I am SO looking forward to this tome. I found it in a outlet store for $6 and grabbed it as fast as I could. Stories from some of my favorites (Harlan Ellison's "Whimper of Whipped Dogs" plus a couple from Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, HP Lovecraft and one from Philip K. Dick) as well as from people who I need to read/read more of (Nathaniel Hawthorne, Clive Barker, I think Robert Bloch is also in here). If this is as good as it claims to be, I will be using it when I teach my Horror Short Fiction class again.--------What a collection! Definitely worth any price you find it for (it's only $20 off of Amazon). What makes this so wonderful are not the stories from the well-known authors (although King's third entry in here, "Crouch End" is one of his best works period) bur rather from those who aren't normally recognized. Karl E. Wagner's "Sticks" is easily one of the best short stories I've ever read and "If Damon Comes" actually truly scared a bunch of hardened students (people who looked at lots of random horror movies and thought nothing of them). Sure, there are some clunkers in here (the choice for Henry James does not fit in the order that it was put in, for instance). There are also some that most readers will not admit into the horror genre ("The Yellow Wallpaper," "The Beautiful Stranger" by Shirley Jackson, and "Something For Us Tempanauts" by Philip K. Dick), but in the context of the section, they can allow for a great discussion on how the themes of horror stories are found in other types of writing. Overall, something that everyone should at least look at if not read. A great introduction to a deep genre and the type of book that will make those interested look for even more.
What's most interesting to me are the entries in this collection by author's who are not well known for writing horror (William Faulkner! Charles Dickens!). I haven't even finished reading the whole book yet and I feel strongly that it deserves a five star rating. This book is absolutely essential to anyone interested in the genre of horror. If there were going to be a college course on horror, I would highly recommend this book as the text.If I have a complaint, it would be that the work printed here by some of my favorites (King, Barker) isn't some of their best work. I am a Clive Barker junkie and can think of several stories by him better than the offering herein (though it is possible that the editor wanted to shy away from some of his gorier tales). I also find it unnecessary that Stephen King gets three stories in this tome while other writers are woefully neglected. Where is the Robert R. McCammon? Or Dan Simmons ("The River Styx Runs Upstream" is touted right and left as one of the best horror stories of the past quarter century)?With all of that said, I have never read Harlan Ellison before and will be trying to find some of his work. We have this volume to thank for that.
An excellent collection of shorts/novellas from a wide range of authors. You will find some of the usual suspects-King, Poe, Lovecraft but for me the strength of the collection was the inclusion of so many authors I have heard of but never read. Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Thomas M. Disch, Theodore Sturgeon, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Robert Hitchens, Henry James, Oliver Onions, Joyce Carol Oates and authors you wouldn't normally associate with horror fiction Fritz Leiber, William Faulkner, Gene Wolfe and Philip K. Dick.A few of my favorites;The Autopsy Michael Shea-read it now.Sticks Karl Edward Wagner-a long time favorite of mine.Vandy, Vandy Manly Wade Wellman-Silver JohnThe Yellow Wallpaper Charlotte Perkins Gilman-another unread classic for me.A Rose for Emily William Faulkner-who knew?The Repairer of Reputations Robert W. Chambers-The King in YellowIf you like your horror with nuance and subtlety this is the book for you. If you're looking for gore and entrails look somewhere else.
—Ctgt
I'm not sure why it took me so long to read this book; it is a great collection of a wide variety of horror writers. I think it was a nefarious combination of coming up to stories I've read before, a lack of time, my (lack of) attention span and the fact that it was huge. Lugging around school books doesn't exactly allow for much room (or arm/back strength) for (not so light) reading. It was a book I preferred to leave at home, but that I read in compulsive bursts when I picked it up. I'd earmark this as a definite read for horror buffs, especially those with aspirations of being a writer...but understand it's a substantial hunk of dead tree - plan accordingly.
—Theresa Glover
If you have any interest in horror fiction, The Dark Descent is essential. In fact, if you're new to horror, don't bother with anything else. This compilation will not only introduce some of the best works in short fiction of the last hundred years, but it will do so with a clarity of vision that actually allows you to survey how far we have come and what remains to be explored. Each work in this anthology represents an incredible peak in style and expression that has never been topped regardless of its age, and the editor Hartwell introduces each of these terrors lovingly. I can't tell you how wonderful it was for me to find out about authors like Clive Barker, Robert Aickman, Oliver Onions and many others for the first time in this book. Enjoy the feast of horror!
—Lestat
