This collection features tormented individuals who play out their doom in various odd little towns, as well as in dark sectors frequented by sinister and often blackly comical eccentrics. The cycle of narratives that includes the title work of this collection, for instance, introduces readers to...  more

This collection features tormented individuals who play out their doom in various odd little towns, as well as in dark sectors frequented by sinister and often blackly comical eccentrics. The cycle of narratives that includes the title work of this collection, for instance, introduces readers to a freakish community of artists who encounter demonic perils that ultimately engulf their lives. These are selected examples of the forbidding array of persons and places that compose the mesmerizing fiction of Thomas Ligotti.

"A fractured mind is often the way into a world not suspected by those of an innocent normality." Enter the universe of renowned horror master Thomas Ligotti—a universe where clowns take part in a sinister winter festival, a scheming girlfriend makes reality itself come unraveled, a...  more

"A fractured mind is often the way into a world not suspected by those of an innocent normality." Enter the universe of renowned horror master Thomas Ligotti—a universe where clowns take part in a sinister winter festival, a scheming girlfriend makes reality itself come unraveled, a crumbling asylum's destruction unleashes a greater horror, and a mysterious Teatro comes and goes, leaving only shattered dreams in its wake. In the tradition of Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft, Ligotti's sophisticated tales of terror take us to places few would suspect exist, where madness is only a thought away. The Nightmare Factory adapts four of Ligotti's most chilling tales into fine graphic literature by famed writers and artists Stuart Moore, Joe Harris, Colleen Doran (The Sandman), Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night), Ted McKeever (Batman), and Michael Gaydos (Alias). Featuring all-new introductions to each story by Thomas Ligotti.

Homeless Michael Fox is about to commit suicide when a mysterious billionaire surgeon stops him and offers him two million dollars -- or his right arm. But Fox's arm is only the beginning, as the surgeon continues his mad experiments, removing parts of Fox's body bit by bit and reassembling him...  more

Homeless Michael Fox is about to commit suicide when a mysterious billionaire surgeon stops him and offers him two million dollars -- or his right arm. But Fox's arm is only the beginning, as the surgeon continues his mad experiments, removing parts of Fox's body bit by bit and reassembling him from other parts. And Fox isn't the only one the doctor is experimenting on...

They came to the deserted island to compete on a popular reality television show. Each one of them hoped to be the last to leave. Now, they're just hoping to stay alive, because one of them isn't who he seems, and the island isn't as deserted as it appears. The men will be slaughtered. The women...  more

They came to the deserted island to compete on a popular reality television show. Each one of them hoped to be the last to leave. Now, they're just hoping to stay alive, because one of them isn't who he seems, and the island isn't as deserted as it appears. The men will be slaughtered. The women will be kept alive as captives. And before it is over, they will turn on each other. Night is falling, the creatures are coming, and rescue is so very far away...

Something very strange is happening in LeHorn's Hollow...  Eerie, piping music is heard late at night, and mysterious fires have been spotted deep in the woods. Women are vanishing without a trace overnight, leaving behind husbands and families.  When up-and-coming novelist...  more

Something very strange is happening in LeHorn's Hollow...  Eerie, piping music is heard late at night, and mysterious fires have been spotted deep in the woods. Women are vanishing without a trace overnight, leaving behind husbands and families.  When up-and-coming novelist Adam Senft stumbles upon an unearthly scene, it plunges him and the entire town into an ancient nightmare. Folks say the woods in LeHorn's Hollow are haunted, but what waits there is far worse than any ghost. It has been summoned... and now it demands to be satisfied.

Haunted-attraction designer Ken Ripple has designed his masterpiece, the Ghost Walk, a trail winding through the mysterious woods of LeHorns Hollow. He doesn't realize that the woods are truly evil, and a gateway to hell has unleashed a real demon.

The mountain stood proud and alone, shrouded in mist and snow, and surrounded by legends and fear. Some said a demon resided on the rocky slopes, an unholy thing that periodically emerged from the mist to claim a life. Mark Newman had hiked the trails to the mountain's peak many times. He'd...  more

The mountain stood proud and alone, shrouded in mist and snow, and surrounded by legends and fear. Some said a demon resided on the rocky slopes, an unholy thing that periodically emerged from the mist to claim a life. Mark Newman had hiked the trails to the mountain's peak many times. He'd heard the tales, but he didn't believe them. Mark learned to believe the tales on the terrible day his friend disappeared in a sudden, blinding snowstorm while the two of them were on the mountain. On that day Mark witnessed something hideous lurking near the summit...something that would kill again and again.

Known for the past two decades as "that other horror writer from Maine," Hautala boasts a reputation that rests primarily on more than a dozen novels of suspense and the supernatural set in his home state. The 26 stories in this workmanlike first collection of short fiction draw mostly from the...  more

Known for the past two decades as "that other horror writer from Maine," Hautala boasts a reputation that rests primarily on more than a dozen novels of suspense and the supernatural set in his home state. The 26 stories in this workmanlike first collection of short fiction draw mostly from the same reservoir of regional characters and settings as his longer works and form a roadmap to the bedrock horror themes of the last 20 years. For the most part, their plots are simple setups with twist endings in which luckless or unlikable characters fall victim to unspeakable fates and poetically just deserts. In "Voodoo Queen," a dissipated man learns firsthand the dark secret of a carnival freak show presided over by an alluring snake woman. "Colt .24" is an inventive variation on the deal-with-the-devil theme, narrated in the first person by a character anxiously ticking off the seconds as his inescapable doom approaches. "A Little Bit of Divine Justice" captures the flavor of the Twilight Zone in its eerie account of two men caught in a recurring cycle of death and retribution on a snowy winter night. As often as not, in stories like the first-person psycho narrative "Bird in the House" or the biter-bit tale "Rubies and Pearls," Hautala is cramped by genre conventions that leave him belaboring the obvious or struggling to soften the predictability of a situation. But the book balances lesser efforts with effectively crafted shockers for a mix that lives up to the title's reference to discomforting things that get under the skin.

Inch by inch, day by day, Scott Carey is getting smaller. Once an unremarkable husband and father, Scott finds himself shrinking with no end in sight. His wife and family turn into unreachable giants, the family cat becomes a predatory menace, and Scott must struggle to survive in a world that...  more

Inch by inch, day by day, Scott Carey is getting smaller. Once an unremarkable husband and father, Scott finds himself shrinking with no end in sight. His wife and family turn into unreachable giants, the family cat becomes a predatory menace, and Scott must struggle to survive in a world that seems to be growing ever larger and more perilous--until he faces the ultimate limits of fear and existence.

Rolf Rudolph Deutsch is going die. But when Deutsch, a wealthy magazine and newpaper publisher, starts thinking seriously about his impending death, he offers to pay a physicist and two mediums, one physical and one mental, $100,000 each to establish the facts of life after death.Dr. Lionel...  more

Rolf Rudolph Deutsch is going die. But when Deutsch, a wealthy magazine and newpaper publisher, starts thinking seriously about his impending death, he offers to pay a physicist and two mediums, one physical and one mental, $100,000 each to establish the facts of life after death.Dr. Lionel Barrett, the physicist, accompanied by the mediums, travel to the Belasco House in Maine, which has been abandoned and sealed since 1949 after a decade of drug addiction, alcoholism, and debauchery. For one night, Barrett and his colleagues investigate the Belasco House and learn exactly why the townfolks refer to it as the Hell House.

Clive Barker has ?touched? Hellraiser only twice before: once to write The Hellbound Heart, and once more to write and direct the original Hellraiser film. With the HELLRAISER ongoing series, witness Barker?s long-awaited return to tell a new chapter in the official continuity ? a trajectory...  more

Clive Barker has ?touched? Hellraiser only twice before: once to write The Hellbound Heart, and once more to write and direct the original Hellraiser film. With the HELLRAISER ongoing series, witness Barker?s long-awaited return to tell a new chapter in the official continuity ? a trajectory that will forever change the Cenobites?and Pinhead! So prepare your soul for an epic journey into horror from one of the medium?s greatest voices, and starring one of the medium?s greatest characters, in an unforgettable new chapter of Hellraiser.

Legions of Clive Barker fans will relish three early works from the wicked imagination of one of the best-known fantasy/horror writers of the decade.Incarnations is a cross-disciplinary marvel, a great, glorious feast of the imagination taking us on a journey through wildly varied theatrical and...  more

Legions of Clive Barker fans will relish three early works from the wicked imagination of one of the best-known fantasy/horror writers of the decade.Incarnations is a cross-disciplinary marvel, a great, glorious feast of the imagination taking us on a journey through wildly varied theatrical and emotional terrains, from the pain and intrigue of domestic transgressions to the monstrous horrors wrought by war; from lustful garden liasons to subterranean cannibalism. Barker uses unpredictable rhythms that draw less from theatrical convention and more from life itself, with apocalyptic spectacle and intimate reality sharing the stage as equal and sometimes indistinguishable partners.The three works that make up Incarnations - Colossus; Frankenstein in Love, or the Life of Death; and The History of the Devil, or Scenes from a Pretended Life combine the shock and magic and heartbreak that has made Barker's unique vision a compelling force in all the media he has touched.

Amazon.com "Everybody is a book of blood; wherever we're opened, we're red." For those who only know Clive Barker through his long multi-genre novels, this one-volume edition of the Books of Blood is a welcome chance to acquire the 16 remarkable horror short stories with which he kicked off...  more

Amazon.com "Everybody is a book of blood; wherever we're opened, we're red." For those who only know Clive Barker through his long multi-genre novels, this one-volume edition of the Books of Blood is a welcome chance to acquire the 16 remarkable horror short stories with which he kicked off his career. For those who already know these tales, the poignant introduction is a window on the creator's mind. Reflecting back after 14 years, Barker writes: I look at these pieces and I don't think the man who wrote them is alive in me anymore.... We are all our own graveyards I believe; we squat amongst the tombs of the people we were. If we're healthy, every day is a celebration, a Day of the Dead, in which we give thanks for the lives that we lived; and if we are neurotic we brood and mourn and wish that the past was still present. Reading these stories over, I feel a little of both. Some of the simple energies that made these words flow through my pen--that made the phrases felicitous and the ideas sing--have gone. I lost their maker a long time ago. These enthusiastic tales are not ashamed of visceral horror, of blood splashing freely across the page: "The Midnight Meat Train," a grisly subway tale that surprises you with one twist after another; "The Yattering and Jack," about a hilarious demon who possesses a Christmas turkey; "In the Hills, the Cities," an unusual example of an original horror premise; "Dread," a harrowing non-supernatural tale about being forced to realize your worst nightmare; "Jacqueline Ess: Her Will and Testament," about a woman who kills men with her mind. Some of the tales are more successful than others, but all are distinguished by strikingly beautiful images of evil and destruction. No horror library is complete without them. --Fiona Webster

For more than two decades, Clive Barker has twisted the worlds of horrific and surrealistic fiction into a terrifying, transcendent genre all his own. With skillful prose, he enthralls even as he horrifies; with uncanny insight, he disturbs as profoundly as he reveals. Evoking revulsion and...  more

For more than two decades, Clive Barker has twisted the worlds of horrific and surrealistic fiction into a terrifying, transcendent genre all his own. With skillful prose, he enthralls even as he horrifies; with uncanny insight, he disturbs as profoundly as he reveals. Evoking revulsion and admiration, anticipation and dread, Barker's works explore the darkest contradictions of the human condition: our fear of life and our dreams of death.

Frank Cotton's insatiable appetite for the dark pleasures of pain led him to the puzzle of Lemarchand's box, and from there, to a death only a sick-minded soul could invent. But his brother's love-crazed wife, Julia, has discovered a way to bring Frank back -- though the price will...  more

Frank Cotton's insatiable appetite for the dark pleasures of pain led him to the puzzle of Lemarchand's box, and from there, to a death only a sick-minded soul could invent. But his brother's love-crazed wife, Julia, has discovered a way to bring Frank back -- though the price will be bloody and terrible . . . and there will certainly be hell to pay.

Strange Highways • collection of 9 novellettes/novellas and 5 short stories, by Dean R. Koontz [as by Dean Koontz].  From the denizens of hell to unlikely heroes, from vengeful children to suspiciously humanlike robots, this new collection of tales from a genius of horror and suspense...  more

Strange Highways • collection of 9 novellettes/novellas and 5 short stories, by Dean R. Koontz [as by Dean Koontz].  From the denizens of hell to unlikely heroes, from vengeful children to suspiciously humanlike robots, this new collection of tales from a genius of horror and suspense writing provides a hypnotic view of the strange highways of human experience: the adventures and terrors and failures and triumphs that we know as we make our way from birth to death, along the routes that we choose for ourselves and along others onto which we are detoured by fate.  It is a journey down wrong roads that can lead to unexpectedly and stunningly right destinations…into subterranean depths where the darkness of the human soul breeds in every conceivable form…over unfamiliar terrain populated by the denizens of hell. It is a world of unlikely heroes, haunted thieves, fearsome predators, vengeful children, and suspiciously humanlike robots. Contents: Strange Highways (1995) / novella: One rain-swept night when he was 20-years-old, Joey Shannon, a young college boy, took the wrong highway. From that moment nothing ever went right for him again. Exactly 20 years later Joey finds himself at the same crossroads looking down the road never taken, odd since that road no longer exists. The Black Pumpkin (1986) / shortstory: an adolescent boy who learns the difference between right and wrong. Miss Attila the Hun (1987) / novelette: a symbiote takes control of a town. Down in the Darkness (1986) / novelette: the perfect house has a mysterious door and a winding staircase leading down into the darkness, a darkness that is willing to consume anyone. Ollie's Hands (1972) / shortstory: a panhandler that has exraordinary powers in his hands. Snatcher (1986) / shortstory: a pursesnatcher is shown the error of his ways. Trapped (1989) / novelette: a mother and her son and their will to survive the peril that they are in. Bruno [Jake Ash] (1971) / novelette: about parallel universes. We Three (1974) / shortstory: a highly advance set of triples show their abilities. Hardshell (1974) / novelette: a cop is forced to do what he doesn't want to do. Kittens (1966) / shortstory: a youngster doesn't like what she learns about mortality. The Night of the Storm [The Night of the Storm • 1] (1974) / novelette: a few robots set off an adventure, in a futuristic world ruled by robots. Twilight of the Dawn (1987) / novelette: a man is chastised for his unbelief. Chase (1972) / novella: a Vietnam War hero finds himself the target of a sociopathic killer when he interrupts a murder in progress. Notes to the Reader (Strange Highways) (1995) • essay by Dean R. Koontz [as by Dean Koontz] .

A sequel to the anthology Locus deemed, "the best gathering of such stories ever," and Playboy called, "a home-alone, lock-the-doors, turn-on-all-the-lights collection of deliciously perverse tales." A mixture of sex and horror stories from authors including Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison, Arthur...  more

A sequel to the anthology Locus deemed, "the best gathering of such stories ever," and Playboy called, "a home-alone, lock-the-doors, turn-on-all-the-lights collection of deliciously perverse tales." A mixture of sex and horror stories from authors including Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Nancy A. Collins.

The high-voltage combination of sex and horror delivers its promised thrills in several of these stories, although some masters of the genre are seen at less than their best. Standouts include the lively and funny "Death and the Single Girl," in which Thomas Disch tells what happens to...  more

The high-voltage combination of sex and horror delivers its promised thrills in several of these stories, although some masters of the genre are seen at less than their best. Standouts include the lively and funny "Death and the Single Girl," in which Thomas Disch tells what happens to a temp secretary who has given up on life and decides to call Death at the phone number she has acquired on a bus trip to a World Fellowship camp in the Catskills. Clive Barker enthralls with his eerie and powerful tale of a housewife in the depths of despair, who discovers supernatural powers in both her rage and sexuality. On the other hand, Stephen King's "The Revelations of 'Becka Paulson" is a relatively tame account of another housewife's loosening hold on sanity after she accidentally shoots herself. Ruth Rendell also disappoints with a predictable and unsuspenseful last meeting of lovers. Other contributors include Valerie Martin and Patrick McGrath. Slung places the stories in context in brief introductions and provides short author bios.

At our human limits, when we've gone as far as flesh and imagination can take us, we meet the Eternal One. The Crow. Immemorially old, and inconsolable, he is there only for those who seek both revenge and love, and are willing to go all the way--and beyond.Five, four, three, two...Jared...  more

At our human limits, when we've gone as far as flesh and imagination can take us, we meet the Eternal One. The Crow. Immemorially old, and inconsolable, he is there only for those who seek both revenge and love, and are willing to go all the way--and beyond.Five, four, three, two...Jared Poe counts the days on Louisiana's Death Row. The controversial S&M photographer has been condemned to die for killing his lover. He doesn't know who did it. Only that he didn't.Can he clear his name and find the real killer in time?No. For this is no ordinary thriller. We are in the dark realm of The Crow, and Jared must feel the cold shudder of Death; must hear the beating of black wings; must prowl the shadowy goth netherworld of New Orleans, to prove he was no killer when he died.And find out what kind of killer he has become.

The new Bates Motel is a tourist attraction, a recreation of the murder site, and the developers are already counting their profits. And there's a new exhibit, one nobody expected: the bloody corpse of a teenage girl crumpled in the front hall, stabbed to death. Among the avalanche of press and...  more

The new Bates Motel is a tourist attraction, a recreation of the murder site, and the developers are already counting their profits. And there's a new exhibit, one nobody expected: the bloody corpse of a teenage girl crumpled in the front hall, stabbed to death. Among the avalanche of press and publicity is reporter Amelia Haines, true-crime book writer. She's studying the original Psycho killings and to Amy, the new murders are a golden opportunity-if she can be part of the investigation, perhaps track down the killer herself, then her fame, and her fortune, will be assured. But catching the madman won't be easy . . . the town is full of suspects, and Amy's best informants keep turning up murdered. If she isn't careful, Amelia Haines may be the next permanent guest at the Bates Motel. . . .

The Duke de Richleau, Richard Eaton and Simon Aron celebrate New Year's Eve together -- and when their talk turns to the absent member of the old foursome, Rex van Ryn, Simon has some shocking news: Rex, sent to manage family interests in Buenos Aires, has absconded with $1 million. Determined...  more

The Duke de Richleau, Richard Eaton and Simon Aron celebrate New Year's Eve together -- and when their talk turns to the absent member of the old foursome, Rex van Ryn, Simon has some shocking news: Rex, sent to manage family interests in Buenos Aires, has absconded with $1 million. Determined to find him and to get to the bottom of this incredible story, the three involve themselves in a matter more dangerous than anything they've faced so far -- a matter that leads them to the Gateway to Hell.

From the acclaimed author of Infected comes an epic and exhilarating story of humanity's secret battle against a horrific enemy. Across America, a mysterious pathogen transforms ordinary people into raging killers, psychopaths driven by a terrifying, alien agenda. The human race fights...  more

From the acclaimed author of Infected comes an epic and exhilarating story of humanity's secret battle against a horrific enemy. Across America, a mysterious pathogen transforms ordinary people into raging killers, psychopaths driven by a terrifying, alien agenda. The human race fights back, yet after every battle the disease responds, adapts, using sophisticated strategies and brilliant ruses to fool its pursuers. The only possible explanation: the epidemic is driven not by evolution but by some malevolent intelligence. Standing against this unimaginable threat is a small group, assembled under the strictest secrecy. Their best weapon is hulking former football star Perry Dawsey, left psychologically shattered by his own struggles with this terrible enemy, who possesses an unexplainable ability to locate the diseases hosts. Violent and unpredictable, Perry is both the nation's best hope and a terrifying liability. Hardened CIA veteran Dew Phillips must somehow forge a connection with him if they're going to stand a chance against this maddeningly adaptable opponent. Alongside them is Margaret Montoya, a brilliant epidemiologist who fights for a cure even as she reels under the weight of endless horrors. These three and their team have kept humanity in the game, but that's not good enough anymore, not when the disease turns contagious, triggering a fast countdown to Armageddon. Meanwhile, other enemies join the battle, and a new threat - one that comes from a most unexpected source - may ultimately prove the most dangerous of all. Catapulting the reader into a world where humanity's life span is measured in hours and the president's finger hovers over the nuclear button, rising star Scott Sigler takes us on a breathtaking, hyper-adrenalized ride filled with terror and jaw-dropping action. Contagious is a truly grand work of suspense, science, and horror from a new master.

The local sheriff of Dead River, Maine, thought he had killed them off ten years ago - a primitive, cave-dwelling tribe of cannibalistic savages. But somehow the clan survived. To breed. To hunt. To kill and eat. And now the peaceful residents of this isolated town are fighting for their lives . . .

The tale of Frankenstein is told from the not-so-mad scientist's point of view and covers how he regarded his creation as his child, his rustic European village youth, and the lies told by Mary Shelley.

"IT WAS ANOTHER DAY IN HELL" It always began this way, ever since Mark Davies had fallen from the rushing train: Surrounded by a swirl of purple fog, every day was a day in hell. Haunted by dreams filled with fear, urged again and ever again to return to the train station, Davies is cought in a...  more

"IT WAS ANOTHER DAY IN HELL" It always began this way, ever since Mark Davies had fallen from the rushing train: Surrounded by a swirl of purple fog, every day was a day in hell. Haunted by dreams filled with fear, urged again and ever again to return to the train station, Davies is cought in a maelstrom of nightmares and voices and something struggling to control him. And there is something there, something of the train, something srong enough to drive men to murder, to steer children to kill...something revelling in death. There is something riding the train and it wants to be free. Until it is, there is only hell for Mark Davies--whether he lives or dies.

Seductive, erotic, doomed to immortality, and forever hungry, they're lurking under the cover of darkness.  In this collection of the very best vampire stories ever told, we see this pale creature of the night emerge from the shadows of myth and legend.  Here, in all their horror...  more

Seductive, erotic, doomed to immortality, and forever hungry, they're lurking under the cover of darkness.  In this collection of the very best vampire stories ever told, we see this pale creature of the night emerge from the shadows of myth and legend.  Here, in all their horror and all their glory, are the great vampires of literature: male and female, invisible and metamorphic, doomed and daring. Their skin deathly pale, their nails curved like claws, their fangs sharpened for the attack, they are gathered for the kill and for the chill.  Careful--they are all crafty enough to steal their way into your imagination and steal away your hopes for a restful sleep. Contents: Introduction (Vampires) (1987) • essay by Alan Ryan Fragment of a Novel (1816) / short story by Lord George Gordon Byron [as by George Gordon, Lord Byron] The Vampyre: A Tale [Lord Ruthven] (1966) / novelette by Dr. John William Polidori [as by John Polidori] Varney, the Vampyre; or, The Feast of Blood (excerpt) [Varney the Vampyre (excerpts)] (1847) / short fiction by James Malcolm Rymer The Mysterious Stranger (1854) / novelette by Karl von Wachsmann (trans. of Der Fremde 1844) [as by Anonymous] Carmilla [Martin Hesselius] (1872) / novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu [as by J. Sheridan Le Fanu] Good Lady Ducayne (1896) / novelette by Mary Elizabeth Braddon Dracula's Guest [Dracula] (1914) / short story by Bram Stoker Luella Miller (1902) / short story by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman [as by Mary E. Wilkins-Freeman] For the Blood Is the Life (1905) / short story by F. Marion Crawford The Transfer (1911) / short story by Algernon Blackwood The Room in the Tower (1912) / short story by E. F. Benson An Episode of Cathedral History (1914) / short story by M. R. James A Rendezvous in Averoigne [Averoigne] (1931) / short story by Clark Ashton Smith Shambleau [Northwest Smith] (1933) / novelette by C. L. Moore Revelations in Black (1933) / novelette by Carl Jacobi School for the Unspeakable (1937) / short story by Manly Wade Wellman The Drifting Snow (1939) / short story by August Derleth Over the River (1941) / short story by P. Schuyler Miller The Girl with the Hungry Eyes (1949) / short story by Fritz Leiber The Mindworm (1950) / short story by C. M. Kornbluth Drink My Blood (1951) / short story by Richard Matheson (variant of "Drink My Red Blood ...") Place of Meeting (1953) / short story by Charles Beaumont The Living Dead (1967) / short story by Robert Bloch (variant of Underground) Pages from a Young Girl's Journal (1973) / novelette by Robert Aickman The Werewolf and the Vampire (1975) / novelette by R. Chetwynd-Hayes Love-Starved (1979) / short story by Charles L. Grant Cabin 33 [Count of Saint-Germain] (1980) / novella by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro Unicorn Tapestry (1980) / novella by Suzy McKee Charnas Following the Way (1982) / short story by Alan Ryan The Sunshine Club (1983) / short story by Ramsey Campbell The Men and Women of Rivendale (1984) / short story by Steve Rasnic Tem Bite-Me-Not or, Fleur de Feu (1984) / novelette by Tanith Lee .

Harvest Tales and Midnight Revels is the surprising and thoroughly entertaining result of a ten-year odyssey of creative play. The 19 stories and poems presented here, along with beautiful original illustrations, were collected over the course of a Halloween story-writing party, thrown by a...  more

Harvest Tales and Midnight Revels is the surprising and thoroughly entertaining result of a ten-year odyssey of creative play. The 19 stories and poems presented here, along with beautiful original illustrations, were collected over the course of a Halloween story-writing party, thrown by a special community of creative adults, that spanned ten consecutive years. Each is a unique gem of a tale originally read aloud at the party and included in this volume for its readability and tested appeal. Some horrific, some laugh-out-loud funny, some deeply disturbing and grotesque, and others quietly wistful, together they sound an oddly harmonious chorus in response to the initial and ongoing question: What is Halloween? As an incentive to raise readers' deep creative impulses to action, the Afterword contains suggestions and ideas for starting your own literary Halloween tradition: what we learned by throwing these parties and how you can tap into the waiting creative energies of your community of friends.

Haunted is a novel made up of twenty-three horrifying, hilarious, and stomach-churning stories. They?re told by people who have answered an ad for a writer?s retreat and unwittingly joined a ?Survivor?-like scenario where the host withholds heat, power, and food. As the storytellers grow more...  more

Haunted is a novel made up of twenty-three horrifying, hilarious, and stomach-churning stories. They?re told by people who have answered an ad for a writer?s retreat and unwittingly joined a ?Survivor?-like scenario where the host withholds heat, power, and food. As the storytellers grow more desperate, their tales become more extreme, and they ruthlessly plot to make themselves the hero of the reality show that will surely be made from their plight. This is one of the most disturbing and outrageous books you?ll ever read, one that could only come from the mind of Chuck Palahniuk.

Evil Doesn't Die The cozy little town of Pine Deep buried the horrors of its past a long time ago. Thirty years have gone by since the darkness descended and the Black Harvest began, a time when a serial killer sheared a bloody swath through the quiet Pennsylvania village. The evil that...  more

Evil Doesn't Die The cozy little town of Pine Deep buried the horrors of its past a long time ago. Thirty years have gone by since the darkness descended and the Black Harvest began, a time when a serial killer sheared a bloody swath through the quiet Pennsylvania village. The evil that once coursed through Pine Deep has been replaced by cheerful tourists getting ready to enjoy the country's largest Halloween celebration in what is now called "The Spookiest Town in America." It Just Grows Stronger But then--a month before Halloween--it begins. Unspeakably desecrated bodies. Inexplicable insanity. And an ancient evil walking the streets, drawing in those who would fall to their own demons and seeking to shred the very soul of this rapidly fracturing community. Yes, the residents of Pine Deep have drawn together and faced a killer before. But this time, evil has many faces--and the lust and will to rule the earth. This struggle will be epic.

Ramsey Campbell... Brian Lumley... Graham Msterton... Brinke Stevens... Brian Hodge... Edward Lee... Lucy Taylor... Mike Newton... and other conjurers of the darkest demons of the human id bring all new stories to the award-winning Hot Blood series. Here are sex-driven, horror-laced tales from...  more

Ramsey Campbell... Brian Lumley... Graham Msterton... Brinke Stevens... Brian Hodge... Edward Lee... Lucy Taylor... Mike Newton... and other conjurers of the darkest demons of the human id bring all new stories to the award-winning Hot Blood series. Here are sex-driven, horror-laced tales from master writers who follow no rules except one -- hold nothing back. Travel on the high-tech back alleys of cybersex toward primitive passions and the timeless dark... spy on partners creating an erotic thriller who help their story along with a very real, very bloody plot twist... fear the tiny creature who takes you to the hidden core of our erogenous self... and ask yourself, is it really necrophilia when the dead make the first move?

"Imagine a trick or treat bag full to bursting with dark delights that evoke Halloween and all its thrills. That bounty is yours in "Halloween Horrors," an All Hallows Eve harvest of spine-tingling treats. More frightening than the tread of disembodied footsteps outside your bedroom door and...  more

"Imagine a trick or treat bag full to bursting with dark delights that evoke Halloween and all its thrills. That bounty is yours in "Halloween Horrors," an All Hallows Eve harvest of spine-tingling treats. More frightening than the tread of disembodied footsteps outside your bedroom door and more exciting than a night in a haunted house, this cornucopia of creepy confections has something to suit every horror reader's tastes. Horror's most imaginative writers have teamed up to provide more than fifty selections of fiction and non-fiction that celebrate the Halloween holiday and its many facets. In addition to their personal reminiscences of favorite Halloween experiences, this book includes some of the best terror tales written on the Halloween theme, including: The Black Pumpkin - Dean Koontz; Heavy Set - Ray Bradbury; The Circle - Lewis Shiner; Yesterday's Witch - Gahan Wilson; Pork Pie Hat - Peter Straub and more..."

The children in this anthology of 11 stories--whether good or evil, whether ghost, werewolf, or vampire, whether protecting themselves or others--all have one thing in common: they are all "children of the night." Includes stories from: Charles de Lint (Collaborator), Nina Kiriki Hoffman...  more

The children in this anthology of 11 stories--whether good or evil, whether ghost, werewolf, or vampire, whether protecting themselves or others--all have one thing in common: they are all "children of the night." Includes stories from: Charles de Lint (Collaborator), Nina Kiriki Hoffman (Collaborator), Josepha Sherman (Collaborator), Larry Segriff Suzy McKee Charnas (Collaborator), J. Sheridan Le Fanu (Collaborator), Al Sarrantonio (Collaborator), Orson Scott Card and Lee Hoffman (Collaborator), Cyril M Kornbluth and Fritz Leiber (Collaborator)

Occult, Aliens, UFOs, Extraterrestrial, Flying Saucers

Like Dark Angels and Daughters of Darkness, this book gathers first-rate horror stories that will appeal to all readers of darkly erotic, transgressive fiction. Here are tales of women werewolves -- beings so darkly erotic their desires literally turn them into animals.

In Blood Thirst: One Hundred Years of Vampire Fiction, Leonard Wolf gathers thirty tales in which vampires of all varieties make their ghastly presence felt. From Lafcadio Hearn, Mary E. Wilkins-Freeman, Edith Wharton, August Derleth, and Ray Bradbury to such contemporary masters as Anne Rice,...  more

In Blood Thirst: One Hundred Years of Vampire Fiction, Leonard Wolf gathers thirty tales in which vampires of all varieties make their ghastly presence felt. From Lafcadio Hearn, Mary E. Wilkins-Freeman, Edith Wharton, August Derleth, and Ray Bradbury to such contemporary masters as Anne Rice, Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, John Cheever, and Woody Allen, and in settings as diverse as rural New England and outer space, this collection offers readers a blood-curling compendium of the best vampire fiction since the publication of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Organized into six categories--The Classic Adventure Tale, The Psychic Vampire, The Science Fiction Vampire, The Non-Human Vampire, The Comic Vampire, and The Heroic Vampire--the collection illustrates how the vampire's ability to draw into itself such a richness of symbolic meanings may account for the enduring appeal of the literature written about it. Here, then, is the definitive collection for aficionados and novices alike to sink their teeth into.

They are...young, seductive, and hungry; driven by an unquenchable thirst, a lust without bounds. We are their prey.....Former FBI agent Fred Langston and Dr. Trish Blaine, government researchers at the Life Center in Atlanta, have read the horrifying reports....Their investigation leads to a...  more

They are...young, seductive, and hungry; driven by an unquenchable thirst, a lust without bounds. We are their prey.....Former FBI agent Fred Langston and Dr. Trish Blaine, government researchers at the Life Center in Atlanta, have read the horrifying reports....Their investigation leads to a shocking revelation: a top-secret medical project within their own facility has turned into an experiment in terror. A serum promising eternal life has mutated into a terrivle virus, breeding a host of blood devouring creatures....

The mistress of erotic horror sets her sights on Mary Shelleys darkest creation. What if you could create a living, breathing human? What shocking acts could it be taught to perform, to desire, to love? Find out what pleasures await those who play God in another breathtaking installation in the...  more

The mistress of erotic horror sets her sights on Mary Shelleys darkest creation. What if you could create a living, breathing human? What shocking acts could it be taught to perform, to desire, to love? Find out what pleasures await those who play God in another breathtaking installation in the popular Darker Passions series.

New York Times bestselling author Douglas Clegg brings us Isis, a beautifully illustrated, unforgettable novella that is sure to become a classic tale of the supernatural.If you lost someone you loved, what would you pay to bring them back from the dead?Old Marsh, the gardener at Belerion Hall,...  more

New York Times bestselling author Douglas Clegg brings us Isis, a beautifully illustrated, unforgettable novella that is sure to become a classic tale of the supernatural.If you lost someone you loved, what would you pay to bring them back from the dead?Old Marsh, the gardener at Belerion Hall, warned the Villiers girl about the old ruins along the sea-cliffs. “Never go in, miss. Never say a prayer at its door. If you are angry, do not seek revenge by the Laughing Maiden stone or at the threshold of the Tombs. There be those who listen for oaths and vows?.What may be said in innocence becomes flesh and blood in such places.”She was born Iris Catherine Villiers. She became Isis.From childhood until her sixteenth year, Iris Villiers wandered the stone-hedged gardens and the steep cliffs along the coast of Cornwall near her ancestral home. Surrounded by the stern judgments of her grandfather?the Gray Minister?and the taunts of her cruel governess, Iris finds solace in her beloved older brother who has always protected her. But when a tragic accident occurs from the ledge of an open window, Iris discovers that she possesses the ability to speak to the dead...Be careful what you wish for?it just may find you.

The bodies were all the same. First they had been stripped naked. Then the blood had been drained from them while they were still alive. Then their hearts had been cut out. The police looked for a psycho killer. The press screamed that a vampire was loose. But they were wrong. It was worse...

A new collection of short stories by Ambrose Bierce, selected from The collected works of Ambrose Bierce, published by the Neale Publishing Company between 1909 and 1912. Contents:    The eyes of the panther -- The moonlit road -- The boarded window...  more

A new collection of short stories by Ambrose Bierce, selected from The collected works of Ambrose Bierce, published by the Neale Publishing Company between 1909 and 1912. Contents:    The eyes of the panther -- The moonlit road -- The boarded window -- The man and the snake -- The secret of Macarger's Gulch -- The middle toe of the right foot -- A psychological shipwreck -- A holy terror -- John Bartine's watch -- Beyond the wall -- A watcher by the dead -- Moxon's master.  

A modern updating of "The Devil's Dictionary." This book contains slightly over 650 definitions: 200 by Bierce, 300 from Chaz Bufe's "American Heretic's Dictionary," and 150 new definitions Bufe wrote for this volume. The book also contains 48 illustrations by J.R. Swanson.

Reworked from Lovecraft's unfinished manuscripts and story fragments by longtime friend and collaborator Derleth, these 15 high-octane tales retain the mythos and essence of horror's most seminal writer. Venture at your own risk into a realm where the sun sinks into oblivion–and all that is...  more

Reworked from Lovecraft's unfinished manuscripts and story fragments by longtime friend and collaborator Derleth, these 15 high-octane tales retain the mythos and essence of horror's most seminal writer. Venture at your own risk into a realm where the sun sinks into oblivion–and all that is unholy, unearthly, and unspeakable rises. These rare, hard-to-find collaborations of cosmic terror are back in print, including: "Wentworth's Day" - A fellow figures his debt to a dead man is null and void, until he discovers just how terrifying interest rates can be. "The Shuttered Room" - A sophisticated gentleman must settle his grandfather's estate, only to find that the house shelters dark secrets. "The Dark Brotherhood" - A beautiful woman and her companion meet the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, in a tale as terrifying as anything Poe himself ever created. "Innsmouth Clay" - A sculptor returns from Paris to create a statue not entirely of this world–and not at all under his control. "Witches’ Hollow" - A new schoolteacher puts his soul in peril while trying to save one of his students from a ravenous creature.

The Mammoth anthology of supernatural, crime, and science fiction features man-made creatures of human and subhuman pedigree inspired by the example of Victor Frankenstein's creation. Accompanying the complete text of Mary Shelley's 1818 horror classic are 21 stories, two novellas, and a poem...  more

The Mammoth anthology of supernatural, crime, and science fiction features man-made creatures of human and subhuman pedigree inspired by the example of Victor Frankenstein's creation. Accompanying the complete text of Mary Shelley's 1818 horror classic are 21 stories, two novellas, and a poem that explore the full spectrum of monsterly creation in literary styles ranging from comic to macabre. Contents: * Frankenstein (1931 revision) by Mary W. Shelley * A New Life by Ramsey Campbell * The Creator by R. Chetwynd-Hayes * Better Dead by Basil Copper * Creature Comforts by Nancy Kilpatrick * Mannikins of Horror by Robert Bloch * El Sue?o de la Raz?n by Daniel Fox * Pithecanthropus Rejectus by Manly Wade Wellman * Tantamount to Murder by John Brunner * Last Train by Guy N. Smith * The Hound of Frankenstein by Peter Tremayne * Mother of Invention by Graham Masterton * The Frankenstein Legacy by Adrian Cole * The Dead Line by Dennis Etchison * Poppi’s Monster by Lisa Morton * Undertow by Karl Edward Wagner * A Complete Woman by Roberta Lannes * Last Call for the Sons of Shock by David J. Schow * Chandira by Brian Mooney * Completist Heaven by Kim Newman * The Temptation of Dr Stein by Paul J. McAuley * To Receive Is Better by Michael Marshall Smith * The Dead End by David Case * Frankenstein by Jo Fletcher

In this historical journey, readers will experience the fall of the Roman Empire, the crucifixion of Christ, and the Spanish Inquisition. They will meet Joan of Arc, Alister Crowley and Adolph Hitler--and witness their manipulation of the forces from beyond. Unspeakable truths are now revealed....  more

In this historical journey, readers will experience the fall of the Roman Empire, the crucifixion of Christ, and the Spanish Inquisition. They will meet Joan of Arc, Alister Crowley and Adolph Hitler--and witness their manipulation of the forces from beyond. Unspeakable truths are now revealed. The collection features fiction by a host of bestselling authors. This second in the Dark Destiny series contains 20 stories edited by Edward E. Kramer: Foreword: Edward E. Kramer Introduction: Robert Anton Wilson The Sign of the Asp - Nancy A. Collins Beloved Disciple - S. P. Somtow The Westfarer - James S. Dorr The Comedy of St. Jehanne d'Arc - Caitli­n R. Kiernan At the Edge of the World - Lisa Lepovetsky Blood Month - Brian Herbert & Marie Landis Sir William, He Lay Snug - Roland J. Green & Frieda A. Murray The Great Man - Doug Murray Death of a Demi-God - Basil Copper The Hunters - Alexandra Elizabeth Honigsberg Gray - Charles L. Grant Mussolini and the Axeman's Jazz - Poppy Z. Brite The Ouanga - Fred Olen Ray The Light That Blinds - Brad Linaweaver & Victor Koman The Skeptic - Robert Weinberg Black Casper - Rex Miller Getting the Fear - Philip Nutman ¢The Wall of the World - Wendy Webb Okay City One Thousand Times - Stewart von Allmen The Punchline - Marc Levinthal & John Mason Skipp

Trapped in the hot, fetid darkness of an ancient Egyptian tomb, Steve Harrison was suddenly assaulted by bizarre and horrific images of a past he had never known. Even when he returned to New York, he found himself driven by strange cravings and erotic desires he couldn't explain; his girl...  more

Trapped in the hot, fetid darkness of an ancient Egyptian tomb, Steve Harrison was suddenly assaulted by bizarre and horrific images of a past he had never known. Even when he returned to New York, he found himself driven by strange cravings and erotic desires he couldn't explain; his girl friend suddenly feared for her life and that of her unborn child. Steve Harrison only had one chance to restore his deteriorating body and cleanse his diseased mind -- a final confrontation with incredible forces of evil, this time in Central Park, this time in the shadow of the forbidding... OBELISK

Emily is . . . 1. A mad scientist 2. A cat lover 3. A mural painter 4. A golem builder 5. A virtuo-spastic guitarist 6. A wicked skater 7. A wily troublemaker 8. A poltergeist tamer 9. A mystery solver 10. A master prankster 11. An eXtreme procrastinator 12. A happy loner 13. A unique...  more

Emily is . . . 1. A mad scientist 2. A cat lover 3. A mural painter 4. A golem builder 5. A virtuo-spastic guitarist 6. A wicked skater 7. A wily troublemaker 8. A poltergeist tamer 9. A mystery solver 10. A master prankster 11. An eXtreme procrastinator 12. A happy loner 13. A unique individual . . . and now there are two of her.

Modern audiences have long inured themselves to fear, trained themselves to shut off their childish nighttime terrors and scoff in the face of deliberate scares. But award winning anthologist Ellen Datlow--called "the genre's sharpest assembler of strange, dark fictions" by William Gibson,...  more

Modern audiences have long inured themselves to fear, trained themselves to shut off their childish nighttime terrors and scoff in the face of deliberate scares. But award winning anthologist Ellen Datlow--called "the genre's sharpest assembler of strange, dark fictions" by William Gibson, author of Neuromancer--was convinced that there was life in the ghost story yet. So she challenged a list of varied and talented contributors to scare the heck out of her.The resultant collection singlehandedly redefines the ghost story, going far beyond the accustomed tropes and gore of horror stories to consider the only realm that still truly scares us: the unknown. The Dark takes a nuanced and disquieting look at the tormented and unquiet dead; the darkness in us, the living; and the sometimes tenuous boundary between the two. Under the covers of The Dark, you will find a gathering of sixteen original, unique ghost stories, deftly penned by authors versed in the argot of the damned, including Ramsey Campbell, Jeffrey Ford, Glen Hirshberg, Tanith Lee, Kelly Link, Sharyn McCrumb, Joyce Carol Oates, Lucius Shepard, and Gahan Wilson. No two stories are alike; all are calculated to make it hard to be alone with the lights out. This is the stuff nightmares are made of.

This illustrated biography showcases Lovecraft's handwritten manuscript pages alongside rare photographs, hand-drawn maps and sketches, and revealing anecdotes. The text explores Lovecraft's isolated life and the devotion to both science and writing that led him to populate the unimaginable...  more

This illustrated biography showcases Lovecraft's handwritten manuscript pages alongside rare photographs, hand-drawn maps and sketches, and revealing anecdotes. The text explores Lovecraft's isolated life and the devotion to both science and writing that led him to populate the unimaginable depths of the cosmos with eldritch reminders of humankind's insignificance: Cthulhu, Yog-Sothoth, the shoggoths, and more. A final chapter discusses his explosive posthumous career as an icon in his own right in popular and underground culture, influencing fiction, music, gaming, comics, and film.

Perhaps best-known to the general public for his "Father Brown" detective series, G. K. Chesterton was renowned for his wit, rhetorical brilliance, and talent for ingenious paradox. Those qualities are lavishly displayed in this funny, fast-paced novel about a club of anarchists in...  more

Perhaps best-known to the general public for his "Father Brown" detective series, G. K. Chesterton was renowned for his wit, rhetorical brilliance, and talent for ingenious paradox. Those qualities are lavishly displayed in this funny, fast-paced novel about a club of anarchists in turn-of-the-20th-century London. Ostensibly a story of mystery and espionage, it's also—on a deeper level—a vehicle for social, religious, and philosophical commentary.

"The Other" tells the story of identical twin boys, Niles and Holland Perry, age thirteen, who have different birthdays (just before and just after midnight) and even different Zodiac signs. They are incredibly different in personality, but very close to one another, relationship-wise. One is a...  more

"The Other" tells the story of identical twin boys, Niles and Holland Perry, age thirteen, who have different birthdays (just before and just after midnight) and even different Zodiac signs. They are incredibly different in personality, but very close to one another, relationship-wise. One is a superficially-good boy who is secretly more than just mischievous. The other one is quieter but genuinely good-hearted. He keeps hoping that he can get his twin on the right track. Or, is that what's really going on here? There are few other significant characters, except for the boys' grandmother Ada. She brings many traditions from The Old Country, including a "game" called "The Sight." When playing this game, one tries to fully understand another person or animal, to the point of experiencing what he, she, or it is experiencing. It resembles the concept of "grok" from Robert Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land, but it can be a longer experience and, if one is not careful, one can get dangerously lost in "The Sight." Ada teaches the twins this "game," and one of them becomes quite adept at it. Perhaps, too adept.

Life was good for Matt and Chloe. They were in love and looking forward to their new baby. But what Chloe gave birth to isn't a baby. It isn't even human. It's an entirely new species that uses humans only for good -- and as hosts for their young. As Matt soon learn, though, he is...  more

Life was good for Matt and Chloe. They were in love and looking forward to their new baby. But what Chloe gave birth to isn't a baby. It isn't even human. It's an entirely new species that uses humans only for good -- and as hosts for their young. As Matt soon learn, though, he is not alone in his terror. Women all over town have begun to give birth to these hideous creatures, spidery nightmares that live to kill -- and feed. As the infestation spreads and the countryside is reduced to a series of web-shrouded ghost towns, will the survivors find a way to fight back? Or is it only a matter of time before all of mankind is reduced to a... BREEDING GROUND.  

This story of a double-life in which the protagonist by day worked as a respectable doctor and by night roamed the back alleys of old-town London, was first published as a 'shilling shocker' in 1886 and became an instant classic. In the first six months of publication 40,000 copies were sold,...  more

This story of a double-life in which the protagonist by day worked as a respectable doctor and by night roamed the back alleys of old-town London, was first published as a 'shilling shocker' in 1886 and became an instant classic. In the first six months of publication 40,000 copies were sold, and it remains one of the best tales ever written about the divided self. Abridged: 2 Cassette Tapes, Running Time: 95 mins, Narrator: Tom Baker

Soon they will be strong. Soon the island will send them to seek new victims. In winter, the island's dead cannot be stopped...

 Danse Macabre: Close Encounters With the Reaper could be one of the most unusual anthologies you'll ever read! Twenty-three literary reflections embody the theme, classical artwork devoted to the spectrum of humanity's intriguing interactions with the Angel of Death in all of his/her...  more

 Danse Macabre: Close Encounters With the Reaper could be one of the most unusual anthologies you'll ever read! Twenty-three literary reflections embody the theme, classical artwork devoted to the spectrum of humanity's intriguing interactions with the Angel of Death in all of his/her manifestations. Gathered together by Nancy Kilpatrick, these stories are intimate encounters with death; whether physical, mental, emotional, spiritual or psychic. Strange and horrific tales that will curdle the blood.  

An Erotic Ghost Story by the Author of Hell House and A Stir of EchoesDavid and Ellen Cooper came to the lonely beachside cottage in hopes of rekindling their troubled marriage. Yet they are not alone on their second honeymoon. Marianna, a beautiful and enigmatic stranger, comes to visit David...  more

An Erotic Ghost Story by the Author of Hell House and A Stir of EchoesDavid and Ellen Cooper came to the lonely beachside cottage in hopes of rekindling their troubled marriage. Yet they are not alone on their second honeymoon. Marianna, a beautiful and enigmatic stranger, comes to visit David whenever Ellen is away.Who is Marianna, and where has she come from?Even as he succumbs to her seductive charms, David realizes that Marianna is far more than a threat to his marriage, for her secrets lie deep in the past and beyond the grave. And her unholy desires endanger the life and soul of everyone she touches.

Chris Mentillo Presents...Weird Tales of Horror, "Stories From The Dead." Vol. 1 From the Master's of Horror themselves, this new anthology compilation of 12 chilling supernatural horror stories, (500 pages long) will lift you off your feet, and literally keep you up for days!! This book also...  more

Chris Mentillo Presents...Weird Tales of Horror, "Stories From The Dead." Vol. 1 From the Master's of Horror themselves, this new anthology compilation of 12 chilling supernatural horror stories, (500 pages long) will lift you off your feet, and literally keep you up for days!! This book also contains: 1 short novel about a serial killer, who terrorizes the cold and dark streets of London, England.

Collected for the first time in paperback are 12 of Etchison's finest tales of horror and suspense. The winner of multiple World Fantasy and British Fantasy awards, Etchison shows what lurks behind the veil of familiarity. The dog park -- The last reel -- When they gave us memory -- On...  more

Collected for the first time in paperback are 12 of Etchison's finest tales of horror and suspense. The winner of multiple World Fantasy and British Fantasy awards, Etchison shows what lurks behind the veil of familiarity. The dog park -- The last reel -- When they gave us memory -- On call -- Deadtime story -- Call home -- No one you know -- A wind from the south -- The scar -- The detailer -- The dead cop -- Inside the cackle factory

Following the Timelock, the Quester, de Maringy, finds himself on the parallel universe of Borea. Borea - ice-planet - is a ravaged arena of psychic combat between the Warlord of the Plateau, Armandra and the Wind-Walker. This is the sequel to "The Clock of Dreams" and "Spawn of...  more

Following the Timelock, the Quester, de Maringy, finds himself on the parallel universe of Borea. Borea - ice-planet - is a ravaged arena of psychic combat between the Warlord of the Plateau, Armandra and the Wind-Walker. This is the sequel to "The Clock of Dreams" and "Spawn of the Winds".

The Aylmer Vance stories date from the Edwardian period, and there are echoes in them of the Sherlock Holmes adventures which had proved so popular in the preceding decade. The friendship between Aylmer Vance and Dexter is not unlike that between Sherlock Holmes and Watson, and the two...  more

The Aylmer Vance stories date from the Edwardian period, and there are echoes in them of the Sherlock Holmes adventures which had proved so popular in the preceding decade. The friendship between Aylmer Vance and Dexter is not unlike that between Sherlock Holmes and Watson, and the two investigators approach the world of the supernatural in the same fearless and enquiring spirit in which Conan Doyle's heroes approach the world of crime. The parallel is not exact: Dexter, with his clairvoyant powers, is a more useful (and intelligent) ally than Watson, and Vance for the most part does not 'solve' mysteries the way Holmes does. What we get instead is a loosely-connected series of stories in which surprise is the major element, a world where not all ghosts are bad, where it is not always clear whether they are ghosts, and where being dead may for some be better than being alive.

From the cover: The small town of Sullivan has barricaded itself against the outside world. It is one of the last enclaves of civilization and the residents are determined that their town remain free from the strange and terrifying plague that is sweeping the land-a plague that transforms...  more

From the cover: The small town of Sullivan has barricaded itself against the outside world. It is one of the last enclaves of civilization and the residents are determined that their town remain free from the strange and terrifying plague that is sweeping the land-a plague that transforms ordinary people into murderous, bloodthirsty madmen. But the transformation is only the beginning. With the shocking realization that mankind is evolving into something horrifying, the struggle for survival becomes a battle to save humanity.

Exploring a cave by the beach, Jerry and his sister Terri ignore the warnings of local kids Sam and Louisa that the cave is haunted until they realize that Sam and Louisa are the ghosts.

According to Chinese tradition, those who die hungry or unjustly come back to haunt the living. Some are appeased with food. But not all ghosts are successfully mollified. In this chilling collection of stories,Ying Chang Compestine takes readers on a journey through time and across different...  more

According to Chinese tradition, those who die hungry or unjustly come back to haunt the living. Some are appeased with food. But not all ghosts are successfully mollified. In this chilling collection of stories,Ying Chang Compestine takes readers on a journey through time and across different parts of China. From the building of the GreatWall in 200 BCE to themodern day of iPods, hungry ghosts continue to torment those who wronged them. At once a window into the history and culture of China and an ode to Chinese cuisine, this assortment of frightening tales?complete with historical notes and delectable recipes?will both scare and satiate!

Victoria McQueen has a secret gift for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. On her Raleigh Tuff Burner bike, she makes her way to a rickety covered bridge that, within moments, takes her wherever she needs to go, whether it’s across...  more

Victoria McQueen has a secret gift for finding things: a misplaced bracelet, a missing photograph, answers to unanswerable questions. On her Raleigh Tuff Burner bike, she makes her way to a rickety covered bridge that, within moments, takes her wherever she needs to go, whether it’s across Massachusetts or across the country. Charles Talent Manx has a way with children. He likes to take them for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the NOS4A2 vanity plate. With his old car, he can slip right out of the everyday world, and onto the hidden roads that transport them to an astonishing -- and terrifying -- playground of amusements he calls “Christmasland.” Then, one day, Vic goes looking for trouble -- and finds Manx. That was a lifetime ago. Now Vic, the only kid to ever escape Manx’s unmitigated evil, is all grown up and desperate to forget. But Charlie Manx never stopped thinking about Victoria McQueen. He’s on the road again and he’s picked up a new passenger: Vic’s own son.

Merrin Williams is dead, slaughtered under inexplicable circumstances, leaving her beloved boyfriend Ignatius Perrish as the only suspect. On the first anniversary of Merrin's murder, Ig spends the night drunk and doing awful things. When he wakes the next morning he has a thunderous...  more

Merrin Williams is dead, slaughtered under inexplicable circumstances, leaving her beloved boyfriend Ignatius Perrish as the only suspect. On the first anniversary of Merrin's murder, Ig spends the night drunk and doing awful things. When he wakes the next morning he has a thunderous hangover . . . and horns growing from his temples. Ig possesses a terrible new power to go with his terrible new look -- a macabre gift he intends to use to find the monster who killed his one true love. Being good and praying for the best got him nowhere. Now it's time for revenge . . . It's time the devil had his due . . .

Even a brute monster with incredible strength has a weakness, and Sasquatch discovers his at the hands of a beauty who cannot conquer his monumental strength, but is able to tame the savage beast within.

The mandalas have always been among us, unseen and uncalled. Those few occult masters who have encountered them have known to leave them alone, for to these unholy forces we are mere playthings, insignificant tools to be used, fed upon - and eventually discarded. When New-Age charlatan Derek...  more

The mandalas have always been among us, unseen and uncalled. Those few occult masters who have encountered them have known to leave them alone, for to these unholy forces we are mere playthings, insignificant tools to be used, fed upon - and eventually discarded. When New-Age charlatan Derek Crowe learns the secrets of the mandalas he sees only the opportunity for easy money. He ignores the warnings, alters the mystical texts to make the dreaded mandalas seem benevolent to a gullible public, then publishes his book and waits for the profits to roll in. but Crowe is all too successful. For he has inadvertently released upon the earth a horror that is beyond all understanding or control - a horror both infinite and hungry.

The world has gone mad.  Prisoners in a penitentiary notice that the guards haven't been around and they haven't been fed in a few days.  One escapes only to find that the world has changed.  All the women in the city of London have gotten grotesquely obese in a matter of...  more

The world has gone mad.  Prisoners in a penitentiary notice that the guards haven't been around and they haven't been fed in a few days.  One escapes only to find that the world has changed.  All the women in the city of London have gotten grotesquely obese in a matter of months, and soon they all begin giving "birth" to giant spider-like creatures.  A group of terrified survivors eventually band together and attempt to leave the city in hopes of survival.  Will they succeed or will they wind up as food for the terrifying spider creatures?  Only time will tell...

In this most gothic of Robert McCammon's novels, setting is key: the continuing saga of the Usher family (descended from the brother of Roderick and Madeline of Edgar Poe's "Fall of the House of Usher") takes place in the weird and picturesque heart of the North Carolina...  more

In this most gothic of Robert McCammon's novels, setting is key: the continuing saga of the Usher family (descended from the brother of Roderick and Madeline of Edgar Poe's "Fall of the House of Usher") takes place in the weird and picturesque heart of the North Carolina mountains. The haughty, aristocratic Ushers live in a mansion near Asheville; the poor but crafty mountain folk (whose families are just as ancient) live on Briartop Mountain nearby. At harvest time, when the book's action unfolds, the mountains are a blaze of color. Add to the mixture a sinister history of mountain kids disappearing every year, a journalist investigating those disappearances, a monster called "The Pumpkin Man," moldy books and paintings in a huge old library at the Usher estate, and a secret chamber with a strange device involving a brass pendulum and tuning forks--and you've got a splendid recipe for atmospheric horror.

Lausanne, Switzerland. In the cathedral tower lives a strange boy with a limp who talks to the bells. In a luxury penthouse lives a high-class prostitute who's in mortal danger. And in a low-rent hotel lives a private investigator who has no idea how he got there. Jay Harper finds...  more

Lausanne, Switzerland. In the cathedral tower lives a strange boy with a limp who talks to the bells. In a luxury penthouse lives a high-class prostitute who's in mortal danger. And in a low-rent hotel lives a private investigator who has no idea how he got there. Jay Harper finds himself in Switzerland on the trail of a missing Olympic athlete. A hard drinker, he can barely remember how he got home last night, let alone why he accepted this job. When he meets the stunning but aloof Katherine in a hotel bar, he quickly realises that he's not the only one in town who's for hire. She's a high-class hooker who can't believe her luck. Which is about to change. For the worse. In the meantime, Marc Rochat spends his time in the belfry talking to the statues, his cat and the occasional ghost. His job is to watch over Lausanne at night and to wait for the angel his mother told him he'd one day have to save. When he sees Katherine, he thinks his moment has come. Which indeed it has. But not in a good way?

When a full moon rises over a dark mountain citadel, the Werewolf of London is reborn.On a Caribbean isle, where zombies rise and walk, Frankenstein's monster is more than a legend. He is alive.In an archaeological excavation, a preserved cadaver moves-and Dracula is awakened.The classic...  more

When a full moon rises over a dark mountain citadel, the Werewolf of London is reborn.On a Caribbean isle, where zombies rise and walk, Frankenstein's monster is more than a legend. He is alive.In an archaeological excavation, a preserved cadaver moves-and Dracula is awakened.The classic monsters from Universal Studios' cinematic vault of horror return-in a brand-new novel from the author of The Devil's Brood.

THE PRESENCE He was an old man, burdened by the weight of years and approaching senility, struggling to control the workings of his confused and wandering mind, He had "spells" -- strange dreams and visions which he could not comprehend, but which he knew were generating an evil...  more

THE PRESENCE He was an old man, burdened by the weight of years and approaching senility, struggling to control the workings of his confused and wandering mind, He had "spells" -- strange dreams and visions which he could not comprehend, but which he knew were generating an evil force. It rose from within, assuming bodily form, shuffling through the shadows, learning of violence, stalking its prey with a special hunger. And then it struck, again and again, never quenching its thirst for blood and terror. It seemed no power on earth could destroy....

23 chilling tales of the returning dead, haunted places, weird creatures, and the supernatural in "The Return of the Soul," by Robert Hichens, "The Mummy's Foot," by Theophile Gautier, Lafcadio Hearn's "Of a Promise Broken," as well as spine-tinglers by Algernon Blackwood, J. Sheridan LeFanu,...  more

23 chilling tales of the returning dead, haunted places, weird creatures, and the supernatural in "The Return of the Soul," by Robert Hichens, "The Mummy's Foot," by Theophile Gautier, Lafcadio Hearn's "Of a Promise Broken," as well as spine-tinglers by Algernon Blackwood, J. Sheridan LeFanu, Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, Lord Dunsany, and other masters.

In the bedrock beneath New York, a beautiful news reporter and a hard-bitten cop enter an eerie maze of abandoned tunnels, searching for a a train that vanished with all aboard -- over a half century ago. But under the city of skyscrapers and tourists, under the peep shows and and the...  more

In the bedrock beneath New York, a beautiful news reporter and a hard-bitten cop enter an eerie maze of abandoned tunnels, searching for a a train that vanished with all aboard -- over a half century ago. But under the city of skyscrapers and tourists, under the peep shows and and the penthouses, within the clammy darkness, around the next turn... an unholy evil waits to disgorge itself in violence and blood. Now the final nightmare must explode. Now the killing frenzy must begin.

Whitechapel, London, 1888. For Inspector Jonas Robb, each night brings new terror. But this night is different. It's brought two strangers-David and Sara-who have arrived in London seemingly with no past. What they do have is incredible knowledge about the Whitechapel fiend known as Jack the...  more

Whitechapel, London, 1888. For Inspector Jonas Robb, each night brings new terror. But this night is different. It's brought two strangers-David and Sara-who have arrived in London seemingly with no past. What they do have is incredible knowledge about the Whitechapel fiend known as Jack the Ripper. Because David and Sara do have a past. It just happens to be in the future. Sent back in time, they're in pursuit of a 21st-century madman whose purpose is to change history. As the body count rises, Sara and David realize that their quarry and Robb's have become linked in a way that threatens not only Victorian London, but the very fabric of time.

In a new anthology edited by Jeff Gelb, who brought readers the original Shock Rock, today's top horror authors are rocking again. Here is a heavy-metal marathon of musical mayhem by a slammin' ensemble of today's shock fiction headliners, including Rick Hatula, Rex Miller, and more.

Stephen King... David J. Schow ... Thomas Tessier... F. Paul Wilson... Richard Christian Matheson ... Nancy A. Collins... Graham Masterton ... Pay Garton ... Rex Miller ... and ten other stars of today's shock fiction know what metalheads and moralists, punksters and preachers have known all...  more

Stephen King... David J. Schow ... Thomas Tessier... F. Paul Wilson... Richard Christian Matheson ... Nancy A. Collins... Graham Masterton ... Pay Garton ... Rex Miller ... and ten other stars of today's shock fiction know what metalheads and moralists, punksters and preachers have known all along. Rock and roll. With its hot licks and raw glitter, has a dark side too - where the party stops and the terror begins. Put on your headphones. Open this electrifying book. Rock to the world of horror where martyred musical super-legends return from the dead at 120 decibels... where radio stations sponsor ghastly giveaways that no living soul could want ... where other-earthly pirates bootleg not records, but human souls... where people are strange ... and the devil rocks all night. With a foreword by Alice Cooper. THE NEW SOUND OF HORROR CONTENTS Stephen King - You Know They've Got a Hell Of A Band F. Paul Wilson - Bob Dylan, Troy Jonson, and The Speed Queen David J. Schow - Odeed Nancy A. Collins - Vargr Rule Ronald Kelly - Blood Suede Shoes Don D'Ammassa - The Dead Beat Society Graham Masterton - Voodoo Child Paul Dale Anderson - Rites Of Spring Michael E. Garrett - Dedicated To The One I Loathe Brian J. Hodge - Requiem R. Patrick Gates - Heavy Metal Rex Miller - Bunky Bill Mumy & Peter David - The Black '59 Richard Christian Matheson - Groupies Michael Newton - Reunion Mark Verheiden - Bootleg Ray Garton - Weird Gig John L. Byrne - Hide In Plain Sight Thomas Tessier - Addicted To love John Shirley - Flaming Telepaths

Ghosts. Pirates. Put the two together and you?ve got a winning combination of the most exciting stories ever written. It's enough to make anyone say, "Shiver me timbers"--with delight.The spirits of Davy Jones's locker have a long and colorful history among sailors and lovers of literature. From...  more

Ghosts. Pirates. Put the two together and you?ve got a winning combination of the most exciting stories ever written. It's enough to make anyone say, "Shiver me timbers"--with delight.The spirits of Davy Jones's locker have a long and colorful history among sailors and lovers of literature. From Daniel Defoe's "The Four Years Voyages of Capt. George Roberts" to Thomas Smollet's "The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle" to Washington Irving's "Adventures of the Black Fisherman," ghost pirates swashbuckle in and out of the scene, stealing the souls of the doomed and frightening the innocent. Prepare yourself for a thrilling ride.

DECAY INEVITABLE is a novel charting the grim territories of the shadow line that trembles at the very end of life. These are badlands of horrifying dreams and demons where a black market in unspeakable goods takes place. A race is on to unearth the secrets of the soul... secrets woven into...  more

DECAY INEVITABLE is a novel charting the grim territories of the shadow line that trembles at the very end of life. These are badlands of horrifying dreams and demons where a black market in unspeakable goods takes place. A race is on to unearth the secrets of the soul... secrets woven into the fabric of death itself.

A collection of stories by such authors as Bernard Taylor, Ramsey Campbell, Bob Booth, and Alan Ryan concerns itself with the terrible mysteries that occur in the hours of darkness between midnight and dawn, when beasts rule and the wind blows cold.

A collection of famous stories of haunting and suspense.

Frankie watched herself in the mirror as she danced in the strip joint -- it was the only way to get through her act. But then the fat man came into the club, and the siren screamed, and Frankie's world shattered like a thousand shards of glass. In the morning she isn't Frankie anymore....  more

Frankie watched herself in the mirror as she danced in the strip joint -- it was the only way to get through her act. But then the fat man came into the club, and the siren screamed, and Frankie's world shattered like a thousand shards of glass. In the morning she isn't Frankie anymore. She doesn't remember who she is. She knows for certain only one solid truth: that she is a man. As for Terry, her boyfriend, he cannot understand what his little sex object is trying to tell him... Frankie, trapped and livid, slowly learns to live as a captive in a woman's skin and learns to rule over her poor lover. She makes him work for her. She makes him wait on her. She uses her stranger's body to torture him with his own desire. They are an ordinary couple in their private hell: A man and a woman in changed places; a man and a woman exploring all the cruelty and darkness and horror that once was hidden between a woman and a man.

"Hither the Gods come not at any summons. The Nameless One has insulted them and is forever alone. Go not nigh, lest their vengeance wither you away!"The warning was inscribed on the entrance of the hidden tomb, forgotten for millennia in the sands of mystic Egypt. Then the archaeologists and...  more

"Hither the Gods come not at any summons. The Nameless One has insulted them and is forever alone. Go not nigh, lest their vengeance wither you away!"The warning was inscribed on the entrance of the hidden tomb, forgotten for millennia in the sands of mystic Egypt. Then the archaeologists and grave robbers came in search of the fabled Jewel of Seven Stars, which they found clutched in the hand of the mummy. Few heeded the ancient warning, until all who came in contact with the Jewel began to die in a mysterious and violent way--with the marks of a strangler around their neck.

For untold ages a dark presence has shrouded the small town of Orangefield. In addition to the plentiful pumpkins that gave the town its name. Orangefield is home to the dreaded Lord of Death himself, Samhain. Despite the rumors of his existence,and rare, brief sightings Samhain has long been...  more

For untold ages a dark presence has shrouded the small town of Orangefield. In addition to the plentiful pumpkins that gave the town its name. Orangefield is home to the dreaded Lord of Death himself, Samhain. Despite the rumors of his existence,and rare, brief sightings Samhain has long been content to leave the local inhabitants alone. But that is about to change.... When a boy from the town disappears, detective Bill Grant is convinced Samhain is responsible. But even Grant cannot imagine the horrific extent of the Lord of Death's grand scheme. As what may prove to be the last Halloween approaches, the fate of the world will depend on the survival of a small group of people pawns in a terrifying game of cosmic proportions.

THE HAND OF GLORY In a musty London bookstore, a page is torn from the Ledgers of the Dead. On Gibbet Hill, a dark soul is shaken from the sleep of centuries. In a quaint quarter of Norwich, a lovely American model finds her dream house. Crossing its ancient threshold, Tuppence Trilby feels...  more

THE HAND OF GLORY In a musty London bookstore, a page is torn from the Ledgers of the Dead. On Gibbet Hill, a dark soul is shaken from the sleep of centuries. In a quaint quarter of Norwich, a lovely American model finds her dream house. Crossing its ancient threshold, Tuppence Trilby feels she has come home. But, alone in his workshop, a crazed taxidermist prepares the legendary Hand of Glory. As he chants the spell of resurrection, and his creatures spring to raging life, he is struck by a new madness: to possess and preserve Tuppence's perfect beauty forever. No one can protect her now. Not the strangely carved Watchgate door to her home nor the ghostly soldiers roused from the dust of time. Not even Dec Winner, the young fireman who has touched her heart. An evil beyond all imagining has been awakened and nothing can contain its fury.

For anyone who has ever been caught in Lovecraft's spell, and everyone who loves a good horror tale, here are 13 original stories that will introduce readers to the dark side of education, and prove once and for all that a little arcane knowledge can be a dangerous thing. A letter from...  more

For anyone who has ever been caught in Lovecraft's spell, and everyone who loves a good horror tale, here are 13 original stories that will introduce readers to the dark side of education, and prove once and for all that a little arcane knowledge can be a dangerous thing. A letter from the president to incoming students / by Stefan Dziemianowicz -- Kali Yuga comes / by Tina L. Jens -- Teachers / by Mort Castle -- Her misbegotten son / by Alan Rodgers -- Scavenger hunt / by Brad Linaweaver -- Black celebration / by Jay Bonansinga -- To be as they / by Stephen Mark Rainey -- Second movement / by Benjamin Adams -- A dreaming of dead poets / by Jane M. Lindskold -- Mandelbrot moldrot / by Lois H. Gresh -- The smile of a mime / by Billie Sue Mosiman -- The sothis radiant / by Will Murray -- The play's the thing / by Christie Golden -- Ghoulmaster / by Brian McNaughton

Um. Um. Um. Are you reading this? If you are, I need your help. I was at a party; I was running; I fell. And get this?this is the part you'll never believe?I fell down a rabbit hole. Like Alice in those old books. Except in those books, there wasn't blood everywhere. In those books, the...  more

Um. Um. Um. Are you reading this? If you are, I need your help. I was at a party; I was running; I fell. And get this?this is the part you'll never believe?I fell down a rabbit hole. Like Alice in those old books. Except in those books, there wasn't blood everywhere. In those books, the characters weren't all male, attractive, and interested in me. Forget everything you know about the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, the March Hare ? This isn't Wonderland; this is Underland. Violence, sex, drugs, and magic ? that's all there is in this place. There's me, Allison, and there are the men that want me, the enemies that hunt me, and the darkness that's quickly rolling in. And only I can stop it. So if you're reading this, will you help me? Please. I just want to escape this place and go ? home. ALLISON'S ADVENTURES IN UNDERLAND (Book 1 of 3 in the "Harem of Hearts" series) -- is a full-length reverse harem/new adult/dark romance novel, a gritty retelling of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". Don't expect a children's tale; these characters are nothing like their more innocent counterparts. This book contains: drugs, cursing, violence, sex ... and love found in the darkest shadows.

Bob Howard is a computer-hacker desk jockey, who has more than enough trouble keeping up with the endless paperwork he has to do on a daily basis. He should never be called on to do anything remotely heroic. But for some reason, he is.

What if your mother-in-law turned out to be evil . . . literally? Ever since fabulously wealthy Malcolm Doran walked into her life and swept her off her feet, fledgling architect Jane Boyle has been living a fairy tale. When he proposes with a stunning diamond to seal the deal, Jane can't...  more

What if your mother-in-law turned out to be evil . . . literally? Ever since fabulously wealthy Malcolm Doran walked into her life and swept her off her feet, fledgling architect Jane Boyle has been living a fairy tale. When he proposes with a stunning diamond to seal the deal, Jane can't believe her incredible luck and decides to leave her Paris-based job to make a new start with Malcolm in New York. But when Malcolm introduces Jane to the esteemed Doran clan, one of Manhattan's most feared and revered families, Jane's fairy tale takes a darker turn. Soon everything she thought she knew about the world?and herself?is upended. Now Jane must struggle with newfound magical abilities and the threat of those who will stop at nothing to get them. Cover Art © ABC 2012 ABC logo is a registered trademark of American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. © 2012 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

'The apparition had reached the landing half-way up and was therefore on the spot nearest the window where, at the sight of me, it stopped short.' "The Turn of the Screw" tells the story of a young governess sent to a country house to take charge of two orphans. Unsettled by a sense of intense...  more

'The apparition had reached the landing half-way up and was therefore on the spot nearest the window where, at the sight of me, it stopped short.' "The Turn of the Screw" tells the story of a young governess sent to a country house to take charge of two orphans. Unsettled by a sense of intense evil in the house, she soon becomes obsessed with the idea that something malevolent is stalking the children in her care.

This new collection (an expansion of the limited-release Bibliomancy, which won the World Fantasy Award in 2005) showcases a wildly inventive author at the height of her powers.  Written in the author's characteristic poetic prose and rich with the details of traumatic lives that are...  more

This new collection (an expansion of the limited-release Bibliomancy, which won the World Fantasy Award in 2005) showcases a wildly inventive author at the height of her powers.  Written in the author's characteristic poetic prose and rich with the details of traumatic lives that are luminously transformed, Saffron and Brimstone is a worthy addition to an outstanding career. Contents: Cleopatra Brimston (2001) / novella by Elizabeth Hand Pavane for a Prince of the Air (2002) / novelette by Elizabeth Hand The Least Trumps (2002) / novella by Elizabeth Hand Wonderwall (2004) / short story by Elizabeth Hand Kronia (2005) / short story by Elizabeth Hand Calypso in Berlin (2005) / short story by Elizabeth Hand Echo (2005) / short story by Elizabeth Hand The Saffron Gatherers / short story by Elizabeth Hand Afterword (Saffron and Brimstone) • essay by Elizabeth Hand

From debut author Royce Prouty comes a spellbinding tale of history, folklore, destiny, and redemption. Joseph Barkeley has a gift. Without the aid of chemical testing, he can accurately determine the authenticity and age of any document, seeing details within the fibers the way a composer...  more

From debut author Royce Prouty comes a spellbinding tale of history, folklore, destiny, and redemption. Joseph Barkeley has a gift. Without the aid of chemical testing, he can accurately determine the authenticity and age of any document, seeing details within the fibers the way a composer picks out the individual notes of a symphony. But rarely does Joseph get a job this delicate and well-paying. A mystery buyer has hired him to authenticate the original draft of Bram Stoker?s Dracula. When he travels to Transylvania to personally deliver the manuscript to the legendary Bran Castle, Barkeley, a Romanian orphan himself, soon realizes that his employer is the son of the infamous Vlad Dracula. Imprisoned in the castle and forced to serve “the Master,? Barkeley must quickly decipher cryptic messages hidden within Stoker?s masterpiece to find the Master?s long-lost bride—or risk wearing out his welcome. But as he delves into the history of Dracula and his own lineage, Barkeley discovers that his selection for this job was based on more than his talent with rare books. Now, he has a perilous decision to make—save his life with a coward?s flight, or wage a deadly battle with an ancient foe.