Masques II: All-New Stories of Horror and the Supernatural

Horror Martínez Roca

by J.N. Williamson, Thomas Sullivan, Stephen King

Twenty-six stories deal with ghosts, vampires, a deadly junkyard, a dying comedian, murderers, magical sculptures, frightening mutations, and monsters

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Vampires, Anthologies

221 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Gerald Neal Williamson (April 17, 1932 - December 8, 2005) wrote and edited horror stories under the name J. N. Williamson. He also wrote under the name Julian Shock.

Born in Indianapolis, IN he graduated from Shortridge High School. He studied journalism at Butler University. He published his first novel in 1979 and went on to publish more than 40 novels and 150 short stories. In 2003 he received a lifetime achievement award from the Horror Writers of America. He edited the critically acclaimed How to Write Tales of Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction (1987) which covered the themes of such writing and cited the writings of such writers as Robert Bloch, Lee Prosser, Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury, H. P. Lovecraft, August Derleth, William F. Nolan, and Stephen King. Many important writers in the genre contributed to the book. Williamson edited the popular anthology series, Masques. Some of his novels include The Ritual (1979), Playmates (1982), Noonspell (1991), The Haunt (1999), among others.

He was also a well known Sherlockian and received his investiture (The Illustrious Client) in the Baker Street Irregulars in 1950.

Source: Wikipedia

Reviews

[Jess ❈Harbinger of Blood-Soaked Rainbows❈ · Rating 2 out of 5]

So yesterday I was running late for work and realized it was a Monday, and therefore my short story day. I noticed my copy of Stephen King's Nightmares and Dreamscapes out on the coffee table which had been there since my Spooktober rendezvous, and I quickly put it into my bag thinking I'd dig around in it to find this week's short story. And in my haste I forgot my laptop, making me even happier I brought Uncle Stevie's tome with me (I loathe reading on my phone) and also making it impossible to review until today. I picked up the book and literally opened it to the first page of "Popsy," a story I knew absolutely nothing about, and thought it would be a great blind story to read for the day.

And it was a'ight. It was pretty short and a little bit anticlimactic as I figured out what this story was right from the get go. It would have been a vey mediocre, standard 3 stars, until I flipped to the back in Uncle Stevie's "Notes" section which he writes for all the stories in the volume. And in those notes for "Popsy" he intimated that perhaps it was a sequel to the only other story I've read from this volume, "The Night Flier," which was a perfectly crafted and beautifully terrifying vampire story. And as a sequel, this story lost some shine, and I hate to say it, so did it's prequel. And then in looking at my friends' reviews of this tome, I found that I, of course, read both stories wrong as "The Night Flier" seemed to be the dud among my friends when "Popsy" was billed as terrifying and creepy. And that is why I freaking love Stephen King.

If you've read my review of The Night Flier, you can see that I have hypothesized on King's theme in it, namely that sometimes the creepiest things are those that remain in mystery, that are unravelled slowly. People walking in the woods who hear a creepy noise behind them begin thinking about the hunt for Sasquatch and other monsters of the woods. But the fact that Sasquatch has never been caught or made public is part of what makes it so scary when you are walking in the woods. It's the mystery that creates the fear, not the thing itself. That mystery is so elegantly and perfectly crafted at the end of The Night Flier, that it still gives me the creeps. In Popsy, there is no mystery. There is just the thing itself. And to me, it wasn't scary. It was just another vampire tale. It was a cheap thrill to The Night Flier's "creep into the recesses of your mind and camp out there" fear factor. And that just isn't my gig and not the reason that I have been such a Stephen King fan for so long. But there are others who gravitate to King's more in your face physical horror and that is ok as well. So this story wasn't for me, but I'm glad that others got enjoyment out of it.

[Emanuela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sarà la mia solita limitazione a non ritrovarmici coi racconti brevi ma anche qui ho faticato ad apprezzare anche grandi nomi di horror e terrore.
Ovviamente tra i migliori sta sempre King con il suo Popsy, in apertura, che vagamente ricordavo di aver letto da qualche altra parte ma che riesce comunque a creare atmosfera anche in poche pagine.
Poi dopo vengono Il cimitero delle auto con un’ambientazione cara all’horror più classico; Seconda visione che mi ha catturata subito con i suoi deja vù; Il caro estinto brevissimo ma forte; Nascondiglio carino per accostare nello stile del re la sofferenza e le ingiustizie alle reazioni violente; Se prendi la mia mano figlio mio, molto molto duro, senza speranza alcuna di redenzione.
Wordsong è forse quello che ho apprezzato di più dopo Popsy e Seconda visione, per il suo sembrare quasi una fiaba magica,
Il gotico americano, del grande Bloch, mi ha vista faticare per una tematica portata un po’ troppo all’estremo anche se poi arriva al maestoso finale che merita.
Maurice e Micia mi ha convinta in parte per l’insegnamento implicito sull’isolamento e l’egoismo anche se mi ha un po’ annoiata, ma anche qui il finale vale l’attesa.
Il bambino che fece ritorno dalla morte, ricorda tanto ma proprio tanto Pet sematary, anche se veramente non ho capito il senso di una conclusione del genere dopo tutto il casino per evitarla.
Il mio caro Lansdale mi ha deluso invece con Il cane gatto e neonato, breve ma fortemente macabro senza alcun senso particolare e con il luogo trito e ritrito degli animali malefici; e La nuova stagione è stato uno dei racconti di cui non sono riuscita granché a capire il senso.
Si sente in ogni caso l’età di questi racconti che presentano ambientazioni e tematiche datate, ma lo stile è stile anche a distanza di anni, ed alcuni lo dimostrano ampiamente.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una buena antología de cuentos...
Salvo un par, casi todos me parecieron buenos...y algunos muy buenos!!
Hay que tener en cuenta que los cuentos en cuestión tienen mas de 20 años y tanto la forma de escribir como los temas terroríficos han variado un montón....
Sin embargo, ésta antología está buena

[Cassandra Glissadevil · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.1 stars!
Gotta love the silver mirrored cover!

Following stories were outstanding:
"Popsy" by Stephen King
"Second Sight" by Ramsey Campbell
"Dog, Cat, and Baby" by Joe R. Lansdale
"Deathbed" by Richard Christian Matheson
"American Gothic" by Ray Russell
"Maurice and Mog" by James Herbert
"The Near Departed" by Richard Matheson
"Ice Sculptures" by David B. Silva
"Hidey Hole" by Steve Rasnic Tem
"Splatter: A Cautionary Tale" by Douglas E. Winter,
"The Boy Who Came Back from the Dead" by Alan Rodgers.

More winners than losers. Welcome addition to any serious horror collection.

[titiareviews]

Moi les histoires de vampires…

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Night Flier" but done better. Short and sweet, really enjoyed it.

[Robert Reiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed a quick Stephen King fix so dove into this short story blind, not knowing anything about it. It’s the story of man who kidnaps a boy at the mall not realizing that his dad..aka “Popsy” may not be someone you want to mess with. Oh man I loved the ending to this one. Too short of course but still great. Think I need one more short story to truly satisfy this King urge…

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Binge reviewing my best-read Horror-Thriller short stories, anthologies and novellas of all time

There’s something deliciously wicked about ‘Popsy’—that quintessential Stephen King short story that sneaks up on you like a shadow at dusk, smiling with childlike innocence until you realise it’s hiding fangs. ‘Popsy’ is a story that feels deceptively small—a simple horror sketch about a man, a boy, and a van—but inside its compact frame, it carries the pulse of a gothic parable about guilt, predation, and the monstrous within us all.

The premise is disturbingly straightforward: Sheridan, a desperate man drowning in gambling debt, has resorted to abducting children for a human trafficking ring.

When he spots a small boy alone at a shopping mall, it looks like an easy score. However, the child—frighteningly calm, preternaturally composed—keeps mentioning his “‘Popsy’”, who will come soon to get him.

Sheridan assumes it’s the rambling of a frightened kid. King, of course, knows better.

What unfolds is a masterclass in tension. Sheridan’s thoughts unravel in a haze of greed, fear, and sweaty justification. King does not romanticise or redeem him—he’s pathetic, vile, and yet human enough to make the reader squirm with complicity. The abduction goes wrong, inevitably, when the boy’s mysterious ‘Popsy’ shows up.

Moreover, let us just say that when King writes a rescue scene, it’s not your average Hallmark reunion. The reveal of ‘Popsy’s true nature—bat-like wings, glowing eyes, and a fatherly fury that turns the predator into prey—is swift, shocking, and darkly satisfying.

It’s easy to read ‘Popsy’ as a mere revenge fantasy, a moral comeuppance cloaked in supernatural horror. However, linger a bit, and it deepens. The story’s genius lies in how it flips the moral compass: the real monster is human, and the supernatural being—’Popsy’, the vampire—is a parent protecting his child.

King reclaims the mythic figure of the vampire from centuries of gothic villainy and reimagines him as the ultimate guardian. It’s as if Dracula had evolved into a creature of domestic tenderness, fiercely loyal and terrifyingly capable.

This inversion of fear is vintage King. He has always understood that monsters are reflections, not aberrations. ‘Popsy’ makes that literal. The human trafficker’s van becomes a confessional on wheels—a symbol of human depravity masquerading as normalcy, while the supernatural creature becomes a figure of justice in a world where morality has collapsed.

Stylistically, ‘Popsy’ hums with King’s late-’80s confidence: lean prose, cinematic rhythm, and psychological immediacy. He writes Sheridan’s panic in escalating staccato beats—each thought twitching with self-deception and dread.

You can smell the sweat, the cigarette smoke, and the stale guilt. And when ‘Popsy’ descends, the prose breaks into a fever dream of sensory overload—flapping wings, shrieks, metallic blood, and a sky torn open. King’s pacing is impeccable: dread, denial, revelation, and then retribution.

Beneath all that horror, there is something heartbreakingly moral about the story. The bond between ‘Popsy’ and the boy is pure and unshakeable, and King lets that purity burn against Sheridan’s corruption. It is almost Biblical—the sinner swallowed by his sin, the innocent carried away by divine (or vampiric) grace. It feels like a parable told by a modern-day Hawthorne after a bad dream and a few too many late-night coffees.

And let’s be honest: ‘Popsy’ also works as a wicked little thrill ride. It’s short, punchy, and gleefully grotesque—the kind of story that reminds you why horror is fun. There’s something cathartic about seeing evil punished not by bureaucracy or justice, but by something primal and cosmic. It’s horror as emotional equilibrium: the universe setting itself right through terror.

Still, what lingers isn’t the gore—it’s the irony. The man who preys on innocence is undone by love. The monster who should terrify us becomes the embodiment of protection. King does not just scare you; he rearranges your moral wiring mid-scream.

What impact did this have on me?

Reading ‘Popsy’ felt like stepping into one of those recurring King dreams where guilt takes physical shape. I remember finishing it late at night and feeling that uncanny mix of satisfaction and disquiet. The story did not just entertain me—it judged me, quietly. It made me confront how easily we rationalise horror when it wears a human face, and how quick we are to demonise what we do not understand.

The moment ‘Popsy’s’ wings unfurled, I felt that jolt of poetic justice that only King can pull off—the kind where horror feels like redemption in disguise.

It changed how I think about short horror fiction: that you can write about monsters, yes, but also about the moral architecture of the universe, about love so fierce it turns into vengeance.

Why should you read this today?

Because ‘‘Popsy’’ hits differently in an age where real-life horrors play out on newsfeeds daily. It is a story about what happens when innocence is endangered and when evil mistakes itself for cleverness.

It is short, sharp, and moral in a way modern fiction often shies away from.

You should read it today because it’s King at his most stripped-down—no sprawling mythology, no metafictional loops, just raw, visceral storytelling that grabs you by the throat and whispers, “You get what you give.”

It is horror as moral clarity, a gothic fable that makes you cheer for the creature and recoil from the man.

Moreover, maybe most importantly, because it reminds us that sometimes—just sometimes—the monsters are the only ones who still remember how to love.

[GONZA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ho letto solo Popsy, perché lo aveva scritto il re, ma sono quasi sicura che l'avevo giá letto in precedenza da qualche parte, comunque è carino, specialmente se a metá non vi ricordate la fine.....

[Viktor Malafey · Rating 5 out of 5]

про дєда)

[Liz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Popsy, by Stephen King, published in 1993. The ending is satisfying, but I can't say I liked this story.

[Alessandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Popsy: un grande classico di King. Una rivisitazione urbana del mito del... non diciamolo, via. Non roviniamo la sorpresa. Deliziosamente breve ed intenso.
Seconda visione: Ramsey Campbell é un maestro dell’orrore, ed una breve perla come questo racconto contribuisce a ricordarcelo. Semplicemente notevole.
Il cimitero delle auto: carino, anzi, forse qualcosa di più. Inizia piano, ma poi prende il via... ed alla fine corre veloce. Finale discretamente inatteso, tra l’altro.
La nuova stagione: il maestro Robert Bloch ci accompagna sul palcoscenico con un vecchio presentatore, e... gustatevi la sorpresa dell’ultimo paragrafo.
Il caro estinto: Richard Matheson é considerato un grande nel tema del racconto. Questo brevissimo esempio vi confermerà in maniera assoluta perché é così.
Sculture di ghiaccio: non conoscevo Silva come autore, ma mi ha piacevolmente sorpreso. Il tema del racconto si intuisce, ma é bello vedere come si arriva alla rivelazione finale del protagonista.
Colpo di spugna: splendido racconto di horror psicologico, con un protagonista realmente determinato a... beh, scopritelo. E rimarrete affascinati da come l’uomo possa risolversi a combattere il Male.
La figliata: splendido. Tra i migliori della raccolta. E con le ultime due righe che lasciano intendere un orrore di rara portata.
Splatter: all’inizio si capisce poco, ma poi la trama diviene più chiara, fino alla fine, imprevedibile e macabramente deliziosa. Molto carino L’ espediente della citazione continua di famosi film horror.
Letto di morte: un altro piccolo capolavoro del maestro Richard Matheson. Scorre veloce, fino alla rivelazione dell’ultimo rigo. Sorprendente.
Gotico americano: il titolo rimanda ad un famoso romanzo e ad un altrettanto famoso dipinto, che hanno in pratica creato un sottogenere della letteratura horror, quello della pigra provincia americana, dove può accadere di tutto. Come in questa storia, che é una bella rivisitazione di uno dei miti più famosi di sempre.
Sogni notturni: veloce, come una lama di rasoio, o un tagliacarte, ed altrettanto tagliente. Molto carino.
Il cane, gatto e neonato. Splendido Lansdale. Racconto veloce ed affilato come gli artigli del gatto, o i denti del cane... ed assolutamente sorprendente.
Niente viene dal niente: a volte l’orrore assume forme strane, sottili, non immediatamente visibili. É il caso di questo racconto, piuttosto sorprendente.
Se prendi la mia mano, figlio mio: assolutamente inusuale, ma con un finale che spiazza e giustifica la lunghezza del racconto.
Maurice é micia. Spettacolare, come ci si aspetta da un autore di grido come Herbert. E non scontato, per quanto il tema della raccolta sia l’orrore, e le conclusioni dei racconti non possano che essere tragiche.
Una storia di pesci: strepitosa, veramente. E realmente orrorifica. Non vi deluderà.
Meglio di Fetchit: carina e sorprendente, soprattutto nel delizioso finale, che si intuisce come azione, ma con una motivazione realmente sorprendente.
Nel carro armato: innovativo e sorprendente. Una sottile forma di orrore, peraltro, ma molto riuscita.
Nascondiglio: a volte la paura è qualcosa di sottile, di impercettibile, ma presente, che in un racconto si materializza piano piano, fino a realizzarsi appieno. Ecco, in questo racconto succede questo.
La notte sta gelando in fretta: molto, molto carino. Una versione diversa del patto di faustiana memoria, nelle gelide distese invernali dell’Iowa.
Talenti nascosti. La tensione sale poco a poco nelle fiere di paese, quando si gioca... ed anche in questo bel racconto di Richard Matheson, con “sorpresa” finale.
Il lago George in pieno agosto: L’ horror assume molte sfumature, alcune canoniche, altre meno. Un classico lago sperduto in mezzo al bosco appartiene alle prime,e l’effetto finale non può che essere quello desiderato dal lettore.
Wordsong: questo é un racconto sui generis, e decisamente il più “strano” dell’intera antologia. É scritto bene, ma va va riletto, particolarmente la fine, per essere apprezzato appieno. E, a quel punto, la fine é veramente notevole.
L’uomo che affogava i cuccioli: i migliori racconti dell’orrore sono quelli in cui le descrizioni sono di pace assoluta, ma si capisce subito che descrivono situazioni malate, che non dovrebbero esserci o esistere. E così é con questo racconto, che cresce piano piano, fino al terribile orrore finale, svelato proprio dall’ultima frase. Molto bello.
Il bambino che fece ritorno dalla morte: il racconto più lungo dell’antologia, e che la conclude, è anche il più strano di tutti. Pare un sogno, e forse lo é. O forse no... in ogni caso é strano, anche se carino.

[Melvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how it flipped the power dynamic—you think it’s just a real-world horror story, but then bam—vampire grandpa from hell shows up.

The twist with the kid saying “Popsy can fly” gave me that “wait for it” anticipation. Foreshadowing lol. That line gave me chills. Sheridan (not virgin river) thinks he’s in control the whole time, but he’s the real prey. That moment when Popsy descends and just annihilates him—it was vicious, but kind of cathartic.

It reminded me of how Filipino horror sometimes plays with predator/prey reversals too. Like the Tiyanak—a monster disguised as a baby that turns violent when picked up. Or the Aswang, who can shift forms and often targets evil humans. Popsy’s got that same vibe: protective, vengeful, and terrifying. It’s like King created his own version of an aswang father out for blood.

Also loved how this built off Night Flier—both are vampire stories, but Flier is about infection and decay, while Popsy is about retribution. The moral hits different here: sometimes the monster with wings is the hero, and the true evil is just a desperate human in a van.

Totally gave me Let the Right One In and The Lost Boys vibes too—young, lethal vampires flipping expectations.

[Giuliana Unlibropersognaregiuly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leggere una raccolta di racconti è sempre diverso che leggere un romanzo. Per me ha tempi di lettura diversi, più lenti e rilassati. In questa raccolta di racconti horror troviamo racconti per lo più brevi, ma che nonostante questo, esprimono al meglio la loro identità. Bambini particolari, cani fantasma, sculture di ghiaccio che fanno sciogliere chi vi è ritratto, animali voraci e stranamente deformi sono solo alcuni degli assaggi che questa raccolta può offrire. E visto il calibro degli scrittori, Matheson, Herbert, Bloch e lo stesso King, non posso che consogliarla a tutti gli amanti del genere.

[José · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tres estrellas, porque la lectura de esta selección de relatos me ha resultado grata, seguramente por la nostalgia asociada. Leí las antologías de Martínez Roca hace ya sus buenos 25 años, allá por los 90, y es obvio que la impresión que me causaron entonces aquellas lecturas dista mucho de la que me causarían ahora.
De los relatos de este volumen, me quedaría con estos:
_Popsy_, de Stephen King.
_Si tomas mi mano, hijo mío_, Mort Castle.
_Superaba a Fetchit_, de Charles R. Saunders.
_Borrón y cuenta nueva_, Wayne Miller.

[Chiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent collection of horror stories. I liked most of them. My favorites were Popsy (Stephen King), Eisskulpturen (David B. Silva), Ausgelöscht (G. Wayne Miller), Eine amerikanische Schauergeschichte (Ray Russell), Wenn die Nacht erfriert (Thomas F. Monteleone), Wordsong (J.N. Williamson) - but the most pleasant surprise was the final one: Der Junge, der von den Toten auferstand (Alan Rodgers).

[˚ ♡ lisette ⋆｡˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

«popsy can fly.»



a short horror story, grandpa-vampire
the site said that this is pre-intermediate level but it’s not exactly that, it’s something higher

[Alan Houk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never put a spoiler in a review so far, but I can’t resist this time. Anytime a twisted, degenerate, child kidnapper to pay his gambling debts, self-destructive loser gets what is coming to him; I am all in!!! Especially when the justice was served by a vampire!!! Genius!! King set me up perfectly with the mediocre Night Flier which he followed with this gem!

[Carlo Milan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una de las mejores antologías de terror que he leído

[Camilo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Grande delusione. Non un racconto che mi abbia convinto.

[Amie Clostio · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75*
From Nightmares & Dreamscapes

[Sofía · Rating 5 out of 5]

El último cuento me hizo llorar y eso que son historias de terror. Como muchas antologías, es desigual, pero me parece un libro invaluable. No todo tiene que ser perfecto (ni infunable, la verdad).

[Michael Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just for popsy

[Arnold Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really found this short story entertaining, And wondering how it connects to the rest of the King`s Universe. I know its set in Cousins Mall which is in the City of Derry.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish everyone had a Popsy.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Didn’t see that coming.
Bravo.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Popsy was a great story about a kidnapper who gets a taste of his own medicine.

[DAISY READS HORROR · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a hard read at first because of what was happening. But the ending was awesome! 👏

[Cibernetes · Rating 4 out of 5]

¡De vuelta a la infancia!

[Benjamin Martel · Rating 2 out of 5]

C'est vraiment pas ma came Stephen je suis désolé.

Quand je peux guess que Popsy va tuer l'autre parce qu'il est pas humain à la deuxième page, c'est pas une expérience où je trippe.

Sorry Stephane Roy