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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Truly incredible!, June 7, 2006
I can't stress enough what a great anthology this is. Some amazing works are displayed, and though I am (was) not familiar with any of the authors here, there are a couple of stories that I believe are worthy of being called masterpieces.
For those looking for a jolt of raw horror, "The Road to Mictlantecutli", a classic tale of morality set against the desert of New Mexico, "Camera Obscura", about an introverted millionare's fastenating title device, "Party Games" about a not-so-innocent [...] child, and "The Knife" will fit the bill nicely.
Those looking for terror in the form of monsters need look no further than "It", a novellette about a highly-eveloved mold spore (written, fastenatingly, from the monster's perspective) "FishHead", a nasty little tale straight out of a Southern bayou, "Men With No Bones",and the bizarre "The Troll". Those who are looking for subtly-crafted tales will find pleasure with "One of the Dead" about a haunted house amongst the Hollywood mansions, "X Marks The Pedwalk", a disturbing tale about urban violence (apparently set in the future), "Not With a Bang",a post-apocalyptic tale with an ending that will leave you thinking, and the disturbing and strangely sad "A Death in the Family", about a man with a gruesome surprise in his basement.
If you like a dash of humor with your horror, the hilarious
"Tough Town", about a traveling salesman who gets a grim surprise after abscently striking a man's dog, and "The Canidate", about an organization working towards one common good--the death of a single, hated individual.
Now I would like to adress a few tales that I believe are true masterpieces: "Journey to Death". This story, about two men stranded in a tiny, air-sealed room in a sunken cruiseliner, is one of the most disturbing stories I have ever read, right up their with Stephen King's "Survivor Type". Then there is "Casablanca", a story that takes the reputably beautiful city and shows it in a disturbing, alien light. The final sentence of this particularly long short story is simply unforgettable.
The book concludes with the very good novel "Out of the Deeps", an interesting take on an alien invasion story. This novel is intelligent, but never allows for the suspense to drop. Recommened for late-night reading.
Of this entire volume, the only stories I can honestly say didn't really do anything for me were "Guide to Doom", "Two Spinsters", "The Kage", and the overlong "The Curious Adventures of Mr. Bond".
These four stories do absolutely nothing to hinder the otherwise excellent stories. The ratio of sucky-to-non-sucky (forgive my crudeness) stories is truly remarkable.
This is a very rare book, and one that sadly is widly unknown.
As another reader here has mentioned, it is a sin that a book this good is out of print.
Now--stop reading, and order this book. From Amazon, Ebay, wherever, I don't care. Just get it. You will never regret it.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Makes any "stranded on a desert island" list - a must have!!, May 1, 2003
This anthology is one of the most chilling and creepy collections of gothic horror and the supernatural. Quite incredibly, it is very unknown and hard to find. I can still smell the thick, slippery river mud of "Fishead". The stark and surreal horror of "The Troll" is like the Twilight Zone episode with William Shatner. And why the novelette "Out of the Deeps" hasn't been made yet into a summer sci-fi blockbuster on par with Star Wars escapes me. This is a must-have book for those who like a good scare. Get some cookies, make some tea, lock the door, and be sure to leave a nightlight on...you can't look away from this book once you pick it up. The 1-star rating above is CLEARLY a typo on the reviewer's part.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Want your skin to C-R-A-W-L?, February 7, 2001
"The curious adventures of Mr Bond" will probably leave you perspiring as you find out why the ...well I don't want to spoil it. The author weaves this tale so skillfully you'll want to find more of his horror. After all it scared Hitchcock! The novelette "The Deeps" will be one of those 'can't put it down til it's done' experiences. Why did this ever go out of print?
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by Alfred Hitchcock
