Book Review: The Giant Book of Fantasy and the Supernatural

Book Review: 'The Giant Book of Fantasy and the Supernatural' edited by Stephen Jones and David Sutton

3 / 5 Stars

‘The Giant Book of Fantasy and the Supernatural’ (593 pp.) was published by Magpie Books (UK) in 1994. Somewhat confusingly, in the UK, in January 1994, Tiger Books released a hardcover edition (with the exact same contents) titled as ‘The Anthology of Fantasy & the Supernatural’. Both volumes are roughly the same size (scan below):

Editors Stephen Jones and David Sutton founded the semiprofessional magazine Fantasy Tales in 1977, which became the UK’s premiere outlet for short fiction in the horror and fantasy genres before it ceased publication in 1991. 

Jones and Sutton then commenced to assemble and publish a steady stream of intimidatingly bulky anthologies in horror and fantasy literature, often using past contributors to Fantasy Tales as well as entries originating from newer writers. 

Nowadays Jones and Sutton continue their editorial enterprises, with the 552-page ‘The Mammoth Book of Folk Horror’ seeing print in 2021.…………

Most of the 39 entrants in 1994’s ‘The Giant Book of Fantasy and the Supernatural’ are exclusive commissions, but a few first saw print in other venues, such as Andrew J. Offutt’s ‘Swords Against Darkness’ anthology from the 1970s.

Fantasy Tales, which sought to emulate the pulp-era U.S. magazine Weird Tales, was illustrated with black-and-white and graytone illustrations by a coterie of skilled artists, and this philosophy ably is carried over into the 24 illustrations featured in ‘The Giant Book of Fantasy and the Supernatural’.  

Needless to say, it took me some time to work my way through the 593 pp. of ‘The Giant Book’. I offer up capsule summaries of the contents:

Child of an Ancient City, by Tad Williams: a novelette about storytelling by the fireside…….under duress.

The Cutty Black Sow, by Thomas F. Monteleone: the supernatural intrudes into suburbia.

Treason in Zagadar, by Adrian Cole: a ‘King Kull’ novelette set in a restive city where duplicities abound. This is one of the best entrants in the anthology. Cole channels the sensibility of Robert E. Howard as well as, if not better than, others who have attempted this task.

Fatal Age, by Nancy Holder: nightmares assail a housewife. The story does a good job of satirizing the Chuck E. Cheese ‘family’ restaurants. 

The Mouths of Light, by Ramsey Campbell: a ‘Ryre’ adventure from 1979. I’m not a fan of most of Campbell’s horror fiction, but this Old School sword-and-sorcery tale is worth reading.

Symbol, by David Schow: the actual title of this story is a grafitto of some kind, that can’t be reproduced using a computer keyboard, so I’ll simply call the story ‘Symbol’. It’s about a scabby band of punks who wander downtown Los Angeles; when one of their number dies, it triggers strange happenings. This story has enough splatterpunk content to make it stand out from all the others in the anthology, which, I reckon, is something in Schow’s favor………….

The Storyteller’s Tale, by Brian Stableford: effective tale about a desert and its hazards.

The Big Game, by Nicholas Royle: a sci-fi tale about the transgressions of the Rich and Deviant.

The Cat in the Wall, by Alex Stewart: when taking up residence in old cottages in the Suffolk countryside, etiquette must be observed. Another of the better stories in the collection.

The Shadow Queen, by Anne Goring: sent to live with unpleasant relatives, Lizzie must rely on supernatural aid to assert her independence.

The Waldteufel Affair, by Brian Mooney: an Old School werewolf tale, with German castles, deep and dark forests, and characters who smoke cigars and sip cognac (when not visiting libraries to research Eldritch phenomena).  

Up Yours, Federico, by Parke Godwin: sometimes, the underdog just might win a contest……

Foul Moon Over Sticklespine Lane, by Andrew Darlington: there’s a new drug out on the streets, and Terry is desperate for a fix…….this could have been a memorable horror story, but the author – a poet – overloads his prose with purple-ness.

The Star Weave of Snorgrud Sunbreath, by Mike Chandler: an aged dragon gets a chance to go out in style.

Pele, by Melanie Tem: a tearjerker about the magic of Hawaii, and the agonies of True Love. Sniff.

Alchemist’s Gold, by William Thomas Webb: a polemic about the evils of organized religion. The messaging is too over-the-top to be effective.

The Horror Writer, by Allen Ashely: what would you be willing to forfeit in exchange for becoming a best-selling author ?

The Healing Game, by Laurence Staig: when the incel Drood finds a strange virus lodged in his computer, it changes his life in ways he ever expected. This story could have been a great melding of cyberpunk and horror tropes, but the ending is too contrived to be effective.

The Love-Gift, by Josepha Sherman: Orphaned and left to fend for herself, budding sorceress Wena confronts the world’s dangers.

A New Lease, by David Riley: snot-nosed Brit kids poke around an abandoned factory.

A Fly on the Wall, by H. J. Cording: one must always take care when handling magic lamps.

At Diamond Lake, by William F. Nolan: Steve’s wife Ellen insists on an extended stay at the family cabin at Diamond Lake; it might not be the best of ideas.

Satan Claws, by Randall D. Larson: black humor treatment of a man who denies the spirit of the season.

The Maiden and the Minstrel, by Dallas Clive Goffin: a humorous three-pager.

Sight Unseen, by Jean-Daniel Breque: although his personality is most unpleasant, Bressault possesses a unique gift. 

The Malspar Sigil, by David Andreas: Pharazeon swindles a merchant out of a valuable gem; there are consequences.

Cracking, by Steve Green: three-page treatment of an urban legend.

Angel Combs, by Steve Rasnic Tem: Annie doesn’t have much money, but she does have a powerful sense of imagination.

The Waters of Knowing, by S. M. Stirling: a novelette with interesting characters, but so badly overwritten that it was a chore to finish.

Just A Visitor at Twilight, by Charles Wagner: the narrator’s Mom resides in a nursing home where mysterious things are happening. Effective, without being sentimental or maudlin.

And Make Me Whole, by Joel Lane: James’s new boyfriend Adrian is a bit odd…… huffing lighter fluid is the mildest of his eccentricities……..

The Last Child of Masferigon, by Darrell Schweitzer and John Gregory Betancourt: a fable about the nature of humanity.

Silent Scream, by Samantha Lee: there’s a reason why Irma Longford drinks too much alcohol.

Store Wars, by Gary Kilworth: a witty tale about conflict within the floors of Maccine’s Department Store.

Daddy, by Earl Godwin: a one-night stand brings with it unforeseen consequences. Creepy and imaginative, and one of the better entries in the anthology.

The Dark Fantastic, by Adam Nichols: fantasy and sci-fi mix…… in a rather confusing tale.

The View, by Michael Marshall Smith: Mark takes a room in a most unusual apartment building. This story’s references to Sainsbury’s, U2, and the Bangles make it very British, and very 90s. But in the end it’s another ‘quiet horror’ tale whose deliberate pacing leads to an underwhelming denouement.

The Salesman and the Traveling Farmer’s Daughter, by C. Bruce Hunter: little girls should stay away from seemingly kindly old men.

And the Spirit that Stands by the Naked Man, by Peter Dennis Pautz: a photographer finds artistic fulfillment in an unlikely place. Overloaded with self-consciously ‘artistic’ prose, this easily is the worst story in the entire anthology.

Summing up, I can’t say that there are enough worthy entries in ‘The Giant Book of Fantasy and the Supernatural’ to justify searching for it. That said, if you happen to come across a reasonably priced copy and you’re a dedicated fan of genre literature of the early 1990s, then you may find it appealing.