Horror Books

For Hellboy lovers everywhere. Short entertaining adventures with our favorite red investigator.
Well written, with the usual dry humor of Hellboy.

Christopher Golden manages to maintain the good quality of the other two 'Odd' Hellboy anthologies here, this one coming in at 3.61, thanks to another fine lineup. Lansdale at the start, and Mieville at the end, not too shabby at all. Nix, Braunbeck kWilliams and Hambly come up with good stuff, too, and Hughes goes for bizarre but cool in a Farmeresque homage.

A cool cover, too, with Hellboy in Daredevil-style gargoyle pose, and there are Mignola illustrations at the start of stories as an added bonus.

Everything Hellboy continues to be good quality, so those that like the Big Red Guy and friends should definitely give this book a try.

Hellboy Oddest Jobs : 01 Jiving with Shadows and Dragons and Long Black Trains - Joe R. Lansdale
Hellboy Oddest Jobs : 02 Straight No Chaser - Mark Chadbourn
Hellboy Oddest Jobs : 03 Second Honeymoon - John Skipp and Cody Goodfellow
Hellboy Oddest Jobs : 04 Danny Boy - Ken Bruen
Hellboy Oddest Jobs : 05 Strange Fishing In the Western Highlands - Garth Nix
Hellboy Oddest Jobs : 06 Salamander Blues - Brian Keene
Hellboy Oddest Jobs : 07 The Thursday Men - Tad Williams
Hellboy Oddest Jobs : 08 Produce - Amber Benson
Hellboy Oddest Jobs : 09 Repossession - Barbara Hambly
Hellboy Oddest Jobs : 10 In Cupboards and Bookshelves - Gary A. Braunbeck
Hellboy Oddest Jobs : 11 Feet Of Sciron - Rhys Hughes
Hellboy Oddest Jobs : 12 Monster Boy - Steven Volk
Hellboy Oddest Jobs : 13 Evolution and Hellhole Canyon - Don Winslow
Hellboy Oddest Jobs : 14 A Room Of One's Own - China Mieville


Hellboy and a werewolf reverend vs the Obsidian Giant, who has a lot of horror pulp influence to draw on.

4 out of 5


Hellboy has to find Robert Johnson's shoes for a dead-not dead wedding.

3.5 out of 5


Titan family time for Hellboy and the BPRD.

3 out of 5


An ordinary decent criminal, and another problem for Hellboy.

3 out of 5


A Scots doctor gets a fast, druidic initiation as part of his dad's defense unit, and a new big, red fishing buddy.

4 out of 5


Revenge of the mermen means an egg hunt and a lot less pancakes for Hellboy.

3.5 out of 5


BPRD poker story of cross-dimensional defense.

4 out of 5


The tail's the thing, lost in the supermarket, at least until Hellboy notices.

3.5 out of 5


Hellboy has to sort out some sixties demon collecting in Egypt.

4 out of 5


Hellboy is asked for a favour by the Reverend, for some brave children.

4 out of 5


A rogue planet counterpart, ectoplasmic sex rituals with the Carnacki institute, and a Journey To the Centre Of the Earth for Liz and Abe. Plus some help from a dead Philip Jose Farmer, on a long river.

4 out of 5


Working out if King Kong would beat Mothra, then delivering some hand of doom action thanks to Hellboy inspiration.

3 out of 5


Desert attacks for the Big Red Guy.

3 out of 5


Perkins vs James apparition dressmatch, and don't mention the crossdressing, says Hellboy.

4 out of 5

There was little action in this book to recommend it and lots and lots of talk, much of if pretty mindless. I don't know if this book was really obvious or maybe I was just at the top of my game in deduction, because I had this thing pretty much figured out early in the book and the only real surprise was how right I was about the whole plot. Anyway, the plot concerns the near perfect world of Deborah and Steve with their two children. One day Steve disapears and the clues that begin to come out point to Steve being the 'Dark Alley Strangler'. Imagine Deborah's shock when she learns that her husband might be this vicious serial killer. Well, she struggled with it for sure, but in all honesty I thought she didn't take it all that hard. There was little in the amount of depth to any of the characters in the book and the friends around to assist Deborah in her time of need weren't much help and/or comfort. Joe was a mystery to me. Evan was shallow. Pete was shallower and Barbara...why was she even in the book? This is my first Carlene Thompson book and I was not completely turned off by it, so I will probably give her another chance, but I hope her other works are better than this. In my opionion, if ever a book modeled what a three star rating is all about, this is it. Not great - Not terrible, but nothing special. This is an okay read.

I always like to order from Amazon.com. I have never had a problem of any kind with Amazon or the sellers. The packages are always in good condition and arrive in a timely fashion. This order was no exception. Everything was great! Vicky McCollum

The first book I read of Carlene Thompson was "The Way You Look Tonight" and I was immediately hooked, I went to a used bookstore to find a couple of her books that were out of print and bought all the rest new. I am waiting for her next one. Her books are the only one's I have to pre-order. The only problem I have with her books is I loose a lot of sleep (I cannot put them down once I start).

This is the 5th book I've read by Thompson and it was great. I was surprised by the ending, and although the characters were without real depth, the plot and suspense make up for it. Also good by Thompson-In the Event of My Death, Black for Remembrance, If She Should Die, and Since You've Been Gone.

All of her books are great. One of the best things about her books,is that they are losely set in real towns.

I've enjoyed other Clive Barker works. Recently a fellow teacher recommended The Thief of Always as a read aloud. I needed something that would keep the students interested and open them up to new ideas. This book fits that bill.

I just finished reading it myself and I can't wait to read it to them. I was hanging on every chapter; I think the students will be as well.

Once again Clive Barker has taken me on an amazing journey, perfect for adults and children (10+) alike. Definate recommendation.

Ten-year-old Harvey is bored. He is sitting in his bedroom one February afternoon, watching the rain outside, feeling as bored as he's ever felt. He feels like he might die of boredom. Then, to his surprise, a little person flies through his window. This little man promises Harvey a wonderful vacation where he'll have lots and lots of fun--as long as he doesn't ask any questions. Harvey isn't quite sure about going with the man.

However, a week later, the man shows back up and Harvey decides that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to go with him just for a little while. So Harvey walks with him across town through a high wall that isn't really a wall, into a place of magic. Here, at the Holiday House, everyone gives Harvey everything he's ever wanted. Every day holds all of the seasons--in the morning it's like springtime, in the afternoon it's summer, in the early eveing it's fall and time to go trick-or-treating, and in the later evening it's winter and Christmastime. There are two other children there with Harvey--Wendell and Lulu. Lulu, though, has started to go a little bit crazy, so Harvey and Wendell don't spend much time with her.

Harvey intends to only stay at the Holiday House for a few days, but after a couple of reassuring phone calls to his parents when they tell him they want him to stay, he begins to relax. However, he shouldn't relax too much. There are some strange things going on at the Holiday House that aren't fun and exciting. Will Harvey figure out what is going on in time to escape?

I liked the whole idea of the Holiday House--what a perfect vacation spot for little children! I also liked the characters of Rictus, Jive, Marr and Carna. They embodied all characteristics that would be useful for keeping children there. I thought a couple of things weren't believable, though. Harvey seemed to have an undue attachment to Lulu. He barely even knew her, but he was very concerned about her, more so than most ten-year-olds would be. I also didn't buy Harvey's thievery toward the end of the story. It seemed less possible than the rest of the story.

A ten-year-old boy named Harvey, bored with his life, falls to the wiles of a seductively welcoming being named Rictus, and becomes a guest at a seemingly wondrous place called Holiday House. At Holiday House, each fun-filled day contains four seasons: and seasons at their very best. The springtime which comes each morning ushers in blossoming flowers and explosions of greenery; the summers that fill the afternoons are always those rare perfect kind one experiences but a few times in the school-less, cloud-less summertime of youth; the autumns that ripens as evening sets in sees the trees dyed with bright colors, as the air cools and the breeze smells sweetly of the bounty of unseen fields. And then winter takes over the night, cold, crisp, perfect for sleeping-in or sitting beside a crackling fire. It's all too good to be true---which of course it is.

Clive Barker's dark fantasy, part fairy tale and part horror story, is clearly intended as a vehicle for appreciative adults to rekindle some of the lost themes of childhood, when the world was simultaneously magical and threatening. In this the imaginative Liverpudlian nearly succeeds. The one serious flaw in The Thief of Always is the same one I've found in nearly everything Clive Barker has written, and that is...as best I can describe it...his story lacks a soul. I don't know any other way to put it. This registers in the ease with which Barker's characters can later be put out of mind, and the acceptance one experiences when something terrible happens to someone we've just spent the last however-many pages reading about. I know legions of Barker fans won't agree with me there, but I have always sensed that about Clive Barker's works, be it The Books of Blood, The Damnation Game, Weaveword, Cabal, or even here, in what was mostly a charming, dark little story.

The Thief of Always is good, it's just not THAT good. It's like a trip through a shattered looking glass; it's flat in a few spots, it's neither character nor plot-driven, and it rushes past far too fast in places where I found myself wishing we could linger. Where Bradbury or King might have gotten the dark fantasy elements right in a tale like this and rendered The Thief of Always an everlasting classic, Barker is just not up to the task.

The Great Grey Beast of February has imprisoned Harvey Swick and the young boy is bored to death. How will he ever survive that dreadfully dull period between New Year and Easter? Contemplating his misery, Harvey discovers that he is not alone in his room. Indeed a somewhat strange and scrawny figure is standing in the corner. The man makes himself known as Mr. Rictus and invites Harvey to the Holiday House. And true, Harvey does not believe his eyes: the house is filled with all the pleasures a boy can want. Delicious food, many friends, tons of toys, every day Christmas. What more do you need? Of course there is a price to be paid, but young Harvey Swick, bored with his life and beguiled by the wonders of the Holiday House, does not stop to consider the consequences. Only when he discovers that he is no longer a guest, but a prisoner does Harvey start to react. But maybe it is already too late...

Clive Barker's first attempt at writing a book for a younger audience does not go by unnoticed. As Clive is known for his very dark and fantastic tales, he indeed uses these talents to draw a magnificent place where many children surely would love to hide. But with the same zeal he deconstructs the dream and craftily let the evil seep into the story. Of course the villains are not as dark and disturbed as in his adult novels, but still he manages to portrait a series of characters that would enjoy taking permanent residence in the dreams of the younger ones.

One critique that might pop up is that the setting of the story is so rich that it begs for more than one episode. After reading the story, so many things are left untold that it leaves you wanting for more. Even the narrative itself is extremely concise with its twenty-six chapters counting on average not more than six pages each. It would probably not have hurt if more details were introduced in order to make the environment even more exciting and colorful. Nevertheless the story is exciting enough to get the stamp of a must-read. And please, do not worry if you think you are too old to read this book. You never are!

Matheson is one of the all-time greats, but this edition is just terrible. Typos galore, cheap paper, poor quality ink - Matheson deserves a lot better than this! Five-star stories, but a one-star edition. Shame on the editor, press, and publisher!

This author is plugged by one of my favorite authors, Stephen King. I enjoyed some of these stories, but just because you like Stephen King, that does not mean you will necessarily like these. Most are weird, with sci-fi endings that seem tacked on. Not bad.

I have read all three of the volumes in this collection. I must say that this collection is so poorly edited, that I find it impossible to believe that it was edited at all.

The excellence of Matheson's work has caused it to be melded into the very culture of America. Some of the stories here were adapted to serve as episodes of the television series, Amazing Stories, Night Gallery, and the Twilight Zone.

The poor editing of this collection, or, rather, the lack of editing, certainly does not pay a worthy tribute to such a great and culturally significant writer.

I always like to describe Richard Matheson as the best writer whose work you know but whose name you don't. Certainly, his name as not been as big as some of the people he's influenced such as Stephen King, but his work is unforgettable. Movies that have been based on his work include the very recent I Am Legend (previously filmed as The Last Man on Earth and the Omega Man), The Incredible Shrinking Man, Somewhere in Time, Stir of Echoes, Hell House and What Dreams May Come. Beyond those are the TV adaptations, including a number of Twilight Zones, Trilogy of Terror and Duel. Then there are his screenplays, most notably his work for Roger Corman with the Poe movies.

Collected Stories, Volume 1 (of 3) has a couple dozen of Matheson's earliest short stories, and while not every story is a classic, there is also not a dud in the bunch. I can't describe them all, but some of the highlights include stories that would later become Twilight Zone episodes: Third From the Sun (about a couple families fleeing into space from a worldwide disaster), Death Ship (about space explorers who come across a crashed spaceship with a disturbing surprise inside), Little Girl Lost (about a young child falling into another dimension) and Long Distance Call (involving an invalid old lady receiving mysterious phone calls).

Those may be the more familiar stories, but there are other gems as well, including Matheson's first story, Born of Man and Woman, a child's story of maltreatment by his parents. Blood Son involves another child, this one whose sole aspiration is to become a vampire; F--, a science fiction story of a future era where food is no longer not consumed, its very mention is considered obscene; Mad House, about a man whose rage eventually poisons his very home; Shipshape Home, about an apartment complex with a strange janitor and stranger things in the basement; and The Disinheritors, a twist on the Goldilocks story. And there are many more stories as well.

Nowadays, when many short stories are artistic slice-of-life stories with more style than substance, Matheson's stories may come off as old-fashioned, but I'll take them there straightforward brilliance any day over more literary efforts. This book is a bag of candy, a whole collection of wonderful treats; and even better, there are two more volumes to go!

Before the newly released version of "I am Legend" with Will Smith, i never heard of Richard Matheson. However after seeing the movie and reading a few of his stories i am convinced that the man is a great and compelling writer.

I have never been a fan of reading short stories because i always felt that there was never enough time to get to know the characters that you are reading about. However after reading this authors writing i was blown away at how in just a few lines you can be totally absorbed in the little world that you are currently holding in your hands.

Of course some of his stories are better then others but when you have so many stories collected in one amazing volume (25+!!!)thats bound to happen. One feature that i really enjoyed was that after every story your given a small paragraph by the author giving you some sort of history of the story. For example after reading one story he explains how he originally wrote that story on a single sheet of yellow legal pad paper as he walked down the block, and he sold the story to a magazine company for $ 50. Again just a neat little bit of info.

I also never know that i was already aware of his excellent story telling abilities. Many of the stories written in this volume and in 2 and 3 respectively, have made it to film in the form of "Twilight Zone" TV episodes.

In regards to the reviewer that gave this book a single star for poor grammar and editing, i have to say i failed to notice such mistakes. There are a few stories were it is written from the perspective of a child(or a creature with child like intellect), in these stories the grammar and spelling is made to reflect the persons state of mind and as such is written in a child like sentence structure( poor grammar and obvious spelling errors). Aside from these stories i failed to find any mistakes.

Over all this is a great book by a great author with only one problem: it is very hard to put down!!!

i had never heard of THOMAS LIGOTTI before purchasing this graphic novel . great buy . the stories and art in this omnibus collection are very literate and involving and very well illustrated . several different artists for several stories . if you're anything like me , you've read a fair amount of POE , too much STEPHEN KING and are groping around for other horror genre authors of merit . i'd read in FANGORIA and other horror publications about good horror writers . problem is , it's my money and everything is subjective . here's a terrific scary writer who's graphic book is not enough . all i've really thought about , on many occasions , is how much this book makes me want to read MR. LIGOTTI's book(s) . i'd tried KOONTZ (o.k.) , but LIGOTTI looks like the real deal . that's the greatest praise i can give . i think it was the goal . i'm hooked . start here and see what you think .

Sorry, but I didn't like it.
The same problem as with Lovecraft and other horror authors.
It just didn't succeed in horrifying me.
I've decided to stop reading this genre. They are better represented in movies.

To me, Ligotti's "stories" have always revolved around ideas, moods and suggestiveness, with an evocative use of language. Not the best combination for graphic storytelling. Still, these adaptations are impressive, at least in their artwork and their audacity!

The narratives are certainly watered downed, naturally. One of the things that has always intrigued me about H. P. Lovecraft and similar writers is their use of suggestion. This allows the reader to fill in many of his/her own blanks, as many critics have observed. No two readers will read the same story the same way when filling in those blanks. I find Ligotti to be in that fine tradition, so I can't recommend this volume too highly. It is interesting to see how at least one or two persons filled in those blanks, however (the writer and illustrator).

Ligotti has long been my favorite "horror writer." I was shocked to actually find this on the bookshelves of BOTH the big chain stores here in town. I hope this does well, because I would love to see another adaptation.

The only quibble I have with the whole package is the McKeever art for "Dr. Locrian's Asylum," but I've never been partial to his work. Still, that did not effect my enjoyment of the adaptation.

My favorite two Ligotti stories, "Dream of a Manniken" (the story that introduced me to Ligotti, I read in in an anthology and was instantly hooked and immediately bought the hardcover of "songs of a dead dreamer", and "Teatro Grotesco" are in this collection. Both are excellently adapted and rendered. "The Last Feast of Harlequin" is the first story in this collection, and the art is wonderful in it as well. Overall, the artists brought their A game, and the whole package is very atmospheric. AND Ligotti writes brand-new introductions to each story.

The price tag, $17.99, was a bit steep for my taste (I'm a full time student) but it's Ligotti-related, so I was bound and determined to buy it. FOX Atomic is supposedly watching the sales of this to see if maybe they might look into other Ligotti ventures. While I know it's a pipe dream, a Ligotti-scripted movie (there already is one, the wonderful "Crampton" co-written with Brandon Trenz, an expanded version of a script they wrote for the X Files years ago (and it would have made for the best episode of any of that show's last four seasons)) maybe in my lifetime???

If you like this, and Ligotti, I suggest also hunting down a copy of "In a Foreign Town, In a Foreign Land," which is a series of short short stories he wrote and which David Tibet of Current 93 composed suitably chilly music to listen to while reading it.

Thomas Ligotti is really one of the best-kept secrets in the horror field. He's almost a throwback to supernatural writers of days gone by who could scare you without having to resort to blood & guts. Besides that, Ligotti is a fellow Detroiter and I've recently found we attended the same college, Wayne State University. He must be a great guy! Fox Atomic Comics has released an original graphic novel based on several of Ligotti's short stories featuring art by some of the best in the business: Ben Templesmith, Ted Mckeever, Michael Gaydos, and Colleen Doran. Ligotti's stories are adapted by writers Stuart Moore and Joe Harris and Ligotti provides and introduction to each of the four stories in this volume.

"The Last Feast of Harlequin" is a Lovecraft-inspired story very much in the same vein as "The Shadow Over Innsmouth". Here we have another strange old small town with creepy and rather unfriendly inhabitants who harbor a dark lineage. An anthropologist, who serves as the story's narrator, comes to the town of Mirocaw for their annual winter festival. The man has a rather unsettling fetish with clowns and wants to participate in the festivities by dressing in his own clown costume. He finds himself shunned by the townspeople despite his best efforts to fit in with the festivities. He'll soon find he has a dark connection to the others dressed in their bizarre clown make-up. Best story of the book by far I thought. Lovecraft influenced but with Ligotti's own flair and possibly a central character even more off balance than those love ol' Lovecraft.

"Dream of a Mannikin" features the best art in the book, courtesy of 30 Days of Night artist, Ben Templesmith. Weird dreams of manikins haunt the sleep of a therapist and his patient that soon have you questioning their sanity and their very existence. Templesmith is a genius in the use of colors and shading to evoke feelings and create an air of terror.

"Dr. Locrian's Asylum" is almost as good as "The Last Feast of Harlequin" as the curse of an old, abandoned mental hospital is released on the residents of a town when they finally tear down the old building. Horrifying images soon begin to appear throughout the town in windows where there should be no people. McKeever's caricaturist style is well-suited to the story. You get the feeling right from the beginning that there is something just not right about the town and McKeever manages to capture that sensation in his artwork.

Only the last story, "Teatro Grottesco" left me a little flat. This is an extremely odd take about the appearance of something called the Teatro and those artists that seek it out, or are themselves, sought out by the Teatro. It was all a little too existential for me but the painted artwork by Michael Gaydos was superb.

The horror scene in comics keeps getting better and better all the time and if Fox Comics and continue to put out fantastic titles like "The Nightmare Factory" they will be a force to be reckoned with...

REVIEWED BY TIM JANSON

In short, I've read a lot of Edward Lee's books and this
one is at the top of the list...so far. If you have a taste for
the weird, you gotta read this one. Go ahead...I dare ya!

This is actually one of Lee's best books, and it is supposed to be reprinted in hardcover by Necro Press very soon. It's a shame this one is so hard to find when "Messenger" and "Monstrosity" are still in print.

In this one Philip Straker (Lee's pen name for his first two novels) is a down and out cop (the best kind) who leaves the big city to go to a small town police department. He is placed undercover and ends up in a strip bar which features Creeker girls. Creekers, for those that don't know, are rednecks who are inbred to the point that they look like Thalidomide babies. These girls, with their missing and deformed limbs, work at a strip club that doubles for illegal operations that involve higher ups in the community. Straker gets wise, and he is warned to back off. He must now decide whether to back off or to alienate himself with the entire town.

Chock full of the trademark Lee sex and violence, this features names drawn from other Lee works, and references that true Lee fans will appreciate. Hopefully this will be reprinted soon, as the original printing is very scarce.

Edward Lee is one of my favorite Horror Writer's. I haven't read a book of his yet that I have not loved, and Creekers has to be one of his best stories to date.

Creekers are a family of outcasts that live in the woods outside the small town of Crick City. They are a mysterious clan that has been inbreeding for centuries. They are hideously deformed with blood red eyes.

Phil Straker a homicide cop has come back to the town of his childhood in hopes of solving a bunch of gruesome murders that have been taken place in Crick City. There are rumors flying around that the Creekers are the ones responsible, and he is determined to bring them to justice. He has no idea what he about to get himself into.

I could not put Creekers down. I was glued to it the moment I started. I devoured it in two nights, and hated to see it end. It is an original story full of Blood, Guts, and Sex. There are scenes that will have your stomach churning, and heart racing.


Creekers is a must read for any fan of Lee's work. I was happy to see that it is reprint. Now more people will get a chance to read one of the best stories Lee has ever written.

5 Stars

Don't Miss "Afterward," a Great Ghost Story, June 15, 2007

Note: I made some Mormon reader angry over my negative reviews of books written by Mormons out to prove the Book of Mormon, and that person has been slamming my reviews as almost soon as they are posted. Oh, well.

Your "helpful" votes are appreciated. Thanks, and note that a short review is not necessarily a bad review if it leads you to some great stories.

I read "Afterward," a 40-page story, many years ago, and I wrote "Good!" by it in the table of contents.

Another great story of the supernatural is the "Willows," by Algernon Blackwood (not in this collection, of course). Both of these stories are highly recommended, but I won't ruin the stories by saying much about them. They are "short stories," after all.

Check out my other longer reviews. Your comments--positive or negative--are appreciated. Read the "Willows" wherever you can find it. Thanks.

The impact of these stories may hit you long after you've read them. These are stories you don't forget, yet you're compelled to reread them. Edith Wharton has given us one of the most delightful ghost story collections I've ever read. It is the characters that make an impression. Long after you've put the book down, they come back to you...

The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton. Highly recommended.

I was unaware that Edith Wharton, known for such insightful novels as The Age of Innocence, The House of Mirth, and Ethan Frome (as well as the popular movies these novels inspired), had indulged in writing ghost stories other than "Afterward" until I found this collection. In Ghost Stories, Wharton reveals her mastery of the psychology of horror-where ghosts terrify through their oblique influence on the human mind and emotion-and where these human foibles create their own horrors.

Wharton's ghosts take many forms-from the loyal retainer in "The Lady's Maid's Bell" to the loyal retainers of a different sort in "Kerfol"; from the guilt behind "The Eyes" to the guilt recognised "Afterward"; from the mysterious "Mr. Jones" to the ghostly and ghastly "Miss Mary Pask." Some of these visitations are not seen, or, in the case of "Kerfol," even heard. They fulfill various functions: To protect the secrets of the past, to bring the secrets of the past to light, to warn the present about the future, and to remind the living of the dead.

Like the best ghost story writers, Wharton begins each tale with a scenario that seems ordinary enough. Early on, she drops subtle clues that build from a feeling that something is somewhat amiss up to a sense of fractured reality that shatters one's assumptions. Wharton masterfully creates ironic twists ("Miss Mary Pask"), innocent victims (the wife in "Afterward"), and nontraditional ghosts ("The Eyes," "Kerfol"). In many cases, the reader is one step ahead of the narrator or protagonist (Hitchcock's definition of suspense), creating a delicious sense of inevitable, unavoidable doom.

If you are looking for the gore and thrills of today's tale of horror, you will not find them in Wharton's work. If, on the other hand, you appreciate the subtle, growing sense of terror that M. R. James insinuates into The Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, you'll discover the same feeling of the fine line between this world and another that can manifest itself at any time and in any way when the need arises. These are stories to be read, savored, and read again-alone, of course.

Diane L. Schirf, 28 December 2003.

Edith Wharton is an acknowleged giant of the fiction novel. But this particular book of hers needs to come complete with a disclaimer. I would suggest: DON'T EXPECT TO READ THE AVERAGE GHOST STORY HERE. My one negative thing to say about this book is actually a positive. I could only read one of these stories at a time because I had to think one story over before I went on to the next . My tendency is to sit down with a book and read it cover to cover with minor stops along the way for everyday life to intervene. I have been reading this book for over a week now because each story makes me stop after I have read it to have a nice long thinking session regarding what I have just read. I loved that.

My favorite story of the eleven story collection is titled, "Afterward". The title means that a person did not know if they had met the ghost at Lyng in Dorsetshire until long, long afterward. A superb rendering of a mystery which began so quietly that Mary Boyne didn't even know she was involved in it until it was too late.

Another favorite is "Kerfol" which takes place in Brittany and involves a pack of dogs and how they got where they were. Or were they there at all?

And then there is "Bewitched" a masterpiece which made me shiver while reading about the frozen New England winter even though it was 90 degrees outside my house. Wharton's descriptions of the physical appearances of all those involved in this wonderfully frightening tale is straight from the Grant Wood painting American Gothic, except with all the wintery background painted in by Edith Wharton.

Very highly recommended. These are not the modern man's ghost stories even though they were published in 1973. Some have no resolution, you have to decide for yourself how you think the situation ended. Some may not seem like ghost stories at all until you think about them afterward. Some are like those odd occurrances which make you wonder if you really got all your information straight and if you might, just might, be imagining things. A bonus for me were the black and white drawings which accompanied each story. The writing is wonderful but I had expected that from Edith Wharton. What I had not expected was to be so totally engrossed.

When I saw this collection in the book store, I was intrigued because, although I'm not a fan of Edith Wharton's, I do admire her skills as a writer. The stories themselves are good, well plotted, have good characterizations, are compelling, etc.; however, they aren't typical ghost stories. Some of them don't even involve ghosts, and still others offer little explination to the nature of the ghost, i.e. why they are still around. While they are creepy at times, they didn't really scare me. Some might argue that I, as a 24 year-old young woman, exposed to countless graphic horror films, such as the Scream series, might simply be desensitized to the subtleness of Wharton's stories (as some of the other reviewers have described them), but I'd have to disagree because I scare very easily - the Harry Potter books gave me a fright, so you can just imagine. So if you are looking for a good scare, I'd look elsewhere. But if you're looking for good stories and/or you're an Edith Wharton fan, then I recommend this book.

This essay attempts and succeeds at explaining why horror literature fascinates our culture. I myself had wondered why people write in this genre,and why is that we can enjoy a seemingly strange area of fiction.

I espically recommend this book to any person who is new to horror,and would like to learn about it. Even thought this book is written in a scholarly manner I think the language is down to earth for most any person to read (One final note: If the author is reading this review,please emai me back!)

The book is an excellent resource for people who love the horror genre. It analyzes the elements of "art horror," in a step-by-step approach. The author strives to explore two questions- 1. why that which we know is not real still frightens us, and 2. why we like to be terrified. The author gives a history of art horror and focuses mainly on the classics (like Frakenstein, Nosferatu, The Shining, etc.) She writes an incredibly in depth primer discussing a very wide range of topics, all in great detail. My main problem with the text is that at times, it is way too in depth, and many times this drudgery is on irrelevant topics. For example, the author spends an entire chapter (80 pages) devoted solely to the purpose of defining horror. From a scholarly perspective, this explanation is great because it defines the art horror genre while leaving no stone unturned, and no gray areas about it. For the casual reader, the text can become dull and redundant. The book was created specially for the education of film students, so I would not recomend it for someone on the lookout for a vibrant and engrossing read.

This essay attempts and succeeds at explaining why horror literature fascinates our culture. I myself had wondered why people write in this genre,and why is that we can enjoy a seemingly strange area of fiction.

I espically recommend this book to any person who is new to horror,and would like to learn about it. Even thought this book is written in a scholarly manner I think the language is down to earth for most any person to read.

This is a philosophical and psychological look at why people love to experience the horror film (and novel). It teaches people how to understand the dynamics of film making and how simple techniques are used to fool our conscious (and unconscious) mind.

If you were short on money for the bus, and it was nearing the time to catch the last one before you were stuck in dark, dreary Magwhite for the night, what would you do? Ryan, Josh and Chelle decide to pull some coins out of an old well so that they can have enough change for bus fare. No one will ever know, and their parents will be furious if they're not home soon.

But as early as the next day, things start getting weird. Ryan notices a wart on his hand that soon becomes two, and three, and more than he can count. He has a strange recurring dream in which his warts open up and become eyeballs. Chelle just can't keep her mouth shut --- except that instead of speaking her own mind, she seems to be telling her friends what everyone around her is thinking.

Ryan, Josh and Chelle eventually realize what has happened to them. They've stolen coins not from any old well, but from a wishing well! Now they are channeling the wishers' thoughts. With a little research, they figure out that the well spirit wants them to grant the wishes belonging to the coins they stole.

As if it's not hard enough to grant wishes for people they can't locate, Ryan and Chelle also find conflict with Josh, who doesn't understand why he isn't entrusted with a new skill like his two friends have.

What follows is a delightful and cleverly woven adventure with just the right mix of fantasy and reality. In the vein of the Harry Potter series, WELL WITCHED lets the children guide the story, and they are definitely resourceful and smart enough to do it. This book will appeal to a variety of readers, from mystery and adventure lovers to fantasy fanatics. The plot is surprisingly dark, which keeps the reader even more intrigued and invested in the story and its characters.

A side storyline involving Josh, who was adopted as a baby, was a little strange in what it seemed to promote, though it was tied up logically. I thought it was slightly offensive to use adoption as motivation for the malicious character he becomes, but it did resolve the story because of that.

All things considered, WELL WITCHED is the best children's fantasy I've read in the post-Harry Potter world. I look forward to more books by the talented Frances Hardinge.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Hannah Gómez

This appears to be originally published as "Verdigris Deep" (a more suitable title than "Well Witched"). It's a great twist on an old theme. I haven't read her first novel (yet), so I didn't come into this book with any expectations. It's a delightfully twisted tale of three adolescents caught up in a chain of events leading them down a dark path. In addition to being a great adventure tale, this book deals well with issues of family and parental conflict.

I quite looked forward to reading this book as tween & teen fantasy has been really excellent in recent years. While there is nothing wrong with this particular story, one is not swept away in the tale as in The Goose Girl, Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale or even finds the laughter present in Skulduggery Pleasant.

Three children make the mistake of taking coins used by locals to make wishes. They are made to pay in unexpected ways -- and it's just OK. The author pulled a punch at the end, shying away from a character decision that might have elevated the book. The title is a bit of a misnomer as well - no witches in this story.

Three friends miss the bus. Their tickets are not valid for the next bus and they have no money. They can't call their parents, because they are not supposed to be where they are.

Instead, Josh takes money from the wishing well to pay for the bus tickets.

Little does he know that a witch haunts the well and that she will demand payback. They must use their new powers to grant wishes made with the monies.

However, things begin to go very wrong.

A unique tale, WELL WITCHED examines the realization of magical powers and how quickly they can get out of hand.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

I've been around the block when it comes to loving first time authors, if you know what I mean. That pretty little debut novel comes out and suddenly you can't stop talking about it. You proselytize "your" find to the high hills in an attempt to convince the world around you that what you have here is pure unadulterated gold. Then the author's second book comes out and inevitably the crush fades. You notice flaws in the new book. It could never live up to the pristine glory that was the author's first title, so you swallow your disappointment and move on with your life. Now in 2006 there was a little novel by the name of Fly by Night that came from first-time writer Frances Hardinge. People who know me know that I was head over heels for that title. And when I received her second book to be published in America, Well Witched I knew that I was either going to see lightning strike twice or be deeply disappointed. And what I found made me reevaluate my take on Hardinge's writing, but in a good way. A very different beastie from her first outing, Well Witched has a slow start but once the action starts hopping it becomes a heady examination of power, wishes, and whether or not it's fair to label something evil if it's merely misunderstood or out of place.

Well what would you have done? Here they were, stranded in a small village that they were NOT supposed to be visiting in the first place, and Ryan, Josh, and Chelle had just missed the cheap bus out. Now they'd have to scrounge up some money for the heftier fare, and where on earth were they supposed to do that? Really, when you think of it, it was only logical rob the wishing well. Right? I mean, it's not like it was going to miss the dough. But then, soon after, strange things start happening to the three kids. Josh seems to affect everything around him electrically. Chelle starts speaking the thoughts of certain people she's near. And Ryan's got these warts on his hands. Innocent at first and then... less so. It soon becomes clear that the three are under the thrall of the spirit that lives deep inside the well and they have a job to do. For each coin they took they must make that coin's wish come true. At first it's fun stuff like getting someone a motorcycle or helping them fall in love. Soon, though, it becomes clear that even if the wishes are death and dismemberment, they must help the wishers achieve their desires. And when one of the three starts taking the job a little too seriously, there are consequences involved that none of them could foresee.

At first, you're not sure why you're getting everything from the point of view of Ryan. It's like reading a Harry Potter book and finding that you're inside the brain of Ron the entire time. Ryan is Josh's right-hand man. He's not particularly brilliant or funny. He's just a normal guy and it's JOSH that's the star of the show. As the story continues, however, it becomes clear that Ryan has a streak of good old-fashioned decency that will get him through this experience with a lot less damange than Josh.

I admit to you right now that when I began reading the book I was disappointed by the plodding pace. Maybe "plodding" is too strong a term. Let's call it "purposeful" then. It takes a while to get going. I liked learning about Ryan's family and that kind of stuff, but the other two main characters didn't gel for me. Even the powers the three receive were okay, but I didn't really get into them. It wasn't until the characters started to get proactive, going out there, finding wishers, and making wishes come true that the pace picked up. And when the villains of the piece started showing their true colors and the morality of what they were doing was called into question, then I found I couldn't put it down. The story's basically a roller coaster ride. If you can sit through the slow trip upwards, the downhill plunge is worth your hard earned cash.

Technically it's a fantasy novel but you might also be able to call it a horror. There elements in this book that screenwriters would kill to rip-off if they knew about them. I mean, what would happen if you opened your eyes in front of the mirror and found that your reflection had kept its own closed? And what's more, when those eyelids DID open, what if they released gushing torrents of murky water? Consider too the warts on Ryan's hands. I don't want to give anything away, but imagine waking up in the middle of the night, looking at your hands, and seeing lines of hairs running through the center of each wart. I'd have nightmares about that, if my brain was smart enough to think it up on its own. Mind you, I don't think that these elements make the book inappropriate for children. Just bear in mind that there are psychological elements that play on our fears rather than our fantasies in this story.

Hardinge is the queen of the description. Nobody matches her in this respect. Nobody. Listen to some of these lines as they appear throughout the story:

"Chelle was biting her lower lip, her upper lip pulling down to a point, like a little soft beak."

"I hate scars and things, they make my stomach feel like it's unpeeling..."

". . . and it's tricky because she always makes me feel like, well, you know what it's like, when somebody's watching you and you can feel it like dead leaves down the back of your sweater. . . "

"She had big, vague eyes and a big, vague smile, and was always very busy in the way that a moth crashing about in a lampshade is busy."

"There was a pause while his brain hopped back and actually heard what Ryan had said."

"... this was different, and this was hate. This had brewed itself to a blackness like ink."

Regarding shopping carts: "Ryan had always thought that carts had far too much body language for objects with no heads or limbs."

Harding is also able to point out things about a person that we recognize without having thought of them before. Like when you pray to God in such a way that you hope that God would be impressed by your bravery. She gets people and the little crazy things that make us human. It makes her inhuman water spirit all the more frightening when you couple that kind of pitiless sense of black and white against humans and their charming flaws. The spirit doesn't care if people make bad wishes or want to take them back later. All she cares about is granting them. I like books where human characters encounter someone alien and you feel that distance and that strangeness.

The redemption of Chelle is one of the finest things about this book. In fact, when you think about it, the whole novel is about redemption. Nobody in this story is really "evil" even though incredibly evil things occur or almost occur. And I was as gung-ho to see the bad guy get it as anyone, but Hardinge doesn't play by those rules. This isn't a book that's going to merrily kill a character for sport. Death is a desperate dangerous thing, and everyone in this book knows it.

There are things that don't make sense, a slow start, and some lines that don't work with the rest of the text, but on the whole Hardinge's book is captivating reading. The central idea is that when we wish, we aren't wishing for what we really want. We're wishing for the outer shiny layer, not the nut of the wish. Hardinge prefers nuts, and by the end of this book you will too. A scintillating tale worth discovering.