Herbert Van Thal – Pan Horror 15
Posted by demonik on September 14, 2007
Herbert Van Thal (ed.) – The 15th Pan Book Of Horror Stories (Pan, 1974)
David Case – Among the Wolves
Morag Greer – Under the Flagstone
Conrad Hill – Amanda Excrescens
Sally Franklin – Quieta Non Movere
Maggie Webb – Dark Reflections
John Keefauver – Scream!
Roger Dunkley – A Problem Called Albert
Harry Turner – Fingers
Alex White – On the Box
Charles Thornton – Sanctuary – For the Piped
Morag Greer – The Gates Were Locked
Conrad Hill – Wally
Includes:
David Case – Among The Wolves: While researching the habits of wolves in the wild, ecologist Edward Claymore lost a leg when it was caught in a bear trap. Prior to hacking it off, he spent hours surrounded by the pack but showed sufficient guts and will to live for them to leave him be. The incident has coloured his thinking as to how society should deal with its burdens, the infirm, the weak and retarded. Is he in some way connected with the recent spate of sadistic murders under investigation by Inspector Smart and his team or is there some supernatural menace loose in the community?
Morag Greer – Under The Flagstones: A couple chance upon a little boy digging up graves in the cemetery and removing the juiciest bones. The girl faints but the ghoul-boy, Ira, revives her by laying his finger on her eyes and lips and whispering in her ear: whereupon she rises, dusts herself down and departs with her astonished fiance in tow. “Come on, darling … good little boy. I hope we meet again some time.” The spell he has cast on her suggests they will.
Alex White – On the Box: Divorcee Pamela – ‘Pim Pim’ to her friends – meets handsome barrister’s clerk Archie at a party. Archie moonlights as a stage magician: “Rabbits out of hats, cards up my sleeves, streamers from your hair, sawing a woman in half. That sort of thing.”
Conrad Hill – Wally: Absurdist adventures of an improbably oversized infant who eats anything he can fit in his mouth. False ending adds to “wackiness” factor.
