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Foundations of Fear

by David Hartwell (Editor)

Other authors: Gertrude Atherton (Contributor), Scott Baker (Contributor), Clive Barker (Contributor), Octavia Butler (Contributor), John Wood Campbell (Contributor)24 more, Philip K. Dick (Contributor), Thomas M. Disch (Contributor), Gerald Durrell (Contributor), Elizabeth Engstrom (Contributor), Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman (Contributor), Carlos Fuentes (Contributor), Thomas Hardy (Contributor), Robert A. Heinlein (Contributor), E. T. A. Hoffmann (Contributor), Violet Hunt (Contributor), Thomas Ligotti (Contributor), H. P. Lovecraft (Contributor), Arthur Machen (Contributor), George R. R. Martin (Contributor), Richard Matheson (Contributor), Daphne Du Maurier (Contributor), Edgar Pangborn (Contributor), Frederik Pohl (Contributor), Jean Ray (Contributor), Robert Silverberg (Contributor), Harriet Prescott Spofford (Contributor), Peter Straub (Contributor), Theodore Sturgeon (Contributor), Madeline Yale Wynne (Contributor)

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: Foundations of Fear (Omnibus)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
972277,240 (3.95)4
"Horror fiction is a special and enduring pleasure, invoking fear and wonder. For centuries, writers have struggled to achieve the sublime through these tales, at times creating works of enduring interest. Horror novels have become one of the major bestselling forms of fiction in recent years, and Hollywood has given us a huge and varied supply of popular films, which has created an audience in the millions for horror." "But throughout history, many of the finest achievements in horror have been in short fiction. From these masterpieces have been selected the contents of Foundations of Fear." "This anthology presents an international selection of the strongest work by writers such as Clive Barker, H.P. Lovecraft, and Arthur Machen, who have been identified as category horror writers, and by writers such as Carlos Fuentes, Gerald Durrell, and Daphne Du Maurier, whose literary reputations transcend category." "For horror in literature cuts across all category boundaries. Thus the reader will find in this volume domestic horror stories by Thomas Hardy, Violet Hunt and Mary Wilkins Freeman; and stories by Robert A. Heinlein and Philip K. Dick, masters of science fiction." "The Introduction to Foundations of Fear takes particular note of women writers, who have made important contributions to the development of the horrific in literature; in addition to those already mentioned the collection includes works by Madeline Yale Wynne, Harriet Prescott Spofford, Gertrude Atherton, and others." "Foundations of Fear challenges the notion that the supernatural in fiction has in modern times been supplanted by the psychological, the idea that horror is dead. Horror is one of the dominant literary modes of our time, a vigorous and living body of literature that continues to thrill us with the mystery and wonder of the unknown." "This book is conceived as a companion volume to The Dark Descent, in which the anatomy of horror and its evolution were chronicled for the first time in the contemporary period. Foundations of Fear includes many stories of novella length, supplying the reader with works rarely anthologized in smaller, shorter books."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved… (more)
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» See also 4 mentions

Showing 2 of 2
There are one or two stories that seemed a bit slow, but overall, this is a very good collection. I have always enjoyed the anthologies edited by David Hartwell. The book includes a good scholarly essay as way of introduction. I wrote back in my journal that the editor views horror as a mode authors use in many categories of fiction, and that the book looks at the transaction between the reader and text which "yields the horrific response."

I was reading this when I was still teaching public school. Back then I was worried some of my colleagues would look down on me for reading a book like this. How times have changed since I have learned not to apologize for my reading tastes, and that genres like this can be both light and sophisticated. Horror for me makes a good way to let the imagination roam free, especially into some dark places. Definitely a book I recommend to anyone wanting to get a good overview of the horror genre. ( )
  bloodravenlib | Aug 17, 2020 |
This hefty, almost unwieldy collection (trade paperback, over 600 pages, very small print) is a look at the history and evolution of the horror genre. Beginning with an academic introduction, it contains a pretty good variety of subject matter, although there are some similar stories included to compare and contrast themes (two stories of alien forces that control human bodies for their own ends, for example.) There are several science fiction stories, showing the crossover between genres. The selections range from the 18th century to the early 1990s. I have to admit I found some of the earlier stories hard to get through. Those people sure were in love with their writing. Lest you think me ageist, some of the more recent stories fell flat for me as well. But there is some great material scattered throughout. These were my favorites:

"They" by Robert A. Heinlein: A man believes that the world around him is a sham constructed for the benefit of mysterious agents.

"Sandkings" by George R.R. Martin: A collector of exotic animals fails to follow the care instructions regarding his latest acquisitions.

"When Darkness Loves Us" by Elizabeth Engstrom: A young wife trapped in a disused mine adapts in many ways...

"In The Hills, The Cities" by Clive Barker: Two lovers traveling in eastern Europe witness a bizarre and fantastic ritual enacted by two neighboring cities.

"The Entrance" by Gerald Durrell: An antiquarian book expert is called upon by a friend to catalog his late uncle's collection, but he finds himself distracted by the many mirrors that adorn the walls of the house...and by the hungry thing that dwells on the other side. This is easily the most chilling story in this anthology.

"The Lurking Duck" by Scott Baker: A young girl discovers the link between a criminal she helped put behind bars and the curious behavior of local waterfowl.

Finishing this collection, appropriately, is "Notes on the Writing of Horror" by Thomas Ligotti. What appears to be an instructional piece (Hartwell himself uses it in his teaching) eventually is revealed to be something more.

Worth picking up for some of the harder-to-find stories.

UPDATE: I've since re-read some of the older stories in a different anthology with larger print and more comfortable typesetting, and enjoyed them much more, so the problem with them may have been the formatting rather than the stories themselves. If this bothers you too, check out [b:American Fantastic Tales: Terror and the Uncanny from Poe to the Pulps|6254610|American Fantastic Tales Terror and the Uncanny from Poe to the Pulps|Peter Straub|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347351155s/6254610.jpg|6437564]. ( )
  chaosfox | Feb 22, 2019 |
Showing 2 of 2
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» Add other authors

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Hartwell, DavidEditorprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Atherton, GertrudeContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Baker, ScottContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Barker, CliveContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Butler, OctaviaContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Campbell, John WoodContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Dick, Philip K.Contributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Disch, Thomas M.Contributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Durrell, GeraldContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Engstrom, ElizabethContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Freeman, Mary Eleanor WilkinsContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Fuentes, CarlosContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Hardy, ThomasContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Heinlein, Robert A.Contributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Hoffmann, E. T. A.Contributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Hunt, VioletContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Ligotti, ThomasContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Lovecraft, H. P.Contributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Machen, ArthurContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Martin, George R. R.Contributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Matheson, RichardContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Maurier, Daphne DuContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Pangborn, EdgarContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Pohl, FrederikContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Ray, JeanContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Silverberg, RobertContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Spofford, Harriet PrescottContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Straub, PeterContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Sturgeon, TheodoreContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Wynne, Madeline YaleContributorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
Bair, LowellTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Canty, ThomasCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Kemp, LysanderTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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"Horror fiction is a special and enduring pleasure, invoking fear and wonder. For centuries, writers have struggled to achieve the sublime through these tales, at times creating works of enduring interest. Horror novels have become one of the major bestselling forms of fiction in recent years, and Hollywood has given us a huge and varied supply of popular films, which has created an audience in the millions for horror." "But throughout history, many of the finest achievements in horror have been in short fiction. From these masterpieces have been selected the contents of Foundations of Fear." "This anthology presents an international selection of the strongest work by writers such as Clive Barker, H.P. Lovecraft, and Arthur Machen, who have been identified as category horror writers, and by writers such as Carlos Fuentes, Gerald Durrell, and Daphne Du Maurier, whose literary reputations transcend category." "For horror in literature cuts across all category boundaries. Thus the reader will find in this volume domestic horror stories by Thomas Hardy, Violet Hunt and Mary Wilkins Freeman; and stories by Robert A. Heinlein and Philip K. Dick, masters of science fiction." "The Introduction to Foundations of Fear takes particular note of women writers, who have made important contributions to the development of the horrific in literature; in addition to those already mentioned the collection includes works by Madeline Yale Wynne, Harriet Prescott Spofford, Gertrude Atherton, and others." "Foundations of Fear challenges the notion that the supernatural in fiction has in modern times been supplanted by the psychological, the idea that horror is dead. Horror is one of the dominant literary modes of our time, a vigorous and living body of literature that continues to thrill us with the mystery and wonder of the unknown." "This book is conceived as a companion volume to The Dark Descent, in which the anatomy of horror and its evolution were chronicled for the first time in the contemporary period. Foundations of Fear includes many stories of novella length, supplying the reader with works rarely anthologized in smaller, shorter books."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

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