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The Best Horror from Fantasy Tales
From 1977 to 1991, "Fantasy Tales" magazine published tales of terror from the best-known authors in the field, continuing the tradition of "Weird Tales". Long unavailable, this best-of anthology from its terror-packed pages returns in paperback to deliver chills from Charles L. Grant, Kim Newman, Richard Christian Matheson, Karl Edward Wagner, Fritz Leiber, Dennis Etchison, and many more. Winner of the World Fantasy Award and the British Fantasy Award, "Fantasy Tales" re-created the look and—more important—the entertainment value of the old pulp magazines from the 1930s and 1940s, but with up-to-date nightmares and modern-day monsters.
These selections of both traditionally creepy storytelling and psychological hair-raisers are illustrated by a wide range of artists specializing in the macabre. "Whatever your taste in terror," veteran horror editors Stephen Jones and David Sutton promise, "we are certain you'll be suitably entertained and chilled as you explore these fictional slices of half-glimpsed worlds of horror."
These selections of both traditionally creepy storytelling and psychological hair-raisers are illustrated by a wide range of artists specializing in the macabre. "Whatever your taste in terror," veteran horror editors Stephen Jones and David Sutton promise, "we are certain you'll be suitably entertained and chilled as you explore these fictional slices of half-glimpsed worlds of horror."
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 13, 1988
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About the author
Stephen Jones
276 books345 followersStephen Jones is an eighteen-time winner of the British Fantasy Award.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 15, 2010
This was a pretty good collection. Too bad I put it down more than a year ago, and I don't remember the stories I read back then well enough to write a competent review. I don't really want to spend the time to reread the first half, so this review is going to be pretty sketchy. My apologies for that.
The Clive Barker story was scary alright. It's what the Candyman movie is based on. Closest I'll get to watching that movie, for sure. I liked it in a freaked out kind of way. Of course, I loved the Manly Wade Wellman story. I adore his writing. I know for sure I did not care for the Ramsey Campbell story. It was boring and creepy in a weird, skin-crawling, what the heck is going on kind of way. I liked the other story I read by him in another anthology, so I haven't given up on him. I didn't like the story about the green man either, by another author. Another boring yet what the heck kind of story. Overall, reading this was a good experience. I put it down last year because I wasn't in the mood. What can I say, I'm a very moody reader. If you run across this one in a used bookstore for a decent price, or your library has it, it's worth reading.
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.
The Clive Barker story was scary alright. It's what the Candyman movie is based on. Closest I'll get to watching that movie, for sure. I liked it in a freaked out kind of way. Of course, I loved the Manly Wade Wellman story. I adore his writing. I know for sure I did not care for the Ramsey Campbell story. It was boring and creepy in a weird, skin-crawling, what the heck is going on kind of way. I liked the other story I read by him in another anthology, so I haven't given up on him. I didn't like the story about the green man either, by another author. Another boring yet what the heck kind of story. Overall, reading this was a good experience. I put it down last year because I wasn't in the mood. What can I say, I'm a very moody reader. If you run across this one in a used bookstore for a decent price, or your library has it, it's worth reading.
Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.
March 11, 2017
Sorprendente y desconocida antología de terror, y como pocas veces visto, emplea la palabra “terror” y con razón.
Es una recopilación de los mejores autores de este género (a falta de 4) en su década de oro. Y han sido tan ambiciosos, que no solo han querido a estos, sino sus mejores relatos hasta la fecha de publicación. Y créanme: el 80% de estos relatos son BUENOS.
Decir que este libro es la traducción del original.
Es una recopilación de los mejores autores de este género (a falta de 4) en su década de oro. Y han sido tan ambiciosos, que no solo han querido a estos, sino sus mejores relatos hasta la fecha de publicación. Y créanme: el 80% de estos relatos son BUENOS.
Decir que este libro es la traducción del original.
August 28, 2022
Ligeramente decepcionado con esta antología. Dada la calidad de los autores, y ese título tan sugerente, esperaba mucho más y al final solo un par de relatos me llenaron el gusto. Quizás algo tuvo que ver la traducción, no de las mejores.
Acá mis favoritos:
"Lo prohibido" de Clive Barker, el único que conocía, terror urbano de impecable desarrollo.
"Los sueños pueden llegar" de H.Warner Munn, genial muestra de la vida como un cruce de caminos.
"La joya del brujo" de Robert Bloch, simple pero entretenido. Aprendí lo que es la litomancia.
"Rojo" de Richard Christian Matheson, quién resultó ser el hijo del famoso escritor, se presenta con este cuento corto de terribles implicancias.
"Los años singulares" de Brian Lumley, excelente crónica sobre un apocalipsis raudo y horripilante. El qué más me gustó.
"La fe dura siempre" de Mandy Wade Wellmann, clásico tema sobre un visitante en casa encantada, una variante fresca y entretenida.
"La lengua en la mejilla" de Mike Grace, al fin algo cruel y desquiciado, de lo mejor del libro.
Acá mis favoritos:
"Lo prohibido" de Clive Barker, el único que conocía, terror urbano de impecable desarrollo.
"Los sueños pueden llegar" de H.Warner Munn, genial muestra de la vida como un cruce de caminos.
"La joya del brujo" de Robert Bloch, simple pero entretenido. Aprendí lo que es la litomancia.
"Rojo" de Richard Christian Matheson, quién resultó ser el hijo del famoso escritor, se presenta con este cuento corto de terribles implicancias.
"Los años singulares" de Brian Lumley, excelente crónica sobre un apocalipsis raudo y horripilante. El qué más me gustó.
"La fe dura siempre" de Mandy Wade Wellmann, clásico tema sobre un visitante en casa encantada, una variante fresca y entretenida.
"La lengua en la mejilla" de Mike Grace, al fin algo cruel y desquiciado, de lo mejor del libro.
January 14, 2021
Read in 1991. Collection of short stories.
Currently reading
July 17, 2025"The Frolic" by Thomas Ligotti - A prison psychologist resolves to quit his position and move to a different town with his wife and daughter after disturbing conversations with a John Doe patient who describes his child murders as frolics. As you might guess, this story doesn't end well for the daughter.
"Red" by Richard Christian Matheson - A father collects pieces of his daughter from the road to place in a canvas bag after she got tangled on the rear of his car when he drove to work that morning.
"Red" by Richard Christian Matheson - A father collects pieces of his daughter from the road to place in a canvas bag after she got tangled on the rear of his car when he drove to work that morning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2008
Cutting to the chase, the stand-out stories: Allen Ashley's Dead to the World, Charles L. Grant's The Generation Waltz, Mike Grace's Tongue In Cheek, Steve Rasnic Tem's The Bad People, Hugh B. Cave's A Place of No Return, and Kelvin Jones' The Green Man.
March 4, 2016
The opening story by Clive Barker was enjoyable, but the rest was quite flat. A shame.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews