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Post by josecruz on Nov 4, 2011 1:56:57 GMT
Hello sinister scribes, Do you crave classic horror stories? Do you love the musty smell of a paperback anthology containing vintage horror? Stories about creepy old houses, aristocratic vampires, Lovecraftian creatures, and tales of psychological spooks? We wanted to send a shout out to all interested parties who would want to submit pieces in this vein to MAD HOUSE, a new indie mag that's eager to hear the terrifying tales that all you storytellers have to share. In addition to fiction, we're open for nonfiction, poetry, and artwork alike. If you pine after the Universal and Hammer horror films and worship authors like Poe, M.R. James, Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, and many others, than MAD HOUSE is the monster mag for you! Check out our blog for more information and how to contact us. Be careful as you traverse through MAD HOUSE and always keep your hand at the level of your eyes! You never know who you may run into. madhousemag.blogspot.com/
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Post by josecruz on Mar 4, 2010 19:40:29 GMT
Hey Craig
That's my plea for help that you're trying to answer. I don't think this is the site... the one I remember included cover scans and little reviews of each story by the author of the site. Thanks a lot for trying to help.
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Post by josecruz on Mar 3, 2010 19:18:53 GMT
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Post by josecruz on Feb 28, 2010 21:13:19 GMT
Ha ha! That's an amazing cover, demonik! Nothing like pure pulpy goodness to brighten one's day.
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Post by josecruz on Feb 19, 2010 2:58:19 GMT
“BLOODY POLLY” by MICHAEL NORMAN and BETH SCOTT The Story: Polly Brown and her family have just moved into the Kentucky wilderness in 1815 and her father soon turns their cabin into a thriving plantation. When Polly becomes engaged to prospective merchant Harry Geiss, all seems right with the world. That is until Harry turns his attentions to Polly’s beautiful younger sister Frances Clara. Enraged at her sibling, Polly takes Frances out for a walk in the woods only to brutally murder her with an axe. Thinking that she has gotten away with murder, the devious Polly’s plans soon begin to crumble as evidence of the murder begins to rise to the surface and her sister starts to call from the grave…
“THE FACELESS THING” by EDWARD D. HOCH The Story: Buddy is a very old man who returns to the farmhouse of his youth as his memories of the past beckon to him in his autumn years. Despite fond childhood memories, one event in particular has called Buddy back to his home in order to confront it once and for all. When he was around the age of ten, Buddy and his sister journeyed to a small stream on the land that cut into the side of a hill via a tunnel. As the two siblings journeyed into the wet darkness, Buddy’s sister frantically called out his name. The boy was terrified to witness a hairy, ooze-covered abomination reach forth from the darkness and take his sister. Having finally returned after all these years, Buddy goes to lay his demons to rest…
“ALLAL” by PAUL BOWLES The Story: A fourteen year old girl gives birth to a boy at the hotel where she works and names her son Allal. She soon abandons the child and Allal is left to perform manual labor at the hotel for most of his life. Moving into the city when he becomes older, Allal comes into contact with an old man who sells snakes for a living. He tells the boy that it is possible to train the serpents to do as he wishes so, while the old man sleeps, Allal steals a scarlet snake from his collection. Soon Allal is able to command the snake to move at his whim; but the true journey begins when Allal transcends the mental connection he has with his pet and sees through the eyes of the reptile…
“THE QUEST FOR BLANK CLAVERINGI” by PATRICIA HIGHSMITH The Story: Avery Clavering is a professor of zoology at a California university who becomes intrigued by the tales of giant, man-eating snails who inhabit the island of Kuwa. His scientific interest piqued and possessing an immense desire to have his name go down in biology history, Clavering travels to the lonely island to stake his claim. But the portly scientist finds he is in great danger when the crafty mollusks leave him stranded on the island and at their slimy mercy unless he can fight back for his life…
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Post by josecruz on Feb 19, 2010 2:55:34 GMT
“SWAMP HORROR” by WILL SMITH and R. J. ROBBINS The Story: A young man is given news that his father has been missing for almost a week and immediately rushes to the elder’s farm by the swamp. After discovering their family dog Wolf running frantically from the swamp and appearing to be completely emaciated, the young man is determined on finding the solution to the perplexing mystery. Entering Marvin’s Swamp and heading to the stagnant waters of Dead River, he finds the corpses of various animals littered about and a crawling, slithering horror that can freeze the blood in man’s veins…
My Story: I absolutely love the pulp magazines of the 30’s and 40’s, so it comes as little surprise that I enjoyed this story so much. Originally published in Weird Tales, this story is drenched with all the trappings and clichés of the time; a young and nameless protagonist with a die-hard curiosity, an eerie setting drenched in fog and with a past of mysterious happenings, a terrifying encounter with a monster that turns out to be the family dog (a precursor to the cat scares in today’s horror cinema?), and a sense of foreboding that hangs so heavy in the air that you can slice it with a machete. These stories usually were less concerned with plot and characters and spent all their attention on atmosphere and amplified the scenes of the grim and grotesque. The narrator’s description of Dead River gives you a real sense of just what an ugly place it is and the assault of the creatures responsible for all the death in the swamp may have you scratching your arms and checking under the bed for any creepy crawlies. A must-read for anyone who enjoys little pieces of depraved antiquity.
“THE VALLEY OF THE SPIDERS” by H. G. WELLS The Story: A young virgin has just escaped the clutches of the master and now he and two of his servants chase after the feisty damsel on horseback. They enter a lonely valley that is deathly quiet and seemingly devoid of any life, save for the constant flutter of white flowers blowing in the wind. But the persistent trio discovers that the innocent-looking wisps are actually spider’s webs and soon are under siege by the bloodthirsty arachnids and, in the ensuing madness, the master’s true colors emerge…
“WAZIAH” by JOE R. LANSDALE The Story: Trapper Roland McArthur is trudging through the freezing wind of a blizzard up the Black Hills of the Dakotas and is relieved to see a line shack in the distance. Peeking in through a chink in the wood, McArthur is taken aback when the business end of a rifle goes off in his face. Mostly stunned, he awakens inside the cabin and makes the acquaintance of the shooter, an old coot named Crawford, who says he was trying to keep the legendary Wooly-Bugger from breaking in. A Native American girl whom Crawford has named Snowflake is also holed up in the cabin along with her child. Turns out the old man isn’t as crazy as he sounds when the ferocious beast attacks the shack and drags the screaming Snowflake away. Realizing that the Wooly-Bugger has mated with Snowflake and produced the half-human baby, McArthur and Crawford head out to stop the monster in its wake…
“THE SPECTRE BRIDE” by ANONYMOUS The Story: During a magnificently beautiful and white winter evening in Sault Ste. Marie, Ralph Hagadorn is trekking down the snowy roads to arrive at a friend’s house the next morning to act as the groomsman in his wedding. Enchanted by the freezing ice, Ralph is impelled to take out his skates and travel down the frozen river. As the infatuated young man skates along, his frost blurred eyes are shocked to see a mysterious skater in flowing white garments just ahead of him. Before the evening is over, Ralph will realize that he has been watched over by a mysterious guardian who has saved him from the icy clutches of Death…
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Post by josecruz on Feb 19, 2010 2:51:30 GMT
“WE HAVE ALWAYS LIVED IN THE FOREST” by NANCY HOLDER The Story: An aging mother lives with her many children in the deep recesses of the forest, fearing of frightening creatures known as Them from the town. Her babies always try to escape but the mother is always able to bring them back to the den… and promptly devour them. When a sick little girl and her mother enter the cannibalistic crone’s home, the witch fears that they might endanger her little ones and bring the wrath of Them upon her family…
My Story: An alright little tale. The story kind of runs like a twisted fairy tale, with the typical archetypes of the wicked crone and the lost little girl (here, little girl and mother) in the woods. I remember when I first read this, I thought the twist of the story was going to be that the mother and her children would turn out to be a wolf mother and her cubs. Not that it would’ve been a good twist, but I was wrong any way. It’s a lot weirder than that. Not much else can be said for this story; it’s rather short and a quick little read. Enjoy it for its Grimm Brothers-trappings and call it a day.
“PROLOGUE: AS THE WOLF LOVES WINTER” by DAVID POYER The Story: A man is hiking up a steep, forested mountain as the snow and cold pour mercilessly down from the heavens. Finding the ideal tree to place his radio on, he sets his spiked boots into the bark and makes his way up the tall cherry tree. Once his mission is completed he begins to head back down but notices a German Shepherd is sniffing through his backpack and parka. As the creature howls for his companions to join him, the man realizes that it is a hungry pack of wolves that are waiting for him to descend. Now the man must choose between death by winter’s icy grip or the jaws of the ravenous beasts below…
My Story: Don’t let the fact that this selection is the opening chapter to a full-length novel keep you from reading it. It is a darkly haunting and almost poetic (in its own right) piece that can stand alone as it does here. The “plot”, if that term is applicable here, is painfully simple and you will not be surprised by anything that happens. But all that is mere wolf-bait; it is the beautiful setting and atmosphere that Poyer creates through his words, almost like paintbrush strokes, that enchant you and keep your eyes glued to the page. There is something primal in all of us that responds to the image of a beast in the wild. The wolf is one such creature, running through the forest with its brothers and singing eerie songs in the night that make you think of love lost. Somewhat of a departure from the other stories in this collection, “As The Wolf Loves Winter” comes guaranteed to frighten you, as the first nightfall frightened the first man.
“CAUGHT IN THE JAWS OF DEATH” by JERRY MACDONALD The Story: Matthias and Claudia are two German medical students who are enjoying a fun trip into the Canadian wilderness before Matthias begins training at a Seattle hospital. After they ride down the raging rapids, the two friends pitch a tent outside a cabin and call it a night. But the next morning brings anything but tranquility when a massive black bear suddenly attacks the couple, leaving Matthias on the very edge of life. Claudia must find help before her friend bleeds to death and the bear returns to finish the job…
My Story: This story bears the unique distinction of being the only selection from this collection that is actually based on true events. And no, I’m not trying to sell this story to you much like the film companies are currently doing with almost every horror movie that comes out. Originally published in Reader’s Digest, this story (article?) tells the harrowing tale of two people’s fight for survival against one of Mother Nature’s own children. While somewhat engaging, the fact that this is placed amongst a group of stories that are supposed to be read around a roaring campfire kind of… well, ruins it. If your kids ask you to tell them a scary story, do you immediately whip out the “Obituaries” section or a frightening column of “Dear Abby”? I didn’t think so. Kids don’t want to hear about that stuff, and neither do I when I delve into a book of this sort. I expect the reaction to a campfire horror story to be several fits of screaming, not “Oh, thank goodness they got him to the hospital in time.” Woops! Did I spoil the ending? Sorry. Maybe next time I’ll tell you what happens in the last panel of “Garfield.”
“SURVIVAL EXERCISE” by TALMAGE POWELL The Story: James Kelley and two other members of the U. S. Marines are sent into the steamy wilderness of the Florida Everglades in order to endure a Survival Exercise. This task is found to be even harder than they first thought when a wailing, foul-smelling humanoid invades the camp one night, horribly slaughtering Kelley’s comrades. The creature spares Kelley’s life and he is able to elude the monster’s reaches by escaping into the swamp. Unable to radio for help, Kelley soon discovers that the creature’s desire for him is much more frightening than any thirst for blood…
My Story: James Bond Meets The Skunk Ape! Well, not exactly. The hero of this story is about 6’2” and weighing in around 210 pounds. And the monster is never called the Skunk Ape. Rather it’s given the ridiculous Native American name “Stuestaw Enawchee,” which translates to “too much body.” Yeah, don’t ask. But other than those two trivial matters, this story has all the fun and fast-paced action of a spy adventure. While he definitely isn’t a Joe R. Lansdale, Powell gives us a bare-chested, red-blooded story of a mad pursuit in a steaming swamp, the wits and survival tactics of Man vs. the ferocity and strength of Beast. This story would be much at home in an old time radio adventure show such as “Escape.” The ending reminded me of a twist similar to an episode from another radio show “Quiet, Please.” This story doesn’t try to pretend to be anything it isn’t; it is a simple action story with a few horror elements and a splash of the red stuff tossed in for good measure. Read this if you’re looking for some straightforward storytelling where your thinking skills will be kept to a minimum and your enjoyment factor will be pleasantly satiated.
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Post by josecruz on Feb 19, 2010 2:25:51 GMT
(Chronicle Books, 2003) Gather up your graham crackers and marshmallows, kiddies! We’re about to engage in one of the oldest customs of the human race: telling spooky campfire stories! This anthology is unique in that it separates its stories by the regions in which they take place (Mountains, Beach, Forest, etc.), creating the feel that you’re hearing the best of the best from all four corners of the Earth. The gimmick is somewhat cute and the idea of an ultimate campfire storyteller companion sounds great, but that this book is not. There are some noteworthy tales to be read, for sure, but some are either lackluster in plot or atmosphere while others I could not even imagine reading aloud to my friends during an excursion into the wild. You’re better off with Alvin Schwartz’s “Scary Stories” trilogy, which is saying something. Don’t let this deter you though; if you’re looking for a few good stories to pass the time with, go ahead and give this one a look. I just wouldn’t start pitching up the tent and gathering wood if I were you though. “ICE SCULPTURES” by DAVID B. SILVAThe Story: A writer and other artists are given a grant by the government to interpret the four seasons through their respective mediums on the precipitous Eagle Peak. One bohemian in particular, a hippie sculptor named Billy Dayton, captures the attention of the writer and his photographer friend Margo. But the two soon discover there is something sinister behind Dayton’s ice sculptures of his own likeness, each one transgressing into more horrible forms, when they find Billy’s melted remains in his tent. And there may be more pieces of art scattered across the mountain… My Story: A very unique idea to say the least. This story can be classified under the “nature strikes back” sub-genre of horror. When the narrator speaks to us in the beginning, it sets us up for a dark punch line that we (at least I) didn’t see coming. At first you have some vague idea of what is going on with the sculptures, a type of Dorian Gray transformation into something horrible and decadent. But in this story it is much more literal; to say more would spoil the twist of the tale. It will eventually become more and more clear to the reader, like frost melting off a window, as it does to the narrator and they both will feel a chilling tingle scale up their spines at the final revelation. “CREATURE OF THE SNOWS” by WILLIAM SAMBROTThe Story: Esteemed magazine photographer Ed McKale is sent on a special assignment by his boss to take part in an expedition to the Himalayan Mountains led by zoologist Dr. Schenk. Seems there have been some fuzzy photos taken of hairy, bipedal creatures roaming about the snowy plateaus and the publicity and scientific world are demanding a specimen. Heading up a mountain peak alone on the last day of their journey, Ed is astounded to see a family of the “Yeti” nearby and experiences the full breadth of the creatures’ existence… My Story: When I finished reading this story, I sat in my bed for a few minutes and then, having thought it all over, finally exclaimed “What the hell was the point in all that?” The tale is simple, straightforward, and nothing new to anyone who has read this type of story or seen the Hammer film “The Abominable Snowman.” Guy goes into mountains to capture Yeti. Guy sees Yeti. Guy has close encounter with Yeti. Guy has a change of heart when he realizes, intuitively that is, that the creatures are more fantastic and profound than the human race gives them credit for and leaves them alone. Hoo-ray? Sure, that may sound like the premise of a promising story, but I think the problem lies in the writing. To me it just came off as detached, with no emotions or sympathy connected to it. Just the facts, ma’am. Unfortunately, this story left me colder than the Snowman’s toes. If you have the choice, skip this story and just tell yourself that you read it. “XENOS BEACH” by GRAHAM JOYCEThe Story: After splitting up with his wife, a man is recommended by a friend to have a holiday in the beautiful country of Greece. Desiring to get away from all the tourism and commercialism, the man takes a bus ride to a desolate beach where only a crumbling church and several weather-ravaged tents remain. A few days later the man meets a family of fair-haired Greeks and is enchanted by the beautiful daughter. When the girl proposes an insane test of love to the man, he finds himself in over his head and on the road to something dark… My Story: Hmmm… That’s all I can say when it comes to this story. I neither like it nor dislike it. There are elements that both entertained and bored me. The atmosphere itself seems to be a puzzle, a constant sense of mystery hanging in the salty air, leaving the reader in a state of uncertainty. In a way it seems to borrow from films like “Eraserhead”; things are seen or taken note of but not much explanation (or none at all) follows. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It leaves you wondering, pondering all the little hints and clues that Joyce leaves for you to percept. So, you may ask, what’s wrong with it? And my answer would be “I don’t know.” Maybe it’s too long? Predictable? Or is it that persistent feeling of uncertainty that’s getting my goat? I wish I could tell. Maybe that’s what Joyce’s motives were all along. To put you through the same sensations that the main character of the story goes through. Never knowing if what he does is right or wrong, if the world around him is hard reality or the mere fantasies of his overwrought mind. This story might not have even been in the book to begin with for all I know. In any case, I suggest you to read it and be the judge. I need an aspirin. “DEATH TO THE EASTER BUNNY” by ALAN RYANThe Story: A group of four friends from college decides to spend their vacation time in Deacons Kill, a town about four hours into the Catskill Mountains. Leaving their hotel and journeying into the dense forest, they are suddenly assaulted by an old hermit toting a rifle. In a weird trance, the teenagers go with the old man to his home and discuss many things with him, none of which they can remember later. They begin to make these trips frequently and soon the old man starts telling them of dark, perverse intruders invading the world. The legendary Easter Bunny is one such horrible creature, and as the holiday draws near the group prepares for the final showdown… My Story: One of my favorite selections from the book. It is completely weird and perverse, much like how the old man describes all the “intruders” that he’s hunted down over the years. The idea is completely original and quite disturbing when you take the time to think of it. Imagine: you as a child (or even adult for that matter) walking down the dark corridors of your house in the early morning hours only to see (tad da!) the Easter Bunny in all his furry glory! Would your first reaction to this be walking up to it and petting it? I don’t think so. This story is shrouded in mystery and strangeness, but not in the migraine-inducing way that “Xenos Beach” was. The sequence where the group awaits the Bunny’s arrival in the forest was taut with suspense. And the actual Bunny itself? Creepy. Just creepy. If you want to end your night with a nice little shiver and a story that’ll make you run away screaming from Peter Cottontail, then this is the one for you, my friend.
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Post by josecruz on Feb 15, 2010 20:18:37 GMT
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Post by josecruz on Feb 13, 2010 3:55:55 GMT
No, I've checked that one out in my search already. Thanks for the help though, Craig!
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Post by josecruz on Feb 13, 2010 3:46:24 GMT
“THE HALLOWEEN HOUSE” by ALAN RYAN Junior Dale Martin likes fellow student Colleen and is enjoying their walk through town despite the freezing autumn air. When Colleen asks to journey to the decaying and foreboding Grainger house atop the hill, it’s the perfect opportunity for Dale to exercise his manliness and bravery for his crush. Walking up the long, wooded drive and entering the bone-dry house, the two have fun investigating the dark corridors and staircases before the encroaching darkness signals their departure. Meeting his best friend Jimmy later that night at the town bonfire, the two revel in the success of their dates and Jimmy comes up with a brilliant plan. Purchasing a four foot orange candle from a hardware store, the boys bring it all the way up to the Grainger place and then head towards the house with the ladies. With the wick burning through the darkness, the couples suddenly become aware of the soft, mushy consistency of the house’s walls and a sickeningly sweet smell like that of a rotting vegetable…
“THREE FACES OF THE NIGHT” by CRAIG SHAW GARDNER Halloween is Colin’s favorite night of the year, even though local bullies Tom and Jimmy may give him a hard time for not participating in pranks with them and the strange old man named “Creep” Crawford may give him the willies even when he stands against the hoodlums in Colin’s defense. Claiming the night as his own in his Dracula costume, Colin’s ghoulish delight is cut short when he runs into Tom in front of the Creep’s house. When screams are heard from inside, they are terrified to see Jimmy step out covered in blood. Hearing the Creep call his name, Colin ventures into the bathroom to see the old man in the tub, both wrists slashed. Moving forward with the little energy he has left, the Creep presses his wrists to Colin’s mouth, transferring a power to the boy and giving Colin a vision of a beautiful, starlit field. Years later living in the city, Colin goes to a party where he becomes enchanted by the charms of the seductive Lenore and the music and marijuana that alleviates his mind. It seems that the pagan group at the party is intent on using Colin’s unique power to transcend the realms of reality and enter the Forest of Colin’s mind. Too bad for them that Colin’s mastery of magic will bring about the destruction of those who try to manipulate him…
“PUMPKIN” by BILL PRONZINI As Amanda Sutter drives back to the pumpkin patch her husband Harley and she live on, she reminisces on the annual Pumpkin Contest of ’76 when the couple won with a vegetable weighing an impressive 230 pounds. But prospects seem dimmer this year when Amanda heads into the fields to see Harley arguing with a Mexican laborer named Manuel. Manuel swears that there is a pumpkin growing on the fields that is evil incarnate, a grotesque being whose corrupted aura can be felt in the air around it. Seeing the thing for herself, Amanda is chilled by the slightly-off appearance of the pumpkin and is relieved when it is covered with plastic sheeting to stunt its growth and kill it. Harley thinks the whole matter is hogwash but Amanda still fears the vegetable being cut from its roots. As the fog moves in on All Hallow’s Eve, Amanda finds herself thinking of the spirits of evil summoned forth by the Lord of the Dead. It is on this night that Amanda and Harley will consume and behold a force so powerful that they will bend under its pulpy wake…
“LOVER IN THE WILDWOOD” by FRANK BELKNAP LONG Nurse Helen finds her heart going out to mental ward patient Katherine Oakley, a skeletal woman who wishes to see her love on Halloween night. Wheeling the old woman out into the autumn night, the generous Helen asks Kathy of the ritual she has diligently kept every year, meeting the spirit of a mystical lover in the heart of the forest. As enraptured by the twisted trees and beams of ghostly moonlight as she is, Helen keeps a logical mind about Kathy’s “delusion” and patiently watches from a few yards away as the old woman awaits her beloved. Helen is stunned when the forest is suddenly illuminated and the figure of a beautiful man steps forward to take Kathy in his arms, temporarily restoring her youth and allowing her to experience the purest of love’s ecstasies. When Kathy is claimed by the reaper, Helen finds herself waiting with heart-felt desire for the next Halloween to arrive…
“APPLES” by RAMSEY CAMPBELL Harry is an eleven year old boy who preoccupies himself by hanging out with other children from his tenement; Colin and his sister Jill and the sensitive Andrew who is constantly teased for being timid. They gaze across the street at Mr. Gray’s house, a mean old man who guards his treasured apple tree from any troublemaking child, despite the fruit tasting old and bitter. The four children all dare each other to go onto the old man’s property and snatch apples from his tree. Since the crafty miser has placed broken glass under his hedges, Jill uses her coat to step over it. As she’s half way up the tree though, Mr. Gray bursts out of his door with garden shears in his fist and begins to chase the poor girl out into the street. But suddenly he collapses into the hedges, gripping his chest. Harry runs back to get Jill’s coat and sees Mr. Gray’s unmoving body. In the ensuing weeks, Harry sees strange things at the house, including a patch of dusty window seemingly wiped away from the inside and a shadowy figure with a white face and black mouth stalking about the tree at night. Andrew invites his friends to a Halloween party, promising to prove his bravery. Once there, the children play bobbing for apples and apple-on-a-rope. Harry soon realizes that Andrew has stolen them from Mr. Gray’s house. Soon the doorbell is rung and Andrew’s father answers it believing it to be his wife. The children are ghoulishly delighted to see Andrew’s mother enter in a ghost sheet and skeletal mask and assists them in their games. Hearing rocks thrown against the window, the children look out to see Andrew’s father yelling that he’s been locked out. And the figure under the sheet is…
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Post by josecruz on Feb 13, 2010 2:29:07 GMT
“THE NIXON MASK” by WHITLEY STRIEBER It’s Halloween in the White House, and President Richard Nixon couldn’t be in more of a panic. He is tense about the arrival of the staff’s children who are coming to his room to receive their candy. His wife Pat tells her fidgety husband to relax and simply stick to the script she has prepared for them. Nixon and his wife answer the door to greet the smiling, costumed children. However, the President is thrown a curve ball when a child dressed in a suit and donned with a mask of his own noticeable visage steps forward. Nixon is completely astounded and horrified by the mask, completely forgetting his written motions and lines. Taking the boy’s mask, Nixon is brought back to his childhood memories of jack o’ lanterns and the glowing moon. He seeks the comfort and solace of wearing the mask, being able to look at the world through eyes not his own. Enchanted by the mask, Nixon slowly feels himself slipping off the brink of somewhat-sanity and into the Darkside…
“TRICKSTER” by STEVE RASNIC TEM Greg’s brother Alex maybe dead, beaten to death in the gay district of California while still in his clown costume. But Greg realizes that his brother lives on. Spotting a man in a lizard costume with Alex’s same grey eyes, Greg storms through the sea of masqueraders in the streets to track down the brother he knows so little of. The Alex everybody knows is Trickster Alex, the master of morbid and disgusting pranks. Ever since he was young, Alex had been fascinated by darkness and death, constantly creating deranged gimmicks for his own sick amusement. If strapping Greg in a handmade electric chair wasn’t bad enough, Alex even convinced his family that he had slaughtered the newborn babe of his mother’s cousin. Constantly seeing his brother’s grinning face in the crowd, Greg frantically searches through the dark alleyways, never realizing that his brother’s spirit has plans for him most dark on this Night of the Dead…
“MISS MACK” by MICHAEL MCDOWELL Everybody likes Miss Mack. The obese, fun-loving teacher who guzzles endless bottles of Coke seems to work a special magic with both students and faculty at the grammar school in Babylon. She enjoys driving her car every weekend to DeFuniak Springs for a few days of trout fishing and relaxation. She soon befriends the other third-grade teacher at the school, Janice Faulk, and it isn’t long before the two women are heading out to the springs together every weekend for some bonding time. This does not sit entirely well with Principal Hill who is intent on wheedling Janice into marrying him. With his love going away every weekend to Gavin Pond and Janice’s affection growing for Miss Mack with every trip, Hill sees that he will need some intervention. Consulting with his mother (who the locals try to keep away from), Hill is given a bag of ingredients and a strict list of instructions by the old witch. With Janice delayed from this week’s excursion into the wild, Hill heads out to Miss Mack’s camp on Halloween night and performs his ritual. What poor Miss Mack doesn’t realize is that there is now no escape from her prison and that the night will never end…
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Post by josecruz on Feb 12, 2010 23:05:48 GMT
Hello all,
I have this question that has been pestering me for some time now. I'm not sure if anyone has ever seen this site (or perhaps someone here was the creator!) but there was this website I visited a few years ago perhaps as far back as 2005. It had cover scans and short synopses and reviews of the stories in the Pan Books. The author would rate the stories using pictures of what looked like the face of the Toxic Avenger. There were other books that the author reviewed as well; the only other one I remember though was the Boris Karloff Horror Anthology (crow carrying hand cover). I also remember that the background was of a green color. If anybody could tell me where to find this site (or at least if it's defunct) I would greatly appreciate it as it would put my mind to rest after all these years. Thanks again.
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Post by josecruz on Feb 12, 2010 22:56:51 GMT
“THE REACH” by STEPHEN KING Stella Flanders has lived on Goat Island all her life, never once crossing the body of water, known to the residents as “the Reach”, to the mainland. As Stella ages and her arthritis and the cancer inside her begin to take their physical toll, she begins to hear a secret sound in the cold winter wind that blows past her house and finds herself thinking of all the loved ones lost over the years. More and more of her friends begin to pass on into the next life and Stella’s family seems to sense her time is approaching. Soon the ghost of her husband Bill begins appearing to her, asking his beloved wife to cross the icebound Reach. Haunted by the singing voices of the dead, Stella prepares one day to finally cross the frozen Reach into a land that has been waiting for her all along…
“EVENING PRIMROSE” by JOHN COLLIER Charles Snell, a modern day poet, decides one day to abandon the bourgeois life of humanity for more daring and artistic pursuits. His journey leads him to the Bracey’s department store where he ekes out a living taking clothes and food from the store and writing in his journal in a little niche behind some carpets. But Charles soon discovers that there is a whole clan of other people living in the department store; dark, secretive people who stick to strict rules in order to survive. Charles meets the young and beautiful Ella, a misfit who serves as a maid to the queen of the colony. When Charles finds himself falling in love with the girl, he becomes entangled in a dangerous web that involves a sinister group called the Dark Men whom the clan calls in to deal with troublemakers…
A bit of an oddball tale that is not for all tastes. I personally enjoyed it, but I'm not quite sure why. People who have a fear of department stores or mannequins should steer clear.
“THE ASH-TREE” by M. R. JAMES During the late 1600’s, Sir Matthew Fell observes strange goings-on concerning the ash tree just outside of his stately English home. He claims to see a respected woman named Mrs. Mothersole climbing about the branches and collecting twigs for apparent sorcery. Fueled by the witch-hunt mania of the time, Fell prosecutes Mothersole who is hanged at the gallows upon a grassy hill. The wild-eyed wench only warns that there shall be “guests” at the Hall, an eerie prophecy she repeatedly utters before her death. Circumstances turn bizarre when Sir Matthew is discovered dead in his bed chamber one morning, his corpse completely black and twisted as if poisoned in a most horrible fashion. Two generations later, Sir Richard has claimed the hall and plans some renovations to fit his Italian tastes. The new workings inevitably cause the discovery of Mothersole’s missing cadaver from her grave and Sir Richard purports to have heard bothersome scratches on his window pane. Soon the villagers find out the true nature of the crawling terror that is lurking within the depths of the ash tree…
Creepy crawlies give you the goosebumps? Stay away! This tale will probably give you nightmares for weeks. The master of the antiquarian ghost story at his finest. This is most certainly a "pleasing terror."
“THE NEW MOTHER” by LUCY CLIFFORD Blue-Eyes and the Turkey are two lovely little girls who live in a cottage deep in the forest with their mother and her new born babe. The children delight in having tea with their loving matriarch and listening to the little baby crow. One day on their way to the village post office to receive a letter from their father away at sea, the two children come upon a wild looking and shabby girl who possesses a unique instrument called a peardrum. The ruffian tells the children that a small man and woman come out of the box attached to the instrument when she plays and dance to the music. The girls are ecstatic about this and request to see the figurines dance, but the wild girl informs them that only naughty children can witness the little spectacle. Blue-Eyes and the Turkey go home distraught and tell their mother they wish to be naughty. The mother tells them that if they are naughty she will be forced to get a new mother for the girls, one with glass eyes and wooden tail. Not heeding the mother’s words, the girls proceed to cause mischief in order to hear the peardrum’s music, never realizing how true their mother’s words were…
A story you would expect to see in a collection of fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm. The perfect remedy for any naughty child who won't go to bed. Be sure to thump a wooden stick across the floor outside their bedroom for added effect.
“THERE’S A LONG, LONG TRAIL A-WINDING” by RUSSELL KIRK Frank Sarsfield, a large and somewhat unintelligent hobo, is walking down a desolate, snow-covered highway desperately seeking shelter from the freezing weather. Spotting a barely visible house in the distance, he rushes towards his new found shelter. Frank revels in the intact antiquity of the lovely abode, named Tamarack House, and is charmed by the little memories left behind by the previous family, such as the old photographs and a letter the youngest daughter of the family had written in her autumn years. But one night, after being visited by young Allegra who accosts him to his bedroom, Frank finds himself caught in the middle of an act of violence and death that occurred years ago where he will discover his final salvation...
This story, along with King's "The Reach," is one of those beautiful occasions where a tale of ghosts and spirits works on so many more levels than a mere shudder yarn. Both Kirk and King manage to make their stories just as heart-warming as they can be bone-chilling. Unlike many horror stories, a strong air of hope and redemption hangs in the air and inspires warm and fuzzy feelings in the reader. Well, except for that axe murder scene...
“THE CALL OF CTHULHU” by H. P. LOVECRAFT The nephew of an esteemed researcher looks through his deceased uncle’s notes and discovers the strange case the elder scientist had been looking into. During a time period of roughly a few months, strange occurrences that heralded the approach of an unnamable being spread all over the world in the form of unusual geological phenomena, accounts of ghastly dreams and visions by artists, and escalated sightings of mad cults performing disturbing rituals. When an artist comes to the scientist, he gives him a molded statue of his creation that depicts a half-dragon, half-octopus monster. When the scientist brings it to a convention of his colleagues, he is met by a police inspector from Louisiana who tells the group of his discovery of a dark gathering in the bayous that worshiped a god very much like the bizarre statuette. These terrifying happenings culminate in an insane crescendo when a captain’s ship docks onto a mysterious, slime-covered island and behold a force from within a tomb that can drive mankind mad...
‘Nuff said.
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Post by josecruz on Feb 11, 2010 15:43:48 GMT
Hello to all members of the Vault! I'm ecstatic about having found a board that is dedicated to detailing the lurid horrors of dusty anthologies! I hope I can start aiding in increasing the number of synopses here on the site because 1). I think it's a great way to make people aware of the great content inside the book and 2). it's just a fun hobby I like to keep myself busy with! So here's to the great work all of you have done and my hopes to see all you ghoulunatics on the board!
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