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Horrors Beyond #2
Horrors Beyond 2: Stories of Strange Creations
Featuring uncanny contraptions, weird devices, and technology beyond man's control, these 21 tales of dark fiction explore the horrors outside everyday reality. Mad science, terrifying creatures, and dangerous discoveries are stretched across time and space, ultimately showing that when science pushes the boundaries of understanding, terrible things push back.
- GenresHorrorAnthologies
336 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2007
41 people want to read
About the author
William Jones
28 books53 followersWilliam Jones has received Bram Stoker Award nominations, International Horror Guild Award and Origins Award nominations for his works. He is the editor of several anthologies, including The Anthology of Dark Wisdom: The Best of Dark Fiction, Frontier Cthulhu: Ancient Horrors in the New World, High Seas Cthulhu, and the Horrors Beyond Series. His book, The Strange Cases of Rudolph Pearson was selected by Editor Ellen Datlow as a "seminal" work for readers of Lovecraftian horror. He has also written a number of role-playing game supplements, and his writings have been translated into several languages. He was worked as an engineer and a professor of English literature. He writes full time now, and lives in Michigan.
--from the author's website
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
--from the author's website
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 8, 2010
Oh my,what a great book.The story by Tim Curran is enough to buy this book for.I found his story Wormwood to be one of the most frightening stories that I have ever read.The other stories are wonderful.Not a lot of graphic violence or gore which is just the way I like it.
I read the first book in this series also but I think with Tim Curran's tale in this one I think that I prefer number 2 just a little bit more.
My friends who want to be scared to death while reading some literary and well researched works will find these books quite enjoyable.
I read the first book in this series also but I think with Tim Curran's tale in this one I think that I prefer number 2 just a little bit more.
My friends who want to be scared to death while reading some literary and well researched works will find these books quite enjoyable.
May 1, 2008
This is #112 out of a 200 copies limited edition, signed by most of the authors:-)
As of April 8, 2008 I have read these stories (in order of reading):
"The Signal" by Paul S. Kemp:
A nicely weaved "hardboiled private eye" pulp story. I saw the ending several pages before it happened, but the road there was well worth my time, with some very fine scenes. A treat:-)
"Ghost Lens" by Stephen Mark Rainey:
A wonderfully creepy story in the tradition of Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space" (that's a compliment, in case you were wondering). Although the tale's premise is nowadays classic (strange thing found in some remote place), Rainey tells it in what I found to be a very engaging voice and with believable characters (always an impressive feat, in my opinion). And I relish the fact that the ending, although satisfying the demand for a climax, is still leaving me wondering what the heck is going on:-D
Wyshes.com by Richard A. Lupoff:
I want to like Lupoff's stories. Unfortunately this story doesn't get me anywhere nearer that wish...
The idea of the story is intriguing, no question about it. The protagonist is hired to help out some LargerThanLife Corporation that wants to use him as a sort of "computer-related wormhole program" to reach some remote area of the universe.
I think, alas, that too much is underdeveloped. What's the girlfriend's place in the scenario? Why is it called "Wyshes.com" (other than a sporadic connection to present-day reference to real life's Internet)? What's the computer program connection, if any? Etc., etc. All of it I find too grave to ignore. On top of that, this is a story where the "hardboiled, super-ironic PI" narrative does not work at all.
It is probably simply a matter of personal taste, but Lupoff's style just doesn't grasp me (a few, fascinating scenes aside). But if you're into that kind of writing--by all means go ahead and read it:-)
"Isolation Point, California" by John Shirley:
An "after the Apocalypse"-like tale. A pleasure to read. The tale takes its time to build up the setting--which hightens the central horror (which also builds up slowly) and the dreadful cannot-touch-another-human-being-without-fatal-consequences element.
Between April 8 & April 12 (random order):
"Wormwood" by Tim Curran:
I won't exactly call this a sci-fi story, since it's too close to real-life & present day, but it's the closest genre description, I suppose...
Either way this, for me, has been an amazing highlight so far in the book. The use of Chernobyl & the horrible things that took place there is build into a great, great tale of even darker horrors.
I won't go into details (I won't spoil the fun for you), but the narrative is close to perfect, and the scenes and the dark, snowy atmosphere are excellent studies in gradual expansion of horror in literature. The combination with old superstition was a nice touch too.
"Dead Air" by David Niall Wilson:
Maybe it's because it's such a short story (less than 5 pages), or maybe it's just me... But this didn't grab me at all. It's much shorter than Lupoff's story, so I don't find it as bad--but it's not particularly good either.
"The Manuscript in the Drawer" by Greg Beatty:
A classic theme, but entertaining nonetheless. Of course the whole Necronomicon thing had to be present in this collection, hehe;-)
"Spheres of Influence" by Ron Shiflet:
This story of a poor, insecure man's fate was quite touching. The narrative focuses on the protagonist's point of view, which is very believable executed, in my opinion; that whole sneaking paranoia feeling... A reading well worth my time. Family business is a tricky thing--and beware shiny, mysterious things you find in the wilderness!
"A Monster in the Lake" by Michail Velichansky:
Hm? Okay? Erh.
There's not really anything wrong with this story. Character, cast, plot etc.--all of it is quite well executed. And quite originally so, I think.
Didn't really work for me anyhow, though. I suspect it's because--although I like the idea of talking ducks-turned-mechanical-of-sorts, it's not something I expected in a collection like this. Hm?
"When the Stars Fell" by William Jones (editor):
A nice, little sci-fi story in some remote future. There are ûber-humans and "normal", lesser humans. Oh--and we're under attack from some malign, unknown race from a remote, also unknown part of the universe. Extinction seems inevitable. What do we do?
I had the feeling this was part of a much larger storyline, but I admire Jones for succeeding in giving a clear idea of a social-like class system, thoughts on the techno-vs-humanity issue, as well as fairly fleshed out characters with believable interaction and action. All within so relatively few pages.
In the background the battle goes on, and is the backdrop on which all the actions must be chosen.
Except for an ending with I found a little too naïve, romantic, and with an unnecessary hopeful openendedness, this was a very satisfying story.
"Serenade" by Lucien Soulban:
Okay, I don't quite get where they boy fits into this bizarre jigsawpuzzle, but other than that this was just perfect. Classic theme, in many ways, but so cleverly plotted and composed that I wasn't quite sure--and the way things just keep sliding, getting weirder and odder by the word was wonderful. It's not Thomas Ligotti, but I thought I detected echoes of something in that direction--which is a very high compliment!
I wonder if this is how the great mathematicians feel like when they're on the brink of discovering something new & uncharted?
Read from April 13 to 16th:
"Fractal Freaks" by A.A. Attanasio:
A different kind of vampire story. I like the ideas underlying this piece by Attanasion--quite a clever take on the whole vampire scenario. That said, I found the story too burdened by somewhat technical conceptions... Although I have an inkling that that will improve when I re-read it again. Because I will return to it; no doubt about it. And that's a quality mark;-)
"The Clockmaker's Daughter" by E. Sedia:
Here's a story with some of the most powerful & creepy scenes, in my opinion. Quite a feat! I won't spoil the shuddering climax, but the human-vs-machination is greatly explored in this story. A story evolving around a rather homey, and very local, scenery, with a delicate understanding of the human psyche, I think--which is why it works.
Highly recommended.
"Magic Fingers" by Jay Caselberg:
A cyberpunk-like story. The main character is believable enough, as it the plot... But I got the impression that I was reading a chapter of a longer story, and not a self-containing story--which, to me, is a huge problem. I don't mind having a sense of the story being part of a larger scheme/storyline but it's gotta work as a stand-alone part as well (a few others in this collection are like that, cf. what I've said before).
And maybe it's just me, but I frankly didn't get the "punch" in the end... If there was any??
April 17 to 19:
"The Mortification of the Flesh" by Alexis Glynn Latner:
Very classic theme--that of a space expedition landing on a remote planet & discovering something strange in a human society. Reading this story was kind of like getting back to the sci-fi stories I read when I was a kid/young teenager. For that I enjoyed it. Even so, I found it too obvious what was going on in the story. Maybe I'm a cynic...
"Predicting Perdition" by Paul Melniczek:
A shame there was a layout glitch in this story (one page suddenly missing--to pop up a few pages later on). It disrupted my reading. Other than the, ahem, "life-is-a-vicious-circle" theme I am not sure I got the deeper layer(s) of this story. But the mayor & the citizen's odd behavior intrigued me enough to keep me going to the curious end.
Odd, but not bad;-)
April 20 to 23:
"5150" by Gene O'Neill:
It almost lost me the first two pages, but I am so glad I continued--for I had a blast reading the rest of this strange story:-)
The protagonist & his thinking is quite believable to me, as is the the progress of the strangeness--which, in a way, starts with him having pain in the stomach. I found the whole cop-at-work situations well managed by the author (not that I know if it is close to Real Life, but it sounded believable to me, and that's all I need), and the human interaction was tender. And the whole person-breaking-down perspective worked like a (dark) charm.
I did not see the ending coming like that. Wow!
April 24:
"When the Ship Came" by John Sunseri:
What goes through people's mind the last hours before they are to enter an unknown spaceship, much against their will, to face the completely unknown? And what is the reason for this dire demand?
This story provides an interesting answer to these questions. Nice tale.
Late April:
"The Margins" by Robert Weinberg:
I love the idea of a modern Hounds of Tindalos story. Unfortunately this one is too pulpish for my taste. The philosophical elements are gone--and with them the very idea, in my opinion.
"The Bigger They Are..." by C.J. Henderson:
Sorry. Couldn't finish it. I have no idea if it changes, but I read the first pages as caricature--persons, thoughts, scenes. And so absolutely did not work for me.
I am probably too serious-minded when approaching stories. Oh well. I have my limits, I guess.
OVERALL: Highly recommended collection! A few not so good tales, but the rest is of an impressively high standard. Please go out and buy it--support this kind of top-quality publications. That goes for layout & design as well, by the way!
As of April 8, 2008 I have read these stories (in order of reading):
"The Signal" by Paul S. Kemp:
A nicely weaved "hardboiled private eye" pulp story. I saw the ending several pages before it happened, but the road there was well worth my time, with some very fine scenes. A treat:-)
"Ghost Lens" by Stephen Mark Rainey:
A wonderfully creepy story in the tradition of Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space" (that's a compliment, in case you were wondering). Although the tale's premise is nowadays classic (strange thing found in some remote place), Rainey tells it in what I found to be a very engaging voice and with believable characters (always an impressive feat, in my opinion). And I relish the fact that the ending, although satisfying the demand for a climax, is still leaving me wondering what the heck is going on:-D
Wyshes.com by Richard A. Lupoff:
I want to like Lupoff's stories. Unfortunately this story doesn't get me anywhere nearer that wish...
The idea of the story is intriguing, no question about it. The protagonist is hired to help out some LargerThanLife Corporation that wants to use him as a sort of "computer-related wormhole program" to reach some remote area of the universe.
I think, alas, that too much is underdeveloped. What's the girlfriend's place in the scenario? Why is it called "Wyshes.com" (other than a sporadic connection to present-day reference to real life's Internet)? What's the computer program connection, if any? Etc., etc. All of it I find too grave to ignore. On top of that, this is a story where the "hardboiled, super-ironic PI" narrative does not work at all.
It is probably simply a matter of personal taste, but Lupoff's style just doesn't grasp me (a few, fascinating scenes aside). But if you're into that kind of writing--by all means go ahead and read it:-)
"Isolation Point, California" by John Shirley:
An "after the Apocalypse"-like tale. A pleasure to read. The tale takes its time to build up the setting--which hightens the central horror (which also builds up slowly) and the dreadful cannot-touch-another-human-being-without-fatal-consequences element.
Between April 8 & April 12 (random order):
"Wormwood" by Tim Curran:
I won't exactly call this a sci-fi story, since it's too close to real-life & present day, but it's the closest genre description, I suppose...
Either way this, for me, has been an amazing highlight so far in the book. The use of Chernobyl & the horrible things that took place there is build into a great, great tale of even darker horrors.
I won't go into details (I won't spoil the fun for you), but the narrative is close to perfect, and the scenes and the dark, snowy atmosphere are excellent studies in gradual expansion of horror in literature. The combination with old superstition was a nice touch too.
"Dead Air" by David Niall Wilson:
Maybe it's because it's such a short story (less than 5 pages), or maybe it's just me... But this didn't grab me at all. It's much shorter than Lupoff's story, so I don't find it as bad--but it's not particularly good either.
"The Manuscript in the Drawer" by Greg Beatty:
A classic theme, but entertaining nonetheless. Of course the whole Necronomicon thing had to be present in this collection, hehe;-)
"Spheres of Influence" by Ron Shiflet:
This story of a poor, insecure man's fate was quite touching. The narrative focuses on the protagonist's point of view, which is very believable executed, in my opinion; that whole sneaking paranoia feeling... A reading well worth my time. Family business is a tricky thing--and beware shiny, mysterious things you find in the wilderness!
"A Monster in the Lake" by Michail Velichansky:
Hm? Okay? Erh.
There's not really anything wrong with this story. Character, cast, plot etc.--all of it is quite well executed. And quite originally so, I think.
Didn't really work for me anyhow, though. I suspect it's because--although I like the idea of talking ducks-turned-mechanical-of-sorts, it's not something I expected in a collection like this. Hm?
"When the Stars Fell" by William Jones (editor):
A nice, little sci-fi story in some remote future. There are ûber-humans and "normal", lesser humans. Oh--and we're under attack from some malign, unknown race from a remote, also unknown part of the universe. Extinction seems inevitable. What do we do?
I had the feeling this was part of a much larger storyline, but I admire Jones for succeeding in giving a clear idea of a social-like class system, thoughts on the techno-vs-humanity issue, as well as fairly fleshed out characters with believable interaction and action. All within so relatively few pages.
In the background the battle goes on, and is the backdrop on which all the actions must be chosen.
Except for an ending with I found a little too naïve, romantic, and with an unnecessary hopeful openendedness, this was a very satisfying story.
"Serenade" by Lucien Soulban:
Okay, I don't quite get where they boy fits into this bizarre jigsawpuzzle, but other than that this was just perfect. Classic theme, in many ways, but so cleverly plotted and composed that I wasn't quite sure--and the way things just keep sliding, getting weirder and odder by the word was wonderful. It's not Thomas Ligotti, but I thought I detected echoes of something in that direction--which is a very high compliment!
I wonder if this is how the great mathematicians feel like when they're on the brink of discovering something new & uncharted?
Read from April 13 to 16th:
"Fractal Freaks" by A.A. Attanasio:
A different kind of vampire story. I like the ideas underlying this piece by Attanasion--quite a clever take on the whole vampire scenario. That said, I found the story too burdened by somewhat technical conceptions... Although I have an inkling that that will improve when I re-read it again. Because I will return to it; no doubt about it. And that's a quality mark;-)
"The Clockmaker's Daughter" by E. Sedia:
Here's a story with some of the most powerful & creepy scenes, in my opinion. Quite a feat! I won't spoil the shuddering climax, but the human-vs-machination is greatly explored in this story. A story evolving around a rather homey, and very local, scenery, with a delicate understanding of the human psyche, I think--which is why it works.
Highly recommended.
"Magic Fingers" by Jay Caselberg:
A cyberpunk-like story. The main character is believable enough, as it the plot... But I got the impression that I was reading a chapter of a longer story, and not a self-containing story--which, to me, is a huge problem. I don't mind having a sense of the story being part of a larger scheme/storyline but it's gotta work as a stand-alone part as well (a few others in this collection are like that, cf. what I've said before).
And maybe it's just me, but I frankly didn't get the "punch" in the end... If there was any??
April 17 to 19:
"The Mortification of the Flesh" by Alexis Glynn Latner:
Very classic theme--that of a space expedition landing on a remote planet & discovering something strange in a human society. Reading this story was kind of like getting back to the sci-fi stories I read when I was a kid/young teenager. For that I enjoyed it. Even so, I found it too obvious what was going on in the story. Maybe I'm a cynic...
"Predicting Perdition" by Paul Melniczek:
A shame there was a layout glitch in this story (one page suddenly missing--to pop up a few pages later on). It disrupted my reading. Other than the, ahem, "life-is-a-vicious-circle" theme I am not sure I got the deeper layer(s) of this story. But the mayor & the citizen's odd behavior intrigued me enough to keep me going to the curious end.
Odd, but not bad;-)
April 20 to 23:
"5150" by Gene O'Neill:
It almost lost me the first two pages, but I am so glad I continued--for I had a blast reading the rest of this strange story:-)
The protagonist & his thinking is quite believable to me, as is the the progress of the strangeness--which, in a way, starts with him having pain in the stomach. I found the whole cop-at-work situations well managed by the author (not that I know if it is close to Real Life, but it sounded believable to me, and that's all I need), and the human interaction was tender. And the whole person-breaking-down perspective worked like a (dark) charm.
I did not see the ending coming like that. Wow!
April 24:
"When the Ship Came" by John Sunseri:
What goes through people's mind the last hours before they are to enter an unknown spaceship, much against their will, to face the completely unknown? And what is the reason for this dire demand?
This story provides an interesting answer to these questions. Nice tale.
Late April:
"The Margins" by Robert Weinberg:
I love the idea of a modern Hounds of Tindalos story. Unfortunately this one is too pulpish for my taste. The philosophical elements are gone--and with them the very idea, in my opinion.
"The Bigger They Are..." by C.J. Henderson:
Sorry. Couldn't finish it. I have no idea if it changes, but I read the first pages as caricature--persons, thoughts, scenes. And so absolutely did not work for me.
I am probably too serious-minded when approaching stories. Oh well. I have my limits, I guess.
OVERALL: Highly recommended collection! A few not so good tales, but the rest is of an impressively high standard. Please go out and buy it--support this kind of top-quality publications. That goes for layout & design as well, by the way!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2010
An excellent little anthology of horror stories inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and his fellow writers in the sub-genre horror group: Call of Cthuthlu or Lovecraftian Horror. My two personal favorites are Ghost Lens by Stephen M. Rainey and Wormwood by Tim Curran. Both stories stand out over their peers in this series of short horror tales.
While I recommend it for fans of Lovecraftian Horror or just Horror stories in general. I do recommend that this do be read in the light of day and not for the squeamish either.
While I recommend it for fans of Lovecraftian Horror or just Horror stories in general. I do recommend that this do be read in the light of day and not for the squeamish either.
March 23, 2012
Another solid collection of horror tales of the weird variety (my personal favorites) with an emphasis on technology, human or otherwise. No gore here, just encounters with the alien unknown. One of my favorites is "Serenade" by Lucien Soulban, a story involving a Lovecraftian text and the fate of a man trying to decipher it. With 21 tales to choose from, fans of horror fiction should be able to find at least a few stories that appeal to them.
James Pratt, author of 'When Dead Gods Dream: A Collection of Lovecraftian Short Stories'
James Pratt, author of 'When Dead Gods Dream: A Collection of Lovecraftian Short Stories'
July 19, 2008
About half of the stories just plain old sucked. The other half were good. Two of my favorite horror writers, A.A. Attanasio and Tim Curren, were included. Some of the stories were pleasant surprises.
December 21, 2021
More hits than misses in this collection that combines horror, science fiction, and Lovecraft to paint a dim present and future of our creation. Sometimes the worst thing to happen to mankind is ourselves.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews