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Dark Voices: The Pan Book of Horror
Dark Voices 4: The Pan Book of Horror
For 33 years the Pan Book of Horror has turned the blood in your veins to red ice. In this latest terrifying collection, horror's menacing masters and tomorrow's top names gather together to take you to the furthest reaches of Fear... Passion... Pain... Hauntings... Nightmares... Sacrifice... Psychos... Love... Death... Dismemberment... Deviants...
In Dark Voices 4 the reign of terror continues.
In Dark Voices 4 the reign of terror continues.
- GenresHorrorAnthologies
317 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
26 people want to read
About the author
David A. Sutton
96 books4 followersDavid A. Sutton is the recipient of the World Fantasy Award, The International Horror Guild Award and twelve British Fantasy Awards for editing magazines and anthologies (Fantasy Tales, Dark Voices: The Pan Book Of Horror and Dark Terrors: The Gollancz Book Of Horror). Other anthologies include New Writings In Horror & The Supernatural, The Satyr’s Head & Other Tales Of Terror, Phantoms Of Venice, Haunts Of Horror and Darker Terrors. He has also been a genre fiction writer since the 1960s with stories appearing widely in anthologies and magazines, including in Best New Horror, Final Shadows, The Mammoth Book Of Merlin, Beneath The Ground, Shadows Over Innsmouth, The Black Book Of Horror, Subtle Edens, The Ghosts & Scholars Book Of Shadows, Psychomania, Second City Scares, Kitchen Sink Gothic, Phantasmagoria, Gruesome Grotesques, The Ghosts & Scholars Book Of Shadows and The Ghosts & Scholars Book Of Folk Horror. His short stories are collected in CLINICALLY DEAD & OTHER TALES OF THE SUPERNATURAL, DEAD WATER AND OTHER WEIRD TALES and EN VACANCES. He is also the proprietor of Shadow Publishing, a small press specialising in collections and anthologies.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 10, 2025
An Overview of Dread: Summarizing Dark Voices 4 (1992)
Dark Voices 4: The Pan Book of Horror, edited by David Sutton and Stephen Jones, presents a diverse collection that captures the shifting landscape of early 1990s horror, moving between traditional Gothic terror, psychological modern dread, and the visceral edge of splatterpunk. The anthology is unified by its exploration of how fear manifests across various social contexts—from mundane professional life to isolated rural desperation.
The Horror of Modern Life and Pathology
The collection frequently grounds its horror in contemporary settings and psychological turmoil. Christopher Fowler's chilling opener, “On Edge,” immediately establishes this tone, centering the terror in the dental clinic, where a man’s paranoia becomes reality. The story uses a First-Person perspective to immerse the reader in the vulnerability of modern professional fear. Similarly, Nicholas Royle’s “The Last Drop” is a deeply Psychological study of personal despair contained within a Confined Room, focusing on a character attempting to consume their final source of suffering.
Other stories delve into the darkness of human nature and taboo. Philip J. Cockburn's “Necrophiliac” is a disturbing Disturbing First-person Sexual Pathology piece, set primarily in a sterile Morgue/Cemetery. Bernard Donoghue’s “A Night with Claudette” explores a fatal encounter involving Transactional Sex in a Seedy Hotel, told from an Intimate Third-person point of view.
Domestic Dread and Foundational Fear
Several entries locate fear within the familiar confines of home and family. Graham Masterton’s “Absence of Beast” is especially effective, using a Child's-Eye perspective to portray Family Secrets hidden inside a seemingly safe Suburban Home. The monster here is domestic, not supernatural. Likewise, Peter Crowther’s “The Visitor” uses a Domestic POV to disrupt the peace of a Suburban Home, focusing on Marital Tension and dread brought in by an unwanted guest.
The consequences of modern scientific advancement and hubris are addressed in R. Chetwynd-Hayes’ “The Frankenstein Syndrome.” This Retrospective narrative tackles themes of Scientific Hubris within a classic Laboratory setting, dealing with the grotesque results of tampering with life.
The Road, Industry, and Isolation
A significant block of stories uses travel, industry, or extreme isolation as the stage for terror. David J. Schow’s “Pick Me Up” epitomizes the road-horror subgenre. Its Alternating View follows rival predators in the Highway Culture of the American Highway, capturing the visceral splatterpunk movement Schow helped pioneer. Joe R. Lansdale’s “By Bizarre Hands” adopts a Gritty Dialogue style to place surreal, shocking violence in the desperate Rural Poverty of the East Texas Backwoods.
The horror of unstoppable forces is evident in Peter James’ “Propellor,” a Detached Narration piece centered on a haunting of Accidental Death on a Coastal Waterway. In the industrial sphere, W. Elizabeth Turner's “Cold As Iron” explores Industrial Decay on a Factory Floor, where a killer operates with mechanical, unfeeling precision in an Objective Third-person narration.
Social Critique and Psychological Isolation
Beyond simple scares, the anthology incorporates social commentary. John Brunner’s “They Take” is a piece of speculative horror using an Omniscient viewpoint to depict the horror of Bureaucratic Control in a Modern City, where a sinister "They" systematically remove citizens. Kim Newman’s “Week Woman” offers Irony/Satire on the pressures of Work Life set in an Office Building, depicting a fantastical, grotesque transformation dictated by the calendar.
Finally, the anthology provides moments of pure, suffocating atmosphere. Michael Marshall Smith’s “A Time for Waiting” is a deeply Atmospheric story about Isolation/Patience set in an Empty House, where the horror lies in the sheer psychological dread of anticipating a terrible, unknown event.
The range of tales—from the traditional scares of Norman Partridge’s “Return of the Shroud” (set in a Museum/Church and dealing with Religious Artifacts) to the bleak celebrity critique of Chaz Brenchley’s “High Flying, Adored” (a Celebrity Perspective on Fame & Obsession in a Backstage Area)—confirms Dark Voices 4 as a robust collection that showcases the stylistic breadth of early 1990s horror.
Dark Voices 4: The Pan Book of Horror, edited by David Sutton and Stephen Jones, presents a diverse collection that captures the shifting landscape of early 1990s horror, moving between traditional Gothic terror, psychological modern dread, and the visceral edge of splatterpunk. The anthology is unified by its exploration of how fear manifests across various social contexts—from mundane professional life to isolated rural desperation.
The Horror of Modern Life and Pathology
The collection frequently grounds its horror in contemporary settings and psychological turmoil. Christopher Fowler's chilling opener, “On Edge,” immediately establishes this tone, centering the terror in the dental clinic, where a man’s paranoia becomes reality. The story uses a First-Person perspective to immerse the reader in the vulnerability of modern professional fear. Similarly, Nicholas Royle’s “The Last Drop” is a deeply Psychological study of personal despair contained within a Confined Room, focusing on a character attempting to consume their final source of suffering.
Other stories delve into the darkness of human nature and taboo. Philip J. Cockburn's “Necrophiliac” is a disturbing Disturbing First-person Sexual Pathology piece, set primarily in a sterile Morgue/Cemetery. Bernard Donoghue’s “A Night with Claudette” explores a fatal encounter involving Transactional Sex in a Seedy Hotel, told from an Intimate Third-person point of view.
Domestic Dread and Foundational Fear
Several entries locate fear within the familiar confines of home and family. Graham Masterton’s “Absence of Beast” is especially effective, using a Child's-Eye perspective to portray Family Secrets hidden inside a seemingly safe Suburban Home. The monster here is domestic, not supernatural. Likewise, Peter Crowther’s “The Visitor” uses a Domestic POV to disrupt the peace of a Suburban Home, focusing on Marital Tension and dread brought in by an unwanted guest.
The consequences of modern scientific advancement and hubris are addressed in R. Chetwynd-Hayes’ “The Frankenstein Syndrome.” This Retrospective narrative tackles themes of Scientific Hubris within a classic Laboratory setting, dealing with the grotesque results of tampering with life.
The Road, Industry, and Isolation
A significant block of stories uses travel, industry, or extreme isolation as the stage for terror. David J. Schow’s “Pick Me Up” epitomizes the road-horror subgenre. Its Alternating View follows rival predators in the Highway Culture of the American Highway, capturing the visceral splatterpunk movement Schow helped pioneer. Joe R. Lansdale’s “By Bizarre Hands” adopts a Gritty Dialogue style to place surreal, shocking violence in the desperate Rural Poverty of the East Texas Backwoods.
The horror of unstoppable forces is evident in Peter James’ “Propellor,” a Detached Narration piece centered on a haunting of Accidental Death on a Coastal Waterway. In the industrial sphere, W. Elizabeth Turner's “Cold As Iron” explores Industrial Decay on a Factory Floor, where a killer operates with mechanical, unfeeling precision in an Objective Third-person narration.
Social Critique and Psychological Isolation
Beyond simple scares, the anthology incorporates social commentary. John Brunner’s “They Take” is a piece of speculative horror using an Omniscient viewpoint to depict the horror of Bureaucratic Control in a Modern City, where a sinister "They" systematically remove citizens. Kim Newman’s “Week Woman” offers Irony/Satire on the pressures of Work Life set in an Office Building, depicting a fantastical, grotesque transformation dictated by the calendar.
Finally, the anthology provides moments of pure, suffocating atmosphere. Michael Marshall Smith’s “A Time for Waiting” is a deeply Atmospheric story about Isolation/Patience set in an Empty House, where the horror lies in the sheer psychological dread of anticipating a terrible, unknown event.
The range of tales—from the traditional scares of Norman Partridge’s “Return of the Shroud” (set in a Museum/Church and dealing with Religious Artifacts) to the bleak celebrity critique of Chaz Brenchley’s “High Flying, Adored” (a Celebrity Perspective on Fame & Obsession in a Backstage Area)—confirms Dark Voices 4 as a robust collection that showcases the stylistic breadth of early 1990s horror.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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October 1, 2024TOC
"On Edge" by Christopher Fowler
"Absence of Beast" by Graham Masterton
"The Little Green Ones" by Les Daniels
"Razor White" by Charles Gramlich
"Propellor" by Peter James
"They Take" by John Brunner
"The Last Drop" by Nicholas Royle
"Pick Me Up" by David J. Schow
"The Frankenstein Syndrome" by R. Chetwynd-Hayes
"High-Flying, Adored" by Daniel Fox
"A Night With Claudette" by Bernard Donoghue
"Casey, Where He Lies" by Stephen Gallagher
"The Visitor" by Peter Crowther
"Book End" by Tony J. Forder
"Week Woman" by Kim Newman
"Necrophiliac" by Philip J. Cockburn
"Return of the Shroud" by Norman Partridge
"Cold As Iron" by W. Elizabeth Turner
"A Time for Waiting" by Michael Marshall Smith
"By Bizarre Hands" by Joe R. Lansdale
"On Edge" by Christopher Fowler
"Absence of Beast" by Graham Masterton
"The Little Green Ones" by Les Daniels
"Razor White" by Charles Gramlich
"Propellor" by Peter James
"They Take" by John Brunner
"The Last Drop" by Nicholas Royle
"Pick Me Up" by David J. Schow
"The Frankenstein Syndrome" by R. Chetwynd-Hayes
"High-Flying, Adored" by Daniel Fox
"A Night With Claudette" by Bernard Donoghue
"Casey, Where He Lies" by Stephen Gallagher
"The Visitor" by Peter Crowther
"Book End" by Tony J. Forder
"Week Woman" by Kim Newman
"Necrophiliac" by Philip J. Cockburn
"Return of the Shroud" by Norman Partridge
"Cold As Iron" by W. Elizabeth Turner
"A Time for Waiting" by Michael Marshall Smith
"By Bizarre Hands" by Joe R. Lansdale
December 28, 2008
I'm not just rating this well because I have a story in it. There is some fine stuff here.
September 5, 2011
Another great collection from Messrs Sutton and Jones, this re-ignited my passion for horror short fiction. Great stuff, very highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews