ROBERT BLOCH'S PSYCHOS: Autopsy Room Four; Grandpa's Head; Lonelyhearts; Lifeline; A Southern Night; Safe; The Forgiven; Icewall; Interview with a Psycho; The Rug; So You Wanna Be a Hitman; Knacker Man; Deep Down There; Blameless; Echoes; et al [Hardcover]

This is a collection of 22 original stories presented by The Horror Writers Association. In the U.S., there are two editions: a paperback and the limited hardcover put out by Cemetery Dance Publications. I suggest picking up the hardcover and I'll explain why later. The big draw to this one is Stephen King's original appearance of AUTOPSY ROOM 4, a story about a guy who is not dead but the Dr.'s performing the autopsy think otherwise. This is one of the better King shorts in a long while and is a fun read. The best story is Gary Braunbeck's SAFE, a story about how a town tries to cope and understand a mass murder. It is told through the eyes of a relative of the murderer who was saved in the melee and how he is dealing with the reprucussions of the event years later. It is an emotionally wrenching piece and is still reverberating in my body still, a few days after reading it. Ed Gorman treats us to a "What If" story. What if a neighborhood watch group actually killed a thief and the thief's accomplices try to enact revenge? It's a great premise and Gorman delivers a stunning story. Clark Perry also tells a story of childhood guilt that still haunts the living. This one was written so well I actually missed an appointment because I was so engrossed in the character's lives. I wish more of Mr. Perry's stuff would see the light of a day. A very talented writer. Other standout stories are put out by Yvonne Navarro, David Niall Wilson, Del Stone Jr. Cindie Geddes and Richard Christian Matheson. There really was not a story I didn't enjoy in here. A very good collection and one not to be skipped. Now for the reason I suggest the hardcover edition. Cemetery Dance Publications has made this book look very unique. And it has nothing to do with the Eric Powell cover, even though it is great and alluring. It has to do with the inside of the book. Obviously, Richard Chizmar took great care in designing the pages, as they are decorated with little illustrations by Jason Van Hollander. At each page corner there are these creepy characters and at the end of each story a little haunted house. The end papers also have some great illustrations by Allen Koszowski that show the face of the late Robert Bloch and some of his and others' characters. A very nice looking edition that you'll appreciate for years to come. Highly recommended and highest recommendation for buying the hardcover edition.

This anthology failed to impress me. Most of the stories were truly poor not worth the time to read. There are a couple of exceptions. Most notably where Denise M. Bruchman's "Lesser of Two Evils" and Edo van Belkom's "The Rug"; I would readily give these two stories five stars each. The two worst, most dissapointing works in the collection were Richard Christian Matheson's "Help Me" (a true waste of space), and--brace yourselves-- Stephen King's "Autopsy Room Four"; both of these works were pathetic sensationalism--I've not read any other R.C. Matheson (though I'm a fan of his father's), but I KNOW King can do much better.

Don't waste your time or money. Check it out from the libary to read the contributions of Bruchman and Belkom; bother with nothing else.

I normally do NOT like short stories. This collection was, however, just great. Although I wouldn't give every individual story in the book five stars, I truly did enjoy every one.