The Dark Side

by Damon Knight

Damon Knight is a writer, editor, critic and anthologist. Founder of the SFWA, co-founder of Milford Writers Conference and Hugo Award Winner.

In The Dark Side we find an anthology of dark speculative fiction culled from writers spanning 1896 to 1958 and featuring some of the greatest names in science fiction & fantasy: Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, James Blish, Theodore Sturgeon, Fritz Leiber and many more.

Contents:
---------
• Introduction (The Dark Side) • (1965) • essay by Damon Knight
• The Black Ferris • (1948) • shortstory by Ray Bradbury
• They • (1941) • shortstory by Robert A. Heinlein
• Mistake Inside • (1948) • novelette by James Blish
• Trouble with Water • (1939) • shortstory by H. L. Gold
• c/o Mr. Makepeace • (1954) • shortstory by Peter Phillips
• The Golem • (1955) • shortstory by Avram Davidson
• The Story of the Late Mr. Elvesham • (1896) • shortstory by H. G. Wells
• It • (1940) • novelette by Theodore Sturgeon
• Nellthu • (1955) • shortstory by Anthony Boucher
• Casey Agonistes • (1958) • shortstory by Richard McKenna [as by R. M. McKenna ]
• Eye for Iniquity • (1953) • novelette by T. L. Sherred
• The Man Who Never Grew Young • (1947) • shortstory by Fritz Leiber

Twelve twisted tales to stretch your mind... the darkness of wonder and terror, of forgotten things, impossible things, things that have no names or faces, gray and formless in the darkness of your mind. Know the power of the Dark Side!

Genres: Short Stories, Science Fiction, Anthologies, Fiction, Pulp, Science Fiction Fantasy, Horror

191 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Damon Francis Knight was an American science fiction author, editor, and critic.
Knight's first professional sale was a cartoon drawing to a science-fiction magazine, Amazing Stories. His first story, "Resilience", was published in 1941. He is best known as the author of "To Serve Man", which was adapted for The Twilight Zone. He was a recipient of the Hugo Award, founder of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), cofounder of the National Fantasy Fan Federation, cofounder of the Milford Writer's Workshop, and cofounder of the Clarion Writers Workshop. Knight lived in Eugene, Oregon, with his wife Kate Wilhelm.

Reviews

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

By Story

• Introduction (The Dark Side) • (1965) • essay by Damon Knight 4 stars
• The Black Ferris • (1948) • shortstory by Ray Bradbury 4.5 stars
• They • (1941) • shortstory by Robert A. Heinlein 4 stars
• Mistake Inside • (1948) • novelette by James Blish 4 stars
• Trouble with Water • (1939) • shortstory by H. L. Gold 3.5 stars
• c/o Mr. Makepeace • (1954) • shortstory by Peter Phillips 3.5 stars
• The Golem • (1955) • shortstory by Avram Davidson 3.5 stars
• The Story of the Late Mr. Elvesham • (1896) • shortstory by H. G. Wells 4 stars
• It • (1940) • novelette by Theodore Sturgeon 3.5 stars
• Nellthu • (1955) • shortstory by Anthony Boucher 3.5 stars
• Casey Agonistes • (1958) • shortstory by Richard McKenna [as by R. M. McKenna 4 stars
• Eye for Iniquity • (1953) • novelette by T. L. Sherred 4 stars
• The Man Who Never Grew Young • (1947) • shortstory by Fritz Leiber 4.5 stars

Overall a great book of SF short stories by a bunch of mixed authors. All of them so totally different; from a genie to a golem; from time travel to possession.
The 2 highlights for me were "The Black Ferris" and "The Man who Never Grew Young", both thought provoking and a cut above the others.

[Manny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just posted a review of James Blish's short story "Mistake Inside", and after a little more googling found the collection in which I originally read it - available online here. It's really quite good! I can never see a Ferris wheel without remembering Ray Bradbury's "The Black Ferris", Robert Heinlein's "They" is one of the great classics of paranoia, and Fritz Leiber's "The Man Who Never Grew Young" is another piece that I often think of. But I'd forgotten that I came across all of them here.

[Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE DARK SIDE proves to be an oddball collection of science fiction and fantasy stories with horror touches, edited by Damon Knight. A handful of famous sci-fi authors are collected here, as well as many journeyman names who have since fallen by the wayside.

First up is the reliably decent Ray Bradbury, whose THE BLACK FERRIS is about a magical Ferris wheel. Bradbury was spellbound by fairgrounds and his story captures some of that magic. Sadly, Robert a. Heinlein's THEY hasn't dated so well, feeling rather twee and tired although the ideas behind it must have been cutting edge once upon a time. James Blish's MISTAKE INSIDE is another dud, with a look-at-me premise and a melting pot of ideas that never really gel all that well.

TROUBLE WITH WATER is a comedy story by H.L. Gold that sees a fisherman cursed by a 'water gnome' who makes water avoid him. This leads to some troubling situations when the fisherman tries to get a drink or wash, for example. Funny stuff. C/O MR. MAKEPEACE, by Peter Phillips, sees a chap troubled by blank, disappearing letters. It sounds unwieldy but turns out to be very frightening; the end twist is a little obvious but the journey to that point works a treat. Avram Davidson's THE GOLEM is a brief bit of whimsy about a couple who encounter an ancient Golem that's come to kill them. It's played for laughs and isn't too shabby.

H.G. Wells delivers another imaginative effort in THE STORY OF THE LATE MR. ELVESHAM, in which a case of soul transference goes awry. It's horror of a different kind, designed to get in your head, and boy, is it effective. Theodore Sturgeon's IT is similarly dark, in which a creature of muck and mould prowls the woods, committing atrocities. If you're an animal lover then you'll want to be careful with this disturbing, bloodthirsty story. Anthony Boucher's NELLTHU is a two-page twist-in-the-tale humour story about a young woman given three wishes by a demon.

The last trio of stories are another mixed bag. The unknown Richard McKenna's CASEY AGONISTES is a silly effort set in a T.B. ward where a gorilla man causes mischief. EYE FOR INIQUITY, by T.L. Sherred, has a guy stumble upon the ultimate 'get rich quick' scheme with expected consequences. Fritz Leiber's THE MAN WHO NEVER GREW YOUNG is a clever 'what if?' story in which the world grows younger instead of older after an event of great evil.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this old anthology in my local bookstore for a dollar in hardback. The title suggests maybe a horror theme? Possibly, but these stories are not horror. Damon Knight, in the Introduction, tells us that these stories are Fantasy. I beg to differ. They seem to resemble fiction, with a science fiction slant in some cases. Of all the authors, more than half of them are new and unknown to me. The contents are as follows:

Introduction by Damon Knight - I agree with Mr. Knight that the word fantasy is used too often
as a broad umbrella term for many types of fiction.
The Black Ferris by Ray Bradbury - Too short, I'll have to check out Something Wicked This Way
Comes.
They by Robert Heinlein - Interesting, reminescent of old Twilight Zone and Outer Limits.
Mistake Inside by James Blish - Use the terms magician and sorcerer for the same character and I'm
done.
Trouble with Water by James Blish - Silly story with silly consequences. Didn't like it.
C/O Mr. Makepeace by Peter Phillips - Another reminescent of TZ and OL.
The Golem by Avram Davidson - Pointless drivel.
The Story of the Late Mr. Elvesham by H.G.Wells - awesome, but obvious to today's audiences.
It by Theodore Sturgeon - I'm not really sure how I feel about this one...
Nellthu by Anthony Boucher - really short with a humorous ending.
Casey Agonistes by Richard McKenna - strange story about T.B. and an invisible gorilla.
Eye for Iniquity by T. L. Sherred - A thoroughly enjoyable story of wish fulfillment.
The Man who Never Grew Young by Fritz Leiber - a sad look at humanities decline into infancy.

[Austin Beeman · Rating 2 out of 5]

THE DARK SIDE IS RATED 67%.
12 STORIES : 2 GREAT / 5 GOOD / 2 AVERAGE / 1 POOR / 1 DNF

The Dark Side is an anthology of mostly Fantasy, written by science fiction writers and using editor Damon Knight’s interpretation of the ‘rules of science fiction.’

They are written in modern prose and they take place, by and large, in modern settings. More to the point, they follow the prime rule of science fiction: the author is allowed only one fantastic assumption; thereafter his story must be developed logically, consistently, and with violating known fact.

Knight mostly succeeded in his desires. There is no ‘high fantasy’ here and a lot of quirky, offbeat stories. While the collection didn’t work for me in the aggregate, I did enjoy quite a few of the tales as minor diversions.

The book did introduce me to two exceptional stories. They are worth buying the book.

“It” by Theodore Sturgeon. 1940. This is a tale of science fictional horror. A plant-based monster interacts with a rural family that is having its own issues. What makes this great is the mixture of brutality, humanity, and alien consciousness. Sturgeon’s knack for deeply human characters is on display here, even extending to the monster. It isn’t evil, just curious, but the last sentence in one of the most chilling that I have ever read. An absolute masterpiece and you will probably be able to think of many stories that “It” has inspired.

“The Man Who Never Grew Young” by Fritz Leiber. 1947. Transcendent and profound. A man who never ages talks about a world where time reversed around World War 2. This is a piece of melancholy poetry. I can’t stop wanting to reread about this strange world where time runs backwards. If fiction’s purpose is to make us see the world differently, few stories have ever done it as well as this beautiful tale.

***

THE DARK SIDE IS RATED 67%.
12 STORIES : 2 GREAT / 5 GOOD / 2 AVERAGE / 1 POOR / 1 DNF

“The Black Ferris” by Ray Bradbury. 1948

Good. A pleasant minor Bradbury featuring a Ferris wheel for time travel, a burglary plot, and two precocious kids.

“They” by Robert A. Heinlein. 1941

Good. Logical and scary story of a man who believes that no one else in the word is actual real.

“Mistake Inside” by James Blish. 1948

Poor. Thought I understood it, but literally have no memories of this story.

“Trouble with Water” by H. L. Gold. 1939

DNF. A water gnome and an unpleasant shopkeeper. Unreadable.

“C/o Mr. Makepeace” by Peter Phillips. 1954

Average. A man gets letter delivered to a person at his house, but it isn’t him.

“The Golem” by Avram Davidson. 1955

Average. Slight and possibly anti-semitic story about an old jewish couple and the golem.

“The Story of the Late Mr. Elvesham” by H. G. Wells. 1896

Good. A young man is tempted towards a horrible fate by an elderly man with great riches.

“It” by Theodore Sturgeon. 1940

Great. A terrifying story of an emergent monster who comes into contact with a rural family.

“Nellthu” by Anthony Boucher. 1955

Good. Quirkly short-short about a young woman and the diabolical secret of her magical success.

“Casey Agonistes” by Richard McKenna [as by R. M. McKenna]. 1958

Good. Dying soldiers in a medical ward see a being that no one else can see.

“Eye for Iniquity” by T. L. Sherred. 1953

Average. A man’s life changes and he runs into some trouble when he discovers that he had perfectly duplicate money.

“The Man Who Never Grew Young” by Fritz Leiber. 1947

Great. As the Egyptian empire unwinds, a man who doesn’t age has lived through the backwards roll of history, starting with World War 2.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edited by Damon Knight, The Dark Side is a thematically cohesive anthology that explores the shadowed edges of human experience through speculative fiction.

Rather than focusing on overt horror, the collection emphasizes psychological unease, moral ambiguity, and existential dread.

Knight’s editorial vision is evident in the anthology’s tonal consistency. Each story engages with darkness in a distinct way, yet contributes to a broader meditation on fear, guilt, and alienation. The result is a collection that feels curated rather than merely assembled.

The anthology’s strength lies in its refusal to offer easy catharsis. Darkness here is not something to be defeated, but understood—or endured. Knight favours stories that linger, unsettling readers long after their conclusion.

As an editor, Knight demonstrates deep respect for the genre’s intellectual potential. The selected works treat speculative elements as tools for introspection, not distraction. This gives The Dark Side a seriousness that elevates it above many themed collections.

Ultimately, The Dark Side stands as a testament to Knight’s belief that speculative fiction can confront the most uncomfortable aspects of existence with honesty and artistic rigour.

Recommended.

[Johnny · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are quite fun stories in this book. I enjoyed reading all of them apart from the money counterfeiting tale which had nothing interesting in it for me other then a tiny possibility of witchcraft. And another story set in a hospital which I had no idea what was going on in the plot. The characters have silly names and I just honestly could not follow what the main character was saying much of the time nor where the story was heading.
So in future I doubt I will read again Eye For Iniquity and Casey Agonisties
Other Stories, They - about a man trapped in a hospital (maybe) who believes everyone in the world is out to get him because he is different. Was enjoyable and thought provoking.
The Black Ferris was a fun little horror tale about kids chasing after a villan with a shocking ending. The is also a short story about a Golem which I did not care much for but the others made up for the book

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always hard to rate anthologies with a star rating. The Dark Side is very pleasant, with only a few stories that really stand out. It leans towards oddball fantasies. My favorite stories, which I would all rate as 4-stars were:

+ "c/o Mr. Makepeace" by Peter Phillips
+ "The Golam" by Avram Davidson
+ "The Story of the Late Mr. Elversham" by H. G. Wells
+ "It" by Theodore Sturgeon - one of his best and maybe a 5-star story
+ "Casey Agonistes" by Richard McKenna
+ "Eye for Iniquity" by T. L. Sherred
+ "The Man Who Never Grew Young" by Fritz Leiber

Oddly, the two biggest names, Ray Bradbury and Robert Heinlein had lesser stories by them.

[Ari Pérez · Rating 2 out of 5]

• The Black Ferris • (1948) • shortstory by Ray Bradbury [***]
• They • (1941) • shortstory by Robert A. Heinlein [***]
• Mistake Inside • (1948) • novelette by James Blish [*]
• Trouble with Water • (1939) • shortstory by H. L. Gold [**]
• c/o Mr. Makepeace • (1954) • shortstory by Peter Phillips [***]
• The Golem • (1955) • shortstory by Avram Davidson [***]
• The Story of the Late Mr. Elvesham • (1896) • shortstory by H. G. Wells [***]
• It • (1940) • novelette by Theodore Sturgeon [**]
• Nellthu • (1955) • shortstory by Anthony Boucher [**]
• Casey Agonistes • (1958) • shortstory by Richard McKenna [***]
• Eye for Iniquity • (1953) • novelette by T. L. Sherred [***]
• The Man Who Never Grew Young • (1947) • shortstory by Fritz Leiber [****]

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twelve stories, pretty much unrelated and with no common subject matter or style. Half of them are average, two are awful (the James Blish and the Richard MaKenna), and a few are excellent. Peter Phillips's "C/O Mr Makepeace is a beautifully written and sad story of mental breakdown. Theodore Sturgeon's "It" is a typically sensitive and imaginative monster tale reminiscent of Alan Moore's work on Swamp Thing, and Avram Davidson's "The Golem" is laugh-out-loud funny. The H.G. Wells and Fritz Leiber stories are also worthwhile.

[Bill Borre]

"C/O Mr. Makepeace" by Peter Phillips - This story postulates that a dissociated personality can have a separate objective existence as Mr. Makepeace is tormented by letters the mental health staff are convinced come from himself.

"Mistake Inside" by James Blish - Hugh looks for an astrologer to send him back to his own world from the unfamiliar world that he finds himself in.

[K. Axel · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are a few stories that I remember from this book, one of which is the Ray Bradbury one, which was quite dark and scary. I bought this book, of course, because it featured a Theodore Sturgeon story, which was ok.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Released in 1965, Knight put together twelve short stories in the fantasy genre. Bradbury, Heinlein and Wells are among those included. The oldest story was published in 1896, the most recent in 1958.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

An anthology of vintage dark fantasy/horror stories from the 1940s, many of which originally appeared in Unknown magazine.

[Devi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good selection of stories to enjoy.