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100 Fiendish Little Frightmares
A collection of horror tales to shorten the breath and quicken the pulse from such masters of the genre as M.R. James, Michael Marshall Smith, H.P. Lovecraft, Lisa Tuttle, Ramsey Campbell, Paul Wilson, Donald Wandrei, Poppy Z. Brite, and Tom Ligotti.
596 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1997
6 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
Martin H. Greenberg
910 books163 followersMartin Harry Greenberg was an American academic and speculative fiction anthologist. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned over 8,200 original short stories. He founded Tekno Books, a packager of more than 2000 published books. In addition, he was a co-founder of the Sci-Fi Channel.
For the 1950s anthologist and publisher of Gnome Press, see Martin Greenberg.
For the 1950s anthologist and publisher of Gnome Press, see Martin Greenberg.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 9, 2018
Not one of my favorite anthologies.
I read for over a hundred pages before I found a story I felt was worthwhile, and many of the stories in the first half failed to hold my interest. The last 50 stories gave me a higher percentage of likes to dislikes, though it was still a bit hit and miss. There were a good dozen stories I'd read before and was glad to revisit, but all in all this one didn't grab me like a lot of other collections do.
In defense of the editors, writers and the antho itself, I do think others may find it a better value. I don't think it's any stretch to say I've read at least 75 story collections in my life, who knows how many fiction mags, plus I edited a horror 'zine on and off for two decades. I'd guestimate that puts a minimum of 6,000 short stories under my belt. Can't say I've "seen it all," but I have seen a pretty good chunk, so it takes a special story to really get my attention these days.
A second point is that all of these stories are between 20-125+ years old (as of this writing in 2018). What was once fresh and original can now come off as well-worn if not cliche, especially to someone who has devoted so much of their life to reading, writing and studying short fiction. Can't blame the contributors for the march of time!
On a final note, even the stories with tropes that'll make most readers do barrel-rolls with their eyeballs were fairly well written, and that was the saving grace for many tales that let me down otherwise. The styles and techniques of the authors and their eras gave many stories a modicum of luster.
All in all, I'd say my favorite story was one I'd read many years before, Ramsey Campbell's "A Street Was Chosen." [MINOR SPOILERS:] First, this one seems quite apropos to the modern age, where strategic manipulation is openly waged against the public to actively encourage poor decision-making. Second, one of the few video games I love, Fallout 4, just about gives itself a black eye winking as hard as it does at this story. Vault-Tec took this for their playbook and built on.
I wouldn't recommend this to hardcore horror hounds--who've probably seen 60-80% of these ideas executed better elsewhere--though it might be an interesting (if long) journey to those who rarely venture into genre fare. But therein lies my problem with this anthology: At 600 pages, it's size is probably a turn off for the casual fantasy reader, yet horror fans will likely find themselves sifting through a silo of chaff, only to come away with a small handful of nuggets.
I read for over a hundred pages before I found a story I felt was worthwhile, and many of the stories in the first half failed to hold my interest. The last 50 stories gave me a higher percentage of likes to dislikes, though it was still a bit hit and miss. There were a good dozen stories I'd read before and was glad to revisit, but all in all this one didn't grab me like a lot of other collections do.
In defense of the editors, writers and the antho itself, I do think others may find it a better value. I don't think it's any stretch to say I've read at least 75 story collections in my life, who knows how many fiction mags, plus I edited a horror 'zine on and off for two decades. I'd guestimate that puts a minimum of 6,000 short stories under my belt. Can't say I've "seen it all," but I have seen a pretty good chunk, so it takes a special story to really get my attention these days.
A second point is that all of these stories are between 20-125+ years old (as of this writing in 2018). What was once fresh and original can now come off as well-worn if not cliche, especially to someone who has devoted so much of their life to reading, writing and studying short fiction. Can't blame the contributors for the march of time!
On a final note, even the stories with tropes that'll make most readers do barrel-rolls with their eyeballs were fairly well written, and that was the saving grace for many tales that let me down otherwise. The styles and techniques of the authors and their eras gave many stories a modicum of luster.
All in all, I'd say my favorite story was one I'd read many years before, Ramsey Campbell's "A Street Was Chosen." [MINOR SPOILERS:] First, this one seems quite apropos to the modern age, where strategic manipulation is openly waged against the public to actively encourage poor decision-making. Second, one of the few video games I love, Fallout 4, just about gives itself a black eye winking as hard as it does at this story. Vault-Tec took this for their playbook and built on.
I wouldn't recommend this to hardcore horror hounds--who've probably seen 60-80% of these ideas executed better elsewhere--though it might be an interesting (if long) journey to those who rarely venture into genre fare. But therein lies my problem with this anthology: At 600 pages, it's size is probably a turn off for the casual fantasy reader, yet horror fans will likely find themselves sifting through a silo of chaff, only to come away with a small handful of nuggets.
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October 24, 2025"Mrs Vail" by Kim Newman - The narrator visits Martin who confesses to murdering his wife and dumping her body in the lake but the narrator has no problem seeing Louisa as she serves them tea and scones all the while terrified Martin claims the dishes and pots are moving through the air by themselves. The narrator gets fed up listening to this and leaves assuming Martin has lost his mind but is shocked when a woman who lost her necklace in the lake has it dredged and a body is recovered.
"Surrogate" by Janet Fox - A young girl shows up at a couple's home claiming to be their surrogate. The husband mistrusts her from the start and wants to get rid of her but the wife bonds with the girl and allows her to stay. As days pass and the husband notices her belly flatten and her face become more like a child's he suspects it is a changeling creature and attempts to strangle it but the wife stabs him in the back with her scissors to protect the creature.
"The Cat-Woman" by M. E. Counselman - A man at a boarding house thinks his neighbor across the hall owns a cat unaware that she is a were-cat who has taken a liking to him. When she is in cat form playing with him in his room and the landlady knocks she jumps out the window to avoid her because the landlady doesn't allow pets. Unfortunately she meets her end when she is attacked by an alley dog.
"A Maniac" by Maurice Level - An acrobat meets his end when he confides in a regular attendee that he focuses upon him in order to avoid making a fatal mistake. He doesn't realize that the man attends every performance hoping to see a fatal mishap so at the next performance he gets up from his seat and takes another one which brings about the result he desires.
"The Champion" by Richard Laymon - Harry enters Roy's Bar and Grill after 9:00 and discovers he's been selected as challenger in a gladiatorial combat with the champion. Harry doesn't want to fight but the champion gives Harry no option but to kill him. Harry thinks since he won the contest that he'll be released but the lunatics make him the new champion.
"Grandma’s Hobby" by Elizabeth Engstrom - Jan is cleaning grandma's fruit cellar when she comes across a strange looking jar of jelly. She brings it with her to breakfast and because she is curious she asks grandma what it is. They both try some on their toast and the demented old woman admits that it's grandpa.
"An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth" by Lawrence Schimel - The narrator has an encounter with the Tooth Fairy who takes one of his teeth and gives him a Susan B. Anthony dollar. Unfortunately for the narrator the Tooth Fairy has a brother which is an Eye Fairy that takes his left eye.
"The Village Bully" by J. Sheridan Le Fanu - A bully administers a severe beating to a victim that eventually dies but three years after the fight the dead man's ghost accosts the bully and with the touch of his hand inflicts such disability upon the bully that he later dies.
"A Street Was Chosen" by Ramsey Campbell - This story is written as an observational report detailing an experiment by an organization that is never named about subject's behavior chosen on a random street when exposed to stressors.
"The Wrong Way" by Chet Williamson - Trego kills his wife by wrenching her head around her shoulders but then he begins to perceive things going the wrong way and dies in a auto accident by driving against the flow of traffic.
"The Clown" by Jessica Amanda Salmonson - Tina the tightrope walker attempts to seduce Tobo the Clown but when she asks him to wash off the clown makeup he tells her that it doesn't come off because he's a clown.
"Sitting in the Corner, Whimpering Quietly" by Dennis Etchison - The narrator is in a laundromat at three in the morning when the woman next to him confesses that she bullied her son into shooting his father.
"In the Hour Before Dawn" by Brad Strickland - Paul and Charles debate with each other which one of them is a figment of a dream. When Paul finally wakes he finds himself in the body of the other man.
"Dark Winner" by William F. Nolan - Mrs. Evans' husband Frank disappears when he returns to the house he grew up in and it is revealed Frank is haunted by a younger version of himself.
"Lemon Drops" by Donald Burleson - Tom brings his friend Lenny's head into the clubhouse after an accident on the railroad trestle where it insists upon being fed lemon drops.
"The Shaggy House" by Joe R. Lansdale - Harry and Lem attempt to dispose of a creature that mimics the appearance of a house in order to drain the energy out of them.
"Missed Connection" by Ramsey Campbell - Ted is riding on a train when he thinks he sees another train outside the window pacing them and fears they will collide.
"The Last Drop" by Nicholas Royle - A neurosurgeon takes revenge on his wife's lover by destroying the non-essential parts of his brain one at a time.
"A Legend of Sonora" by Hildegarde Hawthorne - A horseback rider comes across the ghosts of a girl and her lover that she had poisoned fifty years ago.
"The Stranger" by Ambrose Bierce - A ghost describes to men in the desert how the four of them took their lives rather than be tortured by Indians.
"Is This a Horror Story?" by Scott Edelman - The narrator discovers photographs that were taken by someone with a sexual interest in children.
"Echoes" by Lawrence C. Connolly - Billy's mom and dad don't like it when he talks to his younger brother who was killed in a car accident.
"Tomorrow Is Forever" by Hugh B. Cave - The protagonist is the ghost of a German soldier wandering the streets of a village alone.
"Sandprint" by Norman Partridge - Ben's wife drowns at the beach but an impression remains in the sand for the grieving husband.
"A Week in the Unlife" by David J. Schow - A crazy man that styles himself a vampire hunter is finally captured by police.
"The Visit" by William F. Nolan - A prisoner interviews a serial killer to take detailed notes regarding his crimes.
"Surrogate" by Janet Fox - A young girl shows up at a couple's home claiming to be their surrogate. The husband mistrusts her from the start and wants to get rid of her but the wife bonds with the girl and allows her to stay. As days pass and the husband notices her belly flatten and her face become more like a child's he suspects it is a changeling creature and attempts to strangle it but the wife stabs him in the back with her scissors to protect the creature.
"The Cat-Woman" by M. E. Counselman - A man at a boarding house thinks his neighbor across the hall owns a cat unaware that she is a were-cat who has taken a liking to him. When she is in cat form playing with him in his room and the landlady knocks she jumps out the window to avoid her because the landlady doesn't allow pets. Unfortunately she meets her end when she is attacked by an alley dog.
"A Maniac" by Maurice Level - An acrobat meets his end when he confides in a regular attendee that he focuses upon him in order to avoid making a fatal mistake. He doesn't realize that the man attends every performance hoping to see a fatal mishap so at the next performance he gets up from his seat and takes another one which brings about the result he desires.
"The Champion" by Richard Laymon - Harry enters Roy's Bar and Grill after 9:00 and discovers he's been selected as challenger in a gladiatorial combat with the champion. Harry doesn't want to fight but the champion gives Harry no option but to kill him. Harry thinks since he won the contest that he'll be released but the lunatics make him the new champion.
"Grandma’s Hobby" by Elizabeth Engstrom - Jan is cleaning grandma's fruit cellar when she comes across a strange looking jar of jelly. She brings it with her to breakfast and because she is curious she asks grandma what it is. They both try some on their toast and the demented old woman admits that it's grandpa.
"An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth" by Lawrence Schimel - The narrator has an encounter with the Tooth Fairy who takes one of his teeth and gives him a Susan B. Anthony dollar. Unfortunately for the narrator the Tooth Fairy has a brother which is an Eye Fairy that takes his left eye.
"The Village Bully" by J. Sheridan Le Fanu - A bully administers a severe beating to a victim that eventually dies but three years after the fight the dead man's ghost accosts the bully and with the touch of his hand inflicts such disability upon the bully that he later dies.
"A Street Was Chosen" by Ramsey Campbell - This story is written as an observational report detailing an experiment by an organization that is never named about subject's behavior chosen on a random street when exposed to stressors.
"The Wrong Way" by Chet Williamson - Trego kills his wife by wrenching her head around her shoulders but then he begins to perceive things going the wrong way and dies in a auto accident by driving against the flow of traffic.
"The Clown" by Jessica Amanda Salmonson - Tina the tightrope walker attempts to seduce Tobo the Clown but when she asks him to wash off the clown makeup he tells her that it doesn't come off because he's a clown.
"Sitting in the Corner, Whimpering Quietly" by Dennis Etchison - The narrator is in a laundromat at three in the morning when the woman next to him confesses that she bullied her son into shooting his father.
"In the Hour Before Dawn" by Brad Strickland - Paul and Charles debate with each other which one of them is a figment of a dream. When Paul finally wakes he finds himself in the body of the other man.
"Dark Winner" by William F. Nolan - Mrs. Evans' husband Frank disappears when he returns to the house he grew up in and it is revealed Frank is haunted by a younger version of himself.
"Lemon Drops" by Donald Burleson - Tom brings his friend Lenny's head into the clubhouse after an accident on the railroad trestle where it insists upon being fed lemon drops.
"The Shaggy House" by Joe R. Lansdale - Harry and Lem attempt to dispose of a creature that mimics the appearance of a house in order to drain the energy out of them.
"Missed Connection" by Ramsey Campbell - Ted is riding on a train when he thinks he sees another train outside the window pacing them and fears they will collide.
"The Last Drop" by Nicholas Royle - A neurosurgeon takes revenge on his wife's lover by destroying the non-essential parts of his brain one at a time.
"A Legend of Sonora" by Hildegarde Hawthorne - A horseback rider comes across the ghosts of a girl and her lover that she had poisoned fifty years ago.
"The Stranger" by Ambrose Bierce - A ghost describes to men in the desert how the four of them took their lives rather than be tortured by Indians.
"Is This a Horror Story?" by Scott Edelman - The narrator discovers photographs that were taken by someone with a sexual interest in children.
"Echoes" by Lawrence C. Connolly - Billy's mom and dad don't like it when he talks to his younger brother who was killed in a car accident.
"Tomorrow Is Forever" by Hugh B. Cave - The protagonist is the ghost of a German soldier wandering the streets of a village alone.
"Sandprint" by Norman Partridge - Ben's wife drowns at the beach but an impression remains in the sand for the grieving husband.
"A Week in the Unlife" by David J. Schow - A crazy man that styles himself a vampire hunter is finally captured by police.
"The Visit" by William F. Nolan - A prisoner interviews a serial killer to take detailed notes regarding his crimes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2021
Barnes and Nobles published several of these collection back in the 90s - easily available at amazon, where I picked mine up. Other titles in this series include "100 Wild Little Weird Tales" and "100 Hair Raising Little Horror Stories". The advantage of these collections is story length - bite sized horror/suspense stories that can easily be read in a few minutes..if you don't like the story your reading....move along a few pages....
As with any anthology - you'll find authors you know - Ramsey Campbell, Carl Jacobu, David Drake, Frank Belknap Long, and a host of others. You'll also find authors whose work is unfamiliar to you....
Individual tastes differ, but may I recommend Mayhar's "A Night in Possum Holler", "The Tuckahoe" by Etchemendy, "here Does Watson Road Ge" by Relling, and Murphy's "With Hound"....you'll thank me - or, maybe not.
Jeff McIntosh
As with any anthology - you'll find authors you know - Ramsey Campbell, Carl Jacobu, David Drake, Frank Belknap Long, and a host of others. You'll also find authors whose work is unfamiliar to you....
Individual tastes differ, but may I recommend Mayhar's "A Night in Possum Holler", "The Tuckahoe" by Etchemendy, "here Does Watson Road Ge" by Relling, and Murphy's "With Hound"....you'll thank me - or, maybe not.
Jeff McIntosh
Want to read
December 5, 2012Things are getting really busy, so to keep the "short story a day" marathon going, I'm going to focus on some shorter works, for now.
May 28, 2025
So what exactly is a “frightmare” (aside from a spooky-sounding word for the cover of a horror anthology)? Apparently it’s an all-encompassing category picking up a variety of morbid tales that can’t be pigeonholed as something simple like a vampire story or a mystery. All the books I’ve read in Barnes and Noble’s “100 (whatever) Little (whatever) Stories” series have been mixed bags of good stuff, terrible stuff, and plenty of stuff in between. The loose standards of this tome magnify the problem; as usual, you can find a handful of gold nugget stories, but this time around it seems to require even more digging than usual. For every really good piece, it seems like there’s at least a dozen lachrymose tales of dead spouses, tortured pets, and other topics equally unseemly. The end product is one of the weaker volumes in the set.
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