One in a long running series, this was published in 1985 to showcase the best stories of 1984. Not all are what I would catagorise as horror: for example, Mrs Todd's Shortcut by Stephen King is about ageing, loss, new beginnings and other dimensions, and would perhaps fit better in a fantasy collection, which is not to minimise its impact as a great story. Similarly, Dinner Party by Gardner Dozois is an alternative future tale in which the United States is building up to a second Civil War, but foregrounds a story of the horror of what human beings can do to each other mentally and emotionally as well as physically.

Tiger in the Snow by Daniel Wynn Barber is a poignant story of a young boy's last hours, while The Thing in the Bedroom by David Langford is a tongue in cheek story which makes fun of the cliches of the genre. The End of the World by James B Hemesath, set in a remote part of the USA that is suffering a long drought, is another story of the horrific crimes human beings perpetrate against each other. Never Grow Up, one of two stories by John Gordon in this volume, is also in this vein and takes the form of a young boy telling the story of his life with his parents to the grave of a long-dead girl. Fred Chappell's Weird Tales is a Cthulhu Mythos tale with a twist in which the real life characters of H P Lovecraft and others appear.

Stories that "fit" the traditional genre include Daniel S Schow's Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You about an embittered Vietnam veteran and Leslie Halliwell's Hands with Long Fingers, a traditional story of supernatural vengeance. Talking in the Dark by Dennis Etchison is a rather nasty story where a reclusive and socially awkward fan gets the chance to meet the author whose work he idolises. The other stories in the collection are fairly standard supernatural revenge type tales, but for the standout stories that don't fit a formula, the collection merits 4 stars. ( )

Above average collection featuring big names like Stephen King, Dennis Etchison, Charles Grant, Ramsey Campbell, Gardner Dozois, and David J. Schow alongside several less known authors. The only story I did not like at all was "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut," an ironic title since King always takes the long way round when telling a tale and this was no exception. The journey was dull; the destination not worth the time.

Here are some that are better:

"Are You Afraid of the Dark?" by Charles L. Grant: A trio of delinquents is forced to play a series of sinister games with their babysitter.

"Coming Soon to a Theater Near You" by David J. Schow: A Vietnam vet discovers the truth lurking under the skin of a run-down movie theater.

"Dinner Party" by Gardner Dozois: A young military man endures a tense automobile ride with a noted doctor and his wife. More a suspense tale than a horror, but with a great punch at the end.

"Weird Tales" by Fred Chappell: A faux-nonfictional story featuring Lovecraft himself along with some of his contemporaries, positing the genesis of his famous mythology.

"The Thing in the Bedroom" by David Langford: A humorous story that pokes fun at the "occult detective" trope.

"Talking in the Dark" by Dennis Etchison: A fateful encounter between a famous horror author and his number one fan (no, not that one.)
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