Nightmare Carnival

PREFACE

I’ve got a confession: I never went to a carnival when I was growing up. I was, however, taken by my parents to the circus on a regular basis — the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which was held annually at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. I loved the acrobats, the jugglers, the tightrope walkers, the animals, the smell of popcorn, the cotton candy. Always hated the clowns. I wasn’t afraid of them; I just didn’t think they were funny and disliked that their humor was usually ridicule, or being mean to each other. In the late 1950s there were still freak shows attached to the circus, but my parents never took me around to see them. The only “freak” show I’ve ever attended is the ongoing Coney Island Circus Sideshow, which has human blockheads, fire-eaters, sword swallowers, contortionists, and other people who can perform crazy feats.

I’ve only gone to carnivals as an adult. Carnivals usually held in fields or parking lots. With their games (win a goldfish!), their rides, their guess your weight or guess your age or tell you your fortune, their hit the bell and know you’re big and strong. The smell of popcorn, the cotton candy.

Some of you may be curious to know the difference between the carnival and the circus. Initially the two were very different: carnivals were held to honor a specific religious, historical, or cultural figure and provide entertainment, such as food stalls, rides, games, and mini shows; circuses were held in a ring or circular tent, and a crowd would gather to witness exhibitions by entertainers and trained animals.

But there’s always been overlap. Both circuses and carnivals had freak shows. And as shown by my limited experience, they’re places to see unusual things. To enjoy acrobatic skills, trained animals, clowns. And to eat junk food.

While carnivals and circuses are usually considered wondrous places for children, there’s always been a dark underside, expertly depicted in the past by such masters as Katherine Dunn (Geek Love), Ray Bradbury (Dark Carnival), William Lindsay Gresham (Nightmare Alley), and others.

In Nightmare Carnival this tradition continues with fifteen new tales about monstrous creatures lurking, or occasionally hiding in plain sight, of human jealousy and envy and their consequences. Chilling tales of mystery, tragedy, and death.

Come to the carnival and experience it all.