Apprehensions and Other Delusions

Apprehensions and Other Delusions Although Chelsea Quinn Yarbro is best known for her novels that chronicle the many adventures of her suave, world-traveling vampire protagonist, Count Saint-Germain, she is also an accomplished and masterful creator of short fiction. Apprehensions and Other Delusions collects the 13 absolute best of her dark fantasy and horror short stories in one volume. Each tale contained herein is a unique gift of terror and delight, wrapped in Yarbro’s inimitable prose. Introduced by noted editor Patrick LoBrutto, this anthology is a feast of psychological thrills and chills that readers may enjoy for many dark nights to come. from “On Saint Hubert’s Thing” There was a madness on me, as if the demons of the Wild Hunt were in me, as I thought it must be in the skies for Saint Hubert’s Thing. I fought without thinking, without fear or anger, for the unholy joy of killing. I heard the shrill scream of a wounded horse once, and the cursing shouts of the men under the clamor of the storm. The ring and thud of blows were music to me, sweet and good to hear. My arm grew heavy and my hand was hot and slippery with blood, but whether it was mine or my enemies’, I did not know. It was enough to battle them and trust to the Mercy of God if I fell.

From Booklist

Yarbro is best known for her long-running series about the vampire Saint-Germain, who is nowhere to be found in these 13 stories retrieved from magazines, a horror convention program, and a chapbook. The stories explore a weird, eerie, and bizarre world--the one we all inhabit. In "Fugues," about a pianist who leases a piano with a curse attached to it, Yarbro plays with readers' expectations of what will happen. In "Renfield's Syndrome," a teenager finds that drinking the blood of small animals gives him power and helps him escape his unhappy home. The hero of "Giotto's Window," an American boy abroad in Florence, sees people as monsters and is believed to be insane, but the nurse sent to bring him home soon realizes otherwise. "Traditional Values" is a good, old-fashioned sf yarn in which humanity has embraced the practice of having each person change gender at crucial stages in his or her lifetime. An excellent collection for Yarbro's fans and horror aficionados in general. Kristine HuntleyCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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