Product Description
Introducing a spine-tingling new series inspired by the unique geography of the Canadian imaginative landscape. From "The Man Who Cried Wolf.", Robert Bloch's classic werewolf thriller, to Garfield Reeves-Steven's gripping story of supernatural terror in the Toronto suburbs, to Galad Elflandsson's chilling look at horror on a snowbound highway, we invite you to bundle up with seventeen cold-as-the-crypt tales of the mysterious and the fantastic. Dark fantasy told by: Nancy Baker, Robert Bloch, Carolyn Clink, Charles de Lint, Galad Elflandsson, Terence M Green, Tanya Huff, Garfield Reeves-Steves, Robert Sampson, Peter Sellers, Lucy Taylor, Steve Rasnic Tem, Edo van Belkom, Karen Wehrstein and Andrew Weiner. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Adolescent writing style
One of the worst books I've ever read.The plot was amusing enough, but the style was so overly dramatic and repetitive I kept 'falling out' of the plot, distracted by the writing itself.Every simple act was made to seem overly dramatic, almost to the point of (to make up an example) 'beads of sweat formed on her brow as she gripped the cupboard handle; would there be bread for her sandwich?'Also, I wished I'd kept track of how many times I read a variation of 'nothing could go wrong.Or could it?'I couldn't believe the frequency of '...or would she?, ...or did they?, ...or is it?' etc.Again and again and again!

I chose the book based on Robert Bloch's reputation; I imagine there must be something to it, and maybe I happened to read the only bad one, but it was the first and possibly last of his books for me.Its only saving grace was that it was a quick read.

Vintage Bloch, a Great Read for His Fans & Others
"Lori" is a vintage thriller/horror novel by the master of clear, matter-of-fact horror prose and unexpected black humor. It helps to be familiar with the works of what other writers in the genre have called the "clown prince" of horror, because the leavening of humor, sometimes subtle, sometimes not, really spices the mix. The heroine comes home from college to L.A. after her parents have been killed when their house burned down, and right away, strange things start happening...a psychic calls to warn her of danger, her boyfriend shows up and seems to behave strangely, she discovers something very strange indeed in an old high school yearbook, and in the thick of the story, Lori begins to wonder not only what happened to her parents, but who she really is. And someone seems to be threatening her life! A terrific read all alone at night with plenty of hot chocolate (or whatever) at hand.

great. a real mystery of its own kind.
Lori comes home from graduation only to find her parents dead and her house burnt down.Now Lori is out to find the truth about her parents death and to find out who she really is.Trapped beneath an old abandonedhospital lies the truth but can Lori find it alone.

Interesting at first, but ultimately boring.
Rober Bloch's "Lori" begins as a gripping story, but halfway though the book the author begins to draw the plot on too long. One gets the feeling he was stalling the conclusion, and it makes the work seemrather boring towards the end. And considering that there's only one trulyfrightening scene in this so-called "horror" fiction, it wasn'tvery satisfying. I expected more.

In a word, disappointing...
Lori Holmes returns from college graduation to a destroyed life: her childhood home engulfed in flames, her parents dead in the blaze, a successful family business abruptly bankrupt.This is the beginning ofLori's nightmare; it will end with a death - but whose?From my point ofview, who cares?I think I expected too much, knowing that this was a"Robert Bloch" novel.My mind wandered throughout, and I nevercould get into it.I've read many books in the genre that have held mespellbound, notable, in recent years by Mary Higgins Clark.I can't helpbut wonder what she would have done with this plot.Perhaps I'll read"Lori" again, in a few years, and see if my perceptions improveany; and perhaps I won't.(Too many books and too little time.) ... Read more

Product Description
Paperback edition; two printings (1969, 1972). A collection containing an author's afterward ("Back Word," 1969) plus the stories: A Good Knight's Work (1941); The Eager Dragon (1943); Nursemaid to Nightmares (1942). ... Read more

Product Description
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Robert Bloch is a French racing driver who, along with André Rossignol, won the 1926 24 Hours of Le Mans for French manufacturer Lorraine-Dietrich. Robert Bloch had been part of Lorraine-Dietrich's racing team since the inaugural 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1923, finishing the event, but struggled to finish over the next two years. Following Rossignol's initial win in 1925, Bloch was partnered with the experienced winner and the duo led a Lorraine-Dietrich dominance of the event in 1926, winning ahead of the two other entries from the company. Bloch missed Le Mans in 1927 after Lorraine-Dietrich chose not to enter a team, but Bloch was hired by Charles Terres Weymann in 1928 to drive his privately entered Stutz Blackhawk. Bloch, with co-driver Éduoard Brisson, finished the race second overall behind the factory Bentley team. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Lost Gems
Although Robert Bloch has come to be treated more as the author of "Psycho" than as anythingh else, his claim to fame is most vehemently supported by his short-stories. Bloch's stories, despite being bound by the usual limitations of the pulps (inadequate remunerations forcing even creative brains to go barren after over-production to meet the various deadlines, themes that would cause shudders, gross neglect by the blue-blooded intellectuals and critics, lack of enthusiasm among editors to give the short-stories a more durable resting place in hardcover format), never got bogged down. His genius lay in creating something terrific as well as terrifying within a few pages, no matter how many times he covers the same ground. Five stars for the stories, but not so for the edition in question, since it fails to give any editorial information about the stories and their creator, apart from listing the sources.

Bloch may be gone, but his tales remain.
Despite being famous for the film adaptation of a single novel, Robert Bloch's greatest contributions to genre literature were arguably in the short story format.Whether he was writing for the pulps or the slick professional magazines, Bloch could be counted on delivering a unique and addictive blend of twisted shock and sarcastic black humor.Each of these 'Complete Stories of' volumes, of which Bitter Ends is the second of three, are pretty much required in any genre fans library.Highly recommended. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Some good tales, some not so great
This collection is mainly notable to me for the Bloch story, which is a very memorable (and typically heavy handed) tale of revenge.The Ethiopian tale was definitely intriguing also and disturbing. Unfortunately a lot of the stories are clunkers, especially the Ramsey Campbell tale. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Three Bloch novels reveal author's mastery of the genre.
Scream Press collected three of Robert Bloch's novels in one omnibus edition, which includes his legendary first novel "The Scarf". This novel in particular is worth the effort to search out this collection. Each novel also clearly shows Bloch's strength in his ability to shed light on our darkest inner secrets while poking fun at our inherent hypocrisy.Required reading for anyone interested in the early days of the psychological thriller and highly recommended for everyone else. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Good Mythos work
These stories very much parallel Lovecraft's own writing, with a different mad writer and tome. But that's okay, because that's what the Mythos is about. It wasn't intended to be great literature but a literary game. Bloch's early work has the same clumsiness as HPL's early work, and very similar atmosphere and plot elements. His middle stories are well-developed myhtos stories and are just as fun to read as Lovecraft originals. The back-and-forth that Bloch had with Lovecraft involving killing each other via horrible monsters in their stories was amusing. Bloch's later work was very interesting and took the concepts of the mythos in interesting directions. "Notebook Found in a Deserted House" is an example, as is "Terror in Cut-Throat Cove", which was certainly original even if the ending is terribly campy.
In short, the stories are good and worth purchasing. Also, the binding has held up well with little spine damage (this was a concern when I first saw these trade paperbacks, that they might not survive much reading, but that seems unfounded, at least in the 2nd ed.)

Fantastic collection
I've been a fan of the Mythos for about 8 years and I can say with certainly that this book is one of my favorites. Bloch's vision of the Mythos is both faithful and innovative. He doesnt spasmotically drop spooky names (like Derleth) and he doesnt write with an overly complicated and hard to read style (like Carter). Of all of Lovecraft's cadre of friends, Bloch is one of my favorites. By all means pick this book up!

Robert Bloch's contributions to the Cthulhu Mythos
Mysteries of the Worm is a collection of early Robert Bloch stories, several of which had not seen print in over four decades, based on the Cthulhu Mythos cosmology created by H. P. Lovecraft.As a teenaged burgeoning author, Bloch attained a place in the lofty Lovecraft Circle in the two or three years before HPL's untimely death, and his early writing was heavily influenced by Lovecraft.The earliest of these stories dates back to 1937, and it is rather easy to see Bloch's transition as a writer as one journeys from one story to the next.Early pieces such as The Secret in the Tomb are highly derivative of Lovecraft in terms of mood, setting, language, and flourishing style.The Mannikin bears the influence of Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror and The Thing on the Doorstep.In time, Bloch began making his own contributions to the Mythos by exploring a newly-discovered avenue of HPL's geometrically twisted cosmos.In The Shambler From the Stars, Bloch introduces his own dark tome of mystic lore, Ludvig Prinn's De Vermis Mysteriis, or The Mysteries of the Worm, and it is this contribution to the Mythos that Bloch is most remembered for.

The Shambler From the Stars is quite interesting because a character clearly based on Lovecraft comes to a nasty end similar to that of the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred himself. Dark Demon features yet another Lovecraft-based character, this one an author who comes to believe that his weird fiction is in fact truth he has been ordained to preach by Nyarlathotep himself.What I find most interesting about Bloch's stories, however, is the incorporation of Egyptian mythology into the Mythos.Inspired by Lovecraft's mention of Nephren-Ka in The Haunter of the Dark, Bloch takes us into the history of this evil pharaoh whose existence was supposedly all but expunged from Egyptian history.Nephren-Ka and his acolytes worshipped Nyarlathotep himself, and Bloch has ancient remnants of the group surviving under Cairo itself, while some of the worshippers along with a number of the priests of the god Bubastis escaped Egypt and settled eventually on the coasts of Britain, underneath the moors of Cornwall, where they continued their efforts to create a hybrid with the attributes of their deity.

Bloch later looked back on many of these early tales with some embarrassment, pointing out the amateur quality many of them possessed.I, however, find all of these stories quite good and great fun to read.I would just point to one other story at this time as being of special interest.After Bloch killed "Lovecraft" in The Shambler From the Stars, HPL kindly reciprocated by killing a Bloch-based character in his classic tale The Haunter of the Dark.That happens to be one of my favorite HPL stories, so I was quite happy to find that Bloch had actually written a sequel to it in the form of The Shadow From the Steeple.While it lacks the stultifying menace of HPL's master work, it proved quite interesting and nostalgic to take up the events surrounding that old church steeple and the Shining Trapezohedron found there, the frightful jewel that served as a gateway through which Nyarlathotep, the Haunter of the Dark, could manifest himself on Earth.

Featuring an introduction by Call of Cthulhu series editor Robert M. Price, an afterword by Robert Bloch himself, an essay by Lin Carter on Bloch's contribution to the Mythos, and a very helpful introduction to each story contained herein, Mysteries of the Worm is a book that all Cthulhu Mythos acolytes should own.While the stories aren't as complex and nourishing as HPL's own fictional creations, they not only satisfy the eternal desire for good Mythos-based weird fiction, they open up new avenues of the whole cosmology that are fascinating in and of themselves.

Bloch before Psycho
These early stories show he growth of a master horror writer.The 1st few tales, although readable, are really imitations of Lovecraft and his circle of admirerers.As the stories progress over time, you see the reliance on the Cthulhu Mythos fading to the background as Bloch uses it as a strting point rather than as an end. So although you'll see mention of Yog Sototh and Nyarlohotep, these stories are accessible to readers who aren't "in on it".A good read for Bloch fans, Cthulhu fans or those readers just starting in either group.

Very Fun and Over the Top
No, these are not very sophisticated tales. They will never appear in aNew Yorker anthology. But they are a lot of fun and have a certaininnocence that is missing from a lot of Cthulhu Mythos fiction. Bloch mayhave grown and matured as a writer, but I prefer his early tales to hislater works. ... Read more

Product Description
H.P. Lovecraft like his creation, Cthulhu never truly died. He and his influence live on, in the work of so many of us who were his friends and acolytes. Today we have reason for rejoycing in the widespread revival of his canon. . . . If a volume such as this has any justification for its existence, it s because Lovecraft s readers continue to search out stories which reflect his contribution to the field of fantasy. . . . [The tales in this book] represent a lifelong homage to HPL . . . I hope you ll accept them for what they were and are a labor of love.
--Robert Bloch ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good for fans of Bloch or Lovecraft
One of the rather interesting things about the Cthulhu Mythos is how each member of Lovecraft's circle had their own take on it. I know more accurately that there was no coherent Mythos (that sort of attempt came much later) they were just writing stories almost like part of a game. But still it's fascinating how different writers handled it.

Bloch's stories have always been hit or miss for me, and this collection is no different. Some are really great, others are pretty awful. You can certainly see how his style changed over the years, but not necessarily the quality. Some of the best I thought were his early work. "Shambler from the Stars", "The Brood of Bubastis" (quite stomach turning) and the Mannikin. But probably the best one is the somewhat rambling "Terror in Cut-Throat Cove" which is just about the latest story (from 1958).

Conversely, most of the worst are from a similar period, the late 30s, I guess just after Lovecraft died. Dealing with mummies with just a veneer of the older mythos tacked on. But the very worst tale is a direct sequel to Lovecraft's "Haunter in the Dark". "The Shadow from the Steeple" from the 50s reads like the worst pastiches of Lovecraft, worse than anything even Derleth put out.

Still, all in all an entertaining volume, both for Lovecraft fans and Bloch fans. I really wish the notes before each the story were a little less whimsical and speculative and stuck to facts. Comparing each story to stories by others (even bringing in comic books) was annoying.

Lovecraft Lives!Sort of...
The gaming company Chaosium issued this collection some time back; it's nice to see it back in print.Robert Bloch (whom some of you may remember wrote PSYCHO) was a young friend/devotee to/of H.P.Lovecraft at a time when that young man was formulating his "Cthulhu Mythos."As writing friends will who adore each other's work, Bloch wrote a number of tales incorporating (and adding to) Lovecraft's eldritch creations.He "killed" his friend in "The Shambler From the Stars".HPL responded by offing young Block in the chilling "The Haunter of the Dark."Bloch responded to this with "Notebook Found in a Deserted House" - pulpish curios worth rereading.Other tales of note (bearing typically and delightfully WEIRD TALES titles) include "The Opener of the Way", "Fane of the Black Pharaoh", and"The Creeper in the Crypt."Bloch told his chillers well, with an economy of words - unlike Lovecraft; then he moved on to other writing.It's nice to have this remembrance.

One of Our Finest Fantasists
Robert Bloch wrote some of the finest weird fiction of all time, and some of his rarest gems are published in this collection.I am reviewing the new and expanded third edition, published in 2009.This edition includes a new preface by editor Robert M. Price, and four additional tales that were not included in the first two editions: "The Opener of the Way," "The Eyes of the Mummy," "Black Bargain," and "Philtre Tip."The wee preface is followed by a marvelous essay entitled "About DE VERMIS MYSTERIIS."Herein, Bob Price give us an account of Bloch's creation of this tome and his use of it in his horror fiction.Bloch invented two eldritch grimoires, this one and CULTES DES GOULES;I enjoy referring to them more and more in my own weird fiction, rather than the over-used NECRONOMICON of Lovecraft's Mythos.Lovecraft, indeed, had a hand in Bloch's tome, as is related by editor Price:

"Bloch had originally titled the nefarious work simply mysteries MYSTERIES OF THE WORM, but Lovecraft advised him to spruce it up with a little erudition.'If Prinn's immortal work is in Latin, you ought to give the title in that language -- hence my change in two places (in yr ms.) to DE VERMIS MYSTERIIES (concerning/of the worm/the mysteries).'(January 25, 1935, SELECTED LETTERS V, page 88)"

It was, of course, H. P. Lovecraft who influenced Robert Bloch to begin to write weird fiction, when Bloch began to correspond with HPL while still a teenager.Some of those very early tales, written under the guidance of Lovecraft and first published in WEIRD TALES, may be found in this collection.Each story is introduced with a page of comment by Bob Price, in which he discusses points in the story (but never plot)and the tale's history.These introductory notes are always fascinating.The opening lines reveal that this tale was written by a very young Bloch, heavily under the Gothic influence of his Muse: "The wind howled strangely over a midnight tomb.The moon hung like a golden bat over ancient graves, glaring through the wan mist with its baleful, nyctaloptic eye.""Nyctaloptic eye" seems rather nice to me.Lovecraft's advise, after reading such passages when Bloch sent him the unpublished manuscripts, was that more may be accomplished by not laying on the atmosphere so heavily.Later on Bob became more playful, even inventing one priest of Bast, "...the mad Luveh-Keraph..."

The early tale "The Shambler from the Stars" indicates that young Bloch understood that Lovecraft's major beasties were cosmic, and he wanted to pay tribute to Lovecraft in this tale by "killing him off" -- basing a character on him that was described as "...a mystic dreamer in New England."The editor of WEIRD TALES said he couldn't use the story because the character was so obviously Lovecraft -- and so Bloch got written permission from Lovecraft to base the character on him.When the tale was published in WEIRD TALES many readers recognized the character as HPL, and one letter-writer suggested that Lovecraft should return the favour and dedicate a story to Bloch.The story that Lovecraft wrote and dedicated to Robert Bloch, "The Haunter of the Dark," was Lovecraft's last piece of original fiction.Years later Bloch wrote a sequel to Lovecraft's story, "The Shadow from the Steeple," and it is my favourite Mythos tale written by someone other than Lovecraft.Derleth delightfully published the three stories as a sequence in his magnificent TALES OF THE CTHULHU MYTHOS.

Early as many of these tales are, they shew Bob's early talent, which grew and grew until he was a master of the form.Some of these stories are classics of their kinds, such as "The Faceless God," "The Mannikin," and "Notebook Found in a Deserted House."The book concludes with an afterword by Bloch himself, and a wee essay by Lin Carter.I am presently writing a collection of Mythos tales, all of which are inspired in some fashion by the fiction of Robert Bloch; for such a project, MYSTERIES OF THE WORM is indeed a dark and delicious gold mine.

Good for the completist.
While not the best of Cthulhu mythos fiction or stories by Bloch, Cthulhu mythos collectors will want to pick up this volume.It is interesting to read what are mostly earlier stories by an author who would later become famous for classics like Psycho. ... Read more