Can’t decide what to read next? HORROR: ANOTHER 100 BEST BOOKS will cure that ill several – perhaps even 100 – times over.
A sequel to 1988’s seminal HORROR: 100 BEST BOOKS, this is every bit as must-have. Like its predecessor, ANOTHER has 100 horror authors each contributing an essay on “one of the most spine-chilling books ever written,” in chronological order. It’s difficult to imagine how such landmarks as THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES or THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY got left out the first time around, so this second list – all 450 pages of it – is most welcome for correcting oversights and spotlighting newer works.
This volume showcases a surprising range of entries, including pulp (Sax Rohmer’s THE TRAIL OF FU MANCHU), speculative fiction (George Orwell’s 1984), anthologies (Modern Library’s definitive GREAT TALES OF TERROR AND THE SUPERNATURAL), Cold War sci-fi (Jack Finney’s THE BODY SNATCHERS), Brat Pack lit (Bret Easton Ellis’ polarizing AMERICAN PSYCHO), graphic novels (Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell’s FROM HELL) and even Internet-borne phenomenons (Mark Z. Danielewski’s post-post-modern HOUSE OF LEAVES). Modern-day classics like PET SEMATARY and THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS sit nicely alongside older influential gems like ROSEMARY’S BABY.
No matter what novel is being discussed, each essay is informative, insightful and entertaining, full of both opinion and historical perspective. The esteemed essayists include a who’s who of writers from the horror, sci-fi and fantasy fields, and it’s hard not to have their nostalgia and appreciation rub off on you. Given that horror fiction has survived several centuries, it’s a near certainty that YET ANOTHER 100 BEST BOOKS will pop up at some point. Until then, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do.
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