Revelations

I will confess that I am a sucker for "end of the world" stories. Give me a good plague, out of control nuclear war, infestation of not-nice aliens and I'm right there for it all. This book packs a wallop; you certainly get a bang for your buck. Many well-known writers as well as some newbies all taking a different route to the same (tragic) ending. I skimmed one or two stories, but overall I find this volume to be a keeper. And, no, you can't borrow it - go buy your own!

Apocalypse: 1. a. Apocalypse. Bible, The Book of Revelation. b. Any of various anonymous Jewish or Christian texts from around the second century BC containing prophetic or symbolic visions, especially of the imminent destruction of the world. 2. Great or total devastation. 3. A prophetic disclosure; a revelation. In the United Kingdom, Revelations has an alternate title: Millennium. This 1997 anthology does indeed consider the (then) impending Millennium, in Clive Barker's exquisite fictional discourse on storytelling, "The Chiliad--A Meditation." Composed of two interlocking stories set one thousand years apart, this framing device puts forth the notion that the future influences the past, that the river of time "flows both ways." The true focus of this collection, however, is the twentieth century, perhaps the most turbulent in all of human history. Over the course of ten stories, each dealing with a specific decade, twelve writers focus on the human element involved in cataclysmic events. The first story, "The Big Blow," by Joe R. Lansdale, is set in 1900. Two hurricanes hit Galveston, Texas, one a natural phenomenon, the other taking the form of big John McBride, a vile, profane man hired by racist members of the Galveston Sporting Club to wrest the club's boxing title from its present owner, a black man named 'Lil' Arthur (Jack) Johnson. Their intense battle is matched only by the ferocity of the hurricane that strikes during the match, leveling the city. The next story takes place in 1918. "If I Should Die Before I Wake," by David Morrell, tells the story of Dr. Jonas Bingaman, whose heroic efforts do little to assuage the devastating effect of the Spanish Influenza on Elmsdale, the small town where he practices. Morrell reveals a sobering fact at the end of this touching story: while World War I caused the deaths of 8.5 million, the estimated number of those killed by the Spanish Influenza was 40 million. F. Paul Wilson's entry, "Aryans and Absinthe," takes us to Germany, circa 1923. Here, Karl Stehr, a Jewish bookseller, is befriended by the mysterious Ernst Drexler, who counsels him on avoiding the debilitating effects of Germany's runaway inflation. Drexler also introduces him to absinthe, which causes the bookseller to hallucinate during an impassioned speech by rising political figure Adolph Hitler. During this episode, Stehr has a vision of the Holocaust, and, believing it to be true, decides to kill its architect. This is a "If you could stop Hitler before he came to power story" with a delicious twist. "Triads," by Poppy Z. Brite and Christa Faust, is the story of two young boys, Ji Fung and Lin Bai, lovers caught up in the corrupt and exotic world of 1937 Hong Kong and Shanghai. Sold to a performing troupe by their families as children, the pair escape their brutal master only to become involved with Chinese gangs. This stylish tale, set against the backdrop of the Sino-Japanese War , ends trag

The title piqued my interest. Most of the authors listed in the contents, I had heard of or read before. My favorites in the group are "If I Should Die Before I Wake", which involves a small town dealing with the deadly Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and "Whatever", which deals with a cultist society. Both sent chills. The rest of the stories provoked a good response in me, but those two continue to stand out. Clive Barker's wraparounds were very good. Be sure to add this to your collection.

A collection of powerful, chilling stories. Much effort has gone into the language and tone of these works, and the book is dense with atmoshere and insight.Thank God the authors eschew the typical horror trope, the monster. What we get instead are human beings struggling in a dangerous world during a dangerous century, many of their lives marred (never blessed) with glimpses of the worst catastrophes still to come. Only "Dismantling Fortress Architecture" fails to measure up to the standards set by the other stories.This is an excellent anthology.

I just wanted to say i think this is such a great showcase for horror writers both new and older. Although i haven't finished all the stories i must say my favorites so far, the excellent Joe R. Lansdale and Pobby Z. Brite and Christa Faust. I would also say Douglas E. Winter should be commended for his choice selections and vision.

Doug Winter has outdone himself. This assemblage of writers and stories is guaranteed to thrill and chill you. The Joe Lansdale story is worth the purchase price alone. It will (allegorically and literally) blow you away. Clive Barker's "bookend" pieces are also fantastic. There are no weak links in the century long chain in this book. This is what an anthology should be like