Terrors

by Charles L. Grant (Editor)

Alan Ryan / David Drake / Steve Rasnic Tem / Thomas F. Monteleone / Chelsea Quinn Yarbro / Nancy Kress / Bill Pronzini / Lou Fisher / Robert Bloch / Scott Baker / Orson Scott Card / Stuart H. Stock / Dennis Etchison /

Genres: Horror, Anthologies, Fiction

222 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 1986

About the author

Charles Lewis Grant was a novelist and short story writer specializing in what he called "dark fantasy" and "quiet horror." He also wrote under the pseudonyms of Geoffrey Marsh, Lionel Fenn, Simon Lake, Felicia Andrews, and Deborah Lewis.

Grant won a World Fantasy Award for his novella collection Nightmare Seasons, a Nebula Award in 1976 for his short story "A Crowd of Shadows", and another Nebula Award in 1978 for his novella "A Glow of Candles, a Unicorn's Eye," the latter telling of an actor's dilemma in a post-literate future. Grant also edited the award winning Shadows anthology, running eleven volumes from 1978-1991. Contributors include Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, R.A. Lafferty, Avram Davidson, and Steve Rasnic and Melanie Tem. Grant was a former Executive Secretary and Eastern Regional Director of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and president of the Horror Writers Association.

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book years ago, for free, from a professor who was weeding his book collection, and I’ve only just gotten around to reading it. It was a fun October read, but only about 5 stories, overall, that I can confidently say I enjoyed. Created for shock value, these stories are an endorsement for “nastiness”, or disturbing content for the sake of it (per the introduction). The stories are unsettling and some are excellent additions, while others are poorly written, as though they were scribbled down for a deadline. Worth a read exclusively for the stories from Nancy Kress, Lou Fisher, Orson Scott Card, Michael Bishop, and Stephen King. Thanks Playboy Paperbacks!

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most anthologies, there are some gems interspersed with some read duds, but the good stuff here is really solid. I most enjoyed the "dark fantasy" stories towards the latter half of the collection. And King's story is one of his EC-inspired early career grossouts. A fun collection that you should check out if it's in the dollar bin at a used bookstore.

[Conal Cochran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of tastefully tasteless stories (by which I mean, I guess, that each story is 'nasty' but is generally so well executed that the unpleasantness is fully jusitifed).

The David Drake story is particularly strong stuff, like a Claymore to the face.

[[on hiatus, probably forever] The rockabilly werewolf from Mars · Rating 2 out of 5]

Grant is usually a good editor, but this one was pretty bad. King, Bloch, Bishop, and Baker contributed memorable stories; but the rest were mediocre to bad, even the ones by usually dependable writers. Of particular note in the bad writing department is the Card story (the only one of his I have read, or am likely to read, given the quality), that one was just a mess, it reads like a poor imitation of Ramsey Campbell's subject matter filtered through the mind of a 14 year old obsessed with bodily functions, and rewritten in extraordinarily tedious prose. Given that two of the better stories are already available in other collections, this probably isn't worth reading.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this along time ago, along with its companion book, Death. Assortment of horror short stories. Remember liking this one better. Will have to re-read my paperback again and see if I still feel the same. Maybe this upcoming Halloween.