Dark Delicacies II

by Del Howison (Editor / Contributor), Jeff Gelb (Editor / Contributor), Ray Harryhausen (Contributor)

In a second distinguished collection of twenty superb, sublimely dark tales written especially for this volume, such acknowledged contemporary masters of horror fiction as Barbara Hambly, John Farris, James Sallis, Steve Niles, Tananarive Due, L. A. Banks, and Gary Brandner serve up a veritable feast of fear. For the second time, Dark Delicacies, the world's foremost horror bookstore, lends its famous name and imprimatur to an anthology designed to please the palate of the genre's most discriminating fans. Throughout, the editors — Del Howison (co-owner of Dark Delicacies) and leading horror anthologist Jeff Gelb — present perfectly crafted, freshly original horror-fiction fare that is as terrifying as it is chillingly delicious.

Genres: Horror, Anthologies, Short Stories, Fiction, Fantasy, Collections, Paranormal

256 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2007

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with most anthologies, this was an up and down experience for me. The first few stories, for me, were really blah and I definitely started to get discouraged. But I persisted and was rewarded by some rather excellent short fiction. My favorites were "Between Eight and Nine O'Clock", "First Born", and "What the Devil Won't Take..." Good anthology to help you discover new authors and explore their other works.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this collection a bit uneven... but that's par for the course with antholgoies, right?

One of my favorites was "The Ammonite Violin". Such an unexpected and shocking twist, and such beautiful writing along the way. That story alone pushed this into 4-star territory. Another fave was "Stacy and Her Idiot", which felt like more of an experience than just a story. "Words, Words, Words" was terrifying in an unconventional way.

The rest of them were not quite as impressive, but I'm still glad I read it!

[Sparrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this volume to be even better than the first! I liked more of its bulk than the previous (I highly valued only four stories in the first anthology), which is what I always aim for when I read a good anthology. Most of the stories within this anthology have startled me, sickened me, worried me, scared me, or made me think deeply...eliciting anything but a positive, usual response like common literature causes. If this is a trend, I can't wait to read their next installment!

Favourites:
"Sunrise on Running Water" by Barbara Hambly
"Dog" by Joe R. Lansdale
"The Accompanist" by John Harrison
"Great Wall: A Story from the Zombie War" by Max Brooks
"Words, Words, Words!" by Gary Brandner
"Between Eight and Nine O'Clock" by Ray Garton
"The Y Incision" by Steve Niles
"The Unlikely Redemption of Jared Pierce" by Joey O'Bryan
"The Ammonite Violin (Murder Ballad No. 4)" by Caitlin R. Kiernan

[Lynn Lipinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a knockout spooky anthology of terrifying stories. My favorites were "Where there's a Will..." By Robert Masello: a creepy tale of a family trying to get a son to take his dead fathers place, "Stacy and Her Idiot" by Peter Atkins: unexpected sacrifices stemming from a drug deal mishap, and "First Born" by John Farris: movie star with a debt to the devil. Great group of stories with just two that weren't my cup of tea.

[Armand · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second offering in the Dark Delicacies trilogy improves on the first. The stories are more thrilling than outright scary, but none of them bored me, and I had a very good time. Definitely a notch above most horror anthologies, as it has no outright clunkers tho of course, among its ebon veins of the macabre are some truly dark gems.

While the book hit the ground running, featuring thoroughly engrossing tales of grit and survival, it snagged on some hitches mid-stride, throwing some unexceptional but still enjoyable fare. It's in the final third that the book really comes into its own, going at a furious pace through a satisfying feast of fear and gore before finishing strong on a truly glorious note.

My favorite stories are:

The Accompanist by John Harrison - a silent movie accompanist who can conjure visions and even experiences through his music seeks to refine his craft even further.

Where There's A Will . . . by Robert Masello - a driftless young man faces a horrible betrayal when he comes home to the funeral of his father.

What the Devil Won't Take by L. A. Banks - Lady Justice stalks the earth in a demonic guise.

The Y Incision by Steve Niles - count on Cal McDonald to provide grisly, extremely gory scares in his drug-fueled detective capers.

The Unlikely Redemption of Jared Pearce by Joey O'Bryan - a sad tale of murderous obsession and yes, redemption.

The Ammonite Violin (Murder Ballad No. 4) by Caitlin R. Kiernan - an elegant, virtuoso performance provides a rousing finish to this seminal anthology.

I'm rating this 7.5/10, or 4 fearsome, blood-spattered stars.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although its Stoker-winning predecessor had set very high standards by which any anthology bearing the name "Dark Delicacies" is to be judged, this volume passes the test with flying colours. Every story in this volume was refreshingly different in their approach towards the 'horrifying' aspects of life, while retaining the trully absorbing quality of narration. I have read and re-read every story and nearly every one has provided me with that exquisite shudder that we dream of while purchasing any book of horror. Among them the following are especially noteworthy for the way they accomplished to spin certain hackneyed themes:
1. "Sunrise on Running Water" by Barbara Hambly deals with the dilemma faced by a vampire on-board the sinking Titanic;
2. "If there's a Will.." by Robert Masello recalls the Poesque theme of premature burial with a superb twist at the end;
3. "Between eight and nine o' clock" by Robert Garton, despite being a sordid tale of murderous calculations gone wrong, has a memorable touch of humanity that is quite rare now-a-days.

I whole-heartedly encourage the readers to purchase this book and to enjoy the stories one-at-a-time.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written and varied collection of stories (some creepy, some frightening, some with dark humor and some just strange). It was kind of like a mix of twilight zone and Creepshow and tales from the crypt. Some stories I didn't like but several I really liked - enough to check out those authors' other works. Definitely recommend.

[Lisa Decesare · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books are really such great fun. The stories are all different, no common theme links them and there was not one that wasn't interesting and well written. I also like the short story format, they are easy to read if you only have 1/2 hour or an hour to spare.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I thought this was a much stronger selection of stories than the first volume.

Barbara Hambly tells the story of a vampire hoping to cross the Atlantic - on the Titanic. Greg Kihn provides a rock 'n' roll ghost story. The time to pay up arrives for a man who made a deal with a wizard in John Farris' entry. The power of music is explored in stories by Caitlín R. Kiernan and John Harrison.

Max Brooks and Steve Niles offer pieces based on their own ongoing creations (World War Z and paranormal detective Cal McDonald, respectively). Usually I dislike this practice, as it often gives the impression of an advert, but these particular ones stand on their own pretty well.

Gary Brandner's story of an unethical writer who loses the ability to decode language feels (ironically) in itself somewhat familiar. See the Twilight Zone episode "Wordplay." Similarly, Ray Garton's story about a man who hires an assassin to murder his wife seems right out of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, or one of the master's films. But it's a good story, anyway.

The only really substandard entry is is by L.A. Banks, who I think has a superficial grasp on the genre but not a genuine understanding. She writes vampire huntress novels.

If you're tired (as I am) of extreme horror fiction and appreciate subtlety, I'd recommend this collection.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, I expected more from this anthology. There were a couple of standout stories, but many of the stories are amateurish. I frequently found myself remarking how I "have a story at least this good" on my hard drive somewhere. This is probably due to the fact that the anthology is "edited" by some guy who owns a horror memorabilia shop of the same name. Now, I'm a genre fan and everything and the enthusiasm of horror fans beats that of almost any other fiction genre. But what does this guy really *know* about good writing? He knows what he likes and he hopes it will be what other fans like. For the most part he is on point, but there are a few stories in the collection that just made me say... wtf?

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed all of these short stories except the one at the end by Caitlin R Kiernan. This is not the first time I haven't enjoyed or not completed a story by her. I don't really enjoy her style or topics. Other than that, the stories were mildly scary but well written.

[Dawn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not reading any more horror short stories. If it's a film, I can close my eyes and go "la la la" until the bad part is over, but if something sneaks up on me in print, I can't un-read it.

[Kenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, this collection was not as strong as the original. That being said, it's worth it alone for Caitlin R. Kiernan's nastly little piece entitled, "The Ammonite Violin."

[Peter Magerl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stories. Can't think of one that was bad.

[Severed Therapy · Rating 3 out of 5]

If there was ever a book that thrives in mediocrity, it's this collection of short stories. None of them were particularly bad, but none were really all that interesting. My favorites, by far, were "Between Eight and Nine O'Clock," "Stacy and Her Idiot," and "Where There's A Will, There's A Way." Three stories does not an anthology make.

The rest of them weren't BAD, per se, they left me with more of an "Okay...." It almost felt like an anthology from the graduating class of mid-90s kids getting their Bachelors in English. They love Hellraiser and Freddy movies, but don't know what true horror really is.

Not a terrible book, but shouldn't be high on anyone's list.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like any anthology, the stories are pretty hit or miss. The unlikely redemption of Jared Pierce and Between eight and nine o’clock were great while I am coming to live in your mouth and Amusement were pretty bad. The rest were decent. This book probably won’t win over anyone who’s not into horror but for genre fans, it’s worth reading.

[Dustin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a weak story on this entire anthology which is an exceedingly rare feat for such a collection. Truly spans the width and breadth of what horror fiction can encompass from some of its finer practitioners.

[Tara Frye · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay at best. Some stories really interested me while others made me yawn.

[Wendopolis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few stories were good.

[Clarence Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

ReedIII Quick Review: Well written, easy to read collection of very short stories. Content as creative and varied as the excellent authors.

[Bill Borre]

"What the Devil Won’t Take…" by L.A. Banks - Twelve judges release a demon referred to as netherling from a book to take vengeance upon the guilty who escape conviction. They try to get the netherling to return to the book because they know it will come after those associated with the guilty if they possess any sin whatsoever. Walter is one of the judges and the netherling offers him the book because it considers Walter will be reliable in using the book to set the demon about its purpose. Satan tricks the netherling into returning to the book by possessing Walter's body immediately after Walter dies from a heart attack and signing the offered contract.

"Stacy and Her Idiot" by Peter Atkins - The protagonist is intended as a sacrifice for an entity in the desert but is able to plant the severed finger which serves as a creature lure on the abductor at the last moment.

"Queen of the Groupies" by Greg Kihn - Roxie is a ghost groupie who haunts a country star's tour bus. The driver loves her but when she tries to get with another man he kills himself to be with her.

"The Great Wall: A Story from the Zombie War" by Max Brooks - wc
"The Y Incision" by Steve Niles - wc

[Raye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the stories were good. I disliked the one about the dog from hell, the story that had a lesbian gagged and bound with a man holding is dick and wanting to rape her and Tananarive Due's story was cissexist. Because of rape/kidnapping and intersexphobia, I give it a 3. I am one of many feminist readers than enjoy the horror genre. It should be know that some of the stories in this anthology are triggering.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are a few decent stories in this anthology, but not one great one, and none that are all that memorable. Most were not scary and seemed as if they weren't even trying to be scary. Maybe I'm not in tune with contemporary short horror fiction these days.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some great stories, others not so much, but that's the deal with every anthology nowadays (and probably always). Some stories really scared the crap out of me, which was what I was looking for. Others just made me laugh my ass off. But a good experience in the overall.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is ok for short horror stories. Some endings leave something to be desired, especially for this genre. The majority of them have kept my attention.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent collection, although I did like the first volume more.

[Shari · Rating 3 out of 5]

The wheat more than makes up for the chaff!

[Morgue Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 70/150

[Metagion]

Again, I think there was a story in here I'd read before, but otherwise really good. I enjoyed "Sunrise on Running Water". Great read.

[Nona · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few exceptional stories, such as Glen Hirshberg's "I Am Coming To Live In Your Mouth" and an addendum to World War Z by Max Brooks, but far too many barely mediocre stories.