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Shadows 5
You are there... as the ghastly light of the moon glints off the razor-sharp spires of the graveyard wall.
...as a clammy hand reaches from the crypt to drag its victim into the shadows of the night.
...as the corpse is discovered, its eyes hanging from their sockets, its brain long since removed.
You are there... and you are next.
Contents:
Renewal by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro.
The Gorgon by Tanith Lee.
Stone Head by Steve Rasnic Tem.
Pieta by Alan Ryan.
Boxes by Al Sarrantonio.
And I'll Be With You By and By by Avon Swofford.
Dark Wings by Phyllis Eisenstein.
Estrella by Terry L. Parkinson.
Singles by Marta Randall.
The Piano Man by Beverly Evans.
Following the Way by Alan Ryan.
...as a clammy hand reaches from the crypt to drag its victim into the shadows of the night.
...as the corpse is discovered, its eyes hanging from their sockets, its brain long since removed.
You are there... and you are next.
Contents:
Renewal by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro.
The Gorgon by Tanith Lee.
Stone Head by Steve Rasnic Tem.
Pieta by Alan Ryan.
Boxes by Al Sarrantonio.
And I'll Be With You By and By by Avon Swofford.
Dark Wings by Phyllis Eisenstein.
Estrella by Terry L. Parkinson.
Singles by Marta Randall.
The Piano Man by Beverly Evans.
Following the Way by Alan Ryan.
199 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1982
3 people are currently reading
203 people want to read
About the author
Charles L. Grant
308 books261 followersCharles Lewis Grant was a novelist and short story writer specializing in what he called "dark fantasy" and "quiet horror." He also wrote under the pseudonyms of Geoffrey Marsh, Lionel Fenn, Simon Lake, Felicia Andrews, and Deborah Lewis.
Grant won a World Fantasy Award for his novella collection Nightmare Seasons, a Nebula Award in 1976 for his short story "A Crowd of Shadows", and another Nebula Award in 1978 for his novella "A Glow of Candles, a Unicorn's Eye," the latter telling of an actor's dilemma in a post-literate future. Grant also edited the award winning Shadows anthology, running eleven volumes from 1978-1991. Contributors include Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, R.A. Lafferty, Avram Davidson, and Steve Rasnic and Melanie Tem. Grant was a former Executive Secretary and Eastern Regional Director of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and president of the Horror Writers Association.
Grant won a World Fantasy Award for his novella collection Nightmare Seasons, a Nebula Award in 1976 for his short story "A Crowd of Shadows", and another Nebula Award in 1978 for his novella "A Glow of Candles, a Unicorn's Eye," the latter telling of an actor's dilemma in a post-literate future. Grant also edited the award winning Shadows anthology, running eleven volumes from 1978-1991. Contributors include Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, R.A. Lafferty, Avram Davidson, and Steve Rasnic and Melanie Tem. Grant was a former Executive Secretary and Eastern Regional Director of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and president of the Horror Writers Association.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 4, 2020
these anthologies are always grab bags and i read them in the hope that one or two of the stories in them is not total garbage. By that standard, you know, this was above average. if you find it at a library book sale it's worth having. story by story -
"The Gorgon" - pretty good but disappointed that medusa wasn't real. If you introduce a medusa, i'm sorry, you have to make that shit real 3/5
"Stone Head" - i've already forgotten this one ??/5
"Pieta" - Italy seems messed up 2/5
"Boxes" - this one is just really weird and spooky 5/5
". . . By and By" - if i wanted family drama i'd read a franzen novel. i don't, and i won't 2/5
"Dark Wings" - good but im subtracting a point for the extremely eye-rolling button ending 3/5
"Estrella" - what the hell is this one even about 4/5
"Singles" - classic 80s shit + we love to see it 5/5
"The Piano Man" - unfortunately fails to be scarier than the song 3/5
"Following the Way" - what is it with catholics? this eye-rolling button ending really worked for me and was hilarious 4/5
"Renewal" - don't know about the whole Saint-Germain story arc but this is like 1/3 of the book and i hate vampires. also the Nazi doesn't die at the end. very disappointing!!! 2/5
"The Gorgon" - pretty good but disappointed that medusa wasn't real. If you introduce a medusa, i'm sorry, you have to make that shit real 3/5
"Stone Head" - i've already forgotten this one ??/5
"Pieta" - Italy seems messed up 2/5
"Boxes" - this one is just really weird and spooky 5/5
". . . By and By" - if i wanted family drama i'd read a franzen novel. i don't, and i won't 2/5
"Dark Wings" - good but im subtracting a point for the extremely eye-rolling button ending 3/5
"Estrella" - what the hell is this one even about 4/5
"Singles" - classic 80s shit + we love to see it 5/5
"The Piano Man" - unfortunately fails to be scarier than the song 3/5
"Following the Way" - what is it with catholics? this eye-rolling button ending really worked for me and was hilarious 4/5
"Renewal" - don't know about the whole Saint-Germain story arc but this is like 1/3 of the book and i hate vampires. also the Nazi doesn't die at the end. very disappointing!!! 2/5
August 22, 2024
Charles L. Grant was the spearhead of the "quiet horror" movement back in the 80s....think of a scalpel cutting rather than a brick....
His sensibilities extend to the "Shadows" series, running 10 volumes, plus the final edition "Final Shadows" in 1991.
As with every anthology, some stories "do it" for you, others don't.....I found upon re-read, I enjoyed the stories "Siingles" and "Renewal" to be the best, with "And I'll be with You By and By" coming in a close third.
And, just a quick note....if you haven't read any of the Comte de Saint Germain stories/books by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro...you're missing a treat.
Jeff McIntosh
His sensibilities extend to the "Shadows" series, running 10 volumes, plus the final edition "Final Shadows" in 1991.
As with every anthology, some stories "do it" for you, others don't.....I found upon re-read, I enjoyed the stories "Siingles" and "Renewal" to be the best, with "And I'll be with You By and By" coming in a close third.
And, just a quick note....if you haven't read any of the Comte de Saint Germain stories/books by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro...you're missing a treat.
Jeff McIntosh
April 8, 2020
At the end of the day I didn't find this collection particularly exciting, which is unfortunate, because I wanted it to be.
April 4, 2022
Solid addition to the series, ending with a Saint-Germaine story.
August 28, 2009
Last year, I stumbled onto the Shadows 2-5 paperbacks while going through a chest of books from my mid 1980s college years. It really was like unearthing buried treasure. :) I just wish I had kept buying the anthologies; I apparently stopped after #5.
Shadows 5 (at least read now as a 44 year old vs. a college age guy) is my favorite now. I'm particularly fond of "There'll Be With You By and By" and "The Piano Man." Both probably would've made fine Twighlight Zone TV episodes.
Shadows 5 (at least read now as a 44 year old vs. a college age guy) is my favorite now. I'm particularly fond of "There'll Be With You By and By" and "The Piano Man." Both probably would've made fine Twighlight Zone TV episodes.
August 4, 2008
More short stories, many from relatively unknown writers.
September 13, 2014
Marvelous, as always.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews