Midnight Pleasures

by Robert Bloch

On This Page

Description

Fourteen classic tales of terror by the author of PsychoMidnight Dreams (1987) collects some of Robert Bloch's best tales from later in his career, featuring his trademark blend of spine-chilling terror and gallows humor and an eclectic mix that includes three Halloween-themed stories, a Christmas horror story, and a previously uncollected tale first published in Weird Tales in 1939.In "Pumpkin," a boy wanting to carve a Halloween jack-o'-lantern finds the perfect pumpkin in an unkempt show more garden, not suspecting whose garden it is or the horror that will follow. In "The Night Before Christmas," an adulterous couple looks forward to a quiet evening decorating the tree, but the woman's sadistic husband has other plans. And in "Pranks," trick-or-treaters get more than they bargained for when they visit the house of a kindly old couple with a dark and deadly secret. These and eleven other stories represent some of the best of the prolific Bloch's later work. This new edition, the first in decades, features a new introduction by Bloch scholar Bill Gillard."Just the thing to while away a sleepless night." - The Washington Post Book World"A hundred years from now, devotees of this genre will still be reading Robert Bloch." - Richard Matheson"Robert Bloch has become part of the popular psyche. A dark part, to be sure, but a permanent one." - Gahan Wilson"Any time devoted to studying this master is time well spent." - Fangoria show less

Tags

Recommendations

Member Reviews

1 review
I got the book to read THE SPOILED WIFE. Will pick some others before I return it to the library.

--The Rubber Room DNF Man in a rubber room narrating. He is talking crap about Jews and he is collecting WWII items. I imagine there is some redeeming quality by the end but I'm not interested.

--The Night Before Christmas 2* The final irony was good but I hated the characters. The W cheating on the H and expecting to claim his hard earned fortune and home and the "boyfriend" thinking he could just take the place of the H, his cars, home, wife. stupid. No sympathy.

--Pumpkin 4* Good, classic mild Halloween horror story. Would read again.

--The Spoiled Wife 4* SF cryogenics this one has stayed with me all the people that were frozen waiting for show more someday in the future when they could be cured from disease or w/e.... well iirc the company that froze them went bankrupt waiting for science to catch up so an alternative happened with these people. Some company sells them to people. The people get to choose which one they want. The MC of this story was looking for a sex buddy. If it doesn't work out just stop giving them their "pill" and they rot and die.

--Picture 3* one of those "you got exactly what you wished for" stories. funny

--The Undead 4* A book shop has an original draft of Dracula. We learn a bit about why it's special and what has been edited out by Bram Stoker. A customer comes to the shop after hours inquiring about the book. He must have had to wait until the sun went down ;)

--Comeback 3*

--Pranks 1* ambiguous ending did the house vanish?

--The Totem Pole 3*
show less

Members

Recently Added By

Author Information

Picture of author.
418+ Works 8,530 Members

Awards and Honors

Work Relationships

Common Knowledge

Canonical title
Midnight Pleasures
Original title
Midnight Pleasures
Original publication date
1987

Classifications

Genres
Fiction and Literature, Horror
DDC/MDS
813.54Literature & rhetoricAmerican literature in EnglishAmerican fiction in English1900-19991945-1999
LCC
PS3503 .L718 .M5Language and LiteratureAmerican literatureAmerican literatureIndividual authors1900-1960
BISAC

Statistics

Members
69
Popularity
451,733
Reviews
1
Rating
½ (3.36)
Languages
English
Media
Paper, Ebook
ISBNs
4
ASINs
3