Blood Lite: An Anthology of Humorous Horror Stories Presented by the Horror Writers Association [Paperback]

I mostly got this book for the offering by Jim Butcher, but I felt it a disservice to the other authors if I didn't read the rest. Granted, the other stories are a mixed bag in terms of quality, and some of the humor is of the splatter and potty-joke variety, but it's still worth a reading if you want an easy giggle and a mild case of the shudders:

"The Ungrateful Dead" -- A Necromancer finds a clever way to ward off a pesky spirit and his zombie cousin.

"Mr. Bear" -- The unnerving true story of a celebrity bear gone bad.

"Hell in a Handbasket" -- A surprise delivery to the infernal gates winds up more than the nether regions can handle

"The Eldritch Pastiche from Beyond the Shadow of Horror" -- Part tongue-in-cheek parody of H.P. Lovecraft's works, part shivery meta-fiction.

"Elvis Presley and the Bloodsucker Blues" -- What happens when the King of Rock and Roll becomes a king of the night...

"No Problem" -- A mad scientist's descendant discovers his heritage and starts to experiment with his findings... with disastrous results.

"Old School" -- A ritual gone wrong when the practitioners failed to read the fine print...

"A Sound of Blunder" -- A gleefully splatter-laden parody of Ray Bradbury's "A Sound of Thunder" featuring two inept gangster-wannabes' attempts to make a bad deal go away.

"An Evening with Al Gore" -- A satiric look at going green -- and what happens when the preternatural fights back to protect the natural.

"Dear Prudence" -- A blackly witty tale in letters as a man contemplates offing his shrewish wife...

"A Good Psycho is Hard to Find" -- A spoof on chainsaw murderer flicks -- and a rip on who the real psychos might be..

"High Kicks and Misdemeanors" -- A skeezy talent scout finds a strange use for a gift left to him by his Native American uncle.

"PR Problems" -- A ghoul gives us a look into the sorry lot he has in being overshadowed by other, cooler preternatural beings.

"Where Angels Fear to Tread" -- An office worker is called to a higher order when he picks up a mysterious sacred coin.

"A Very Special Girl" -- A group of Damon Runyon-esque paranormal gangsters juggle a sticky bit of bookmaking with a dame you don't want to mess with.

"Love Seat Solitaire" -- A shivery duel between a group of slackers and an angry old poltergeist.

"I Know Who You Ate Last Summer" -- A pair of washed-up rock stars' foray into the Other white meat comes up to bite them.

"Bitches of the Night" -- Ever wondered what it must really be like for Dracula and his brides? Here's a sneak peek into the other side of the coffin lid...

"The Bell... FROM HELL!" -- A nerve-jangler featuring a man with a shockingly simple demonic artifact... and where the real horrors lurk.

"Dead Hand" -- A car-racing crew member tries to get his team ahead by resorting to Cherokee magic, but only annoys the spirit he calls up.

"Day Off" -- Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden is looking forward to a relaxing day with his lady friend... but life on both sides of the Never-Never has other plans for him.

What a great idea for an anthology! I picked up this book because I am a big fan of Kevin J. Anderson, -- I was disappointed he doesn't have a story here. These stories range from laugh-out-loud antics (Joe Lansdale, Dond'Amassa, Christopher Welch) to cute twists (Eric James Stone, Jeff Strand, Mark Onspaugh), to just plain enjoyable romps (Lucien Soulban, Jim Butcher). I had never read Jim Butcher before, but I'm sold after reading his "Day Off" in the Harry Dresden series. Since humor is a subjective thing, you probably won't like ALL of the stories here, but you'll certainly find something to tickle your funny bone.

I picked this up at the bookstore on a lark. I'm a dedicated Charlaine Harris and Jim Butcher fan, so I figured I couldn't go wrong. This is a book for entertainment; it's very light-hearted, and yes, it's full of the "gross" factor, but it was fun to read some of my favorite authors take a side trip from their usual series that I know and love. It was also a great way to experience some previously unread authors for me so I can be on the lookout for their books. All in all, it was worth purchasing and even the few that were just not my bag were far outnumbered with enjoyable stories.

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