Devils & Demons: A Treasury of Fiendish Tales Old & New

by Marvin Kaye (Editor), Saralee Kaye (Editor)

Gathers tales of the supernatural by H.G. Wells, Paul Anderson, H.P. Lovecraft, Tanith Lee, Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Sheckley, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Isaac Bashevis Singer.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fantasy, Fiction, Anthologies, Supernatural, Science Fiction

587 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Marvin Nathan Kaye was an American mystery, fantasy, science fiction, horror author, anthologist, and editor. He was also a magician and theater actor. Kaye was a World Fantasy Award winner and served as co-publisher and editor of Weird Tales Magazine.

Reviews

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Queen of Sheba’s Nightmare by Bertrand Russell
The Brazen Locked Room by Isaac Asimov
Sir Dominick’s Bargain by Sheridan LeFanu
Tapestry by C. H. Sherman
Seven Come Heaven? by Diane Wnorowska
The Temptation of Harringay by H.G. Wells
The Tenancy of Me. Eex by Paula Volsky
The Demon Lover by Anonymous
The Imitation Demon by Robert Kuttner
Just a Little Thing by Joan Vander Putten
The Devil’s Wager by William Makepeace Thackeray
Rachaela by Poul Anderson
Hell-Bent by Ford McCormack
Damned Funny by Marvin Kaye
Me, Tree by Morgan Llywelyn
Enoch by Robert Bloch
Catmagic by M. Lucie Chin
The Hound by H. P. Lovecraft
The Princess and Her Future by Tanith Lee
Novel of the White Powder by Arthur Machen
The Celery Stalk in the Cellar by Saralee Terry
The Vampire Cat of Nabeshima by Bernhardt J. Hurwood
Caliban’s Revenge by Darrell Schweitzer
The Trilling Princess by Jessica Amanda Salmonson
The Graveyard Rats by Henry Kuttner
Daddy by Earl Godwin
The Well-Meaning Mayor by Leslie Charteris
A Madman by Maurice Level
The Devilish Rat by Edward Page Mitchell
Rokuro-Kubi by Lafcadio Hearn
The Burial of the Rats by Bram Stoker
High-Tech Insolence by Russell Baker
Ulalume by Edgar Allan Poe
Boogie Man by Tappan King
The Maze and the Monster by Edward D. Hoch
Father Meuron’s Tale by Robert Hugh Benson
The Philosophy of Sebastian Trump or, the Art of Outrage by William E. Kotzwinkle and Robert Shiarella
Don Juan’s Final Night by Edmond Rostand
A Friend in Need by W. Somerset Maugham
Armageddon by Fredric Brown
Secret Worship by Algernon Blackwood
Devil in the Drain by Daniel Manus Pinkwater
I Am Returning by Ray Russell
The Shadow Watchers by Dick Baldwin
The Demons by Robert Sheckley
A Ballad of Hell by John Davidson
The Generous Gambler by Charles Pierre Baudelaire
A Midnight Visitor by John Kendrick Bangs
Markheim by Robert Louis Stevenson
Lost Soul by Jay Sheckley
The Last Demon by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Influencing The Hell Out Of Time And Teresa Golowitz by Parke Godwin

Subtitled "A Treasury of Fiendish Tales Old & New", this volume of 52 stories contains works by many well-known authors -- even E.A. Poe, R.L. Stevenson and Bram Stoker. It includes copyrighted pieces from 1925 thru the late 1980's. The stories are very short, which makes good catch-as-catch-can reading like lunch and traffic. Some are very funny, with witty endings. Some are spooky.

I recommend it for anyone who wants light reading with a twist.

[Meredith is a hot mess]

Note: This anthology contains The Princess and Her Future by Tanith Lee (p.203) which is also in Red as Blood, or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer

https://archive.org/details/devilsdem...

[Mitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's difficult to rate an anthology, and this one is a bit outside my usual taste. I found most of the stories...average, actually. There were two, however, that stayed with me: Armageddon, and one about devilish rats. That one involved a very emotive journey underneath a graveyard. Those two stories alone were worth the rest!

[NumberLord · Rating 3 out of 5]

The standouts in this collection of short stories:

Tapestry by C. H. Sherman
Reads like an episode of Night Gallery.

The Tenancy of Mr. Eex by Paula Volsky
Find out what happens when you lease part of your land to a demon.

Just a Little Thing by Joan Vander Putten
A humorous tale involving a dissatisfied housewife.

Rachaela by Poul Anderson
A haunting love story.

Hell-Bent by Ford McCormack
A tale of a man who tries to lead a horrible life to secure a position of power in hell.

Catmagic by M. Lucie Chin
A sorcerer with the power to take animal form finds himself in an awkward situation.

The Graveyard Rats by Henry Kuttner
Another Night Gallery type of tale that would have made Poe proud. (Well, no, actually it would have probably made him scared.)

Daddy by Earl Godwin
A bizarro tale about a strange beast.

The Philosophy of Sebastian Trump by William E. Kotzwinkle and Robert Shiarella
How to be outrageous and score with the babes.

Don Juan's Final Night by Edmond Rostand
A play about Don Juan's meeting with the devil.

The Demons by Robert Sheckley
A demon summons a human and makes a demand.

Influencing the Hell Out of Time and Teresa Golowitz by Parke Godwin
A musician gets to relive a night from his youth.

[Terri Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great stories in this one.

[metimoteo · Rating 5 out of 5]

How could I give this collection anything but a five-star review for its foray into the depths of Hell? Sometimes sinister in the most evil of ways, this anthology is filled with a plethora of tales from the forsaken past and the contemptible contemporary, or as modern as 1993 can be. Some of the stories in this volume will stir up the worst of dreams, others will bring a smirk to your face, but they--with few exceptions--will not bore you. Marvin Kaye is a marvelous editor, and the best examples of his work gather the macabre.

[Finn Pette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a collection of short stories with some really great horror in it! Nothing too scary, just great story telling!

Hard to find though.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun collection of devilish tales. Nothing too scary, and a lot of tongue in cheek humor in this selection. Great if you're feeling a little spook-starved, but not in need of full blown terror.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a super fun book of sp00ky tales

[Chiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always with a collection some stories were far more enjoyable than others. Over all I was very satisfied with the assortment provided. 3.5

[Chiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remember this book from around 1997.Really enjoyed what I got to read of it before some how it got lost when I moved .

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author and horror tale chronicler, Marvin Kaye has gathered some of the very best horror, gothic and thrilling tales by world famous and not so famous authors. One can tell by the breadth of the short stories gathered here that the author obviously took time to search around the world for tales that entertain and scare the reader. The collected tales run the gamut of psychological thrillers, fantasy, and gothic horror. The book is divided into several sections and each has its best. In the first section entitled Lets Make A Deal, the best tales are The Tenancy of Mr. Eex by Paula Volsky, The Imitation Demon by Robert Kuttner, and Hell-Bent by Ford McCormack. The next section, Hellspawn features stellar tales like Catmagic by M. Lucie Chin, The Hound by H.P. Lovecraft, and the terrifying The Graveyard Rats by Henry Kuttner. The third section, The Possessed and the Damned features The Devilish Rat by Edward Page Mitchell, The Burial of the Rats by Bram Stoker, and Don Juan's Final Night by Edmond Rostand. This last play is magnificent. The fourth and final section, entitled Hellish Business features memorable tales like Secret Worship by Algernon Blackwood, The Shadow Watchers by Dick Baldwin, and The Last Demon by Isaac Bashevis Singer.

The book does lend itself to largely full-bodied stories but some shorter deliver a wallop to the gut because of crisp and colorful writing. There is also some dark humor to some of the tales. My criticism is that there is some inconsistency in the level of intensity. Some horror poems are included here that do not quite fit and are much too short. The editor chose according to what he like and I would agree with about 80% of his choices. Some just have no appeal. These include The Demon Lover, The Imitation Demon, Rachaela, Novel of the White Powder, The Well-Meaning Mayor, High Tech Insolence, The Philosophy of Sebastian Trump, I Am Returning, and The Generous Gambler. These tales bored and confused me to no end. Still, overall, I rate this a very comprehensive collection for the fan of horror tales featuring the demonic aspect and influence.

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A companion piece to Masterpieces of Terror and the Supernatural - and an extraordinary collection of scary tales and poems, some famous and some sadly neglected, from a myriad of modern and classic authors. Odds are, if you have a hankering for easy or challenging, there will be one story that will serve to frighten and distract in this schizophrenic collection. ;)

[Rick Hautala · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't remember the last time I read an anthology this good ... Every damned (pardon the pun) story is a standout! ... There's old and new, and all sorts of variations on the devil/demon theme, but all I can say is FIND THIS BOOK AND READ IT!!

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection this large of 52 pieces (including 2 poems and a play)can only be mediocre since there is so much and not every one is going to be a winner. Inconsistent quality of the stories is what prevents it from getting more than 3 stars-and grudgingly at that.

[Nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bought it for the Gorey cover. Like any short story collection, it's a mixed bag, but there were many very strong stories in it. The most terrifying, unforgettable, and misogynistic story I have ever read is "Daddy" by Earl Godwin.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good collection with a wide variety of authors.

[Larry Wentzel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn't finish it, it scared the pants off me.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book for scary stories around a campfire.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I deliberately slowed down reading this book, which I originally bought for the Gorey cover. There were no real duds in this anthology--perfect for a shivery night! —2015

Re-read October 2925: