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Demons!
Fantastic tales of devilish delights.
A collection of fourteen fantastic and frightening tales from such renowned writers as Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, and Jack Vance, featuring worlds inhabited by darkness, wicked devils, dark tords, playful imps, and shapechangers.
"The Willow Platform" by Joseph Payne Brennan
"The Night of White Bhairab" by Lucius Shepard
"The Mangler" by Stephen King
"The Last Demon" by Isaac Bashevis Singer
"The Golden Rope" by Tanith Lee
"Basileus" by Robert Silverberg
"Twilla" by Tom Reamy
"The Purple Pterodactyls" by L. Sprague de Camp
"Goslin Day" by Avram Davidson
"Nellthu" by Anthony Boucher
"Snulbug" by Anthony Boucher
"One Other" by Manly Wade Wellman
"An Ornament to His Profession" by Charles L. Harness
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
A collection of fourteen fantastic and frightening tales from such renowned writers as Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, and Jack Vance, featuring worlds inhabited by darkness, wicked devils, dark tords, playful imps, and shapechangers.
"The Willow Platform" by Joseph Payne Brennan
"The Night of White Bhairab" by Lucius Shepard
"The Mangler" by Stephen King
"The Last Demon" by Isaac Bashevis Singer
"The Golden Rope" by Tanith Lee
"Basileus" by Robert Silverberg
"Twilla" by Tom Reamy
"The Purple Pterodactyls" by L. Sprague de Camp
"Goslin Day" by Avram Davidson
"Nellthu" by Anthony Boucher
"Snulbug" by Anthony Boucher
"One Other" by Manly Wade Wellman
"An Ornament to His Profession" by Charles L. Harness
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
254 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1987
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 13, 2012
My sister bought me this book because it contains a short story by Stephen King called "The Mangler." Frankly, I adore that story. It's weird in just the right way...so now I have it in three anthologies. I'm ok with that.
This collection was mostly all right. The stories are all about demons (hence the title), but the authors take wildly different approaches to the subject. Of course, I love "The Mangler" - the image of the machine ripping itself out of its concrete foundation is just marvelously terrifying - but there were a few other stories in this book that convince me not to send it to Goodwill.
Joseph Payne Brennan's "The Willow Platform" is quite good and vaguely Lovecraftian. Anyone who reads my reviews knows I love Lovecraft. Brennan did well over such a short story making me care for the person to whom this all happens. Yeah, he asked for it, but he didn't really know what he was asking for.
"The Night of the White Bhairab" by Lucius Shepard takes place in Tibet. Is there any place on Earth further from Oregon than Tibet? Don't think geographically, think culturally. The story is distressing in part because it happens to an American Abroad - we're just not used to such things, are we?
Robert Silverberg pulls demons - kicking and screaming, I should think - into the Modern Age in "Basileus." A computer programmer's hobby turns a little bit real when his programs convince him to take on a role he's really not meant for.
"Twilla" by Tom Reamy is just plain ol' creepy. There's not a thing wrong with that, but it's an old school style freak-out.
Those are my favorite stories in this book. The others are done quite well, too, don't get me wrong. These just appealed to my peculiar nature a little more than the others did. And if you decide to read one story and discover you hate it...it's ok! They're bits, tastes of demon-y horror. Just start a new story and you'll be fine!
This collection was mostly all right. The stories are all about demons (hence the title), but the authors take wildly different approaches to the subject. Of course, I love "The Mangler" - the image of the machine ripping itself out of its concrete foundation is just marvelously terrifying - but there were a few other stories in this book that convince me not to send it to Goodwill.
Joseph Payne Brennan's "The Willow Platform" is quite good and vaguely Lovecraftian. Anyone who reads my reviews knows I love Lovecraft. Brennan did well over such a short story making me care for the person to whom this all happens. Yeah, he asked for it, but he didn't really know what he was asking for.
"The Night of the White Bhairab" by Lucius Shepard takes place in Tibet. Is there any place on Earth further from Oregon than Tibet? Don't think geographically, think culturally. The story is distressing in part because it happens to an American Abroad - we're just not used to such things, are we?
Robert Silverberg pulls demons - kicking and screaming, I should think - into the Modern Age in "Basileus." A computer programmer's hobby turns a little bit real when his programs convince him to take on a role he's really not meant for.
"Twilla" by Tom Reamy is just plain ol' creepy. There's not a thing wrong with that, but it's an old school style freak-out.
Those are my favorite stories in this book. The others are done quite well, too, don't get me wrong. These just appealed to my peculiar nature a little more than the others did. And if you decide to read one story and discover you hate it...it's ok! They're bits, tastes of demon-y horror. Just start a new story and you'll be fine!
February 10, 2019
with any collection of short stories, there will be a few good ones as well as some that are not - this was no exception.
There were two stories in this that I really really liked -
The Night of White Bhairab • (1984) • novelette by Lucius Shepard
Twilla • (1974) • novelette by Tom Reamy
if your short on time, read just these two..they were interesting enough that it pulled up the ratings for the entire book.
There were two stories in this that I really really liked -
The Night of White Bhairab • (1984) • novelette by Lucius Shepard
Twilla • (1974) • novelette by Tom Reamy
if your short on time, read just these two..they were interesting enough that it pulled up the ratings for the entire book.
January 6, 2025
Like all short story collections, it had some good and some less good entries. For the most part though, I really liked it! Highlights were The Mangler by Stephen King, as that man never disappoints. However, my favourite in the collection was The Willow Platform by Joseph Payne Brennan. I had never read his stuff before but it was exceptional. The Purple Pterodactyls by L. Sprague de Camp was also a stand-out
November 5, 2019
The stories by the names I already knew (Ellison, King, Silverberg) were a little disappointing, and the final tale by Charles Harness was a bizarrely dull thing based around patent law.
But there are some imaginative and atmospheric stories here. I particularly liked the Tanith Lee, Tom Reamy and Joseph Payne Brennan, which are beautifully written and have powrful otherworldly qualities.
But there are some imaginative and atmospheric stories here. I particularly liked the Tanith Lee, Tom Reamy and Joseph Payne Brennan, which are beautifully written and have powrful otherworldly qualities.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews