I have read every Elric novel. I own 500 kilos of fantasy paperbacks. This book brought me as much joy, inspiration and satisfaction as any book I have ever read. Elric was the first "evil" hero. Every fantasy writer has taken a peice of elric to produce their characters. Drizt Do'urden is a shadow of Elric. Raistlen is almost an exact copy of Elric. Darth vader's sinister life, dependence on technology/sorcery and eventual noble self sacrifice are in mimicry of Elric. In this book so many authors who wanted to write Elric stories, some who had made great fame and fortune copying Moorcock, were given licence to write as they pleased. Every short story in the book is its authors best work because as they write about their own dark heros in their own novels they are thinking about Elric. My highest praise: I want a sequel.. or two... or ten... a series published monthly untill I am old and grey.

Elric, last Prince of Melnibone. Elric makes you feel that your right there with him and drawing the from the dreaded runsword Stormbringer, all his pain,sorrow,grief you feel it all. This pale,weak being could be any of us, and yet it`s his weakness that gives him the strainth to weld such enormus power and to control the uncontrolable. Elric will make you cry, make you feel that you could defeat the Lords of Chaos your self and forever will you bare some of his burden. Your life will never be the same, the way you look at things such as the ocean will change and you`ll catch yourself try to summon the water element himself. For such a being to exist in your mind alone is enough.

Elric of Melnibone' represents a departure from the era of Tarzan and Conan, giving people a dark prince for a protagonist. This book helps put together a group of stories written for the first time by other authors and show how dynamic Michael Moorcock's Elric really is.

It's difficult to easily categorize these dark works of fantasy: they are short stories written by such notables as Ray Bradbury, Michael Bishop, Nina Kiriki Hoffman and others, blending literature and art and all based on the strange kinetic sculpture Crowded After Hours by Lisa Snellings. Dark carnival stories probe the limits of humanity.

Strange Attraction is a fascinating anthology that combines quality writing, art and binding into a unique synthesis. This showcase volume presents memorable and highly recommended work by Michael Bishop, Ray Bradbury, Ed Bryant, Richard lee Byers, Nancy A. Collins, Jack Dann & Janeen Webb, Charles de Lint, James Dorr, Harlan Ellison, Neil Gaiman, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Alexandra Elizabeth Honigsberg, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Brad Linaweaver, Jason Miller, Fred Olin Ray, Robert J. Sawyer, Darrell Schweitzer, John Shirley, S.P. Somtow, Chet Williamson, David N. Wilson, and Gene Wolfe.

Strange Attraction is a fascinating anthology that combines quality writing, art and binding into a unique synthesis. This showcase volume presents memorable and highly recommended work by Michael Bishop, Ray Bradbury, Ed Bryant, Richard lee Byers, Nancy A. Collins, Jack Dann & Janeen Webb, Charles de Lint, James Dorr, Harlan Ellison, Neil Gaiman, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Alexandra Elizabeth Honigsberg, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Brad Linaweaver, Jason Miller, Fred Olin Ray, Robert J. Sawyer, Darrell Schweitzer, John Shirley, S.P. Somtow, Chet Williamson, David N. Wilson, and Gene Wolfe.

This is a book of some of the BEST Sci-Fi stories ever. With such authors as Poul Anderson, James P. Hogan, Ray Bradbury, Gregory Benford, L. Neil Smith and Dafydd ab Hugh you can't lose. The stories don't just focus on freedoms and rights, but also deal with time travel, murder and some are in the form of poems. So, come, visit Free Space and enjoy the future of mankind. Just make sure to leave your hang-ups behind and bring lots of money!

This book combines two things I really love: short stories and science fiction...with an added bonus - libertarian themes! Stephen King once said that if novels are like long romances, then short stories are like a brief kiss. 'Free Space' gives you tongue.

One word can sum up this novel. originallity. All of the stories in this book are totally original and it shows. for instance, have you ever wanted to know what it's like to see into Vlad the Impaler's personal life? Well that's just one of the stories and I guarentee that if you read through the first couple of pages you won't be able to put it down! definitly a MUST BUY! I've read it twice!

One sword. The true sword, EXCALIBUR. Forged from magic and courage, it bears the power of heroes and kings. Its nature is unique, but its forms are legion. It can appear... has appeared... will appear, anywhere, at any time, in a thousand hands in a thousand guises. For Excalibur is the force that protects the souls of Good's guardians, and changes the course of destinies...

Tales of the history and manifestations of Excalibur throughout time, gathered by three of the most experienced anthologists in the field and featuring: Esther M. Friesner, Owl Goingback, Jody Lynn Nye, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Judith Tarr, Susan Shwartz, and many more.

Featuring

"CONTROLLING THE SWORD" by Kristine Kathryn Rusch: The ancestral sword drew generations of children to their destiny but forever cursed all who were unworthy of its touch.

"LASSORIO" by Eric Lustbader: The sullen warlord Lassorio ruled a dark, diminished Camelot until the night a snow fox led him to a place of magic, horror. . . and love.

"THE GOD-SWORD" by Diana L. Paxson: Centuries before the time of Arthur, a Swordbearer and his Druid lover must join the battle for the soul of ancient Britannia.

"SILVER, STONE, AND STEEL" by Judith Tarr: Joseph of Arimathea carried a Mystery to the world's end and discovered his place in an eternal dream of wizards, gods, goddesses, and blood.

"SWORD PRACTICE by Jody Lynn Nye: The young boy-king must discover: Does Arthur rule the sword or does Excalibur rule the king?

"GOLDIE LOX, AND THE THREE EXCALIBEARERS" by Esther M. Friesner: What're you starin' at? Even Merlin's verklempt when the destined Swordbearer for the age turns out to be Brooklyn's Lady of the Lox teen deli waitress Goldie Berman! Who knew?

I had seen this book at the library, and being a fan of Dante's Inferno, I checked it out. I was a bit disconcerted when I realized not all the stories take place in or near Hell, as the title suggests. Most of them occur here on Earth, where the characters are in a metaphorical hell. Surprise! Only a handful of the stories are worthy of note, including Gene Wolfe's and James Longrove's. The stories take place either in Hell, Chicago, or London. I found this last fact sometimes discouraging--i.e., I ended up skimming the story.

I recommend you get this book from the library before you spend the cash at a store.

Can't put it down. The intro promises that all the stories will be related to Dante's Inferno theme of Hellish portals on Earth, but they aren't all on that theme (in fact, one is a remake of the Christmas Carol). Scary and thought-provoking none-the-less.

I can't agree with the other reviewer. I found many of these stories scary precisely *because* they were based in metaphorical hells - hells we might actually live in, rather than encounter after death. Also, many stories were set in hells that were not on Earth but were also far from the fire-and-brimstone stereotype. The story "Office Space" alone makes this book worth buying.

I remember buying this paperback at a Supermarket in Tampa, Florida during the sweltering August of 1996. I once heard that if you remember something it's important, and since I gave this book away to the library about a year ago, I can only talk about a couple of the stories that stayed with me. Probably me favorite two were "Loop" by Douglas E. Winter (I actually read that one in a dorm room in Austin, Texas) and "The End of It All" by Ed Gorman. I can't really comment on the rest.

"Loop" is crisp, concise writing--yet passionate. Winter tells the story of a lawyer who develops over the years an infatuation with an adult film actress. His intense details of American culture really bring to life this doomed "love story."

"The End of It All" reads like an NBC TV Movie of the Week--but with a more focused story and a much sharper edge; the writing is so economical I compare it to a newspaper article. Gorman's impartial and blunt matter-of-fact writing style really got me excited about the short story medium again. Reading this will shock you, and impress.

On a Saturday night this summer, or any summer, staying home and reading these two stories will be much more rewarding than even going to a movie. They are that entertaining, not to mention provocative.

A collection of dark fantasy exploring the relationship between sex and horror with contributions by prestigious authors renowned in the field. The quality of the stories is uneven and the volume includes a few excellent tales as well as some ordinary stuff. The book starts with a long-awaited brand new story by Stephen King ("Lunch at the Gotham Cafe'") The following tales are by Kathe Koja, who tells the life story of a sexually unsatiable ballerina and by british author Basil Copper ("Gleading blades") who provides a new, disquiteting atmosphere to the time-honored theme of the serial killer. In Ramsey Campbell's "Going under" the cellular phone becomes the instrument of modern horror while in the late Karl Edgar Wagner's "Locked away" the forbidden sexual fantasies of a long- dead woman come alive through an antique gold locket. In "The end of it all" Ed Gorman recreates the atmosphere of the "film noir" of the 40s , while Douglas Winter ("Loop") perfectly balances horror with the sad after-taste of unfullfilled love dreams.

I've had bad luck in the past with Horror anthologies, so I put off reading Dark Love for a few Years after purchasing it. I should have had more faith in the Editors, because this is a rock-solid book, with not a dud to be found.

The book starts off with Stephen King's "Lunch at the Gotham Cafe, where a man and his soon-to-be-ex-wife find themselves confronted with a demented Maitre d'. The story is good (As most King stories are), but I found it more comedic than it seems to have been intended to be. (The way the Maitre d' keeps screaming "EEEEEEE!!!!" just struck me as funny...)
From there, the late, great Michael O'Donaghue contributes "The Psycho", a crazed Gunman on the loose story with a great twist ending.
Next is Kathe Koja's "Pas de Deux", probably the most realistic story in the book. It wasn't really my cup of tea, but it was well-written, and it had its moments.
Basil Copper's "Bright Blades Gleaming" is waaaay too long, and I saw the end coming a mile off, but again, it was a well-told tale. It could have been better if it was shorter, though.
John Lutz offers "Hanson's Radio", a tale of urban neighbors getting on each others nerves that I, a former Bronx apartment dweller, totally related to.
David J. Schow's "Refrigerator Heaven" is a chilling (Pun intended) tale of Mob torture gone HORRIBLY wrong. This story stuck with me for a long time after I finished reading it.
Ro Erg, by Robert Weinberg, starts as a bit of credit-card fraud whimsey, and goes off into totally unexpected territory.
Ramsey Campbell's "Going Under" quite frankly reeked, and I won't devote any of my time to describing it. (I guess there WAS one dud...)
Stuart Kaminsky's "Hidden" is an absolute gem; One of the best short stories I've ever read. It concerns a young boy who slaughters his family and devises an ingenious method of hiding from the law. The ending revelation is an absolute stunner.
"Prism", by Wendy Webb, is a short about Multiple-Personality Disorder that puts you in the head of the narrator. Short, but well-done.
The late Richard Laymon contributes "The Maiden", a dark tale of teenage lust, revenge, and the Supernatural. After reading this story, I've become a Laymon fan, and I'm hard at work collecting all of his books. The Maiden was THAT good....
Flaming Carrot/Mystery Men creator Bob Burden pens the hilariously demented "You've Got Your Troubles, I've Got Mine"; I felt dirty for laughing, but it was just so damned funny...Who knew Burden could write prose? Good job, Bob! More fun than a Spider in diapers!
George C. Chesbro offers "Waco", a creepy look at the inside of the Koresh Compound in it's last moments, as they're visited by a sardonic Vulture claiming to be God himself...
John Peyton Cooke's "The Penitent" is an S&M story that strong-stomached readers will find enjoyable. (I loved it.)
Kathryn Ptacek takes road-rage to a new level in "Driven"; I didn't really care for the ending, though...
John Shirley's "Barbara" is an interesting heist-gone-bad tale.
"Hymenoptera", by Michael Blumlein, features a Fashion Designer becoming obsessed aith an 8-Foot long Wasp (!). Weird and pointless, but I liked it nonetheless....
"The End of It All", by Ed Gorman, is a tale of Lust, Incest, Murder, & Revenge. Would make a GREAT movie...
"Heat", by Lucy Taylor, is forgettable, but short, so at least she makes her sick point quickly.

Nancy A. Collins' "Thin Walls" will resonate with apartment dwellers everywhere.
Karl Edward Wagner's "Locked Away" is a fun psuedo-porn fantasy that made me chuckle more than a few times.
The book closes with Douglas E. Winter's "Loop", a tale of obsession taken to a WHOLE other level.

Dark Love is probably the BEST anthology I've even read. I highly recommend it.

Sandman, Neil Gaiman's wonderful creation, is the concept that this group of stories is based on. Like any story collection, this one has its hits and misses.
Hits:
"Chain Home, Low" What happened to those affected by Dream's disappearance?
"Each Damp Thing" Barbara Hambly has a good grasp of Gaiman's cast of characters. Set in The Dreaming this one would have made a good comic.
"Seven Nights in Slumberland" Little Nemo? Now Windsor McCay's work makes more sense. I think.
Both Wanda stories. A character that certainly warranted more examination than the comic allowed.
"Endless Sestina" For the sheer nerve of it.
"The Gate of Gold" The flip side of "The Writer's Child," but much more fulfilling. There really are "good" dreams.
"A Bone Dry Place" Dream and Delirium together again.
"The Mender of Broken Dreams" The concept is not new, but it is so well written you won't care.
"Valosag and Elet" There are so few folktales being written anymore. At least good ones.

"Stopp't-Clock Yard" Captures the true essence of Gaiman's creation. This is another one that Gaiman could have written.

Misses:
Desire stories. This character is tedious as all stories end up being variations on the same theme. Especially "The Witch's Heart" it goes on and on....
"The Birth Day" A clever idea but not fully developed.
"Splatter" A little obvious.
"The Writer's Child" Ditto.
"Ain't You 'Most Done?" 32 pages long and I couldn't remember what it was about by the time I finished the book. And it's one of the last stories.
Advertising Clive Barker's participation. It's a frontispiece and it's Death not Dream.
Taking an existing character, whose popularity lies in a graphic medium and using him and his supporting cast as the basis of an anthology is a risky proposition. While this book is not entirely successful, it's definitely worth a read for the Sandman fan.

This is a really very cool book, although you need a fair bit of the Sandman background for it all to make sense - I first read it when I'd only read the 'The Kindly Ones' sequence and some of it went over my head. Then I got the rest and suddenly quite a lot of things became clear...
It loses a star cause there's no actual Gaiman stories (although his comments at the start of each book are nearly as interesting as the stories - 'what Gandalf's rock'n rolling younger brother would look like if he were secretly a pirate' is a truly funky description for anyone).
For me the best are the Barbara Hambly, 'Stopp'd Clock Yard' and the 'Ain't you the most done' stories - the collection does veer pretty wildly between cool, cute 'n funky and seriously weird / sick.... Depends what you like. Like the comics, don't let children read it.

i found this book at an ancient book store somewhere in India.It was lying there in the shelves with dusts and webs.The moment i saw it i have to have it.And since i'm a huge Tori Amos follower,anything with her name is a must!.But i found something else too,and i also loves the Sandman Comics,this book is a lot of things to discover.Written by well known and acclaimed writers in various fields,its a bonus to have this book if you are an avid reader of the Sandman comics.Some of the stories are realy disturbing and dark,some are also enchanting,true to the Sandman style.Its a collectors dream.

This O'Barr and Kramer edited book offers a unique blend of art, poetic verse, and short stories, combined into one volume. O'Barr contributes to all three mediums. His story, "Spooky", is a disappointment. O'Barr uses the same "guy and woman get killed by gang and guy comes back" story. It would have been nice to see him use another set of circumstances, perhaps even using a female avatar since he has been reported to be a very big proponet of one making it to the bigscreen. There is more potential original story in his "October" storyboard that was shown in the last KSP Crow comic. All in all the other stories are good, Chet Williamson as always spins a very good tale. A warning, not all of the stories use the Crow premise. They are more a collection of pain, suffering and revenge, than specific stories in the Crow arena. You must enjoy dark stories for this book to keep your eyes from closing. For those of us that do like them, it is a good read.

Out of the darkest depths of every man's heart comes a time when hatred is more powerful then love, but love is what sustains hateful revenge. In this compilation of short stories by various writers and poets, all of which center around J. O'Barr's masterful creation, the question of the preciousness of life and the evolution of love is addressed but never answered. It's not supposed to be. It's up to the reader to make that decision. Several of the short stories("The Red Sea", "The Triad")address such issues as the irony of vengeance and the futility of abandoned justice. "Spike Team" takes on an almost Lord of the Flies atmosphere to it; however, the depravity of man, manifested through childhood, is not as misguided but focused in this short story. Most of the other short stories ("China Doll", "Spooky, Codiene and the Dead Man",etc.) take on the regular Crow theme of love and the fine art of tipping the scales of horror so as "to make the wrong things right." The poems, also, are captivating, at times confusing, sad, and triumphant. I was, however, disapointed in how some of the stories seem segemented or incomplete while others were just drawn out and confusing. And I would have enjoyed it more if such authors as Stephen King and Dean Koontz put their tell-tale spin on the infamous Crow. Yet, all in all, anyone who as ever been mezmerized by those black-slashed eyes and permanent black smile will not be diappointed by this collection of poetry, art, and short stories.

Anyone who has seen the movie will love this book. The stories are well told and organized with some wonderful artwork and poems inbetween. I found only one story that I wasn't happy with and another that I could not connect to the crow at all. The stories are not at all like the movie. Most are almost an interperation of the Crow and his spirit. Wonderfull artwork. Well worth the money for it. I was not disapointed and I don't think anyone else would be either.