The century's best horror fiction

Review by Booklist Review

*Starred Review* One a year for the entire twentieth century is the framework of this gigantic two-volume tome, one that provides an intoxicating reading experience. Editor Pelan, a historian of the horror genre, exercised rather severe restrictions not only one story per year but also only one story per author. Rather than circumscribing this fantastic anthology, those limitations make it more powerful, more defining of what has gone on between the years 1901 and 2000 in horror fiction. In the introduction, Pelan glows with the admission that the books you have in your hand are the realization of a dream. And horror readers will have to admit that this treasure trove will bring the realization of a dream to them as well, for there is sufficient material within the multitudinous but highly entertaining and dramatic pages of this grand publishing project to occupy many hours, weeks, even months of their time. Volume 1 sees stories from such classic horror writers as H. G. Wells, Algernon Blackwood, M. R. James, E. F. Benson, Lord Dunsany, H. P. Lovecraft, and Shirley Jackson. The term old-fashioned flies out the window when even new readers to horror fiction taste the perfection achieved by these masters.--Hooper, Brad Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

This second volume of Pelan's centenary celebration of horror fiction shows the genre evolving and transforming, especially in the post-Stephen King era. Robert Bloch's deal-with-the-devil tale "That Hellbound Train" is an early exercise in dark fantasy, and Bob Leman's revisionist vampire tale "The Pilgrimage of Clifford M." is a superbly unglamorous depiction of the undead. Charles Beaumont's "The Howling Man," which recalls The Twilight Zone, and Poppy Z. Brite's "Calcutta, Lord of Nerves," a Romero-style zombie tale, show the increasing effects of extraliterary media on modern horror. King himself is present with one of his best, the meditative ghost story "The Reach," and there are award winners from Ramsey Campbell, Elizabeth Massie, Joe R. Lansdale, Jack Ketchum, and many others. This two-volume treasure trove is a landmark achievement that horror fans will cherish, though they may quibble over individual selections. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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Review by Library Journal Review

Serious horror fans need seek no further for significant last words in the genre. Selected by acclaimed horror author and editor Pelan, these two massive volumes present one author per year beginning with Barry Pain in 1901 and ending with Tim Lebbon in 2000. While the bulk of these tomes may intimidate some readers, the phenomenal diversity of the stories and the inclusion of otherwise out-of-print material outweigh the concern with size. Possibly the biggest problem is the editor's arbitrary selection method that he explains as a necessity. The entries are limited to one author per year, thus a reader's favorite writer's best work may not be included. For example, the only work of Stephen King, "The Reach," appears in Volume 2 under 1981. Some readers may view this story as among King's best; others may find it yawn inducing. And there are surprising omissions as well: Peter Straub, for example. VERDICT These volumes comprise a figurative five-foot shelf of horror and are a must-have pair for die-hard horror fans. Recommended for all public libraries.-Jonathan Pearce, California State Univ. at Stanislaus, Stockton (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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