Sides

Bestselling horror master Straub's first collection of non-fiction, a mixed bag that will appeal mostly to die-hard fans, includes two decades' worth of introductions (e.g., to an edition of The Stepford Wives) and a series of odd short essays by Straub's alter ego, fictional critic and academic Putney Tyson Ridge. While the introductions, especially the essay on Dracula, contain some useful and original material, the quirky and self-deprecating Ridge commentaries provide little insight into Straub's approach to his work. Straub's many admirers will be left hoping for his eventual equivalent to Stephen King's Danse Macabre.