Sundays are for book reviews
The Astounding Illustrated History of Fantasy and Horror by Various Authors
☆☆☆☆ of ☆☆☆☆☆
To say I have a lot of books on horror and horror movies would be an understatement. Almost like saying I have a lot of horror movies. That is a given. When I saw this book I was a little excited, but expected the same old approach to telling the stories, or worse, a modernized approach I have seen in many books that show a complete lack of understanding of the movies they speak about, and less understanding about horror.
In my opinion the authors offered some real positives and a place to go, but bit off more than they could easily chew, and in the process lost some of the magic they could have captured in a smaller group. They mention a lot but do not offer the substance and expect the reader to take them at their word, and not look further. An example is a section which mentions Poe and some of his great accomplishments, but only outlines what is there, and gives it no meaning.
On the other hand, and yes, there is a positive, are the crisp and unique timelines within the book that give readers a place to look, research, and find more. It is in this area I think the book shows value and here I think if you want a place to start, this is a good one. With that in mind, don’t expect depth, but expect a starting point and a fun little romp through fantasy and horror.
Giving 4 of 5 stars mostly because of the subject and timelines.