The evocation of th© supernatural exerts a powerful attraction over writers. Great names have been made In horror and suspense literature, and many writers have turned to the supernatural when they needed, as Isaac Bashevis Singer put It, to bring themselves “into contact with reality.” The classic form for fantasy fiction is the short story, and although collections of these stories are traditional, it is the very rare anthology that may be labeled “landmark.” Dashiell Hammett’s Creeps by Night was one, Bennett Cerf's Famous Ghost Stories another; both editors us the very best and most diverse talents vtwK in the genre. The publication of Kirby McCauley’s Dark Forces marks the latest, and perhaps the most exciting, addition to this list.
Each of the tales in this compendium of terror was collected especially for this volume, and hone has been publishedoefore. Crooned by Stephen King’s new,and absolutely terrifying, short novel the Mist, the collection is studded witlymany of the greatest names in supernatural fantasy writing and sparked with the talent of new Ind exciting young writers. A tremendous variety in style - Edward Gorey’s elegant an macabre whimsey, Joyce Carol “surreal mode,” Theodore Sturgeon’s powerful, inventive prose, Robert Aickman’s bizarre and exotic imaginings — was the natural result.
Subject and theme also run the gamut, from Isaac Bashevis Singer’s concern with the spirit of man to Robert Bloch’s portrayal of the ticking mechanisms of the psychopath, from the traditional and often allegorical entertainments of Russell Kirk to Ray Bradbury’s interest in the supernatural in modern settings and Stephen King’s unnerving ability to invest the familiar with absolute terror. Even the settings are far-rangi ng, moving from Davis Grubb’s beloved West Virginia to T.E.D. Kleiirs paranoia-inducing New York City to Joe Haldeman’s menacing and exotic North Africa.
But it is editor Kirby McCauley’s skillfull notes and intelligent commentary on the twenty-three authors represented here that make Dark Forces at once a masterful introduction to the finest living writers in the field and — for the long-time aficionado — an undeniable invitation to be terrified by old (and some new) friends.