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The Devil's Mirror
DIABOLICAL IMAGES!
In this chilling collection of tales, the Grand Master of occult horror serves up a suitably satanic concoction of devilish delights.
There’s a Russian composer, Cholodenco, who makes a Faustian pact at his friend’s expense; the lecherous old man who exacts a particularly hideous revenge on his nubile wife and her lover; a sinister musical time machine that reveals a ghastly atrocity from the dark abyss of time. And in each brilliantly abominable offering, Ray Russell weaves a web of evil that captures the reader in a nerve-rending network of waking nightmares!
In this chilling collection of tales, the Grand Master of occult horror serves up a suitably satanic concoction of devilish delights.
There’s a Russian composer, Cholodenco, who makes a Faustian pact at his friend’s expense; the lecherous old man who exacts a particularly hideous revenge on his nubile wife and her lover; a sinister musical time machine that reveals a ghastly atrocity from the dark abyss of time. And in each brilliantly abominable offering, Ray Russell weaves a web of evil that captures the reader in a nerve-rending network of waking nightmares!
- GenresHorror
327 pages, ebook
First published November 20, 1980
55 people want to read
About the author
Ray Russell
119 books111 followersRay Russell was an American editor and writer of short stories, novels, and screenplays. Russell is best known for his horror fiction, although he also wrote mystery and science fiction stories.
His most famous short fiction is "Sardonicus", which appeared in the January 1961 issue of Playboy magazine, and was subsequently adapted by Russell into a screenplay for William Castle's film version, titled Mr. Sardonicus. American writer Stephen King called "Sardonicus" "perhaps the finest example of the modern gothic ever written"."Sardonicus" was part of a trio of stories with "Sanguinarius" and "Sagittarius".
see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Russell and http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-ent...
His most famous short fiction is "Sardonicus", which appeared in the January 1961 issue of Playboy magazine, and was subsequently adapted by Russell into a screenplay for William Castle's film version, titled Mr. Sardonicus. American writer Stephen King called "Sardonicus" "perhaps the finest example of the modern gothic ever written"."Sardonicus" was part of a trio of stories with "Sanguinarius" and "Sagittarius".
see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Russell and http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-ent...
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 2, 2017
I picked this up at a second hand sale for $1, and, allowing for inflation, that's about what it's worth.
I got the impression these stories were pumped out either early in his career (when he was still learning and didn't know any better), or late (when he didn't care and was just chasing easy money.)
They are dependant on surprise twists (the technique of hacks and amateurs) and the overall tone is one of pastiche or parody. The parodies vary from a lot of golden age scifi, kinky erotic horror, and even to his own work, with "Unholy Travesty" being a parody of his own "Unholy Trinity" - which would be fine if I'd read it.
The brisk little stories become tedious eventually, although there are a few great ones scattered throughout. My favourite is probably "The Runaway Lovers," which is one of the Grande gugenol/ erotic Gothic horror ones. It was both droll and a little sexy, channelling Robert E Howard and Gothic horror to portray a perverse and hypocritical world.
I think the biggest problem with this anthology is not the briskness of the stories but their lack of weight or conviction. It feels like a sketchbook: the barest outline of ideas that needed to be better developed.
I got the impression these stories were pumped out either early in his career (when he was still learning and didn't know any better), or late (when he didn't care and was just chasing easy money.)
They are dependant on surprise twists (the technique of hacks and amateurs) and the overall tone is one of pastiche or parody. The parodies vary from a lot of golden age scifi, kinky erotic horror, and even to his own work, with "Unholy Travesty" being a parody of his own "Unholy Trinity" - which would be fine if I'd read it.
The brisk little stories become tedious eventually, although there are a few great ones scattered throughout. My favourite is probably "The Runaway Lovers," which is one of the Grande gugenol/ erotic Gothic horror ones. It was both droll and a little sexy, channelling Robert E Howard and Gothic horror to portray a perverse and hypocritical world.
I think the biggest problem with this anthology is not the briskness of the stories but their lack of weight or conviction. It feels like a sketchbook: the barest outline of ideas that needed to be better developed.
Displaying 1 of 1 review