Horror Hall of Fame Horror Book Review

An anthology that came about from discussions at the 1981 World Fantasy Convention - so that is the upper limit on story inclusion. Apparently a poll was taken, and these were the 18 stories that garnered the highest number of votes.


Looks like the voters indeed did a very good job coming up with their favorites.


There is a several page introduction tracing the history of horror stories, briefly, from the gentle English ghost story, to Weird Tales and Unknown Worlds up to Rosemary’s Baby and the Stephen King phenomenon.


Also, a fairly attractive biography section, with a long paragraph on each author included in the book.


Horror Hall of Fame : The Fall of the House of Usher - Edgar Allan Poe

Horror Hall of Fame : Green Tea - Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Horror Hall of Fame : The Damned Thing - Ambrose Bierce

Horror Hall of Fame : The Yellow Sign - Robert W. Chambers

Horror Hall of Fame : The Monkey’s Paw - W. W. Jacobs

Horror Hall of Fame : The White People - Arthur Machen

Horror Hall of Fame : The Willows - Algernon Blackwood

Horror Hall of Fame : Casting the Runes - M. R. James

Horror Hall of Fame : The Graveyard Rats - Henry Kuttner

Horror Hall of Fame : Pigeons from Hell - Robert E. Howard

Horror Hall of Fame : It - Theodore Sturgeon

Horror Hall of Fame : Smoke Ghost - Fritz Leiber

Horror Hall of Fame : Yours Truly Jack the Ripper - Robert Bloch

Horror Hall of Fame : The Small As5a5in - Ray Bradbury

Horror Hall of Fame : The Whimper of Whipped Dogs - Harlan Ellison

Horror Hall of Fame : Calling Card - Ramsey Campbell

Horror Hall of Fame : Coin of the Realm - Charles L. Grant

Horror Hall of Fame : The Reach [Do the Dead Sing?] - Stephen King


Blame Wodewick.


4 out of 5



Hesselius investigates a spectre that tends to not want to meet him.


3.5 out of 5



Invisible monster.


4 out of 5



Serpentskin books - don’t get ‘em.


3.5 out of 5



Wishes not so handy.


4 out of 5



Be choosy with literature and statuary.


3 out of 5



Wind in the tree monsters.


4.5 out of 5



Knocking the writing problem on the head.


3.5 out of 5



Mummy, it’s a coffin.


4.5 out of 5



A man is murdered, and in no ordinary fashion. When law enforcement investigates this is the story he gets from a witness:


“and my G0d, sir, he was dead! His head had been split open. I saw brains and clotted blood oozing down his face, and his face”


It appears there is a zuvembie in town, the long awaited aftermath of a property that had white women mistreating their black slaves, badly.


4 out of 5



Mud man grandpa bones deals with hunters people until all washed up.


4 out of 5



Spectral look.


3.5 out of 5



Doc, you are actually right at the sharp end, stoopid.


4.5 out of 5



Rugrat’s gonna get me, maybe I should get it first?


4 out of 5



City god call.


3.5 out of 5



First foot, slimy.


3.5 out of 5



Osiris toll.


4 out of 5



Mainland ghost, gran.


4 out of 5