Darker Masques

Terror hides its true form in the blackest of shadows, patiently waiting to unleash a neverending nightmare upon those foolish -- or daring -- enough to uncover its evil visage. From the farthest reaches of twisted imaginations to the deepest, most intimate recesses of tortured minds, this collection of heart-stopping, bone-chilling tales reveals a world of unseen, unspoken horrors that will tear at your very soul, even as they grab you by the throat. Join Ray Bradbury, Graham Masterton, Dan Simmons, F. Paul Wilson, and other masters of the macabre as they take readers to the most hideous of realms to discover the evil that lurks behind the depths of darkness. Drifter / Ed Gorman for Michael Seidman Reflections / Ray Russell Happy family / Melissa Mia Hall and Douglas F. Winter Dew drop inn / D. W. Taylor Refractions / Thomas Millstead Spelling bee / Adobe James Better than one / Paul Dale Anderson Ever, ever, after / Graham Masterton Prometheus' declaration of love for the vulture (poem) / Alan Rogers Long lips / R. Patrick Gates Sinners / Ralph Rainwater, Jr. Sunday breakfast / Jeanette M. Hopper Third rail / Wayne Allen Sallee Coochie-coo / Mark McNease Wulgaru / Bill Ryan Luckiest man in the world / Rex Miller Boneless doll (poem) / Joey Froehlich Skull / Diane Taylor On 42nd Street / William F. Nolan Safe / John Maclay All but the ties eternal / Gary A. Braunbeck Pop is real smart / Mort Castle When the wall cries / Stanley Wiater Return to the mutant rain forest (poem) / Bruce Boston and Robert Frazier The willies / James Kisner Drinking party / K. Marie Ramsland Chosen one / G. Wayne Miller Them bald-headed snays / Joseph A. Citro None Motherson / Steve Rasnic Tem Kill for me / John Keefauver Shave and a haircut, two bites / Dan Simmons Orchid nursery (poem) / Amanda Russell Of absence, darkness death: things which are not (poem) / Ray Bradbury The pack / Chet Williamson Children / Kristine Kathryn Rusch Sea gulls / Gahan Wilson Coming of night, the passing of day / Ed Gorman Please don't hurt me / F. Paul Wilson Splatter me an angel / James Kisner Untitled still life with infinity perspective / Rex Miller Pratfall / John Maclay Heart of Helen Day / Graham Masterton Nothing but the best / Brian MeNaughton (sic) Somewhere / Denise Dumars Milestone's face / Gary Brandner Julia's touch / David T. Connolly Savages / Darrell Schweitzer Collapse of civilization / Ray Russell Animal husbandry / Bruce Boston Sounds / Kathryn Ptacek Whispers of the unrepentant (poem) / T. Winter-Damon Obscene phone calls / John Coyne The children never lie / Cameron Nolan Other woman / Lois Tilton Love, hate, and the beautiful junkyard / Mort Castle Sources of the Nile / Rick Hautala Collaborationists / J. N. Williamson My private memoirs of the Hoffer stigmaya pandemic / Dan Simmons The secret / Steve Allen. Compiling the hardcover horror collections "Masques III" and "Masques IV, " this volume contains nightmarish tales from the farthest reaches of twisted imaginations to the deepest, most intimate recesses of tortured minds. Such horror masters as Ray Bradbury, Graham Masterton, Dan Simmons, F. Paul Wilson, and others contribute. Original.