The evil escapades of damable debaucheries and the diabolical ecstasy of certain folks are document in “Weird Tales; 32 Unearthed Terrors.”
The slash of the grim reapers scythe is welcoming under the reading lamps of sleeping suburba. “Weird Tales” is a book with a bizarre barrage of sinister and sometimes funny tales which enlightens the imagination, and feeds upon an addiction to reading.
The holy sepulcher of the mind omits the fear of death, and ignites infinite intrigue about vampires, the occult and a limitless array of dark vapors which seeps into the minds of writers and fans of horror fiction.
This 1988 book contains 32 short stories of terror, sorcery, fantasy, comedy, devil worship and sexual perversion that would make a porn star cringe. “Weird Tales” is a deranged delight to those who enjoy reading.
Some of the 32 stories in this book, I found absolutely boring, but the ones that seized my senses made this a 4.5 star read.
1942s “Masquerade” by Henry Kuttner started out to what I thought was going to be your typical story of a newlywed couple killed by vampires.
Rain comes down in torrents as forked lightning crackles across the sky as the young honeymooners head toward what looks like a deserted lunatic asylum, Kuttner wrote on the first page of his story “Masquerade.”
“Masquerade” is a humorous view of the supernatural. Honeymooners via great writing end up spending their first night of marriage in a hotel managed by a family that is more scary then welcoming. The grandfather of this family is the first one to greet the wedding couple, Rosamond, and Charlie.
Charlie immediately begins ribbing the old man by jokingly asking him if he and his family kill and eat their guests. The old man replies, “We are not cannibals, we just kill our guests and take their possessions. Stranded in a small town rumored to have vampires, the ominous hotel, and its employees, all from the same family offer little if any comfort to Charlie and Rosamond.
“Masquerade” was both spooky and funny, and I had a vivid picture of each and every character from this story while I was reading it. While turning the pages of this story, it felt as if I was watching a movie.
“Call Not Their Names,” a 1954 fable written by Everil Worrell captured my imagination simple by referring to karmatic debts and rewards ala Hindu style.
She feared the intrusion of her dreams and the swelling tide of her subconscious. She angered Kali, the Hindu goddess of death because she had incurred a mortal debt, and it was time to pay.
“Weird Tales” has embedded itself into my subconscious and I’m grateful for that. Long after the sun has been swallowed by the night, an off the wall story may strike fear in your heart, yet the weirdness of unexplored thoughts may fuel your aspirations.
A child latches onto to a teddy bear, a move from total dependence from the parents to independent selfhood. Eventually the child disregards the toy unless the toy has other plans! 1948s “The Professors Teddy Bear” by Theodore Sturgeon has stood the test of time.
Dolls and toys that come to life and wreak havoc upon their owners is still flourishing in Hollywood in case you haven’t noticed. The Childs Play movies and Annabelle films come to mind right off the top of my head.
The novel “Weird Tales; the Magazine That Never Dies” contains more than 40 stories and makes for great reading for individuals who enjoy peculiar horror.
Out of body experiences hurl one mans soul into the paraffin flame of evil, and a morbid journey into the dark spheres of an uncharted existence. H.G. Wells 1925s “A Stolen Body” is one of many “Weird Tales” that begets a cool combination of words and has inspired me to write more.
Mark Izzy Schurr
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