Back from the Dead: The Legacy of the Pan Book of Horror Stories

by Johnny Mains, John Frederick Burke, Roger Clarke

The Pan Book of Horror Stories ran for 30 volumes between 1959 and 1989, entertaining and terrifying thousands of readers in equal measure. In this tribute to the classic horror series, award-winning editor and historian Johnny Mains has commissioned new pieces from some of Pan’s most respected authors, printed here alongside selected stories from the original volumes. Originally launched in a limited hardback edition at the 2010 World Horror Convention in Brighton, in 2011 it won the Best Anthology prize at the British Fantasy Awards. Now in paperback, BACK FROM THE DEAD returns with a new lease of life to thrill and inspire a new generation.

Genres: Horror

528 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2010

Reviews

[Paul Bryant · Rating 2 out of 5]

The original Pan Books ran from 1958 to 1988. The first 12 or so were either great or pretty good – after that they were frankly appalling. Superfan Johnny Mains had the idea of reviving the Pan Books and this one-off is the result. It features 7 stories from the original anthologies and 13 new ones.

All the new ones, sorry to say, are really quite awful. You might have thought that in 2016 authors could have been even more tasteless, vile and disgusting than they were in the 60s, 70s and 80s but strangely, all these new stories are so very very tame, and seem to be trying not to upset anyone.

Horror is no place for political correctness, you know.

But this book is not a write-off, because Mr Mains has done fans a great service. He’s written a 40 page history of the Pan Books combined with a mini-biography of the previously mysterious Herbert van Thal, the original editor, and this is stuffed with delightful info about all the totally obscure authors who wrote the original good stuff, those weirdohs who were so obsessed with leprosy, insane asylums, homicidally jealous husbands, homicidally jealous wives, feral children who would eat you as soon as look at you, insane retired surgeons who graft your legs onto their deformed daughter, single gentleman sex criminals who are allowed to adopt young orphan girls (this would not be allowed any more, I think), flesh eating plants, and so on and so forth.

That part of the book gets 5 stars!

[Michael Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered the Pan Horror series as a teenager in the 1970s. I was a convert before I'd finished my first volume (the 17th) and have cherished them ever since. Now, as a writer of supernatural stories (both short and novels), I look back with gratitude to the talented authors who inspired me to write. Johnny Mains has done a great job of producing both a tribute to the original series and, hopefully, the foundations for a new one. One I would love to have the chance to contribute to. Overall, this anthology is noticeably less grisly than the original "classics" that shocked and entertained me in equal measure, but all are decent reads despite being something of a mixed bag qualitywise.

[Craig Herbertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back From The Dead was deservedly nominated for the British Fantasy Society award for Best Anthology. The anthology is a tribute to the legendary Pan Horror Anthologies and as well as some new stories by living Pan authors (including me - at the moment) contains a few of the old classics selected by mega fan Johnny Mains. It's a 'must have' for any serious collector of British horror for both fun and edification as it contains some lovely insights, some great stories old and new and some neat artwork..

[Des Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories blend and unblend even as you strain your muscles to keep watch on their even lines of eye-print. At one moment Pan-traditional with dénastiments, the next avant-garde with bad manners. This book reminds me of human existence facing out its own cruelties just as existentialists once faced out their sense of absurdity. I hope I have conveyed my enjoyment of this anthology with some degree of correctness within the marginal tolerances of an ever constricting societal intolerance for what us rogue medians can actually write about…or read.

The detailed review of this book posted elsewhere under my name is too long or impractical to post here.
Above is one of its observations at the time of the review.

[Michael John Paul McManus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed a number of stories within Back from the Dead, some of them i didn't care for. The Clinic and Medium Rare were a tad too sick for my tastes. But The True Spirit and The Hook were very good. Only four stars for this volume.

[Trudes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memories

I had forgotten how much I used to love reading the Pan Horror stories when I was a lot younger. They never disappoint. Enjoyed every short story...

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good stories but, overall... average