Robert Bloch's Psychos

by Robert Bloch (Editor), Gary A. Braunbeck (Contributor), Denise Bruchman (Contributor)

The late, great Robert Bloch (author of Psycho) was a master of macabre humor: he was fond of clever, grisly one-liners, often used as twist endings. He also liked to write about psychotic and psychopathic killers. This solid anthology, put out by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) and completed after Bloch's death, honors his legacy with 22 tales about murderers and crazies of various stripes. A good many of the stories, most memorably Esther Friesner's "Lonelyhearts," have Blochian twists at the end. The weakest of the bunch have no other flaw than predictability, and the strongest, such as Ed Gorman's powerful "Out There in the Darkness" are classics of traditional storytelling. You'll find excellent stories here by Denise M. Bruchman, Del Stone Jr., Edo van Belkom, Gary A. Braunbeck, and others. Stephen King contributes a little gem of a tale in which the narrator finds himself in an autopsy room: "It fits. It fits everything with a horrid prophylactic snugness. The dark. The rubbery smell.... Dear God, I'm in a body bag."


Contents:

Autopsy Room Four by Stephen King
Haunted by Charles Grant
Out There in the Darkness by Ed Gorman
Please Help Me by Richard Christian Matheson
The Lesser of Two Evils by Denise Bruchman
Point of Intersection by Dominick Cancilla
Doctor, Lawyer, Kansas City Chief by Brent Monahan
Grandpa's Head by Lawrence Watt-Evans
Lonelyhearts by Esther M. Freisner
Lighting the Corpses by Del Stone Jr.
Echoes by Cindie Geddes
Lifeline by Yvonne Navarro
Blameless by David Niall Wilson
Deep Down There by Clark Perry
Knacker Man by Richard Parks
So You Want to Be a Hitman by Gary Jonas
The Rug by Edo van Belkom
Interview with a Psycho by Billie Sue Mosiman
Icewall by William D. Gagliani
A Southern Night by Jane Yolen
The Forgiven by Stephen M. Rainey
Safe by Gary A. Braunbeck

Genres: Horror, Anthologies, Short Stories, Fiction, Horror Thriller, Collections

373 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Robert Albert Bloch was a prolific American writer. He was the son of Raphael "Ray" Bloch (1884, Chicago-1952, Chicago), a bank cashier, and his wife Stella Loeb (1880, Attica, Indiana-1944, Milwaukee, WI), a social worker, both of German-Jewish descent.

Bloch wrote hundreds of short stories and over twenty novels, usually crime fiction, science fiction, and, perhaps most influentially, horror fiction (Psycho). He was one of the youngest members of the Lovecraft Circle; Lovecraft was Bloch's mentor and one of the first to seriously encourage his talent.

He was a contributor to pulp magazines such as Weird Tales in his early career, and was also a prolific screenwriter. He was the recipient of the Hugo Award (for his story "That Hell-Bound Train"), the Bram Stoker Award, and the World Fantasy Award. He served a term as president of the Mystery Writers of America.

Robert Bloch was also a major contributor to science fiction fanzines and fandom in general. In the 1940s, he created the humorous character Lefty Feep in a story for Fantastic Adventures. He also worked for a time in local vaudeville, and tried to break into writing for nationally-known performers. He was a good friend of the science fiction writer Stanley G. Weinbaum. In the 1960's, he wrote 3 stories for Star Trek.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a mostly excellent anthology of short horror fiction that Bloch began assembling and that was completed by unnamed individuals of the Horror Writers Association after his passing. The stories aren't connected to Bloch's Norman Bates or even all about people with violent mental challenges, it's just a marketing thing. The book leads off with a nice Stephen King riff on Poe's premature burial theme. (King's name on the cover is in larger type than that of editor Bloch. On the rear dust jacket flap they manage to spell Bloch's name wrong... whaddya gonna do?) The second story is a very creepy ghost variation by Charles Grant, followed by a long, boring piece by Ed Gorman, and then a very short "so what" piece by Richard Christian Matheson. Then comes a very good gypsy vs. Jack the Ripper by Denise M. Bruchman, a time travel/serial killer tale by Dominick Cancilla, and a clever over-the-top revenge story of hidden identities by Brent Monahan. Lawrence Watt-Evans contributes a nasty little story about a wannabe serial killer inspired by Grandpa, Esther M. Friesner has a nice story about a young man looking for the right girl, and Del Stone, Jr., follows with a very dark and disturbed story. Cindie Geddes offers a very poignant look at the long-lasting and wide-ranging consequences of abuse, Yvonne Navarro has a sharp little twist on the trading bodies trope, and David Niall Wilson's story also concerns child abuse. Clark Perry's story is very well written and is a disturbing Gothic look at the post-life problems of youth...sort of..., and Richard Parks visits a retired serial killer who just needs some understanding. Gary Jonas has a story about an unpleasant assassin, Edo van Belkom has a quite charming story about an elderly lady solving problems with the help of her carpet, and Billie Sue Mossiman teaches us not to trust the psycho killer... seems like it should be obvious, but somehow... William D. Gagliani has a very good story about a frozen horror at the bottom of the world, Jane Yolen's story is very short but has a nice sharp twist, and then there's a Stephen M. Rainey story that seemed to be about pointless violence and torture. The very best story in the book is the last one, Gary A. Braunbeck's Safe. It's an examination of the long-lasting and wide-ranging effects of violence, and the questions faced by the survivors. It's something of a keystone for his whole Cedar Hill cycle and is a grand finale for the book.

[Austin Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

My ratings + reviews for each story in this collection:

Autopsy Room Four by Stephen King - 4 / 5
A man who is presumed to be dead is about to be autopsied... but is he really dead? Will he "wake up" in time before he is cut open? I liked this story. It's scary and a bit funny at times. You really feel for the narrator.

Haunted by Charles Grant - 2.5 / 5
I was intrigued by this one up until the end, which left me a bit confused. The protagonist of this story is a homeless man who is somehow involved with serial murders taking place in a public city park... what is his role in the business? I would have liked a little more explanation.

Out There in the Darkness by Ed Gorman - 4 / 5
Four middle-aged men decide to play vigilante and then experience some unexpected consequences... this isn't exactly the most convincing or believable story ever, but I'll be damned if it wasn't suspenseful and entertaining.

Please Help Me by Richard Christian Matheson - 2 / 5
A very short tale with little substance. Can't say anything about this one without spoiling it. Basically, it has some solid detail and imagery but there's really nothing else to it.

The Lesser of Two Evils by Denise M. Bruchman - 3.5 / 5
Jack the Ripper makes an old gypsy woman his next target... but can this potential victim fight back in a way none of the others could...?
I really liked this one. It's a bit campy compared to some of the other stories though, and doesn't have much tension or as much a sense of realism to it.

Point of Intersection by Dominick Cancilla - 2 / 5
An interesting concept that involves time travel... however, it feels like an extremely weak execution of the idea. I can't be too harsh on it though - I don't think the complex plot was destined to succeed in such a short format.

Doctor, Lawyer, Kansas City Chief by Brent Monahan - 1 / 5
About as boring as the title. The twist ending didn't really grab me.

Grandpa's Head by Lawrence Watt-Evans - 2 / 5
Didn't much care for this one either.

Lonelyhearts by Esther M. Friesner - 3.5 / 5
The bad streak is broken! After three disappointing stories we have one that gives us a look into the mind of a psychopath. It's both a bit interesting and creepy, and has a twist ending that I was not expecting.

Lighting the Corpses by Del Stone Jr. - 1 / 5
This one was about a serial... fire-starter? I don't know. It was a bit confusing and it didn't hold my interest.

Echoes by Cindie Geddes - 4 / 5
Holy hell. Some of the other stories in this collection have touched upon disturbing content, but this one made me really uncomfortable and is quite tragic. This was a damn good story, but that doesn't mean it's enjoyable. (TW: SA)

Lifeline by Yvonne Navarro - 2 / 5
Can't say much about this story without spoiling it but I will just say I didn't really care for it. There's a glaring logical issue with the outcome of this story. (Just didn't work for me)

Blameless by David Niall Wilson - 3.5 / 5
A married woman has an affair which leads to bigger problems than she and her husband's relationship... Although brief, this story managed to pull me in and almost had me feeling sympathetic for the protagonist, even though she's in the wrong. You really get a good sense of the dread from her mistake, and what occurs as the cause of it is quite revolting.

Deep Down There by Clark Perry - 3 / 5
This is a very Lovecraftian-type story, complete with a reference to Lovecraft himself. I mostly liked it for that reason alone, but I think it could have been a lot better. It introduces some ideas that aren't elaborated upon much at all.

Knacker Man by Richard Parks - 2 / 5
Another Jack The Ripper story, this one not as good as The Lesser of Two Evils.

So You Wanna Be a Hitman by Gary Jonas - 2.5 / 5
This is probably the pulpiest story in this collection. It features an unlikable main character who decides to become a hitman for the thrill of it. There's no real plot or substance to this one, but it was still mildly enjoyable, perhaps for how cheesy it was.

The Rug by Edo van Belkom - 3.5 / 5
A very bizarre story that almost feels out of place in this collection. An old lady has a haunted(?) rug where anything she "sweeps" under it (literally and figuratively) magically disappears - including bodies. Very strange and also a bit funny. I enjoyed this.

Interview with a Psycho by Billie Sue Mosiman - 3 / 5
A much better version of Grandpa's Head. This story is a bit "by the numbers", though, and the ending was quite predictable.

Icewall by William D. Gagliani - 4 / 5
Two men are alone in the arctic on some sort of science expedition. They start to experience cabin fever as they are stuck with one another in the cold, wintry, isolated environment. This story was highly convincing and well-written. So much so that I would guess it's at least loosely based on a true story.

A Southern Night by Jane Yolen - 2 / 5
This is the shortest story in this collection, at less than two pages long. Hard to rate as there's really not much here... I suppose it does raise some interesting questions, though.

The Forgiven by Stephen M. Rainey - 3 / 5
A psychopath murders someone and is then convicted and sentenced to death. The only interesting angle to this story is the religious aspect. This idea isn't taken very far, though.

Safe by Gary A. Braunbeck - ? / 5
Wow. This story is hard to rate. A couple of others in this book were a bit disturbing. This one takes things to a whole new level.
A survivor of a mass killing retells his story in attempt to reach out and help kids who have now experienced and witnessed a massacre of their own. Thankfully, the entire story isn't focused on the massacres, and we learn about them in the past tense narrative, but it's still very difficult to read. This is not the kind of story you would read for enjoyment. This one is heavy and affected me in a way none of the other stories in this book did. Maybe for that it deserves 5 stars...? I'm not really sure.
However, this story does raise some interesting questions and generates some thought-provoking stuff. It's not just a shock/exploitation tale of some psychopath going on a killing spree.
If you can stomach it (I did, but not without difficulty), there is some interesting stuff to be found here. I suspect this story might not get published in today's climate. All too real and quite terrifying - but also well written and even profound at times. This is definitely the most note-worthy story here.

Overall - as with a lot of anthologies and collections - this was a very mixed bag. I would say I liked about half of the stories in this book, the other half being ones I could have done without. I can't say any of them were 5-star worthy, though a few came close, my favorites being:
Autopsy Room Four
Out There in the Darkness
Echoes
Icewall
and Safe.

Most of these stories are suspense/thriller, though they do vary a lot with some being tinged with supernatural elements and sometimes even comedic elements. The Rug, for example, is a very goofy story that was entertaining for how ridiculous it was. Safe, is a very heavy story that I can't really recommend to everyone, but is well written and thought provoking (and was apparently loosely based on true events, as well).
Overall, I'm glad I read this book, though I'm on the fence as to whether or not it's worthy of keeping in my collection and rereading it in the future.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

All in All a good anthology. Had several stories I liked a lot.

It advertises as having a new story from Stephen King, but the story has now been published in other books...but Autopsy Room four is still a good tale.

I also enjoyed: Grandpa's Head (mostly because it made you wonder...what if I found that?), Point of Intersection (a time travel tale, with a twist. Very well written), Interview with a Psycho (never trust someone who tells you he has killed), and Safe (because it made me think of the tragedies that have hit, that appear to have no reason -- like Columbine)

Also, wanted to note that a couple of the authors have stories in the 100 Vicious Little Vampire Tales book I am trying to finish (David Niall Wilson: Blameless and Gary Jonas: So You Wanna be a Hitman)

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last story "Safe" is an unbelieveable lesson in the ever widening ripple that an act of violence causes. Very graffic description that then casues you to feel the ripple

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read all the stories in this book, but really enjoyed the ones I did read...especially the short story by Stephen King.

[Midnight Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far one of the best anthologies I have ever read....and I have read a LOT of anthologies. Robert Bloch passed away before he was done editing it and I think that it is a very fitting last work for one of the all-time masters of the horror/thriller. I would recommend this book to EVERYONE. My particular favorite is the final story in the collection; "Safe" by Gary A Braunbeck is one of the best-written short stories I've had the privilege of reading.

[Dan Macdonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is a mixed bag. Some of the stories are excellent, some I felt I was drudging through. The Jack ripper story and the mother and child story were both worth the cost of the book tho and def recommended for horror fans

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 3 out of 5]

I need to re-read this book. Remember the anthology was hit and miss with it's bizarre stories.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag - like most short story collections. I did find some new authors that I want to read more of though.

[Michelle Majors · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the stories I enjoyed in this book was by Edo Van Belkom

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

bunch of shorts should be good judging by the back cover pretty good fast stories

[Wendopolis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stories.

[Chip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good stuff, but the title is a little misleading as there are only a few with Norman Bates type characters.

[Natia · Rating 5 out of 5]

ორი სიტყვით ვიტყვი, უძლიერესი წიგნია!

[Gavin Bodnar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good spooky stuff

[Ethan Nahté · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read by top horror authors taking you into various worlds of madness and psychotic people.

[Debra Arndt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The are really creepy stories. I love anthologies.

[Joseph Hirsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s an anthology, so you know already know what I’m going to say, or at least you can probably guess. Mileage will vary, based on your own taste and disposition. If you like the gore and Grand Guignol, there’s some of that. And if you like your thrills subtle, gothic, well...there’s a little bit of that, but you’re going to have to wade through pools of blood to find it.
Still, because the collection is curated by none other than Robert “Psycho” Bloch, the quality is high and consistent. Despite the title, though, there doesn’t seem to be a thematic through-line. Sure, some of the tales deal with psycho killers, psychosexual killers even, but some of them don’t.
Getting to a few standouts, these ones aren’t necessarily my favorites so much as ones representative of the variety on display here. “Out There in the Darkness” is a quality urban horror tale that plays on middle-class fears of crime and home invasion in unsettling ways. It would have been an ideal low budget vehicle for John Carpenter or another horror maestro peaking in the 80s. It might have played better in the 70s if the locale were urban rather than suburban, but by the 80s white flight was already in full effect.
For pure shock—not cheap shock value—there’s “Blameless” by David Niall Wolfson. This one is both sparse and surreal, having the quality of something that could both happen and is one’s worst nightmare. In other words, it is pure and believable, unalloyed horror. Why is it that the best writers are always the least prolific? That’s the way it seems to me, at least.
Also worth singling out is “The Lesser of Two Evils” by Denise M. Bruchman. I’m not a big fan of her florid style, but it definitely has a place in horror. Also, her thematic concerns add a touch of magic to a collection otherwise top-heavy with mundane cruelties and more common human sociopathy. That its denouement features an O. Henry ending might get a groan from some, but will probably get a pleasured sigh from others. Personally, I liked it, but I’ve got a weakness for the classics. Recommended, and Rest in Peace to Robert Bloch and any contributors who’ve gone on to their greater reward since this thing was first published.

[Cedric · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mistakenly bought this from HFB thinking it was the iconic Norman bates book, and was instead greeted with a collection of short stories. Weirdly enough I feel like the structure of the book was made in such a way where it gave you the “good” stories first and the bad ones last. Which isn’t to denigrate the final works, but I guess I felt a sort of fatigue. The collection is called “psychos” and as you can expect there are psychos in the form of the protagonist or the external environment which the stories may take place it.

I liked this collection enough though I don’t think I’ll return to it anytime soon.

[Stella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I racconti mi sono piaciuti quasi tutti, ovviamente se avete letto Stephen King grande in copertina e vi aspettate più di un suo lavoro sarete profondamente delusi. Infatti autopsia ( il racconto di King) tra tutti mi è sembrato uno tra i più scollegati dal tema della raccolta ( anche se come tutti i suoi lavori un'opera di tutto rispetto e scritta molto bene) ed è anche l'unico racconto di King presente ( 22 pagine circa).
Ho trovato molti autori che non conoscevo a cui mi sono interessata al punto da voler cercare altri loro lavori da leggere ( quindi tutto sommato un successo).

[Milo · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a waste.............
Totally predictable endings designed to intrigue the reader.
Didn't work.

[Bill Borre]

"Please Help Me" by Richard Christian Matheson - Three kids kidnap the protagonist after murdering the liquor store owner and bury him alive in the woods.

[Scrittevolmente · Rating 5 out of 5]

Senza dubbio ci si rende conto di quando si ha per le mani un libro assolutamente di valore, ed è difficile riuscire a trovarne. A maggior ragione se si tratta di antologie: autori diversi, stili diversi, con il solo punto in comune del genere. Unire thriller e horror, se fatto in modo sapiente, ha dato origine in questo caso a una raccolta che vale tutte le sue cinque stelle.
Ventidue racconti di ventidue autori, è il grande Stephen King ad aprire le danze con un racconto su uno dei peggiori incubi dell’uomo, essere dichiarato morto ma mantenere ancora la mente cosciente e dover subire un’autopsia senza potersi opporre. A questo fanno seguito altre narrazioni, psicopatologie differenti, dal piromane Zeke a un insospettabile nonno che conserva piccoli trofei delle persone che ha ucciso, da tranquilli cittadini americani che si trasformano in assassini fuori controllo a un misterioso tappeto divoratore di esseri umani, dalla lotta contro le nevi eterne di due esploratori isolati ai poli all’ossessione di un giovane per trovare la donna ideale e conquistarla a ogni costo, da fantasmi a psicopatici.

Per leggere per intero la recensione: QUI

[Maria Beltrami · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cura del grande scrittore horror Robert Bloch, una raccolta di racconti che sviscerano l'orrore da tutti i punti di vista possibili.
Come sempre quando si tratta di racconti, la qualità non è omogenea, ma il livello è comunque abbastanza alto.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A less-than-average anthology. Nothing too exciting or unpredictable. The only stories that stood out were "Lonelyhearts", "Echoes", "Blameless" and "Deep Down There". The others were OK at best.

[Veronica F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Same as others, some stories were good/ok. Others sucked.

[წიგნების შესახებ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ორი სიტყვით დავახასიათებ, უბრალოდ ძალიან ძლიერი წიგნია!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

It had a few good stories in here but some needed more.