The Century's Best Horror Fiction Volume 1

"The Undying Thing," by Barry Pain (1901): 9.25
- An apposite read on this dark Halloween night! A Victorian, gothic tale--that's not the famous ones--that lives up to its genre. And even the stilted dialogue wasn't necessarily that stilted; or, the “modern” characters talked in a recognizably fin-de-siecle modern way. Had a nice large sweep too (the downfall of a family because of an ancestors sins), as well as an interesting narrative structure, such as the middle section narrated through the memories of a village elder over beers at the pub. Some genuinely cold lines as well [the Drs. Interpolation in Edric’s Note: “the thing is not dead. I don't know if it will ever die”], as well as a commendably brisk yet affecting conclusion (esp. the grandson finally seeing the thing and asking who it is before fighting with it). Good stuff.

Absolutely amazing. Best horror short story collection I've read in a long time. Found a lot of author's I've never read before that I'll have to track down. If you love horror, this is a collection to try to track down.

I just wish it wasn't so expensive, I'd get a personal copy. Might save up for it. ( )