A VELVET OF VAMPYRES: Tales of Horror, by Don Webb. It's a «murder» of crows and a «parliament» of owls. For bats, the genus is «velvet,» and hence also for vampires. We like the older spelling, the one John Polidori gave us when he alerted the world to their presence. They’re here–dominating our dreams, our fears, our media. But what if they aren't boy-band-pretty with diamond sparkly skin? What if they're more dangerous because ...
Ernest Favenc (1845-1908) is a neglected master of Australian supernatural and mystery fiction. Best known for his History of Australian Exploration, 1788-1888, he was also a prolific author and journalist, writing for some of the most popular and important literary journals in colonial Australia. His considerable output is now largely forgotten, even among aficionados of weird and mystery fiction. This book collects thirty-one of Favenc's ...
What do a bullied girl, a Christmas Town elf, a sheriff, and the biblical Job have in common? They're a few of the characters who take center stage in these stories of revenge, comeuppance, and the search for justice. Author Barb Goffman has been shortlisted seven times for national mystery awards (the Anthony, the Macavity, and the Agatha). This collection of fifteen short stories gathers all of her nominated tales, plus five new ones. Be ...
The late Reginald Bretnor (1911-1992) was never a prolific writer – he wrote only a handful of books and about 100 short stories (and more than 120 short-short «Feghoots» under his Grendel Briarton pseudonym) – over a 45-year writing career. In addition to wars, weaponry, and science fiction, Bretnor's broad interests included cats. (And puns. Did we mention the horrible puns?) These subjects are all touched on in this collection. A sly sen ...
In a place where no stars appear in the night sky, a group of strangers whose ancestries reach back to an earlier apocalyptic disaster are brought together to track down a resurrected corpse that might hold the key to the End of the World. Described by science fiction legend Jack Dann as «one of the strangest and most interesting visions to come out of the modern horror/fantasy genres,» acclaimed author Robert Hood's Fragments of a Broken L ...
This volume is a treasure-trove of rare 19th-century macabre stories for lovers of classic fantasy and horror. From ghosts of mind and spirit to paranormal experiences, from exotic Arabian Nights adventures to Deals with the Devil, each story in this volume is sure to delight the discerning reader of classic fantasy and horror. Included are: <P> THE GRAY LADY, by Mary E. Lee<BR> THE EBONY FRAME, by Edith Nesbit<BR> THE DOOM ...
The place: England; the time: the 1880s. Sir Mortimer Brobury dies suddenly, and his son David inherits his title. With his new wife Judith, he moves into Ladygrove Manor, the ancestral home. At first their lives are untroubled–until Judith falls pregnant. Suddenly there's a sinister change in the atmosphere at Ladygrove. An invisible presence prevents Judith from entering the Maze in the Manor gardens–where previously she had wandered free ...
Brian McNaughton's masterful «nasty stories» will shock, amaze, and delight you. From twists upon medieval torture chambers to the weirdest Little Red Riding Hood you'll ever meet, Nasty Stories will take your breath away and hold you rapt: a delightful nightmare of terror and humor in equal parts. Once you've read it, you'll know to be afraid! ...
Earl Derr Biggers (1884-1933) is best remembered as the creator of Chinese detective Charlie Chan.Biggers had always been interested in mystery fiction, but his interest in Hawaii clearly stems from a 1919 vacation in Honolulu. While there, he read a newspaper article on a Chinese detective named Chang Apana. Apana would become the model for Charlie Chan in Biggers' 1925 novel, «The House Without a Key,» and there quickly followed five more ...
