Blood Lite: An Anthology of Humorous Horror Stories Presented by the Horror Writers Association [Paperback]

Kevin J. Anderson (Editor)

Book Description

Release date: October 21, 2008

The Horror Writers Association Presents

BLOOD LITE

...a collection of entertaining tales that puts the fun back into dark fiction, with ironic twists and tongue-in-cheek wit to temper the jagged edge.

Charlaine Harris reveals the dark side of going green, when a quartet of die-hard environmentalists hosts a fundraiser with a gory twist in "An Evening with Al Gore"...In an all-new Dresden Files story from Jim Butcher, when it comes to tracking deadly paranormal doings, there's no such thing as a "Day Off" for the Chicago P.D.'s wizard detective, Harry Dresden...Sherrilyn Kenyon turns a cubicle-dwelling MBA with no life into a demon-fighting seraph with one hell of an afterlife in "Where Angels Fear to Tread"...Celebrity necromancer Jaime Vegas is headlining a sold-out séance tour, but behind the scenes, a disgruntled ghost has a bone to pick, in Kelley Armstrong's "The Ungrateful Dead." Plus tales guaranteed to get under your skin -- in a good way -- from

Janet Berliner Don D'Ammassa Nancy Holder Nancy KilpatrickJ. A. Konrath and F. Paul Wilson Joe R. Lansdale Will LudwigsenSharyn McCrumb Mark Onspaugh Mike Resnick Steven SavileD. L. Snell Eric James Stone Jeff Strand Lucien Soulban Matt Venne Christopher Welch

So let the blood flow and laughter reign -- because when it comes to facing our deepest, darkest fears, a little humor goes a long way!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This toothsome anthology of 21 funny-scary stories from members of the Horror Writers Association arrives just in time for Halloween. On the humorous end, Matt Venne's Elvis Presley and the Bloodsucker Blues recreates Presley's voice with pitch perfect swagger and sets the record straight on how he really died, while Charlaine Harris's An Evening with Al Gore depicts a novel way to deal with environmental criminals; both tales are truly outstanding. In a creepier vein, Steven Savile's Dear Prudence finds a conflicted man repeatedly revising a note where he details gory plans for his significant other, and Nancy Holder's I Know Who You Ate Last Summer features stomach-churning rock star cannibals. Big names like Jim Butcher and Sherrilyn Kenyon will have comic horror fans grabbing this anthology off the shelves. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Jim Butcher is the author of the New York Times best-selling series "The Dresden Files" for Roc and the high fantasy series "The Codex Alera" for Ace. "The Dresden Files" is also a successful series of audio books; an online roleplaying game; a series of comic books; and was a short-lived television series on SCI FI Channel. A martial arts enthusiast and a skilled equestrian rider, Jim lives in Missouri with his wife and son.

Charlaine Harris, author of more than thirty novels, is best known for her novels about telepathic barmaid Sookie Stackhouse. A daughter of the South, she now lives in Texas.

Sherrilyn Kenyon is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several series, including the Bureau of American Defense novels BAD Attitude, Phantom in the Night, Whispered Lies, and Silent Truth and the Belador series that includes Blood Trinity, Alterant, and The Curse. There are more than 25 million copies of her books in print in over one hundred countries. She lives with her family near Nashville, Tennessee. Visit her website at SherrilynKenyon.com.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Gallery Books; Original edition (October 21, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416567836
• ISBN-13: 978-1416567837
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #438,650 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #30 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Horror > Anthologies

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 46 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Chuckles outweigh the clunkers October 29, 2008

By Renee C. Mulhare

Format:Paperback

I mostly got this book for the offering by Jim Butcher, but I felt it a disservice to the other authors if I didn't read the rest. Granted, the other stories are a mixed bag in terms of quality, and some of the humor is of the splatter and potty-joke variety, but it's still worth a reading if you want an easy giggle and a mild case of the shudders:

"The Ungrateful Dead" -- A Necromancer finds a clever way to ward off a pesky spirit and his zombie cousin.

"Mr. Bear" -- The unnerving true story of a celebrity bear gone bad.

"Hell in a Handbasket" -- A surprise delivery to the infernal gates winds up more than the nether regions can handle

"The Eldritch Pastiche from Beyond the Shadow of Horror" -- Part tongue-in-cheek parody of H.P. Lovecraft's works, part shivery meta-fiction.

"Elvis Presley and the Bloodsucker Blues" -- What happens when the King of Rock and Roll becomes a king of the night...

"No Problem" -- A mad scientist's descendant discovers his heritage and starts to experiment with his findings... with disastrous results.

"Old School" -- A ritual gone wrong when the practitioners failed to read the fine print...

"A Sound of Blunder" -- A gleefully splatter-laden parody of Ray Bradbury's "A Sound of Thunder" featuring two inept gangster-wannabes' attempts to make a bad deal go away.

"An Evening with Al Gore" -- A satiric look at going green -- and what happens when the preternatural fights back to protect the natural.

"Dear Prudence" -- A blackly witty tale in letters as a man contemplates offing his shrewish wife...

"A Good Psycho is Hard to Find" -- A spoof on chainsaw murderer flicks -- and a rip on who the real psychos might be..

"High Kicks and Misdemeanors" -- A skeezy talent scout finds a strange use for a gift left to him by his Native American uncle.

"PR Problems" -- A ghoul gives us a look into the sorry lot he has in being overshadowed by other, cooler preternatural beings.

"Where Angels Fear to Tread" -- An office worker is called to a higher order when he picks up a mysterious sacred coin.

"A Very Special Girl" -- A group of Damon Runyon-esque paranormal gangsters juggle a sticky bit of bookmaking with a dame you don't want to mess with.

"Love Seat Solitaire" -- A shivery duel between a group of slackers and an angry old poltergeist.

"I Know Who You Ate Last Summer" -- A pair of washed-up rock stars' foray into the Other white meat comes up to bite them.

"Bitches of the Night" -- Ever wondered what it must really be like for Dracula and his brides? Here's a sneak peek into the other side of the coffin lid...

"The Bell... FROM HELL!" -- A nerve-jangler featuring a man with a shockingly simple demonic artifact... and where the real horrors lurk.

"Dead Hand" -- A car-racing crew member tries to get his team ahead by resorting to Cherokee magic, but only annoys the spirit he calls up.

"Day Off" -- Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden is looking forward to a relaxing day with his lady friend... but life on both sides of the Never-Never has other plans for him.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars stories in a lighter vein October 25, 2008

By dunefan

Format:Paperback

What a great idea for an anthology! I picked up this book because I am a big fan of Kevin J. Anderson, -- I was disappointed he doesn't have a story here. These stories range from laugh-out-loud antics (Joe Lansdale, Dond'Amassa, Christopher Welch) to cute twists (Eric James Stone, Jeff Strand, Mark Onspaugh), to just plain enjoyable romps (Lucien Soulban, Jim Butcher). I had never read Jim Butcher before, but I'm sold after reading his "Day Off" in the Harry Dresden series. Since humor is a subjective thing, you probably won't like ALL of the stories here, but you'll certainly find something to tickle your funny bone.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun read! December 1, 2008

By kazza

Format:Paperback

I picked this up at the bookstore on a lark. I'm a dedicated Charlaine Harris and Jim Butcher fan, so I figured I couldn't go wrong. This is a book for entertainment; it's very light-hearted, and yes, it's full of the "gross" factor, but it was fun to read some of my favorite authors take a side trip from their usual series that I know and love. It was also a great way to experience some previously unread authors for me so I can be on the lookout for their books. All in all, it was worth purchasing and even the few that were just not my bag were far outnumbered with enjoyable stories.