Customer Reviews

Halloween Horrors

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Halloween Horrors is one of the best all around horror anthologies that I have been privileged to read in some time. Editor Alan Ryan offers us 13 stories and one poem about that most chilling of autumn nights, Halloween.

The star studded author's list includes:
Robert R. McCammon- He'll Come Knocking at Your Door
Charles L. Grant- Eyes
Whitley Strieber- The Nixon Mask
Peter Tremayne- The Samhain Feis
Steve Rasnic Tem- Trickster
Michael McDowell- Miss Mack
Guy N. Smith- Hollow Eyes
Alan Ryan- the Halloween House
Craig Shaw Gardner- The Three Faces of the Night
Bill Pronzini- The Pumpkin
Frank Belknap Long- Lover in the Wildwood
Ramsey Campbell- Apples
Robert Bloch- Pranks

This book is well worth the price and will be a wonderful addition to any horror collection!

13 tales of terror with a Halloween theme especially written for this collection by authors such as Robert R. McCammon, Whitley Strieber, Guy N. Smith, Robert Bloch, Bill Pronzini and others. Each story is preceded by an all too brief introduction by Ryan.
Ratings below are out of 5

"He'll come knocking at your door" by Robert R. McCammon.
When a man refuses to comply with a strange request list, a creature comes to visit on Halloween. (4/5)

"Eyes" by Charles L. Grant
A man is haunted by a Halloween tragedy (4/5)

"The Nixon Mask" by Whitley Strieber
Halloween with Richard Nixon (4/5)

"The Samhain Feis" by Peter Tremayne
An evil presence haunts a holiday cottage in Ireland. (3/5)

"Trickster" by Steve Rasnic Tem
A man is troubled by his brother Alex, a sick practical joker (4/5)

"Miss Mack" by Michael McDowell
On Halloween night, a woman is trapped in a night that won't end (4/5)

"Hollow Eyes" by Guy N. Smith
A grisly tale about a Halloween bonfire (3/5)

"The Halloween House" by Alan Ryan
Teenagers are trapped in a spooky old house on Halloween (2/5)

"Three Faces of the Night" by Craig Shaw Gardner
Stranges events on Halloween night lead a man into old dark woods (2/5)

"Pumpkin" by Bill Pronzini
A mysterious pumpkin has an evil presence and must never be picked. (3/5)

"Lover in the Wildwood" by Frank Belknap Long.
A wheelchair bound patient insists on visiting the woods on Halloween night (2/5)

"Apples" by Ramsey Campbell

Children stealing apples for Halloween night leads to a strange outcome (2/5)

"Pranks" by Robert Bloch
Children go missing on Halloween (3/5)

A Patchy anthology that starts well and then peters off because of familiarity. Nevertheless, a fair collection.

I absolutely love this great little book of short stories and it gets dusted off every Halloween and re-read.

There are some brilliant tales in here, some very sinister and some downright odd. It is definately worth buying for short story fans and some of them are ideal to be read aloud at a Halloween party or similar.

One of my favourites is He'll Come Knocking At Your Door, which is the tale of a little community who has a deal with the Devil and on Halloween night, who's door will he knock at next?

There are others that come to mind too - Miss Mack, the story of a teacher who goes out on Halloween night and has a hard time finding her way home, and many others. The content list is as follows:

Halloween Night - Introduction / Poem by Alan Ryan

He'll Come Knocking at Your Door - Robert R. Mccammon

Eyes - Charles L. Grant

The Nixon Mask - Whitley Strieber

The Samhain Feis - Peter Tremayne

Trickster - Steve Rasnic Tem

Miss Mack - Michael McDowell

Hollow Eyes - Guy N.Smith

The Halloween House - Alan Ryan

Three Faces of the Night - Craig Shaw Gardner

Pumpkin - Bill Prozini

Lover in the Wildwood - Frant Belknap Long

Apples - Ramsey Campbell

Pranks - Robert Bloch

"Thirteen tales of madness, mayhem and mischief", and I highly recommend this collection. Some of the stories will have you watching over your shoulder..........