Horrors Beyond: Tales of Terrifying Realities

Horrors Beyond #1

by William Jones (Editor), Peter Judith Campbell (Contributor), Dave Campbell (Contributor)

Things are not as they seem. The world around us is filled with lurking creatures from other places, and other dimensions, locked away by the laws that govern the universe. When mankind tampers with these laws, the barriers protecting them from the horrors beyond are destroyed. These tales explore these unseen horrors, long hidden from the eyes of humanity.

Genres: Horror, Anthologies, Lovecraftian, Fiction

284 pages, Paperback

First published April 15, 2007

About the author

William 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.

Reviews

[msleighm · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars.

Got this at a Steampunk Worlds Fair in Piscataway, NJ, with an autograph by storywriter C.J. Henderson.

Favorite stories are by William Mitchell, James Dorr and Michael Minnis. Minnis being the creepiest and reminiscent of Lovecraft.

Read: 7/21-9/2/2015

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, we have an anthology of short stories wherein the reader will find things a) very much to his/her liking; b) interesting & okay; or c) not so hot. This is totally understandable any time this type of book presents itself, and each reader will come away from it with something different.

Overall, I liked it. Now, I'm not a professional reviewer, nor am I a professional critic, but I know what I like and what I don't like. This book has something for everyone: Lovecraftian nuances, science fiction, tongue-in-cheek humor. Anyone who likes horror (cerebral, mind you, not the hack 'em slash 'em, lets-see-how-bloody-we-can-be type) or science fiction should enjoy this book, as will readers familiar with the writings of HP Lovecraft.

Now to the contents list (don't worry -- no spoilers)

The Eyes Of Howard Culix, by Tim Curran: I liked this one; a world-renowned scientist shares a secret with a tabloid reporter, but it's not only the secret he passes along. Good.

His Wonders In The Deep, by William Mitchell: A woman lying in a hospital is plagued with bizarre bruising and cuts that happen as she's being observed by doctors. One of the doctors does some research and comes up with 8 other cases similar to this one, ending in death, and finds out that all 9 were survivors of a horrible shipwreck. There were, however, 10 survivors in total - so off go the doctors to find #10. Another good one.

The Breach, by Lee Clark Zumpe: This one was a bit different, and not one of my favorites, but don't translate that into bad, because it's not. Experimentation goes awry creating a breach that allows parallel worlds and infinite possibilities...we're just not ready for that yet! Okay story that makes you think.

Experiencing The Other, by Ann K. Schwader: this one was excellent. I'm going to see what else I can find by this author if this is a sample of her writing. A young woman is contacted by a UFOlogist (and anthropologist) about gathering a group of people together and experiencing "the other" on her ranch. Now, she knows this is NOT a good idea, but he's going to pay her enough to get her out of trouble with the IRS, so it's a done deal. And then they arrive....

Probably one of my favorite stories in the book.

The Candle Room, by James S. Dorr: This one is a bit different, involving a woman's hobby of reading candles to tell fortune and a birthday gift given to her by her boyfriend. Some people will like this; let's just say that it didn't do much for me.

A Little Color In Your Cheeks, by Michael Minnis: Now this one I really liked! Taking as its base HPL's story "The Colour Out of Space" (which you probably really don't need to know in this case, but I'd read it anyway), the author mixes this in a humorous way with Orson Welles' broadcast of "War of the Worlds." Very good, a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor. An awesome story.

One Way Conversation, by Brian Sammons: I happen to very much like stories like this -- in which events from the present have an effect on the future, which in turn have effects on the past. Very paradoxical. When I read straight sci-fi like this, I'm in my SF element. So, I really enjoyed this story, which focuses on efforts in the present (in this case, 2019) to receive messages from the future via tachyon particles. Oops! Shouldn't mess with things beyond our understanding, but it's too late when all is said and done. Very well done.

After The War, by Tony Campbell: Not my cup of tea, exactly, but I'm sure others will enjoy it. It is the Hunters vs. the Chromos in a fight to see who will come out on top and rule mankind; the action takes place in an old asylum. Hmmm. Next.

The Blind, by Gerard Houarner: - Another one that was not something I'd ordinarily choose to read. Don't misunderstand me -- the writing is good, but it's just not me. It is a story of a woman who seeks a new high, and gets the opposite. Different.

The Hades Project, by John Sunseri: Another awesome story in the mix, in which a man who is part of a team that sent astronauts to a planet named Persephone (you remember that planet, right? No? Oh well, then they got to you, too!) discovers that he's the only person on the planet to remember the mission. All hell breaks loose and suddenly, there never was a mission and our narrator is insane. Loved the premise, loved the writing and yep, I'll find more that this author's written.

A Form of Hospice, by Richard Gavin: Good story, based on dream experiences, narrated by a guy who's dying of cancer and tries to find some alternative method of coping. I happen to enjoy stories about dreams v. reality & this one was quite well written.

The Prototype, by Ron Shiflet: Somewhere in the vast reaches of my brain, I've read something along these lines before. This one was okay, but I had to wonder if perhaps the editor threw it in at that moment for comic relief? Sorry, but I couldn't take this one seriously as a horror story. That doesn't mean it's bad, au contraire -- lots of people will probably enjoy this one. Think Purple Rose of Cairo meets zombies from outer space.

False Containment, by David Conyers: Now, I truly enjoy this author's work, and here he did not let me down one bit. An awesome story that will leave you thinking about politics, the environment and what's wrong with the freakin' world. I read something along these same lines earlier -- oh yes, Brian Aldiss's "Dracula Unbound," where technology was being developed to send toxic waste back in time, but Conyers really pulled it off here. It starts with some bizarre archaeological evidence dating back hundreds of years earlier, presenting itself in Australia -- but includes a polaroid photograph taken in the present. Very very fine writing.


Dingbats, by Richard Lupoff: Okay, I must admit that I didn't like this one and thought it was rather silly. Somehow, it just didn't fit (sorry, editor...no slam on you!) IMHO with the other stories here. Women in space taking on various roles depending on the whims of a space goddess...hmm. Pass.


The Orion Man, by Doug Goodman: A young doctor finds himself in a mental ward, thinking it is 1999; to his horror, it is 2004. So where did his 5 years go? The answer to this lies in this story (which I won't divulge). Not too bad, but not one of my favorites.

Vuuduu, by C.J. Henderson: CJ Henderson could write crap and I'd still love it. I am a devoted fan of this man and his work. His stuff tends to be a bit offbeat a lot of the time, and that's the story here. I actually enjoyed the story, though, in which the world has gone ga-ga over a music download service called VuuDuu. Everyone, with the exception of Henderson's unnamed protagonist, is listening through their headphones, and suddenly society and the world become great places to be. It sort of reminded me, in an offbeat way, of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," in which those who didn't belong were easily spotted and hunted. Cool story, and frankly, I think his satire is right on the money. I have a teen who is never unplugged from IPod unless it's dinner.

Cahokia, by Cody Goodfellow: The marines go into space in a vehicle which scoops up asteroids, plunders them for their bounty and thus provide the crew with its living. One such asteroid they land on is very reminiscent of the ancient mound society of Cahokia. If you don't know what this is, go read about it on Wikipedia before you start this story. Personally, I normally enjoy Goodfellow's work, but this one just didn't do it for me.

The Name Of The Enemy, by William Jones: while this wasn't great, it was good. The final story in the collection, as I'm reading through this, there's a part where one of the fighters goes into a tunnel and does battle with a mandible-snapping creature...and I'm thinking, whoa! I read this in Starship Troopers! I'm happy to say, however, that there was a twist that Starship Troopers didn't have that made the story workable. I will be looking for other work by this author, for sure.

Overall, an awesome book that I can definitely recommend to others.

[Aki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best short stories in the anthology:


One Way Conversation - 5 stars
My absolute favorite story in the whole book. It was suspenseful and brilliant, and somehow managed to pull together an innumerable amount of parallel universes and three years of time travel in less than fifteen pages.

The Hades Project - 5 stars
Simple and fun, told from a supposed mental patient's point of view. Believable if you want it to be, especially in the details.

VuuDuu - 4 stars
Probably the shortest story in the anthology, and as such is also the simplest. 'Frightening' in a way that you wouldn't think of, and more effective than many of the longer, more complex stories.

The Name of the Enemy - 4 stars
An amazingly complex, futuristic scenario that manages to describe not two but THREE sides to war, and has you switching allegiances by the end.

[Mik Cope · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most anthologies tend to be rather hit and miss, but this is a good selection of commissioned pieces, some by authors I've read before, others unknown to me. There's an overlying theme of sci-fi / tech / military stories, with some more traditional pastiches. The latter were actually the poorer efforts.

[Brian Sammons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first anthology to publish one of my stories, "One Way Conversation" It's one of the stories I'm proudest of and one that has had the most good feedback by readers and critics.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the publishers of the Book of Dark Wisdom, Horrors Beyond are a diverse set of short stories written in the Lovecraftian vein. The settings range anywhere from the 1920's to deep space in the far future. Each author was able to present their own Mythos story. Overall, I found the anthology enjoyable and well-presented. The editing is well-done, and the book layout of the stories work well with one another, transitioning from one style of story to another.

The anthology contained 18 stories total. It is published in trade paper and hardback. The binding quality looks good, and I imagine it should hold up well over the years.

I am going to review each story in brief. My comments may have spoilers, so readers be warned!

"The Eyes of Howard Curlix" by Tim Curran - A suspenseful tale about a tabloid journalist's meeting with a scientist who learns how to perceive beyond the electromagnetic spectrum that is detectable to humans. In the process, he discovers the creatures and beings that are suddenly able to perceive him. The story is Lovecraftian in style, though its direct references are very minor. It is a very strong lead story for the anthology, making you plunge into the next story.

"His Wonders in the Deep" by William Mitchell - A story about the investigation of the deaths of the survivors of a sinking boat, bringing immigrants to the United States. You are lead to the only remaining survivor who is trying to resurrect his dead wife and daughter. The suspense and mystery of the story is well-paced. It has much more strong harkenings to the Lovecraftian style, though again so direct references. The characters are interesting. The anthology definitely keeps its strength with its second story.

"The Breach" by Lee Clark Zumpe - Bringing us back to the realm of weird science of the first story, Zumpe presents a university that underfunds a project in which they puncture the fabric of reality. I found the presentation a little more broken than the previous stories, but I found the tale to be enjoyable in the end. It is less in the Lovecraftian vein other than hinting what other things may be in other realities waiting to come through.

"Experiencing the Other" by Ann K. Schwader - A change from the previous stories in which we are brought to struggling high mountain ranch in the modern day which has some horror buried beneath it and threatens to break its bonds once a year. The story did not feel nearly as complete as the previous stories for the horror is unleashed upon the world and the characters are left standing there. I have heard her previous works are good though, and I would not mind going back to them.

"The Candle Room" by James S. Dorr - A story about beings caught in another dimension and looking to get back in, the story feels like walking through a dream at times that things could go wrong, but they do not really go in that direction. Everything is happy in the end except the threat of these beings trying to come through again.

"A Little Color in Your Cheeks" by Mike Minnis - I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Weaving Orson Wells' Halloween War of the Worlds prank into the events was well-done. It worked well with the attack of the Color. However, I did find the exposition to be a little much, and the ending was too trite. It did not set well with the otherwise serious content of the story.

"One Way Conversation" by Brian M. Sammons - Perhaps the best story in the anthology, the story involves the development of tachyon communication. The scientists learn to receive transmissions easily enough, but they have to reinvent theory in order to plot the where and when they want to transmit messages to. In the end, the world seems to be coming apart because of these messages through time. The story has the strongest allusion to Lovecraftian beings, and I look forward to reading more of Sammons work in the future.

"After the War" by Tony Campbell - A story about genetically-engineered ghouls and our attempt to wipe them out, the story has a definitely hunter perspective that I am not sure fits with our modern day perspective. The story is character-driven in that major decisions and changes happen to the characters by the end of the story. The story feels like the lead-in for something larger though.

"The Blind" by Gerard Houarner - Perhaps the most character-driven story in the anthology, the story follows Rikki in her search for the ultimate fix. She is portrayed as an intelligent and cultured character that has taken some hard hits through life. In the end, she is given a drag that leaves most people incapacitated, and she manages to pull herself through it with a determination to improve her life. Definitely thought provoking, the story stood out from the rest of the stories, but it is a pleasant change.

"The Hades Project" by John Sunseri - A subjective rant in which you are not sure if you should believe the narrator or not, the story explores the possibilities of deep space exploration and what we may just bring back. The story presents a good amount of hysteria and facts that you are not sure what to believe. The author does a good job at intruding on our reality.

"A Form of Hospice" by Richard Gavin -Though not as extreme as Goodfellow's Radiant Dawn cancer plot, Gavin takes an interesting perspective on the lengths cancer patients will go through to live longer, and more pertinently, what will take advantage of them along the way. The overall feeling is creepy and foreboding. I enjoyed Gavin's work and will be looking for more in the future.

"The Prototype" by Ron Shiflet - Now this story reminded me of an old Amazing Stories television show. Though a little tongue in cheek, the story is not just about the television shows we watch, but where exactly are our televisions made? I had a good time reading this story and had a good chuckle.

"False Containment" by David Conyers - This is a fantastic story. Though it is difficult to pull three characters through a short story, Conyers manages it. The story is globe-and-time-spanning and timely, dealing with the a new Zero Waste Technology. Through the story, you learn that the characters are catapulted through time in their effort to stop a horror from taking over the earth. They are all confidant that they stop it though of their future selves tell them so. However, Conyers throws us an interesting twist at the end. Definitely a swift story with an engaging plot.

"Dingbats" by Richard A. Lupoff - Perhaps the silliest story of the lot, the author tells about the weekend trip of three women who had just met and how they end up flung to the far reaches of the universe and in the presences of a developing god-like entity. The voice is strong, and the dream sequences are imaginative. However, I kind of feel like I was reading a girl-power version of 2001.

"The Orion Man" by Doug Goodman - An interesting story about an alien invasion, the story is well-written and suspenseful. The author keeps the reader in the dark, slowly feeding information as necessary. The result is a scary alien-government conspiracy that is just plausible enough to be scary. I look forward to more Doug Goodman's work.

"Vuuduu" by C.J. Henderson - Being the owner of an iPod and having used Napster and other file sharing software, I found this story to be funny and thought-provoking. Using the music and devices to subliminally impose order on society, the story puts an interesting twist on the development of a new world order.

"Cahokia" by Cody Goodfellow - What happened to all of those lost civilizations that just seem to disappear? Goodfellow provides us with an answer with presenting us with the ruins of a extra-dimensional deep space city that the characters are scavenging. The story is engaging, and of all of the stories, it has many more trappings of the science fiction genre. Still, there are enough unanswered questions to keep you wondering, up and through the end.

"The Name of the Enemy" by William Jones- I have to say that Jones' story reminded me more of Babylon 5 instead of Lovecraft. While we do have the Psi who release the horrors from another dimension, there is question of who is on who's side. The tensions are well-done, and the story is engaging. It is a good follow-up to Goodfellow's story.

In summary, I found the collection to be enjoyable. It definitely explores beyond the Mythos and into the further speculations of `What if?' I would definitely recommend this read.

[Marc Kolb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually the second time I’ve read this. This is a wonderful collection of edgy Lovecraftian fiction. I enjoyed it immensely.

[Brendan Coster · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a few Gems in here. I tend to be favorable to story collections like this simply because the investment of time is fairly low so, reading a bad short story is not nearly has painful as reading a bad novel. Definitely "the Hades Project" and "One way conversation" stand out and I'd recommend them for anyone. I also liked "False Containment" even if it's internal logic was about as solid as a piece of chalk. CJ Hendersons "Vuuduu" was an interesting take on Zombies, now zombies, - he was also the guy we brought the book from -- during a way too hot and sunny day in Connecticut one summer. We'd initially hung out for a little with him before walking around some more -- but then went back and got this and "Disciples of Cthulu II". Now, some 4 years later I read them both -- such is the chaotic and malleable nature of time, no?

[James Pratt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice and well-chosen collection of modern day weird tales. As a fan of H.P. Lovecraft and his contemporaries, I'm happy to see that modern authors are carrying on the tradition of horror rooted not in people being butchered by masked psychopaths but terror of the unknown. Lovecraft fans will especially enjoy "A Little Colour in Your Cheeks" by Michael Minnis, a homage to Lovecraft's own "The Colour Out of Space". Recoomended.

James Pratt, author of 'When Dead Gods Dream: A Collection of Lovecraftian Short Stories'

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of Horrors Beyond is above average. One Way Conversation was absolutely brilliant, but there were a couple of stories I just didn't care for. But still, this is worth reading for horror fans. Recommended.

[Myles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of stories involving eldritch horror fueled futures and possible realities. Stand outs from Sammons, Conyers, Henderson, Curran, and more