999_ Twenty-Nine Original Tales of Horror and Suspense - Al Sarrantonio [355]
Acknowledgments
No book is an island, and this one, especially, owes its form and being to some very special people.
My thanks to:
David G. Hartwell, F. Paul Wilson, Dave Hinchberger, Rich Chizmar, and Matt Schwartz, for pointing me in fruitful directions;
Pete Schneider, who was there from the beginning;
Jennifer Brehl, who let me borrow her writers, and (even when the shovel was broken) dug for gold;
Ralph Vicinanza, who piloted the agent’s ship;
Tom Dupree, Avon editor supreme;
Marsha DeFilippo, Angel of Mercy;
And Stephen King—from one writer to another.
About the Editor
AL SARRANTONIO’S twenty-five books include the horror novels Moonbane, House Haunted, Skeletons, and Totentanz, as well as the critically acclaimed science fiction trilogy Five Worlds. He has been an editor, reviewer, and columnist, and has been nominated for the Horror Writers Association’s Bram Stoker Award and the Private Eye Writers of America’s Shamus Award. His short stories have appeared in magazines such as Heavy Metal, Twilight Zone, and Realms of Fantasy, as well as in anthologies including The Year’s Best Horror Stories, Great Ghost Stories, and The Best of Shadows. A collection of his best horror tales, Toybox, has just been published.
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Nationwide Praise For 999
“Dazzling … a devilishly good deal.”
—Boston Herald
“A new benchmark of excellence.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Proof positive that the horror genre is alive and well.”
—Denver Post
“Anyone unable to find something to raise the hair on the nape of the neck in 999 is likely in need of resuscitation paddles.”
—SFSite.com
“It will certainly be around for decades.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“One of the best anthologies of horror and suspense of all time.”
—Rocky Mountain News
“For horror fans, 999 is a romp in paradise.”
—Associated Press
“Here comes horror Utopia. … A surefire fan pleaser.”
—Booklist
“Chock-full of excellent fiction showcasing the breadth of writing that exists in the horror field.”
—Cinescape
“An extraordinary anthology.”
—Interzone
“The hottest horror anthology of the past decade.”
—Maine Sunday Telegram
“Stylistic and modern and spooky … shockingly good fun.”
—Lancaster Times (Mass.)
“Chock-full of excellent fiction. … Sure to please fans immensely.”
—Wicked magazine
“Truly astonishing … the horror bible for the new millennium.”
—Rue Morgue magazine
“Easily in the running for all-time best.”
—San Antonio Express-News
“A surefire, no-holds-barred, rock ‘em-sock ‘em shock to the system guaranteed to give the reader more than one sleepless night.”
—Charleston Post and Courier
“Great nighttime reading.”
—Mesa Tribune (Ariz.)
“A magnificent cross section of horror today and a glimpse of the direction the genre will follow in the future.”
—Abilene Reporter-News (Texas)
“Your kind of fear is here.”
—Springfield Republican (Mass.)
Copyright Notices
“Amerikanski Dead at the Moscow Morgue” copyright © 1999 by Kim Newman
“The Ruins of Contracoeur” copyright © 1999 by The Ontario Review, Inc.
“The Owl and the Pussycat” copyright © 1999 by Thomas M. Disch “The Road Virus Heads North” copyright © 1999 by Stephen King
“Keepsakes and Treasures: A Love Story” copyright © 1999 by Neil Caiman
“Growing Things” copyright © 1999 by T. E. D. Klein
“Good Friday” copyright © 1999 by F. Paul Wilson
“Excerpts from the Records of the New Zodiac and the Diaries of Henry
Watson Fairfax” copyright © 1999 by Chet Williamson “An Exaltation of Termagants” copyright © 1999 by Eric Van Lustbader
“Itinerary” copyright © 1999 by Tim Powers
“Catfish Gal Blues” copyright © 1999 by Nancy A. Collins
“The Entertainment” copyright © 1999 by Ramsey Campbell
“ICU” copyright © 1999 by Lee Seymour
“The Grave” copyright © 1999 by P. D. Cacek
“The Shadow, The Darkness” copyright © 1999 by Thomas Ligotti
“Knocking” copyright © 1999 by Rick Hautala
“Rio Grande Gothic” copyright © 1999 by David Morrell
“Des