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The Eighth Pan Book of Horror Stories
Within these pages dwell secret dread, foul darkness, inward horror, hideous fear...
The Children... Lover's Leap... Sugar and Spice... The Benefactor... Suitable Applicant...
Innocent seeming titles, yet they mask some of the most fearful happenings devised in the human imagination.
Be warned, for here the sorcery of words practice their black arts in twenty spell-binding tales of terror.
To make a mockery of sleep, Gerald Kersh, Raymond Williams, Ray Bradbury, AGJ Rough and many others conjure stories of evil that encompass Cannibalism, Sorocide, Voodooism, Murder, Head-Shrinking, Demonology, The Supernatural, and worse... much, much worse.
The Children... Lover's Leap... Sugar and Spice... The Benefactor... Suitable Applicant...
Innocent seeming titles, yet they mask some of the most fearful happenings devised in the human imagination.
Be warned, for here the sorcery of words practice their black arts in twenty spell-binding tales of terror.
To make a mockery of sleep, Gerald Kersh, Raymond Williams, Ray Bradbury, AGJ Rough and many others conjure stories of evil that encompass Cannibalism, Sorocide, Voodooism, Murder, Head-Shrinking, Demonology, The Supernatural, and worse... much, much worse.
236 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1967
About the author
Herbert van Thal
94 books37 followersHerbert Maurice van Thal (1904-1983), known as Bertie van Thal, was a British bookseller, publisher, agent, biographer, and anthologist.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 8, 2007
The gloriously tasteless, lowbrow, prurient and sadistic Pan Books of Horror Stories were a formative influence in my youth, kind of balancing out the intellectual version of the same thing I got from Ingmar Bergman and Pasolini.
The series lasted from the late 50s to the 1980s, thirty years of dismemberments, vats of acid, shrunken heads, spiders in the bedroom, child vampires, mistaken revenge, eyeballs in the beef stew, homicidal ants, homicidal cats, homicidal babies, psychotic surgeons, straightforward sex-murders, not so straightforward sex-murders, florid torturers and uncannily accurate sculptures which turn out to be taxidermy - ha haaah.
The authors, most of whom were of obscure origin and who remained obscure, had several obsessions. Darkest Africa and the mysterious East was one (cue immeasurable fathomless cruelty); in case you think they were all racist blighters, they also seemed to think that behind the façade of every English country house was a retired surgeon just aching to graft your normal legs onto the body of his stunted daughter. Or chain you in the library and gradually eat bits of you.
As this was way before political correctness, story after story gives us psycho after psycho, chopping away at all and sundry. One thing sure to tip the most ordinary timid soul over into kitchen knife improvisation was sexual betrayal, and to their credit the authors give us hideous deaths of roving husbands just as much as faithless wives. And it's notable that in the world of the Pan Books there are no happy marriages. None at all.
One odd fixation was about evil children, who are inclined to strip the flesh from your bones with their bare teeth as soon as look at you in the Pan Books. I guess these authors were working out their own difficult childhoods, and there must be a lot of wish fulfillment in here. The kids’ victims are always adults.
Also, they must have had some bad experiences with horticulture because there are quite a few killer plant stories.
Well, I can’t recommend the Pan Book of Horror Stories Number 8 or any of the other 29 either. I think you had to be there, or like me, find them in 2nd hand shops and read them with eyes abulge and palpitating heart later in your bedroom instead of homework.
The series lasted from the late 50s to the 1980s, thirty years of dismemberments, vats of acid, shrunken heads, spiders in the bedroom, child vampires, mistaken revenge, eyeballs in the beef stew, homicidal ants, homicidal cats, homicidal babies, psychotic surgeons, straightforward sex-murders, not so straightforward sex-murders, florid torturers and uncannily accurate sculptures which turn out to be taxidermy - ha haaah.
The authors, most of whom were of obscure origin and who remained obscure, had several obsessions. Darkest Africa and the mysterious East was one (cue immeasurable fathomless cruelty); in case you think they were all racist blighters, they also seemed to think that behind the façade of every English country house was a retired surgeon just aching to graft your normal legs onto the body of his stunted daughter. Or chain you in the library and gradually eat bits of you.
As this was way before political correctness, story after story gives us psycho after psycho, chopping away at all and sundry. One thing sure to tip the most ordinary timid soul over into kitchen knife improvisation was sexual betrayal, and to their credit the authors give us hideous deaths of roving husbands just as much as faithless wives. And it's notable that in the world of the Pan Books there are no happy marriages. None at all.
One odd fixation was about evil children, who are inclined to strip the flesh from your bones with their bare teeth as soon as look at you in the Pan Books. I guess these authors were working out their own difficult childhoods, and there must be a lot of wish fulfillment in here. The kids’ victims are always adults.
Also, they must have had some bad experiences with horticulture because there are quite a few killer plant stories.
Well, I can’t recommend the Pan Book of Horror Stories Number 8 or any of the other 29 either. I think you had to be there, or like me, find them in 2nd hand shops and read them with eyes abulge and palpitating heart later in your bedroom instead of homework.
September 16, 2017
I read this book when I was 11. A stupid thing to do but the cover had a severed head in a pan for gods sake! What's a kid gonna do when he sees it on his dad's bookcase?
Well he's gonna read it, have nightmares and vow never to read any horror stories again. I have mostly kept that vow for 40 years.
My sister who was three years younger than me read it too - today she still has very fond memories of reading it- go figure.
Addendum: I saw this on ebay last year and bought it for my sister as a birthday pressie. I skimmed through it before I gave her it - still 'orribe.
Addendum II: On reflection I feel I should change my review from a 1* to a 4* as in fairness it did what it said it would do 'on the tin' - scare the crap out of me.
Well he's gonna read it, have nightmares and vow never to read any horror stories again. I have mostly kept that vow for 40 years.
My sister who was three years younger than me read it too - today she still has very fond memories of reading it- go figure.
Addendum: I saw this on ebay last year and bought it for my sister as a birthday pressie. I skimmed through it before I gave her it - still 'orribe.
Addendum II: On reflection I feel I should change my review from a 1* to a 4* as in fairness it did what it said it would do 'on the tin' - scare the crap out of me.
August 31, 2022
3.5
Originally published in 1967. 8 out of 20 good stories make this one of the lesser books in this series so far, especially considering that 6 really are bottom of the barrel space-fillers (in my humble!). The other 6 I’d place firmly in the middle-of-the-road. Having said that, the good stories are good.
My favourites:-
‘The Children’ by W. Baker-Evans. A man, whose car breaks down, wanders into the woods and comes across a gang of feral kids. The calm opening leads to an atmospheric story that doesn’t disappoint in the finale. It’s a short 4-pager which packs a lot in.
‘The Tsantsa’ by Maurice Sandoz. A man falls hoplessly for a woman and will do anything for her, including getting her that which she desires – the shrunken head of a white person. Superbly weird and atmospheric tale that is beautifully written, and has a strong sense of character.
‘The Bean-Nighe’ by Dorothy K. Haynes. A woman who lives a tough life runs into a hag-like apparition on her remote journey to work. Her domestic life (constant work, living in a small house with her mother, ill brother and sister who keeps her awake at nights) is every bit as horrific as the apparition she sees. This is a doom-laden tale from one of the most consistent writers in the genre. I have yet to read a bad story from her. The cover of my edition (a head in a hat-box) is clearly inspired by this one.
‘The Tunnel’ by Raymond Harvey. A railway signalman discovers his wife is having an affair. Even though this is a very straightforward tale that leads to a cliched and obvious end, it’s nevertheless a cosily enjoyable romp with a funny lead character who enjoys looking at dirty mag’s on the job!
‘The Growth’ by Bruce Lowery. A mother and son are increasingly worried by the size of a growth on her body. Things don't improve as it soon begins to move. I enjoyed this. It builds nicely, and you wonder where it’s all heading. It’s also a moving tale, with her unable to accept what is happening, and desperately hoping for a successful operation
‘Sad Road To The Sea’ by Gerald Kersh. A tailor, who is owed money, needs money to pay his rent. When the rent collector calls round, he loses it… This is more of a crime story than a horror story, but it’s easily one of the best in the collection. Like the previous story, it’s built around tragic circumstances and a sad desperate character.
‘The Brindle Bull Terrier’ by Dulcie Gray. A cruel nanny bullies a young girl, but treats her brother very differently. A good character piece that has some very nasty antics! A fine last sentence shows the true character of the boy she has been spoiling. Gray is another of the reliable stalwarts in these collections.
‘Suitable Applicant’ by Charles Braunstone. A woman gets a job working for a man who her missing best friend previously worked for. It all happens here – bloodthirstiness and kinky sex! This is another of those stories which is enjoyable for its sheer weirdness, as well as gripping build-up. You’ll probably guess where the story is going, but then one or two more embellishments lift it further.
For the record, my 6 bottom of the barrels are – ‘My Dear How Dead You Look And Yet You Sweetly Sing’ by Priscilla Marron; ‘The Janissaries of Emilion’ by Basil Copper; ‘The Computer’ by Rene Morris; ‘Sugar And Spice’ by A. G. J. Rough; ‘The Most Precious’ by John D. Keefauver; and ‘Playtime’ also by A. G. J. Rough.
Whether it’s to discover a nugget from an author I’ve previously not heard of, or to confirm my views on one that I’ve already admired, it makes the occasional trip through the brown stuff worth the effort…
Originally published in 1967. 8 out of 20 good stories make this one of the lesser books in this series so far, especially considering that 6 really are bottom of the barrel space-fillers (in my humble!). The other 6 I’d place firmly in the middle-of-the-road. Having said that, the good stories are good.
My favourites:-
‘The Children’ by W. Baker-Evans. A man, whose car breaks down, wanders into the woods and comes across a gang of feral kids. The calm opening leads to an atmospheric story that doesn’t disappoint in the finale. It’s a short 4-pager which packs a lot in.
‘The Tsantsa’ by Maurice Sandoz. A man falls hoplessly for a woman and will do anything for her, including getting her that which she desires – the shrunken head of a white person. Superbly weird and atmospheric tale that is beautifully written, and has a strong sense of character.
‘The Bean-Nighe’ by Dorothy K. Haynes. A woman who lives a tough life runs into a hag-like apparition on her remote journey to work. Her domestic life (constant work, living in a small house with her mother, ill brother and sister who keeps her awake at nights) is every bit as horrific as the apparition she sees. This is a doom-laden tale from one of the most consistent writers in the genre. I have yet to read a bad story from her. The cover of my edition (a head in a hat-box) is clearly inspired by this one.
‘The Tunnel’ by Raymond Harvey. A railway signalman discovers his wife is having an affair. Even though this is a very straightforward tale that leads to a cliched and obvious end, it’s nevertheless a cosily enjoyable romp with a funny lead character who enjoys looking at dirty mag’s on the job!
‘The Growth’ by Bruce Lowery. A mother and son are increasingly worried by the size of a growth on her body. Things don't improve as it soon begins to move. I enjoyed this. It builds nicely, and you wonder where it’s all heading. It’s also a moving tale, with her unable to accept what is happening, and desperately hoping for a successful operation
‘Sad Road To The Sea’ by Gerald Kersh. A tailor, who is owed money, needs money to pay his rent. When the rent collector calls round, he loses it… This is more of a crime story than a horror story, but it’s easily one of the best in the collection. Like the previous story, it’s built around tragic circumstances and a sad desperate character.
‘The Brindle Bull Terrier’ by Dulcie Gray. A cruel nanny bullies a young girl, but treats her brother very differently. A good character piece that has some very nasty antics! A fine last sentence shows the true character of the boy she has been spoiling. Gray is another of the reliable stalwarts in these collections.
‘Suitable Applicant’ by Charles Braunstone. A woman gets a job working for a man who her missing best friend previously worked for. It all happens here – bloodthirstiness and kinky sex! This is another of those stories which is enjoyable for its sheer weirdness, as well as gripping build-up. You’ll probably guess where the story is going, but then one or two more embellishments lift it further.
For the record, my 6 bottom of the barrels are – ‘My Dear How Dead You Look And Yet You Sweetly Sing’ by Priscilla Marron; ‘The Janissaries of Emilion’ by Basil Copper; ‘The Computer’ by Rene Morris; ‘Sugar And Spice’ by A. G. J. Rough; ‘The Most Precious’ by John D. Keefauver; and ‘Playtime’ also by A. G. J. Rough.
Whether it’s to discover a nugget from an author I’ve previously not heard of, or to confirm my views on one that I’ve already admired, it makes the occasional trip through the brown stuff worth the effort…
May 28, 2014
The eighth book in the long-running anthology series. Contents are as follows:
THE ASSASSIN, by Raymond Williams: A Norman lord abuses his wife until she can take it no more. She employs an assassin to take revenge upon her husband. A straightforward story loaded with gristle and gore, but badly written too. 2/5
THE MOST PRECIOUS, by John D. Keefauver: A dentist tours the Middle East and meets a boy with perfect teeth. Keefauver had a thing for Eastern horror, but this isn't one of his best stories - it had me scratching my head in confusion rather than feeling genuinely chilled. 2/5
THE CHILDREN, by W. Baker-Evans: A man is stranded in the woods when he meets a group of feral children. An uninspiring effort with no atmosphere and a twist that seems very tame by modern standards. Village of the Damned it ain't!
THE ILLUSTRATED MAN, by Ray Bradbury: A carnival worker decides to reinvent himself as a Tattooed Man, but the witch who carries out the work has some sinister ideas. Another highly evocative and lyrical story from Bradbury, who had a thing for 'dark carnivals'. 4/5
PLAYTIME, by A. G. J. Rough: A young boy stumbles across his mother's corpse in the kitchen. A three page exercise in sadism and as interesting as it sounds. 2/5
THE TSANTA, by Maurice Sandoz: An asylum inmate tells a terrible story about head-shrinking. A Portuguese psychologist wrote this piece and it's a wowser, adopting a clinical approach to tell a disturbing tale. 5/5
THE 'BEAN-NIGHE', by Dorothy K. Haynes: A young girl is haunted by the spirit of a washer-woman. A well-written and chilling ghost story that's a perfect exercise in foreboding. 4/5
THE TUNNEL, by Raymond Harvey: A jilted signalman decides to take revenge on his cheating wife. Little plotting or characterisation, but plenty of severed limbs here. 2/5
THE GROWTH, by Bruce Lowery: A woman develops a growth on her chest that grows at an alarming rate. It's a repulsive theme and Lowery runs away with it, crafting a truly sickening tale. 4/5
LOVER'S LEAP, by Frank Quinton: A theatre actor begs forgiveness from his cuckolded brother. A nasty quickie, with a rather silly and unbelievable twist (a swimming pool filled with acid). 3/5
THE JANISSERIES OF EMILION, by Basil Copper: A man is plagued by dreams in which he's washed up on an ancient beach. Literally the stuff of nightmares, this one, and the level of dread and foreboding is second to none thanks to the story's relentless inevitability. 5/5
THE COFFIN MAKERS, by Raymond Williams: In Victorian times, two coffin makers have a falling out. Another disappointment, going for the gore but with no discernable atmosphere or decent plotting. 2/5
SAD ROAD TO THE SEA, by Gerald Kersh: A down-on-his-luck tailor is terrorised by landlord until the day he snaps. An excellent tale of crime and retribution with dark overtones. Kersh does well to have you rooting for the protagonist despite his murderous deeds. 5/5
THE BRINDLE BULL TERRIER, by Dulcie Gray: A pair of siblings are left with their teacher over the summer. Bread-and-butter horror in a simply-told tale of revenge. The ending is a little tame considering what happened elsewhere. 3/5
SUGAR AND SPICE, by A. G. J. Rough: A young boy's vivid imagination gets him into trouble. Two pages of extreme gore. It ain't art... 2/5
THE COMPUTER, by Rene Morris: A hitman is assigned a job by computer. A simple crime story with futuristic overtones. The problem here that the twist ending is way too familiar for modern readers. 2/5
SUDDENLY - AFTER A GOOD SUPPER, by Martin Waddell: A man is entombed alive. Some pitch-black humour saves this one from becoming too unpleasant, but it's still a straightforward exercise in sadism. 3/5
THE BENEFACTOR, by Walter Winward: An overweight man delights in his role as benefactor to young children. Some Satanic stuff here, but also undertones of paedophilia which made this one too repulsive for me. 1/5
SUITABLE APPLICANT, by Charles Braunstone: A young woman applies for a job as a companion. Perverse sex, cannibalism and a surgical nightmare. All in a day's work for a Pan Horror author, I guess... 3/5
MY DEAR HOW DEAD YOU LOOK AND YET YOU SWEETLY SING, by Priscilla Marron: A man is tormented by his murdered wife's body. All of two pages and you can tell the author loves herself, but truthfully, this is eye-tearingly bad. 1/5
THE ASSASSIN, by Raymond Williams: A Norman lord abuses his wife until she can take it no more. She employs an assassin to take revenge upon her husband. A straightforward story loaded with gristle and gore, but badly written too. 2/5
THE MOST PRECIOUS, by John D. Keefauver: A dentist tours the Middle East and meets a boy with perfect teeth. Keefauver had a thing for Eastern horror, but this isn't one of his best stories - it had me scratching my head in confusion rather than feeling genuinely chilled. 2/5
THE CHILDREN, by W. Baker-Evans: A man is stranded in the woods when he meets a group of feral children. An uninspiring effort with no atmosphere and a twist that seems very tame by modern standards. Village of the Damned it ain't!
THE ILLUSTRATED MAN, by Ray Bradbury: A carnival worker decides to reinvent himself as a Tattooed Man, but the witch who carries out the work has some sinister ideas. Another highly evocative and lyrical story from Bradbury, who had a thing for 'dark carnivals'. 4/5
PLAYTIME, by A. G. J. Rough: A young boy stumbles across his mother's corpse in the kitchen. A three page exercise in sadism and as interesting as it sounds. 2/5
THE TSANTA, by Maurice Sandoz: An asylum inmate tells a terrible story about head-shrinking. A Portuguese psychologist wrote this piece and it's a wowser, adopting a clinical approach to tell a disturbing tale. 5/5
THE 'BEAN-NIGHE', by Dorothy K. Haynes: A young girl is haunted by the spirit of a washer-woman. A well-written and chilling ghost story that's a perfect exercise in foreboding. 4/5
THE TUNNEL, by Raymond Harvey: A jilted signalman decides to take revenge on his cheating wife. Little plotting or characterisation, but plenty of severed limbs here. 2/5
THE GROWTH, by Bruce Lowery: A woman develops a growth on her chest that grows at an alarming rate. It's a repulsive theme and Lowery runs away with it, crafting a truly sickening tale. 4/5
LOVER'S LEAP, by Frank Quinton: A theatre actor begs forgiveness from his cuckolded brother. A nasty quickie, with a rather silly and unbelievable twist (a swimming pool filled with acid). 3/5
THE JANISSERIES OF EMILION, by Basil Copper: A man is plagued by dreams in which he's washed up on an ancient beach. Literally the stuff of nightmares, this one, and the level of dread and foreboding is second to none thanks to the story's relentless inevitability. 5/5
THE COFFIN MAKERS, by Raymond Williams: In Victorian times, two coffin makers have a falling out. Another disappointment, going for the gore but with no discernable atmosphere or decent plotting. 2/5
SAD ROAD TO THE SEA, by Gerald Kersh: A down-on-his-luck tailor is terrorised by landlord until the day he snaps. An excellent tale of crime and retribution with dark overtones. Kersh does well to have you rooting for the protagonist despite his murderous deeds. 5/5
THE BRINDLE BULL TERRIER, by Dulcie Gray: A pair of siblings are left with their teacher over the summer. Bread-and-butter horror in a simply-told tale of revenge. The ending is a little tame considering what happened elsewhere. 3/5
SUGAR AND SPICE, by A. G. J. Rough: A young boy's vivid imagination gets him into trouble. Two pages of extreme gore. It ain't art... 2/5
THE COMPUTER, by Rene Morris: A hitman is assigned a job by computer. A simple crime story with futuristic overtones. The problem here that the twist ending is way too familiar for modern readers. 2/5
SUDDENLY - AFTER A GOOD SUPPER, by Martin Waddell: A man is entombed alive. Some pitch-black humour saves this one from becoming too unpleasant, but it's still a straightforward exercise in sadism. 3/5
THE BENEFACTOR, by Walter Winward: An overweight man delights in his role as benefactor to young children. Some Satanic stuff here, but also undertones of paedophilia which made this one too repulsive for me. 1/5
SUITABLE APPLICANT, by Charles Braunstone: A young woman applies for a job as a companion. Perverse sex, cannibalism and a surgical nightmare. All in a day's work for a Pan Horror author, I guess... 3/5
MY DEAR HOW DEAD YOU LOOK AND YET YOU SWEETLY SING, by Priscilla Marron: A man is tormented by his murdered wife's body. All of two pages and you can tell the author loves herself, but truthfully, this is eye-tearingly bad. 1/5
June 12, 2019
As an avid reader of the Pan Books of Horror Stories (I am slowly making my way through each collection in chronological order) I confess to being rather underwhelmed by this the Eight Book in the series. Although there are several mildly diverting stories here, they are all rather samey. This anthology appears to focus primarily on human horror. There are several tales of murder and revenge, and not enough in terms of supernatural horror. Although, as a genre, horror means different things to different people, many of the tales in the Eighth Book would fit more appropriately into a crime collection; it is only really the gory elements that mark them out as horror stories. To that end, the stand-out tale is the genuinely sinister, and also somewhat poignant, ghost story 'The Bean-Nighe' by Dorothy K Haynes. Other treats include the genuinely nasty 'The Brindle Bull Terrier' by Dulcie Gray, and Martin Waddell's 'Suddenly - After a Good Supper', a darkly humorous tale of premature burial which immediately recalls Edgar Allen Poe. Another memorable story is 'The Benefactor' by Walter Winward - if horror exists to showcase the genuine depravity of some aspects of the human condition, then this story does just that, dealing as it does with a middle-aged man with clearly paedophilic appetites preying on young girls. For this reason, 'The Benefactor' is a disturbing and controversial piece; far from a comfortable read, and touching on a theme which is all too relevant in twenty-first century society. I do not think that Winward is attempting to glorify the protagonist's tastes, and the reader is left horrified at his predatory nature. Some stinkers in the anthology include such wastes of print as 'My Dear How Dead You Look And Yet You Sweetly Sing', and the dreary 'The Most Precious'. Otherwise, a so-so collection. On to the Ninth for me in due course.
June 16, 2019
Reading short stories alongside a 'big book' has really helped me get over my fear of longer novels. A quick story in between chapters really helps to speed things along; you don't feel that your reading progress has come to a halt as you tirelessly battle toward the distant end of a thousand-page tome. This Pan book was some perfect light relief from my current long read (The Pillars of the Earth for anyone that's interested), and I've absolutely flown through the somewhat low-brow spooks.
A real mixed bag of tales - some being infinitely better written than others. My personal favourites were The Illustrated Man,The Janissaries of Emilion, Sad Road to the Sea, and Suitable Applicant. Reading this has made me want to read more of Gerald Kersh's work, as I found his writing style to be the most to my taste of all those in the collection.
A real mixed bag of tales - some being infinitely better written than others. My personal favourites were The Illustrated Man,The Janissaries of Emilion, Sad Road to the Sea, and Suitable Applicant. Reading this has made me want to read more of Gerald Kersh's work, as I found his writing style to be the most to my taste of all those in the collection.
March 3, 2020
This volume seems to be particularly high in stories which end with the main character experiencing an unthinkably agonising death. The stories I like the best are the ones with intriguingly fleshed out imaginative plots and the ones with a drily ironic twist to them. I’m not as keen on the ones where what is most memorable about them is a truly hideous death scene. Which is not to say that some of my favourites here don’t include such nastiness as part of a well-written story or one with a wicked twist. They all still provide the page turning intrigue and “do I really want to know what’s about to happen?” nervousness, so it’s all good.
Raymond Williams - The Assassin
In the year 1079, a man sets out to kill the nobleman husband of the woman he loves. A very unpleasant, though well written, tale of medieval sadism.
Raymond Henry Williams (1921-1988) was a Welsh Marxist theorist, academic, critic, novelist and short story writer. During the war, he took part in the Invasion of Normandy, commanded a tank unit and was involved with the liberation of a Nazi concentration camp.
John Keefauver - The Most Precious
A dentist makes a remarkable discovery while travelling in Syria. Is the twist to this tale of gruesome patriarchal oppression really just a very silly joke? Or am I missing something?
John D. Keefauver had a story each in the fifth and sixth volumes in this series and two in the seventh. He is also known for the bisexual-themed pulp novel Tormented Virgin (1962).
W. Baker-Evans - The Children
A man encounters some unusual children while walking in the woods. A simple little story which is all the more effective because no explanation is given.
I couldn’t find out anything about Baker-Evans. He doesn’t seem to be known for anything else.
Ray Bradbury - The Illustrated Man
An overweight hen-pecked carnival barker loses his job and resorts to becoming a freak - The Illustrated Man - with the help of a strange old gypsy woman in this poetic tale of dark magic. A classic.
Ray Bradbury (1920-2012) won a special Pulitzer arts award in 2007 for his “distinguished, prolific and deeply influential career as an unmatched author of science fiction and fantasy.”
A.G.J. Rough - Playtime
An effective little creepy kid story.
I don’t know who A.G.J. Rough is.
Maurice Sandoz - The Tsantsa
I really liked this tale which begins with a guide on how to shrink a head the Jivaro Indian way and goes on to related the strange outcome of an unhealthy romantic attachment. A longer story which kept me riveted.
Maurice-Yves Sandoz (1892-1958) was a Swiss horror writer who’s novel The Maze was the basis of a Hollywood movie of the same name from 1953.
Dorothy K. Haynes - The ‘Bean-Nighe’
The ‘bean-nighe’ or ‘washerwoman’ is a figure of Scottish folklore - a female spirit who is a harbinger of death. When a girl encounters this being she thinks it is obvious who is going to die, but, of course, you can’t count on the obvious in a horror story. A well-written slice of folk horror.
Dorothy K. Haynes (1918-1987) was a Scottish horror writer who spent her childhood in Aberlour Orphanage, Banffshire, along with her twin brother Leonard. She married and had four children, the first two of whom died of cystic fibrosis. Her novel Haste Ye Back (1973), was based on her experience in the orphanage.
Raymond Harvey - The Tunnel
If you look for gruesomeness in your horror stories you can’t go past this diabolical tale of revenge.
I couldn’t find out anything about Raymond Harvey.
Bruce Lowery - The Growth
Set in the year 2021, this body horror outing doesn’t pull any punches.
Bruce Lowery (1931-1988) was born in Reno, Nevada, and died there, but he grew up in Belgium and later moved to Paris. He wrote his novels in French and then translated them into English. He is best known for La Cicatrice (1961) (The Scar), a novel about the cruelty of school children.
Frank Quinton - Lover’s Leap
Forgive and forget doesn’t play a big role in horror stories, so we are understandably nervous for a small-time actor when he meets up with the brother he cuckolded twelve years previously. Vicious.
I couldn’t find out anything about Frank Quinton, except that there’s a Dr. Who fan who claims Quinton was his grandfather.
Basil Copper - The Janissaries of Emilion
A physicist starts having remarkably realistic dreams in which he is transported to an Asian beach in the distant past. This longer story creates a powerful sense of encroaching terror. While the ending is not unexpected, it is very powerful.
Basil Copper (1924-2013) was a English writer probably best known for a series of detective novels featuring Solar Pons, a character created by August Derleth as a tribute to Sherlock Holmes. His story Camera Obscura, included in The Sixth Pan Book of Horror Stories stories, was filmed as part of Episode 12, Season 2 of Rod Serling’s Night Gallery.
Raymond Williams - The Coffin Makers
Stealing from the dead is always a risky move in horror stories. Williams really lays on the sadism once again.
Gerald Kersh - The Sad Road to the Sea
The desperate struggle to scrape together the rent proves too much for a tailor, who snaps and commits an act of violence. This story is brilliantly written, with richly drawn characters and a stunning dream sequence.
Gerald Kersh (1912-1968) was an English (and later American) writer of novels and short stories. His novel Night and the City has been filmed twice - first in 1950 with Richard Widmark in the lead, and then in 1992 with Robert De Niro. Science fiction author Harlan Ellison once stated that Kersh was his favourite writer.
Dulcie Gray - The Brindle Bull Terrier
A rebellious little girl gets caught up in a battle of wits with the woman her parents have entrusted to look after her in their absence, a woman not above resorting to beating her. You know it is going to end badly for someone, but for whom? This one kept me guessing and gave me an evil smile.
Dulcie Gray (1915-2011) was a British singer and actress, on the stage, in movies and on television, who also wrote mystery novels, radio plays and short stories. She was a lepidopterist and Vice President of the British Butterfly Conservation Society. She had two stories in 7TH (SEVENTH) PAN BOOK OF HORROR STORIES.
A. G. J. Rough - Sugar and Spice
A boy who likes to play outside, gets bored having to stay in on a rainy afternoon, but he finds a way to make his own fun in this nasty little two page story which is very much a companion piece to Rough’s other contribution to this volume - Playtime. There may not be much to these stories, but they have a high amusement per page ratio.
Rene Morris - The Computer
The story of a man who finds himself called to take on an unpleasant task as part of a computerised criminal justice system. This is an entertaining change of pace.
I couldn’t find out anything about Irene Morris (as she is credited in the acknowledgements.) She had one story in The Fifth Pan Book of Horror Stories and one in 7TH (SEVENTH) PAN BOOK OF HORROR STORIES.
Martin Waddell - Suddenly - After a Good Supper
A man is buried alive in his family’s vault after he succumbs to a hereditary condition which mimics death. This story embraces its grossness with robust good humour.
Martin Wadell is an Irish writer who is now best known for children’s books, especially the Little Bear picture books he began writing in the late 80s. Early volumes in Pan’s horror anthologies contain quite a few stories he wrote when he was young.
Walter Winward - The Benefactor
A thirteen-year-old orphan girl is very fond of the obese bachelor who visits her regularly. His intentions are anything but wholesome. A disturbing tale of sexual menace.
Walter Winward was a British-born novelist, who lived in the United States, North Africa, France, Malta, Mexico, Turkey, and Sweden, and worked at a variety of different occupations ranging from Royal Marine Commando to professional gambler.
Charles Braunstone - Suitable Applicant
A girl applies for a job as a retired doctor’s live-in companion in order to solve the mystery of what happened to her best friend who had previously held the position. I could see where this one was heading, but it went a lot further down that road than I had suspected. A lurid shocker.
No information on Charles Braunstone.
Priscilla Marron - My Dear How Dead You Look and Yet How Sweetly You Sing
A man is haunted by the wife he killed and buried under his floorboards in this very short story written in a semi-poetic form which sometimes sounds like it was written by Yoda, e.g. “Light-hearted laughing days again he knew” and “Sang better than Wilbraham danced she did.” I wasn’t so keen on this one. I prefer straight storytelling to wordplay, though the wordplay was sort of clever here.
Once again, no information available on Priscilla Marron
Raymond Williams - The Assassin
In the year 1079, a man sets out to kill the nobleman husband of the woman he loves. A very unpleasant, though well written, tale of medieval sadism.
Raymond Henry Williams (1921-1988) was a Welsh Marxist theorist, academic, critic, novelist and short story writer. During the war, he took part in the Invasion of Normandy, commanded a tank unit and was involved with the liberation of a Nazi concentration camp.
John Keefauver - The Most Precious
A dentist makes a remarkable discovery while travelling in Syria. Is the twist to this tale of gruesome patriarchal oppression really just a very silly joke? Or am I missing something?
John D. Keefauver had a story each in the fifth and sixth volumes in this series and two in the seventh. He is also known for the bisexual-themed pulp novel Tormented Virgin (1962).
W. Baker-Evans - The Children
A man encounters some unusual children while walking in the woods. A simple little story which is all the more effective because no explanation is given.
I couldn’t find out anything about Baker-Evans. He doesn’t seem to be known for anything else.
Ray Bradbury - The Illustrated Man
An overweight hen-pecked carnival barker loses his job and resorts to becoming a freak - The Illustrated Man - with the help of a strange old gypsy woman in this poetic tale of dark magic. A classic.
Ray Bradbury (1920-2012) won a special Pulitzer arts award in 2007 for his “distinguished, prolific and deeply influential career as an unmatched author of science fiction and fantasy.”
A.G.J. Rough - Playtime
An effective little creepy kid story.
I don’t know who A.G.J. Rough is.
Maurice Sandoz - The Tsantsa
I really liked this tale which begins with a guide on how to shrink a head the Jivaro Indian way and goes on to related the strange outcome of an unhealthy romantic attachment. A longer story which kept me riveted.
Maurice-Yves Sandoz (1892-1958) was a Swiss horror writer who’s novel The Maze was the basis of a Hollywood movie of the same name from 1953.
Dorothy K. Haynes - The ‘Bean-Nighe’
The ‘bean-nighe’ or ‘washerwoman’ is a figure of Scottish folklore - a female spirit who is a harbinger of death. When a girl encounters this being she thinks it is obvious who is going to die, but, of course, you can’t count on the obvious in a horror story. A well-written slice of folk horror.
Dorothy K. Haynes (1918-1987) was a Scottish horror writer who spent her childhood in Aberlour Orphanage, Banffshire, along with her twin brother Leonard. She married and had four children, the first two of whom died of cystic fibrosis. Her novel Haste Ye Back (1973), was based on her experience in the orphanage.
Raymond Harvey - The Tunnel
If you look for gruesomeness in your horror stories you can’t go past this diabolical tale of revenge.
I couldn’t find out anything about Raymond Harvey.
Bruce Lowery - The Growth
Set in the year 2021, this body horror outing doesn’t pull any punches.
Bruce Lowery (1931-1988) was born in Reno, Nevada, and died there, but he grew up in Belgium and later moved to Paris. He wrote his novels in French and then translated them into English. He is best known for La Cicatrice (1961) (The Scar), a novel about the cruelty of school children.
Frank Quinton - Lover’s Leap
Forgive and forget doesn’t play a big role in horror stories, so we are understandably nervous for a small-time actor when he meets up with the brother he cuckolded twelve years previously. Vicious.
I couldn’t find out anything about Frank Quinton, except that there’s a Dr. Who fan who claims Quinton was his grandfather.
Basil Copper - The Janissaries of Emilion
A physicist starts having remarkably realistic dreams in which he is transported to an Asian beach in the distant past. This longer story creates a powerful sense of encroaching terror. While the ending is not unexpected, it is very powerful.
Basil Copper (1924-2013) was a English writer probably best known for a series of detective novels featuring Solar Pons, a character created by August Derleth as a tribute to Sherlock Holmes. His story Camera Obscura, included in The Sixth Pan Book of Horror Stories stories, was filmed as part of Episode 12, Season 2 of Rod Serling’s Night Gallery.
Raymond Williams - The Coffin Makers
Stealing from the dead is always a risky move in horror stories. Williams really lays on the sadism once again.
Gerald Kersh - The Sad Road to the Sea
The desperate struggle to scrape together the rent proves too much for a tailor, who snaps and commits an act of violence. This story is brilliantly written, with richly drawn characters and a stunning dream sequence.
Gerald Kersh (1912-1968) was an English (and later American) writer of novels and short stories. His novel Night and the City has been filmed twice - first in 1950 with Richard Widmark in the lead, and then in 1992 with Robert De Niro. Science fiction author Harlan Ellison once stated that Kersh was his favourite writer.
Dulcie Gray - The Brindle Bull Terrier
A rebellious little girl gets caught up in a battle of wits with the woman her parents have entrusted to look after her in their absence, a woman not above resorting to beating her. You know it is going to end badly for someone, but for whom? This one kept me guessing and gave me an evil smile.
Dulcie Gray (1915-2011) was a British singer and actress, on the stage, in movies and on television, who also wrote mystery novels, radio plays and short stories. She was a lepidopterist and Vice President of the British Butterfly Conservation Society. She had two stories in 7TH (SEVENTH) PAN BOOK OF HORROR STORIES.
A. G. J. Rough - Sugar and Spice
A boy who likes to play outside, gets bored having to stay in on a rainy afternoon, but he finds a way to make his own fun in this nasty little two page story which is very much a companion piece to Rough’s other contribution to this volume - Playtime. There may not be much to these stories, but they have a high amusement per page ratio.
Rene Morris - The Computer
The story of a man who finds himself called to take on an unpleasant task as part of a computerised criminal justice system. This is an entertaining change of pace.
I couldn’t find out anything about Irene Morris (as she is credited in the acknowledgements.) She had one story in The Fifth Pan Book of Horror Stories and one in 7TH (SEVENTH) PAN BOOK OF HORROR STORIES.
Martin Waddell - Suddenly - After a Good Supper
A man is buried alive in his family’s vault after he succumbs to a hereditary condition which mimics death. This story embraces its grossness with robust good humour.
Martin Wadell is an Irish writer who is now best known for children’s books, especially the Little Bear picture books he began writing in the late 80s. Early volumes in Pan’s horror anthologies contain quite a few stories he wrote when he was young.
Walter Winward - The Benefactor
A thirteen-year-old orphan girl is very fond of the obese bachelor who visits her regularly. His intentions are anything but wholesome. A disturbing tale of sexual menace.
Walter Winward was a British-born novelist, who lived in the United States, North Africa, France, Malta, Mexico, Turkey, and Sweden, and worked at a variety of different occupations ranging from Royal Marine Commando to professional gambler.
Charles Braunstone - Suitable Applicant
A girl applies for a job as a retired doctor’s live-in companion in order to solve the mystery of what happened to her best friend who had previously held the position. I could see where this one was heading, but it went a lot further down that road than I had suspected. A lurid shocker.
No information on Charles Braunstone.
Priscilla Marron - My Dear How Dead You Look and Yet How Sweetly You Sing
A man is haunted by the wife he killed and buried under his floorboards in this very short story written in a semi-poetic form which sometimes sounds like it was written by Yoda, e.g. “Light-hearted laughing days again he knew” and “Sang better than Wilbraham danced she did.” I wasn’t so keen on this one. I prefer straight storytelling to wordplay, though the wordplay was sort of clever here.
Once again, no information available on Priscilla Marron
January 22, 2026
more character pieces than actual horror, and some of the stories weren't quite on my lane.
A couple of them were of the gore & assault sort, lowered my enjoyment of the collection, and really go to show somethings never change.
people resort to shock to make up for a lack of interesting ideas, then and now.
even finding in this the original tattooed man was a a shred of short lived joy, because despite being well written, it was another story of a guy killing his wife.
it was priabbky a tired and old bit then and is even more so now
A couple of them were of the gore & assault sort, lowered my enjoyment of the collection, and really go to show somethings never change.
people resort to shock to make up for a lack of interesting ideas, then and now.
even finding in this the original tattooed man was a a shred of short lived joy, because despite being well written, it was another story of a guy killing his wife.
it was priabbky a tired and old bit then and is even more so now
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2019
This is an interesting collection, with a more vintage feel than you would expect for the publication year. For the most part they are stories that are uncomfortable in their horror rather than scary. It makes for a very tight feel to the collection, but I think more variation in the type of horror would have been beneficial. The pacing feels too homogeneous.
It's also not suitable for readers who do not like children featuring in dark fiction.
Overall, not a bad read, but not overly exciting either.
It's also not suitable for readers who do not like children featuring in dark fiction.
Overall, not a bad read, but not overly exciting either.
September 28, 2021
This is my first reread of this book since I was a child. Some of the stories are better than others but I would say that the majority of them are average.
November 16, 2022
Must have been over 40 years since I last read a pan book of horror stories and I did feel it held up quite well (well some of the stories at least). Don't expect a bloodfest, but do expect to be creeped out. I must have thinner skin now because The Benefactor and The Suitable Applicant made me feel a bit queasy
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April 14, 2008Horror,Anthology
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews