There are one or two stories that seemed a bit slow, but overall, this is a very good collection. I have always enjoyed the anthologies edited by David Hartwell. The book includes a good scholarly essay as way of introduction. I wrote back in my journal that the editor views horror as a mode authors use in many categories of fiction, and that the book looks at the transaction between the reader and text which "yields the horrific response."

I was reading this when I was still teaching public school. Back then I was worried some of my colleagues would look down on me for reading a book like this. How times have changed since I have learned not to apologize for my reading tastes, and that genres like this can be both light and sophisticated. Horror for me makes a good way to let the imagination roam free, especially into some dark places. Definitely a book I recommend to anyone wanting to get a good overview of the horror genre. ( )

This hefty, almost unwieldy collection (trade paperback, over 600 pages, very small print) is a look at the history and evolution of the horror genre. Beginning with an academic introduction, it contains a pretty good variety of subject matter, although there are some similar stories included to compare and contrast themes (two stories of alien forces that control human bodies for their own ends, for example.) There are several science fiction stories, showing the crossover between genres. The selections range from the 18th century to the early 1990s. I have to admit I found some of the earlier stories hard to get through. Those people sure were in love with their writing. Lest you think me ageist, some of the more recent stories fell flat for me as well. But there is some great material scattered throughout. These were my favorites:

"They" by Robert A. Heinlein: A man believes that the world around him is a sham constructed for the benefit of mysterious agents.

"Sandkings" by George R.R. Martin: A collector of exotic animals fails to follow the care instructions regarding his latest acquisitions.

"When Darkness Loves Us" by Elizabeth Engstrom: A young wife trapped in a disused mine adapts in many ways...

"In The Hills, The Cities" by Clive Barker: Two lovers traveling in eastern Europe witness a bizarre and fantastic ritual enacted by two neighboring cities.

"The Entrance" by Gerald Durrell: An antiquarian book expert is called upon by a friend to catalog his late uncle's collection, but he finds himself distracted by the many mirrors that adorn the walls of the house...and by the hungry thing that dwells on the other side. This is easily the most chilling story in this anthology.

"The Lurking Duck" by Scott Baker: A young girl discovers the link between a criminal she helped put behind bars and the curious behavior of local waterfowl.

Finishing this collection, appropriately, is "Notes on the Writing of Horror" by Thomas Ligotti. What appears to be an instructional piece (Hartwell himself uses it in his teaching) eventually is revealed to be something more.

Worth picking up for some of the harder-to-find stories.

UPDATE: I've since re-read some of the older stories in a different anthology with larger print and more comfortable typesetting, and enjoyed them much more, so the problem with them may have been the formatting rather than the stories themselves. If this bothers you too, check out [b:American Fantastic Tales: Terror and the Uncanny from Poe to the Pulps|6254610|American Fantastic Tales Terror and the Uncanny from Poe to the Pulps|Peter Straub|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347351155s/6254610.jpg|6437564]. ( )