The Mammoth Book of Terror

THE FIRST BOOK I ever edited in the hugely successful Mammoth series was The Mammoth Book of Terror back in 1991.

At the time, I wanted to assemble a hefty, non-themed horror anthology featuring some classic stories by many of the biggest names in the field, along with a scattering of tales that would be original to the book.

The result was more successful than I could have imagined. The volume was reprinted in the UK and went through four printings in the United States. There was also a hardcover version, various budget editions and even an Italian translation. Even more importantly, the book was a precursor to an entire series of Mammoth titles that I have continued to edit up to this day.

So when I was offered the opportunity to put together this follow-up volume, I naturally jumped at the chance. There are still many superb stories of horror and dark fantasy that, for one reason or another are not currently in print, or have never been previously published on one side of the Atlantic or the other.

It is therefore my pleasure to welcome back to this volume such esteemed authors as Ramsey Campbell, Basil Copper, Dennis Etchison, Brian Lumley, Graham Masterton, David J. Schow, Lisa Tuttle and F. Paul Wilson. Although they are no longer with us, R. Chetwynd-Hayes and Karl Edward Wagner are also both remembered with examples of their finest work, which will most likely be unfamiliar to many readers.

Such other respected names as Sydney J. Bounds, Phyllis Eisenstein, Charles L. Grant and E.C. Tubb are also represented with classic tales of unease, and there is more recent or original work from Pat Cadigan, Christopher Fowler, Neil Gaiman, Glen Hirshberg, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Terry Lamsley, Brian Mooney, Kim Newman and Michael Marshall Smith, many of whom were only just starting their professional careers when the first volume of Terror was originally published.

Finally, I am delighted to present two powerful collaborations between rising stars Tim Lebbon and Brian Keene and the talented writing team of married couple Tanith Lee and John Kaiine, along with David Case’s classic psychological novella “Among the Wolves” which, like all the author’s early work, deserves to be back in print again.

So there you have it – another bumper volume of contemporary terror, brought to you by some of the finest writers currently working in horror fiction. And remember, if you enjoyed this volume, then there are many more stories out there just waiting to be told . . .

Stephen Jones

London, England