OBSESSIONS

by Gary--Ed. Raisor ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 22, 1991

Long and mostly uninspired anthology of original horror stories about obsession, with familiar names predominating. With only a few of its 30 stories conveying the full force of obsession, this collection disappoints; yet it also intrigues for its rare presentation of tales from every corner of the horror field--splatterpunk, quiet, and mainstream. Editor Raisor bookends the anthology with short, mainstream novellas by his two biggest names, opening with Dean Koontz's ""The Interrogation"" and closing with Dan Simmons's ""The Counselor."" The Koontz is stylistically experimental--told strictly in the dialogue of a police interrogation--but thematically old hat, just another vampire variant; the Simmons offers no surprises at all, but sustains a fast pace as it details the vengeance a guidance counselor wreaks upon child-abusers. More worthy is the grouping of raw-edged tales that follow the Koontz, spearheaded by Joe R. Lansdale's ""In the Cold, Dark Time""--a grim, powerful fable from this most talented of splatterpunks, about a man who kills children to spare them pain--and including entries by Thomas F. Monteleone, John Shirley, Nicholas Royle (the sardonically amusing ""Crispy Notes,"" about a man who likes everything crisp, including his lovers), and F. Paul Wilson. These harsh stories lead smoothly into quieter ones by Richard Christian Matheson (""Region of the Flesh,"" an ineffectual tale about a man obsessed by a murder-bed), Chet Williamson, Charles L. Grant, Al Sarrantonio, Edward Bryant (the wickedly sly ""Down Home""), and other well-knowns; but the best of this lot is by relative newcomer A.R. Morlan, ""The Second Most Beautiful Woman in the World,"" a genuinely haunting tribute to the spirit of Georgia O'Keeffe. Peanut-butter-and-jelly horror, well spread by editor Raisor.

Pub Date: April 22, 1991

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: "Dark Harvest (P.O. Box 941, Arlington Heights, IL 60006)"

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1991

Categories: FICTION