Tales of Terror: The world's most terrifying stories presented by a leading icon of fear

by Various (Editor), Boris Karloff (Editor)

"Are you afraid of the dark? You know perfectly well you are, and you may as well admit it!" - Boris Karloff, from the Introduction. In 1943 - a good year for terrors both foreign and domestic - beloved acting great Boris Karloff released the stellar hardcover anthology, TALES OF TERROR. Selected and presented by the Master himself, this collection of vintage ghost stories and strange tales featured renowned writers of the weird such as Bram Stoker and Algernon Blackwood, and included the now-acknowledged classics, "Beast With Five Fingers," "The Damned Thing," and many others. Karloff's lengthy introductory essay, written with the elegance, wit and grace that were hallmarks of the man, expounds on his theory of "horror" and "terror," and provides revealing insights into the psychology and philosophy that he personally brought to the genre, both as anthologist and actor.

Genres: Horror

284 pages, Paperback

First published January 26, 2007

About the author

Various is the correct author for any book with multiple unknown authors, and is acceptable for books with multiple known authors, especially if not all are known or the list is very long (over 50).

If an editor is known, however, Various is not necessary. List the name of the editor as the primary author (with role "editor"). Contributing authors' names follow it.

Note: WorldCat is an excellent resource for finding author information and contents of anthologies.

Reviews

[Werner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roughly contemporary with the collection I reviewed most recently, Famous Ghost Stories, this one includes three of the same stories: "The Willows" and "The Beckoning Fair One," as well as "The Damned Thing." (William Fryer Harvey, the author of "The Beast with Five Fingers," is represented in both as well.) The 14 stories here also, as in the other book, include several, like Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" and Joseph Conrad's "Amy Foster," that feature natural rather than supernatural horror. "The Tarn" by Hugh Walpole is probably best interpreted as one of these --and if so, it has a thematic similarity to the Poe classic. And in a couple of the tales, like Philip MacDonald's "Our Feathered Friends," the horrific goings-on are not explained.

A good half of the stories are ghost stories of one sort or another (not all the ghosts are of human beings). "The Hound" by William Faulkner and "The Furnished Room" by O. Henry, who are usually associated with descriptive fiction, fall into this group; the latter is a very accomplished work of its type, with no blood and gore or flamboyant manifestations --the ghost's presence is as subtle as an odor of perfume, but the emotional reactions of the main character (and the reader) go deep. Bram Stoker is represented by "The Judge's House" (which is definitely not a pleasant place). Another stand-out story here is "Father Maclesfield's Tale," by the British Roman Catholic writer of the early 20th century, Robert Hugh Benson --an author whose work I want to read more of!

[Shawn]

PLACEHOLDER REVIEW

A young couple, out for a drive in the countryside, get more than they bargained for from the local bird life in Philip MacDonald's "Our Feathered Friends." A solid little thing, this is all about generating suspense - initially through setting and some light character sketching/well-handled voice, then through a slow but inescapable ratcheting up of tension through use of sound and the eeriness of nature.

[Van Reese · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very good with classic terror stories. I purposely don’t use the word horror because it is a very different thing. Horror is horrible and bloody, and you feel a little bit of revulsion, but there is no substance. This is perfectly described in the great introduction by Boris Karloff. If you can find one of the rare copies of this collection of terror stories, and enjoy that tingle of fear down your back, this is just the thing for you.

[Aaron Badgley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to buy an original hardover second pressing from 1944 of this book. I love the stories, some more than others. Genuinely creepy at times. Thanks to my daughter Linda Badgley for finding it for me at The Strand in New York City.

[Donna Humble · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice collection of older terror tales. Loved the introduction by Boris Karloff.

[Sugar Hiccup · Rating 4 out of 5]

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