Most Popular Books by Peter Straub

For more than two decades Peter Straub has engrossed, entertained, and terrified us with his dazzling blend of cool artistry and mad, spine-tingling imagination. With Mr. X, the bestselling author of Ghost Story, The Talisman (with Stephen King), and The Hellfire Club takes us into the darkest dimensions of the human psyche and proves once again that he is without peer in the realm of psychological suspense and horror, a master storyteller whose unique and powerful gifts qualify him to be called the Edgar Allan Poe of our times. Mr. X is Straub''s original and startling take on the theme of the doppelganger. Ned Dunstan''s birthday is fast approaching, and every year on this date, Ned experiences a paralyzing seizure in which he is forced to witness scenes of ruthless slaughter perpetrated by a mysterious and malevolent figure in black whom Ned calls Mr. X. Ned has been drawn back to his hometown, Edgerton, Illinois, by a premonition that his mother, Star, is dying. Before she loosens her hold on life, she imparts to Ned the name of his father, never before disclosed, and warns him that he is in grave danger. Despite her foreboding, Ned''s determination to learn as much as possible about his absent father ignites a series of extraordinary adventures that gradually reveal the heart of both his own identity and that of his entirely fantastic family: He discovers that he is shadowed by an identical twin brother who can pass through doors and otherwise defy the laws of nature; he becomes the lead suspect in three violent deaths; he investigates the secret shadow-world within Edgerton; he learns to "eat time" and remembers the one occasion when he and his sinister brother unitedinto a single being. Finally, at the moment of battle, he must call upon everything he has learned to save his own life. Brimming with the author''s trademark wit, understated eloquence, vibrant characters, and brilliant sense of pace, Mr. X displays Peter Straub at the top of his form.

“Superstar editor Datlow makes no missteps...." —Publishers Weekly Take a terrifying journey with literary masters of suspense, including Peter Straub, Kim Newman, and Caitlín R. Kiernan, visiting a place where the other is somehow one of us. These electrifying tales redefine monsters from mere things that go bump in the night to inexplicable, deadly reflections of our day-to-day lives. Whether it''s a seemingly devoted teacher, an obsessive devotee of swans, or a diner full of evil creatures simply seeking oblivion, the monstrous is always there—and much closer than it appears.

An attempt to summon and imprison Death, results, instead, in the capture of Morpheus, the Sandman, who must regain the tools of his powers.

Peut-on mourir de son imagination ? Willy Patrick, célèbre auteur du roman jeunesse maintes fois récompensé Le Cabinet noir, est en train de perdre l''esprit. Une fois de plus. Irrésistiblement attirée dans un parking désert, elle a la conviction que sa fille Holly y est retenue prisonnière. Or, Holly est morte. Le même jour, l''écrivain Timothy Underhill, qui tente depuis des mois de terminer un roman sur une jeune femme en perdition, est confronté au fantôme de sa fille de neuf ans, April. Il commence à recevoir des emails incomplets et angoissants de personnes issues de son passé - toutes décédées depuis bien longtemps. Lorsque Willy et Timothy se rencontrent, les inquiétantes ressemblances entre le deuil tragique de Willy et l''histoire du manuscrit de Timothy vont les conduire à unir leurs forces contre les ombres qui les entourent... avant que celles-ci ne se referment sur leur raison. « L''une des oeuvres les plus remarquables de la longue carrière de Peter Straub. » Publishers Weekly « Avec Night Room, Straub transcende les conventions de la littérature d''horreur. » Bookmark Magazine « Imaginatif et prenant aux tripes. » Booklist « Peter Straub est peut-être l''auteur de suspense contemporain le plus important. » Lincoln Child

Dvanáctiletý Jack Sawyer je takřka opuštěný, otce už nemá, matka mu umírá. Ale jeho život se brzy změní. Čeká ho totiž cesta přes celou Ameriku – a do paralelního světa. Jack se vydává do neznáma, aby matce zachránil život, a při svém putování potkává nevinné bytosti i nestvůry a čelí neuvěřitelným nebezpečím. Pátrá především po léku, ale jeho cesta nakonec skrývá důležitější poselství. Talisman patří ke kultovním fantasy příběhům o boji dobra a zla, věrnosti, procitání, hrůze a tajemství.

Peter Straub masterfully weaves horror and suspense into a love story unlike any other: the ballad of Ballard and Sandrine. Ballard and his considerably younger lover Sandrine have been brought together by a shared erotic obsession of the darkest kind. As they travel down a remote part of the Amazon River on a luxurious yacht, they spend their days indulging in their macabre pastime. Through a haze of pain and pleasure, the lovers are witness to a series of increasingly sinister portents, dreams and visions that haunt their claustrophobic and disturbing world. With Peter Straub’s signature, breathtaking twists and an astonishing climax, you’ll never forget The Ballad of Ballard and Sandrine.

Fuyant le souvenir de la mort tragique de sa fille de huit ans et un compagnon abusif, Julia s''est installée dans une maison ancienne au coeur de Londres. La jeune femme espère y trouver enfin la paix et la sécurité. Mais peu à peu, les lieux montrent leur vrai visage. Suffoquée par une atmosphère écrasante, confrontée à des bruits étranges et d''inquiétantes silhouettes enfantines entrevues en plein jour, Julia se sent menacée de toutes parts et en vient à douter de sa propre raison. Sa seule issue sera peut-être de comprendre de quel drame abominable la maison a été le théâtre vingt ans plus tôt... « Réellement terrifiant. » Chicago Tribune « Un roman qui nous hante, dans tous les sens du terme. » Robert Bloch, auteur de Pyscho

Forts von: äDer Talismanä. - Eine abscheuliche Mordserie an Kindern erschüttert die Provinzstadt French Landing im US-Staat Wisconsin. Jack Sawyer, ein jung pensionierter Polizeileutnant aus Los Angeles, ahnt, dass der Killer, genannt äFishermanä nur ein Werkzeug übernatürlicher Mächte ist.

Darrell Schweitzer assembles another massive collection of monstrously fun interviews with the stars of modern horror fiction, including: Joe R. Lansdale Carrie Vaughn Lisa Tuttle Kim Newman Fred Chappell Elizabeth Massie Brian A. Hopkins Harry O. Morris Sephera Giron S.P. Somtow Hugh B. Cave Robert Weinberg Gahan Wilson Ramsey Campbell David J. Schow Graham Joyce Brian Lumley Peter Strau

Peter Straub, Jack Ketchum, Darynda Jones, Jacquelyn Frank, and Brian Hodge contribute five gloomy, disturbing tales of madness and horror to Dark Screams: Volume Three, edited by Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar of the celebrated Cemetery Dance Publications. THE COLLECTED SHORT STORIES OF FREDDIE PROTHERO by Peter Straub A mere child yet a precocious writer, young Freddie records a series of terrifying encounters with an inhuman being that haunts his life . . . and seems to predict his death. GROUP OF THIRTY by Jack Ketchum When an award-winning horror writer on the downward slope of a long career receives an invitation to address the Essex County Science Fiction Group, he figures he’s got nothing to lose. He couldn’t be more wrong. NANCY by Darynda Jones Though she’s adopted by the cool kids, the new girl at Renfield High School is most drawn to Nancy Wilhoit, who claims to be haunted. But it soon becomes apparent that poltergeists—and people—are seldom what they seem. I LOVE YOU, CHARLIE PEARSON by Jacquelyn Frank Charlie Pearson has a crush on Stacey Wheeler. She has no idea. Charlie will make Stacey see that he loves her, and that she loves him—even if he has to kill her to make her say it. THE LONE AND LEVEL SANDS STRETCH FAR AWAY by Brian Hodge When Marni moves in next door, the stale marriage of Tara and Aidan gets a jolt of adrenaline. Whether it’s tonic or toxic is another matter. Praise for Dark Screams: Volume Three “Well worth picking up and reading . . . If you have not tried the series yet, do yourself a favor and grab a copy of any (or all) of the books for yourself.”—Examiner.com “Freeman and Chizmar have brought their A-game to Dark Screams: Volume Three. If you pick just one installment in this series to read, pick this one.”—LitReactor “Another winner.”—HorrorTalk “A gathering of perfect little bites of fiction . . . As you finish one story you’ll definitely be ready to move on to the next one.”—Sweet Southern Home “Every story has something to offer for horror fans. They’re creepy, thought-provoking, scary and quick reads.”—The Reader’s Hollow “[Horror] needs to hit you in the sweet spot where the amygdala and the cerebrum whisper to each other, where intellect and emotion intertwine, and all of these stories do that, and they do it well.”—Bibliotica “A fun, frightful read . . . If the editors keep raising the bar, I’ll be back again and again.”—Atomic Fangirl

A tormented writer unable to exorcise the demons of his past...an all-American town plagued by horrific secrets...a beautiful woman brutally murdered by a twisted killer thought long dead-or by an even more terrifying copycat? In The Throat , Peter Straub''s Blue Rose trilogy blooms into a horrifically chilling, maniacally suspenseful masterwork of terror.

Peter Straub presents four stories that are offshoots of the fictional universe created in his Blue Rose trilogy. Each of the stories stands alone, but together they shine a revelatory light on the novels that inspired them.

"Welcome to another kind of terror as Peter Straub leads us into the outer reaches of the psyche. Here the master of the macabre is at his absolute best in seven exquisite tales of living, dying, and the terror that lies in between. . . . "AshputtleIsn''t It Romantic? "CHILLING.""SKILLFULLY CONSTRUCTED." "-The New York Times-Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "The Ghost VillageBunny Is Good Bread Winner of a World Fantasy Award"TERRIFYING." "VERY, VERY SCARY."-"The Washington Post Book "World -"The Philadelphia Inquirer Porkpie HatHunger, An Introduction "DARK TWISTS AND"BRILLIANTLY SUBVERSIVE." DARKER HUMOR."-"Locus "-USA Today "Mr. Clubb and Mr. Cuff Winner of a Bram Stoker Award "[A] TOUR-DE-FORCE . . . [THAT] WILL HAUNT READERS LONG AFTER THEY''VE CLOSED THE COVERS." "-The Denver Post "PETER STRAUB IS AN EXCELLENT WRITER. . . . HE MAKES US FEEL THE TERROR." -"The Philadelphia Inquirer