The Dark Descent

In The Dark Descent , hailed as one of the most important anthologies ever to examine horror fiction, editor David G. Hartwell traces the complex history of horror in literature back to the earliest short stories. The Dark Descen t, which won the World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology, showcases the finest of these ever written--from the time-honored classics of Edgar Allan Poe, D.H. Lawrence, and Edith Wharton to the contemporary writing of Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Ray Bradbury. David G. Hartwell is a Senior Editor at Tor/Forge Books. He also is the proprietor of Dragon Press, a publisher and bookseller, and is Chairman of the Board of the World Fantasy Convention. An administrator of the Philip K. Dick Award, Hartwell has edited several other fiction anthologies. Winner of the World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology In his highly informed and wide-ranging Introduction to The Dark Descent , hailed by many as one of the most important anthologies ever published on the theme of horror fiction, editor David G. Hartwell examines the rich history of horror in literature all the way back to the earliest short stories. An omnibus numbering over one-thousand pages, this thorough collection showcases many of Western literature's finest horror stories'”from the classic yarns of Edgar Allan Poe, D. H. Lawrence, and Edith Wharton up to the contemporary tales of Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Ray Bradbury. "A gigantic, superlatively edited historical overview of horror fiction."'” Chicago Sun-Times "For a sample of the current excellence and variety of horror, one could do no better."'” New York Newsday "An important work which belongs in every library."'” The West Coast Review of Books

David G. Hartwell, called "an editor extraordinaire" by Publishers Weekly, is one of science fiction's most experienced and influential editors. As an editor with Berkley Books, Pocket Books, William Morrow, and Tor Books, he has worked with many of the field's best authors and edited many award-winning works. He is the author of Age of Wonders, a nonfiction study of the science fiction field. Among his many anthologies is the bestselling World Treasury of Science Fiction. He is the holder of a Ph.D. in comparative literature from Columbia University, a winner of the Eaton Award, and has been nominated for the Hugo Award twenty-four times.