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New Masterpieces of Horror
A collection of imaginatively crafted monster tales, stories of psychological suspense, traditional ghost stories, & variations on more familiar forms. Contributors include Robert Bloch, Harlan Ellison, Joyce Carol Oates, Connie Willis, others.
- GenresHorrorAnthologies
512 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
50 people want to read
About the author
John Gregory Betancourt
390 books62 followersJohn Gregory Betancourt is a writer of science fiction, fantasy and mystery novels as well as short stories. He has worked as an assistant editor at Amazing Stories and editor of Horror: The Newsmagazine of the Horror Field, the revived Weird Tales magazine, the first issue of H. P. Lovecraft's Magazine of Horror (which he subsequently hired Marvin Kaye to edit), Cat Tales magazine (which he subsequently hired George H. Scithers to edit), and Adventure Tales magazine. He worked as a Senior Editor for Byron Preiss Visual Publications (1989-1996) and iBooks. He is the writer of four Star Trek novels and the new Chronicles of Amber prequel series, as well as a dozen original novels. His essays, articles, and reviews have appeared in such diverse publications as Writer's Digest and The Washington Post.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 4, 2013
Not to be a broken record, but as with all story collections, this one has its high points and its low points. Overall, my final impressions are that this is quite a long collection, and that it isn't really well balanced between quasi gothic literary stories and new-age blood bath stories.
Stories that I consider worthy of five stars:
* "The Chaney Legacy" - Robert Bloch: From the author of the Psycho novel, this is an interesting story that shows a bit of what character acting might have been like in the silent era of horror films.
* "Soft Monkey" - Harlan Ellison: This story hit me right in the gut. The imagery of the homeless woman and her hopeless situation and past were truly horrible. I wish more could be done for people like this.
* "Night They Missed the Horror Show" - Joe R. Lansdale: This story had the feel of a Stephen King story, though perhaps too gritty and super-real. I found the people and their reactions to be unrealistic to my reality, which probably helped in the creation of the feelings of disgust and horror I feel for the conclusion of this story.
* "Dead Air" - Gregory Nicoll: I feel like I've read a story very similar to this, but I really love the idea of a lonely radio DJ being stalked in the early AM. This, of course, has been done in major horror film as well. Something really interesting about the mix of rock and roll musical references and being hunted down.
* "Her Wild Eyes" - Brad Strickland: This story of lust, love, and art has the feel of a darker Ray Bradbury short story. Because of this, the taste of dandelion wine and nostalgia floats closely to the surface. This author's way with words really makes this piece come alive, much the same way as his painter in the story makes his canvases come to life.
* "Gingerbread" - S. P. Somtow: Because it deals with the abuse and loss of innocence of children, this has to be the most disgustingly disturbing and horrific story of the bunch. I like what the author has done in creating a realistic modern day Hansel and Gretel story, but the way we get there boarders way too close to too much to bear for my taste. But that's part of what makes good horror. You're supposed to be uncomfortable, queezy, and pushing through for a pocket of comfort near the end.
* "The Great Lover" - Dan Simmons: This freaking story is a 100+ page novella that ends the collection. It's a fairly daunting piece, especially once you realize it is basically in journal formatting cut in with poetry. I didn't expect to enjoy this one as much as I did. The author does a great job in putting the reader right into the trenches of WWI. The senseless feeling of loss, dispair, and general haze of confusion really permeates this piece. The atmosphere is grisly and fantastic. I'm still not sure what to make of the title, and the woman that the main character sees throughout his war experience, though the ending poem explicitly states who she is. Through this journal log, you can really feel the senselessness, unending discomfort, and loss of dignity that war provides man before untimely death in a thousand different forms. A very "heavy" story. You feel like you're still wearing it when it's over.
Stories that I consider worthy of five stars:
* "The Chaney Legacy" - Robert Bloch: From the author of the Psycho novel, this is an interesting story that shows a bit of what character acting might have been like in the silent era of horror films.
* "Soft Monkey" - Harlan Ellison: This story hit me right in the gut. The imagery of the homeless woman and her hopeless situation and past were truly horrible. I wish more could be done for people like this.
* "Night They Missed the Horror Show" - Joe R. Lansdale: This story had the feel of a Stephen King story, though perhaps too gritty and super-real. I found the people and their reactions to be unrealistic to my reality, which probably helped in the creation of the feelings of disgust and horror I feel for the conclusion of this story.
* "Dead Air" - Gregory Nicoll: I feel like I've read a story very similar to this, but I really love the idea of a lonely radio DJ being stalked in the early AM. This, of course, has been done in major horror film as well. Something really interesting about the mix of rock and roll musical references and being hunted down.
* "Her Wild Eyes" - Brad Strickland: This story of lust, love, and art has the feel of a darker Ray Bradbury short story. Because of this, the taste of dandelion wine and nostalgia floats closely to the surface. This author's way with words really makes this piece come alive, much the same way as his painter in the story makes his canvases come to life.
* "Gingerbread" - S. P. Somtow: Because it deals with the abuse and loss of innocence of children, this has to be the most disgustingly disturbing and horrific story of the bunch. I like what the author has done in creating a realistic modern day Hansel and Gretel story, but the way we get there boarders way too close to too much to bear for my taste. But that's part of what makes good horror. You're supposed to be uncomfortable, queezy, and pushing through for a pocket of comfort near the end.
* "The Great Lover" - Dan Simmons: This freaking story is a 100+ page novella that ends the collection. It's a fairly daunting piece, especially once you realize it is basically in journal formatting cut in with poetry. I didn't expect to enjoy this one as much as I did. The author does a great job in putting the reader right into the trenches of WWI. The senseless feeling of loss, dispair, and general haze of confusion really permeates this piece. The atmosphere is grisly and fantastic. I'm still not sure what to make of the title, and the woman that the main character sees throughout his war experience, though the ending poem explicitly states who she is. Through this journal log, you can really feel the senselessness, unending discomfort, and loss of dignity that war provides man before untimely death in a thousand different forms. A very "heavy" story. You feel like you're still wearing it when it's over.
December 31, 2013
I rated this horror anthology by first rating each story and then figuring out the average; all and all, the collection itself is pretty good. Stories that stood out for me:
- New Masterpieces of Horror made it to my list because it contains Joe R. Lansdale's "Night They Missed the Horror Show," which definitely did not disappoint, although it isn't a horror story in the traditional sense at all.
- There are at least three war stories included; I am not a fan of war fiction, so they kind of ran together for me. However, Dan Simmons' "The Great Lover" was an excellent glimpse at what I think actual war is probably like and made me reestablish my belief that, in essence, war is kind of a pointless, sad waste.
- "Menage a Trois" by F. Paul Wilson was one of my very favorites; it's featured in an old British horror series called The Hunger, for those interested. I definitely prefer Wilson's original ending, though.
- William F. Nolan's "The Yard" is subtly and satisfactorily creepy.
- LOVED "The Third Dead Body" by Nina Kiriki Hoffman; her writing style is engaging and the story didn't really leave anything to be lacking for me.
- Elizabeth Massie's "Brazo de Dios"....probably my favorite of the entire set. Tastes a little like Saw with much less gore. Very clever.
- Both "All Flesh is Clay" by John J. Ordover and S.P. Somtow's "Gingerbread" were immensely interesting, though for different reasons. Loved the theme behind "All Flesh is Clay" and the modernized fairy tale elements in "Gingerbread."
Stories I just didn't care for were "Death on the Nile," "In the Trees," and "The Dark Country."
- New Masterpieces of Horror made it to my list because it contains Joe R. Lansdale's "Night They Missed the Horror Show," which definitely did not disappoint, although it isn't a horror story in the traditional sense at all.
- There are at least three war stories included; I am not a fan of war fiction, so they kind of ran together for me. However, Dan Simmons' "The Great Lover" was an excellent glimpse at what I think actual war is probably like and made me reestablish my belief that, in essence, war is kind of a pointless, sad waste.
- "Menage a Trois" by F. Paul Wilson was one of my very favorites; it's featured in an old British horror series called The Hunger, for those interested. I definitely prefer Wilson's original ending, though.
- William F. Nolan's "The Yard" is subtly and satisfactorily creepy.
- LOVED "The Third Dead Body" by Nina Kiriki Hoffman; her writing style is engaging and the story didn't really leave anything to be lacking for me.
- Elizabeth Massie's "Brazo de Dios"....probably my favorite of the entire set. Tastes a little like Saw with much less gore. Very clever.
- Both "All Flesh is Clay" by John J. Ordover and S.P. Somtow's "Gingerbread" were immensely interesting, though for different reasons. Loved the theme behind "All Flesh is Clay" and the modernized fairy tale elements in "Gingerbread."
Stories I just didn't care for were "Death on the Nile," "In the Trees," and "The Dark Country."
January 30, 2015
The stories in this anthology are collected from other publications over the course of about the decade prior to this volume's publication. The selection of stories is very good, and there is not a clunker in the batch. The thread that ties the stories together seems to be an emphasis on setting and atmosphere; as a result, some of the characters in a couple of stories seem a little two-dimensional (such as in Joe Lansdale's "Night They Missed the Horror Show"), but this is not necessarily a weakness. In the case of the Lansdale story, a horrible situation becomes progressively more horrible until the story ends like a moral abscess bursting.
The best story is "Brazo de Dios" by Elizabeth Massie. There is no monster in this story, only human generated horror. I would hope this story finds its way into short story collections that don't focus on a genre, as it transcends genre.
The best story is "Brazo de Dios" by Elizabeth Massie. There is no monster in this story, only human generated horror. I would hope this story finds its way into short story collections that don't focus on a genre, as it transcends genre.
Read
August 22, 2008New Masterpieces of Horror by Ed John Betancourt (?)
May 23, 2010
The stories were pretty lame.I don't think any of them were particularly good.The authors were good but it seemed that they took the poorest work from some pretty good authors.
November 10, 2020
A strong collection of tales from some reliable writers, despite some of them only skirting the genre and containing no fantastic elements, and a couple of tired ideas being recycled.
Each story reviewed as it was read, reaching an overall score of 45/60 - so Four Stars.
The Chaney Legacy, by Robert Bloch: 4/5. A film lecturer moves into Lon Chaney's old home and discovers a makeup box. A loving and heartfelt haunting - though you do have to wade through some fastidious name-checking research - with some dark suspense and a classic Bloch final line.
Soft Monkey, by Harlan Ellison: 4/5. A homeless woman witnesses a mob murder. Ellison's usually sharp prose creates an empathetic and detailed account of life on the streets, and it's very tense for its length, but... it's not a horror story.
Death on the Nile, by Connie Willis: 3/5. Friends on a touring holiday encounter problems in Egypt. A series of surreal moments in a time-slip tale which simply repeats its conceit until it ends. Competently written, but overlong, and still not horror.
Ménage à Trois, by F. Paul Wilson: 3/5. A rich, disabled homeowner selects her maid and caretaker very carefully. A slow and intriguing burn, even if it's largely predictable (most of the spoilers are already in the title), and finishes on a shock ending which doesn't really follow from the story, and makes little sense.
Peacemaker, by Charles L. Grant: 5/5. An old man sits on his porch on Hallowe'en and watches the kids go by. Finely crafted, memorable stuff - a character piece in Grant's lyrical style, full of ambience and a growing sense of mystery, until the last page when all the pieces fall into place, and the final lines leave a chill.
Night They Missed the Horror Show, by Joe R. Lansdale: 5/5. A crass, crude tale of racism and casual, almost off-hand, violence, punctuated with off-colour humour in turns of phrase to make you laugh despite yourself, all leading inexorably, deliberately, to a worse and worse ending.
The Yard, by William F. Nolan: 4/5. A man returns to his hometown, and the junkyard which always fascinated him. The subject matter, and Nolan's plain, effective prose, make this very similar to Stephen King, but it's otherwise a carefully built up tale, adding layers until the final reveal.
In the Trees, by Steve Rasnic Tem: 4/5. A father relents and lets his son climb the tall tree in the yard. Very much an inner monologue, so all character and reminiscence, becoming more slowly surreal and strange - a strong tale of nostalgia and regret.
Dead Air, by Gregory Nicoll: 2/5. A late night DJ is spooked from within and without. Moments of suspense in an overlong and overfamiliar tale (Jack the Ripper stories were such old hat, even by the late '80s), punctuated with clumsily integrated music/DJ research which continually disrupt the flow.
The Third Dead Body, by Nina Kiriki Hoffman: 5/5. A woman is cursed to love from beyond the grave. Engagingly written and absorbing from the outset, a sad tale of magic and revenge, cleverly using the multiple personas women adopt as a plot device to build character and nuance, and fulfilling promise with a solid and expansive ending.
The Troll, by Ray Bradbury: 2/5. A psychiatrist visits the troll under the bridge. A slight piece of whimsy, an attempt to bring fairy tales into the modern day, but lacking Bradbury's usual lyrical style, and visiting what is a strong idea rather than exploring it to its full potential.
Brazo de Dios, by Elizabeth Massie: 4/5. A missionary is kidnapped and offered the chance to truly make a difference. A story that hints at much more darkness than it shows, veering into a think piece on religious outreach and personal commitment, a strong tale on human, rather than supernatural, horror.
Each story reviewed as it was read, reaching an overall score of 45/60 - so Four Stars.
The Chaney Legacy, by Robert Bloch: 4/5. A film lecturer moves into Lon Chaney's old home and discovers a makeup box. A loving and heartfelt haunting - though you do have to wade through some fastidious name-checking research - with some dark suspense and a classic Bloch final line.
Soft Monkey, by Harlan Ellison: 4/5. A homeless woman witnesses a mob murder. Ellison's usually sharp prose creates an empathetic and detailed account of life on the streets, and it's very tense for its length, but... it's not a horror story.
Death on the Nile, by Connie Willis: 3/5. Friends on a touring holiday encounter problems in Egypt. A series of surreal moments in a time-slip tale which simply repeats its conceit until it ends. Competently written, but overlong, and still not horror.
Ménage à Trois, by F. Paul Wilson: 3/5. A rich, disabled homeowner selects her maid and caretaker very carefully. A slow and intriguing burn, even if it's largely predictable (most of the spoilers are already in the title), and finishes on a shock ending which doesn't really follow from the story, and makes little sense.
Peacemaker, by Charles L. Grant: 5/5. An old man sits on his porch on Hallowe'en and watches the kids go by. Finely crafted, memorable stuff - a character piece in Grant's lyrical style, full of ambience and a growing sense of mystery, until the last page when all the pieces fall into place, and the final lines leave a chill.
Night They Missed the Horror Show, by Joe R. Lansdale: 5/5. A crass, crude tale of racism and casual, almost off-hand, violence, punctuated with off-colour humour in turns of phrase to make you laugh despite yourself, all leading inexorably, deliberately, to a worse and worse ending.
The Yard, by William F. Nolan: 4/5. A man returns to his hometown, and the junkyard which always fascinated him. The subject matter, and Nolan's plain, effective prose, make this very similar to Stephen King, but it's otherwise a carefully built up tale, adding layers until the final reveal.
In the Trees, by Steve Rasnic Tem: 4/5. A father relents and lets his son climb the tall tree in the yard. Very much an inner monologue, so all character and reminiscence, becoming more slowly surreal and strange - a strong tale of nostalgia and regret.
Dead Air, by Gregory Nicoll: 2/5. A late night DJ is spooked from within and without. Moments of suspense in an overlong and overfamiliar tale (Jack the Ripper stories were such old hat, even by the late '80s), punctuated with clumsily integrated music/DJ research which continually disrupt the flow.
The Third Dead Body, by Nina Kiriki Hoffman: 5/5. A woman is cursed to love from beyond the grave. Engagingly written and absorbing from the outset, a sad tale of magic and revenge, cleverly using the multiple personas women adopt as a plot device to build character and nuance, and fulfilling promise with a solid and expansive ending.
The Troll, by Ray Bradbury: 2/5. A psychiatrist visits the troll under the bridge. A slight piece of whimsy, an attempt to bring fairy tales into the modern day, but lacking Bradbury's usual lyrical style, and visiting what is a strong idea rather than exploring it to its full potential.
Brazo de Dios, by Elizabeth Massie: 4/5. A missionary is kidnapped and offered the chance to truly make a difference. A story that hints at much more darkness than it shows, veering into a think piece on religious outreach and personal commitment, a strong tale on human, rather than supernatural, horror.
August 16, 2019
Quite amazing array of authors, and even a couple of stories I hadn't read elsewhere, which is unusual given the amount of horror I read. Very much enjoyed this anthology, recommended!
January 28, 2024
This is a good selection of stories; some are not really horror stories, but they are all good.
November 24, 2011
The only interesting part of this book is the cover.
I mean wtf is that thing, a dinosaur, a bird, a muppet?
That aside, if the person who put "masterpiece" in the title is the same as the one who wrote them stories (and the only reason I am writing this disclaimer is I don't actually care to research about this book), that's even more reason not to touch this with a 500-foot stick.
I mean wtf is that thing, a dinosaur, a bird, a muppet?
That aside, if the person who put "masterpiece" in the title is the same as the one who wrote them stories (and the only reason I am writing this disclaimer is I don't actually care to research about this book), that's even more reason not to touch this with a 500-foot stick.
August 14, 2008
This was a short story collection. It was short, had about 12 stories in it. Most all of the stories were awful. The better ones were just better compared to the rest of them. Would suggest people NOT read it.
October 7, 2011
read it for the harlan ellison story, loved it!
February 8, 2012
A short collection of horror, but not bad. There were a few that were not really to my liking, but I enjoyed most of the stories here.
November 4, 2016
Two words: Charles Grant.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews