Dark Delicacies: Bk. 2: Fear - More Original Tales of Terror and the Macabre by the World's Greatest Horror Writers [Paperback]

The first DARK DELICACIES anthology was one of the knockouts of 2005; it earned almost unanimous critical praise and won the Bram Stoker Award as Best Anthology.

If possible, DARK DELICACIES II: FEAR surpasses that earlier volume, in both quality and jolts.

There's not a bad tale here, and editors Jeff Gelb and Del Howison have provided a delicious mix of established horror masters (Joe Lansdale, John Farris), writers who don't often appear in anthologies (Tananarive Due, Barbara Hambly) and newcomers. In fact, one of the best stories in the book, "The Unlikely Redemption of Jared Pierce", comes courtesy of screenwriter Joey O'Bryan and represents his first published fiction; the story, about a reformed drunk driver vs. "Mr. Lucky", a victim with a serious grudge, features a finale guaranteed to turn heads. Other standouts include Glen Hirshberg's creepy and tragic "I Am Coming to Live in Your Mouth", about a woman who must deal with both her terminal husband and sinister figures haunting his deathbed; and Caitlin Kiernan's "The Ammonite Violin (Murder Ballad No. 4)", which closes the book like a fine dessert beautifully prepared by a gourmet chef.

Here's hoping this is only the second installment of a long and healthy series.

Although its Stoker-winning predecessor had set very high standards by which any anthology bearing the name "Dark Delicacies" is to be judged, this volume passes the test with flying colours. Every story in this volume was refreshingly different in their approach towards the 'horrifying' aspects of life, while retaining the trully absorbing quality of narration. I have read and re-read every story and nearly every one has provided me with that exquisite shudder that we dream of while purchasing any book of horror. Among them the following are especially noteworthy for the way they accomplished to spin certain hackneyed themes:
1. "Sunrise on Running Water" by Barbara Hambly deals with the dilemma faced by a vampire on-board the sinking Titanic;
2. "If there's a Will.." by Robert Masello recalls the Poesque theme of premature burial with a superb twist at the end;
3. "Between eight and nine o' clock" by Robert Garton, despite being a sordid tale of murderous calculations gone wrong, has a memorable touch of humanity that is quite rare now-a-days.

I whole-heartedly encourage the readers to purchase this book and to enjoy the stories one-at-a-time.

Alternative review title: The book of bad endings

In his afterword, editor Jeff Gelb questions why there are not more horror anthologies. He needs to look no farther than his own book to answer that question. Many of the stories are poorly written. Others are just darned confusing. Many more are hardly worth the time it takes to read them. There are exceptions, but they are few and far between in this anthology heavy on confusion, lite on horror.

THE EXCEPTIONS (Let's be fair and start with the good ones.)

"What the Devil Won't Take ..." by L.A. Banks. Wow! What an amazing story. The first piece of fiction in a very long time that illicited an audible *gasp* from me at such raw and visceral scenes. Had the rest of the book lived up to the caliber of this one story, it would have been an amazing anthology.

"The Accompanist" by Joh Harrison. This story should have bored me, since it takes a long time to unfold. However, the prose is infused with an eeriness that made my skin crawl. Sadly, the ending is a major let down, but I still rate it high for pure creepiness.

"Stacy and her Idiot" by Peter Atkins. Excellent voice, tight writing, good pace. Maybe more fantasy than horror, but still a good read.

"Words, Words, Words!" by Gary Brandner. An old-fashioned pulp-horror story that's fun to read. It has some glaring plot holes, but is still worth reading.

"The Unlikely Redemption of Jared Pierce" by Joey O'Brian. Well written and unusual. I commend the author for allowing his narrator to die, a most unexpected twist. This was a first sale and I would be interested in sampling more from this author.

THE BAD ENDINGS

"Dog" by Joe R Lansdale. While this story is fast-paced and interesting, it leaves so many plot threads dangling that it's ultimately an unsatisfying read.

"Amusement" by Tananarive Due. The story is well written, but does not fulfill its initial promise, or have a logical ending.

"First Born" by John Farris. The 'gothca' ending ruins what could have been an enjoyable story.

"A Host of Shadows" by Harry Shannon. Dragged me quickly into the story, made me feel the narrator's pain, then slapped me with a confusing, nonsensical ending.

"The Ammonite Violin" by Caitlin R. Kiernan. Begins slow. Picks up in the middle (despite some horrible point of view shifts) and ends terribly.

THE OKAYs

"Great Wall: A Story From the Zombie War" by Max Brooks. Interesting, but probably more enjoyable if one has read the author's novel WWZ (which I have not). Sadly, this story did not make me want to buy the novel.

"The Y Incision" by Steve Niles. A fun story with a good voice, but too trite for my tastes.

"Season Premiere" by James Sallis. One of the weirdest stories I've read in a long time. It kept my interest, but overall felt incomplete. I think if the author had invested between 500 to 1000 more words, the story would have made more sense. Still, I found many of the ideas intriguing.

THE I-WISH-I-COULD-GET-BACK-THE-TIME-I-SPENT-READING-THESE-STORIES

"Sunrise on Running Water" by Barbara Hambly. Why such a slow and dull story opens the anthology baffles me. I had to force myself to finish it, hoping it would get more interesting at some point (it never did).

"Where There's a Will ..." by Robert Masello. Very weak writing full of 'was -ing' combos and adverbs aplenty. The story reeks of a 'Tales from the Crypt' rip-off.

"Between Eight and Nine O'clock" by Ray Garton. Writing classes should use this one as the poster child for long, boring and predictable writing.

"Queen of the Groupies" by Greg Kihn. An amateurish ghost story told from a very distant and cold point of view.

"I am Coming to Live in Your Mouth" by Glen Hirshberg. This is a very difficult story to get into. The setup is teadous and the payoff minimal. Readers should never have to force themselves to read the next sentence, let alone decide if they really want to extend the phyical engery necessary to turn to the next page.

SUMMARY

I grew up reading horror anthologies and they will always have a fond place in my heart. I salute editors Del Howison and Jeff Gelb for their attempt. However, should there be a Dark Delicacies III, I hope they will select more horrific stories. The Internet abounds with them, so I know they are out there.