Horror. When you tell someone you love horror books, it says something different to each reader. The Dark Terrors series of tales introduced many readers to a horror experience that would make them life long lovers of the genre while introducing authors, new or seasoned, to the fans that would feed their egos and pocketbooks. As a "Best of" book, this volume contains a varied mix of stories to keep you jumping at those unexplained creaks and squeaks until the last sentence of the last story, then looking for the back volumes to see what else you'll find.

"The Best of Dark Terrors," edited by Stephen Jones and David A. Sutton, is a compilation of horror stories that provides a mixed reading experience. While it showcases a range of horror sub-genres and talented authors, it falls short of delivering a consistently captivating collection.

One of the strengths of this anthology is its diversity in horror themes and styles. Jones and Sutton have curated a selection that spans various sub-genres, from supernatural horror to psychological thrillers, offering something to cater to different tastes within the horror genre. This variety allows readers to explore different facets of horror storytelling.

Unfortunately, THE BEST OF DARK TERRORS was a DNF for me at 42%. I honestly wanted to read further than I did, giving the rest of the stories in the collection a chance; perhaps I may read them later date.

I was given this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was SO excited to receive this book! My husband has a few of the books that these stories came from and I have enjoyed reading them!

While collections of short horror stories always have a few duds in them, I genuinely enjoyed reading this book! There were a bunch of good ones I remember having read from the others but there were also a bunch that were brand new to me.

If you love short horror collections, this one is honestly good.

While I’m down for spooky reads, I don’t think this collection was for me. I love a good classic scare but, I felt that some of the stories in here were seriously dated and resulted in the effect it was trying to achieve falling flat. The collection is diverse but, I wish they would have been selected more carefully.

Do you want to read creepy and spooky stories? Do you like shivers and blood in equal measure? Do you like dark fantasy? Have you read horror stories before? If not you are in for a wonderful introduction to all different horror stories! The horror anthology has 20 stories. Though it is an anthology with a no theme except that it is some type of horror. I have been reading horror since my first introduction to it. This anthology consists of stories that are from the “Dark Terrors: the Gollancz book of horror (series?) published between 1995 and 2002. The stories were the best of the 90’s British horror scene and cultural fears of that time.

Some horror anthologies I have read are centered on a theme such as all ghosts stories. This isn’t always my favorite type of anthology to read. The no theme anthologies are my favorite. The stories are a delightful thread of dangerous unpredictability. The stories are written by authors that are known now for their excellent novels they have written. I was delighted to see stories by some of my favorite horror authors. They are Harlan Ellison, Ray Bradbury, Richard Christian Mathewson, Brian Lumley and more. I also read stories by authors I did not know. Those authors are always fun for me to read as I may discover new authors to add to my must read authors. For me, this was a fantastic experience to read. It’s an excellent anthology to read for horror affeceindos and those looking for an excellent introduction to horror. Enjoy!

I read this one over the Halloween weekend and it was a perfect mood setter. Twenty creepy tales of horror from some of the greats like Neil Gaiman, Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison, Lisa Tuttle, and Tanith Lee, as well as some authors whose work was new to me. All the stories are well done, but the outstanding ones for me were "A Really Game Boy" by Brian Lumley and "Family History" by Stephen Baxter. Overall, it's a very enjoyable collection.

Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advance copy.

Overall, a nice collection of tales to introduce new readers to authors. Most of the stories left me feeling blah because there wasn't really anything new or shocking or terrifying. The stories are well written and have been loved by readers in the past, so I'm sure it's just me.

Thank you NetGalley and Subterranean Press for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

This collections takes 20 *best of stories* from the "Dark Terrors: The Gollancz Book of Horror". Its stories include unspeakable horrors, gore, serial killers, supernatural aspects, and mainly just stories that give you chills.

Overall this was a good collection in my opinion. I didn't enjoy reading all of them, but the majority of them gave me the creeps. If you're looking for a collection of horror stories for the Halloween season, I'd recommend giving this book a try!

My top three from this book included:

1. Free Dirt
by Ray Bradbury
This story had a very spooky vibe. I was very interested in the story line.

2. Self-made man
by Poppy Z. Brite
This story was horrifyingly good. It had me grossed out, but intrigued at the same time. I really like the mashup of the two concepts: serial killer and the undead.

3. The Wedding Present
by Neil Gaiman
I was very excited to see a story in here by Neil Gaiman. I've read several things from this author, and love their work. The story line had a very interesting concept. It was something that I would really like to read more of!


Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for the ARC!

Subterranean Press (Twitter: @SubPress) has been one of my favorite small presses for quite some time. So when I heard I might be able to get a galley of The Best of Dark Terrors, I had to jump at the opportunity. It's not quite the same as reading a limited edition of The Best of Dark Towers (oh, let's just shorten that to TBoDT from now on) but it'll do in a pinch. Reading limiteds is pure magic. The editors, authors, and artists actually held pages of the books, so in a way it's like you're sharing the book with them. Sorta. I might be over-thinking this.

As the title implies, this is a "best of" collection. It contains stories originally published in Dark Terrors: The Gollancz Book of Horror, a British non-themed horror anthology series, between 1995 and 2002. I'm frequently skeptical of "best of" collections, primarily because they tend to be followed by "more best of" collections and then "the return of best of" collections and then "the son of the return of best of" collections, all from the same original series. Like, what happened to the original "best ofs"? Did someone lie about them being the best?. Time will tell if this is a one-and-done best-of book. We'll see. As far as I know, no Volume 2 of TBoDT is in the works. Yet.

As for the stories, any collection like this is going to be hit or miss, and this one is not an exception. By "miss" I don't want to imply "bad," of course. A story that resonates with you may not whip my cord, and one that I like may inspire a heavy "meh" from you. This is okay.

Overall, I have to say there are more hits than misses for me here. I actually found the earlier stories (I believe they're chronologically ordered by original publication date, but I could be way off on that) to be more to my taste than the later stories. Perhaps nostalgia can be blamed for that? Older horror fiction has a dusty, comfortable feel to it that newer, "weirder" horror fiction does not, at least for me. There's a nice bit of camp to it, and I wish more authors employed that in their work. It's like "umami" for horror fiction. Just a personal vote. And hey, modems and dial-up Internet get call-outs in one of the early stories. Yes, kids, we used to get to the Internet through TELEPHONES. You Millennials and Zoomers don't know what you missed.

I like that the stories weren't all about creepy crawly monsters. After the first few, that gets old. "Horror" can just as easily cover "horrific situations" and "horrific thoughts". Luckily both are covered well in this collection. That said, there are some very creepy crawly monsters here, no
doubt about it. I'm looking at you, Poppy Z. Brite. Holy yikes, I had to watch some cartoons after reading that one.

Overall, this was a lot of fun to read, some parts more fun than others. I'm still contemplating buying the limited edition (it's only available for pre-order at the time of this review). Maybe there's room on my shelf for one more limited. Hm...

(Thanks to #NetGalley for lining me up with the advance copy of #TheBestOfDarkTerrors! I really appreciate it.)

With twenty horror tales, The Best of Dark Terrors has plenty for everyone. There are famous authors like Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison and Neil Gaiman alongside relatively unknown writers. While all the tales involve the paranormal, not all are scary. Both humor and pathos are also included.

Whether you are trying to get into Halloween mode or just read a good story, The Best of Dark Terrors is a great choice. 4 stars!

Thanks to Subterranean Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

From the mid-nineties to the early 2000s, "Dark Terrors: The Gollancz Book of Horror" was Britain's premier non-themed anthology of horror fiction. Each volume gathered top-selling horror authors and literary newcomers together to deliver a seemingly never ending litany of thrills. Unfortunately, horror fans are all too familiar with the boom and bust nature of the genre, and by 2002 the award-winning anthology’s reign of terror had come to an end.

Now, twenty of the series’ most memorable stories have been collected into a new volume, "The Best of Dark Terrors" (Subterranean Press, Oct. 31, 2021), with an introduction and afterward from original publisher Jo Fletcher and editors Stephen Jones and David A. Sutton.

Like the editions that came before it, "The Best of Dark Terrors" presents its stories devoid of a central theme. This decision was one the editors felt strongly about from the very beginning, as they explain in the book’s Afterward:

“We didn’t want a thematic ‘hook’ which the reader could comfortably latch onto. We wanted to fling our readers into the wild, into the screaming pitch of horror, into the psychological, graphic, off-the-wall, or just plain weird.”

Some readers may feel untethered by "The Best of Dark Terrors"' lack of theme, but the high quality of storytelling within each tale is bound to please even the most discerning of weird fiction fans.

“More Tomorrow” by Michael Marshall Smith starts off the collection with an unsettling first-person narrative set at the dawn of the internet age. Modern readers will likely be amused with the unreliable narrator’s careful explanations of cutting-edge computer technology and budding message boards only to feel the ground shift underneath them at the deliciously devastating conclusion.

Harlan Eliison and Lisa Tuttle deliver masterful horror tales with their stories “The Museum on Cyclops Avenue” and “My Pathology”; while Neil Gaiman and Tanith Lee provide the chilly side of terror in “The Wedding Present” and “The Abortionist’s Horse (A Nightmare).”

The standout stories in this collection can be found placed back-to-back. Legend Ray Bradbury lures readers into a simple world filled with secret horrors in “Free Dirt.” Bradbury’s free and joyful style secretly envelopes readers into the journey of a man who has come to inquire about the free graveyard dirt he’s seen advertised by the side of the road. Poppy Z. Brite’s “Self-Made Man” gives a nod to Bradbury by placing a copy of Dandelion Wine in their main character’s dangerously capable hands. Both stories employ a steady-drip-of-information approach that encourages readers to race to put the pieces together before their terrible ends. Brite’s story in particular should be lauded for the delightful third act reveal that changes the course of the story in an unpredictable and satisfying way.

And yet the lack of theme in "The Best of Dark Terrors" isn’t without its drawbacks. While it’s clear that the editors deliberated on the sequencing of their collection, the sudden changes between narrative styles, sub genres, and tones can begin to feel like flipping cable channels on a Sunday afternoon. The stories are—as the book’s title suggests—some of the best horror has to offer, but placed together they begin to lose some of what makes them so special. Even so, lovers of short horror fiction should be sure to pick up a copy, as any of these dark terrors are bound to entertain during the long, cold nights ahead.

T"he Best of Dark Terrors" publishes October 31, 2021 from Subterranean Press.

Between 1995 and 2002, Dark Terrors: The Gollancz Book of Horror was Britain's premier non-themed anthology of original horror stories. Over six volumes, it published some of the biggest names in the field as well as many newcomers who have gone on to forge impressive careers in the genre. Edited by the World Fantasy Award-winning team of Stephen Jones and David A. Sutton, Dark Terrors established itself as a cutting-edge market for some of the most literary and disturbing fiction being produced on both sides of the Atlantic, winning the British Fantasy Award and the International Horror Guild Award in the process.

I can’t say I loved this enough! It’s a huge book full of all kinds of horror. The kind that gives you nightmares, makes you squirm, makes you gag, makes you do that nervous laugh, makes you think, and best of all entertains you long past the ending of the book.

There are so many famous names in this volume, that were not so famous when they submitted these works. I was not familiar with the Dark Terrors anthologies from years ago, but I can promise you I will search them out and read them!

This volume is 20 of the most memorable stories from those 7 years of collections.
There are no duds here. Yes, there are some I did not like as much as others but only because they were not of my personal taste. A few of the stories are dated, but to Subterranean’s credit, they did not modernize them as some publishers and editors would be tempted to do. I know this may bother some of the younger generation's tastes, especially those who think today’s horror style is the best.

No, the horror stories of 20+ years back truly understood what it meant to disturb their reader. Horror doesn’t always mean splatter, though I do enjoy it when it does. Horror is at its best when it's physiological, and makes those hidden fears in your brain start to wriggle and begin to awaken. If you love that kind of horror, I don’t think you will be the least disappointed in this anthology.

Thanks to @NetGalley, Subterranean Press, and Stephen Jones and David A. Sutton for this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

I don't think these stories have aged well but honestly I am not sure they would have held any "terrors" 20 years ago either. DNF after 14%
I did not enjoy any of the 3 stories that I read. Sorry.

Can children call forth evil? Where do babies come from? Read these stories to find out. Multiple authors bring tales of terror.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I’m so glad I requested this collection! The Best of Dark Terrors is filled to the brim with creepiness, and I’m a huge fan. This book is something to be added to your home library if you're a proper horror enthusiast.

The Best of Dark Terrors

[Blurb goes here]

A great anthology, it's amazing when you think about it. Some of these stories where written some twenty years ago. If you're looking to have an eerie time, you should dive into The Best of Dark Horrors.

Thank you for the free copy!

what a great collection. to have these stories in one volume is incredible. Sub Press is one of my favorite publishers, so glad to get the ebook of this one. will be ordering the limited edition from SubPress for sure. for fans of horror, this is one you must check out. some very good stories here.

The Best of Dark Terrors is a collection of stories from the 1995-2002 running anthology Dark Terrors: The Gollancz Book of Horror. Horror fans will recognize many familiar names from the field here (Ray Bradbury, Poppy Z. Brite, Caitlin R. Kiernan, etc) and the expectation from both the name recognition and the title of the book would be that this is a high quality read. Unfortunately I found personally that it wasn't the case. Sure, some of the selections here are riveting but I found the majority of them to be a bit dull and outdated. I understand that these were written 15-20 years ago but some of the references and settings were a bit too "on the nose" to age well. For example, the first story (which was actually one of my favorites!) features a main character that spends most of the story mansplaining the early internet in such a high and mighty tone that it just comes off as laughable now.

There's some good content here, but as horror anthologies go there are better options out there.

**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Subterranean Press**

Solid collection of horror short stories by some of the best - definitely a good read for all horror fans!