Release date: October 26
Subgenre: Historical horror anthology
About Fantastic Tales of Terror: History's Darkest Secrets:
Discover the lost supernatural stories behind some of the most famous people and events in history.
These Fantastic Tales explore the secret history that has been hidden in the shadows of the world, and even alternative histories from other worlds. Tales such as a young man seeking the secret of immortality from none other than Bela Lugosi. The tragic story of how the Titanic really sank. The horrifying lengths the people of New York city would go to raise above the Great Depression, rather in seeking fame or trying to feed the city. And many more Fantastic Tales of Terror.
Lineup:
- Introduction by Tony Todd
- “The Deep Delight of Blood” by Tim Waggoner
- “Unpretty Monster” by Mercedes Yardley
- “The Tell-Tale Mind” by Kevin J. Anderson
- “Topsy-Turvy” by Elizabeth Massie
- “Ray and the Martian” by Bev Vincent
- “The Girl with the Death Mask” by Stephanie M. Wytovich
- “On a Train Bound for Home” by Christopher Golden
- “The Custer Files” by Richard Chizmar
- “Red Moon” by Michael Paul Gonzalez
- “The Prince of Darkness and the Showgirl” by John Palisano
- “The Secret Engravings” by Lisa Morton
- “Mutter” by Jess Landry
- “La Llorona” by Cullen Bunn
- “The London Encounter” by Vince Liaguno
- “Bubba Ho-Tep” by Joe R. Lansdale
- “Gorilla my Dreams” by Jonathan Maberry
- “Articles of Teleforce” by Michael Bailey
- “Sic Olim Tyrannis” by David Wellington
- “The Washingtonians” by Bentley Little
- “Scent of Flesh” by Jessica Marie Baumgartner
- “Rotoscoping Toodies” by Mort Castle
- “Lone Wolves” by Paul Moore
- “The Great Stone Face vs. the Gargoyles” by Jeff Strand
- “The Return of the Thin White Duke” by Neil Gaiman
Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.
Excerpt:
Unpretty
Monster
by Mercedes
M. Yardley
The
Titanic was a grand ship, full of beautiful things and people. There were fine
ladies and handsome gentlemen dressed in their best. Men and women with gowns
and furs and threadbare knickers and skirts. There were children with scrubbed
faces and perfectly brushed hair, and other children who wore their poverty
like dirt on their faces. They were perfect in every way for what she and her
sisters needed.
She met a human man on this ship. He had a strong,
white smile and brown eyes that didn’t shy away from her. She realized her gait
was awkward and her fingers were too long, almost otherworldly. She wrapped
them around the railing of the ship and looked out to the sea, which called to
her bones in a way that made her breath catch.
“Are you all right?” this man asked. He put his hand
on the small of her back, kindly, protectively, an easy gesture that had been
bred into him from years of impressive schools. She automatically tensed up
under his touch, but then tried to remember the ways of humans.
“I don’t mean any harm,” he said, and drew his hand
away.
She smiled demurely, careful not to show her teeth.
“No harm. I’m simply a bit…unsteady.”
His hand jumped to her back again. “Shall we sit down?
Please, let’s do that. My name is William. Will you tell me yours?”
She had a name centuries ago, long and deliciously
difficult, but that was a more complex time. It was a time where gods left
thunderous footsteps on top of the mountains, and monsters openly vaulted
against the sky. They didn’t need to hide or blend in or secret themselves
away. They didn’t don the skins and trappings of their prey and move amongst
them. Things were simple now. There was no grandeur or nuance in the way that
things were. The earth belonged to artless creatures, and she had also let her
wondrous name slip away.
“Call me Nim,” she said, and she liked the way he
tasted her new name in his mouth like the finest fish in the sea.
“It is unusual,” he said, and nodded. “Where are you
from? I can’t quite place your accent.”
She started. “My accent? Do I not speak just like you?
Do I not use the same words?”
He was quick to placate. “The same words, certainly.
You speak beautifully. But the way you pronounce your words are unique. Quite
lovely. I’m certain I’ve never heard such an accent, but at the same time it
sounds utterly familiar.” He blushed, a strangely human thing, and Nim wanted
to reach up and feel the tips of his red ears to see if they were indeed as hot
as they looked, but she kept her strange fingers to herself.
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About Eugene Johnson:
Eugene
Johnson is a writer and Bram Stoker nominated editor who
has written and edited in various genres. His anthology Appalachian Undead,
co-edited with Jason Sizemore, was selected by FearNet as one of the best books
of 2012. Eugene’s articles and stories have been published by award winning
Apex publishing, The Zombiefeed, Evil Jester Press, Warrior Sparrow Press and
more. Eugene also appeared in Dread
Stare, a political theme horror anthology from Thunder
Dome Press. Eugene’s anthology, Drive-in
Creature Feature, pays homage to monster
movies, features New York Times best-selling authors Clive Barker, Joe R.
Lansdale, Christopher Golden, Jonathan Maberry and many more. He was nominated
for the Bram Stoker award for Where
Nightmares Come From: The Art Of Storytelling In The Horror Genre
along with his co-editor Joe Mynhardt.
As
a filmmaker, Eugene Johnson worked on various movies, including the upcoming Requiem,
starring Tony Todd and directed by Paul Moore. His short film Leftovers,
a collaboration with director Paul Moore, was featured at the Screamfest film
festival in Los Angeles as well as Dragon Con.
Eugene
is currently developing fun projects at EJP. He spends his time working on
several projects including Brave,
a horror anthology honoring people with disabilities; the Fantastic Tales of Terror
anthology; and his children’s book series, Life Lessons with Lil Monsters.
Eugene is currently a member of the Horror Writers Association. He resides in
West Virginia with his fiancé, daughter, and two sons.
