Best Anthologies You've Read

[Druidic]

I discovered Charles Beaumont's fiction in a pb titled The Hunger at the same time I discovered Lovecraft--at the age of eight. Of course there's a lot of sexual themes in his stories and that stuff just went over my head. Maybe that's why I liked his fiction, some of the stories I couldn't fully understand.
Funny, but I've never read a critic saying Beaumont is a writer best discovered when you're young. But it worked for me.

[Druidic]

ChildofOld--
You are by far one of the most literate people I've ever encountered. Are you a fan of Beaumont and Avram Davidson? Tastes do vary and we can't possibly read everything but--
The Avram Davidson treasury isn't an anthology but a collection of wonderful stories by a fine writer whose works don't deserve to be forgotten. Beaumont's three tattered pbs the Hunger, Night Ride and The Magic Man are among my most treasured books.

[Robert Adam Gilmour]

One of Avram Davidson's books recently was added to the Gollancz Fantasy Masterworks line. I bought it.

[Druidic]

Good taste, Mr. Gilmour! I guessed it was The Phoenix and the Mirror but I checked to be sure. That and Masters of the Maze are my favorite Davidson novels.

[ChildofOldLeech]

Druidic:

- Avram Davidson is one of those writers I'm overall more familiar with than actually read; I've been coming across his name in anthologies since middle school and am sure I have read a story here and there, but cannot recall any details. More recently, I read The Boss in the Wall and quite enjoyed it; Masters of the Maze has piqued my interest as well, but unfortunately is not available in my inter-library system. Of Charles Beaumont I read his collected short stories a couple of years back, and enjoyed but was not enamored of it. Beaumont is obviously a gifted writer, but it just comes down to personal preference. Overall I am just not overly fond of that SoCal school of writers whose work work seems typified by Twilight Zone-style stories where otherworldly things just happen for no specified reason other than to teach the protagonist a listen and act as social allegory (even when I agree with the sentiments argued). That said, I found Beaumont's work leagues ahead of the likes of Will Nolan, and easily the equal (if not more) of Matheson.

[miguel1984]

This are the anthologies/collections that made me fall in love with weird/horror fiction when I was around 9, while I was still learning English. This books are in Spanish and I still own all of them. Both Poe's collections were around the house, while I discovered the two others in a place where you could exchange used books for... other used books; lots of jewels there, like Red Harvest by Hammett.

[Sand]

Some rare Avram Davidson material is available from the shadowy Avram Davidson Society.
I particularly admire his Adventures of Dr Ezsterhazy, about an alternative Central Europe.

[miguel1984]

I was thinking about buying The Grimscribe's Puppets. Is it any good?

[Fenris Technique]

Just wrapped up a couple more.
Without detail I'll simply opine:

The White Hands and Other Weird Tales - Yes

Enter At Your Own Risk: The End is the Beginning - No

[Michael]

Quote Originally Posted by miguel1984

I was thinking about buying The Grimscribe's Puppets. Is it any good?

I would recommend it. Great selection of stories. I thought it accomplished its goal as an anthology.