666

This anthology of short stories includes first-rate tales of terror, dread and foreboding by a variety of celebrated authors. Perhaps the best feature of this collection is the lack of blood and gore that populates so many of the books of this genre. Instead, the impact here comes from the power of the imagination. Whether it’s the tale of a ghost haunting the graveyard in colonial America, waiting for the body it needs to replace its own, or the frightful impact of what can happen just by throwing a noxious-smelling potion down the kitchen sink (flowing from there into the public water system), these stories will move the reader to another time, another place and even another dimension. The authors are all Bram Stoker Award–winners, and they know how to spin a tale. Turn out the lights, gather everyone around the fire and read out loud. (Fiction. 12 )