17 thoughts on “FORGOTTEN BOOKS #187: THE BIG BOOK OF GHOST STORIES Ed. Otto Penzler”

1. Todd Mason September 28, 2012 at 8:18 am

   Yes, that’s a pretty impressive mix of the great to the readable, the chestnuts to mild obscurity. Remarkable how many folks haven’t had the wit, in similar circumstances of late, to include “Smoke Ghost” by Fritz Leiber, which would be a game-changer on a level that even Leiber’s literary mentor Lovecraft couldn’t match; CONJURE WIFE similarly. Leiber’s fellow Lovecraft Circle young’n, Robert Bloch, also slapped the world pretty hard a few times, most obviously with PSYCHO and “Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper.”

   I”ve recently picked up one of the two volumes of the John Pelan CENTURY and the VanderMeers’ THE WEIRD, which are also bugcrushers you might dig for similar reasons…

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   1. george Post authorSeptember 28, 2012 at 3:00 pm

      Great minds think alike, Todd. I have John Pelan’s CENTURY and VanderMeer’s THE WEIRD sitting in my AMAZON cart. If I don’t go over-budget at BOUCHERCON next week, I’ll return home and click the BUY button. You’re right about Leiber’s “Smoke Ghost” classic! The marketing strategy for these massive collections is to give the widest possible range of stories that might appeal the to reading audience.

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2. Todd Mason September 28, 2012 at 8:24 am

   Women underrepresented here. Ah well. And it can’t hurt to mention “James MacCreigh” was the primary pseudonym of Frederik Pohl in the early years of his post-war literary agenting. “Legal Rites” was the only Asimov or Pohl story in WEIRD TALES, I believe…though I suppose Pohl could theoretically still see another story in the current inpulpation.

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3. Jeff Meyerson September 28, 2012 at 9:08 am

   I agree with you about Otto’s big volums of stories. Will have to check this one out now that I finally finished the 800 page Updike collection.

   I once did a paper on Ellen Glasgow and read a lot of her novels, her autobiography and half a dozen books about her work (by Louis Auchincloss, among others) but never read any of her short stories.

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   1. george Post authorSeptember 28, 2012 at 3:04 pm

      I’ve read some of Ellen Glasgow’s novels, Jeff. Her novel, IN THIS OUR LIFE, won a Pulitzer Prize for Best Novel of 1941. Like you, I haven’t read any of her short stories. But I will…

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4. Sergio (Tipping My Fedora) September 28, 2012 at 9:55 am

   That is a pretty impressive lost though I’ve with Todd on the wonderful Leiber titles. I love the sticker on the book cover advertising it as ‘the most complete’ – I supposed ‘longest’ didn;t have the same ring to it …

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   1. george Post authorSeptember 28, 2012 at 3:05 pm

      THE BIG BOOK OF GHOST STORIES is the biggest (and I suppose most complete) collection of ghost stories that I’ve ever seen, Sergio. As Todd pointed out, Otto Penzler’s massive tomes are a bit of a grab-bag: something for everybody.

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5. Drongo September 28, 2012 at 3:30 pm

   Going to BOUCHERCON are we? I guess the ol’ knee is healing up on schedule.

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   1. george Post authorSeptember 28, 2012 at 3:54 pm

      Today was my last day for Physical Therapy, Drongo. My right knee now has total extension, can bend to 107 degrees, and I leg pressed 136 lbs. on the Leg Press machine. I’m good to go. Yes, I still have some swelling in my new knee. I still have some balance issues that I have to work on, but all in all the total knee replacement recovery went very, very well. Now that the Real Refs will be calling Sunday’s NFL games, let’s see how much rust is one them.

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6. Drongo September 28, 2012 at 4:37 pm

   1. George, glad to hear the recovery went well.

   2. I think the Real Refs did a solid job in Browns/Ravens game last night.

   3. THE BIG BOOK OF GHOST STORIES is quite an overwhelming brew of old standards, newer stuff, and a few authors I’m not familiar with. It would seem to be a good collection for a newbie to start with. Nice choice.

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   1. george Post authorSeptember 28, 2012 at 7:08 pm

      Thanks for your Good Wishes, Drongo! Recovery went well because I listened to my doctors and my physical therapists and my wife. The Real Refs are vastly superior to the high school refs and Lingerie League refs that the NFL cynically employed. I would recommend any of the Otto Penzler volumes, Drongo. There’s plenty of value and entertainment in those thick volumes.

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7. Todd Mason September 28, 2012 at 6:05 pm

   The NOT AT NIGHT volumes would be similarly large, but perhaps not larger…and they, like the hardcover omnibuses of Karl Edward Wagner’s YEAR’S BEST annuals, aren’t all devoted to ghost stories, but mix in various other sorts of horror fiction…

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   1. george Post authorSeptember 28, 2012 at 7:09 pm

      You’re right about those Karl Edward Wagner YEAR’S BEST volumes, Todd. Top-notch collections!

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8. Todd Mason September 28, 2012 at 6:06 pm

   And glad your health progress is, if not going leaps and bounds, allowing for a regular gait!

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   1. george Post authorSeptember 28, 2012 at 7:13 pm

      On the health front, Todd, the second total knee replacement surgery and recovery went well. Of course, I’m impatient to be totally healthy and to be rid of the nagging swelling of my leg and foot. My doctors assure me that those problems will be resolved “in time.” But, I’m now cleared to walk around without the cane. My physical therapists suggest that I use the cane if I’m going to be in a crowd. The cane would act as a prop to keep people from jostling me.

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9. Jerry House September 29, 2012 at 7:11 am

   Not only would the cane be a good prop, George, but I find it great to have around to biff people who irk me.

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   1. george Post authorSeptember 29, 2012 at 8:57 am

      I’ll have to work on my “biffing” technique, Jerry!

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