Pan Book of Horror Stories

[Cameron Trost]

This is the eighteenth title in the series of Pan horror anthologies, and I found it a far more entertaining and engaging book than the fifteenth and sixteenth (I haven't come across the seventeenth yet). In some ways, it's almost a return to the quality of the early issues, which included classics from the likes of Stoker, Poe, and Christie. There are several typical horror stories, some that don't seem to have much of a point but which are creepy and icky, but also a handful of atmospheric and thought-provoking tales.

For me, these are the two stories that bumped my rating up from three stars to four:

1) Belvedere's Bride by Jane Gregory. I'll give it 5 stars! Although somewhat predictable for the fan of psychological suspense, the existential questions posed make this an unforgettable tale, and it was so wonderfully written from start to finish; eloquent, haunting, and poignant. What's more, the setting was one that never fails to make an impression on me; an isolated manor on the rugged coast of Cornwall. This story has made my list of favourites. If anybody knows more about Jane Gregory, please tell me. The internet age seems to have forgotten her.

2) Rest in Peace by Norman P. Kaufman. Let's give it 4.5 stars. Different from Belvedere's Bride in terms of style and atmosphere, even though it's also set on a beach, this tale also acts as an existential study. The reader can't help but sympathise with the protagonist.

Other contributions worth a mention are Stevie, by Monica Lee, and The Unknown Caller, by Rosemary Timperley. The former is a weird (very weird!) novella about a precocious boy obsessed with mummification, and the latter is a predictable but suspenseful short story which will remind you of a Poe classic.