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The Best of Dark Terrors
Between 1995 and 2002, Dark Terrors: The Gollancz Book of Horror was Britain’s premier non-themed anthology of original horror stories. Over six volumes, it published some of the biggest names in the field as well as many newcomers who have gone on to forge impressive careers in the genre.
Edited by the World Fantasy Award-winning team of Stephen Jones and David A. Sutton, Dark Terrors established itself as a cutting-edge market for some of the most literary and disturbing fiction being produced on both sides of the Atlantic, winning the British Fantasy Award and the International Horror Guild Award in the process.
Now The Best of Dark Terrors collects together twenty of the most memorable stories from the original books in a new volume, which also includes reminiscences by both the editors and their original publisher, Jo Fletcher, along with an Index detailing the authors and their work that were included in the legendary anthology series.
For fans of superior horror fiction, the Terrors just got very Dark indeed…
Edited by the World Fantasy Award-winning team of Stephen Jones and David A. Sutton, Dark Terrors established itself as a cutting-edge market for some of the most literary and disturbing fiction being produced on both sides of the Atlantic, winning the British Fantasy Award and the International Horror Guild Award in the process.
Now The Best of Dark Terrors collects together twenty of the most memorable stories from the original books in a new volume, which also includes reminiscences by both the editors and their original publisher, Jo Fletcher, along with an Index detailing the authors and their work that were included in the legendary anthology series.
For fans of superior horror fiction, the Terrors just got very Dark indeed…
490 pages, Hardcover
Published October 31, 2021
5 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Jones
277 books344 followersStephen Jones is an eighteen-time winner of the British Fantasy Award.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 16, 2021
The Best of Dark Terrors is a collection of stories from the 1995-2002 running anthology Dark Terrors: The Gollancz Book of Horror. Horror fans will recognize many familiar names from the field here (Ray Bradbury, Poppy Z. Brite, Caitlin R. Kiernan, etc) and the expectation from both the name recognition and the title of the book would be that this is a high quality read. Unfortunately I found personally that it wasn't the case. Sure, some of the selections here are riveting but I found the majority of them to be a bit dull and outdated. I understand that these were written 15-20 years ago but some of the references and settings were a bit too "on the nose" to age well. For example, the first story (which was actually one of my favorites!) features a main character that spends most of the story mansplaining the early internet in such a high and mighty tone that it just comes off as laughable now.
There's some good content here, but as horror anthologies go there are better options out there.
**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Subterranean Press**
There's some good content here, but as horror anthologies go there are better options out there.
**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Subterranean Press**
December 11, 2021
I was given this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was SO excited to receive this book! My husband has a few of the books that these stories came from and I have enjoyed reading them!
While collections of short horror stories always have a few duds in them, I genuinely enjoyed reading this book! There were a bunch of good ones I remember having read from the others but there were also a bunch that were brand new to me.
If you love short horror collections, this one is honestly good.
I was SO excited to receive this book! My husband has a few of the books that these stories came from and I have enjoyed reading them!
While collections of short horror stories always have a few duds in them, I genuinely enjoyed reading this book! There were a bunch of good ones I remember having read from the others but there were also a bunch that were brand new to me.
If you love short horror collections, this one is honestly good.
Read
October 15, 2021I don't think these stories have aged well but honestly I am not sure they would have held any "terrors" 20 years ago either. DNF after 14%
I did not enjoy any of the 3 stories that I read. Sorry.
I did not enjoy any of the 3 stories that I read. Sorry.
September 29, 2021
Subterranean Press (Twitter: @SubPress) has been one of my favorite small presses for quite some time. So when I heard I might be able to get a galley of The Best of Dark Terrors, I had to jump at the opportunity. It's not quite the same as reading a limited edition of The Best of Dark Towers (oh, let's just shorten that to TBoDT from now on) but it'll do in a pinch. Reading limiteds is pure magic. The editors, authors, and artists actually held pages of the books, so in a way it's like you're sharing the book with them. Sorta. I might be over-thinking this.
As the title implies, this is a "best of" collection. It contains stories originally published in Dark Terrors: The Gollancz Book of Horror, a British non-themed horror anthology series, between 1995 and 2002. I'm frequently skeptical of "best of" collections, primarily because they tend to be followed by "more best of" collections and then "the return of best of" collections and then "the son of the return of best of" collections, all from the same original series. Like, what happened to the original "best ofs"? Did someone lie about them being the best?. Time will tell if this is a one-and-done best-of book. We'll see. As far as I know, no Volume 2 of TBoDT is in the works. Yet.
As for the stories, any collection like this is going to be hit or miss, and this one is not an exception. By "miss" I don't want to imply "bad," of course. A story that resonates with you may not whip my cord, and one that I like may inspire a heavy "meh" from you. This is okay.
Overall, I have to say there are more hits than misses for me here. I actually found the earlier stories (I believe they're chronologically ordered by original publication date, but I could be way off on that) to be more to my taste than the later stories. Perhaps nostalgia can be blamed for that? Older horror fiction has a dusty, comfortable feel to it that newer, "weirder" horror fiction does not, at least for me. There's a nice bit of camp to it, and I wish more authors employed that in their work. It's like "umami" for horror fiction. Just a personal vote. And hey, modems and dial-up Internet get call-outs in one of the early stories. Yes, kids, we used to get to the Internet through TELEPHONES. You Millennials and Zoomers don't know what you missed.
I like that the stories weren't all about creepy crawly monsters. After the first few, that gets old. "Horror" can just as easily cover "horrific situations" and "horrific thoughts". Luckily both are covered well in this collection. That said, there are some very creepy crawly monsters here, no
doubt about it. I'm looking at you, Poppy Z. Brite. Holy yikes, I had to watch some cartoons after reading that one.
Overall, this was a lot of fun to read, some parts more fun than others. I'm still contemplating buying the limited edition (it's only available for pre-order at the time of this review). Maybe there's room on my shelf for one more limited. Hm...
(Thanks to #NetGalley for lining me up with the advance copy of #TheBestOfDarkTerrors! I really appreciate it.)
As the title implies, this is a "best of" collection. It contains stories originally published in Dark Terrors: The Gollancz Book of Horror, a British non-themed horror anthology series, between 1995 and 2002. I'm frequently skeptical of "best of" collections, primarily because they tend to be followed by "more best of" collections and then "the return of best of" collections and then "the son of the return of best of" collections, all from the same original series. Like, what happened to the original "best ofs"? Did someone lie about them being the best?. Time will tell if this is a one-and-done best-of book. We'll see. As far as I know, no Volume 2 of TBoDT is in the works. Yet.
As for the stories, any collection like this is going to be hit or miss, and this one is not an exception. By "miss" I don't want to imply "bad," of course. A story that resonates with you may not whip my cord, and one that I like may inspire a heavy "meh" from you. This is okay.
Overall, I have to say there are more hits than misses for me here. I actually found the earlier stories (I believe they're chronologically ordered by original publication date, but I could be way off on that) to be more to my taste than the later stories. Perhaps nostalgia can be blamed for that? Older horror fiction has a dusty, comfortable feel to it that newer, "weirder" horror fiction does not, at least for me. There's a nice bit of camp to it, and I wish more authors employed that in their work. It's like "umami" for horror fiction. Just a personal vote. And hey, modems and dial-up Internet get call-outs in one of the early stories. Yes, kids, we used to get to the Internet through TELEPHONES. You Millennials and Zoomers don't know what you missed.
I like that the stories weren't all about creepy crawly monsters. After the first few, that gets old. "Horror" can just as easily cover "horrific situations" and "horrific thoughts". Luckily both are covered well in this collection. That said, there are some very creepy crawly monsters here, no
doubt about it. I'm looking at you, Poppy Z. Brite. Holy yikes, I had to watch some cartoons after reading that one.
Overall, this was a lot of fun to read, some parts more fun than others. I'm still contemplating buying the limited edition (it's only available for pre-order at the time of this review). Maybe there's room on my shelf for one more limited. Hm...
(Thanks to #NetGalley for lining me up with the advance copy of #TheBestOfDarkTerrors! I really appreciate it.)
November 16, 2021
Do you want to read creepy and spooky stories? Do you like shivers and blood in equal measure? Do you like dark fantasy? Have you read horror stories before? If not you are in for a wonderful introduction to all different horror stories! The horror anthology has 20 stories. Though it is an anthology with a no theme except that it is some type of horror. I have been reading horror since my first introduction to it. This anthology consists of stories that are from the “Dark Terrors: the Gollancz book of horror (series?) published between 1995 and 2002. The stories were the best of the 90’s British horror scene and cultural fears of that time.
Some horror anthologies I have read are centered on a theme such as all ghosts stories. This isn’t always my favorite type of anthology to read. The no theme anthologies are my favorite. The stories are a delightful thread of dangerous unpredictability. The stories are written by authors that are known now for their excellent novels they have written. I was delighted to see stories by some of my favorite horror authors. They are Harlan Ellison, Ray Bradbury, Richard Christian Mathewson, Brian Lumley and more. I also read stories by authors I did not know. Those authors are always fun for me to read as I may discover new authors to add to my must read authors. For me, this was a fantastic experience to read. It’s an excellent anthology to read for horror affeceindos and those looking for an excellent introduction to horror. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
Some horror anthologies I have read are centered on a theme such as all ghosts stories. This isn’t always my favorite type of anthology to read. The no theme anthologies are my favorite. The stories are a delightful thread of dangerous unpredictability. The stories are written by authors that are known now for their excellent novels they have written. I was delighted to see stories by some of my favorite horror authors. They are Harlan Ellison, Ray Bradbury, Richard Christian Mathewson, Brian Lumley and more. I also read stories by authors I did not know. Those authors are always fun for me to read as I may discover new authors to add to my must read authors. For me, this was a fantastic experience to read. It’s an excellent anthology to read for horror affeceindos and those looking for an excellent introduction to horror. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
January 15, 2022
When I was a child, I remember reading horror anthologies at the library while curled up in a large chair with my winter jacket for extra padding. I would always read these books in the part of the library with the most traffic, because the stories invariably scared the shit out of me; sheltering in a well-lit area with plenty of people around was the only possible defense (and one that never worked against the inevitable nightmares that followed). I bring this up because “The Best of Dark Terrors” is a horror anthology that hearkens back to that time. It collects a curated set of stories from the “Dark Terrors” anthologies that were published when I was a kid. So when I saw this book at the library, I felt a strong sense of nostalgia as I pulled it off the shelf (as well as a thrill that I was now courageous enough to bring such a collection of horrors back to my home).
That anticipation made the end result all the more disappointing. Most of the stories in “The Best of Dark Terrors” simply weren’t frightening to me. Some felt dated: apparently zombies were far considered more frightening decades ago than they are now. Some leaned into a splatter aesthetic that I vaguely recall being transgressive back then; now it seems a little juvenile. Some read incomprehensibly to me. A few presented certain stereotypes or patterns of behavior that feel inappropriate or distasteful now.
And there were also two or three stories that I remembered reading in the past that still gave me that delicious (if muted) frisson of fright when I read them in the present. Those stories brought me back to my childhood in a delightful way. But they were a very small minority of “The Best of Dark Terrors”, and I guess my larger takeaway is that I’ve moved on from my past.
That anticipation made the end result all the more disappointing. Most of the stories in “The Best of Dark Terrors” simply weren’t frightening to me. Some felt dated: apparently zombies were far considered more frightening decades ago than they are now. Some leaned into a splatter aesthetic that I vaguely recall being transgressive back then; now it seems a little juvenile. Some read incomprehensibly to me. A few presented certain stereotypes or patterns of behavior that feel inappropriate or distasteful now.
And there were also two or three stories that I remembered reading in the past that still gave me that delicious (if muted) frisson of fright when I read them in the present. Those stories brought me back to my childhood in a delightful way. But they were a very small minority of “The Best of Dark Terrors”, and I guess my larger takeaway is that I’ve moved on from my past.
March 17, 2023
They can't all be zingers, but fortunately there are more zingers than not in this anthology of horror stories. Which is good, because while the title boasts that it's the "best" of Dark Terrors, a now defunct series of anthologies, it's more accurate to say that it's a representative selection of the several volumes published from the 1990s through the early 2000s.
There were a few that I thought were kind of duds, but several that were definitely worth checking out. From my understanding, Dark Terrors was based in the U.K., and accordingly there were far more British authors than American. I did find it interesting that some of the names which caught my eye when I first looked were all in a row somewhere in the middle of the book -- Harlan Ellison, Poppy Z. Brite, Ray Bradbury, Caitlin R. Kiernan, etc. And I'm not sure if it was a product of the times, but there were a surprising number of stories that centered around pregnancy and childbirth; I guess that's part of the body horror sub-genre.
Most of these stories clocked in at 25 pages or less. The one exception was a novella that stretched out for more than 100 pages, but I found that one to be one of the best of the book (as well as one that I thought had potential to go beyond what was written there, perhaps as an actual novel or perhaps a screenplay).
If you enjoy horror fiction, short fiction, or ideally both, you could do a lot worse than this collection.
There were a few that I thought were kind of duds, but several that were definitely worth checking out. From my understanding, Dark Terrors was based in the U.K., and accordingly there were far more British authors than American. I did find it interesting that some of the names which caught my eye when I first looked were all in a row somewhere in the middle of the book -- Harlan Ellison, Poppy Z. Brite, Ray Bradbury, Caitlin R. Kiernan, etc. And I'm not sure if it was a product of the times, but there were a surprising number of stories that centered around pregnancy and childbirth; I guess that's part of the body horror sub-genre.
Most of these stories clocked in at 25 pages or less. The one exception was a novella that stretched out for more than 100 pages, but I found that one to be one of the best of the book (as well as one that I thought had potential to go beyond what was written there, perhaps as an actual novel or perhaps a screenplay).
If you enjoy horror fiction, short fiction, or ideally both, you could do a lot worse than this collection.
October 29, 2021
This collections takes 20 *best of stories* from the "Dark Terrors: The Gollancz Book of Horror". Its stories include unspeakable horrors, gore, serial killers, supernatural aspects, and mainly just stories that give you chills.
Overall this was a good collection in my opinion. I didn't enjoy reading all of them, but the majority of them gave me the creeps. If you're looking for a collection of horror stories for the Halloween season, I'd recommend giving this book a try!
My top three from this book included:
1. Free Dirt
by Ray Bradbury
This story had a very spooky vibe. I was very interested in the story line.
2. Self-made man
by Poppy Z. Brite
This story was horrifyingly good. It had me grossed out, but intrigued at the same time. I really like the mashup of the two concepts: serial killer and the undead.
3. The Wedding Present
by Neil Gaiman
I was very excited to see a story in here by Neil Gaiman. I've read several things from this author, and love their work. The story line had a very interesting concept. It was something that I would really like to read more of!
Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for the ARC!
Overall this was a good collection in my opinion. I didn't enjoy reading all of them, but the majority of them gave me the creeps. If you're looking for a collection of horror stories for the Halloween season, I'd recommend giving this book a try!
My top three from this book included:
1. Free Dirt
by Ray Bradbury
This story had a very spooky vibe. I was very interested in the story line.
2. Self-made man
by Poppy Z. Brite
This story was horrifyingly good. It had me grossed out, but intrigued at the same time. I really like the mashup of the two concepts: serial killer and the undead.
3. The Wedding Present
by Neil Gaiman
I was very excited to see a story in here by Neil Gaiman. I've read several things from this author, and love their work. The story line had a very interesting concept. It was something that I would really like to read more of!
Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for the ARC!
October 28, 2021
With twenty horror tales, The Best of Dark Terrors has plenty for everyone. There are famous authors like Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison and Neil Gaiman alongside relatively unknown writers. While all the tales involve the paranormal, not all are scary. Both humor and pathos are also included.
Whether you are trying to get into Halloween mode or just read a good story, The Best of Dark Terrors is a great choice. 4 stars!
Thanks to Subterranean Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Whether you are trying to get into Halloween mode or just read a good story, The Best of Dark Terrors is a great choice. 4 stars!
Thanks to Subterranean Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
March 17, 2024
Horror. When you tell someone you love horror books, it says something different to each reader. The Dark Terrors series of tales introduced many readers to a horror experience that would make them life long lovers of the genre while introducing authors, new or seasoned, to the fans that would feed their egos and pocketbooks. As a "Best of" book, this volume contains a varied mix of stories to keep you jumping at those unexplained creaks and squeaks until the last sentence of the last story, then looking for the back volumes to see what else you'll find.
November 1, 2021
Overall, a nice collection of tales to introduce new readers to authors. Most of the stories left me feeling blah because there wasn't really anything new or shocking or terrifying. The stories are well written and have been loved by readers in the past, so I'm sure it's just me.
Thank you NetGalley and Subterranean Press for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.
Thank you NetGalley and Subterranean Press for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.
September 27, 2021
The Best of Dark Terrors
[Blurb goes here]
A great anthology, it's amazing when you think about it. Some of these stories where written some twenty years ago. If you're looking to have an eerie time, you should dive into The Best of Dark Horrors.
Thank you for the free copy!
[Blurb goes here]
A great anthology, it's amazing when you think about it. Some of these stories where written some twenty years ago. If you're looking to have an eerie time, you should dive into The Best of Dark Horrors.
Thank you for the free copy!
October 7, 2021
Different tales to chill your bones.
August 1, 2022
Enjoyable, but fundamentally a random and inevitably uneven selection of middle-of-the-pack stories by notable authors.
Read
January 30, 2023DNF - 42%
December 11, 2021
Between 1995 and 2002, Dark Terrors: The Gollancz Book of Horror was Britain's premier non-themed anthology of original horror stories. Over six volumes, it published some of the biggest names in the field as well as many newcomers who have gone on to forge impressive careers in the genre. Edited by the World Fantasy Award-winning team of Stephen Jones and David A. Sutton, Dark Terrors established itself as a cutting-edge market for some of the most literary and disturbing fiction being produced on both sides of the Atlantic, winning the British Fantasy Award and the International Horror Guild Award in the process.
I can’t say I loved this enough! It’s a huge book full of all kinds of horror. The kind that gives you nightmares, makes you squirm, makes you gag, makes you do that nervous laugh, makes you think, and best of all entertains you long past the ending of the book.
There are so many famous names in this volume, that were not so famous when they submitted these works. I was not familiar with the Dark Terrors anthologies from years ago, but I can promise you I will search them out and read them!
This volume is 20 of the most memorable stories from those 7 years of collections.
There are no duds here. Yes, there are some I did not like as much as others but only because they were not of my personal taste. A few of the stories are dated, but to Subterranean’s credit, they did not modernize them as some publishers and editors would be tempted to do. I know this may bother some of the younger generation's taste, especially those who think today’s horror style is the best.
No, the horror stories of 20+ years back truly understood what it meant to disturb their reader. Horror doesn’t always mean splatter, though I do enjoy it when it does. Horror is at its best when its physiological, and makes those hidden fears in your brain start to wriggle and begin to awaken. If you love that kind of horror, I don’t think you will be the least disappointed in this anthology.
Thanks to @NetGalley, Subterranean Press, and Stephen Jones and David A. Sutton for this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
I can’t say I loved this enough! It’s a huge book full of all kinds of horror. The kind that gives you nightmares, makes you squirm, makes you gag, makes you do that nervous laugh, makes you think, and best of all entertains you long past the ending of the book.
There are so many famous names in this volume, that were not so famous when they submitted these works. I was not familiar with the Dark Terrors anthologies from years ago, but I can promise you I will search them out and read them!
This volume is 20 of the most memorable stories from those 7 years of collections.
There are no duds here. Yes, there are some I did not like as much as others but only because they were not of my personal taste. A few of the stories are dated, but to Subterranean’s credit, they did not modernize them as some publishers and editors would be tempted to do. I know this may bother some of the younger generation's taste, especially those who think today’s horror style is the best.
No, the horror stories of 20+ years back truly understood what it meant to disturb their reader. Horror doesn’t always mean splatter, though I do enjoy it when it does. Horror is at its best when its physiological, and makes those hidden fears in your brain start to wriggle and begin to awaken. If you love that kind of horror, I don’t think you will be the least disappointed in this anthology.
Thanks to @NetGalley, Subterranean Press, and Stephen Jones and David A. Sutton for this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
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