Five Strokes To Midnight

Five Strokes To Midnight is a handsomely made hardcover edited by Gary Braunbeck and Hank Schwaeble with an introduction by Tim Lebbon.

Handsomely made and handsomely written. Authors Tom Piccirilli, Deborah LeBlanc, Christopher Golden and both editors contribute fine pieces of horror, though not the category horror of too many anthologies. And since each writer has two or three stories included, the reader gets a range of forms and styles.

Highlights for me include Piccirilli's "Berveavement," one of his most powerful pieces; Braunbeck's "Afterward, There Will Be a Hallway," a cleverly conceived and perfectly executed story about the mercurial and confusing elements of relationships; LeBlanc's "Bottom Feeder" which is a great old-fashoned new-fashioned take on magic; Schawaeble's "Midnight Boogie Blues" is the barn-burner of the book, a tough tough tale; and Golden's extraordinary "Breathe My Name," a fusion of fabulism and folk tale.

This is a collectible and a keeper in all respects. www.hauntedpelicanpress.com will take you to the publisher's website