Demons: Encounters with the Devil and His Minions, Fallen Angels, and the Possessed

by John Skipp (Editor), Neil Gaiman, Kim Harrison

2011 BRAM STOKER WINNER for Superior Achievement in an Anthology!

This mind-blowing anthology cracks open the lid on demonic lore, from the possessed to fallen angels and the Devil himself.

The next book in Black Dog's supernatural series, Demons presents thirty-six terrifying, tantalizing tales in which evil spirits wreak havoc on the world. Neil Gaiman, William Peter Blatty, Kim Harrison and Robert R. McCammon join H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allen Poe, Charles Beaumont, Bentley Little, Maggie Stiefvator, Danielle Trussoni, David J. Schow, Karl Edward Wagner, Richard Christian Matheson, Adram-Troy Castro, Amelia Beamer, Cody Goodfellow, Carlton Mellick III, and dozens more, both old and new. Horror legend John Skipp, editor of Zombies and Werewolves and Shapeshifters, provides fascinating insight into the history and details of demon lore, and its role in popular culture. Between the extensive resource materials and the lovingly selected stories - ranging from fantasy, horror, paranormal romance, and magic realism to full-blown Bizarro - Demons is an indispensable text, and the most fun you'll ever have with the forces of evil.

Genres: Horror, Anthologies, Fantasy, Short Stories, Paranormal, Fiction, Urban Fantasy

632 pages, Paperback

First published September 21, 2011

About the author

John Skipp is a splatterpunk horror and fantasy author and anthology editor, as well as a songwriter, screenwriter, film director, and film producer. He collaborated with Craig Spector on multiple novels, and has also collaborated with Marc Levinthal and Cody Goodfellow.

Reviews

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for the delicious short by Kim Harrison that shows us exactly how Ceri became Al's familiar a thousand years ago. Not much on its own, but a LOT in conjunction with the Hollow's series.

Well worth it, and more so for the look into both Al and Ceri's psychology. :)

[Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bespelled - The Hollows, 6.1

4 stars

This is the story of how Ceri came to be Al's familiar.

The knowledge of who owed him and what was worth a lot in the demon's world, and familiars were known for their loose tongues until you cut them out. It was a practice Algaliarept frowned upon. Most of his brethren were bloody plebeians. Removing a familiar's tongue completely ruined the nuances of their pleas for mercy.

AL, ladies and gentleman.

But appreciation for the finer nuances of pleading aside, Al is bored. Bored and tired. Life has become a drudgery, and he's even contemplating taking a vacation, removing his name from the human world so he can no longer be summoned.

Until Ceri summons him, that is.

But butterflies like carrion as much as flowers, battlefields as much as gardens.

And Ceri prefers the battlefield.

This is one of the shorter stories in this book, but it's one of my favorites. READ IT. I'm pretty sure it's included in the back of one of the paperbacks, b/c I've read it before.

[Justyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Cherub” by Adam-Troy Castro
A fantasy story where people’s sins and dark natures take the form of “riders” attached to their backs. When a boy is born with a cherub of innocence, it questions the nature of people as inherently good or evil. 4/5

“The Devil” by Guy De Maupassant
A peasant’s mother is dying, and he enlists the help of a local woman who watches over the dying—does the devil exist here or not? 3/5

“The Book” by Margaret Irwin
A man takes refuge in his personal library, and while a dissatisfied reader, finds a book ordering him to enact harm—cool idea. 3/5

“The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs
A monkey’s paw serves as a talisman to grant three wishes—madness ensues; predictable but interesting. 3/5

“The Hound” by H.P. Lovecraft
This introduces the Necronomicon, but I have an aversion to Lovecraft. 1/5

“The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe
Poe’s classic tale of madness—no need to say more. 5/5

“The Devil and Daniel Webster” by Stephen Vincent Benet
Daniel Webster, a famous lawyer, saves a client from a contract with the devil—liked the folklore feel of this one. 4/5

“Nelthu” by Anthony Boucher
A flash fiction of a how a woman became to be successful with the help of a demon—an interesting take on three wishes. 4/5

“The Howling Man” by Charles Beaumont
A man stumbles upon an isolate abbey where the monks imprison the devil—liked the Twilight zone element. 4/5

“The Exorcist (excerpt)” by William Peter Blatty
See my review of the novel.

“Hell” by Richard Christian Matheson
A story about the city of angels with a suffocating feel that feels like purgatory. 4/5

“Empathy” by John Skipp
An actress is disappointed at her homebody of a boyfriend—I liked the ending and the shifts in the roles of the characters. 4/5

“Visitation” by David J. Schow
A supernatural splatterpunk story of a paranormal skeptic who meets his challenge with a demon—it was okay, a bit graphic for my tastes. 3/5

“Best Friends” by Robert R. McCammon
A psychiatrist interviewing a murderer encounters the boy’s best friends—three demons and gruesome mayhem ensues. 4/5

“Into Whose Hands” by Karl Edward Wagner
Days in the life of a psychiatrist who happens to know more about Satan than his patients—grounded in realism yet unexpected. 4/5

“Pilgrims to the Cathedral” by Mark Arnold
A drive in theater becomes a place that’s demonized by others—the heavy telling and splatterpunk elements weren’t my thing. 1/5

“The Bespelled” by Kim Harrison
A dark fantasy story of a demon set out to seduce his unrequited love—interesting. 4/5

“Non Quis, Sed Quid” by Maggie Stiefvater
A flash fiction of a woman dating a bad boy—aka a demon. This was a fun little read. 4/5

“Demon Girl” by Athena Villaverde
A bizarro fantasy story of a demon girl undergoing puberty and the scary changes it brings—liked the concept. 4/5

“He Waits” K. H. Koehler
A woman’s life gets better and worse when she meets a mysterious and nameless stranger—this absolutely captivated me with its characters, concept and voice, also liked it takes place during Halloween. 5/5

“Happy Hour” Laura Lee Bahr
A bar pickup turns into a young woman telling her story about being possessed—a pretty messed up story that ends on a happy note, however fleeting. 5/5

“Staying the Night” by Amelia Beamer
A woman has sex with an acquaintance who turns out to be a demon—graphic and not my thing. 2/5

“Daisies and Demons” by Mercedes M. Yardley
A light, short story about a woman turning to the demon side after a breakup with her boyfriend—more humor and dialogue heavy in terms of style. 3/5

“And Love Shall Have No Dominion” by Livia Llewellyn
A demon rape story told through online correspondence—graphic, but had good prose and imagery. 3/5

“Mom” by Bentley Little
Little delivers another f-ed up story of two kids on the run from their dead mother—this was awesome. 5/5

“20th – Level Chaotic Evil Rogue Seeks Whole Wide World to Conquer” by Weston Ochse
A D&D nut and traveler runs into demon babies in Romania—yeah he’s not a good guy. 3/5

“Consuela Hates a Vaccum” by Cody Goodfellow
A housekeeper for Hollywood stars finds a vacuum possessed by a demon—just plain weird. 3/5

“Our Blood in Its Blind Circuit” by J. David Osborne
Two cops in Mexico with fantasy elements interwoven with crime—not too notable. 2/5

“Empty Church” by James Steele
Interesting story of a preacher delivering sermons to an empty church. 3/5

“Angelology (excerpt)” by Danielle Trussoni
Didn’t find this engaging as a standalone excerpt. 1/5

“The Coda of Solomon” by Nick Mamatas
A long winded description of demons working as a corporation. 2/5

“The Law of Resonance” by Zak Jarvis
Some visceral imagery in this story about two guys conjuring some arcane, demonic things. 2/5

“Stupid Fucking Reason to Sell Your Soul” by Carlton Mellick III
A humorous take on selling your soul to a demon. 4/5

“Halt and Catch Fire” by Violet LeVoit
An engineering teacher has a student visit her house, and he happens to be a demon—short and well done. 4/5

“Scars in Progress” by Brian Hodge
Two lovers reunite to capture a demon found in photographs—an interesting take on the subject matter with great characters. 4/5

“The Unicorn Hunter” by Alethea Kontis
A fantasy story of a demon and a princess working together to hunt unicorns—a cute fairy tale and enjoyable. 4/5

“Other People” by Neil Gaiman
Gaiman closes the anthology exploring how we must experience pain in a physical and existential sense, and how we are demons ourselves, bringing harm to others in a perpetual cycle.5/5

Skipp includes two appendices on the history of the devil and one on demons in popular culture. They’re interesting explorations of how the demons reflect our societal values, who we are, and what we’re afraid to confront.
Overall, this was a decent anthology with the usual gems and clunkers depending on your tastes. 3.4/5

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic collection. John Skipp selected a stellar set of short stories (old and new, classic and fresh) for this themed anthology. Loved it!

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the Bespelled.

[Laurence · Rating 1 out of 5]

Heaven and Hell are especially fascinating to me right now, so this book really should have scratched the itch, but it really did not work for me.

Of course I didn't reread the Poe and Lovecraft, which I found a bit shoehorned in here.

[Alex Budris · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better anthologies I've read. Almost every story is close to at least 4 stars. Illuminating appendices.

[Gef · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darkeva was charitable enough to ship me a copy of this impressive--and weighty--anthology. It's damn-near a tome in trade paperback form. In a sense, it feels appropriate for a book about demons and spectres, things that haunt and oppress, should have some gravity to it. Like a monkey on your back. Oddly enough, that's almost exactly the kind of demon this book starts off with, in the first story, Adam-Troy Castro's "Cherub," about a world in which each persons inner demons reside squarely on their shoulders.

John Skipp has found a near perfect balance of humor and horror with an ensemble of stories from acclaimed authors of the past and today's up-and-comers, a few icons in between. It's pretty hard to find fault with an anthology that not only captures a theme so completely, but provides such a rich variety of stories that shine a light on the idea of demons and the evil inside us all.

There are over thirty stories in this book, closer to forty if I went back to count. Some are brief aperitifs with snapshots of the devilish, and a couple weigh in closer to novella length. A couple are excerpts from iconic novels like that of The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty, and if you're going to throw in a snippet from a novel about demons, you may as well as go with the most infamous novel in the world on the subject.

For me I had as much fun reading the blasts from the past, like Charles Beaumont's "The Howling Man" and W.W. Jacobs' "The Monkey's Paw", as I did reading stories by authors whose work I'd yet to sample, like Maggie Stiefvater's "Non Quis, Sed Quis" and Livia Lliewellyn's "And Love Shall Have No Dominion." The book starts things rolling with quite a few classic demonic tales, which act as a prelude to what the more modern authors have to offer.

One of my favorites is Robert McCammon's "Best Friends," which is a roaring novella that veers into crazytown quickly and only gets crazier as it goes. I mean, it's one thing to feel trapped on a hospital floor with the insane, but it's quite another to wind up like one of them when one patient's delusions come true. I always hear McCammon's name bandied about when it comes to recommendations, so it looks like I need to make one of his books a priority to read this year. Another fave is Weston Ochse's "20th-Level Chaotic Evil Rogue Seeks Whole Wide World to Conquer." That one was just an acerbic treat to read with a protagonist that was utterly disdainful, but ultimately I could still root for the guy--just a little. Alethea Kontis' "The Unicorn Hunter" was a stand-out with its tinges of fairytale elements amid a book full of grotesqueries, though a story involving the hunting and slaughtering of unicorns wasn't without its own share of bloodshed. The ending of that one offered a bit more wistful reaction than the others though, and was a welcome change of pace.

I could go on and on but different stories in this book, but I'll simply wrap this up by saying this is a delicious anthology that should be one every demon-lover's bookshelf. John Skipp also has a couple other anthologies through Black Dog & Levinthal about Werewolves and Zombies, so I'll have to make it a point to see how perfectly he encapsulates those monsters.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE story BESPELLED BY KIM HARRISON IS IN THIS BOOK, WITH MANY OTHERS ABOUT 35 STORIES IN FACT STILL READING AND VERY GOOD

BESPELLED, BEFORE RACHEL SAVES THE CHARACTER IN THIS STORY THE ROYAL ELF HAS BEEN CALLING UP THE DEMON ALGALIAREP FOR YEARS, SHE IS TO GET MARRIED AND END HER STUDIES WITH HIM BUT HE HAS CHARMED HER AND THRU LIES IS ABLE TO STEAL HER FOR OVER A THOUSAND YEARS, BEFORE RACHEL RESCUES HER BEING RACHEL MORGAN IN THE HOLLOWS SERIES IS IN THE SAME POSITION. TO BE OWNED AND USED BY THIS DEMON TO DEATH. I DO WISH KIM WOULD WRITE A FULL LEGTH STORY ON THIS STORY SPANNING OVER THE 1000 YEARS OF SERVICE TO ALGALIAREPT, WONDERFUL STORY, IT WAS GREAT TO SEE HOW CHERI WAS STOLEN THRU LIES AND DECEIT MAINLY CHARM FROM A LIAR DEMON.

SO MANY MORE STORIES TO READ IN THIS BOOK..


THIS IS A ''''LARGE'''' BOOK WITH MANY STORIES MANY SHORT STORIES FROM OTHER BOOKS AND ITS GREAT, SCARY GOOD. WHAT I LIKED IT SOME OF THESE SHORT STORIES FILLED IN THE BLANK STORYLINE FROM OTHER BOOKS LIKE The very first book I mentioned. a book by Kim Harrison I wanted the info on that character so bad and a friend found this short story that gave me that info. All these stories are great.

[Eric Guignard · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEWED: DEMONS
EDITED BY: John Skipp
PUBLISHED: September, 2011

L-O-V-E-D this anthology! IMMENSE collection of both classic literary tales and wild new fiction exploring the lore of Demons in culture. Violent, Funny, Provocative, this collection really has something for everybody. Of course, with so many stories and ideas, not all of them hit the mark, although that may be perceived as a matter of taste. I had read all the classics previously, but was nice to see them intermixed with the new fiction - including, "The Monkey's Paw," by W.W. Jacobs, "The Black Cat," by Edgar Allen Poe, and "The Howling Man," by Charles Beaumont. Some of my favorite new fiction included "Cherub," by Adam-Troy Castro, "Consuela Hates a Vacuum," by Cody Goodfellow, "Best Friends," by Robert R. McCammon, "Stupid Reason to Sell Your Soul," by Carlton Mellick III, and "Other People," by Neil Gaimon. My absolute favorite was "Mom" by Bentley Little! With 37 stories plus articles, this collection is a complete sampler of the theme of "Demons."

[Ryan Daley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one fat book of Satan stories from veteran editor John Skipp, heavy enough to bulge a vertebrae or two. It's the sheer variety that's the biggest draw, from classic tales like The Monkeys Paw to new fiction by Bentley Little, there's a little something for everyone in Demons. One dark and stormy night I watched Álex de la Iglesia's 2006 film, The Baby's Room, after reading a few of the scarier pieces in Demons, and the combination was harrowing enough to make my skin crawl. A mandatory anthology for the helplessly hellbound.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this short story (I only read The Bespelled) and yeah, it was awesome to be in Al's POV for the first time (there's another one, set after The Witch With No Name) and how the whole thing with Ceri started! Can't wait to read more short stories that I hadn't!

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far one of the best anthologies I've ever read. Practically every story was a winner. Well done.

[Jude Samson]

A couple of stories that don’t seem to fit the theme (including the editor’s own piece) but many of the rest were entertaining in one way or another. Why authors and especially editors (or maybe just those around this and similar genres) feel they’re capable of narrating is something I’ll never understand. Most of the time he just drones in - not necessarily monotonous but just a lifelessly bland - way. The last word of every sentence and sometimes middle words of long sentences he needlessly elongates the pronunciation. His breathing pacing is “off” or he needs to learn how to edit it better because his GASPS are distracting and annoying. Stick to being an editor, buddy. Let others who know what they’re doing handle the narration. On totally random stories or when he’s voicing demons Skipp actually does a decent enough job and seems to have some ounce of life in him but they’re few and far between and too random to even make it worth while.

Still, I laboriously made my way through the collection despite his best attempts at ruining perfectly good tales. Most were entertaining and there was a little of this and a little of that to make it interesting for those of varied tastes while sticking within the specific theme of demons. There were a couple that seemed to be out of place, having nothing demonic or were so existential it was a stretch to have them included but were entertaining in and of themselves.

I might consider other anthologies but please no more Skipp narrating!!!

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

The Devil 5/10
The Book 7/10
Cherub 9/10
Monkey's Paw 8/10
The Hound 7/10
The Black Cat 10/10
The Devil & Daniel Webster 8/10
Nelthu 6/10
The Howling Man 7/10
The Exorcist (excerpt) 7/10
Hell 2/10
Empathy 3/10
Visitation 6/10
Best Friends 9/10 (favorite one)
Into Whose Hands 5/10
Pilgrims to the Cathedral (ending is insane, if a bit confusing) 7/10
Bespelled 5/10
Non Quis, Sed Quid 7/10 (short, but funny)
Demon Girl 7/10
He Waits - 7/10
Happy Hour - 7/10
Staying the Night 5/10
Daisies and Demons 6/10
And Love Shall Have No Dominion 5/10
Mom 8/10
20th Level Chaotic Evil Rogue Seeks Whole Wide World to Conquer 6/10
Consuela Hates a Vacuum 7/10
Our Blood in Its Blind Circuit 5/10
Empty Church 8/10
From "Angelology" 3/10
The Law of Resonance 5/10
Stupid Fucking Reason to Sell Your Soul 7/10
Halt and Catch Fire 6/10
Scars in Progress 8/10
The Unicorn Hunter 7/10
Other People 5/10
Appendix A 6/10
Appendix B 8/10

[Michelle Jansen Van Rensburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure whether to give this 3 stars or 4.

I went with 4 because the writing was very good. And although I loved the insight into Al's head, and was always very interested in how Ceri got captured, the story was kind of rape-y. And that made me kind of very uncomfortable.

I get that it was kind of a willing rape, from Ceri's part, since she knew what her life with Al would entail but still chose that over a loveless marriage. But it was still strange to me.

[Briar Graovac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good stories here, my definite favourite being Pilgrims at the Cathedral.

It is long, however, and after a while I did start to get a bit bored, but that's the beauty of anthologies. You can pick them up, put them down, pick them up again and start reading from a different place. It does not matter.

Nice range of both older and newer authors.

[Ruadhan Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed these anthologies before, and all anthologies will hit and miss. The topic of course leans itself into horror, but this book’s sampling seem particularly voyeuristic and focused on the shock value. Not my thing.

[Bill Borre]

"The Hound" by H. P. Lovecraft - Two grave robbers bring a curse upon themselves when they steal a jade amulet and after one of them is torn apart by a baying creature the other attempts to return the amulet only to discover that thieves have stolen it.

[Ian Carpenter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Work reading: a mixed collection but much of the older material is really great.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read "The Bespelled" by Kim Harrison, however not the other short stories. I'll leave those for another day...

[Amaya Radjani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this anthology

[Nicki Bonney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bespelled

[Walter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the stories are brilliant, some are meh. But overall I enjoyed the collection.

[Perez-B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love all the stories especially for me is was well balanced between old and newer contemporary versions, definitely worth the read.

[Dichotomy Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read "The Bespelled", The Hollows 6.1 Only

[Thenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Bespelled by Kim Harrison on Books On Track


RTC

[Meleofa]

I only read Kim Harrison and Maggie Stiefvater's stories

[Marianne Boutet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review for "The Bespelled" by Kim Harrison

[Jessica Lerbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked some of the stories.