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Between Time and Terror
Take a terror-laden trip to a dark, hidden place where fear feeds on the mind and science devours the soul. Meet the boys of Dean Koontz's "Nightmare Gang," a deadly crew whose leader recruits members in the most creatively evil way. In "The Father-Thing," by Philip K. Dick, a boy watches his dad have a change of heart...and mind...and body. With contributions from acclaimed science fiction, fantasy, and suspense writers, this riverting collection is a free fall of fright that speeds you through one magnificent story after another.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1995
About the author
Robert Weinberg
193 books57 followersAlso published as Harrison Denmark.
Robert Weinberg (also credited as Bob Weinberg) was an American author. His work spans several genres including non-fiction, science fiction, horror, and comic books.
Weinberg sold his first story in 1967. Most of his writing career was conducted part-time while also owning a bookstore; he became a full time writer after 1997.
Weinberg was also an editor, and edited books in the fields of horror, science fiction and western. In comics, Weinberg wrote for Marvel Comics; his first job was on the series Cable, and he later created the series Nightside.
Wikipedia entry: Robert Weinberg
Robert Weinberg (also credited as Bob Weinberg) was an American author. His work spans several genres including non-fiction, science fiction, horror, and comic books.
Weinberg sold his first story in 1967. Most of his writing career was conducted part-time while also owning a bookstore; he became a full time writer after 1997.
Weinberg was also an editor, and edited books in the fields of horror, science fiction and western. In comics, Weinberg wrote for Marvel Comics; his first job was on the series Cable, and he later created the series Nightside.
Wikipedia entry: Robert Weinberg
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 10, 2012
Now THIS is a great nook. Sci-fi horror that's never been done better. It starts with HP Lovecraft and then runs through a who's who list of sci-fi, weird, and horror authors. Frank Belknap Long, Clark Ashton Smith, John W. Campbell Jr. (yes, it's 'who goes there" the story that the awesome THE THING movie was based off of), Robert Heinlein, Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury (R.I.P. good sir), Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick, Richard Matheson, Isaac Asimov, Dean Koontz, F. Paul Wilson, John Shirley, Dan Simmons, David Morrell, and Clive Barker. Not a bad name, or story, in the bunch. One of my all time favorite collections. If you are a horror, sci-fi, and especially horror and sci-fi fan then YOU MUST get this book.
July 17, 2019
Tak tohle je opravdu moc dobrá sbírka, a nic na tom nemění ani to, že některé povídky už jste mohli číst jinde. Najdete tu opravdové legendy (Kdo je tam? nebo třeba Otec - ta věc!) a i ty ostatní mají každá něco do sebe. Od úvodního "Muže s tisícem nohou" z dvacátých let, kde si užijete šílených vědců, záhadných paprsků a chapadel navíc až po závěrečnou "Oranžová je bolest, modrá šílenství" Davida Morrella, na kterou by si měli dát pozor milovníci impresionistických malířů.
A to mohla být ta sbírka ještě lepší, kdyby Mustang proti původnímu vydání nevypustil hned čtyři povídky, mezi nimi dokonce legendární "Barvu z vesmíru" H. P. Lovecrafta.
Hanba jim!
A to mohla být ta sbírka ještě lepší, kdyby Mustang proti původnímu vydání nevypustil hned čtyři povídky, mezi nimi dokonce legendární "Barvu z vesmíru" H. P. Lovecrafta.
Hanba jim!
March 8, 2023
The Colour Out of Space: 4/5 A very interesting story- while it has a bit of a now well-used idea, it was definitely more groundbreaking in its time. Lovecraft is obviously a master of sci-fi and horror, and this is a perfect blend of the two. The only reason I can’t give it 5 stars is how much of a drag it felt like in the first 5 or so pages. One has to be in a certain type of mindset to enjoy this as it is a wordy and heavy story. Fantastic little tale.
The Man with a Thousand Legs: 2/5 Good writing and a pretty good idea but nothing that stood out to me. I like that the yellow tentacle creature was a part of its host and the way the story was told through different people’s accounts, but the idea itself was nothing special and it didn’t stick out to me- but that may be because I’m reading it 90 years too late.
The Vaults of Yoh Vombis: 3/5 I liked the idea of the archaeology mission here but the story itself I found pretty boring and felt like there was only about a page of excitement wedged between the drudgery. I did enjoy the more interesting bits a lot, but this tale didn’t stand out to me and just felt unnecessary.
Who Goes There?: 5/5 A fantastic story that is genuinely chilling and written unbelievably well. The actual logic and science behind this story is something to marvel at especially considering when it was written. The tale itself perfectly displays human nature and paranoia in a seriously talented way, along with being very entertaining and having a great ending. I loved this story and the movie adaptions and would highly recommend it to any sci-fi or horror connoisseur.
They: 2/5 A faster read than a lot of the others in this anthology, this story is a very strange but not quite original read that I can’t say I loved. Most of it follows the man’s experience in a psychiatric hospital, only the last few paragraphs displaying the twist. That being said, it was still well done and likely a pioneer for its time. There’s also a lot of good philosophy here that I quite liked seeing in a genre normally devoid of such.
It Happened Tomorrow: 2/5 The foreword to this was probably my favorite part, the idea of rebelling against a literary industry still remains important to date. The story itself is a bit unrealistic and holds too much literal personification for my taste, but the writing is good and it’s a quicker read considering it’s one of the longest stories in the collection. Its lack of realism is really what ruined it for me along with its unnecessary length, but it wasn’t absolutely terrible and I didn’t hate it.
Asleep in Armageddon: 4/5 I quite liked this story and the writing itself was very fun to read. It was somewhat humorous while also being cleverly entertaining and I liked seeing where it would go. The end was absolutely fantastic and the emotion portrayed throughout was palpable. A good and solid story.
A Walk in the Dark: 4/5 This story was rather spooky and again well written but not horribly exciting. I liked the idea and the ending but it just wasn’t too grabbing for me. That being said, it was a good piece of writing and I did enjoy it.
The Father-Thing: 4/5 I loved the adventurous aspect of this story and the way it followed kids discovering something alien. The creature itself was far more unique in its time but is still rather spooky. I liked this a lot and it was a very solid work.
Born of Man and Woman: 5/5 This was an absolutely fantastic story no matter how short. I love how it’s told from the monster’s point of view and how the people react to it. Loved this so much.
Hell-Fire: 2/5 A good metaphor but a ridiculous story. A devil appearing in the explosion of an atom bomb is somewhat foolish in my opinion, but I do think that this was a fantastic metaphor for the destruction of the then new nuclear age.
Nightmare Gang: 2/5 This story wasn’t too magical and didn’t stand out to me at all really, but the idea was rather unique and I did like the characters. The ending and plot overall wasn’t too riveting and it was rather unrealistic. That being said, the idea was cool.
Soft: 4/5 I really liked this story and it was super unique. The idea of a strange sickness softening the bones was something I’ve never seen before and I loved the way it was portrayed. Overall it was a good story, but there wasn’t as much interest to it as there could’ve been.
Ticket to Heaven: 5/5 I really like the idea for this story but I’m not a huge fan of the writing itself or grammar. That being said, I adored the concept of humans going so far as to disrupt the divine limits that were created to stay unbroken. The ending was absolutely fucking insane and I was open-mouth shocked at it, hence the 5 stars. Such a great concept and philosophical ideology, everyone should read this story at least once.
Metastasis: 4/5 Fantastic start to a story, but it then slowly descends into a weirdness that was genuinely strange to read and somewhat difficult to comprehend. The idea of cancer being so malevolent as to be caused by hell spawn is very unique and was quite well done, and the horror in this story was actually palpable. The ending and the way the main character took out the ‘evil’ was quite confusing and I’m not sure I fully understood it, but it was neat to read.
Orange is for Anguish, Blue for Insanity: 4/5 It pains me to be unable to give this story a 5/5, it does come quite close. The only thing holding it back is that it could’ve been more exciting and a tad less lengthy. I loved the mystery and suspense in this story along with the idea itself, the discoveries made throughout were absolutely captivating and intrigued me greatly. I can’t give it a perfect review but quite want to as I really liked this story.
The Age of Desire: 1/5 I just don’t even know where to start with this story. If rape erotica deemed horror is your thing, then this is for you- but don’t read it, no one should. The description compares it to Frankenstein and claims it shows ‘a monster that sees more clearly than the creator’ and is a ‘sympathetic’ tale. I don’t know how one could ever find sympathy in a serial rapist, even if he was drugged. Worst and most insane 40 pages I’ve ever read, which sucks considering I actually quite like Barker’s other works.
Overall: The average of all the stories was a 3/5, so that’s what I’ll give it. I really like how this anthology brings in a genius side of science fiction. Myriad sci-fi stories don’t follow genuine science or reason, unlike the ones in this collection. It’s nice to see so many authors writing genius stories with real thought behind them. Considering that, it’s not surprise that this collection will take a while to get through. I also really liked the small intros before each story that profiled the author and gave a small description of the tale, it was good to see especially as the book grows older and the authors (sadly) become more obscure.
The Man with a Thousand Legs: 2/5 Good writing and a pretty good idea but nothing that stood out to me. I like that the yellow tentacle creature was a part of its host and the way the story was told through different people’s accounts, but the idea itself was nothing special and it didn’t stick out to me- but that may be because I’m reading it 90 years too late.
The Vaults of Yoh Vombis: 3/5 I liked the idea of the archaeology mission here but the story itself I found pretty boring and felt like there was only about a page of excitement wedged between the drudgery. I did enjoy the more interesting bits a lot, but this tale didn’t stand out to me and just felt unnecessary.
Who Goes There?: 5/5 A fantastic story that is genuinely chilling and written unbelievably well. The actual logic and science behind this story is something to marvel at especially considering when it was written. The tale itself perfectly displays human nature and paranoia in a seriously talented way, along with being very entertaining and having a great ending. I loved this story and the movie adaptions and would highly recommend it to any sci-fi or horror connoisseur.
They: 2/5 A faster read than a lot of the others in this anthology, this story is a very strange but not quite original read that I can’t say I loved. Most of it follows the man’s experience in a psychiatric hospital, only the last few paragraphs displaying the twist. That being said, it was still well done and likely a pioneer for its time. There’s also a lot of good philosophy here that I quite liked seeing in a genre normally devoid of such.
It Happened Tomorrow: 2/5 The foreword to this was probably my favorite part, the idea of rebelling against a literary industry still remains important to date. The story itself is a bit unrealistic and holds too much literal personification for my taste, but the writing is good and it’s a quicker read considering it’s one of the longest stories in the collection. Its lack of realism is really what ruined it for me along with its unnecessary length, but it wasn’t absolutely terrible and I didn’t hate it.
Asleep in Armageddon: 4/5 I quite liked this story and the writing itself was very fun to read. It was somewhat humorous while also being cleverly entertaining and I liked seeing where it would go. The end was absolutely fantastic and the emotion portrayed throughout was palpable. A good and solid story.
A Walk in the Dark: 4/5 This story was rather spooky and again well written but not horribly exciting. I liked the idea and the ending but it just wasn’t too grabbing for me. That being said, it was a good piece of writing and I did enjoy it.
The Father-Thing: 4/5 I loved the adventurous aspect of this story and the way it followed kids discovering something alien. The creature itself was far more unique in its time but is still rather spooky. I liked this a lot and it was a very solid work.
Born of Man and Woman: 5/5 This was an absolutely fantastic story no matter how short. I love how it’s told from the monster’s point of view and how the people react to it. Loved this so much.
Hell-Fire: 2/5 A good metaphor but a ridiculous story. A devil appearing in the explosion of an atom bomb is somewhat foolish in my opinion, but I do think that this was a fantastic metaphor for the destruction of the then new nuclear age.
Nightmare Gang: 2/5 This story wasn’t too magical and didn’t stand out to me at all really, but the idea was rather unique and I did like the characters. The ending and plot overall wasn’t too riveting and it was rather unrealistic. That being said, the idea was cool.
Soft: 4/5 I really liked this story and it was super unique. The idea of a strange sickness softening the bones was something I’ve never seen before and I loved the way it was portrayed. Overall it was a good story, but there wasn’t as much interest to it as there could’ve been.
Ticket to Heaven: 5/5 I really like the idea for this story but I’m not a huge fan of the writing itself or grammar. That being said, I adored the concept of humans going so far as to disrupt the divine limits that were created to stay unbroken. The ending was absolutely fucking insane and I was open-mouth shocked at it, hence the 5 stars. Such a great concept and philosophical ideology, everyone should read this story at least once.
Metastasis: 4/5 Fantastic start to a story, but it then slowly descends into a weirdness that was genuinely strange to read and somewhat difficult to comprehend. The idea of cancer being so malevolent as to be caused by hell spawn is very unique and was quite well done, and the horror in this story was actually palpable. The ending and the way the main character took out the ‘evil’ was quite confusing and I’m not sure I fully understood it, but it was neat to read.
Orange is for Anguish, Blue for Insanity: 4/5 It pains me to be unable to give this story a 5/5, it does come quite close. The only thing holding it back is that it could’ve been more exciting and a tad less lengthy. I loved the mystery and suspense in this story along with the idea itself, the discoveries made throughout were absolutely captivating and intrigued me greatly. I can’t give it a perfect review but quite want to as I really liked this story.
The Age of Desire: 1/5 I just don’t even know where to start with this story. If rape erotica deemed horror is your thing, then this is for you- but don’t read it, no one should. The description compares it to Frankenstein and claims it shows ‘a monster that sees more clearly than the creator’ and is a ‘sympathetic’ tale. I don’t know how one could ever find sympathy in a serial rapist, even if he was drugged. Worst and most insane 40 pages I’ve ever read, which sucks considering I actually quite like Barker’s other works.
Overall: The average of all the stories was a 3/5, so that’s what I’ll give it. I really like how this anthology brings in a genius side of science fiction. Myriad sci-fi stories don’t follow genuine science or reason, unlike the ones in this collection. It’s nice to see so many authors writing genius stories with real thought behind them. Considering that, it’s not surprise that this collection will take a while to get through. I also really liked the small intros before each story that profiled the author and gave a small description of the tale, it was good to see especially as the book grows older and the authors (sadly) become more obscure.
June 27, 2007
Theiscollection is taken from some of the biggest names of horror and sci-fi, with each story a mix of both. Probably, the most famous story would be "Who Goes There," by John Campbell, Jr, the influence behind the film The Thing, both the 50's version and the John Carpenter remake.
Usually, with stories like these, the twist or gotcha! moment comes at or near the end, but one story, "Father-Thing" by Philip K. Dick (the man behind Bladerunner) got me at the beginning. All the stories I've read so far in the book have been spectacularly great, but this one, I just had to excerpt:
"Dinner's ready," commanded Mrs. Walton. "Go get your father and tell him to wash his hands. The same applies to you, young man." She carried a steaming casserole to the neatly set table. "You'll find him out in the garage."
Charles hesitated. He was only eight years old, and the problem bothering him would have confounded Hillel. "I --" he began uncertainly.
"What's wrong?" June Walton caught the uneasy tone in her son's voice and her matronly bosom fluttered with sudden alarm. "Isn't Ted out in the garage? For heaven's sake, he was sharpening the hedge shears a minute ago. He didn't go over to the Andersons', did he? I told him dinner was practically on the table."
"He's in the garage," Charles said. "But he's -- talking to himself."
"Talking to himself!" Mrs. Walton removed her bright plastic apron and hung it over the doorknob. "Ted? Why, he never talks to himself. go tell him to come in here." She poured boiling black coffee in the little blue-and-white china cups and began ladling out creamed corn. "What's wrong with you? Go tell him!"
"I don't know which of them to tell." Charles blurted out desperately. "They both look alike."
Wow. I just love that beginning.
Usually, with stories like these, the twist or gotcha! moment comes at or near the end, but one story, "Father-Thing" by Philip K. Dick (the man behind Bladerunner) got me at the beginning. All the stories I've read so far in the book have been spectacularly great, but this one, I just had to excerpt:
"Dinner's ready," commanded Mrs. Walton. "Go get your father and tell him to wash his hands. The same applies to you, young man." She carried a steaming casserole to the neatly set table. "You'll find him out in the garage."
Charles hesitated. He was only eight years old, and the problem bothering him would have confounded Hillel. "I --" he began uncertainly.
"What's wrong?" June Walton caught the uneasy tone in her son's voice and her matronly bosom fluttered with sudden alarm. "Isn't Ted out in the garage? For heaven's sake, he was sharpening the hedge shears a minute ago. He didn't go over to the Andersons', did he? I told him dinner was practically on the table."
"He's in the garage," Charles said. "But he's -- talking to himself."
"Talking to himself!" Mrs. Walton removed her bright plastic apron and hung it over the doorknob. "Ted? Why, he never talks to himself. go tell him to come in here." She poured boiling black coffee in the little blue-and-white china cups and began ladling out creamed corn. "What's wrong with you? Go tell him!"
"I don't know which of them to tell." Charles blurted out desperately. "They both look alike."
Wow. I just love that beginning.
currently-reading-anthcoll
October 20, 2008The Colour Out of Spaceby H. P. Lovecraft
The Man with a Thousand Legs by Frank Belknap Long
The Vaults of Yoh-Vombis by Clark Ashton Smith
Who Goes There? Don A. Stuart
They by Robert A. Heinlein
It Happened Tomorrow by Robert Bloch
Asleep in Armageddon by Ray Bradbury
♦"A Walk in the Dark" by Arthur C. Clarke read 2/16/2005
The Father-Thing by Philip K. Dick
♦"Born of Man and Woman" by Richard Matheson read 2/15/2005
♦"Hell-Fire" by Isaac Asimov read 2/1/2005
♦"Nightmare Gang" by Dean R. Koontz read 2/17/2005
Soft by F. Paul Wilson
Ticket to Heaven by John Shirley
Metastasis by Dan Simmons
Orange is for Anguish, Blue for Insanity by David Morrell
The Age of Desire by Clive Barker
The Man with a Thousand Legs by Frank Belknap Long
The Vaults of Yoh-Vombis by Clark Ashton Smith
Who Goes There? Don A. Stuart
They by Robert A. Heinlein
It Happened Tomorrow by Robert Bloch
Asleep in Armageddon by Ray Bradbury
♦"A Walk in the Dark" by Arthur C. Clarke read 2/16/2005
The Father-Thing by Philip K. Dick
♦"Born of Man and Woman" by Richard Matheson read 2/15/2005
♦"Hell-Fire" by Isaac Asimov read 2/1/2005
♦"Nightmare Gang" by Dean R. Koontz read 2/17/2005
Soft by F. Paul Wilson
Ticket to Heaven by John Shirley
Metastasis by Dan Simmons
Orange is for Anguish, Blue for Insanity by David Morrell
The Age of Desire by Clive Barker
October 27, 2010
I bought this when first published in 1995 and loved it then. I've since re-read it twice and still love it as much now as ever. The tales in this collection were originally published from 1927 to 1988 and include science-fiction greats like Isaac Asimov, John W. Campbell Jr., Robert A. Heinlein, and Ray Bradbury alongside horror moguls like Dean Koontz, Richard Matheson, Clive Barker, and H. P. Lovecraft. Any taste can find a morsel to enjoy, and among the stories of aliens, body snatchers, living dead, and Heaven and Hell are stories of love, self-sacrifice, and what makes us human. It is a surprising collection, a wonderful gathering of short fiction that would benefit any personal library.
December 28, 2023
There were a lot of great authors in this short story collection. Each entry combines horror and science fiction in some way. There’s also the story that inspired the movie The Thing. It’s interesting to read, but the movie is much better. I enjoyed most of the stories, especially the first few pulpy ones. There was only one I didn’t really care for (Clive Barker’s).
Overall the collection was a good read, but it didn’t really stick with me. I am finding that to be the case with a lot of short story collections. The Color Out of Space, by HP Lovecraft is the only exception. That’s a fantastic story. One of my favorites.
Overall the collection was a good read, but it didn’t really stick with me. I am finding that to be the case with a lot of short story collections. The Color Out of Space, by HP Lovecraft is the only exception. That’s a fantastic story. One of my favorites.
Currently Reading
October 20, 2024The Vaults of Yoh-Vombis is also printed in the Big Book of the Masters of Horror
April 14, 2008
Anthology,Horror
May 9, 2015
Some stories are very good, others not so much. The good ones are often great.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews