Dark Masques

by J.N. Williamson (Editor), Robert McCammon (Contributor), Jessica Amanda Salmonson (Contributor)

LOOK BEHIND THE MASQUES—IF YOU DARE…

Enter a shadowy realm where nothing—and no one—is as it appears. A place hidden from view, nestled in the darkest recesses of your mind, awaiting the perfect moment to reveal itself—only to scare you blind. In this collection of unforgettable horror stories, discover the terrifying truth as told by today’s greatest masters of the macabre—classic twisted tales that will reach out from the past and draw you into the depths of their darkness.

Prepare to enter a nightmarish reality in which seeing is disbelieving, your eyes can deceive you…and DARK MASQUES conceal the ultimate in terror….

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

508 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 2001

About the author

Gerald Neal Williamson (April 17, 1932 - December 8, 2005) wrote and edited horror stories under the name J. N. Williamson. He also wrote under the name Julian Shock.

Born in Indianapolis, IN he graduated from Shortridge High School. He studied journalism at Butler University. He published his first novel in 1979 and went on to publish more than 40 novels and 150 short stories. In 2003 he received a lifetime achievement award from the Horror Writers of America. He edited the critically acclaimed How to Write Tales of Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction (1987) which covered the themes of such writing and cited the writings of such writers as Robert Bloch, Lee Prosser, Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury, H. P. Lovecraft, August Derleth, William F. Nolan, and Stephen King. Many important writers in the genre contributed to the book. Williamson edited the popular anthology series, Masques. Some of his novels include The Ritual (1979), Playmates (1982), Noonspell (1991), The Haunt (1999), among others.

He was also a well known Sherlockian and received his investiture (The Illustrious Client) in the Baker Street Irregulars in 1950.

Source: Wikipedia

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this title was really fun. I really wanted to go with 3 and a half stars since there were a few drab stories in the book. A decent percentage of the book was worth the time. There were stories worthy of adapting to film for either TV or theaters. I do recommend this book to the horror reader that likes a taste of the ghoulish style.

[4cats · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid collection of horror short stories. As with most collections some stand out.

[Darcy Cudmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this collection of short stories and couldn’t get enough. 5 stars because of the enjoyment I got from it and the variety of stories included.

I found this collection at a used book store in PEI for just a few dollars. It was worth every cent (and more)!

It’s tough to rank these stories and list them, but here are my top 12::

1. Nightcrawlers: This story kicked off the collection in a big way. How good is this story? I loved it all and was completely hooked. I could picture the diner, the people in it, and was completely invested.

2. Soft: I loved the idea behind this virus and how the story was told. So imaginative, but still drew on the same human emotions we all react to. Excellent!

3. The Alteration: Absolutely horrifying it had me hanging on every word. Scary, strange, and a real shocker.

4. Everybody Needs A Little Love: This one was equal parts fun, funny, creepy, and disturbing. The perfect recipe for a good story!

5. American Gothic: Another strange story that comes together so nicely and is told almost perfectly. Other than Nightcrawlers, I’d probably recommend this one the most to someone who was looking for a well written short thriller with some strangeness, some comedy, and some fun!

6. Fish Story: The ending of this one had me squirming. So good, so strange, what a concept!

7. The First Day Of Spring: This one reminded me the most of Stephen King I think. Combining human connection with a horrifying creature during the biggest time of someone’s life. Excellent!

8. The Yard: If I could read a complete novel on one concept, I think it would be this one. An excellent short story that I loved. I would love to read more about ‘The Yard’ and all the things that happen within that fence!

9. The Old Men Know: Different concept a well-told story!

10. The Man Who Drowned Puppies: Oh man, the final 3 words in this story made my head spin. So simple, so visual, so good.

11. Down By The Sea Near the Great Big Rock: This one reminded me of an M. Night Shyamalan movie for some reason. Another great example of a well-told thriller!

12. Third Wind - such an engaging, visual short story.

These are so hard to rank as there were so many good stories in this collection, and I could include many more I liked. As I’ve said, it was a great collection of stories that I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Edward Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

When you think of a short story anthology, you can conjure up a mixed bag of stories that run the gamut from great to terrible (depending on the genre) - This collection is more like "okay" to downright wretched. The good stories are from the authors you expect like Robert Bloch, Stephen King, and F. Paul Wilson but the ones that are from some of the smaller press folks seem to have no real place in this one. It could have easily been edited down to the point of much less than the near 600 pages this tome contained if you take out a lot of filler (It's two smaller books put into one when a single volume would suffice)

[Mark Stattelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too many great stories to mention all of them, or even a good portion. If you enjoy horror by all the masters of the genre: Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, Richard Christian Matheson, Douglas E. Winter, Joe R, Lansdale, F. Paul Wilson . . . All the greats of the last forty plus years, then you will enjoy this collection. Just a ton of stories. Horrific fun all around.
I will mention three stories, however: "Soft" by F. Paul Wilson sticks with me, though I read it early on. I picked up the book several times over the last few months, reading a few stories at a time, sort of savoring the whole, which means there were a lot of good ones that I enjoyed but just can't think of right now. "Down By the Sea Near the Great Big Rock" by Lansdale was the very first story I read. I normally don't skip around, but I like Lansdale. This story was good, but not up to some of his stories that I've read in the past(at least in my opinion). There is a story that isn't in this book that I read years ago and have always attributed to JRL, called "Skin so Sof' and Purty" (or something like that) that was hilarious and especially creepy. It was written by Chet Williamson (I found out recently and in a collection of stories compiled by JRL called Razored Saddles). If you ever get a chance to check it out, DO. That has nothing to do with this book (just a side note) however, sorry. A handful of stories I believe I had read in the eighties, in other anthologies, but it was nice to revisit them.
A final story that was creepy and had me cringing that I read in the last sitting was one called "Fish Story." Dennis Hamilton is the author. I wasn't familiar with him. There are a lot of great stories by authors I didn't recognize (though a true horror fanatic might easily know them.).
A fantastic book for true horror fans!

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've just finished the first half of this collection (originally published as two separate volumes), and its time to admit that it's really not very good.

There are a few good stories here, mind you. I particularly liked F. Paul Wilson's "Soft", Robert Bloch's "Everybody Needs a Little Love", and William F. Nolan's "Trust Not a Man", but even these lean towards pulp and shock value. The other stories were a mixed bag of decent-but-not-memorable, dull, outright poorly written, or just completely baffling, as well as several combinations thereof. Despite this being billed as a horror anthology, some of the stories included weren't even part of the genre.

I may come back to the second half at a later date - it has stories from King, Campbell, Matheson, and Landsdale, as well as second offerings from Bloch and Nolan, so I want to believe it's probably at least a little better. Still, I can't see myself feeling eager to come back to this volume any time soon.

[Sasha Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. Of all the short stories in contained, only 2 failed to wrap me up in there story lines. I believe ive found some new authors in this book im looking forward to reading more from as well. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys the creepy, scary or horrible things that may lie in the darkness.

[Martin Mcgoey · Rating 3 out of 5]

1/2 good writing, 1/4 excellent writing, 1/4 total crap.

[Madison Furgus · Rating 5 out of 5]

The novel Dark Masques, edited by J.N. Williamson, is a novel composed of multiple short stories by multiple writers, including Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, James Herbert, Robert R. McCammon etc. One of the many short stories in this novel is Popsy, written by Stephen King, The short story follows a human-trafficker, Sheridan, roaming around a mall looking for a target. The young boy that he meets speaks of ‘Popsy.” Popsy is the young child’s grandfather.

My favorite part int this short story is when the kid begins yelling out for Popsy after a flapping sound is heard. The reason as to why this is my favorite part in the short story is because it creates tension due to what the kid says. “Overhead there was a flapping sound like big sheets on a clothesline. “Popsy!” the kid cried. “Shut up. It was only a bird.” But suddenly he was spooked, very spooked. The kid’s lips were drawn back from his teeth again. His teeth were very white, very big.” What this scene does is create tension and fear due to the kid believing that the sound was Popsy, because the sound also resembled wings.


I would recommend this novel to those who enjoy trying out new writers due to how many writers are in this novel and the varying writing techniques that they each use.

[Bryan Whitehead · Rating 2 out of 5]

Horror anthology. Theme: single-volume reprint of Masques (1984) and Masques II (1987). Highlights: few and far between. Maybe “Deathbed” by Richard Christian Matheson (not really a horror story, but one of the few pieces in the book with any genuine emotional content). Lowlights: just about anything from the 1984 set. If I had to pick just one, “The First Day of Spring” by David Knoles stood out as not only poorly written but also spectacularly unoriginal. Overall: geez what a set of stinkers. Even the good writers seem to be pushing their B games (at best) off on editor J.N. Williamson. Add several tales that hinge on animal cruelty, and you’ve got one bad book.

[Muffin Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to review a short story collection - obviously not all of them will be gems and some will just be pretty bad. This is certainly the case for Dark Masques - possibly a much better title than Dark Masks would have been.

So - the last one in the collection was good - The Boy that Came Back from the Dead - everyone likes a good zombie tale. And the apocalyptic virus from Soft was another likable chiller. Obviously the Stephen King addition was a good one. However, there were some confusing snoozers like Splatter? Also a weird ass poem that was a big huh???

[Jeshika Paperdoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a huge collection with over 45 stories, which makes it hard to give it anything more than a 3 star rating. Anyone interested in horror is likely to find something in here that works for them, I’m sure. It’s just a shame the collection isn’t a more diverse with it’s selection of authors.

Re. The actual physical book: It’s such a strange size, normal paperback height but mass market width. It was very difficult to read as someone who doesn’t crack spines.

[David Cavaco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb collection of short horror stories from some of the genre's greatest writers, including 'Popsy' from Stephen King. Majority of stories stem from the mid-1980's. More than 90% of these tales will chill and thrill you, hardly any filler in this spooky anthology. Perfect night-time reading just before going to bed. Loved it!

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this anthology. One of the best horror anthologies I have read in some time. Specifically enjoyed "nightcrawlers," "wiping the slate clean" "ice sculptures" "hidey holes" and the last story "the boy who came back from the dead." The anthology had a nice blend of gore, absurdism, and some sci fi horror. Would definitely recommend.

[Bogusmoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best horror anthologies I've personally read. The stories are all very short (for the most part) and very fun to read. This is a good book to pick up if you like some quick goosebumps before bed, or if you don't have much time to invest in longer stories. Despite being short, the quality of these stories is good, too.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think out of all the stories in this book, I can count on one hand the number of stories that sucked. The ones that did were truly horrible, but the rest were definitely creepy, horrifying, grotesque, and just enough to make me pause before turning the light off at night.

[April Niemeyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining collection of short horror stories.

[Debbie Thomson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collection of stories -- some I enjoyed and others I really didn't like -- mixed bag...

[Tim Baruffi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the better collections of short stories that I have read

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was okay. Poetry was bad, but brief. My favorites were The Spelling Bee, The Heart Of Helen Day, and Love, Hate & The Beautiful Junkyard.

[Ann Vallimaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the stories are weird. Some are good.

[Ann Vallimaa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars for thinking you were winning some kind of prize. Who's on first? An asshole.

The book itself was okay. Some of the stories were weird and some were good.

[Lbaker]

Scared the h*** out of me, actually did not finish, had a nightmare and that was enough!!

[Jacob Klop · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection is a bit of a mixed bag. Some truly great stories and some dull ones. Over-all, the good ones make it worth the read.

[Suzie Finley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad I didnt listen to the few people who said this was" crap", " horrible" etc ....I thought almost every story was interesting and if theres any that didn't then I'm sure some others will.

[Aaron Candelora · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd Story
Somebody Like You - Dennis Etchison **1/2

[Waven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the better short fiction "horror" genre anthologies I've read, with a good and varied selection from authors both well-known and obscure. Most of the stories are not gory (more suspense than slasher, with few exceptions), and some have also been collected in science fiction anthologies, which helps indicate the range of material found in Dark Masques. Most of the stories are good and several are quite good, with a better ratio of quality than often found in such collections. I was pleasantly surprised with the reading when first published and still enjoy it now. It is perhaps not a "must-have" for the genre but certainly provides a nice companion.

[[on hiatus, probably forever] The rockabilly werewolf from Mars · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, if not particularly remarkable, anthology of 80s era horror. The best stories are probably Second Sight, Ice Sculptures, Hidey Hole, Nightcrawlers, The Old Men Know, Redbeard, My Grandmother's Japonicas, The Night Is Freezing Fast, Popsy, And Down By The Sea Near The Great Big Rock. The editor makes the dubious decision of including his own stories, which, due to the fact that this is an omnibus edition, leads to the book containing two of his stories. Unfortunately, both are rather mediocre, and somewhat overwritten. Annoyingly, the table of contents lacks author names. Notes on the stories to come.

[Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

A better than usual collection of little horror tales. Coming from someone who reads a fair number of these kind of collections, that's high praise. Most of the stories were quite good. Some were just okay. Thankfully, only a couple were outright boring. Some I had read before in other collections, King in particular, but then I think I've read just about everything the man has written. Well worth a read if you like horror shorts.

[Serena · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this book did have a few redeeming qualities, due to a lack of editorial contribution I would not recommend.

My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.