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Festival of Fear
Award-winning horror writer and master of the macabre, Graham Masterton presents a blood-curdling array of treats: twelve stories of terror celebrating the bizarre and grotesque, guaranteed to quicken the pulse. Marvel at the mirror dug up in secret and better off buried . . . Thrill at a pair of lovers, whose promises to each other lead them down a disturbing path. Observe the haunted house . . . Come closer, dear reader – the hour of the festival is upon us . . .
234 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
23 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
Graham Masterton
422 books1,966 followersGraham Masterton was born in Edinburgh in 1946. His grandfather was Thomas Thorne Baker, the eminent scientist who invented DayGlo and was the first man to transmit news photographs by wireless. After training as a newspaper reporter, Graham went on to edit the new British men's magazine Mayfair, where he encouraged William Burroughs to develop a series of scientific and philosophical articles which eventually became Burroughs' novel The Wild Boys.
At the age of 24, Graham was appointed executive editor of both Penthouse and Penthouse Forum magazines. At this time he started to write a bestselling series of sex 'how-to' books including How To Drive Your Man Wild In Bed which has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. His latest, Wild Sex For New Lovers is published by Penguin Putnam in January, 2001. He is a regular contributor to Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Woman, Woman's Own and other mass-market self-improvement magazines.
Graham Masterton's debut as a horror author began with The Manitou in 1976, a chilling tale of a Native American medicine man reborn in the present day to exact his revenge on the white man. It became an instant bestseller and was filmed with Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, Burgess Meredith, Michael Ansara, Stella Stevens and Ann Sothern.
Altogether Graham has written more than a hundred novels ranging from thrillers (The Sweetman Curve, Ikon) to disaster novels (Plague, Famine) to historical sagas (Rich and Maiden Voyage - both appeared in the New York Times bestseller list). He has published four collections of short stories, Fortnight of Fear, Flights of Fear, Faces of Fear and Feelings of Fear.
He has also written horror novels for children (House of Bones, Hair-Raiser) and has just finished the fifth volume in a very popular series for young adults, Rook, based on the adventures of an idiosyncratic remedial English teacher in a Los Angeles community college who has the facility to see ghosts.
Since then Graham has published more than 35 horror novels, including Charnel House, which was awarded a Special Edgar by Mystery Writers of America; Mirror, which was awarded a Silver Medal by West Coast Review of Books; and Family Portrait, an update of Oscar Wilde's tale, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was the only non-French winner of the prestigious Prix Julia Verlanger in France.
He and his wife Wiescka live in a Gothic Victorian mansion high above the River Lee in Cork, Ireland.
At the age of 24, Graham was appointed executive editor of both Penthouse and Penthouse Forum magazines. At this time he started to write a bestselling series of sex 'how-to' books including How To Drive Your Man Wild In Bed which has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. His latest, Wild Sex For New Lovers is published by Penguin Putnam in January, 2001. He is a regular contributor to Cosmopolitan, Men's Health, Woman, Woman's Own and other mass-market self-improvement magazines.
Graham Masterton's debut as a horror author began with The Manitou in 1976, a chilling tale of a Native American medicine man reborn in the present day to exact his revenge on the white man. It became an instant bestseller and was filmed with Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, Burgess Meredith, Michael Ansara, Stella Stevens and Ann Sothern.
Altogether Graham has written more than a hundred novels ranging from thrillers (The Sweetman Curve, Ikon) to disaster novels (Plague, Famine) to historical sagas (Rich and Maiden Voyage - both appeared in the New York Times bestseller list). He has published four collections of short stories, Fortnight of Fear, Flights of Fear, Faces of Fear and Feelings of Fear.
He has also written horror novels for children (House of Bones, Hair-Raiser) and has just finished the fifth volume in a very popular series for young adults, Rook, based on the adventures of an idiosyncratic remedial English teacher in a Los Angeles community college who has the facility to see ghosts.
Since then Graham has published more than 35 horror novels, including Charnel House, which was awarded a Special Edgar by Mystery Writers of America; Mirror, which was awarded a Silver Medal by West Coast Review of Books; and Family Portrait, an update of Oscar Wilde's tale, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was the only non-French winner of the prestigious Prix Julia Verlanger in France.
He and his wife Wiescka live in a Gothic Victorian mansion high above the River Lee in Cork, Ireland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
May 21, 2012
Fantastic (and don't expect much from me about Masterton than that...I am very biased..). I am a giant fan of Masterton's---underrated in my opinion and definitely under read. His horror is smart, visceral, sexy and filled with amazing references (this man has traveled). I adored this collection of short stories---they are scary, funny and grotesque. There is really nothing Masterton shies away from--bestiality, infant/child death, apocalypse, you name it. I was amused to find that at least two of the stories referenced Ohio--Dayton (where I grew up) and also Cincinnati (even referencing the famous Cincy-style chili). This book just flew by--I read it as I was reading other books and it was so easy to just pick it up after each story. Nothing less than I have come to expect from this creative, funny and scary writer.
May 22, 2020
My Second Masterton novel. Mixed Feelings.
Last week I read 'House of Bones' (see review...eek), and this week managed to finish 'Festival Of Fear', a twelve-story collection by Graham Masterton.
The first thing I'll say is that the writing here, is much better than that which I had to endure in House of Bones, in fact it's so different that it felt as if it were written by a completely different author all-together!
So now to the stories themselves:
The Press: A very short story, but a fantastic start to the collection. Was, perhaps, my joint favourite. Smart, gruesome, loved it!
The Burgers of Calais: Nicely written and reminded me a little of Stephen King. You'll think that you have this story figured out right away....and you'd be correct! Entertaining but very predictable.
Anka: Started off great, loved the set-up and the idea, (I think its based on folk-law) but the ending was a smelly bunch of farts! And much like my review just then, got very silly, very quickly.
Dog Days: Again, started off well and had me intrigued, but serverly let down by the "Twist" It wasn't so much the idea itself, which could have worked had it been written in a much darker tone, but it was the tone of the story, which seemed so light and fluffy that it really didn't work for me.
The Scrawler: I really enjoyed this one, and reminded me a lot of James Herbert. Intriguing, with a nice, dark ending.
Sepsis: Disliked this story from the beginning, very silly idea (all that licking?) and the gruesome ending made no sense at all. Even in the world of horror I like my stories to have a little bit of plausibility and at least a tiny bit of explanation.
Camelot: Started well, and I was enjoying the dialogue between the three characters, but then went exactly how I expected. I found the ending to be flat, with a monster i've read about many times before who did nothing new. Very forgettable.
Reflection fo Evil: Ashamed to say as soon as i heard the set up I bailed on this one, I think Camelot made me somewhat impatient and in need of something great from this author, who obviously has a lot of devoted fans. As soon as I heard what the police officers said to the main character it was a case of ...NEXT!!
Neighbours From Hell: Not too bad, though easy to figure out where it was going, still quite enjoyable.
Son of Beast: Hmm, where to start with this one! Okay a good opening, multiple gruesome murders by a killer with a calling card. I was enjoying it........But then! Oh but then...the female Detective made a decision which was so utterly ridiculous I struggled to take it seriously from there on. Perhaps, if Masterton had let us know the detective was a little unstable, perhaps suicidal, or just plain old bonkers, so that when the "offer" was made, I could imagine her thinking "Sod it, I'll give it a go." However the female character seemed like a normal, sane, smart human being who would surely never make such a stupid decision as the one she makes here...Howeveeeerrrrrrr, the last paragraph of this story span it around, and actually made it my favourite. I loved the twist at the end. A superb way to finish this strange little tale.
Anti Claus: Nice little Christmas tale regarding the darker side of Santa, I enjoyed it, and probably would have even more had I read it in December.
Sarcophagus: Very Short, pointless and silly. Not sure why it was included in this collection. Perhaps if it had been a longer tale, it could have been something shocking and great, but at just a couple of pages, i'm afraid it was neither.
All in all, quite entertaining, and another great lesson on what (and what not) to do in writing short stories. I will be reading more of Graham Masterton, perhaps next i'll try Manitou.
Last week I read 'House of Bones' (see review...eek), and this week managed to finish 'Festival Of Fear', a twelve-story collection by Graham Masterton.
The first thing I'll say is that the writing here, is much better than that which I had to endure in House of Bones, in fact it's so different that it felt as if it were written by a completely different author all-together!
So now to the stories themselves:
The Press: A very short story, but a fantastic start to the collection. Was, perhaps, my joint favourite. Smart, gruesome, loved it!
The Burgers of Calais: Nicely written and reminded me a little of Stephen King. You'll think that you have this story figured out right away....and you'd be correct! Entertaining but very predictable.
Anka: Started off great, loved the set-up and the idea, (I think its based on folk-law) but the ending was a smelly bunch of farts! And much like my review just then, got very silly, very quickly.
Dog Days: Again, started off well and had me intrigued, but serverly let down by the "Twist" It wasn't so much the idea itself, which could have worked had it been written in a much darker tone, but it was the tone of the story, which seemed so light and fluffy that it really didn't work for me.
The Scrawler: I really enjoyed this one, and reminded me a lot of James Herbert. Intriguing, with a nice, dark ending.
Sepsis: Disliked this story from the beginning, very silly idea (all that licking?) and the gruesome ending made no sense at all. Even in the world of horror I like my stories to have a little bit of plausibility and at least a tiny bit of explanation.
Camelot: Started well, and I was enjoying the dialogue between the three characters, but then went exactly how I expected. I found the ending to be flat, with a monster i've read about many times before who did nothing new. Very forgettable.
Reflection fo Evil: Ashamed to say as soon as i heard the set up I bailed on this one, I think Camelot made me somewhat impatient and in need of something great from this author, who obviously has a lot of devoted fans. As soon as I heard what the police officers said to the main character it was a case of ...NEXT!!
Neighbours From Hell: Not too bad, though easy to figure out where it was going, still quite enjoyable.
Son of Beast: Hmm, where to start with this one! Okay a good opening, multiple gruesome murders by a killer with a calling card. I was enjoying it........But then! Oh but then...the female Detective made a decision which was so utterly ridiculous I struggled to take it seriously from there on. Perhaps, if Masterton had let us know the detective was a little unstable, perhaps suicidal, or just plain old bonkers, so that when the "offer" was made, I could imagine her thinking "Sod it, I'll give it a go." However the female character seemed like a normal, sane, smart human being who would surely never make such a stupid decision as the one she makes here...Howeveeeerrrrrrr, the last paragraph of this story span it around, and actually made it my favourite. I loved the twist at the end. A superb way to finish this strange little tale.
Anti Claus: Nice little Christmas tale regarding the darker side of Santa, I enjoyed it, and probably would have even more had I read it in December.
Sarcophagus: Very Short, pointless and silly. Not sure why it was included in this collection. Perhaps if it had been a longer tale, it could have been something shocking and great, but at just a couple of pages, i'm afraid it was neither.
All in all, quite entertaining, and another great lesson on what (and what not) to do in writing short stories. I will be reading more of Graham Masterton, perhaps next i'll try Manitou.
September 10, 2019
Да си ъпдейтвам и тук. 5/5 за Греъм Мастертън!
А ревю може да прочетете на линка:
http://citadelata.com/festival-of-fear/
А ревю може да прочетете на линка:
http://citadelata.com/festival-of-fear/
June 10, 2025
3.75/5
A solidly weird collection of short stories. Most of these stories went off in wild directions, and one of them grossed me out.
A solidly weird collection of short stories. Most of these stories went off in wild directions, and one of them grossed me out.
August 24, 2012
The thing about Graham Masterton is that he's just a natural born storyteller. His long or short fiction is always great, imaginative, humorous, scary and fun to read. This collection has such an awesome variety, he offers original takes on arthurian legends, liposuction and Santa Claus among other things. Distinct mentions go to a story dedicated to a pun and a story that managed to severely gross out this seasoned reader of horror. Another great reader from a real master of horror. Highly recommended.
June 10, 2024
3.5/5
Troszkę już ją męczyłam, ale nie żałuję faktu jej dokończenia. Jednak Masterton ma pewne miejsce w moim sercu...
Troszkę już ją męczyłam, ale nie żałuję faktu jej dokończenia. Jednak Masterton ma pewne miejsce w moim sercu...
October 6, 2025
nikt tak obrzydliwie nie pisze o seksie. aż człowiek zaczyna rozważać celibat, mega szacun ❤
July 22, 2021
By far the weirdest book I’ve ever read. Bloody brilliant though.
February 26, 2018
The stories are nothing like the cover implies. Most of them have a lighter, fast-paced and snarky atmosphere, which I love in many types of books but which felt out of place in an anthology being marketed the way that this is. I didn't find the stories scary. Quirky, strange and amusing at times, but never scary, and the writing style didn't keep me particularly engaged. It's an okay book and I'm sure that there are people out there to whom this will appeal, but I just couldn't get into it.
July 10, 2023
1.5
Najgorsza książka jaką przeczytałam tego autora. Brak finezji, raczej bazuje na prostych instynktach, byle było krwawo i erotycznie.
Najgorsza książka jaką przeczytałam tego autora. Brak finezji, raczej bazuje na prostych instynktach, byle było krwawo i erotycznie.
September 8, 2020
Przychodzę dzisiaj do Was z książką, po którą sięgnęłam, ponieważ odczułam pewną tęsknotę za jaskrawym obliczem horroru. Wybrałam zbiór opowiadań Mastertona z oczywistych powodów. Pierwszym jest fakt, iż to nazwisko bardzo znane w świecie tegoż gatunku. Drugi jest taki, że jeszcze nigdy nic jego nie czytałam.
Jak było? A no było różnie, jak to często ze zbiorami jest opowiadań.
Masterton rozpoczął tę podróż od krótkiego, jednokartkowego opowiadania "Sarkofag", które nie jest złe, ale ponieważ jest krótkie, nie zostaje na dłużej w pamięci. Domyślam się, że autor poruszył tu temat, który boli dzisiejsze społeczeństwo - czyli dążenie do doskonałości, co często kończy się np. anoreksją. Doceniam ten gest i pomysł również.
Kolejne, to "Burgery z Calais" i tutaj przyznaję, że naprawdę podobało mi się. Jest oczywiście z typu "falki na wierzchu", ale każde z zawartych tu opowiadań takie jest, jednak to uczy i to dość skutecznie uczy, a może raczej oducza jedzenia fast foodów. Ja się już burgera nie tknę.
"Bazgroła" jest chyba moim ulubionym tekstem w tej książce i zarazem inspiracją okładki. To świetnie napisana, błyskotliwa opowieść o tym, że najgorszą bestię najczęściej nosimy w sobie.
I przyszedł czas na "Epifanię", czyli moim zdaniem najobrzydliwsze i przez to najsłabsze z opowiadań. Cóż... to jest pornos i musicie o tym wiedzieć. Rozumiem cel, w jakim powstało. Autor pokazuje tutaj niszcząco siłę dewiacji i chwała mu za to, ale nie trzeba posuwać się aż do takiego obrazowania, aż do takiej dosłowności. Moim zdaniem takie testy, jeśli trafią na podatny grunt, na jakieś młode dziecię, to uczynią w jego głowie wielkie, możliwe że nie do odwrócenia - spustoszenie. Jednak z ogólnym wnioskiem płynącym z ów tekstu zgadzam się.
"Posocznica" jest zaś obrazem chorego związku. Związku, który myśli, że przepełnia go miłość, a tymczasem jest to tylko obsesja. Współcześnie mamy niestety sporo takich par, wlepionych w siebie i głuchych na cały świat.
Idąc dalej natykamy się na "Sąsiadów z piekła" i to jest naprawdę dobre. Opowiada o duchach przeszłości, które nie pozwolą o sobie zapomnieć - nigdy. Bardzo podoba mi się styl Mastertona, jest klimatyczny i naturalny.
Wreszcie dotarłam do "Anty-Mikołaja", czyli opowieści o rzekomo prawdziwym Świętym Mikołaju. Gdyby nie to nadużycie - bo Święty Mikołaj istniał i jest Świętym kościoła katolickiego, jakby ktoś zapomniał - to uznałabym je za najlepsze. Tak czy owak podoba mi się. Ma w sobie tą bajarską moc, którą czuje się w zimowe wieczory siedząc przy kominku. Bądźcie grzeczne dzieci, bo...
"Wizerunek zła" i "Camelot" powstały na skutek inspiracji autora wierszem Tennysona "The Lady of Shallot" i ich głównym obiektem jest lustro, które to ma właściwości dość demoniczne. Oba są dobre, ale bez fajerwerków. MAsterton odrzuca mnie często od swoich opowiadań tym wszędobylskim, wyuzdanym seksem. To nie są opowiadania dla dzieci, ale nie są też dla młodzieży... tak uważam.
Ostatnim jest zaś "Towarzystwo Współczucia" i ono należy do tych lepszych. Ciekawie ukazuje żal, smutek, rozpacz po śmierci ukochanej osoby.
Każde z opowiadań jest poprzedzone słowem o nim od pisarza. Tłumaczy nam, czytelnikom, co go zainspirowało i jak powstawało. Bardzo mi się ten zabieg podoba, świetnie się to czyta, jak zresztą całą książkę, bo Masterton ma bardzo dobry styl. Musicie jednak wiedzieć, że jest to horror ekstremalny, z flakami, krwią, odciętymi głowami no i tym seksem, który wręcz krzyczy z kartek. To jaskrawe oblicze grozy, które nie jest moim ulubionym, ale ponieważ horror, jako taki, bardzo lubię, to staram się sięgać po wszelkie jego oblicza. Te opowiadania się obrzydliwe, ale one takie miały być, takie ich zadanie. Nie wywołują strachu, tylko wstręt i są przewidywalne, tak bardzo przewidywalne, że niemal od pierwszego zdania wiesz, jak to się potoczy - ale w tym przypadku i to nie jest zarzutem. Tu chodzi o uwypuklenie ludzkich dewiacji, a dewiacje są raczej oczywiste, nie ma w nich tajemnicy, tylko niszczycielska moc.
6/10 dobry zbiór, ale trzeba wiedzieć, po co się sięga i co to jest, aby nie zostać znokautowanym przez obrzydzenie
Wydawnictwo REBIS
Jak było? A no było różnie, jak to często ze zbiorami jest opowiadań.
Masterton rozpoczął tę podróż od krótkiego, jednokartkowego opowiadania "Sarkofag", które nie jest złe, ale ponieważ jest krótkie, nie zostaje na dłużej w pamięci. Domyślam się, że autor poruszył tu temat, który boli dzisiejsze społeczeństwo - czyli dążenie do doskonałości, co często kończy się np. anoreksją. Doceniam ten gest i pomysł również.
Kolejne, to "Burgery z Calais" i tutaj przyznaję, że naprawdę podobało mi się. Jest oczywiście z typu "falki na wierzchu", ale każde z zawartych tu opowiadań takie jest, jednak to uczy i to dość skutecznie uczy, a może raczej oducza jedzenia fast foodów. Ja się już burgera nie tknę.
"Bazgroła" jest chyba moim ulubionym tekstem w tej książce i zarazem inspiracją okładki. To świetnie napisana, błyskotliwa opowieść o tym, że najgorszą bestię najczęściej nosimy w sobie.
I przyszedł czas na "Epifanię", czyli moim zdaniem najobrzydliwsze i przez to najsłabsze z opowiadań. Cóż... to jest pornos i musicie o tym wiedzieć. Rozumiem cel, w jakim powstało. Autor pokazuje tutaj niszcząco siłę dewiacji i chwała mu za to, ale nie trzeba posuwać się aż do takiego obrazowania, aż do takiej dosłowności. Moim zdaniem takie testy, jeśli trafią na podatny grunt, na jakieś młode dziecię, to uczynią w jego głowie wielkie, możliwe że nie do odwrócenia - spustoszenie. Jednak z ogólnym wnioskiem płynącym z ów tekstu zgadzam się.
"Posocznica" jest zaś obrazem chorego związku. Związku, który myśli, że przepełnia go miłość, a tymczasem jest to tylko obsesja. Współcześnie mamy niestety sporo takich par, wlepionych w siebie i głuchych na cały świat.
Idąc dalej natykamy się na "Sąsiadów z piekła" i to jest naprawdę dobre. Opowiada o duchach przeszłości, które nie pozwolą o sobie zapomnieć - nigdy. Bardzo podoba mi się styl Mastertona, jest klimatyczny i naturalny.
Wreszcie dotarłam do "Anty-Mikołaja", czyli opowieści o rzekomo prawdziwym Świętym Mikołaju. Gdyby nie to nadużycie - bo Święty Mikołaj istniał i jest Świętym kościoła katolickiego, jakby ktoś zapomniał - to uznałabym je za najlepsze. Tak czy owak podoba mi się. Ma w sobie tą bajarską moc, którą czuje się w zimowe wieczory siedząc przy kominku. Bądźcie grzeczne dzieci, bo...
"Wizerunek zła" i "Camelot" powstały na skutek inspiracji autora wierszem Tennysona "The Lady of Shallot" i ich głównym obiektem jest lustro, które to ma właściwości dość demoniczne. Oba są dobre, ale bez fajerwerków. MAsterton odrzuca mnie często od swoich opowiadań tym wszędobylskim, wyuzdanym seksem. To nie są opowiadania dla dzieci, ale nie są też dla młodzieży... tak uważam.
Ostatnim jest zaś "Towarzystwo Współczucia" i ono należy do tych lepszych. Ciekawie ukazuje żal, smutek, rozpacz po śmierci ukochanej osoby.
Każde z opowiadań jest poprzedzone słowem o nim od pisarza. Tłumaczy nam, czytelnikom, co go zainspirowało i jak powstawało. Bardzo mi się ten zabieg podoba, świetnie się to czyta, jak zresztą całą książkę, bo Masterton ma bardzo dobry styl. Musicie jednak wiedzieć, że jest to horror ekstremalny, z flakami, krwią, odciętymi głowami no i tym seksem, który wręcz krzyczy z kartek. To jaskrawe oblicze grozy, które nie jest moim ulubionym, ale ponieważ horror, jako taki, bardzo lubię, to staram się sięgać po wszelkie jego oblicza. Te opowiadania się obrzydliwe, ale one takie miały być, takie ich zadanie. Nie wywołują strachu, tylko wstręt i są przewidywalne, tak bardzo przewidywalne, że niemal od pierwszego zdania wiesz, jak to się potoczy - ale w tym przypadku i to nie jest zarzutem. Tu chodzi o uwypuklenie ludzkich dewiacji, a dewiacje są raczej oczywiste, nie ma w nich tajemnicy, tylko niszczycielska moc.
6/10 dobry zbiór, ale trzeba wiedzieć, po co się sięga i co to jest, aby nie zostać znokautowanym przez obrzydzenie
Wydawnictwo REBIS
December 7, 2020
'Festival of Fear' serves up twelve short stories featuring a variety of horror in the form of the supernatural, objects and people.
Although I tend to find short story collections a hit or miss, this one was an exception. Every story was solid, imaginative and engaging. Some were light-hearted with a dash of humour while some were dark, gory and shudder-worthy. No punches were pulled when it came to the macabre.
'The Burgers of Calais' was my favourite, primarily due to the main character John's larger than life personality. Witty, hilarious, outspoken and brave, he was never at a loss for words and stayed cool even when the odds were against him. The big reveal wasn't surprising but the journey was enjoyable.
Other noteworthy mentions include 'Dog Days' (bringing a whole new meaning to the idiom), 'Reflection of Evil' (evil has never looked this good) and 'Anti-Claus' (makes one think twice before taking something unknown).
Overall, 'Festival of Fear' lived up to its name and delivered well-written horror tales with believable characters - just as expected from this author.
Although I tend to find short story collections a hit or miss, this one was an exception. Every story was solid, imaginative and engaging. Some were light-hearted with a dash of humour while some were dark, gory and shudder-worthy. No punches were pulled when it came to the macabre.
'The Burgers of Calais' was my favourite, primarily due to the main character John's larger than life personality. Witty, hilarious, outspoken and brave, he was never at a loss for words and stayed cool even when the odds were against him. The big reveal wasn't surprising but the journey was enjoyable.
Other noteworthy mentions include 'Dog Days' (bringing a whole new meaning to the idiom), 'Reflection of Evil' (evil has never looked this good) and 'Anti-Claus' (makes one think twice before taking something unknown).
Overall, 'Festival of Fear' lived up to its name and delivered well-written horror tales with believable characters - just as expected from this author.
November 12, 2020
Some of the first short fiction I've read from Materton. For the most part he excels with his stories, the craziness he's capable of fitting nicely in a short medium, better than it sometimes does in a novel-length story. There were three or four I really didn't care for, but the rest were very decent.
February 15, 2021
Phenomenal work. Some of the short stories are so gross, and disgusting that will stick to you like "flammable paint removal gel" (wait for this reference till the end of the book). Stories are on full gear, and honestly things Mr Masterton can think off/imagine scars me a bit. Really worth your time. Highly recommended.
February 28, 2020
Great collection of horror stories from master himself! It is rare that whole collection suits me, that all stories are great, this one is just that! Every story just perfect little horror piece! I recommend this one to all horror bloodfiends out there!
April 3, 2020
A great collection of short stories which are well written and engrossing. A good variation in themes and in all a well thought out collection of stories, a few of them left me squinting with their descriptive imagery..... Which I liked. Highly recommend this easy reading horror collection.
December 27, 2023
część opowiadań bardzo mi się podobało, szczególnie te dotykające strefy erotycznej. została ona przedstawiona w bardzo ciekawy sposób, lekko niepokojący, a z drugiej strony jako podniosły akt. niestety były tez opowiadania, które w ogóle nie przypadły mi do gustu i były po prostu nudne
December 31, 2024
3.0. Anthology of horror short stories. Some were very good and entertaining, some not so much. Which is thr same kind of review I've left for other anthology, but, that's the truth. Not every story is a win for everyone.
May 12, 2017
First time reading Graham Masterton and really enjoyed it. Reminded me of Tales from the Crypt. Enjoyable stories and great story telling. Recommend highly.
October 27, 2017
Awesome collection of short stories. There are some stories that should carry a warning as not read or to listen to whilst eating.
July 14, 2018
Definitely horrifying and gruesome. I will check out the rest of the short stories anthologies for sure. (Faces, Feelings, Fortnight and Flights of fear. )
December 6, 2024
Jak to w zborach opowiadań bywa różne opowiadania mają różne poziomy. Wszystkie były w miarę fajne lecz dla mnie ciężko się wkręcić w takie krótkie historie. Zabrakło mi zainteresowania.
October 17, 2025
4.5⭐️
To jest mój ukochany Masterton, opowiadania genialne - brutalne, czasem wręcz ekstremalne 🔥
To jest mój ukochany Masterton, opowiadania genialne - brutalne, czasem wręcz ekstremalne 🔥
March 22, 2024
some stories from this collection i loved and some disliked but overall a good book, i enjoyed it even tho it was super weird at times, i like that every story has its own meaning and message
January 19, 2016
Like most short-story anthologies, this one is a mixed bag, with some good stories and some that have an interesting premise but are not fleshed out well. ("Fleshed out" being a particularly well suited description for Masterton's writing, which, as his fans know, is particularly gory.)
As in his novels, Masterton likes to build a story around a mythology, and I, for one, don't know how much of such mythologies he has studied and how much he has made up, but, as the reader, it hardly matters if he can convince us that it's for real. Stories like "Anka" (featuring a witch with an appetite for children) and "Anti-Claus" (featuring Santa/Satan) are particularly strong, with supernatural beings bringing terror unless the protagonist can placate them.
"Dog Days" and "Son of Beast" feature the same kind of inter-species cross-mixing that was involved in Basilisk, which I found to be the weakest of Masterton's novels, and The Sphinx, which was actually a pretty strong novel. These two stories are just too far-fetched to be convincing.
"Scrawler" is a particularly interesting story -- with the main character seeing graffiti all over that seems to be personalized to him.
"Sepsis" involves a couple that becomes obsessed with tasting each other and 'becoming one'. It may remind Masterton fans of his controversial short story "Eric the Pie".
"The Burgers of Calais" is, unfortunately, one of the stories at the beginning of the book, and it's quite obvious where it's going. I think just the title is enough for you to figure it out.
Two of the weakest stories, "Camelot" and "Reflection of Evil", are based on the same theme as one of Masterton's strongest novels, Mirror -- people living in mirrors. These stories are featured one after the other in this collection, which is unfortunate because I was so glad to get through one of them, only to go right into the other, and both were based on a Tennyson poem I've never read before this about "the Lady of Shalott". "Camelot" was slightly more interesting than the other because, although there's no explanation why, there are talking animals and other alternate-reality things going on. (I wondered if the whole society in "Camelot" was on the other side of the mirror, but Masterton does not really explain it.)
And there are some other stories that are okay, not particularly good or bad.
As in his novels, Masterton likes to build a story around a mythology, and I, for one, don't know how much of such mythologies he has studied and how much he has made up, but, as the reader, it hardly matters if he can convince us that it's for real. Stories like "Anka" (featuring a witch with an appetite for children) and "Anti-Claus" (featuring Santa/Satan) are particularly strong, with supernatural beings bringing terror unless the protagonist can placate them.
"Dog Days" and "Son of Beast" feature the same kind of inter-species cross-mixing that was involved in Basilisk, which I found to be the weakest of Masterton's novels, and The Sphinx, which was actually a pretty strong novel. These two stories are just too far-fetched to be convincing.
"Scrawler" is a particularly interesting story -- with the main character seeing graffiti all over that seems to be personalized to him.
"Sepsis" involves a couple that becomes obsessed with tasting each other and 'becoming one'. It may remind Masterton fans of his controversial short story "Eric the Pie".
"The Burgers of Calais" is, unfortunately, one of the stories at the beginning of the book, and it's quite obvious where it's going. I think just the title is enough for you to figure it out.
Two of the weakest stories, "Camelot" and "Reflection of Evil", are based on the same theme as one of Masterton's strongest novels, Mirror -- people living in mirrors. These stories are featured one after the other in this collection, which is unfortunate because I was so glad to get through one of them, only to go right into the other, and both were based on a Tennyson poem I've never read before this about "the Lady of Shalott". "Camelot" was slightly more interesting than the other because, although there's no explanation why, there are talking animals and other alternate-reality things going on. (I wondered if the whole society in "Camelot" was on the other side of the mirror, but Masterton does not really explain it.)
And there are some other stories that are okay, not particularly good or bad.
March 18, 2024
I started reading this collection shortly after completing, and hating, another horror anthology based around/inspired by/continuing on/paying homage too etc. etc. the Cthulhu mythos and had reached a surfeit of badly written, badly thought out, derivative, fan-boy writing based on an idea of an author who I was sure I disliked in terms of his personal ideas and hang-ups. I just felt that horror as a genre had nothing to offer. Then I read this collection - I can't tell you what a pleasure and contrast it was - Masterton is not a flawless writer in terms of logicality - several of these stories definitely have large improbabilities/convenient coincidences that should have spoilt them, but they didn't because his writing is fresh, crisp, enjoyable and his story lines are original - I don't mean that he plough's an Avant Garde furrow in his horror stories - but there is enough originality to ensure that all but the most jaded can enjoy them.
Just to be clear I have not read any of Masterton's novels, in fact I rarely read 'horror' novels, but I do enjoy collections of stories in this genre, either by a single author or anthologies. This is the second Masterton collection I have read and will certainly read others and I recommended him to anyone who feels that the more conventional writers may have killed their enjoyment of the genre.
Just to be clear I have not read any of Masterton's novels, in fact I rarely read 'horror' novels, but I do enjoy collections of stories in this genre, either by a single author or anthologies. This is the second Masterton collection I have read and will certainly read others and I recommended him to anyone who feels that the more conventional writers may have killed their enjoyment of the genre.
January 26, 2015
5.0 out of 5 stars
Current favorite read of Masterton's work, November 20, 2012
This review is from: Festival of Fear (Hardcover)
I am a relative latecomer to Mr Masterton's contribution to the Horror Genre. Unfortunately and luckily, the experience has been positive. Unfortunate, in that I hadn't read his work as he wrote it chronologically and luckily, just in the fact that he has become one of my favorite Horror authors from the UK. This collection to me spans the various voices in Masterton's Horror oeuvre; from pulp horror, to cerebral literary scariness that leaves a slight trace of a wound on the psyche, to sheer bloody carnage written at its most visceral, unblinking Horror. [insert evil laugh here] I first read Flesh and Blood, which left me reeling like after watching TCM for the first time! No spoilers for FOF - sorry; although I will say, two standouts were Sepsis and The Burgers of Calais. Can't wait to read the next one.
Current favorite read of Masterton's work, November 20, 2012
This review is from: Festival of Fear (Hardcover)
I am a relative latecomer to Mr Masterton's contribution to the Horror Genre. Unfortunately and luckily, the experience has been positive. Unfortunate, in that I hadn't read his work as he wrote it chronologically and luckily, just in the fact that he has become one of my favorite Horror authors from the UK. This collection to me spans the various voices in Masterton's Horror oeuvre; from pulp horror, to cerebral literary scariness that leaves a slight trace of a wound on the psyche, to sheer bloody carnage written at its most visceral, unblinking Horror. [insert evil laugh here] I first read Flesh and Blood, which left me reeling like after watching TCM for the first time! No spoilers for FOF - sorry; although I will say, two standouts were Sepsis and The Burgers of Calais. Can't wait to read the next one.
Currently reading
May 23, 2024"Reflection of Evil" - Mark, Nigel and Katie discover a five foot silver mirror at a dig site they think may have belonged to the Lady of Shalott from Camelot legend. Nigel spends the night with the mirror and Mark and Katie find him the following day with his throat torn out. Katie convinces Mark a vampire dwells within the mirror and he acts as bait to draw her out. The vampire kills Katie but not before she pulls the curtain off the window and the sunlight forces the creature to withdraw back into the mirror.
"The Scrawler" - Peter sees letters carved into brick, glass and stone that make him suspect his fiancée is cheating on him until he pushes her in front of a train. Later in a lavatory he encounters an embodiment of the terror of loneliness that reveals it is responsible for the messages. Peter attacks it and it kills him.
"Sepsis" - This is a body horror story where the protagonist develops the sepsis condition to an extreme.
"The Scrawler" - Peter sees letters carved into brick, glass and stone that make him suspect his fiancée is cheating on him until he pushes her in front of a train. Later in a lavatory he encounters an embodiment of the terror of loneliness that reveals it is responsible for the messages. Peter attacks it and it kills him.
"Sepsis" - This is a body horror story where the protagonist develops the sepsis condition to an extreme.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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