Rating: 
Summary: Short horror doesn't get any better than this!...
Review: As stated above, the short ficition here is as good as it gets!...Here is just a sampling of some of the better short works here: "Eater" by Peter Crowther "Desert Pickup" by the late Richard Laymon "Almost Never" by Edward Lee "Vacation" by Matthew Costello An excellent collection by the who's who of horror today. Kudos Mr Chizmar!...
Rating: 
Summary: Amazing Horror Fiction
Review: Cemetery Dance has become THE leading publisher of horror fiction. They put out great books by famed horror authors, but also a great magazine of short stories and articles from the leaders of the horror field. This collection of short stories reunites some of the best stories to have been featured in the Cemetery Dance magazine. And although the second tome is a little less interesting than the first one (which held 2 AMAZING Jack Ketchum stories, a good Stephen King yarn and one of the most amazing stories I've read in years by author Gary Raiser), The Best Of Cemetery Dance Volume 2 still offers some great, chilling and, at times, disturbing stories. This tome is more concerned with detective stories/ serial killer stories. Plainclothes and The Pattern are two of the best. One of the most interesting stories in this volume is Barry Hoffman's Trial By Fire, a twisted tale of revenge. Matthew Costello's Vacation is one of the most terrifying and twisted tale I've read in a long time. And Dick Laymon's Desert Pickup is a good little story with a neat twist. But I was disappointed that the story by Poppy Z. Brite is only the prologue to her novel Lost Souls. And Melanie Tem's contribution is very disappointing - she is able to do much better than this. Overall, this is a great book that any horror fan should get. I am a devoted fan of Cemetery Dance and this book only reminds me of why.
Rating:
Summary: It Actually Deserves 4 1/2 Stars
Review: Cemetery Dance magazine has a long history of being one of, if not THE, best small press magazine publishing horror today. These stories are a good sampling of some of the best work from the magazine. The quality of the stories is uniformly high. Even the almost-always-revolting Edward Lee managed to dig his mind out of the midden heap long enough to write "Almost Never." I even enjoyed the interview with Dean Koontz, and I DO NOT like his work. My favorites were "Eater" by Peter Crowther, which is about exactly what the title says, "Mr. God" by the impressive Thomas Tessier, an insight into the life of an obsessed body builder, and "Shattered Silver" by James Kisner, about a guy who really, REALLY likes old Hollywood actresses. All in all, I have to say that you can't go wrong with this collection. My only complaint is that it is a bit expensive for its slim size, and it was originally published in one volume with the stories in "Best of Cemetery Dance, Volume 1." I would try to find that edition, if you can.
Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary collection
Review: Chizmar has done it again. Cemetery Dance is THE horror magazine to read, and his best-of anthologies showcase the remarkable talent that has graced the pages of the zine time and time again. Featuring modern horror masters, this book is a must-have.
Rating:
Summary: Epic!
Review: Even if half of the stories in here sucked (which they don't), you'd still be getting your money's worth because this book is just so damn big. It has more short stories than any anthology I've ever read, and most of them are excellent. There are a few minor quibbles (I would've liked to see Bentley Little's "The Washingtonians" reprinted here, for my money the best story ever printed in CD), but there are no dogs or losers. This is quite a collection. Bonuses include an unintentionally hilarious Dean Koontz interview and an interview with CD editor Richard Chizmar who, reading between the lines, tells of his falling out with half of his former contributors. Excellent!
Rating:
Summary: A Must for Horror Fans
Review: I bought the paperback edition which comes in two volumes. This is one of the few collections where every story is good. I stayed up way past my bedtime because I couldn't stop! I quickly went to the cemetry dance site and ordered a subscription to the magazine!! Turn down the lights, and turn off the tv.....an absolute must have!!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!!!
Review: I immediately ordered Volume 1 after reading the first four stories in this collection. The stories were great and gave me the chills I look for when reading books of this nature. A few of my favorites include:
- "Eaters"
- "Vacation"
- "Mr. God"
- "Drive-in Date"
- "Easy's Last Stand" ....Oh, who am I kidding? I loved them all!!! Pick this one up!!!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!!!
Review: I immediately ordered Volume 1 after reading the first four stories in this collection. The stories were great and gave me the chills I look for when reading books of this nature. A few of my favorites include:
- "Eaters"
- "Vacation"
- "Mr. God"
- "Drive-in Date"
- "Easy's Last Stand" ....Oh, who am I kidding? I loved them all!!! Pick this one up!!!
Rating:
Summary: 1/2 of the Best Horror Anthology Ever
Review: Reviewer: ripperboy from San Francisco, CA USA This is it, gang. BEST OF CEMETERY DANCE, when printed in hardcover, was the best anthology ever of short horror fiction, even outdoing DARK FORCES, DARK DESCENT, and even BEST OF WHISPERS and BEST OF SHADOWS. It's got everyone under the sun in horror. Unfortunately, it was such a big book that they had to split it into two volumes in paperback, of which this is the first. No matter -- both halves are absolutely essential, and nearly every story here is a winner. Reading this anthology is the best way to introduce yourself to the dozens of horror authors out there whom you're not currently reading.
Rating:
Summary: Horror isn't your bag? Buy it to use as a doorstop!
Review: That's right folks, this volume o' horror stories from the excellent fiction 'zine Cemetery Dance is MASSIVE. It looks like a bigger version of Gray's Anatomy except most of these stories describe human anatomy being desecrated and torn apart rather than diagrammed and put together. And the weight of this bad boy!!! Since I got this book it has become part of my nightly reading ritual and thankfully, I had it with me last night when I was startled by an intruder in the house. No problem. I simply hurled the mighty anthology at the shape advancing into the room and WHAMMO! Unfortunately, it was only my wife who was coming back from getting a drink of water and needless to say, she was unamused upon regaining consciousness. However, you can see how this book would come in handy if you were ever faced with a REAL burgler. Just bonk him on the head! Then, while waiting for the cops, have a seat on his chest while reading some of the greatest horror fiction money can buy!!! Kudos to Rich Chizmar!!!
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