Skeleton in the Closet and Other Stories (The Reader's Bloch)

Pulp icon Bloch (1917–1994) left his mark in many genres—crime fiction, fantasy, science fiction, mystery—but his most notable work was arguably in horror. The prolific volume, consistent quality and historic significance of Bloch’s collective work in the genre, especially his considerable short form output, is unparalleled. Subterranean’s second “Reader’s Bloch” collection (after 2004’s The Fear Planet and Other Unusual Destinations ) features some of his best short horror stories. “The Bat Is My Brother” revolves around a newly unearthed vampire’s quest for release; the satirical “Tooth or Consequences” pits a dentist against an undead bloodsucker with a cavity; and the decidedly Lovecraftian “Black Lotus” chronicles a wisdom-seeking sultan’s drug-induced journey into madness. While many of these macabre tales are clearly dated, their influence on contemporary horror cannot be overlooked. Although young horror readers may find the language and plot conventions outmoded, genre aficionados will find this collection pure pulp gold.

From Publishers Weekly

Pulp icon Bloch (1917–1994) left his mark in many genres—crime fiction, fantasy, science fiction, mystery—but his most notable work was arguably in horror. The prolific volume, consistent quality and historic significance of Bloch's collective work in the genre, especially his considerable short form output, is unparalleled. Subterranean's second Reader's Bloch collection (after 2004's The Fear Planet and Other Unusual Destinations) features some of his best short horror stories. The Bat Is My Brother revolves around a newly unearthed vampire's quest for release; the satirical Tooth or Consequences pits a dentist against an undead bloodsucker with a cavity; and the decidedly Lovecraftian Black Lotus chronicles a wisdom-seeking sultan's drug-induced journey into madness. While many of these macabre tales are clearly dated, their influence on contemporary horror cannot be overlooked. Although young horror readers may find the language and plot conventions outmoded, genre aficionados will find this collection pure pulp gold. (Oct.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Though they frequently date themselves (e.g., by referring to “savages”), Bloch’s pulp-magazine stories, satisfyingly seasoned with horror, mystery, and humor, sometimes unnerving, often shamelessly purple of prose, are entertainment pure and simple. The opener here is a vampire yarn about a member of a profession often neglected by the subgenre, dentistry. More familiar horror tropes, such as the thief of a temple statue who pays a terrible price, figure in other stories. In “Fairy Tale,” a rental agent must deal with fairies at the bottom of a garden as his life collapses around him; funny but also tragic, and so dated (anyone remember Beatrice Lilly?). In “The Strange Island of Doctor Nork,” Bloch presents the real source for hugely successful comic books, proving that while there’s no money in science, there’s always a market niche for a good mad scientist. “Black Lotus,” a brief cautionary tale about a dissolute ruler, the lengths he goes to for new experiences, and the terrible fate awaiting him, closes the collection. --Regina Schroeder

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