20th Century Ghosts - Softcover

Hill, Joe

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0061147982 ISBN 13: 9780061147982

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks, 2008

Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of NOS4A2 and Horns comes this award-winning collection of short fiction.

Imogene is young, beautiful . . . and dead, waiting in the Rosebud Theater one afternoon in 1945. . . .

Francis was human once, but now he's an eight-foot-tall locust, and everyone in Calliphora will tremble when they hear him sing. . . .

John is locked in a basement stained with the blood of half a dozen murdered children, and an antique telephone, long since disconnected, rings at night with calls from the dead. . . .

Nolan knows but can never tell what really happened in the summer of '77, when his idiot savant younger brother built a vast cardboard fort with secret doors leading into other worlds. . . .

The past isn't dead. It isn't even past. . . .

About this title

Review:

"Subtle and disturbing in equal measure."--Coventry Telegraph on 20TH CENTURY GHOSTS

"[O]ne of the best [horror] collections of the year. Hill is a relative newcomer who consistently creates creepy, very disturbing stories."--Locus

"This solid, inventive, scary collection of stories reveals a writer who has thought hard about the problematics of horror."--New York Times on 20TH CENTURY GHOSTS

"[An] inventive collection . . . brave and astute."--New York Times Book Review (Editor's Choice)

"Each tale is unique, and the collection proves that Hill's talent is not limited to horror, but extends well into the mainstream."--Denver Rocky Mountain News

"[A] new take on the fantasy-horror genre...Highly recommended."--The Sun Herald (Sydney, Australia)

"Irresistible stories."--Evening Herald (Ireland)

"The selections range from the mundane to the surreal, with a strong emphasis on the kind of horror tale perfected by Ray Bradbury, Peter Straub and Stephen King."--San Francisco Chronicle

"[A] lovely, earnest collection of short fiction."--Village Voice

"Alternately sad, scary, strange and at times even sweet, these tales will haunt you long after you've read them."--Parade (a "Parade Pick")

From the Publisher:

Dear Readers

Every once in a while, a book -- and, indeed, a writer -- comes along that takes the wind right out of your sails: and I mean that in the most pleasant way possible. 20TH CENTURY GHOSTS is that book, as fine a collection of ghost and horror stories as you could ever wish to read. And Joe Hill is that writer.

Although some of these stories have appeared elsewhere, in various (albeit obscure or very low circulation) magazines, Joe has appeared on the scene pretty much fully-formed. Every one of these tales could be mistaken for the output of a writer well into his or her career. But don't take my word for it -- evidence of his skill as as a storyteller is already there . . . with Joe being a past winner of the Ray Bradbury Fellowship and the A.E. Coppard Long Fiction Prize, as well as a nominee for the Pushcart Prize. And now he's got TWO stories in the five-story shortlist for this year's British Fantasy Awards. I suspect more nominations will follow. Don't say you weren't warned.

And we're putting our money where our mouth is on this one. We've got three editions instead of our usual two: a slipcased edition with extra material and signed by Joe and Introducer Chris Golden; a regular trade hardcover edition, signed by Joe and a trade paperback edition, unsigned.

Believe me, this one's a winner.. . new talents and household names alike, and from both sides of the Atlantic.

Happy reading!

Pete Crowther

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0061147982
• ISBN 13: 9780061147982
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336