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Horror Gems, Vol. Six
Armchair Fiction presents extra large paperback collections of the best in classic horror short stories. "Horror Gems, Vol. Six" features a fine collection of tales by some of the genre’s best authors: H.P. Lovecraft, Rog Phillips, Jerome Bixby, William P. McGivern, E. Everett Evans, Gregory Luce, Jack Sharkey, Henry Hasse, James McConnell and others. All in all this is a GREAT addition to our Horror Gems series and deserves to be read, revered and reviled by each and every horror fiend—dead or alive!
Contents
5 • The Violin String • (1961) • short story by Henry Hasse
20 • Yes, Burt, There Is a Santa Claus • short story by Gregory Luce
38 • All of You • (1953) • short story by James McConnell
48 • Sa'antha • (1952) • short story by E. Everett Evans
61 • Twice to Die • (1948) • novelette by Rog Phillips
105 • The Mirror • (1946) • short story by William L. Hamling [as by William Lawrence Hamling]
115 • Share Alike • (1953) • short story by Jerome Bixby and Joe E. Dean
129 • The Statement of Randolph Carter • [Randolph Carter] • (1920) • short story by H. P. Lovecraft
136 • Purdy's Circus • (1960) • short story by Franklin Gregory
152 • Fix Me Something to Eat • (1951) • short story by William P. McGivern
173 • According to Plan • (1961) • short story by Jack Sharkey
189 • Open with Care • (1962) • short story by Boyd Correll
Contents
5 • The Violin String • (1961) • short story by Henry Hasse
20 • Yes, Burt, There Is a Santa Claus • short story by Gregory Luce
38 • All of You • (1953) • short story by James McConnell
48 • Sa'antha • (1952) • short story by E. Everett Evans
61 • Twice to Die • (1948) • novelette by Rog Phillips
105 • The Mirror • (1946) • short story by William L. Hamling [as by William Lawrence Hamling]
115 • Share Alike • (1953) • short story by Jerome Bixby and Joe E. Dean
129 • The Statement of Randolph Carter • [Randolph Carter] • (1920) • short story by H. P. Lovecraft
136 • Purdy's Circus • (1960) • short story by Franklin Gregory
152 • Fix Me Something to Eat • (1951) • short story by William P. McGivern
173 • According to Plan • (1961) • short story by Jack Sharkey
189 • Open with Care • (1962) • short story by Boyd Correll
200 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
About the author
H.P. Lovecraft
6,558 books19.7k followersHoward Phillips Lovecraft, of Providence, Rhode Island, was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction.
Lovecraft's major inspiration and invention was cosmic horror: life is incomprehensible to human minds and the universe is fundamentally alien. Those who genuinely reason, like his protagonists, gamble with sanity. Lovecraft has developed a cult following for his Cthulhu Mythos, a series of loosely interconnected fictions featuring a pantheon of human-nullifying entities, as well as the Necronomicon, a fictional grimoire of magical rites and forbidden lore. His works were deeply pessimistic and cynical, challenging the values of the Enlightenment, Romanticism and Christianity. Lovecraft's protagonists usually achieve the mirror-opposite of traditional gnosis and mysticism by momentarily glimpsing the horror of ultimate reality.
Although Lovecraft's readership was limited during his life, his reputation has grown over the decades. He is now commonly regarded as one of the most influential horror writers of the 20th Century, exerting widespread and indirect influence, and frequently compared to Edgar Allan Poe.
See also Howard Phillips Lovecraft.
— Wikipedia
Lovecraft's major inspiration and invention was cosmic horror: life is incomprehensible to human minds and the universe is fundamentally alien. Those who genuinely reason, like his protagonists, gamble with sanity. Lovecraft has developed a cult following for his Cthulhu Mythos, a series of loosely interconnected fictions featuring a pantheon of human-nullifying entities, as well as the Necronomicon, a fictional grimoire of magical rites and forbidden lore. His works were deeply pessimistic and cynical, challenging the values of the Enlightenment, Romanticism and Christianity. Lovecraft's protagonists usually achieve the mirror-opposite of traditional gnosis and mysticism by momentarily glimpsing the horror of ultimate reality.
Although Lovecraft's readership was limited during his life, his reputation has grown over the decades. He is now commonly regarded as one of the most influential horror writers of the 20th Century, exerting widespread and indirect influence, and frequently compared to Edgar Allan Poe.
See also Howard Phillips Lovecraft.
— Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 23, 2025
One of the better "Horror Gems" anthologies I have read, even if I wouldn't consider several of the stories horror stories.
"Share Alike" by Jerome Bixby and Joe E. Dean is a terrific, very interesting vampire story. I was surprised by how lightly submerged the gay subtext was for a story published in the Fifties.
"According to Plan" by Jack Sharkey was perhaps the best story in the book. Clever and funny, it got within hailing distance of Richard Matheson. Easily the best story from Sharkey I have ever read.
"All of You" by James McConnell was good, but I would classify it as science fiction. "Sa'antha" by E. Everett Evans was good, but dark fantasy, and the same could be said of "Purdy's Circus" by Franklin Gregory and "The Mirror" by William Lawrence Hamling. "Twice to Die" by Rog Phillips was a fun read, but even though there was a mad scientist, I wouldn't classify it as horror.
Still, these were "new to me" and the winners outnumbered the clinkers.
"Share Alike" by Jerome Bixby and Joe E. Dean is a terrific, very interesting vampire story. I was surprised by how lightly submerged the gay subtext was for a story published in the Fifties.
"According to Plan" by Jack Sharkey was perhaps the best story in the book. Clever and funny, it got within hailing distance of Richard Matheson. Easily the best story from Sharkey I have ever read.
"All of You" by James McConnell was good, but I would classify it as science fiction. "Sa'antha" by E. Everett Evans was good, but dark fantasy, and the same could be said of "Purdy's Circus" by Franklin Gregory and "The Mirror" by William Lawrence Hamling. "Twice to Die" by Rog Phillips was a fun read, but even though there was a mad scientist, I wouldn't classify it as horror.
Still, these were "new to me" and the winners outnumbered the clinkers.
Displaying 1 of 1 review