A spectral vision . . . The sound of phantom footsteps . . . An experiment in astral projection . . . A childhood premonition of disaster . . . Possession by a voodoo god . . . An Ouija board that predicted death . . . A body kept alive by force of will . . . A cursed family name . . . Such tales as these are more usually associated with horror books and movies. However, these anecdotes are absolutely true! They are just a sample of the real-life experiences recounted by some of the world's most famous frighteners, from such best-selling authors as Stephen King and James Herbert, to actor Vincent Price and director John Landis. Collected together for the very first time, many of the most successful and well-known exponents, along with rising stars of the horror field, relate their fascinating encounters with the supernatural, revealing how such unique experiences have affected their lives and influenced their works. Even for the experts, when it comes to unexplained phenomena, fact can be much more frightening than fiction . . .
| INTRODUCTION: DANCING WITH THE DARK |
Stephen Jones |
| MY FEELINGS ABOUT GHOSTS |
Joan Aiken |
| TIMESWITCH |
Sarah Ash |
| THE RUSTLE IN THE GRASS |
Mike Ashley |
| TAKE CARE OF GRANDMA |
Peter Atkins |
| LIFE AFTER DEATH |
Clive Barker |
| THE CARTOGRAPHER |
Stephen Baxter |
| NOT QUITE SO PRAGMATIC |
Robert Bloch |
| THE NEAREST TO A GHOST |
Ramsey Campbell |
| HAITIAN "MYSTÈRES" |
Hugh B. Cave |
| ONE-WAY TRIP |
R. Chetwynd-Hayes |
| THE SHOCK OF THE MACABRE |
A.E. Coppard |
| THE HAUNTED HOTEL |
Basil Copper |
| SAFE ARRIVAL |
Peter Crowther |
| A GIFT OF EAGLES |
Jack Dann |
| THE HOUSE ON SPADINA |
Charles de Lint |
| SHARING WITH STRANGERS |
Terry Dowling |
| HANDS ON THE WHEEL |
Lionel Fanthorpe |
| THAT OLD SCHOOL SPIRIT |
Esther M. Friesner |
| TWICE ENCOUNTERED |
Gregory Frost |
| THE FLINTS OF MEMORY LANE |
Neil Gaiman |
| IN THERE |
Stephen Gallagher |
| HAUNTED IN THE HEAD |
Ray Garton |
| THE HOUSE ON THE BRINK |
John Gordon |
| RIDING THE NIGHTWINDS |
Ed Gorman |
| E.S.P. |
Elizabeth Goudge |
| DEATH IS A LADY |
Simon R. Green |
| THE SMOKE GHOST |
Peter Haining |
| NEVER SAY DIE |
Joe Haldeman |
| NOT VERY PSYCHIC |
James Herbert |
| CONFESSIONS OF A BORN-AGAIN HEATHEN |
Brian Hodge |
| TO PINE WITH FEAR AND SORROW |
Nancy Holder |
| A GHOSTLY CRY |
M.R. James |
| ONE EXTRA FOR DINNER |
Peter James |
| A FACE IN THE CROWD |
Mike Jeffries |
| RAGEDDY ANN |
Nancy Kilpatrick |
| UNCLE CLAYTON |
Stephen King |
| GO ON, OPEN YOUR EYES . . . |
Hugh Lamb |
| MOVING HOUSE |
Terry Lamsley |
| INSPIRATION |
John Landis |
| NORFOLK NIGHTMARE |
Stephen Laws |
| NOT FUNNY |
Samantha Lee |
| THE GRAY GHOST |
Barry B. Longyear |
| WITCH HOUSE |
H.P. Lovecraft |
| THE CHALLENGE |
Brian Lumley |
| THE WORLD OF THE SENSES |
Arthur Machen |
| MY GRANDFATHER'S HOUSE |
Graham Masterton |
| MORE THAN WE APPEAR TO BE |
Richard Matheson |
| VISIT TO A PSYCHIC SURGEON |
Richard Christian Matheson |
| THE FALL OF THE WIRES |
Paul McAuley |
| UNTO THE THIRD GENERATION |
Anne McCaffrey |
| TALKIN' THEM MARBLE ORCHARD BLUES |
Thomas F. Monteleone |
| A SHADOW OF TOMORROW |
Mark Morris |
| THE HOUSE ON CHADWELL DRIVE |
Yvonne Navarro |
| THE FLOATING TABLE AND THE JUMPING VIOLET |
William F. Nolan |
| MESMERIC REVELATION |
Edgar Allan Poe |
| IN THE CLOUDS |
Vincent Price |
| CLINIC-MODERN |
Alan Rodgers |
| MAGICAL THINKING |
Nicholas Royle |
| DE COLD, COLD DÉCOLLETAGE |
Jay Russell |
| THE DARKNESS BETWEEN THE FRAMES |
Adam Simon |
| THE MIST PEOPLE |
Guy N. Smith |
| MR. CAT |
Michael Marshall Smith |
| IN THE REALM OF THE SPIRITS |
S.P. Somtow |
| CHACUN SA GOULE |
Brian Stableford |
| THE SPIRIT OF M.R. JAMES |
Laurence Staig |
| THE FAMILY CURSE |
Peter Tremayne |
| THE RED LODGE |
H.R. Wakefield |
| MY HAUNTED HOME |
Lawrence Watt-Evans |
| THE GHOST HUNTERS |
Cherry Wilder |
| A PLACE WHERE A HEAD WOULD REST |
Chet Williamson |
| HE GLOWING HAND |
F. Paul Wilson |
| FINDING MY RELIGION |
Douglas E. Winter |
| KID SISTER |
Gene Wolfe |
| ACKNOWLEDGMENTS |
|
Reviews
"Esteemed British editor Stephen Jones collects and extracts 75 horror writers' accounts of experiences with omens of death, Ouija boards, ghosts, haunted houses, etc. Many of the streamlined anecdotes are authentically chilling."
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, July 19, 1999
"Above all, it is interesting, often engaging, and very capable of raising the hairs on one's neck, and for that reason alone worthy of purchase by the connoisseur."
—Don Tumasonis
ALL HALLOWS #17, February 1998
"It's the archetypal 'just one more before I turn off the light' bedside companion."
—Ian Cunningham
TIME OUT, October 29-November 5, 1997
"A fascinating collection: the experiences, the reactions and the repercussions are as varied as the authors themselves, and despite the unifying theme, there's never a dull moment."
—Mel MacLeod
BRITISH FANTASY SOCIETY NEWSLETTER
"Dancing with the Dark is aptly titled for another reason, one its editor may not have expected. With few exceptions, these steadfast defiances of common logic inspire no terror at the shadows; instead they regard the shadows with awe, and celebrate not only the possibilities of what they may contain, but also the idea that they may be reaching toward us with gentleness instead of malice. Thanks, Steve, for giving them another voice."
—Brian Hodge
HELLNOTES, August 29, 1997
"The prolific and indefatigable horror editor Stephen Jones strikes out into new eerie territory . . . you may be as sceptical as I, but Jones has (as always) fashioned a compelling collection."
—Barry Forshaw
CAMDEN CHRONICLE, August 21, 1997
"Stephen Jones has assembled this breathtaking array of allegedly true stories by a set of contributors that cannot be described as anything less than truly amazing . . . Jones has been associated with high quality genre publications for some years, but it's probably fair to say that this outing represents the finest work on which his name has appeared."
—Darren Arnold
SAMHAIN
"This is a superb, extremely entertaining and diverse collection . . . which anyone with an interest in the paranormal will thoroughly enjoy."
—SOUTH WALES ARGUS, July 19, 1997
"This is a highly readable selection of journeys into real life twilight zones. Recommended."
—YORKSHIRE EVENING POST, July 9, 1997
"Fact turns out to be much more frightening than the imagination."
—BUZZ
