What lurks in the damp recesses of urban existence? These new tales of weird fiction are a blend of urban horror, pulp noir and dark fantasy. Lovecraftian horrors and Cthulhu Mythos monsters have never been this gritty. From haunted Kingsport across the globe to shadowy Berlin and the otherworldly music of Bangalore. From kind, sexy neighbors to cyberpunk paranoia an The King in Yellow. A journalist's search with unexpected results. What really happened to Walter Gilman, and what is the origin of the witch Keziah Mason? And witness humanity fail against the forces from beyond. From weird sounds to screams of madness. Entropy. Chaos. Disorder. Death. Beneath cities, on the outskirts of ruined, aeon-old cities and INSIDE cities. The stench, the decay, the hopelesness... it is everywhere. Welcome to URBAN CTHULHU: NIGHTMARE CITIES.

Darkness, both literal and psychological, holds its own unique fascination. Despite our fears, or perhaps because of them, readers have always been drawn to tales of death, terror, madness, and the supernatural, and no more so than today when a wildly imaginative new generation of dark dreamers is carrying on in the tradition of Poe and Lovecraft and King, crafting exquisitely disturbing literary nightmares that gaze without flinching into the abyss—and linger in the mind long after. Multiple award-winning editor Ellen Datlow knows the darkest corners of fiction and poetry better than most. Once again, she has braved the haunted landscape of modern horror to seek out the most chilling new works by both legendary masters of the genre and fresh young talents. Here are twisted hungers and obsessions, human and otherwise, along with an unsettling variety of spine-tingling fears and fantasies. The cutting edge of horror has never cut deeper than in this comprehensive showcase of the very best the field has to offer. Enter at your own risk.

Where does the nightmare begin and reality end? Chaos is about to take over the world. The armies of the Elder Gods and the Great Old Ones are ready for the final, epic battle. Can the Spectral Squadron save mankind from certain doom? How far will Darius go for the sake of fame and fortune? Will he risk the loss of a friend? Of his sweetheart's love? Of his honor? Is he willing to risk the existence of humankind? One of the world's most famous horror writers is dead, leaving his magnum opus unfinished. A dedicated fan is planning to finish the epic-no price is too high. What malignant spirit is curling upward from his whiskey glass? In the Wonderworld amusement park, secrets of the world's most ancient mountains start to surface. Not all screams in the park are of delight. An ivy-covered hall on a picturesque campus gives no hint of the torments visited upon the helpless creatures within. John Mayer is a new, exciting writer in the weird tale and pulp fiction tradition.

Misanthropic tales of the macabre and the outre with a unique blend of the grotesque and the perverse. Enter the Lovecraftian universe of screaming horrors and Cthulhuvian insanity. Experience dark wonders and fantastic tales in bizarre worlds. These visions are what nightmares are made of. Throbbing at the heart of it all is the grotesque Lord Weyrdgliffe and his web of penny dreadfuls. In addition: bleak, satirical stories and essays with subjects ranging from the serious to the outrageous and hilarious, plus dark poetry. This collection has it all. Artwork by Allen Koszowski. Foreword by S. T. Joshi. ""I cannot speculate who his authorial parents are, perhaps Andre Breton, Jorge Luis Borges and Thomas Ligotti."" DON WEBB ""The works of Dan Clore collected in this collection are rare jewels of imaginative fiction ... Dan Clore is a mad monk, recording the fantastical histories of an insane alternate universe." SEAN O'LEARY"

Weird fiction with a darkly sensual twist. BLACK PROPAGANDA delves deep into the dark, twisted roots of human nature and human sexuality. Using desire to dissect the delusions and dilemmas of will, choice and identity, this collection challenges genre boundaries and social conventions. Transgressive, confrontational, passionate, poignant, these sinister stories touch on every shade of black, from noir to the Lovecraftian cosmic abyss. Readers may be horrified, touched, tempted - never unmoved. This is the first short story collection from noted British poet and weird fiction writer Paul StJohn Mackintosh. Few British writers have dared trace the borderlines between lust, insanity and terror so graphically since Clive Barker and J.G. Ballard.

Two Correspondents In A Race To Save the World... and More Thrilling Horrors! Herein, you'll meet a psychotic school teacher, the lineal descendent of Keziah Mason and obedient servant of mindless Azathoth; a group of youngsters attempting to bring about the return of Yog-Sothoth; a famed, bodiless detective who foils the devotees of Shub-Niggarath; Alan Hasrad on his cosmic odyssey and interview with the King in Yellow; a sentient altar awaiting the return of Tsathoqqua; Holmes and Watson investigating a severed tentacle the strangest Indian warrior you've ever seen, who has absolutely no sense of humor; Alan and his plan to summon the Warder of Knowledge; a rather nasty ex-con who unhappily meets the followers of Nyarlathotep. To round out these wicked and oft times dryly amusing morsels is ""Menace at Devil Reef,"" a lengthy novelette in which you'll share the adventures of two of the most improbable characters ever to scamper through the pages of a Lovecraftian Mythos story.