Women of Darkness II: More Original Horror and Dark Fantasy by Contemporary Women Writers

Continuing the high standards set by Women of Darkness , and rendered with effective imagery and craftsmanship, these 18 tales of horror and dark fantasy by contemporary women writers depict the evil caused by human hatred, fear and anger. Supernatural forces figure, too: obsessed with vengeance, the young man in Tanith Lee's ``The Nightmare's Tale'' savages the voodoo-resurrected body of his parents' executioner, only to endure the return of his victim's soul in the body of the woman he loves. Some protagonists, members of the abused underclass, vent their frustration with barbaric consequences. In Melanie Tem's ``The Co-op,'' a new mother beset by poverty and squalor comes to understand why the other members of the group have resorted to cannibalism. Children fare much worse at the hands of humans and the supernatural. The heinousness of child abuse is conveyed by Kiel Stuart in ``He Whistles Far and Wee,'' when the charming (but cloven-hooved) balloon seller imprisons the souls of children in his wares. Underlying the horror in these tales are the cries for help that go unanswered. (Dec.)