Book Length: 260 pages

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Genre: Fiction, Horror, Short Stories, Gothic, Anthologies

Read Start Date: February 2, 2024

Read Finish Date: March 19, 2024

Goodreads’ Synopsis: One of the most important horror collections of modern times, back in print at last!

Karl Edward Wagner (1945-1994) has earned a reputation as one of the finest horror writers of the modern era, but his work has been out of print and nearly unobtainable for many years. His seminal volume In a Lonely Place collects eight of his best tales, including “In the Pines,” a classic ghost story evocatively set in the Tennessee woods, “Beyond Any Measure,” an original take on the vampire story, “River of Night’s Dreaming,” a surreal and nightmarish masterpiece inspired by The King in Yellow, and the author’s most famous tale, “Sticks,” a disturbing story thought by many to have been the basis for The Blair Witch Project.
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This new edition includes all the stories from the original 1983 edition, plus an additional rare tale and the author’s afterword from the Scream/Press limited edition, and features a new introduction by Ramsey Campbell.

My Review:

The Pines: Reeling from the death of their only son, a married couple, Gerry and Janet, rent an old cabin nestled in the forest. They want to get away from life. To rest. To recover. Gerry, angry and depressed, drinks a little too much, and in his drunken haze, he begins to experience strange things. While I liked this story, I can’t say I loved it. It felt too short. The tension didn’t have time to build. The mystery was summarily explained rather than unfolded layer by layer.

Where the Summer Ends: Mercer is a collector of antiques and often shops at the dilapidated home of Mr. Gradie. He’s been buttering the old man up to part with a wood mantle at an affordable price that would go great in his apartment. This is what the story is about on the surface. Underlying this seemingly mundane transaction is the fast growth of the invasive kudzu plant and the mutilation of homeless men around town. The tension of this 28-page story grows as steadily as the kudzu. The twist at the end was unexpected and brought the story to an end in a dramatic fashion.

Sticks: In the spring of 1942, artist and illustrator Colin Leverett–he had just been drafted to fight in WWII–went fishing in Mann Brook, New York. Walking to the river, he came across a dilapidated house and several “lashed-together framework of sticks,” reminding him of a “bizarre crucifix.” He put pen to paper and began to draw several of the most intricately put-together stick formations. Several decades later, Leverett struggles to make a living, his artwork becoming too dark after his experiences in WWII for mainstream consumption. One day, he gets a call from a publisher interested in his dark style. Compelled to use the sticks as part of the illustrations, Leverett sets in motion a dangerous path that he cannot escape.

The Fourth Seal: The protagonist was hired as a medical doctor at a new institution. He is a cancer researcher and makes a breakthrough discovery. Just when he thinks he will have the opportunity to change the world, he is thrown a curveball that threatens not only his perspective but also his life. This story was interesting and had an unexpected twist at the end.

More Sinned Against: Candi Thorne was an aspiring actress in L.A. until she met actor hopeful Richards Justin. Introduced to drugs, Candi is forced into a downward spiral of acting in porn films, and when her looks fade due to drug use, prostitution to feed her habit — and to maintain the lazy and lecherous Richards. She does it all for love and on the promise that Richards will support her when he makes it big in Hollywood. She believes that investing in his future is also an investment in hers. It was no surprise to this reader that Richards was not faithful to his word. As I read this story, I felt bad for Candi, and sometimes I wanted to scream at her and tell her to WAKE UP to his obvious treachery. The ending, therefore, although unexpected, was highly welcome.

.220 Swift: Dr. Kendall is an archeologist in search of the mines of the ancients, built by the Spanish conquistadors in 1540. I was very interested in the story at the beginning. The mystery surrounding the hills captivated my attention. However, as the story moved along, it took an odd and unexpected turn. I wasn’t a fan of this twist, as it seemed too far removed from the original story. There were just certain elements that were introduced that I didn’t care for.

The River of Nights Dreaming: If I had to describe this story in one word, it would be confusion. The main character, Cassilda, was involved in a bus crash and swam to the opposite shore of the lake where the bus had sunk. Evidently, she was in prison for an unknown offense, and this was her chance to escape. They would think she had died in the crash and she could live a life of freedom. When she emerged from the water, a shadowy animal pursued her, and she sought refuge in the home of an elderly woman and her companion. Then the story really got strange–the women are not what they first appear to be. I did not understand the ending and found this one altogether weird and confusing, and it was not one of my favorites.

Beyond Any Measure: Lisette is an American girl attending school in London. She has been having realistic nightmares and, on the urging of her lover, Danielle, goes to see a hypnotherapist who theorizes that reincarnation is real. He believes that Lisette’s dreams are in fact memories of her past life. The twist at the end of this story has intrigued me and I’ve been thinking about it since I finished this story. Not a bad way to end an anthology!

This is a must read for horror fans!