Whispers II

by Stuart David Schiff

R.A. Lafferty, Stanley Wade Wellman, Harlan Ellison, Fritz Leiber, and Avram Davidson are among the writers represented in this anthology of tales of fantasy, horror, and the supernatural

Genres: Horror

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whispers was an irregularly published semi-professional magazine of horror and dark fantasy that Stuart David Schiff published and edited in the 1970s. It was named after a fictitious magazine that H.P. Lovecraft named in one of his early stories in Weird Tales. This second anthology appeared from Doubleday in 1979, containing stories that had first appeared in the magazine along with some new material. It has a nice, if misleading, cover by Tim Kirk that makes it look like a traditional fantasy book, and several fine interior illustrations from the likes of Stephen Fabian, Tim Kirk, Lee Brown Coye, etc. The book contains twenty-one stories, many of them from the biggest names in the genre of the time, including good ones by Russell Kirk, Dennis Etchison, R.A. Lafferty, Fritz Leiber, David Drake, Ward Moore, Joseph Payne Brennan, and Manly Wade Wellman. My favorite was Undertow by Karl Edward Wagner.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in 1979.

[Jeff McIntosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally a horror/fantasy small press publication of the 1970s.....the first "Whispers" anthology was published in 1977.

Edited by Stuart Schiff...these anthologies collected the best of horror and fantasy in the late 70s and early 80s.

Best stories? "Undertow" by Karl Edward Wagner, "Lex Talionis" by Russell Kirk, Cave's "From the Lower Deep", "The Red Leer" by Drake, and Campton's "At the Bottom of the Garden".

Seek out a copy.

Jeff Mc

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really good stories here. My favorites were "Undertow," by Karl Edward Wagner, "They will not Hush" by James Sallis and David Lunde, "From the Lower Deep" by Hugh Cave, "We Have All Been Here Before" by Dennis Etchison, and "Trill Coster's Burden," a Silver John story by Manly Wade Wellman. There wasn't a weak story here, though. The editor, Stuard David Schiff, must have similar tastes to me as far as prose itself goes because there wasn't a tale here that didn't sing at a literary level. Some really beautiful writing throughout.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This rating is for 'At the Bottom of the Garden' by Stuart David Schiff.

It was a nice short (and in the end horror) story about a girl with negligent parents and a supernatural friend. The friend tries to fix the girls headaches and eyesight by taking her apart and putting things together correctly. Unfortunately the parents rush out mid operation, attacks/scares off the otherworldly friend, and the (would be temporarily headless and eyeless) girl is buried alive.

[Kirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highlights: Undertow - Karl Edward Wagner, Berryhill - R. A. Lafferty, From the Lower Deep - Hugh B. Cave, The Fourth Musketeer - Charles L. Grant, The Red Leer - David Drake, At the Bottom of the Garden - David Campton

[Wendopolis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Whispers 1 was so good, but this second volume was quite disappointing. Only the last two stories lived up to my expectations.

[Kevin Lucia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome, as always. Best stories:

Undertow, by Karl Edward Wagner
The Stormsong Runner, by Jack L. Chalker
They Will Not Hush, by James Sallis and David Lunde
Lex Talionus, by Russell Kirk
From the Lower Deep, by Hugh B. Cave
The Fourth Musketeer, by Charles L. Grant
The Eclar Special, by Carl Jacobi
Trill Coster's Burden, by Manley Wade Wellman
Above the World, by Ramsey Campbell
The Red Leer, by David Drake
At the Bottom of the Garden, by David Compton