The stories in this volume will provide a shiver of delight for devoted fans of these masters of horror and for readers who may not yet have encountered some of the talents included here. Those positive they've read everything written by their favorite author will either enjoy a ghostly visitation back to that author's beginnings, or discover an early treasure they never knew existed.

How and where did such writers as Robert Bloch, Tanith Lee, F. Paul Wilson, and Neil Gaiman get their start? Now you can find out by reading the stories that began their careers, some well-known classics, others long unavailable. All but two of the stories include an introduction by the author which offers insight into the genesis of both the particular tale and the individual writer's career. The Robert Bloch story has an introduction by Stefan R. Dziemianowicz, while the Henry Kuttner tale is introduced by Frederik Pohl. And all of these spine-chillers serve to evoke the whole gamut of imagery, emotion, and atmosphere that makes the horror genre so alluring to both writers and readers.

Contents:

• Lilies (1934) by Robert Bloch
• The Graveyard Rats (1936) by Henry Kuttner
• The Church in High Street (1962) by Ramsey Campbell
• Eustace (1968) by Tanith Lee
• They Come Only in Dreams (1970) by Ed Bryant
• The Cleaning Machine (1971) by F. Paul Wilson
• Agony in the Garden (1973) by Thomas Monteleone
• The Case of Four and Twenty Blackbirds (1984) by Neil Gaiman
• Surprise Fall (1984) by Yvonne Navarro
• Dreamers (1984) by Kim Newman
• Optional Music for Voice and Piano (1985) by Poppy Z. Brite
• Anymone's Footsteps (1986) by Gary A. Braunbeck
• Colt .24 (1987) by Rick Hautala
• Prince of Flowers (1988) by Elizabeth Hand
• Distances (1988) by Kathe Koja
• The Wind Breathes Cold (1992) by P.N. Elrod
• Deep Sleep (1992) by Matt Costello