The Dark Side

The falling apart paperback I read dates to 1965 but the stories here date from 1896 to 1955. Not really science fiction, more supernatural fantasy I would say. Subtitled "Fantastic stories of the unknown, by masters such as Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Fritz Leiber, Avram Davidson and Theodore Sturgeon". Twelve stories here, including one of the weakest ones by Richard McKenna from 1958. McKenna would gain fame several years later with "The Sand Pebbles". McKenna's story isn't bad, it just isn't as good as most of the others. For the time this strikes me as a much better than average collection of stories. Ray Bradbury's story is excellent, as are several others. Oddly I have read one of the stories twice in other anthologies show more relatively recently (Trouble with Water). I think it was cute the first time, but less so on the third read! Besides Ray Bradbury's "The Black Ferris" I think Fritz Leiber's "The Man Who Never Grew Young", stories that bookend the collection, were two of my favorites (and the best of the collection). Also I enjoyed "It" by Theodore Sturgeon, from 1940, a lot. Creepy stuff in here.

7 • Introduction (The Dark Side) • (1965) • essay by Damon Knight
9 • The Black Ferris • (1948) • short story by Ray Bradbury
18 • They • (1941) • short story by Robert A. Heinlein
35 • Mistake Inside • (1948) • novelette by James Blish
56 • Trouble with Water • (1939) • short story by H. L. Gold
79 • c/o Mr. Makepeace • (1954) • short story by Peter Phillips
92 • The Golem • (1955) • short story by Avram Davidson
99 • The Story of the Late Mr. Elvesham • (1896) • short story by H. G. Wells
117 • It • (1940) • novelette by Theodore Sturgeon
143 • Nellthu • (1955) • short story by Anthony Boucher
146 • Casey Agonistes • (1958) • short story by Richard McKenna
159 • Eye for Iniquity • (1953) • novelette by T. L. Sherred
184 • The Man Who Never Grew Young • (1947) • short story by Fritz Leiber show less

Edited by Damon Knight