Edward E. Kramer (ed) - Dark Destiny

[andydecker]

Edward E. Kramer (ed.) - Dark Destiny (White Wolf Publishing, 1994, 398 pages, this edition paperback, 1995, 479 pages)

John Cobb

Content:

Edward E. Kramer - Foreword
John Mason Skipp - That Evil Stuff Again
Harlan Ellison - Sensible City
James S. Dorr - Dreaming Saturn - poem
Robert Bloch - The Scent of Vinegar
Esther M. Friesner - In the Garden
Bill Crider - "But I Feel the Bright Eyes ..."
Lisa Lepovetsky - Vampire Lovers
Robert Weinberg - In the Forests of the Night
Nancy Holder - Leaders of the Pack
Rick R. Reed - Tool of Enslavement
Alexandra Elizabeth Honigsberg - To Dance - poem
C. Dean Andersson - Small Brown Bags of Blood
Nancy A. Collins - The Love of Monsters
Wayne Allen Sallee - Go Hungry
Rick Hautala - Winter Queen
Edo van Belkom - Lone Wolf
Richard Lee Byers - Night Games
K. Ken Johnston - Touch the Flame
Darrell Schweitzer - One of the Secret Masters
Brian Herbert and Marie Landis - The Bone Woman
Stewart van Allem (Stewart Wieck) - Escobar Falls
Brad Linaweaver Poisoned Dreams
Scott Ciencin - Blood Magic

American publisher White Wolf Publishing came from role-playing games in 1991, one of its biggest succcess was Vampire:The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse. They launched an ambitious publishing program, producing some very well done collections like Michael Moorcock's The Eternal Champion in revised versions, fine hardcovers. But they also did a lot of original horror fiction. The line-up here is pretty good, a lot of well-known writers and a few not so known ones at the time. All new fiction. Bloch's story got him a Stoker Award.

There were three Dark Destiny books.

[dem bones]

Blurb:
Journey with us through the darkest realms of the imagination. Visit a Gothic-Punk world where vampires, werewolves and mages walk among us, though they
remain shrouded from mortal eyes. Visit a world where supernatural forces and creatures have altered the course of history, society and global politics — a world much like our own.
This volume contains twenty-two tales by masters of dark fantasy. Read of Edgar Allan Poe's brush with immortality. Harken back to the time of Odin and learn the true significance the crucifix holds for vampires. Ride with the Prince of Blood on the trail of outlaw werewolves in a postapocalyptic nightmare.

Feb 23, 2022 9:10:10 GMT andydecker said:

American publisher White Wolf Publishing came from role-playing games in 1991, one of its biggest succcess was Vampire:The Masquerade and Werewolf: The Apocalypse. They launched an ambitious publishing program, producing some very well done collections like Michael Moorcock's The Eternal Champion in revised versions, fine hardcovers. But they also did a lot of original horror fiction. The line-up here is pretty good, a lot of well-known writers and a few not so known ones at the time. All new fiction. Bloch's story got him a Stoker Award.

There were three Dark Destiny books.

Had the first Dark Destiny as a library loan at some point, along with Collins, Kramer & Greenberg's Dark Love (which I far preferred). The Bloch's The Scent of Vinegar and Ellison's Sensible City returned soon afterward in Stephen Jones' Best New Horror 6 (1995). Editor Kramer was on a roll until;

Ed Kramer pleads guilty to molestation charges

Anyway, recently found a cheapo pre-battered copy, so;

Bill Crider - "But I Feel the Bright Eyes ...": The heroic undeath of Edgar Allan Poe, whose efforts to expose the Illuminati (aka, the Kindred) via his most horrific stories result in destruction at the fangs of his late lover, Missy. We learn that the Kindred arrived in America from Transylvania in 1694, led by the #1 Nosferatu, Johann Kelpius. This most secret of secret societies have since controlled and manipulated world events to their own evil ends. Story also reveals just who it is lays a rose on Poe's grave every January 19.

I've a feeling this is going to be a very disheartening re-read.

[dem bones]

Rick Hautala - Winter Queen: A private plane en route for Maine from Quebec is brought down in a blizzard. Of passenger and crew, four are killed outright, the solitary woman dies of her injuries, leaving only rock star Alex VanLowe, lead singer with Phobia, snowbound and starving in the National Forest. VanLowe's thoughts turn to the Andes survivors and cannibalism. A six-strong werewolf pack surround the wreckage. Their leader, Lyssa, has a proposition for him ....

Robert Weinberg - In the Forests of the Night: Word reaches Prince Alexander Vargas that a famous Egyptologist, recently returned from a successful expedition to locate the lost city of Enoch, has brought back a phial of Lamech's elixir, the magical cure for the vampire's blood dependency. Vargas wants it, as do the leaders of every rival Clan. McCann, old school Private detective, conspires with a goth punk hooker to cheat the undead of several million in gold.

A decent pulp adventure ruined (for me, at least) by tedious 'Dark World' mythology interruptions - 'The Kine,' 'The Ventrue,' 'The Methuselah,' 'the Kindred,' 'Mages,' 'Gothic Punk' alt-universe ...

Time for me to bail out.