An incredible antology of wizardry short stories by Jack Vance, Ursula K. Le Guin and other award winner writers, if you like magic this book will surely put a spell on you, Wizards is an awesome book with 10 charming stories with the warranty of Isaac Asimov's taste.

-to the beholder an advanced science appears to be magic- Arthur C. Clarke's first law

- From Atlantis to California, from the orient to far-distant worlds, come classic tales of wizardry used for evil and for good. from a sorcerous battle where a warlock's only ally is his werewolf, to demons thirsting for the souls of victims and masters alike, to Conan the Barbarian in a danger-filled contest with the forces of darkness, these are spellbinding journeys into Isaac's Asimov's magical worlds of fantasy: Wizards -

This 367-page collection of short stories includes: Ruth Rendell (Liar's Dice), Marcia Muller, Sara Paretsky (Settled Score), Lawrence Block, Carole Nelson Douglas (The Maltese Double Cross), Edward D. Hoch, Ed Gorman, Reginald Hill, Michael Z. Lewin, Sharyn McCrumb, Joan Hess (The Last to Know), Barbara Collins and Max Allan Collins (Cat Got Your Tongue), Charlotte MacLeod (The Perplexing Puzzle of the Perfidious Pigeon Poisoner), Loren D. Estleman, Norman Partridge, Jeremiah Healy (The Winfield Trade), Bill Pronzini, Nancy Pickard, Robert Barnard, Peter Lovesey, JUne Thomson, Jan Grape, Barbara D'Amato, Edward Bryant (While She Was Out), and Pat Cadigan (True Faces)

Any author who tries to su up the life of Robert Johnson is going to have a hard time. The life of this man is a mystery beyond belief. The one thing that stands out is the music. I really feel that owning Johnson music is better than any book. Pick up the two CD set that has the booklet. Read that booklet and then put the CD's in and get ready for an experience this book can not give you. This book is good after you have done this. The music helps explain things a little more.

It's a long way from the Mississippi Delta to Australia but this screenplay allowed me to visualise and feel the passion and raw edge to the music and landscape of Robert Johnson. It seems a shame that no Director has been brave enough to attempt to put this tale onto film as it could surely be an outstanding work if properly attacked. The comprehensive attached notes provide the reader with an opportunity to fill in any gaps in their knowledge to the point where one can almost picture the juke joints with their duelling musicians. The brutality of life in this community was shocking to me and the early death of Robert Johnson now seems to be less of a tragedy and more of an inevitability.

I never read anything like this before--it was like watching an amazing movie in written form. This unique book is an undiscovered gem.

Nothing quite like curling up with a purring cat in your lap and an adventures cat in your book! ^_^

As with all compendiums there are some good, and some bad stories, but I feel that the good drasticaly outweight the bad. I've found this to be a well collected anthology series and would highly recommend it to anyone who is fond of cats!

Bell, Clare: "Bomber and the Bismarck" - The HMS Ark Royal rescues a cat with bomber-jacket markings from the North Sea, and takes him on as their new ship's cat - to discover that they have the only (unofficial) survivor of HMS Hood aboard.

Belden, Wilanne Schneider: "A Puma and a Panther" - Belden's stories tend to be about exceptional children, but in this case, the story isn't told from the viewpoint of Christine or her little brother Ian. Instead, we have Bat's viewpoint - who's settling for life as Christine's pet, since he's denied his rightful place as her familiar, having been born into a non-magical world.

Boyer, Elizabeth H.: "The Last Gift" - My favorite story in this book. Isolf, presented to the jotun on her 16th birthday, is lonely, so the jotun decides to create a new creature to be her companion - but he only has tiny scraps of spirits left from the making of the world's animals, and they're a mixed bag. Combining them in his cauldron to make a bigger piece produces unexpected results. "I don't remember adding claws - or teeth!"

Cirone, Patricia B.: "Papercut Luck" - Ling Mei is now alone on the family junk; by chance, she wasn't aboard when the Emperor's soldiers seized her family. All the lucky papercuts in the market have been sold, so she buys one for courage, since courage can make luck.

Dunn, Marylois: "Shado" - Cat and White Cat are back (see _Tales of the Witch World 1_ and _Catfantastic_). White Cat is deeply depressed, having been prevented from having kittens for the last 2 winters. Cat, out hunting field mice on a foggy morning, finds just the thing to cheer her up.

Griffin, P.M.: "In Bastet's Service" - No relation to her stories in Catfantastic 1 or 4, but rather to those in 3 & 5. These stories begin with a cat facing Bastet prior to reincarnation, and by their very nature have dea ex machina situations, but not quite in a way that makes sense. For instance, the cat facing his 2nd incarnation in this story died of abuse in his 1st life; Bastet now intervenes to try to help him recover. We're never told why, if she can do this, she left him to his fate before.

Inks, Caralyn: "Shadows" - The world setting here is unfamiliar to me, and we're never told much about it. Jariel Belldancer and his camilacat partner break an ancient trap, to free a tortured human and the shadow of an immortal Pierdon.

Major, A. R.: "The Execution" - New York City is divided into many 'kingdoms' of cats (a cross between kingdoms with formal courts and gang territories). Since Flintface the dog killed a kitten after receiving his only warning, the local king put out a contract on him - and Sir Ex has been assigned to get Flintface to 'the place of execution' at 5:30 Wednesday morning.

Mayhar, Ardath: "Hermione at Moon House" - See also Catfantastic 1, 3, and 5 (but not 4). After the distressing end of her last job as a (19th century) wizard's familiar, Hermione was happy to relocate to the home of a nice, quiet astronomer. Unfortunately, kittens have a talent for finding trouble wherever they happen to be, despite a mother's best efforts. Written in the same old-fashioned diarist style as the previous entry in volume 1. If you like the content here, try Robert Lawson's _Ben and Me_.

Miller, Ann & Rigly, Karen: "Quest of Souls" - The cat and apprentice must rescue the souls of the rest of the castle's inhabitants from a 'soul robber.' We don't see enough of the victims to care much.

Miller, Sasha: "Ede's Earrings" - Ede is the familiar of Ferdon, a young wizard (just out of the Academy) with his first practice. He depends on her, so she's able to keep him out of most kinds of trouble - until he meets Dala one market day. This one is continued in Catfantastic 3 & 5.

Moon, Elizabeth: "Clara's Cat" - This story is told from Jeanine's point of view - Clara's closest relative, a divorced alcoholic who's moved in to take care of Clara in more ways than one. This one's pretty disturbing, since Jeanine's intention of murdering Clara for her money is made clear.

Norton, Andre: "Hob's Pot" - 2nd installment of the adventures of Noble Warrior, Siamese cat (in his own language, his name's Thargun Neklop), and his 'princess' Emmy. (A Noble Warrior story appears in each of the 5 volumes of Catfantastic to date.) Emmy's father has now returned from his work with the East India Company - but one of his parting gifts bears a curse.

Scarborough, Elizabeth: "The Queen's Cat's Tale" - Camelot, from the viewpoint of the aforementioned cat, now that she has retired with the Queen into a convent.

Schaub, Mary H.: "The Keep-Shape Spell" - These characters reappear in Catfantastic 3 & 4, but not 5. This time, the spell revealing a creature's true shape accidentally hit the wizard's *cat*, so Drop (formerly Raindrop) must adjust to life as a human for awhile.

Schlobin, Roger C.: "Of Age and Wisdom" - A tale of ancient times, when cats and dragons (of the Chinese variety) ruled the earth, but don't expect Dunsany here.

Schwartz, Susan: "Critical Cats" - The protagonist, Puff, has spent his life in a wire cage, as a blood donor for the animal hospital, and is embittered toward humans. Nevertheless, he's drawn as a poor soul whose attitude needs changing, to be 'saved' by the pet-patient in the next cage. (Puff is left in hospital by the grateful owner.) Stylistically well-written, I suppose, but the preachy aspect isn't to my taste.

Springer, Nancy: "In Carnation" - The nameless cat, whose previous 8 'lives' have spanned millenia, can take a human shape, but forgot human speech 4 lives ago. In this life, she takes human shape (naked, of course) and gets a job as a carnival stripper.

This series of short story books is an absolute pleasure to read!
Totally enjoyable short fantasy stories. Enough to get a taste of the author's style. A whole lot of fun.
Please keep them coming!

Even though I am not a Sci Fi person per se, I do love cats (I have 4!!). I thought I would give this book a try, and I am very glad that I did. This book is a wonderful collection of stories, all involving cats of course, in a wealth of different genres. Some were adventure, some were 'love stories', some straight comedy in a variety of manners. I truly enjoyed reading this book, and plan to read books II through IV!

I am not a fan of short stories, but I enjoy the series of Catfantastic books. It combines my two loves, cats and fantasy. The stories are all excellent. The authors really have an insider's knowledge of the cat's mind. I laughed, cried, and cheered for the cats throughout the book. It's the type of book that you race to finish, but feel sad when you reach that last page because you know it will awhile before you'll get to read another like it.

If you like both cats and fantasy, you will like these stories. Some of the characters that appear in this first book make return appearances in the other volumes. I look forward to new editions and recommend any of the volumes.

I was impressed by about a third of the stories in this book. The rest ranged from mediocre to mildly interesting. My favorite was "Truth", one of the most interesting treatments of telepathy that I have ever read. One disappointing factor was the numerous glaring typographical errors that jarred my reading experience. Not a bad collection but the few outstanding stories made the others pale by comparison.

Except where noted, I think the stories herein are well worth reading.

Berliner, Janet: "Interview with a Mutant" begins with the narrator noting a wire story about 'the world's first hand and forearm transplant', saying the patient got such weird vibes afterwards that he petitioned to have the hand amputated. She'd like to refer him to the *real* first, whom the world doesn't know about.

Bilgrey, Marc: The narrator's empathy means that Doug often makes "Lucky Guesses" about what people will say through reading their feelings; at least, that's what he called them as a child, when they were erratic. But over the years, his power has steadily increased, with his accuracy - and the difficulty of concealing his ability.

Bischoff, David: "Mutant Mother from Hell: A 'Fizz Smith' Story" I dislike this one; the style reminds me of the "Scott Free" dream-sequence (drawn from Kirby's "Fourth World" titles for DC comics) in Gaiman's _Preludes and Nocturnes_; here we don't even have the redeeming feature of being used as the setting of a nightmare within a better story.

de Lint, Charles: "Freak", written for this collection, also appears in de Lint's _Tapping the Dream Tree_, but de Lint fans may prefer West's "Truth"; the narrator's learning-disabled, and expresses himself clumsily and crudely.

duBois, Brendan: "In the Dark Valley" is told in a braided style, one thread following Claire's desperate attempt to escape by car during a winter storm, the other her arrival with her new husband 9 months before. Having family was wonderful, in this close-knit valley - but her dreams were strange, the town lacks records - even obituaries. Shades of Innsmouth?

Foster, Alan Dean: Bull Threerivers can smell electricity, which helped him diagnose electrical problems in cars - until he started milking slot machines. Unfortunately, various Native American casinos' security personnel noticed him. Now several tribes have decreed "The Killing of Bad Bull", seeing in him a threat he doesn't fully appreciate even when running for his life...

Haber, Karen: Even "Behind His Gates of Gold", Prosper Mephisto doesn't really abandon his elaborate defenses, retaining his mask even before fellow super-rich members of the Diamond Club - much to the disappointment of Hugh Carter, seeking to reestablish his reporting career. While not drawn as stupid, Hugh doesn't use his brain: even after his fall to obscurity his cover should've been blown...

Hoffman, Nina Kiriki: "Sensitives" Art, the narrator, is sensitive to anything with a high enough copper content: once in his mouth, such an object "remembers" where it's been. He covers himself by claiming he picks up pennies for luck; his mother and uncle between them have taught him not to seek "penny visions" when anyone's watching, but nobody's perfect.

Huff, Tanya: "Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice", despite the title, is unrelated to Huff's "What Little Girls are Made Of" from _Magic in Ithkar 3_. Danielle, the narrator, is far from sugary-sweet, despite being (apparently) 4 years old. Her parents made the mistake of accepting help with their infertility from the Director of Research at the Benjamin Avob Basic Biology of Aging Center. Danielle, despite her appearance and Dr. Thorton's rough handling, has the mind of the bright 15-year-old that she truly is, and she *really* wants payback.

Masson, Sophie: After his son Henry's failed suicide attempt over a girl earlier in this year 1712, William Featherstone took him to his late wife's family home in Wales, concealing his hurt over Henry's foolishness in thinking he doesn't understand love. Featherstone didn't believe the family legend of descent from one of the sealmen of "The Great Deep"...until by chance a wounded selkie came ashore before his eyes.

Norman, Lisanne: The art students are banned from trespassing during their week's stay on the estate; is it to prevent meetings with Cassandra, who isn't allowed to meet strangers? When Anne gives Cassandra a "Paint Box", she learns that while Cassandra can't draw, other things happen. How can Anne unravel the mystery when Cassandra's brother hovers over her?

Nye, Jody Lynn: Thanks to the Anti-Mutant Act of 2166, Demetrios with his heat-sensitive vision, Stu with his enhanced sense of smell, and the gang who *aren't* fakes from the circus are being deported off-planet. This "Rite of Passage" serves a double purpose of removing mutants from overcrowded Earth and providing expendable guinea pigs for Calderon Hop Drive ships.

Pack, Janet: Duncan's ability to manipulate storms led him into meteorology, but his unorthodox forecasting methods have left him vulnerable to professional - or rather, unprofessional - attack by a penny-pinching acquisitions creep. And in response to Duncan's frustration, storms swirl about Kansas City, piling on more stress with "Fire and Rain"...

Patton, Fiona: Everybody around Blind Duck Island is "Family", with odd abilities - and they all make heroic efforts to see that their kids are born there, despite the high rate of birth defects and lack of technology. They've dealt with investigative reporters before - but George Prescott's descended from one of their own.

Rusch, Kristine Kathryn: "Trust" is Carter's gift with all animals, especially dogs: they seek him out when in need. His talent's a side effect of genetic alteration in this near-future; he daren't have meaningful relationships for fear of betraying his parents - and condemning himself to second-class citizenship. The latest of his rescues, however, is a mystery in her own right.

West, Michelle: When young Callie's telepathy told her more of the "Truth" - or is it? - than she could bear about her family and friends, ran away from home. She's now under the wing of the mysterious Scrape, a fellow homeless person whose talent for silence makes him bearable to her, though he tells her home truths she resists hearing. Reminds me strongly of de Lint, including some light taps on the conscience regarding homeless people.

For those of you who like the X-Men this book has lots of short stories that will make you think about mankinds direction. With human clones about to be a reality (in the news today);it makes you think about how we treat one another. I especially liked the sci fi themed stories. Without repeating all the other reviewers comments I have to say this one is worth the money

I recently purchased this book and was very pleased with it. I am a very big batfan and i enjoyed the book. The Catwoman stories are somewhat lacking and the book could do without the stories that do not contain a supervillain. However, the Joker stories are incredible. My two favorites are "Masks" and "On the Wire". "Masks" portrays the greates comic book rivalry of all time in a fashion that any writer would envy. Not only does it show Batman and The Joker's hatred for one another, it shows exactly how closely they are connected because of one night in an alley a long time ago. "On the Wire" digs deep into the mind of The Clown Prince of Crime. It is a truly terrifying story as to how anyone could be so insane and a genius at the same time. Batman never utters a word in this story, and it is relatively short. But, it is, in my opinion, one of the greatest Joker stories ever written. Buy this book. You'll enjoy it.

There's something for everyone in here, and probably a dozen or so things for most people. Stories focus on the Penguin, Joker, and Catwoman. Check out the companion volume, Tales of the Batman.

This is by far the best collection of Batman stories I have ever read. It's a return to the dark and thoughtful Batman. Many of the stories look into how Batman views himself as well as his enemies. My personal favorites are the Catwoman stories. The writers really put emphasis on the bittersweet relationship of Batman and Catwoman. Just like it should be! I really recommend this book to those of you who are looking to get back to the greater Pre-Crisis (Before Zero-Hour) stories or those of you who want to learn more about the Dark Knight. Anyway you look at, it's the Batman at his best.

Nothing quite like curling up with a purring cat in your lap and an adventures cat in your book! ^_^

As with all compendiums there are some good, and some bad stories, but I feel that the good drasticaly outweight the bad. I've found this to be a well collected anthology series and would highly recommend it to anyone who is fond of cats!

Belden, Wilanne Schneider: "The Last Answer" - Perielle is the precocious child in this one (look for one, generally a very interesting character, in almost every Belden story). The conspirators who are trying to seize power upon the disappearance of her father the king need her to be able to steal the Royal Relics; she herself has shown no signs of developing Royal Power, but the ability to use the magic of the relics isn't necessary for what the conspirators have in mind.

Braude, Anne: "The Quincunx Solution" - Quincunx lives with Margaret and her father (who, after inheriting a modest legacy, retired from his work as an apothecary to squander the family's money on alchemy). Sensible daughter/scatterwit father story.

Carr, Jayge: "Circus" - The felines here include both housecats and an alien masquerading as a lion in an interstellar circus. Cool.

Edghill, India: "Tybalt's Tale" - Here is the tale of the Prince of Cats (who have no king, since a cat speaks for himself).

Fontenay, Charles L. "Miss Hettie and Harlan" - Harlan's the cat; he can talk.

Gladney, Heather; Clayton, Don; Osborne, Alan Rice: "The Tale of the Virtual Cat" - Decades ago, when mice were still used, somebody thought it was funny to hook up their drivers in the new lattice software to data about *real* mice. Now Mice are a big problem for Virtual Reality operating theaters, so a surgeon suggests a tried-and-true method for exterminating mice. (In case anybody gets the notion that it's always easy to shut down a computer system and reboot, consider why the phone company is stuck with a lot of antiquated computers before posting negative reviews.)

Griffin, P.M.: "The Neighbor" - Finally, a followup to "Trouble" from _Catfantastic_, rather than one of the Bastet stories from 2, 3, and 5.

Hamilton, Jane: "Arrows" - The arrows in this case are elfshot; 2 mischievous jinn have accidentally messed up a stray cat's life, and are trying to undo the damage.

Horwood, Sharman: "Tinkerbell" - The spirit of the former ship's cat still helps her human companion through Jump in times of great need.

Lackey, Mercedes: "SCat" - See my review of her collection _Werehunter_.

Linaweaver, Brad & Fredsti, Dana: "Professor Purr's Guaranteed Allergy Cure" - Bastet, for reasons never explained, decides to kill all dogs, all humans who don't like cats, and 'return the world to the true religion'. Only one cat hater, portrayed as a complete sleazeball, is to be spared when the cats take over. (The cat massacres of the 14th century, which contributed to the Black Death, are mentioned, but didn't merit such treatment.) Apparently Bastet only approves of freedom in that you're free to agree with her or die. I'll pass up this 'paradise.'

Lindskold, Jane M.: "Noh Cat Afternoon" - The Daimyo offended the Fox Spirits' lord, so the Fox Spirits have entered a troupe in his Noh competition, to use his generosity against him when they win the prize. But the geisha Okesa, a cat in human guise, has other ideas.

Major, A.R.: "Totem Cat" - Who's in charge, he who sits on the cushion or those who hold doors and empty litter pans? :)

McConchie, Lyn: "Deathsong" - A dravencat story (see also Catfantastic 5).

Norton, Andre: "Noble Warrior, Teller of Fortunes" - Installment #4 (see the other volumes of Catfantastic). Thargun was separated from Emmy at the beginning of tale #3, and has now been picked up by a band of Gypsies.

Pack, Janet: "One with Jazz" - Jeff's cat Satchmo has an uncanny ability to tell good jazz from bad, so Jeff makes a foolish wager.

Scarborough, Elizabeth: "Born Again" - Peaches has earned Nirvana, but he isn't interested unless it's his cushion by the heater back home.

Schaub, Mary: "The Cat, the Sorcerer, and the Magic Mirror" - Concludes the Flax & Drop stories from 1, 2, & 3; Drop is now back in cat shape.

I just can't get enough of cat antics! There is something for everyone in this charming set. And I usually don't even like short stories!

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson have been in the public domain for some time, and since then the literary world seems to be divided between those who can duplicate the original Arthur Conan Doyle stories tolerably well and those who only THINK that they can do this.

The cover on this book is as fascinating as any individual story: an eye-catching color scheme which includes a robotic Sherlock (the eyes are blank and the head is opened to reveal what appears to be a computer chip) superimposed against a background that includes a waterfall (presumably the infamous Reichenbach Falls) and a traditional 19th Century London scene of a horse-drawn carriage on cobblestones.

As one might guess from the title as well, the cover depicts the theme of the book: some of the short stories in it are set, in accordance with tradition, in 19th century London, and some are set in the future.

Even some of the "traditional" stories have a futuristic twist to them. For example, The Adventure of the Second Scarf involves an alien visitation to the year 1897 and a subsequent space flight.

I was prepared to hate all of the futuristic stories, but some of them are intriguing. In "Two Roads, No Choices", two scientists from the year 2014 visit go back 102 years in time to visit Holmes and Watson in their lodgings on Baker Street in order to ascertain why the Titanic did NOT sink.

This story has got a warm familiar Rod Serling kind of feel to it, and it's very easy to forgive the author, Dean Wesley Smith, for overlooking (deliberately, I'm sure) the fact that by 1912, Conan Doyle's Holmes had long since left Baker Street and retired to his country home in Sussex to keep bees.

"The Case of the Purloined L'isitek" by Josepha Sherman is a cute futuristic story about a staid and dignified horsy race known as the Shrr'loks on the planet Kholmes ruled by a pony whose mannerisms resemble those of a certain fictitious earthly detective - just the sort of story that I wanted to hate but couldn't.

Some of the more traditional stories cleverly interweave actual historical personages or events from the Sherlockian era with genuine references from the Conan Doyle stories or with conclusions drawn by Sherlockians from those stories.

"The Adventure of the Russian Grave" by William Barton and Michael Capobianco involves an actual astronomical event that took place in the early 20th century, plausibly anticipated by Professor Moriarty's "Dynamics of an Asteroid".

"The Future Engine" by Byron Tetrick features the son of mathematician Charles Babbage, a genuine historical figure, whose creation of an analytical engine to perform mathematical calculations anticipate the development of the computer - the functions of which really do match Sherlock Holmes's description (from Conan Doyle's "Adventure of the Greek Interpreter") of the mental processes of his brother Mycroft.

There are also two stories in this volume which alternatively provide a lighter and darker side of Lewis Carroll.

And Frank M. Robinson's "The Phantom of the Barbary Coast" sets Holmes and Watson in 1895 San Francisco ("The most evil city in the world, Watson; it would put Port Said to shame!"). There is a reference to Watson's having lived in this city before during a prior marriage that ended in tragedy. This is not directly derived from anything that Conan Doyle wrote, but I'm pretty sure that it is a tribute to Ronald Knox or some other Sherlockian cryptographer who concluded the existence of such a marriage based on his own reading between the lines of the Conan Doyle stories.

There are also stories in this volume not worth mentioning and others that are worth mentioning, if only to chastise the author. The logic that provides the solution to "You See But Do Not Observe" (a cat in the box is neither alive nor dead until one observes its condition) is unworthy of any adult consideration, let alone that of Sherlock Holmes or an advanced futuristic society. Equally illogical is the solution to "The Adventure of the Pearly Gate". Yet that last story, together with Janni Lee Simner's "Illusions" (an homage to Conan Doyle's actual interest in the afterlife), describes a recurring theme that often occurs in collections such as this: Sherlock Holmes can never die, can never be ALLOWED to die.

I wonder. Although he still has a loyal following, it's hard to imagine that the man who could discern the trades of everyone on a third-class carriage on the Underground (as suggested by Conan Doyle's "A Study in Scarlet") by observing certain defining features would have the same success in an age where computers have eliminated much of the variety that once might have distinguished one professional from another.

Could the detective who used the distinguishing characteristics of a typewriter to unmask a scoundrel in Conan Doyle's "A Case of Identity" have the same success in an era where the word processor and laser printer have replaced the typewriter? Could purloined documents (from "The Case of the Naval Treaty" and "The Case of the Second Stain") be recovered so readily when faxes, photocopiers, and email make them so readily reproducible? And is a Sherlockian passion for justice permissible at a time when people are often quite willing to parse justice for base and self-serving motives?

Perhaps we keep Sherlock Holmes alive because we need him as a live object of respect. And perhaps we need him for this purpose because deep inside, we know that we are dead.

This is a interesting concept in general. I gave it a four star because a few stories in there seemed forced.

Some of the stories have a few points/themes in common. Such as H.G.Wells, Alice in Wonderland, Watson being the real genius, and Holmes being a fake or even a villian. I wonder if it's intentional to have common themes or was it a coincidence.

Two of the stories i especially liked. One, Second Fiddle by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Second, The Adventure of the Second Scarf by Mark Aronson.

Dear friends,

It is a real pleasure to be able to read other stories about Sherlock Holmes. Many of the stories show that the writer has read indeed the original books.

You start reading and when you look around you perceive that the day is almost ending and you have done nothing except reading.

Paulo Sunao

This is a GREAT anthology. The best writers in Horror select their favorite horror stories. The best thing about that is they tell you why. It helps understand what to look for in a horror story, what makes one great, and why so much in horror is just dross. We see just how important Robert Bloch has been and, sadly, much of his work is out-of-print. Richard Matheson is here too, of course, and the story selected is one I wasn't familiar with. The classics are here too: The Tell-Tale Heart, Young Goodman Brown, and two from Lovecraft. The most interesting selection is The Human Chair by Edogawa Rampo, selected by Harlan Ellison.

"My Favorite Horror Story" is exactly what it says it is. A handful of today's better known horror authors, including the omnipresent Stephen King, and the slightly less inevitable Poppy Z. Brite ( I loved her introduction to Ramsey Campbell's "The Pattern." Very funny.) The main drawback to this book is that some of the stories have been very heavily anthologized, such as the two Lovecraft tales and Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart." And can anyone actually read "Young Goodman Brown" and not suffer horrible high-school flashbacks? That said, let us move on to the high points of the anthology. My three favorites would be the aforementioned "The Pattern," which is among Campbell's best work and is absolutely terrifying. I believe that Mr. Campbell has always done his best work in short fiction (with exceptions such as "The Parasite") and this story serves to reinforce my opinion. Look up his excellent short story collections "Waking Nightmares," and "Ghosts and Grisly Things" if you have an interest in his style. "The Father-Thing" by Philip K. Dick may seem to be out of place in a horror anthology at first, but after you read it, you may never look at your dad in the same way! Chilling. All of the late Mr. Dick's books come VERY highly recommended from me. "The Inner Room" by Robert Aickman may not seem to be as relentlessly horrifying as some of the other stories, but it has a way of nagging at your mind that leads to some very disturbing thoughts. Seek out "Cold Hand in Mine" which is lamentably out of print, for more work by this unsung hero of atmospheric, ghostly horror tales. All in all, this is quite a good collection. Every fan of horror will find something they like here.

This anthology of horror stories are favorites of noted writers. That Edgar Allen Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, and Robert Bloch are selected is no surprise. That the hoary, high school, standard, "Young Goodman Brown" is also here is unexpected. To give Mr. Hawthorne his due, the story does belong in this anthology. It is more enjoyable the second time around.
Each favorite story is prefaced by an author's introduction. The writer briefly explains how this story inspired and influenced their careers.
My favorite selections were:
1. Paul Wilson's choice, "The Distributor" by Richard Matheson. This story seems reminiscent of "The Auctioneer" and Stephen King's "Needful Things". The new stranger in town who seems to good to be true.
2. Joe R. Lansdale's choice, "The Animal Fair" by Robert Bloch. This story has not one ghost or ghoulie and nary a supernatural event. It was a horrifying, depressing, and pathetic(I don't mean this as a put down) story. The description of the Fair is a bleakly realistic portrayal. I really can empathize with the hot dog episode.
3. Harlan Ellison's choice, "The Human Chair" by Edigawa Rampo. It was a perversely humorous piece. Warning: after reading this you may say, "Nevermore!" to a La-Z-Boy.;-)
Other authors choices such as Peter Straub, Stephen King, and Joyce Carol Oates are present. They are fine choices. What are they? Find out and read the book!