The Book of the Living Dead
4 journalers for this copy...
I've been eyeing this undead-themed anthology at Barnes and Noble for a while now, and gave in to temptation today. It contains classic horror tales about different kinds of "living dead" (not necessarily zombies, as the modern use of the term would suggest).
Later: interesting mix of stories and poems, with contributions as varied as Baudelaire's poem "The Metamorphoses of a Vampire", Poe's "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar", Lafcadio Hearn's Poe-esque "The Name on the Stone", and Lovecraft's "Herbert West: Reanimator". The book includes old favorites of mine such as the legend of the Vampire of Croglin Grange, and Percival Landon's exquisitely creepy "Thurnley Abbey" (which might be more of a ghost story except for the all-too-real remnants left behind).
Among the new-to-me stories I enjoyed:
"The Ghoul" by Sir Hugh Clifford, with Englishmen in Malaysia seeking a dead child's body as a medical specimen - only to find a very nasty being with its own interest in the grave.
"Wake Not the Dead" by John H. Knox deals with a growing cult in a small college town, and opens with a dramatic scene at a funeral - a beautiful woman insisting that the dead man not be cremated, as "the dead aren't as dead as you think".
"For the Blood is the Life" by F. Marion Crawford is set in a coastal Italian villa, where a mysterious mound houses an undead spirit.
"Salt is Not for Slaves" by G. W. Hutter - this one is closer to traditional voodoo-created zombies, but with its own kind of horror.
"A Thousand Deaths" by Jack London is a mix of horror and science fiction (and quite a departure from his wilderness stories!); the main character finds himself a captive and the victim of ongoing experiments in death and restoration.
Later: interesting mix of stories and poems, with contributions as varied as Baudelaire's poem "The Metamorphoses of a Vampire", Poe's "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar", Lafcadio Hearn's Poe-esque "The Name on the Stone", and Lovecraft's "Herbert West: Reanimator". The book includes old favorites of mine such as the legend of the Vampire of Croglin Grange, and Percival Landon's exquisitely creepy "Thurnley Abbey" (which might be more of a ghost story except for the all-too-real remnants left behind).
Among the new-to-me stories I enjoyed:
"The Ghoul" by Sir Hugh Clifford, with Englishmen in Malaysia seeking a dead child's body as a medical specimen - only to find a very nasty being with its own interest in the grave.
"Wake Not the Dead" by John H. Knox deals with a growing cult in a small college town, and opens with a dramatic scene at a funeral - a beautiful woman insisting that the dead man not be cremated, as "the dead aren't as dead as you think".
"For the Blood is the Life" by F. Marion Crawford is set in a coastal Italian villa, where a mysterious mound houses an undead spirit.
"Salt is Not for Slaves" by G. W. Hutter - this one is closer to traditional voodoo-created zombies, but with its own kind of horror.
"A Thousand Deaths" by Jack London is a mix of horror and science fiction (and quite a departure from his wilderness stories!); the main character finds himself a captive and the victim of ongoing experiments in death and restoration.
I'm adding this book to AKSarah's Bookbox of the Living Dead, which will be on its way to BCer Greyflank in New Jersey soon for its next stop. While only a few of the entries are about traditional zombies ("living dead" covering a wider swathe) I think it still qualifies. Hope someone enjoys it!
abc box
This one looks interesting and I have enough time between now and October to get it read. I think I will save this for a swap at BookObsessed as I know of several people who would enjoy it. Selecting from the ABC bookbox.
Adding to emmejo's Vampire bookbox.
I picked this out of emmejo's vampire bookbox. While not necessarily a vampire book it does fit the genre I enjoy reading.
