Horror anthology. Where do I start?

[Serin]

I have just bought this book, The Television Late Night Horror Omnibus, which is a collection of horror/supernatural stories which were featured in late night television shows. I'm looking for a place to start. Any suggestions? Here's the list of stories:

Vampire Tower by John Dickson Carr
The Corpse and the Kid by Cornell Woolrich
The Hollow Man by Thomas Burke
What Price Murder? by Steve Fisher
The Crystal Egg by H.G. Wells
Back For Christmas by John Collier
The Hand by Larry Marcus
Where Is Everybody? by Rod Serling
The Incredible Dr. Markesan by August Derleth
The Machine Stops by E.M.Forster
Farewell Performance by H. Russell Wakefield
The Terror Of the Twins by Algernon Blackwood
William and Mary by Roald Dahl
William Wilson by Edgar Allen Poe
The Duplicate Man by Clifford D. Simak
Random Quest by John Wyndham
The Open Door by Margaret Oliphant
The Kiss Of Blood by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Killing Bottle by L.P. Hartley
Pickman's Model by H.P. Lovecraft
The Treasure Of Abbot Thomas by M.R. James
The Summer House by A.M. Burrage
The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs
The Ferryman by Kingsley Amis
The Tarroo-Ushtey by Nigel Kneale
Countess Ilona by Robert Muller
Death Can Add by Philip Ketchum
The Partnership by William F. Nolan
Gramma by Stephen King
The Doll by Richard Matheson
Distant Signals by Andrew Weiner
The Coffin by Ray Bradbury
The Legacy by Robert Bloch

You can see my dilemma, I don't know where to start!

 

[Ursa major]

I suppose it depends on:

1. whether you think the editor(s) pulled the names out of a hat or put the stories in some sort of "logical" order;

2. whether you trust the editor's (editors') judgement.

(By the way, is this an example of Reader's Block? )

 

[Talysia]

(By the way, is this an example of Reader's Block? )

Not sure, but I know I'd like to hear if other people prefer one story over another and which ones. This isn't my genre, so I wouldn't know which ones are good and which ones to avoid either.

 

[Ursa major]

Sorry o), I misunderstood. I can't help feeling you may have opened the floodgates with so many stories for our avid fellow posters to pick over.

I certainly hope so: this isn't my genre either.

 

[Serin]

Thanks, guys and gals. In hindsight, I think what I should have done was made myself a little clearer and asked which stories people knew and liked, and whether they would have a preference. Forgive me? (it's my age!)

 

[j d worthington]

While I've by no means read all, there are several there I have, and some more than once; looks like a worthwhile anthology, definitely. The Wells isn't among my favorites of his work, but quite good; the Collier -- well, frankly, anything by John Collier tends to be a very good performance... the man had such a slyly nasty sense of humor to his work.....

"Where Is Everybody?"... again, not Serling's best work (I think I'd have gone for "The Lonely" above that one, actually), but a nice enough piece... "Dr. Markesan"... again, not among Derleth's very best, but... very nasty (the adaptation for Thriller remains a rather grisly piece of television viewing, too....). One of the weaker Wakefield choices, IMO, though not a bad choice from Blackwood. Certainly not the best, though an interesting (and underanthologized) choice by Poe; a very nice choice by Mrs. Oliphant; a particularly nasty one by Hartley; and (except for the fact it is a Night Gallery episode -- a rather wonky one) an odd choice by HPL... though a personal favorite among his tales. The Forster, on the other hand, is a very good little parable....

The James, Burrage, Jacobs, Amis, Matheson, Bradbury, and Bloch are good choices for such an anthology, and not a few worthy of several readings; I don't consider "Gramma" to be among King's best, but it is one that doesn't show up that often, and it's been too long since I read the Nolan for me to give a worthy opinion on that one... though I recall quite liking it....

Don't know if that's of any help, but that's what we got....

 

[Serin]

Thanks JD, that's exactly what I wanted. Those nasty ones, I'll read in the daylight hours I think. Once again, many thanks.

 

[j d worthington]

Thanks JD, that's exactly what I wanted. Those nasty ones, I'll read in the daylight hours I think. Once again, many thanks.

"In the daylight hours"??? Heck, that's no fun! (I'm reminded of the first time I read Crawford's "The Upper Berth", at about age 10, reading it in an old farmhouse late at night... when someone came up behind me just about the time the apparition makes its appearance, and touched me on the shoulder -- they were letting me know supper was ready -- I just about left a hole in the ceiling.....)

At any rate... enjoy! I'll be curious to hear what you think of some of these....

 

[Serin]

I think I would react in the same way JD, although I think I would let out an almighty yell as well. I will let you know how I get on. Thanks again.