A review by bickleyhouse
Halloween by Paula Guran

5.0

Another short story book edited by Paula Guran, Halloween is an excellent selection of stories, dating as far back as the early 1800s (a poem by Sir Walter Scott, called "The Young Tamlane"). There are over 30 stories in this collection, and it is, indeed, delightful. I was pleasantly surprised to find a story in the book by Stewart O'Nan, Stephen King's collaborator in Faithful, their chronicle of the historical 2004 season of the Boston Red Sox. There is a poem by H.P. Lovecraft, called "Hallowe'en In A Suburb." There is a lengthy story by Peter Straub about a jazz musician, called "Pork Pie Hat." Another favorite is one by Charles de Lint, called "The Universal Soldier." Then there's "The October Game," by Ray Bradbury, one of the true masters of the genre. And it is followed by a "tribute/sequel," written by F. Paul Wilson, called "The November Game." The collection closes out with the most horrific of all, "Tessellations," by Gary Braunbeck, a tale of family traditions gone horribly wrong.