentley Little197 • Silhouette • (1996) • short story by Stephen Mark Rainey215 • Roadkill • (1991) • short story by Tom Elliott221 • The Rifle • (1995) • short story by Jack Ketchum233 • Pieces • (1992) • short story by Ray Garton237 • Rustle • (1993) • short story by Peter Crowther255 • When the Silence Gets Too Loud • (1995) • short story by Brian Hodge269 • The Rabbit • (1990) • short story by Jack Pavey281 • The Flood • (1986) • short story by John Maclay287 • The Right Thing • (1994) • short story by Gary L. Raisor [as by Gary Raisor]305 • Pig's Dinner • (1991) • short story by Graham Masterton317 • Crash Cart • (1993) • short story by Nancy Holder329 • Wall of Words • (1994) • short story by Lucy Taylor337 • Metastasis • (1990) • short story by David B. Silva349 • Wrapped Up • (1981) • short story by Ramsey Campbell357 • Depth of Reflection • (1990) • short story by David L. Duggins369 • The Mole • (1990) • short story by David Niall Wilson375 • Saviour • (1991) • short story by Gary A. Braunbeck391 • Great Expectations • (1990) • short story by Kim Antieau397 • Shell • (1992) • short story by Adam Corbin Fusco

Tales from the Dark Tower


Joseph Vargo - 2000
    Herein lie the dark legends scribed long ago. These tragic tales of myth and forbidden lore chronicle a sinister legacy, as it unfolded in the forgotten past, and the curse that yet lurks within the shadow of the Dark Tower. This lavishly illustrated anthology features 13 sinister and darkly alluring tales based upon the gothic artwork of Joseph Vargo. Each story in this unique anthology is woven together to create a new and compelling saga of vampire lore. Also look for the sequel "Beyond The Dark Tower" and "The Dark Tower"music soundtrack by Nox Arcana.

Season Of Ghosts


Ruskin Bond - 2000
    Ruskin Bond, master storyteller and connoisseur of the mysterious and macabre, shows how this love may persist to death and beyond. The stories in this collection are set amidst the mists and mellow magic of Bond's beloved mountains. The agents of the supernatural may be gentle like the fairy folk in 'On Fairy Hill', or malevolent like the well-dressed diners of 'The Prize'; humorous like the very proper witch, Miss Bellows, in 'The Black Cat', or tragic like the haunting Gulabi in 'Wilson's Bridge'. 'The Rakshasas' harks back to traditional hill spirits, while 'The Night of the Millennium' poises us tantalizingly on the brink of the future. Bond aficionados will meet familiar faces in 'Reunion at the Regal'. Rounding off this collection is a gripping mystery, 'Who Killed the Rani?', which is evocative of life in hill stations some twenty years ago. And over all the stories looms the benevolent or brooding presence of the Himalayas, described with Bond's inimitable lyricism.

The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Thirteenth Annual Collection


Ellen DatlowRobert Girardi - 2000
    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, and a long list of Honorable Mentions, making this an indispensable reference as well as the best reading available in fantasy and horror.ContentsSummation 1999: Fantasy, Terri WindlingSummation 1999: Horror, Ellen DatlowHorror and Fantasy in the Media: 1999, Edward BryantComics: 1999, Seth JohnsonObituaries: 1999, James FrenkelDarkrose and Diamond, Ursula K. Le GuinThe Chop Girl, Ian R. MacLeodThe Girl Detective, Kelly LinkThe Transformation, N. Scott MomadayCarabosse, Delia ShermanHarlequin Valentine, Neil GaimanToad, Patricia A. McKillipThe Dinner Party, Robert GirardiHeat, Steve Rasnic TemThe Wedding at Esperanza, Linnet TaylorRedescending, Ursula K. Le GuinYou Don't Have to be Mad . . .Kim NewmanThe Paper-Thin Garden, Thomas WhartonThe Anatomy of a Mermaid, Mary SharrattThe Grammarian's Five Daughters, Eleanor ArnasonThe Tree Is My Hat, Gene WolfeWelcome, Michael Marshall SmithThe Pathos of Genre, Douglas E. WinterShatsi, Peter CrowtherKeepsakes and Treasures: A Love Story, Neil GaimanWhat You Make It, Michael Marshall SmithThe Parwat Ruby, Delia ShermanOdysseus Old, Geoffrey BrockThe Smell of the Deer, Kent MeyersChorion and the Pleiades, Sarah Van ArsdaleCrosley, Elizabeth Engstromn0 Naming the Dead, Paul J. McAuleyThe Stork-Men, Juan GoytisoloThe Disappearance of Elaine Coleman, Steven MillhauserWhite, Tim LebbonDear Floods of Her Hair, James SallisMrs. Santa Decides to Move to Florida, April SelleyTanuki, Jan HodgmanAt Reparata, Jeffrey FordSkin So Green and Fine, Wendy WheelerOld Merlin Dancing on the Sands of Time, Jane YolenSailing the Painted Ocean, Denise LeeGrandmother, Laurence SnydalSmall Song, Gary A. BraunbeckThe Emperor's Old Bones, Gemma FilesThe Duke of Wellington Misplaces His Horse, Susanna ClarkeHalloween Street, Steve Rasnic TemThe Kiss, Tia V. TravisThe Beast/The Hedge, Bill LewisPixel Pixies, Charles de LintFalling Away, Elizabeth BirminghamHonorable Mentions: 1999

The Selected Stories of Manly Wade Wellman, Vol. 1: The Third Cry to Legba, and Other Invocations


Manly Wade Wellman - 2000
    These stories (written between 1943 and 1979) combine the mystical and horrific with traditional southern folk tales and legends. At the same time, these stories reveal a post World War 2 modernism that make them much more then pulp romanticism. The paranoia and cynicism of modern weird icons such as the X-files may well have had their genesis in the pulp musings of Manly Wade Wellman. Indeed the intensely driven, idealistic occult investigator John Thunstone could be a pulp/noir stand in for Fox Mulder.This work will be issued in a fine collector's hardcover state, with 24 illustrations. Edited by John Pelan, illustrated by Kenneth Waters.Contents:• Introduction• The Third Cry to Legba• The Golden Goblins• Hoofs• The Letters of Cold Fire• John Thunstone's Inheritance• Sorcery from Thule• The Dead Man's Hand• Thorne of the Threshold• The Shonokins• Blood from a Stone• The Dai Sword• Twice Cursed• Shonokin Town• The Leonard Rondache• The Last Grave of Lill Warren• Rouse Him Not• The Dakwa• The Beasts That Perish• Willow He Walk• A Witch for All Seasons• Chastel

Punktown


Jeffrey Thomas - 2000
    You can become a piece of performance art. You might even become a library of sorrows...Table Of Contents: The Reflections Of Ghosts Pink Pills The Flaying Season Union Dick Wakizashi Dissecting The Soul Precious Metal Sisters Of No Mercy Heart for Heart’s Sake The Ballad Of Moosecock Lip Face The Pressman The Palace Of Nothingness The Rusted Gates Of Heaven Immolation Unlimited Daylight The Library Of Sorrows Nom de Guerre The Color Shrain

Projected Fears: Horror Films and American Culture


Kendall R. Phillips - 2000
    Partly because horror continues to evolve radically--every time the genre is deemed dead, it seems to come up with another twist--it has been one of the most often-dissected genres. Here, author Kendall Phillips selects ten of the most popular and influential horror films--including Dracula, Night of the Living Dead, Halloween, The Silence of the Lambs, and Scream, each of which has become a film landmark and spawned countless imitators, and all having implications that transcend their cinematic influence and achievement. By tracing the production history, contemporary audience response, and lasting cultural influence of each picture, Phillips offers a unique new approach to thinking about the popular attraction to horror films, and the ways in which they reflect both cultural and individual fears. Though stylistically and thematically very different, all of these movies have scared millions of eager moviegoers. This book tries to figure out why.

The Green Mile: The Complete Serial Novel


Stephen King - 2000
    

Cage of Bones & Other Deadly Obsessions


John Everson - 2000
    A woman who provides a true window to her soul. A dirty deal with the devil on the side of a road. And a real cage of bones! The first short fiction collection from John Everson, originally released by Delirium Books, features some of his best erotic horror, including his most popular tale, "Pumpkin Head," a dark tale of jack-o-lanterns...and the dangers of Halloween lusts... TABLE OF CONTENTS: "Introduction" by P. D. Cacek "Yellow" The cave held the seed of ancient gods...their vacation provided the climax of despair. "Long Distance Call" There are some calls you should never answer. "Cage of Bones" It was beautiful. After weeks of preparation it was finished. A full body restraint. Made of steel. Wood. Leather. And bones. "Dead Girl On The Side of The Road" Her body was his, unchanging, for 25 years to enjoy whenever he chose. "Pumpkin Head" She held the browning vine up from her belly, and with squeamish understanding, he dug through his clothes for his pocketknife. "Direkit Seed" Her name was Ceiran, with a C. She sang sexy Barry Manilow songs and worked in a club. And she was a witch. "Every Last Drop" Tony couldn't resist the promise of the perfect blowjob. But more than his orgasm was being sucked away. "When Barrettes Brought Justice To A Burning Heart" The derelict with the milky white eyes promised revenge, and that was something Bill wanted more than life itself. "The Mouth" The defining evidence that separates sex and murder is really only the amount of blood left behind on the bed. "Creaks" Sometimes the most frightening parts of growing up are the discoveries of our own nature. "Remember Me, My Husband" Ella Marie had been dead for 100 years when she gave him her ring. "Wooden" "Tonight," she promised, "I'll be back. I'll bring some matches. We'll have a bonfire, you and I. Dead wood burns best." "Swallowing The Pill" Some pills get easier to swallow...with practice. "Broken Window" In giving him entrance to her soul, had Katrina given too much? "Tomorrow" He was a bored child prodigy who could use his will to make his pets and parents do whatever he chose. What will he do tomorrow? "Mirror Image" The mirror reflects his true nature. Or is it someone else? "Murdering The Language" Gretta only wanted to protect the library's patrons from smut and filth. But some lessons in literature are painful. "Anniversary" Margaret lived for the nights of the full moon. And she wanted this night to be perfect; it was their first anniversary. "The Last Plague" When nothing else is left, what is there left to lose? "Bloodroses" She was blinded by lust and razored by marriage. But at least she had the thorns of her rose garden to soothe her. "Afterword"

Graverobbers Wanted: No Experience Necessary


Jeff Strand - 2000
    Which is how Andrew Mayhem, an extremely married father of two, ends up accepting $20,000 to find a key ... a key buried with a body in a shallow grave. When the body turns out to not only be still alive, but armed and dangerous, he realizes that he should have held out for more money. His simple evening of morally questionable manual labor becomes a bizarre game of wits and courage played with an unseen killer with a twisted sense of humor. It's a game that will bring him to a group of filmmakers known as Ghoulish Delights, who are hiding a secret that will test every last bit of Andrew's nerve to discover. And it's impossible to find a babysitter.

Haunted Liverpool 1


Tom Slemen - 2000
    Every culture has believed in ghosts at one time or another: Buddha trained himself to overcome fear by sitting in a haunted cemetry. Spooky tales are not just a contemporary phenomenon – there are several ghosts mentioned in the Old Testament. In the course of a person's lifetime, the chances of encountering a ghost are suprisingly high. Many of the stories within this book originated from the numerous letters and telephone calls Tom Slemen received at Radio Merseyside, where he presented a regular slot on the Billy Butler Show. The tremendous response from listeners is confirmation of a widespread fascination with the paranormal. Take a spine-chilling journey along Liverpool's streets and meet Spring-Heeled Jack, that Harrington Street visions, Bernie with the broken neck, the Grey Lady of Grove Street and many other spooky characters and ghostly encounters!

Contagion and Other Stories


Brian Evenson - 2000
    In the O'Henry Award winning "Two Brothers," a minister breaks his leg while his sons watch then refuses to call an ambulance, remaining convinced even unto death that God will arrive to lift him up and make him whole. The self-acclaimed language specialist of "The Polygamy of Language" indiscriminately blends linguistics with murder. "Contagion" is a skewed retelling of the early history of barbed wire, which interweaves metaphysics and the Western genre. "Watson's Boy" shows a boy endlessly wandering the human equivalent of a conditioned response box while the protagonist of "By Halves" finds himself trapped in a relationship that may not exist. Throughout, Evenson's immaculate prose draws us mercilessly up to confront troubled and troubling lives that, astoundingly, are no less human than our own.

Jacob's Ladder


Bruce Joel Rubin - 2000
    From Rubin's introduction: The script presented here is not my initial screenplay but the final draft completed just before shooting. While close to the original, some significant scenes have been changed or cut. You will find them in the final chapter.

The Legend of Hell House the Screenplay


Richard Matheson - 2000
    This tale of the occult follows four researchers who agree to spend one week in a house known to be inhabited by dangerous and evil spirits. Typical of Matheson's unique style, The Legend of Hell House is not the usual ghost story and is yet another reason why Ray Bradbury described him as one of the most important writers of the 20th century.

Delta Green : The Rules of Engagement


John Tynes - 2000
    Delta Green weaves the comic terrors of the Cthulhu Mythos seamlessly with the paranoia and shadowy forces of conspiracy theory, updating the stories of jazz era horror writer H. P. Lovecraft to the modern day.

October Dreams II


Richard ChizmarDean Koontz - 2000
    Lansdale, Al Sarrantonio, Whitley Strieber, Lisa Morton, Matthew Costello, Elizabeth Massie, and dozens of others!October Dreams 2: A Celebration of Halloween edited by Richard Chizmar & Robert MorrishAbout the Book:The long-awaited follow up to one of the most acclaimed Halloween anthologies ever! This oversized volume will contain spooky Halloween short stories, dozens of authors and artists recalling their own personal memories of Halloween, and essays detailing the history of Halloween. Many of the contributing authors will also autograph the signed editions, which we don't expect will last long considering the popularity of the original October Dreams and the low print runs we have planned for these special editions.Contents:"Mr. Dark’s Carnival" by Glen Hirshberg"Universal Horrors" by Stephen Graham JonesMy Favorite Halloween Memory: "Perspective" by Michael McBride"The Scariest Thing I Know" by Dean Koontz"Guising" by Gemma FilesMy Favorite Halloween Memory: "Gort Klaatu Barada Trick or Treat" by Nancy HolderMy Favorite Halloween Memory: "Under the Autumn Stars" by Tim Waggoner"Monsters" by Stewart O’Nan"Death and Disbursement" by S.P. MiskowskiMy Favorite Halloween Memory: "All the News" by Karen Heuler"Dear Dead Jenny" by Ian McDowell"What Blooms in Shadow Withers in Light" by Richard GavinMy Favorite Halloween Memory by M. Rickert"The ’Corn Factory" by Benjamin Kane Ethridge"In a Dark October" by Joe R. LansdaleMy Favorite Halloween Memory: "The Real Darkborn" by Matthew Costello"The October Game" by Ray Bradbury"Fear of Fallen Leaves" by James NewmanMy Favorite Halloween Memory: "Costume" by Melanie TemMy Favorite Halloween Memory: "Dancing With Mr. Death" by Kealan Patrick Burke"Scarecrow" by Roberta Lannes"Strange Candy" by Robert McCammonMy Favorite Halloween Memory by Harry ShannonMy Favorite Halloween Memory: "That Which Doesn’t Kill You Earns You Candy" by Nate Southard"The Pumpkin" by Robert Bloch"Mr. and Mrs. Werewolf " by Whitley StrieberMy Favorite Halloween Memory: "Rescuer?" by Nicole CushingMy Favorite Halloween Memory by Ray Garton"Great Pumpkins and Ghost Hunters: Halloween on TV" by Lisa Morton"The Pumpkin Smasher" by Al Sarrantonio"The House on Cottage Lane" by Ronald MalfiMy Favorite Halloween Memory by Tim Curran"The Dry Season" by James A. Moore"The Spirit of Things" by John SkippMy Favorite Halloween Memory: "Haunting Season" by Orrin GreyMy Favorite Halloween Memory: "The Witch of Walnut" by Elizabeth Massie"The Little Werewolf Who Cried" by Al Magliochetti"The Boy in the White Sheet" by Bev VincentMy Favorite Halloween Memory by Richard GavinMy Favorite Halloween Memory: "The Last Halloween" by Ronald Kelly"Sexy Pirate Girl" by Lisa Morton"Monster Night" by Brian James FreemanMy Favorite Halloween Memory: "Screams in the Asylum" by James Newman"Underfolk" by Tina CallaghanMy Favorite Halloween Memory: "Pumpkin Parade" by Sephera Giron"October Dreams" by Michael Kelly

Welcome to Hell


Tom Piccirilli - 2000
    Piccirilli lets you know from the start that writing is serious business, but at the same time, the book is full of his offbeat, scathing humor. ..".if anybody tells you that all you need is a lucky break, then tell them to shove off. Luck is about the worst thing that can happen in this biz, and it's no substitute for knowledge, experience, and skill." -Tom Piccirilli, from Welcome to Hell

The Kids' Guide to First Aid: All About Bruises, Burns, Stings, Sprains & Other Ouches


Karen Buhler Gale - 2000
    Ages nine and upwards.

Horror of the 20th Century: An Illustrated History


Robert E. Weinberg - 2000
    Every media from comics, paperbacks, hardcovers, and movies is represented in full color.

Resident Evil Code: Veronica (Prima's Official Strategy Guide)


Prima Publishing - 2000
    This essential Prima guide features maps of all relevant points, hints and tips, solutions for each puzzle, complete walkthroughs, mixology chart for creating powerful herbs and ammo, and much more.

More Horowitz Horror: More Stories You'll Wish You'd Never Read


Anthony Horowitz - 2000
    Funerals are just the beginning. How about a day at the beach that ends in a mischievous murder? Or a cell phone that has a direct dial to . . . the dead? From the creator of the blockbuster Alex Rider Adventures and The Diamond Brothers Mysteries comes eight more fantastically frightening tales. Whatever you do, don’t take this book to bed with you!This edition includes; 1. The Hitchhiker2. The Sound of Murder3. Burned4. Flight 7155. Howard's End6. The Elevator7. The Phone Goes Dead8. Twist Cottage9. The Shortest Horror Story Ever Written

My Favorite Horror Story


Mike BakerRichard Matheson - 2000
    Major authors like Stephen King, Peter Straub, and F. Paul Wilson were asked to choose and introduce the 15 classic stories that frightened and inspired them. The results, of course, are chilling.Stories chosen and introduced by:Stephen King Peter StraubF. Paul WilsonJoyce Carol OatesDennis Etchison Rick HautalaRichard Christian MathesonHarlan EllisonStories written by:Robert BlochRichard MathesonM.R. JamesNathaniel HawthorneH.P. LovecraftEdgar Allan PoeContents:ix · Introduction · Mike Baker & Martin H. Greenberg · in 1 · Introduction to “Sweets to the Sweet” by Robert Bloch · Stephen King · is 1 · Sweets to the Sweet · Robert Bloch · ss Weird Tales Mar ’47 11 · Introduction to “The Father-Thing” by Philip K. Dick · Ed Gorman · is 11 · The Father-Thing · Philip K. Dick · ss F&SF Dec ’54 26 · Introduction to “The Distributor” by Richard Matheson · F. Paul Wilson · is 27 · The Distributor · Richard Matheson · ss Playboy Mar ’58 47 · Introduction to “A Warning to the Curious” by M. R. James · Ramsey Campbell · is 48 · A Warning to the Curious · M. R. James · ss The London Mercury Aug ’25 68 · Introduction to “Opening the Door” by Arthur Machen · Peter Atkins · is 70 · Opening the Door · Arthur Machen · ss When Churchyards Yawn, ed. Cynthia Asquith, London: Hutchinson, 1931 85 · Introduction to “The Colour Out of Space” by H. P. Lovecraft · Richard Laymon · is 89 · The Colour Out of Space · H. P. Lovecraft · nv Amazing Sep ’27 124 · Introduction to “The Inner Room” by Robert Aickman · Peter Straub · is 125 · The Inner Room · Robert Aickman · nv The Second Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories, ed. Robert Aickman, Fontana, 1966 162 · Introduction to “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne · Rick Hautala · is 163 · Young Goodman Brown · Nathaniel Hawthorne · ss New England Magazine Apr, 1835 179 · Introduction to “The Rats in the Walls” by H. P. Lovecraft · Michael Slade · is 180 · The Rats in the Walls · H. P. Lovecraft · ss Weird Tales Mar ’24 204 · Introduction to “The Dog Park” by Dennis Etchison · Richard Christian Matheson · is 205 · The Dog Park · Dennis Etchison · ss Dark Voices 5, ed. David Sutton & Stephen Jones, London: Pan, 1993 219 · Introduction to “The Animal Fair” by Robert Bloch · Joe R. Lansdale · is 219 · The Animal Fair · Robert Bloch · ss Playboy May ’71 236 · Introduction to “The Pattern” by Ramsey Campbell · Poppy Z. Brite · is 236 · The Pattern · Ramsey Campbell · nv Superhorror, ed. Ramsey Campbell, W.H. Allen, 1976 258 · Introduction to “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe · Joyce Carol Oates · is 259 · The Tell-Tale Heart · Edgar Allan Poe · ss The Pioneer Jan, 1843 266 · Introduction to “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce · Dennis Etchison · is 267 · An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge · Ambrose Bierce · ss San Francisco Examiner Jul 13, 1890 279 · Introduction to “The Human Chair” by Edogawa Rampo · Harlan Ellison · is 281 · The Human Chair [1925] · Edogawa Rampo · ss Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination, Tuttle, 1956 299 · About the Authors · Misc. Material · bg

Wild Hairs


David J. Schow - 2000
    A collection of columns and essays by rabble-rouser Schow.

Necronomicon: The Wanderings of Alhazred


Donald Tyson - 2000
    P. Lovecraft's work knows of the Necronomicon, the black magic grimoire he invented as a literary prop in his classic horror stories. There have been several attempts at creating this text, yet none stand up to Lovecraft's own descriptions of the Necronomicon...until now. Fans of Lovecraftian magic and occult fiction will delight in Donald Tyson's Necronomicon, based purely within Lovecraft's own fictional universe, the Cthulhu Mythos.This grimoire traces the wanderings of Abdul Alhazred, a necromancer of Yemen, on his search for arcane wisdom and magic. Alhazred's magical adventures lead him to the Arabian desert, the lost city of Irem, ruins of Babylon, lands of the Old Ones, and Damascus, where he encounters a variety of strange creatures and accrues necromantic secrets.

Mr. Dark's Carnival


Glen Hirshberg - 2000
    DARK'S CARNIVAL, featuring an introduction by Glen, original art by Deena Warner featured on the front board of each book, fine leather and Japanese cloth binding, French endsheets (black and orange), and slipcased. Entirely handmade. Signed by Glen in orange ink! Only 15 copies were produced at $175 each.

Up, Out of Cities That Blow Hot and Cold


Charlee Jacob - 2000
    Originally released in 2000 by Delirium Books, this collection contains 15 of Jacob's best stories.

The Irregular Casebook of Sherlock Holmes


Ron Weighell - 2000
    Watson, was an 'unofficial adviser and helper to everybody who is absolutely puzzled', and as such Holmes came into contact with 'all that is strange and bizarre'. Cases such as THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES or 'The Sussex Vampire' show the great detective dealing with matters which certainly are strange and bizarre; yet in all the sixty cases in the Sherlockian canon, Holmes proves that the supernatural plays no part in the matter under investigation.What if, however, those sixty cases did not tell the entire story? In THE IRREGULAR CASEBOOK OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, we encounter five cases which test Holmes's powers to the limit; strange and bizarre cases involving forces that are not of this world. Missing manuscripts, strange sects, sudden death, and mysterious encounters all lead Holmes and Watson into a twilight world of mystery, magic, and danger, where nothing is commonplace and people are not what they seem. Along the way, the pair travel as far afield as Egypt and Venice, enlist the aid of Holmes's brother Mycroft, investigate a supposed werewolf attack, and are asked for assistance by two masters of the weird tale, M. R. James and Arthur Machen.Skilfully blending the classic supernatural tale with Holmes stories written in the style of Arthur Conan Doyle, THE IRREGULAR CASEBOOK OF SHERLOCK HOLMES will appeal to all those readers who, like Watson, share the great detective's love of 'all that is bizarre and outside the conventions and humdrum routine of everyday life.'

In The Shadow Of Swords


Cody Goodfellow - 2000
    For seven years, Warren Revell and his international team of scientists have beat their heads against a wall of deception and force, and discovered nothing.As they prepare to go home in defeat, an intercepted transmission from a secret chemical weapons installation called Tiamat forces them into a rogue inspection to prevent an unthinkable disaster.It's leaking into the control room!Remain calm. Everything is under control.Give me the combination for the door! For the love of Allah, let us out!This is what they think they've been waiting for. But as they get closer to the truth, they find it is much more than a question of contraband weaponry. A secret deadlier than nerve gas and older than humankind is waiting for them at Tiamat: waiting for them to discover it, and let it out.

Tarot


H.R. Giger - 2000
    Each card is a careful reproduction of one of Giger's paintings, and is interpreted by philosopher-magician Akron in a booklet of instructions, included with the set. To Akron Tarot is like an inexhaustibe mine of symbols, suited to manifest Giger's aesthetics of apocalypse in literary style. Akron resorts to the tradition of the Tarot in order to convey the messages of Baphomet - a medieval secret symbol -- which is of special significance in Giger's work.H.R. Giger is a painter, Oscar-award winner and cult figure of an international artistic community, for which his aesthetics of the apocalypse represent inspiration and spiritual healing. His pictures are gripping, indeed sometimes shocking visions - they shake us from our unconsciousness as they relentlessly point to the hidden inner world of all things. The art of Giger is a journey to the most ancient destination of mankind: birth and death, love and war, hope and the destruction of life.

Magdalena: Blood Divine


M.M. Chen - 2000
    Smith; Matt Nelson One of Top Cow's most controversial mini-series ever is collected together for the first time in the Magdalena: Blood Divine Trade Paper Back. Follow the Magdalena as she investigates a mysterious murder which leads her into a confrontation with a group of age old evil, the vampire. Can she survive a foe that is already dead? Plus, included in this special TPB, the Magdalena takes on the Angelus in a story taken from the hard to find half issue. All encompassed by a new cover by series artist Joe (The Darkness) Benitez, the first Magdalena TPB is sure to leave you thirsting for more! SC, 7x10, 112pp, FC

Tagging the Moon: Fairy Tales from L.A.


S.P. Somtow - 2000
    Somtow's L.A. Fairy Tales, collected together for the first time in this new edition. Somtow puts a new spin on some classic themes in this volume of 10 short stories set in the back alleys of downtown L.A. A must-have for the modern horror reader and collector.

The Wardrobe


Susan Elliston - 2000
    A young woman cast an ancient spell, binding a dark evil toa ring of oak trees. She thought her family was safe. Then, clovenfootprints appeared in the snow across the countryside leading towardrobes carved from the tainted oak. For generations, a family wasterrorized. Armed only with a collection of books passed down tofemale ancestors, Briana Ackerley is left to face her destiny anddestroy an evil older than time. To protect the ones she loves, shemust face the truth of what hides in... the wardrobe.

Where Legends Roam


Lee Murphy - 2000
    But Do

Terror Incognita


Jeffrey Thomas - 2000
    * A deaf woman develops a strange bond with a bizarre lamp. * A mysterious house in the forest conjures up the amorous dead. * Another dimension awaits behind a sealed attic window. * In Hell, once a year the damned are granted a bittersweet respite. * The ghost of a madwoman creates a new body for herself from whats at hand. * On a seemingly lifeless planet, a team of explorers discovers a displaced Victorian house. * A shattered marriage opens the portal to a terrifying dream land. * In a post-apocalyptic world, mutated infants are banished to an enigmatic island. * A man on the brink of insanity finds himself tormented by alien beings. * The grotesque subject matter of a series of T-shirts brings horror home to a callous man. * The spirits of murdered animals find refuge in the body of a compassionate zoo worker. * In the future, the notions of beauty become hideously distorted. * A father murders his own daughter, but there has been a six-legged witness.

At the Foot of the Story Tree: An Inquiry Into the Fiction of Peter Straub


Bill Sheehan - 2000
    

The Professor's Teddy Bear


Theodore Sturgeon - 2000
    Short horror story.

Thirty-Two Stories


Edgar Allan Poe - 2000
    This is because many of Poe’s tales depend on knowledge a reader in 1835 or 1845 might have had that a typical reader in 2000 would not. In this extensively annotated and meticulously edited selection of Poe’s short fiction, Stuart Levine and Susan F. Levine connect Poe to major literary forces of his era and to the rapidly changing U.S. of the 1830s and 1840s, discussing Shelley, Carlyle, Byron, Emerson, and Hawthorne, as well as the railroad, photography, and the telegraph. In the process, they reveal a Poe immersed in the America of his day--its politics, science, technology, best-selling books, biases, arts, journalism, fads, scandals, and even sexual mores--and render accessible all thirty-two stories included here. The general Introduction, the headnote to each story, and the annotations included in this volume have been extensively revised from the editors’ critically acclaimed editions of the complete short fiction: The Short Fiction of Edgar Allan Poe: An Annotated Edition (1976, 1990).

Vlad Tapes


Fred Saberhagen - 2000
    Now the thread of the Count's adventures is picked up by his biographer. This title has been published in parts as An Old Friend of the Family and Thorn.

Dark Matters


Terry Lamsley - 2000
    It was nominated for three World Fantasy Awards, with the title story winning Best Novella. In 1996 came CONFERENCE WITH THE DEAD, a second collection of tales which went on to win the International Horror Critics' Guild award for Best Collection. In both books, writes Campbell, 'Lamsley has established himself as an inheritor of all the qualities of classic English supernatural horror'. In DARK MATTERS, Terry Lamsley once again demonstrates his mastery of the supernatural form, creating a series of waking nightmares in which something OTHER intrudes into the lives of ordinary people. A father and son spending a day together find a dark underside to a seemingly bucolic village; a new neighbour is not nearly as friendly and harmless as he initially seems; a woman doing volunteer work finds herself caught between her odd partner and their even odder client, both of whom have certain needs which must be met; a pleasant walk through the fields leads to a disturbing discovery; and a quiet caravan holiday awakens something better left alone. Add to this a family pet undergoing a VERY strange transformation, an old school friend up to something nasty, a pub visit which goes horribly wrong, a woman who uses some rather unorthodox material in creating her sculptures, two ghosts who need help filling their empty hours, and a seemingly deserted beach which is not, unfortunately, QUITE as uninhabited as it appears, and you have vintage Terry Lamsley: disturbing, frightening, sometimes blackly humorous, never reassuring. In this world, things are seldom, if ever, as they seem, and those who enter it do so at their own risk.CONTENTS: Introduction; 'Back in the Dunes'; 'The Power of the Primitive'; 'The Lost Boy Found'; 'The Walls'; Suburban Blight'; An Evening with Harrod'; 'The Stunted House'; 'The Snug'; 'Climbing Down from Heaven'; 'Volunteers'; 'Getting a Life'.

Radiant Dawn


Cody Goodfellow - 2000
    From a ruined chemical weapons bunker in Iraq to a shallow grave in California's San Andreas Fault, the lines are drawn for a shadow war that will decide who, or what, will inherit the earth and reign as the next dominant species. The escalating conflict engulfs the lives of three born survivors: a broken veteran of the Gulf War; a fiercely independent young nurse dying of cancer; and a brilliant novice FBI agent. Plunged into an arena where the stakes are survival or extinction, each must choose a side: between a militia of rogue government scientists and an enigmatic messiah who holds the cure for death itself, and the key to a new form of life. Trapped in a genocidal war the government will do anything to conceal, where top-secret military technologies vie with the primal power of evolution unleashed, they will struggle to understand and stay alive...and stay human.

Nightscapes: Tales of the Ominous and Magical


Darrell Schweitzer - 2000
    Here is an avowedly Gothic tale ("A Servant of Satan") which begins with necromancy in 19th century Paris, but soars in the company of soulless immortals to the very ends of time and space. There are stories of madness, unreality, and sexual horror, set in the present day; also mysteriously luminous tales of visionaries and rogue gods, set in realms which cannot be found on any map. And, don't overlook the world's most complaining vampire, "Kvetchula," and the "Smart Guy" who bluffed his way all the way to the heart of the Ultimate Conspiracy, There's even a mordant sequel to Shakespeare's The Tempest and a phantasmagorical adventure of the lunatie sage Tom O'Bedlam.

The Twilight Zone: Night Call the Television Script (Twilight Zone (Harvest Moon))


Richard Matheson - 2000
    Up until now, the pattern of Miss Keene's existence has been that of lying in her bed or sitting in her wheelchair reading books, listening to a radio, eating, napping, taking medication - and waiting for something different to happen. Miss Keene doesn't know it yet, but her period of waiting has just ended, for something different is about to happen to her, has in fact already begun to happen, via two most unaccountable telephone calls in the middle of a stormy night, telephone calls routed directly through - the Twilight Zone."This popular long-running series centered around paranoia, uncertainty and bizarre events, often with a wicked sense of humor and an unexpected twist. Series creator Rod Serling called The Twilight Zone, "a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man... a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It lies between the pit of man's fears, and the summit of his knowledge."

Summoning Knells and Other Inventions


A.F. Kidd - 2000
    Like her dream, they appalled her, but unlike her dream, she could see them clearly, and wished with all her soul she could not. The unkindly light showed her things she could never unsee.Below, in the narrow space the bells would clear when in motion, a cluster of beasts sat thick as ticks on a hedgehog, and in turn they bent their horrid heads to whatever lay beneath them, dipping, dipping . . .Few things evoke the timeless peace and charm of the English countryside as vividly as the sound of church bells ringing out across the landscape. In the stories of A. F. Kidd, however, this seemingly placid surface hides a world of demons and spirits, magic and mystery, malice and revenge. There is no telling what may be lurking amid the bells and peal-boards, watching and waiting, ready to exact payment for some misdeed of the past, or feast upon the body or spirit of the living.The author, a mainstay of the British small press for over twenty years, who is herself an avid bellringer, has drawn on her own experiences for many of the incidents in her stories; yet another, stronger influence, the ghost stories of M. R. James, also informs and inspires many of the forty-seven tales in Summoning Knells. Here are the understated horrors, the elegance of tone, and the suggestion of another world whose rules we do not know and at which we can only dimly guess, that will be familiar to, and welcomed by, all enthusiasts of the classic English ghost story.Contents: Introduction; GHOST STORIES OF A CAMPANOLOGIST: The Sins of the Fathers; Postman's Knock; And Turns No More His Head; The Grey Lady; The Plague Pit; Spliced Surprise; Great Emmanuel; In and Out of the Belfry; Flintstones; Stone Music; The Bellfounder's Wife; Alice; Water from the Well; Immortal, Invisible; Lords of Misrule; Memento Mori; Bread Eaten in Secret; Campanalogia; The Cankerworm and the Caterpillar and the Palmerworm; Don's Guest; OTHER JAMESIAN GHOST STORIES: An Incident in the City; Figures in a Landscape; Old Hobby Horse; Maresfield; The Vigil of St Oswald; Minter's Folly; In Quires and Places where they Sing; What of the Night; Poppy nor Mandragora; In the College Library; Deck the Halls; Turned into Corruption; OTHER GHOST STORIES: Night Piece; 'Vulpes Sapiens'; Real Ale; Black Dog; Cold for Evermore; The Howlet; Kenny in Limbo; Renaissance; St Sebastian and the Mona Lisa; Hunting the Wren; The Last Great Masterpiece of Andrea Giaiotti; Behold Now Behemoth; The Havildar's Grave; Claustrophobia; Green Hell.

Horror As Pleasure: The Aesthetics of Horror Fiction


Yvonne Leffler - 2000
    Stephen King's horror novels are among the most widely-read fiction of our time. At the cinema, horror films are popular box office hits and they are always in demand as home videos. What is it then that makes us voluntarily expose ourselves to fictional accounts of horror and violence? Is there some element in the representational form of the horror story that transforms the normally unpleasant horror sensation into enjoyable entertainment?In this study, Yvonne Leffler examines why we find fictional horror stories entertaining. She analyses the nature and narrative technique of the horror genre, dealing with both novels and films. In order to explain the popularity of horror, Leffler shows how the aesthetic premises of the horror story transform normally unpleasant feelings into pleasurable horror and aesthetic enjoyment.

Northern Horror


Edo Van Belkom - 2000
    Short story collection.Contents:Writhe Damn YouAbove It AllThe Party Over ThereVermicultureRideauWavelengthMrs Thurston's Instrument of JusticeComes a Cool RainSittersSkinSewage TreatmentShadow of My FatherAdvertising HellWarmthTransaction

うしおととら (2) (Ushio and Tora #2)


Kazuhiro Fujita - 2000
    Ushio accidentally unsealed the cave Tora was trapped in.

A Skin For Dancing In: Possession, Witchcraft And Voodoo In Film


Tanya Krzywinska - 2000
    Why are magic and demonology such attractive subjects for filmmakers? Is the cinema of the occult an expression of a cultural need for the experience of the sacred? What cultural meanings are invested in demons, witches, possessed nuns, and voodoo priests?

All Gothic 1: The Boats of the Glen Garrig & the House on the Borderland


William Hope Hodgson - 2000
    Lovecraft. Fast-paced adventure combines with the supernatural to create "The Boats of Glen Garrig." Events unfold with a vivid believability that could only come from an author who has had first-hand experience with danger. Hodgson's early career at sea allows him to write with authority and create an atmosphere of such authenticity that when the malignant forces begin to intrude, they are all the more convincing. "The House on the Borderland" is an ancient and crumbling estate, overrun by wild gardens. There resides a man who has a most unusual story to tell--a story that blends horror, fantasy, and science fiction. As a beautifully written work of pure imagination, Hodgson's work has few equals, and has been compared to the writings of Poe, Machen, and Blackwood. As acclaimed horror writer T. E. D. Klein says, "Never has a book so hauntingly conveyed a sense of terrible loneliness and isolation." Hodgson's Trilogy concludes in Gothic Horror 2 which features "The Ghost Pirates" and also includes the chilling account of "Carnacki The Ghost Finder." Enjoy a wild ride into the supernatural!

The Bell Witch: The Full Account


Pat Fitzhugh - 2000
    She tortured children, sang hymns, cursed like a sailor, and predicted the future. Kate's missions were to break off Elizabeth Bell's engagement and kill her father, John Bell. She accomplished both. Even today, almost 200 years later, people still report mysterious happenings in the area. After more than two decades of exhaustive research, Bell Witch researcher Pat Fitzhugh for the first time shares everything. This 406-page literary work includes not only the epic tale of terror, but pictures of the area, footnotes that document the author's sources, thought-provoking discussion notes, appendices, an index, and detailed biographical sketches of those who figured into the legend. Pleasant dreams.

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark Trade Paperback #2: "Double Delights!"


Peter DavidJohn Hebink - 2000
    The rest of the line-up spotlights each and every aspect of Elvira's adventurous life, with titles such as: "Invasion of the Astro-Execs," "Mummy Dearest," "Mars Needs Guitars," "Little Miss Marketing Ploy," "Something Wicked This Way Hops," and "The Most Happy Felon."