The Century's Best Horror Fiction, Vol. 2: 1951%E2%80%932000

This second volume of Pelan's centenary celebration of horror fiction shows the genre evolving and transforming, especially in the post%E2%80%93Stephen King era. Robert Bloch's deal-with-the-devil tale "That Hellbound Train" is an early exercise in dark fantasy, and Bob Leman's revisionist vampire tale "The Pilgrimage of Clifford M." is a superbly unglamorous depiction of the undead. Charles Beaumont's "The Howling Man," which recalls The Twilight Zone, and Poppy Z. Brite's "Calcutta, Lord of Nerves," a Romero-style zombie tale, show the increasing effects of extraliterary media on modern horror. King himself is present with one of his best, the meditative ghost story "The Reach," and there are award winners from Ramsey Campbell, Elizabeth Massie, Joe R. Lansdale, Jack Ketchum, and many others. This two-volume treasure trove is a landmark achievement that horror fans will cherish, though they may quibble over individual selections. (July)