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The Taste of Fear, Thirteen Eerie Tales of Horror.
Rare horror stories. An excellent anthology.
- GenresHorrorAnthologies
237 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1976
32 people want to read
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June 29, 2025PLACEHOLDER REVIEW
In A.C. Benson's "The Uttermost Farthing" - a "hack writer", Hartley, makes friends with the independently wealthy Bendyshe, a strong-willed young man who is intensely interested in the idea of the afterlife, ghosts and spirits. Visiting the man at Hebden Hill, he finds Bendyshe's home (an interesting old building which, having gained a negative reputation, had fallen into disrepair and bought for a song) to be a welcome place to relax and write, but after befriending the local Vicar, he discovers that the house was previously owned by a notorious blackguard who was shunned by local populace and seemed to possess some ability to "curse" individuals. And then Hartley begins to wonder just what is behind Bendyshe's interest in the the truth of ghosts and persistence after death... This is a long, involved story, but not unenjoyable. I had written in my A.C. Benson review for A Wave of Fear: A Classic Horror Anthology that I felt the author's religious background might prove problematic in the telling of effective ghost stories (a feeling that was sustained by some of my previous A.C. Benson reading), but the story there ("Basil Netherby") and this one show a better balance between the beliefs of the faithful and willingness to interrogate the topic at hand - which is even more striking in that his cultural contemporaries were caught up in Spiritism, Theosophy and Psychical "Research". There are some pointed topics addressed (why do only the ghosts of the unhappy, and their victims seem to manifest and what is the logic there? If heaven is so wonderful that beneficent spirits never choose to abandon it to comfort the living, doesn't this imply something worse?) and the story builds to a nicely "passive" sense of menace, and ends on the question of moral responsibility over the evidence left from evil acts. Sure, it's a bit too long (the house description seems designed so that you could blueprint the place) but it would probably make a great BBC TV Movie.
"The Queen Of Beauty" by E.H. Visiak has Stella (wealthy, young, beautiful and orphaned), her platonic friend Henry (a writer and amateur philosopher) and Krishna Rao (a neighboring Brahman Indian ascetic) deciding to journey to a "hidden island" (Rao knows its secret location) which is tied to Stella's past. They do so, followed by a frustrated suitor of Stella's, Howland, all while discussing philosophical points about life and beauty and love and "man's carnal nature". While en route, they become stuck in a "Sargasso Sea"-like area of dense marine weeds and are threatened by marine serpents and a giant squid. Attaining the island, they find the native population worship a coral reproduction of a spitting image of Stella... and then Rao makes his subterfuge known... Well. This is an interesting but quite flawed piece - without knowing for sure, it honestly feels "unfinished" in that the story "wraps up" but just kind of stops without the extra verbiage needed for closure. Its strengths are minor: the giant squid part is kinda neat. Its weaknesses are all over the place: it reads like a 1930's nostalgic view of Victorian era stories (Sargasso Sea, White Goddess, men who eschew sexual drives as the "noble" way to live life, scheming Indians who can't be trusted, gestures towards philosophical depth) and structural its very shaky (the Sargasso Sea section takes up a large amount of pages but really serves, outside of ham-fisted symbolic purposes, to just slow the plot down—then the wrap up rushes the ending). Not great work.
In A.C. Benson's "The Uttermost Farthing" - a "hack writer", Hartley, makes friends with the independently wealthy Bendyshe, a strong-willed young man who is intensely interested in the idea of the afterlife, ghosts and spirits. Visiting the man at Hebden Hill, he finds Bendyshe's home (an interesting old building which, having gained a negative reputation, had fallen into disrepair and bought for a song) to be a welcome place to relax and write, but after befriending the local Vicar, he discovers that the house was previously owned by a notorious blackguard who was shunned by local populace and seemed to possess some ability to "curse" individuals. And then Hartley begins to wonder just what is behind Bendyshe's interest in the the truth of ghosts and persistence after death... This is a long, involved story, but not unenjoyable. I had written in my A.C. Benson review for A Wave of Fear: A Classic Horror Anthology that I felt the author's religious background might prove problematic in the telling of effective ghost stories (a feeling that was sustained by some of my previous A.C. Benson reading), but the story there ("Basil Netherby") and this one show a better balance between the beliefs of the faithful and willingness to interrogate the topic at hand - which is even more striking in that his cultural contemporaries were caught up in Spiritism, Theosophy and Psychical "Research". There are some pointed topics addressed (why do only the ghosts of the unhappy, and their victims seem to manifest and what is the logic there? If heaven is so wonderful that beneficent spirits never choose to abandon it to comfort the living, doesn't this imply something worse?) and the story builds to a nicely "passive" sense of menace, and ends on the question of moral responsibility over the evidence left from evil acts. Sure, it's a bit too long (the house description seems designed so that you could blueprint the place) but it would probably make a great BBC TV Movie.
"The Queen Of Beauty" by E.H. Visiak has Stella (wealthy, young, beautiful and orphaned), her platonic friend Henry (a writer and amateur philosopher) and Krishna Rao (a neighboring Brahman Indian ascetic) deciding to journey to a "hidden island" (Rao knows its secret location) which is tied to Stella's past. They do so, followed by a frustrated suitor of Stella's, Howland, all while discussing philosophical points about life and beauty and love and "man's carnal nature". While en route, they become stuck in a "Sargasso Sea"-like area of dense marine weeds and are threatened by marine serpents and a giant squid. Attaining the island, they find the native population worship a coral reproduction of a spitting image of Stella... and then Rao makes his subterfuge known... Well. This is an interesting but quite flawed piece - without knowing for sure, it honestly feels "unfinished" in that the story "wraps up" but just kind of stops without the extra verbiage needed for closure. Its strengths are minor: the giant squid part is kinda neat. Its weaknesses are all over the place: it reads like a 1930's nostalgic view of Victorian era stories (Sargasso Sea, White Goddess, men who eschew sexual drives as the "noble" way to live life, scheming Indians who can't be trusted, gestures towards philosophical depth) and structural its very shaky (the Sargasso Sea section takes up a large amount of pages but really serves, outside of ham-fisted symbolic purposes, to just slow the plot down—then the wrap up rushes the ending). Not great work.
October 8, 2009
A mostly hits collection of scary tales, brought to my attention by another great display put together by colleague Ben. If you only read one of the thirteen tales, "The Final Trick" by John Blackburn is the story to read.
January 4, 2009
This is a wonderful book filled with gruesome, macabre, and spine-chilling tales of a variety of subjects. These are kinda oldendayish, so some parts are slightly confusing. (mild language)
September 10, 2025
[W. H. Allen] (1976). HB/DJ. 1/1. 237 Pages. Purchased from SGOIS (Olland Bookshop).
Hugh Lamb stated, in his Foreword, that only four of the thirteen pieces included were reprints. A change in direction, then:
"Previously I have concentrated on stories from forgotten authors, or forgotten stories from famous authors..." (p. 11.)
For me, though there is some reasonable material, misfires are frequent and - in several instances - pronounced.
In the case of John Blackburn, that was unexpected. His ending 'twist' was utterly predictable.
Ramsay Campbell's contribution was poor, but above his usual low standard. HL was a brilliant anthologist; I find his hyperbolic advocacy of this fifth division hack to be mind-boggling.
A. C. Benson’s novella starts rather well but spirals to an absurd, cheesy denouement.
Michael Sims’ yarn is trope-ridden and features an implausibly intrepid protagonist.
"Manfred’s Three Wishes" is ridiculous.
“Late” is banal and clumsily written:
“…his hair, not his head, was hurting: there were thousands of pinpricks of pain starting in the roots of his hair and extending the length of each individual hair…” (p. 207.)
L. T. C. Rolt shines, as usual.
"Three Shall Meet" – Frederick Cowles [13/20]
"The Fetch" – David Sutton [8/20]
"Manfred’s Three Wishes" – H. F. W. Tatham [4/20]
"From the Tideless Sea" – William Hope Hodgson [12/20]
"Benjamin’s Shadow" – Michael Sims [10/20]
"The Final Trick" – John Blackburn [8/20]
"The Queen Of Beauty" – E. H. Visiak [8/20]
"The Uttermost Farthing" – A. C. Benson [10/20]
"Ash" – Ramsey Campbell [4/20]
"The House of Vengeance" – L. T. C. Rolt [15/20]
"Late" – Les Freeman [4/20]
"The Crab Spider" – Erckmann-Chatrian [4/20]
"Interim Report" – Roger Parkes [4/20]
Brief biographical notes are initially included, in each case.
Hugh Lamb stated, in his Foreword, that only four of the thirteen pieces included were reprints. A change in direction, then:
"Previously I have concentrated on stories from forgotten authors, or forgotten stories from famous authors..." (p. 11.)
For me, though there is some reasonable material, misfires are frequent and - in several instances - pronounced.
In the case of John Blackburn, that was unexpected. His ending 'twist' was utterly predictable.
Ramsay Campbell's contribution was poor, but above his usual low standard. HL was a brilliant anthologist; I find his hyperbolic advocacy of this fifth division hack to be mind-boggling.
A. C. Benson’s novella starts rather well but spirals to an absurd, cheesy denouement.
Michael Sims’ yarn is trope-ridden and features an implausibly intrepid protagonist.
"Manfred’s Three Wishes" is ridiculous.
“Late” is banal and clumsily written:
“…his hair, not his head, was hurting: there were thousands of pinpricks of pain starting in the roots of his hair and extending the length of each individual hair…” (p. 207.)
L. T. C. Rolt shines, as usual.
"Three Shall Meet" – Frederick Cowles [13/20]
"The Fetch" – David Sutton [8/20]
"Manfred’s Three Wishes" – H. F. W. Tatham [4/20]
"From the Tideless Sea" – William Hope Hodgson [12/20]
"Benjamin’s Shadow" – Michael Sims [10/20]
"The Final Trick" – John Blackburn [8/20]
"The Queen Of Beauty" – E. H. Visiak [8/20]
"The Uttermost Farthing" – A. C. Benson [10/20]
"Ash" – Ramsey Campbell [4/20]
"The House of Vengeance" – L. T. C. Rolt [15/20]
"Late" – Les Freeman [4/20]
"The Crab Spider" – Erckmann-Chatrian [4/20]
"Interim Report" – Roger Parkes [4/20]
Brief biographical notes are initially included, in each case.
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May 1, 2017Hardcover
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews