Pan Book of Horror Stories: Volume 1

Product Information

Stories related by a character with an unreliable grip on reality are a standard in these anthologies. This one is a beauty. I was playing with a couple of ideas about what might be going on, but where it ends up feels just right. This collection was published in 1970 so you know there's not gonna be much political correctness to be found! Prepare to be slightly offended... Above-average mix of short horror tales. Worth a read, but don't expect anything Sheridan Le Fanu-worthy. It gets three stars because it's better than the last horror anthology I read. The Midnight Lover' by Gerald Atkins - although the twist in this very short tale is easy to guess, it does not make the focus on necrophilia any less disturbing! A grisly and enjoyable little tale; The early editions of the Pan Book of Horror Stories were notable for their lurid cover art [2] and Van Thal's introduction of stories by new authors alongside classics of the genre. The first edition included works by Peter Fleming, Muriel Spark, Bram Stoker and C. S. Forester. Later volumes featured Ray Bradbury and Lord Dunsany among others. Basil Copper made his debut in fifth volume, with the story "The Spider". [3] The series also published work by Charles Birkin, R. Chetwynd-Hayes and Alex Hamilton. [4] After volume nine, Van Thal placed a heavier reliance on new authors. The series grew in popularity and was the stepping stone for much new talent. [1] In the 1970s, the increasingly violent content of the Pan Books provoked some controversy. [4] In the early 1980s a slow decline in standards was observed. Popularity rose again in the late decade, but a multitude of reprint stories from Stephen King and a severe slide in quality ended the iconic series in 1989. The last book is now a rare collectors item, owing to the small print run it received.

THE THING, by R. Chetwynd-Hayes: A man enters a pub with the Grim Reaper behind him, much to the consternation of the patrons. Not a bad idea behind this one, but there's too much waffle and the humour is decidedly iffy. 2/5 PUPPETMASTER, by Adobe James: An elderly puppeteer sees his creations come to life. Inevitably from this author, madness, murder and rape are the result. 2/5 William Sansom (1912-1976) was a British novelist, travel and short story writer. Sansom spent time in banking, advertising and as a firefighter before becoming a full-time writer. He has a number of stories included in the early books of this series. The Nursery Club." Reminiscent of the overrated The Veldt (love Bradbury, hate that story), but nowhere near as good. The kids in this story are creepy, but instead of exploring how and why that is, the author takes their malevolence for granted and rushes to the gruesome, yet underwhelming, ending. The Pan Book of Horror Stories" series was popular enough to span about twenty volumes over the 1960s and '70s. The talents of mainly British writers were showcased and each volume contained around twenty spinechillers. A snarling rat sitting on a skull adorns the cover of this volume from 1965.

When a moneylender attempts to collect a debt from an eccentric with a strange photographic device, his life takes a bizarre twist. Effective step into the "Twilight Zone" and a highlight of the volume. (5/5) This story about an innocent seventeen year old girl coming to live in London and anxious about a serial killer active in Paddington, where she will be living, is certainly very coldly gruesome and horrifying, but, in terms of plot, it is exactly what you expect. You're afraid of your own son" she cried, struggling. "Let me go. I'm coming, Herbert, I'm coming!" Suitable Applicant’ by Charles Braunstone. A woman gets a job working for a man who her missing best friend previously worked for. It all happens here – bloodthirstiness and kinky sex! This is another of those stories which is enjoyable for its sheer weirdness, as well as gripping build-up. You’ll probably guess where the story is going, but then one or two more embellishments lift it further.

This should come with a trigger warning. There's a rape scene in here so disturbing it took me several more months to finish reading the rest of the anthology. It may be going for allegory.A nasty dog trainer who uses a whip to get his animals to perform, gets a taste of his own medicine. No surprises. (2/5) Sad Road To The Sea’ by Gerald Kersh. A tailor, who is owed money, needs money to pay his rent. When the rent collector calls round, he loses it… This is more of a crime story than a horror story, but it’s easily one of the best in the collection. Like the previous story, it’s built around tragic circumstances and a sad desperate character. Almost unheard of - A Pan Horror Collection in which there are absolutely no duffers! Except one rather inconsequential poem, all of the stories here are, at the very least, great macabre fun.

In the night someone (Edward is too drunk to ascertain the gender) visits his room and treats him to an hour’s fun'n'games. Was this Edward’s wife, their handsome servant boy Ahmed, or someone else altogether? STREET OF THE BLIND DONKEY, by Rosemary Timperley: A woman escapes her unhappy marriage and ends up in Bruges, but has her husband followed her? No ghostly stuff here, just psychology gone wrong, with hallucinations and abuse. A great setting, and a disturbing story. 3/5 Another first person tale from someone who's mad. Bit of a trend here. Quite effective this one. (4/5)Originally published in 1967. 8 out of 20 good stories make this one of the lesser books in this series so far, especially considering that 6 really are bottom of the barrel space-fillers (in my humble!). The other 6 I’d place firmly in the middle-of-the-road. Having said that, the good stories are good. I’ll Never Leave You – Ever’ (Rene Morris). A woman, whose husband is dying, has an affair with a younger fitter man. I’m not a voodoo fan, but this one does have a different take on the theme and is so beautifully written that I can forgive it. Both dark and tender, it’s another character driven horror story. Voodoo and juju are apparently interchangeable in this story of revenge among colonial folks in Africa.