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13 Horrors of Halloween
CONTENTS
Introduction: The Forces of Evil by Isaac Asimov
Halloween by Isaac Asimov
Unholy Hybrid by William Bankier
Trick-or-Treat by Anthony Boucher
The October Game by Ray Bradbury
Halloween Girl by Robert Grant
Day of the Vampire by Edward D. Hoch
Night of the Goblin by Talmage Powell
The Adventure of the Dead Cat by Ellery Queen
Pumpkin Head by Al Sarrantonio
The Circle by Lewis Shiner
All Souls’ by Edith Wharton
Yesterday’s Witch by Gahan Wilson
Victim of the Year by Robert F. Young
Introduction: The Forces of Evil by Isaac Asimov
Halloween by Isaac Asimov
Unholy Hybrid by William Bankier
Trick-or-Treat by Anthony Boucher
The October Game by Ray Bradbury
Halloween Girl by Robert Grant
Day of the Vampire by Edward D. Hoch
Night of the Goblin by Talmage Powell
The Adventure of the Dead Cat by Ellery Queen
Pumpkin Head by Al Sarrantonio
The Circle by Lewis Shiner
All Souls’ by Edith Wharton
Yesterday’s Witch by Gahan Wilson
Victim of the Year by Robert F. Young
175 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1983
3 people are currently reading
224 people want to read
About the author
Carol-Lynn Rössel Waugh
29 books4 followersAlso known as Carol-Lynn Waugh
Asked to describe her work, Waugh replied: "I write children's books. I edit mystery anthologies with Martin H. Greenberg and others, and I am a very prominent entity in the world of teddy bears. This last facet has encompassed much of my work since the early 1980s. I was one of America's first teddy bear artists."
Asked to describe her work, Waugh replied: "I write children's books. I edit mystery anthologies with Martin H. Greenberg and others, and I am a very prominent entity in the world of teddy bears. This last facet has encompassed much of my work since the early 1980s. I was one of America's first teddy bear artists."
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 9, 2022
Le forze del male (Introduzione) - Isaac Asimov ☆☆☆
Halloween - Isaac Asimov ☆☆☆
L'empio ibrido - William Bankier ☆☆☆☆☆
Regalo o dispetto - Anthony Boucher ☆☆☆
Gioco d'ottobre - Ray Bradbury ☆☆☆☆☆
Una ragazzina, la notte di Halloween - Robert Grant ☆☆☆☆☆
Il giorno del vampiro - Edward D. Hoch ☆☆☆
La notte dello gnomo - Talmage Powell ☆☆☆
Il caso del gatto morto - Ellery Queen ☆☆☆☆
Testa di zucca - Al Sarrantonio ☆☆☆☆
Il cerchio - Lewis Shiner ☆☆☆☆
Il mistero di Whitegates - Edith Wharton ☆☆☆
Il festino della strega - Gahan Wilson ☆☆☆☆☆
La vittima dell'anno - Robert F. Young ☆☆☆
Avevo letto per la prima volta questa antologia un ottobre di quasi quarant'anni fa, ed alcuni dei racconti contenuti nel suo interno sono rimasti con me a lungo così, essendo il mese scorso in cerca di libri a tema Halloween per una sfida di lettura collettiva che stavo affrontando su Goodreads, mi è sembrata una buona scusa per cercarlo nei meandri della mia infinita libreria, ripulirlo dagli strati di polvere accumulatisi sopra nel corso del tempo, e rileggerlo, alla faccia degli ormai quasi tremila libri ed ebook accumulati ed in attesa di essere prima o poi iniziati…
Le mie storie preferite del libro, adesso come allora, sono quasi tutte quelle dell’orrore con cui sono cresciuto e che ho praticamente sempre adorato, fin da quando lessi Lo strano caso del dottor Jekyll e del signor Hyde di Stevenson alla tenera età di cinque anni, per poi rimanere alzato a tarda notte pochi anni dopo a vedere in televisione il mio primo film horror: Alien di Ridley Scott… ma sto divagando.
Gli altri racconti, sempre a tema vigilia di Ognissanti ma gialli classici e polizieschi invece che dell’orrore, non sono tutti invecchiati benissimo a mio parere, pur essendo ben scritti e con qualche piacevole colpo di scena, e mi hanno lasciato alquanto freddo ed indifferente, con l’eccezione del bellissimo Il caso del gatto morto di Ellery Queen, un intrigante classico del giallo che quando lo lessi all’epoca insieme ad amici e compagni di scuola ci impressionò al punto che ad ogni festa di compleanno, carnevale od altro, non mancavamo di spegnere le luci e giocare tutti insieme al pauroso “Gioco dell’Assassino” di cui parla, e che ancora una volta mi ha piacevolmente intrattenuto, regalandomi più di un brivido e qualche nostalgico sorriso a labbra strette.
Per concludere, una antologia più che discreta, ed alcuni dei racconti qui contenuti sono ancora oggi dopo quasi quarant’anni fra le mie storie di Halloween preferite di sempre.
Qualora ne trovaste una copia su internet od in qualche libreria dell’usato dategli una possibilità, ne esiste anche una ristampa in paperback più recente del 1996 ma purtroppo, dando un’occhiata al sommario sul web, mi sembra non contenga tutte e tredici le storie.
Una lettura deliziosa e d’atmosfera.
November 9, 2024
I wouldn't have bought this if I knew it were just a bunch of really lame reprints. This is an insanely weak collection of tales. November 1st, San Diego and high-rise buildings are not elements that I prefer in anthologies that promise pumpkins, spooky skeletons, and Halloween vibes. Isaac Asimov's story was insultingly stupid and was a horrible way to begin this collection. Oddly enough, the least experienced author (I believe it said he was from Oklahoma) had the best story. Not recommended.
November 4, 2019
Check out my YouTube video where I review and discuss The 13 Horrors of Halloween.
https://youtu.be/al-X9QfdWRk
https://youtu.be/al-X9QfdWRk
October 18, 2019
13 Horrors of Halloween was published in the year I graduated high school (1983) and features stories from Isaac Asimov, Anthony Boucher, Edward Hoch, Gahan Wilson, Ellery Queen, Lewis Shiner, Al Sarrantonio and literary giants Ray Bradbury and Edith Wharton. There are god stories here-the kind of horror tales I grew up reading, which means they were conventional and for the most part unsurprising. So I decided to do something different with this review: I'm going to give an award! And I want any Good Reads reviewer who comes after me and has read this book to do the same. Which story in this collection was the most superlative? My choice: Edith Wharton's All Souls. Not the horse I would have bet on when I started this anthology but definitely a spooky story.
November 30, 2020
Asimov's and Bradbury's tales are not that good (the two most famous I believe), but the other are delicious like an halloween pumpkin!
November 10, 2017
I am incredulous about such a preference disparity. I like what was disliked and vice-versa. To maintain balance, the story some call the decent one is the most boring. I don't feel obliged to like lauded authors, like Ray Bradbury. He described a guy who wants to love his wife and daughter but doesn't. Implying he might kill his daughter to spite his wife is stupid. From this, Ray draws his only taut moment, in a story describing nothing but a couple avoiding each other at home. Even the closing is dissatisfying because the author did not say if anything happened.
Some complained “13 Horrors Of Hallowe'en” was not a horror suite because it yields any Hallowe'en-style vignette, including a few mysteries. A seasonal collection is the goal - that is fine. I am not a horror aficionado and want to know if bleakness is a basic ingredient, or an option. The other story with a nod is “The Circle”, whose mysteriousness and spookiness I enjoyed too but I want things resolved: not looped in uncertainty. I appreciated “Hallowe'en Girl”, about girl and boy best friends, who love enchantment. One trick-or-treats on behalf of the one who cannot.
“Victim Of The Year” docks a star, in penalty for a cat who died. That is always unnecessary. It was abundantly illustrated that a bad coven threatened a tattling recruit. It had been fun to see if warning a man would be all right. The best piece of this 1983 book is Isaac Asimov's introduction. He expounds on Hallowe'en origins more thoroughly and broadly than ever seen. Very readably, he cites where religions got the idea of a devil, far back in pre-Christian Judaism and Norse mythology. It was neat that Thor and Loki were mentioned. They appear in popular movies currently.
Some complained “13 Horrors Of Hallowe'en” was not a horror suite because it yields any Hallowe'en-style vignette, including a few mysteries. A seasonal collection is the goal - that is fine. I am not a horror aficionado and want to know if bleakness is a basic ingredient, or an option. The other story with a nod is “The Circle”, whose mysteriousness and spookiness I enjoyed too but I want things resolved: not looped in uncertainty. I appreciated “Hallowe'en Girl”, about girl and boy best friends, who love enchantment. One trick-or-treats on behalf of the one who cannot.
“Victim Of The Year” docks a star, in penalty for a cat who died. That is always unnecessary. It was abundantly illustrated that a bad coven threatened a tattling recruit. It had been fun to see if warning a man would be all right. The best piece of this 1983 book is Isaac Asimov's introduction. He expounds on Hallowe'en origins more thoroughly and broadly than ever seen. Very readably, he cites where religions got the idea of a devil, far back in pre-Christian Judaism and Norse mythology. It was neat that Thor and Loki were mentioned. They appear in popular movies currently.
October 19, 2022
I didn't have high expectations here. Just some fun, stupid horror stories. Sadly, some of these are mysteries. I don't care about mysteries. I don't care who did it, I don't care about the clues, the motives, the interpersonal drama. None of it. Even when the stories are well-presented, I'm bored. So those stories were just a void for me.
Highlights include The October Game, a messed up story by Ray Bradbury about a discontent husband/father. This one also unlocked a long buried memory of a Halloween game played in the dark, where everyone sits in a circle while who ever is leading passes items around while saying they're something nasty like guts or eyes.
Robert Grant's Halloween Girl--apparently his first published story--nearly made me cry with its simple, bittersweet sadness of childhood friendship and loss. Unfortunately, his very common name has made it hard for me to find anything out about him.
Al Sarrantonio's Pumpkin Head is a nice little bit about a bullied, deformed child who just wants some friends. Very classic Halloweeny.
There were a number of misses,, but nothing excruciating. It's an enjoyable collection for the season (when I ignore the mysteries) and I'd recommend it, if you can find a copy.
Highlights include The October Game, a messed up story by Ray Bradbury about a discontent husband/father. This one also unlocked a long buried memory of a Halloween game played in the dark, where everyone sits in a circle while who ever is leading passes items around while saying they're something nasty like guts or eyes.
Robert Grant's Halloween Girl--apparently his first published story--nearly made me cry with its simple, bittersweet sadness of childhood friendship and loss. Unfortunately, his very common name has made it hard for me to find anything out about him.
Al Sarrantonio's Pumpkin Head is a nice little bit about a bullied, deformed child who just wants some friends. Very classic Halloweeny.
There were a number of misses,, but nothing excruciating. It's an enjoyable collection for the season (when I ignore the mysteries) and I'd recommend it, if you can find a copy.
October 17, 2013
I read this years ago, and remember loving several of the stories. It contains one of my favorite Halloween tales, Yesterday's Witch by Gahan Wilson. The copy I read and own is in excellent condition (looks like it hasn't been touched), and I was pleasantly surprised to see the values for this book on Amazon.
November 13, 2012
More mystery/suspense than out right horror, but a fine assemblage of tales to fill the void leading up to All Hallow's Eve.
September 15, 2023
Many of the stories in this collection were published in the 1950’s-1980’s and are full of old-school Halloween vibes. This collection is nostalgia at its finest. I have never read anything by Edith Wharton, whose work is featured in the collection. I found her writing to be so atmospheric & eerie- her story stood out to me the most.
Some of my favorites:
Trick or Treat- Anthony Boucher
The October Game- Ray Bradbury
Night of the Goblin- Talmage Powell
All Souls- Edith Wharton
Yesterday’s Witch- Gahan Wilson
Some of my favorites:
Trick or Treat- Anthony Boucher
The October Game- Ray Bradbury
Night of the Goblin- Talmage Powell
All Souls- Edith Wharton
Yesterday’s Witch- Gahan Wilson
October 28, 2020
1983 compendium of 13 Halloween-related short stories. Included are ghost stories, mysteries, and others that delve into creepy violence (e.g., Al Sarrantonio's excellent Pumpkin Head and Ray Bradbury's surprising The October Game). Definitely a fun read for Halloween.
October 19, 2023
Nice little collection, perfect for the season. As always with anthologies, some stories stand out and some are a slog, but there’s some real gems in this one.
October 30, 2012
I read most of 13 Horrors of Halloween two decades ago, but being October I was looking for some fun seasonal fiction. Unfortunately, there's not much horror in 13 Horrors. Many of the stories are detective stories and while I love a good detective story, it's not what I wanted in my Halloween horror book!
Although none of the stories are bad, there were only two stand outs: Ray Bradbury's "The October Game" and Lewis Shriner's "The Circle." The first had just the right element of horror, and the second a fun supernatural element. Unfortunately, I wouldn't say this is a book worth picking up for just those two stories (and I'm sure you can find the Bradbury story in one of his own anthologies where you would have the pleasure of his other work).
If you do prefer a little more deductive element to your fiction, then you might enjoy this book, but if you're looking for chills, then I'd say look elsewhere. However, I want to state that Bradbury's "The October Game" is well worth reading. If you just want to read that story, it can be found online here>
http://lib.ru/INOFANT/BRADBURY/octobe...
It's well worth the read!
Although none of the stories are bad, there were only two stand outs: Ray Bradbury's "The October Game" and Lewis Shriner's "The Circle." The first had just the right element of horror, and the second a fun supernatural element. Unfortunately, I wouldn't say this is a book worth picking up for just those two stories (and I'm sure you can find the Bradbury story in one of his own anthologies where you would have the pleasure of his other work).
If you do prefer a little more deductive element to your fiction, then you might enjoy this book, but if you're looking for chills, then I'd say look elsewhere. However, I want to state that Bradbury's "The October Game" is well worth reading. If you just want to read that story, it can be found online here>
http://lib.ru/INOFANT/BRADBURY/octobe...
It's well worth the read!
October 12, 2007
A really great collection of stories, edited by Isaac Asimov back in the early 80's, including horror but focusing on crossover from the mystery genre. Includes Ray Bradbury's "The October Game" which every horror fan should read, and also one by Ellery Queen -- who had been on my list of authors to check out for some time, and is now very high on my list of authors to collect!
November 1, 2018
Una raccolta di racconti a tema Halloween che, nonostante alcuni nomi famosi, per me raggiunge a malapena la sufficienza.
Salvo:
-"Halloween" di Isaac Asimov
-"Gioco d'ottobre" di Ray Bradbury
-"Una ragazzina, la notte di Halloween" di Robert Grant
-"Il caso del gatto morto" di Ellery Queen
-"Il mistero di Whitegates" di Edith Wharton
Salvo:
-"Halloween" di Isaac Asimov
-"Gioco d'ottobre" di Ray Bradbury
-"Una ragazzina, la notte di Halloween" di Robert Grant
-"Il caso del gatto morto" di Ellery Queen
-"Il mistero di Whitegates" di Edith Wharton
November 14, 2012
So scary I had nightmares. There's nothing like putting the best writers together for a Halloween anthology.
February 18, 2021
One of my favorite Halloween anthologies, that I’ll read through every year.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews