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Monsters in Our Midst
Nothing is more frightening than the unspeakable acts humans commit upon one another. Edited by Robert Bloch, the award-winning author of Psycho, this collection of works by such writers as Ray Bradbury, Ramsey Campbell, Jonathan Carroll, Charles Grant, and Richard Christian Matheson reveals the darkness of the human soul.
CONTENTS
Snow man / John Coyne --
A gentle breeze blowing / Robert E. Vardeman --
For you to judge / Ramsey Campbell --
The child killer / Steve Rasnic Tem --
The lick of time / Jonathan Carroll --
The edge / Richard Christian Matheson --
How would you like it? / Lawrence Block --
The moment the face falls / Chet Williamson --
Judgment / Ed Gorman --
Reality function / J.N. Williamson --
Sacrifice / Kathleen Buckley --
Name that tune / Charles L. Grant --
Taking care of Georgie / Lisa W. Cantrell --
Fish are jumpin', and the cotton is high / S.P. Somtow --
It takes one to know one / Robert Bloch --
The lesson / Billie Sue Mosiman --
Fee fie foe fum / Ray Bradbury.
303 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1993
About the author
Robert Bloch
1,014 books1,199 followersRobert Albert Bloch was a prolific American writer. He was the son of Raphael "Ray" Bloch (1884, Chicago-1952, Chicago), a bank cashier, and his wife Stella Loeb (1880, Attica, Indiana-1944, Milwaukee, WI), a social worker, both of German-Jewish descent.
Bloch wrote hundreds of short stories and over twenty novels, usually crime fiction, science fiction, and, perhaps most influentially, horror fiction (Psycho). He was one of the youngest members of the Lovecraft Circle; Lovecraft was Bloch's mentor and one of the first to seriously encourage his talent.
He was a contributor to pulp magazines such as Weird Tales in his early career, and was also a prolific screenwriter. He was the recipient of the Hugo Award (for his story "That Hell-Bound Train"), the Bram Stoker Award, and the World Fantasy Award. He served a term as president of the Mystery Writers of America.
Robert Bloch was also a major contributor to science fiction fanzines and fandom in general. In the 1940s, he created the humorous character Lefty Feep in a story for Fantastic Adventures. He also worked for a time in local vaudeville, and tried to break into writing for nationally-known performers. He was a good friend of the science fiction writer Stanley G. Weinbaum. In the 1960's, he wrote 3 stories for Star Trek.
Bloch wrote hundreds of short stories and over twenty novels, usually crime fiction, science fiction, and, perhaps most influentially, horror fiction (Psycho). He was one of the youngest members of the Lovecraft Circle; Lovecraft was Bloch's mentor and one of the first to seriously encourage his talent.
He was a contributor to pulp magazines such as Weird Tales in his early career, and was also a prolific screenwriter. He was the recipient of the Hugo Award (for his story "That Hell-Bound Train"), the Bram Stoker Award, and the World Fantasy Award. He served a term as president of the Mystery Writers of America.
Robert Bloch was also a major contributor to science fiction fanzines and fandom in general. In the 1940s, he created the humorous character Lefty Feep in a story for Fantastic Adventures. He also worked for a time in local vaudeville, and tried to break into writing for nationally-known performers. He was a good friend of the science fiction writer Stanley G. Weinbaum. In the 1960's, he wrote 3 stories for Star Trek.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 3, 2022
Plague Review 7: Monsters in our Midst edited by Robert Bloch
It's the 90s and Robert Bloch puts out an anthology with a theme of human monsters much like his iconic Norman Bates. For this endeavor, he recruits the best of the generation after him (Chet Williamson, Ramsey Campbell, Charles E. Grant, etc.), newcomers, and even RC Matheson, a writer from a subgenre Bloch despised. (Splatterpunk).
I know what you're thinking: this is all going to be about serial killers, right? Thankfully not, and those stories about serial killers often have a unique twist to them that takes them out of Hannibal Lecter territory. There are even stories that deal with monsters who harm THEMSELVES.
So, no I don't think this is a formulaic anthology. Not only is it one of Bloch's final works (he would die a year later), but it is his way of featuring how far fiction had gone in portraying the disturbed individual. And for that matter, I think this is a mini-landmark.
Read the mini discussions of the first seven (7) stories if you want to know if this anthology is to your liking. I already read S. P. Somtow's story Fish Are Jumpin', and the Cotton Is High from his collection The Pavilion of Frozen Women and it is a poignant and disturbing look at how the capacity for evil never truly leaves a person.
1. Snow Man by John Coyne
Marc, a peace corps volunteer/teacher in Ethiopia, is being accused by his students of being unfair, hence they refuse to take his tests and challenge his authority in every instance possible. When the situation escalates into a full-on student strike, the headmaster and the head of the Peace Corps are forced to find ways to reconcile Marc and the students together again. They relent to Marc's idea of manual labor for the students for three days. Marc thinks this is a personal victory, a sign of him asserting his authority over the children. But Marc has underestimated the children and what they are capable of...
John Coyne is undervalued. Long-derided for his lurid paperbacks, Coyne nonetheless has a knack for shocking, realistic, and engaging short fiction. Who is the monster in this story? The egotistical teacher? The faceless horde of children? Find out!
2. A Gentle Breeze Blowing by Robert E. Vardeman
Is one man's eco-terrorist another man's hero? Charley Ferguson thinks he is a hero: after all, he has single-handedly developed a petrochemical fuel additive to eliminate pollution. But the rest of the world thinks it's a stinker. Charlie will show them how wrong they are, even if it means adding his invention to the fuel of the ungrateful public.
How far does obsession with being the "right" guy go? How many people will suffer for one person to prove himself right?
3. For You to Judge by Ramsey Campbell
It's almost Christmas and Mr. Foulsham is still on jury duty. But it's not just any defendant; it's the notorious serial killer Mr. Fishwick. Foulsham's doubt over Fishwick's guilt is soon overturned by the jury's relentless need for retribution. Fishwick is eventually handed a guilty sentence and everything seems to be done. But when Foulsham receives an eerie message about Fishwick's suicide, he is subjected to the feeling that all of this is far from over. Foulsham soon experiences weird occurrences and has a troubling feeling that Fishwick is toying with him. Is Fishwick still around? If he is, what is his endgame?
The thing that makes this story work is how it builds a false sense of security. If the bad guy is dead, surely there can't be any more trouble, right? Campbell then marries this false sense of security with a very vengeful human monster, one that wants to right a perceived legal wrong. One of my favorites from Campbell, and there are no vague descriptions of Lovecraftian monsters to be found!
4. The Child Killer by Steve Rasnic Tem
"The Sackman loved children and envied them. So what better way might he show that love than to send them back to heaven where they belonged, where they would truly want to go if they only had the understanding ironically wasted on adults?"
The Sackman isn't just a fairy tale: he is a real serial killer who preys on children to preserve their innocence from the evils of the world. He has found a new victim: a little girl dressed in red who frequents the local park unsupervised. Thinking of her as an easy _target (and a perfect fit for his pre-murder storytelling to the kids, in this case, Little Red Riding Hood), Sackman brings her to his isolated house of horrors. But there's something strange about the child, something that will challenge Sackman's worldview of children. Has he finally met his match?
Steve Rasnic Tem's short is memorable and disturbing. The killer is motivated by the biblical notion in the gospels of children being free from sinful thoughts and thus worthy to enter the kingdom of God. He gets his theory tested big time.
5. Lick of Time by Jonathan Carroll
"Women love to chat. It is in their nature, particularly with other women. If someone had eavesdropped on Erin Jennings' half of the conversation, they'd have heard a nice-looking woman chatting away. Big deal. On the other hand, if they'd known who she was chatting with, they'd have walked past in the opposite direction."
Erin has a new answering machine. Tired of missing important phone calls and newly infatuated with a man, Erin thinks this machine is a worthy upgrade for her job and her life. But when the emotional hurt starts hitting her, Erin finds herself pouring all her hurts and troubles into her answering machine by calling it through a payphone. How long will her dependency continue? What will happen when one has had enough?
Another story that makes this anthology unique. We have a troubled person whose greatest victim is herself. I had the feeling that this story would dive into an insipid massacre but I was surprised instead at the uplifting (!) but still creepy ending.
6. The Edge by Richard Christian Matheson
"For Peter, it was spectacular.
He was thrilled and found his emotions honestly moved. Before him was life's fragility. Existence at its most extreme. He knew at that moment what life was about.
The edge"
Peter grew up in a healthy environment but he has a particular obsession: watching scenes of real-life violence and pain. Not the made-up kind found in movies but the real deal. How far will he go to satisfy these urges?
RC Matheson provides a compelling portrait of a person who enjoys watching other people suffer. At times, I could not believe this was the work of the Splatterpunk author; it seemed that he was channeling his California sorcerer father more than himself. The ending is classic and the only logical conclusion possible.
7. How would you like it? by Lawrence Block
Don't dare harm animals in the presence of this man. For whatever you do to them, he will do it to you, too!
It's the 90s and Robert Bloch puts out an anthology with a theme of human monsters much like his iconic Norman Bates. For this endeavor, he recruits the best of the generation after him (Chet Williamson, Ramsey Campbell, Charles E. Grant, etc.), newcomers, and even RC Matheson, a writer from a subgenre Bloch despised. (Splatterpunk).
I know what you're thinking: this is all going to be about serial killers, right? Thankfully not, and those stories about serial killers often have a unique twist to them that takes them out of Hannibal Lecter territory. There are even stories that deal with monsters who harm THEMSELVES.
So, no I don't think this is a formulaic anthology. Not only is it one of Bloch's final works (he would die a year later), but it is his way of featuring how far fiction had gone in portraying the disturbed individual. And for that matter, I think this is a mini-landmark.
Read the mini discussions of the first seven (7) stories if you want to know if this anthology is to your liking. I already read S. P. Somtow's story Fish Are Jumpin', and the Cotton Is High from his collection The Pavilion of Frozen Women and it is a poignant and disturbing look at how the capacity for evil never truly leaves a person.
1. Snow Man by John Coyne
Marc, a peace corps volunteer/teacher in Ethiopia, is being accused by his students of being unfair, hence they refuse to take his tests and challenge his authority in every instance possible. When the situation escalates into a full-on student strike, the headmaster and the head of the Peace Corps are forced to find ways to reconcile Marc and the students together again. They relent to Marc's idea of manual labor for the students for three days. Marc thinks this is a personal victory, a sign of him asserting his authority over the children. But Marc has underestimated the children and what they are capable of...
John Coyne is undervalued. Long-derided for his lurid paperbacks, Coyne nonetheless has a knack for shocking, realistic, and engaging short fiction. Who is the monster in this story? The egotistical teacher? The faceless horde of children? Find out!
2. A Gentle Breeze Blowing by Robert E. Vardeman
Is one man's eco-terrorist another man's hero? Charley Ferguson thinks he is a hero: after all, he has single-handedly developed a petrochemical fuel additive to eliminate pollution. But the rest of the world thinks it's a stinker. Charlie will show them how wrong they are, even if it means adding his invention to the fuel of the ungrateful public.
How far does obsession with being the "right" guy go? How many people will suffer for one person to prove himself right?
3. For You to Judge by Ramsey Campbell
It's almost Christmas and Mr. Foulsham is still on jury duty. But it's not just any defendant; it's the notorious serial killer Mr. Fishwick. Foulsham's doubt over Fishwick's guilt is soon overturned by the jury's relentless need for retribution. Fishwick is eventually handed a guilty sentence and everything seems to be done. But when Foulsham receives an eerie message about Fishwick's suicide, he is subjected to the feeling that all of this is far from over. Foulsham soon experiences weird occurrences and has a troubling feeling that Fishwick is toying with him. Is Fishwick still around? If he is, what is his endgame?
The thing that makes this story work is how it builds a false sense of security. If the bad guy is dead, surely there can't be any more trouble, right? Campbell then marries this false sense of security with a very vengeful human monster, one that wants to right a perceived legal wrong. One of my favorites from Campbell, and there are no vague descriptions of Lovecraftian monsters to be found!
4. The Child Killer by Steve Rasnic Tem
"The Sackman loved children and envied them. So what better way might he show that love than to send them back to heaven where they belonged, where they would truly want to go if they only had the understanding ironically wasted on adults?"
The Sackman isn't just a fairy tale: he is a real serial killer who preys on children to preserve their innocence from the evils of the world. He has found a new victim: a little girl dressed in red who frequents the local park unsupervised. Thinking of her as an easy _target (and a perfect fit for his pre-murder storytelling to the kids, in this case, Little Red Riding Hood), Sackman brings her to his isolated house of horrors. But there's something strange about the child, something that will challenge Sackman's worldview of children. Has he finally met his match?
Steve Rasnic Tem's short is memorable and disturbing. The killer is motivated by the biblical notion in the gospels of children being free from sinful thoughts and thus worthy to enter the kingdom of God. He gets his theory tested big time.
5. Lick of Time by Jonathan Carroll
"Women love to chat. It is in their nature, particularly with other women. If someone had eavesdropped on Erin Jennings' half of the conversation, they'd have heard a nice-looking woman chatting away. Big deal. On the other hand, if they'd known who she was chatting with, they'd have walked past in the opposite direction."
Erin has a new answering machine. Tired of missing important phone calls and newly infatuated with a man, Erin thinks this machine is a worthy upgrade for her job and her life. But when the emotional hurt starts hitting her, Erin finds herself pouring all her hurts and troubles into her answering machine by calling it through a payphone. How long will her dependency continue? What will happen when one has had enough?
Another story that makes this anthology unique. We have a troubled person whose greatest victim is herself. I had the feeling that this story would dive into an insipid massacre but I was surprised instead at the uplifting (!) but still creepy ending.
6. The Edge by Richard Christian Matheson
"For Peter, it was spectacular.
He was thrilled and found his emotions honestly moved. Before him was life's fragility. Existence at its most extreme. He knew at that moment what life was about.
The edge"
Peter grew up in a healthy environment but he has a particular obsession: watching scenes of real-life violence and pain. Not the made-up kind found in movies but the real deal. How far will he go to satisfy these urges?
RC Matheson provides a compelling portrait of a person who enjoys watching other people suffer. At times, I could not believe this was the work of the Splatterpunk author; it seemed that he was channeling his California sorcerer father more than himself. The ending is classic and the only logical conclusion possible.
7. How would you like it? by Lawrence Block
Don't dare harm animals in the presence of this man. For whatever you do to them, he will do it to you, too!
October 12, 2024
I loved the epilogue and thought I was in for a wild ride, however.. there was only one story, I actually liked. 😂
July 29, 2012
"Do you know what they call people who think everyone is out to get them?" "Yes-- perceptive!" In this case, that's absolutely true. Quite a frightening book, in that these killers and crazies could (and probably do) very well exist, and you'd never know it any better than their victims would. Of all the stories, I think my favorites were "The Moment the Face Falls" by Williamson and "Fee Fie Foe Fum" by Bradbury, though "A Gentle Breeze Blowing", "For You to Judge", and "Judgement" were all very memorable.
December 15, 2011
Though I read this book many years ago, I often remember the story about the animal lover and can't help but chuckle.
February 5, 2021
3.5 stars actually for this title about what truly makes a monster in fictional writing.
The introduction was interesting, unique and informative & perfect for the readers who enjoy psychological aspects of human nature.
Situations, events, habitats & environments that influence the behavior of the human psyche.
What makes people “tick” has always been interesting to me & this collection of short stories showcases the horror of that behavior.
Some of the stories are spot on case and others were obtuse and off base.
The introduction was interesting, unique and informative & perfect for the readers who enjoy psychological aspects of human nature.
Situations, events, habitats & environments that influence the behavior of the human psyche.
What makes people “tick” has always been interesting to me & this collection of short stories showcases the horror of that behavior.
Some of the stories are spot on case and others were obtuse and off base.
April 6, 2021
Read in 1995. Collection of horror stories by various authors.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews