Essential Horror Anthologies

[dask]

Has THE FEESTERS OF THE LAKE ever appeared in a mass market paperback, and does it contain any stories which haven't appeared in S&SF?

 

[Randy M.]

Has THE FEESTERS OF THE LAKE ever appeared in a mass market paperback, and does it contain any stories which haven't appeared in S&SF?

I don't think so. I only know of a limited run hardcover from Midnight House.

However, earlier this year the Weird Fiction Review website had "Loob" on its pages -- it's come down recently -- and the editor of Feesters..., Jim Rockhill, said he was in talks with another publisher to re-issue the collection. I think he mentioned Subterranean, but my recollection isn't all that clear. I hope he's successful. I've talked to any number of s.f./fantasy/horror readers who would love to get hold of a copy.

Also, according to ISFDB, two stories didn't appear in F&SF: "How Dobbstown was Saved" and "Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming."


Randy M.

 

[dask]

Thanks for the info.

 

[Randy M.]

It occurs to me there are a few anthologies that are important if closer to the periphery of horror:

The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One edited by Robert Silverberg; volume 2A edited by Ben Bova
It's debatable, I suppose, but I'd put forward that between a third and a half of the stories in these volumes is horror. For example, "Microcosmic God"; "Mimsy Were the Borogoves"; "The Little Black Bag"; "Born of Man and Woman"; "It's a Good Life"; "Fondly Fahrenheit"; "Who Goes There?"; "Vintage Season"; "With Folded Hands"

Blackwater & Blackwater 2 ed. by Alberto Manguel
The Manguels are fantasy anthologies and include stories like Hans Heinz Ewer's "The Spider," Graham Greene's "A Little Place off the Edgeware Road" and Jerome Bixby's "It's a Good Life" along with less familiar stories, many of them strange and dreamy rather than horrific.

The Weird ed. by Jeff & Ann Vandermeer
The Vandermeer anthology hasn't come out yet in the U.S. but the table of contents includes a lot of horror: Algernon Blackwood's "The Willows," Daphne du Maurier's "Don't Look Now," Robert Bloch's "The Hungry House," and, oddly enough, Jerome Bixby's "It's a Good Life," among many others, and again in with a good deal of far less familiar material.


Randy M.

 

[Christopher Lee]

I just began reading a more modern horror anthology called Dark Masques. It's pretty good so far, and although my favorite writer is Stephen King, this features stories from many different horror writers. Stevie only has one.

Again, Dark Masques, if anyone wants to read it.

 

[DarthDandelion]

I read 100 Wicked Little Witch Stories a while back that had a few interesting stories in it. I'm not usually a fun of a lot of horror, but I felt like this had a good mix in it that would appeal to people who like a little horror without going too crazy with it

 

[dask]

One book that should be added to this august list hasn't even been assembled yet. It would be called SUPERNATURAL HORRORS IN LITERATURE and would collect all the stories found in H.P. Lovecraft's masterful essay "Supernatural Horror In Literature", along with extracts from the novels he discusses that most clearly reflect the light he casts upon them. The editor hired to effect this book would find himself in the enviable position of having the bulk of the grunt work already performed. With no slush pile to wade through all he need do is content himself with crafting artful and erudite introductory material for all the stories and depositing his check.

 

[BigBadBob141]

"Blue World" by Robert McCammon has some very good stories.
The "Pan Book Of Horror" series has some very good stuff in them.
The "Mammoth Book Of ..." series also worth a read, there Vampires, Werewolves, Zombies ect, as well as the Stephen Jones annual collections.
And of course there are the many collections of Stephen King, on the whole they are all very good, but I would say that being a fan of his.
Finely there is the DAW series "The Years Best Horror Stories ...", mainly edited by Karl Edward Wagner.

 

[Fried Egg]

I have to recommend "The End of the Line: An Anthology of Underground Horror" edited by Jonathan Oliver. A collection of new (when it was published five years ago) stories all themed in and around underground travel. Obviously a theme that lends itself well to horror and it obviously excited the contributors to great efforts as the standard was incredibly high throughout.

Many of the stories are set on the London Underground but not all. Other cities featured include Liverpool, Paris, New York and L.A. One is even set in an old tin mine in Cornwall while another explores a mysterious artificial tunnel under the ice sheets of the north pole. One or two of the stories weren't quite to my taste but all in all a fabulous collection demonstrating the good health of the modern horror genre.

 

[BigBadBob141]

If your taste is for early horror stories then get the massive "The Wordsworth Book Of Horror Stories".
This is a huge collection 1149 pages long, fine printed, large format paperback you get a lot for your money.
The writers are mainly Victorian & Edwardian, there are 3 Dickens, 15 Conan Doyle, 31 M.R. James, 14 Le Fanu stories plus lots of others inc. my all time favourite "The Gateway Of The Monster" by W.H. Hodgson which in my humble opinion is his best "Carnacki" story.
Also try "The Century's Best Horror" Vols. 1 & 2 ed. by John Pelan.
These are 100 stories each published in a different year starting with 1900 up to 1999.
A very interesting selection.

 

[BigBadBob141]

I hope the news that Bob Leman's collection "The Feesters In The Lake" is being re-issued is true.
I have only read one of his stories, I think it was called something like "Window", it was truly outstanding, it was a really horrific idea.
So I would love to get hold of a copy, all the ones I can find on Amazon are far too dear!

 

[dask]

I read "Window" a long time ago and loved it. Great story for the October season.

 

[BAYLOR]

In a Lonely Place by Karl Edward Wagner

 

[Nancy leman]

I hope the news that Bob Leman's collection "The Feesters In The Lake" is being re-issued is true.
I have only read one of his stories, I think it was called something like "Window", it was truly outstanding, it was a really horrific idea.
So I would love to get hold of a copy, all the ones I can find on Amazon are far too dear!

Yes, it is true. I have started a blog where I will be posting info about all the new projects as well as printing his old fanzine, The Vinegar worm.
Thevinegarworm.blogspot.com

 

[Nancy leman]

Has THE FEESTERS OF THE LAKE ever appeared in a mass market paperback, and does it contain any stories which haven't appeared in S&SF?

Never in paperback, but a new hardcover edition will be published soon.

 

[Randy M.]

That's terrific news, Nancy, and welcome. I read the original edition 10-12 years ago and thought it one of the best single-author collections I'd come across in some time.


Randy M.

 

[BigBadBob141]

Try "New Terrors" vols. 1 & 2.
And "Superhorror" AKA "The Far Reaches Of Fear"
Both edited by Ramsey Campbell.

 

[picklematrix]

Has anyone read M R James? I have copies of two antholigies by him, seems he was considered influential on ghost stories. Does he come highly recommended?

 

[Toby Frost]

Yes, he's good. His stories are very restrained - no gore, really - but the best ones are really quite unsettling. He's like a less neurotic Lovecraft, without the sense of large-scale cumulative horror that Lovecraft's stories provide.

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

I don't know if these count as essential, but going on the contributors they are probably worth seeking out

The Midnight People by Peter Haining - "Vampires" "... gruesome encounters with the Undead"
The Evil People: Being Thirteen Strange And Terrible Accounts Of Witchcraft, Black Magic And Voodoo; by Peter Haining - "Witchcraft, black magic and voodoo" "Thirteen unholy lessons in the Black Arts"
The Boris Karloff Horror Anthology by Boris Karloff - "Sheer Terror" "The most dreadful stories ever written - chosen by the master himself" Obviously the word dreadful has taken on a new meaning since my copy was published in 1975!

PS: I've been updating my goodreads book list recently, otherwise I would never have remembered these