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Splinters
Anthology of modern horror stories by Anthony Burgess,John Brunner,Jane Gaskell,William Trevor and others.
Contents:
7 • Introduction (Splinters) • (1971) • essay by Alex Hamilton
11 • Jane • (1971) • shortstory by Jane Gaskell
23 • The Ice Palace • (1968) • shortstory by Michael Baldwin
38 • The Language of Flowers • (1968) • shortstory by Hugh Atkinson
57 • Grace Note • (1971) • shortstory by Derwent May
62 • Miss Smith • (1967) • shortstory by William Trevor
76 • An American Organ • (1968) • shortstory by Anthony Burgess
83 • The Biggest Game • (1956) • shortstory by John Brunner
97 • The Way the Ladies Walk • (1971) • shortstory by Richard Nettell
110 • Home Again, Home Again, Jigetty-Jig • (1971) • shortstory by Patrick Boyle
123 • Indoor Life • (1971) • shortstory by Montague Haltrecht
139 • Don't You Dare • (1968) • shortstory by John Burke
159 • Isabo • (1968) • novelette by J. A. Cuddon
190 • Mewed Up • (1968) • shortstory by Peter Brent
208 • Under the Eildon Tree • (1971) • novelette by Alex Hamilton
Contents:
7 • Introduction (Splinters) • (1971) • essay by Alex Hamilton
11 • Jane • (1971) • shortstory by Jane Gaskell
23 • The Ice Palace • (1968) • shortstory by Michael Baldwin
38 • The Language of Flowers • (1968) • shortstory by Hugh Atkinson
57 • Grace Note • (1971) • shortstory by Derwent May
62 • Miss Smith • (1967) • shortstory by William Trevor
76 • An American Organ • (1968) • shortstory by Anthony Burgess
83 • The Biggest Game • (1956) • shortstory by John Brunner
97 • The Way the Ladies Walk • (1971) • shortstory by Richard Nettell
110 • Home Again, Home Again, Jigetty-Jig • (1971) • shortstory by Patrick Boyle
123 • Indoor Life • (1971) • shortstory by Montague Haltrecht
139 • Don't You Dare • (1968) • shortstory by John Burke
159 • Isabo • (1968) • novelette by J. A. Cuddon
190 • Mewed Up • (1968) • shortstory by Peter Brent
208 • Under the Eildon Tree • (1971) • novelette by Alex Hamilton
191 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1968
43 people want to read
About the author
Alex Hamilton
59 books2 followersAlex Hamilton was born in 1930 and was educated first in South America, then England and Oxford University. After experimenting with a wide variety of jobs, he turned to writing full-time in the early 1960s, beginning by alternating novels with short story collections such as Wild Track (1963), which, although not macabre, caught the attention of Herbert Van Thal, editor of the popular Pan Books of Horror Stories series. Hamilton went on to contribute stories to this and many other series, including his most celebrated, ‘The Attic Express’, and in 1966 he published his own collection, Beam of Malice, which won widespread acclaim in both England and the United States. During the 1960s and ’70s he also edited several collections of macabre and horror fiction containing early works by many important writers, including William Trevor, Anthony Burgess, Robert Nye, and Michael Moorcock, among others.
His last novel, The Dead Needle, was a macabre blend of fantasy and reality, but after publishing his third collection, Flies on the Wall (1972), Hamilton, now with a growing family to feed, worked increasingly in journalism, most notably for the Guardian, where he wrote about books and publishing as well as travel (in which he won several awards) for twenty-five years, and for the BBC World Service. Recently, a collection of Hamilton’s interviews with a remarkable array of authors over a fifty-year span, from Dennis Wheatley and John Wyndham to Gunter Grass and Chinua Achebe, was issued by Troubador.
Widely praised when first published, Hamilton’s short stories fell into a long period of neglect but are now being rediscovered, with a hardcover edition from the esteemed Ash-Tree Press in 2007 and recent praise from Britain’s foremost living horror author, Ramsey Campbell.
His last novel, The Dead Needle, was a macabre blend of fantasy and reality, but after publishing his third collection, Flies on the Wall (1972), Hamilton, now with a growing family to feed, worked increasingly in journalism, most notably for the Guardian, where he wrote about books and publishing as well as travel (in which he won several awards) for twenty-five years, and for the BBC World Service. Recently, a collection of Hamilton’s interviews with a remarkable array of authors over a fifty-year span, from Dennis Wheatley and John Wyndham to Gunter Grass and Chinua Achebe, was issued by Troubador.
Widely praised when first published, Hamilton’s short stories fell into a long period of neglect but are now being rediscovered, with a hardcover edition from the esteemed Ash-Tree Press in 2007 and recent praise from Britain’s foremost living horror author, Ramsey Campbell.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
March 2, 2024
"Jane" by Jane Gaskell. 5/5 stars. At least the editor had the sense to lead off with this one, which is by far the strongest story in the book. Gaskell's tale is the only reason this anthology gets two stars instead of one. Featuring an unreliable narrator, a monstrous sibling, and a weird, surreal ambience--what more could you want?
"The Ice Palace" by Michael Baldwin. 1/5 stars. I really didn't get this one. It's a story about dieting, and the authors seems to be going for a stream-of-consciousness effect, but without much success. If you want to read a horror story about dieting, try Stephen King's Thinner.
"The Language of Flowers" by Hugh Atkinson. 2/5 stars. Story of a retired bank manager becoming infatuated with an orchid; it doesn't end well. It occurs to me that H. G. Wells did this earlier and better in "The Flowering of the Strange Orchid" (1894).
"Grace Note" by Derwent May. 3/5 stars. I enjoyed this very brief fiction, but it doesn't actually seem to be a horror story.
"Miss Smith" by William Trevor. 2/5 stars. A horrific but implausible story of a middle-schooler taking revenge on his teacher.
"An American Organ" by Anthony Burgess. 1/5 stars. A man cruelly murders his wife for no apparent reason. He's crazy. Woo-hoo!
"The Biggest Game" by John Brunner. 1/5 stars. This one is just disingenuous. Brunner--a supremely talented writer--certainly knew better than this claptrap.
"The Way Ladies Walk" by Richard Nettell. 0/5 stars. A man combines necrophilia with a predilection for underage girls--offensive & creepy in all the wrong ways.
"Home Again, Home Again, Jigetty-Jig" by Patrick Boyle. 0/5 stars. I feel much the same about this one.
"Indoor Life" by Montague Haltrecht. 1/5 stars. A boring story about a henpecked husband. At least he doesn't kill anyone.
"Don't You Dare" by John Burke. 1/5 stars. But our reprieve is fleeting... Here the protagonist remarries after his first wife dies in a swimming accident, then murders his new wife because she is possessed by his ex.
"Isabo" by J. A. Cuddon. 2/5 stars. I didn't like this one, but it is well-done. A story about an exorcism, with lots of vomiting and profanity. Did William Peter Blatty read this before writing The Exorcist?
"Mewed Up" by Peter Brent. 2/5 stars. Again, well-done, but marred by its extreme implausibility. A man imprisons his literary hero; the prisoner does absolutely nothing.
"Under the Eildon Tree" by Alex Hamilton (the editor). 2/5 stars. I think he was going for humor here. This is at least readable, despite the adoption of an archaic dialect. The story meanders on to an apparently arbitrary ending, but at least keeps the pages turning.
"The Ice Palace" by Michael Baldwin. 1/5 stars. I really didn't get this one. It's a story about dieting, and the authors seems to be going for a stream-of-consciousness effect, but without much success. If you want to read a horror story about dieting, try Stephen King's Thinner.
"The Language of Flowers" by Hugh Atkinson. 2/5 stars. Story of a retired bank manager becoming infatuated with an orchid; it doesn't end well. It occurs to me that H. G. Wells did this earlier and better in "The Flowering of the Strange Orchid" (1894).
"Grace Note" by Derwent May. 3/5 stars. I enjoyed this very brief fiction, but it doesn't actually seem to be a horror story.
"Miss Smith" by William Trevor. 2/5 stars. A horrific but implausible story of a middle-schooler taking revenge on his teacher.
"An American Organ" by Anthony Burgess. 1/5 stars. A man cruelly murders his wife for no apparent reason. He's crazy. Woo-hoo!
"The Biggest Game" by John Brunner. 1/5 stars. This one is just disingenuous. Brunner--a supremely talented writer--certainly knew better than this claptrap.
"The Way Ladies Walk" by Richard Nettell. 0/5 stars. A man combines necrophilia with a predilection for underage girls--offensive & creepy in all the wrong ways.
"Home Again, Home Again, Jigetty-Jig" by Patrick Boyle. 0/5 stars. I feel much the same about this one.
"Indoor Life" by Montague Haltrecht. 1/5 stars. A boring story about a henpecked husband. At least he doesn't kill anyone.
"Don't You Dare" by John Burke. 1/5 stars. But our reprieve is fleeting... Here the protagonist remarries after his first wife dies in a swimming accident, then murders his new wife because she is possessed by his ex.
"Isabo" by J. A. Cuddon. 2/5 stars. I didn't like this one, but it is well-done. A story about an exorcism, with lots of vomiting and profanity. Did William Peter Blatty read this before writing The Exorcist?
"Mewed Up" by Peter Brent. 2/5 stars. Again, well-done, but marred by its extreme implausibility. A man imprisons his literary hero; the prisoner does absolutely nothing.
"Under the Eildon Tree" by Alex Hamilton (the editor). 2/5 stars. I think he was going for humor here. This is at least readable, despite the adoption of an archaic dialect. The story meanders on to an apparently arbitrary ending, but at least keeps the pages turning.
Displaying 1 of 1 review