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Magic Terror: 7 Tales

Name: Magic Terror: 7 Tales
Price: 7.99 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780449006887

✍️ Peter Straub

Reader Score

4.4

(4 reviews)

$7.99 ~~$15.00~~ Save $7.01 (46%)

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A collection of seven award-winning horror tales by Peter Straub exploring dark psychology and revenge.

Straub’s Magic Terror delivers seven distinct narratives that defy conventional horror tropes by focusing on character depth and moral ambiguity. The stories range from the chilling confession of a sociopath’s ghost to the tragic creation of a killer in Bunny Is Good Bread. Mr. Clubb and Mr. Cuff reimagines revenge through a Melvillian lens, while Ashputtle provides a visionary take on adventure. Each tale is marked by brutality and heartbreak, yet infused with an unexpected humor that allows empathy to emerge. The collection does not offer easy answers but rather forces readers to confront uncomfortable truths about human nature and the supernatural.

Key Themes

sociopath's ghost revenge as moral art creation of serial killer

Literary Context

Published in 2001 by Random House, this collection sits within the tradition of American horror and psychological fiction. Straub builds on his previous success with Ghost Story and The Talisman, drawing on literary sources like Melville’s Bartleby the Scrivener to create a unique blend of gothic terror and modern psychological insight.

Peter Straub

📚 all books by this author (48) →

Difficulty

●●● Challenging

Recommended For Fans Of

Stephen King · H.P. Lovecraft · Shirley Jackson

👻

Ghost Stories

🏛 Random House Publishing Group 📅 2001 📖 384 pages 🌐 English 📔 Mass Market Paperbound ISBN: 9780449006887

📚 This Book in Collections

🔪 Serial Killer & Slasher Fiction

📝 Description: Magic Terror: 7 Tales

Peter Straub, known for Ghost Story and The Talisman, presents Magic Terror, a collection of seven award-winning tales that blend horror with psychological depth. The stories explore brutality, despair, and unexpected humor, often challenging the reader’s moral compass while evoking empathy in dark contexts. Straub’s prose is complex and eloquent, creating narratives that are both startling and deeply unsettling. The collection includes Bunny Is Good Bread, which follows a young boy in grotesque circumstances to depict the formation of a serial killer with pity and sorrow. Hunger, an Introduction features the ghost of a pompous murderer reflecting on earthly life with exquisite beauty. Mr. Clubb and Mr. Cuff is a black comedy novella inspired by Melville’s Bartleby the Scrivener, focusing on revenge as a moral art. Ashputtle offers a visionary perspective on adventure through its narrator Mrs. Asch. This book suits readers who appreciate sophisticated horror and psychological fiction that does not shy away from darkness or complex emotions. It may not appeal to those seeking simple scares or lighthearted entertainment. The stories draw on American horror traditions and psychological realism, offering a harrowing literary journey for devotees of Straub’s work.

💎 Our verdict on Magic Terror: 7 Tales

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🩸

Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Peter Straub delivers seven distinct narratives that defy conventional horror expectations by focusing on intense psychological depth. The prose is complex and eloquent, crafting stories marked by brutality and despair yet infused with unexpected humor. This approach forces readers to confront uncomfortable truths about human nature and the supernatural without offering easy answers. While the collection excels in its literary ambition and emotional resonance, it may not appeal to those seeking simple scares or lighthearted entertainment. The tales are harrowing and often tragic, requiring a reader comfortable with moral ambiguity. It is a demanding but rewarding experience for enthusiasts of dark fantasy and psychological horror who value character-driven plots over jump scares.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

This collection is designed for readers who appreciate sophisticated horror and psychological fiction that does not shy away from darkness or complex emotions. Peter Straub’s prose is complex and eloquent, creating narratives that are both startling and deeply unsettling. Those who gain from this book enjoy confronting uncomfortable truths about human nature through moral ambiguity rather than simple scares. The stories offer a harrowing literary journey, allowing empathy to emerge from brutality and heartbreak. It suits devotees of Straub’s work and those interested in the intersection of true crime psychology and gothic atmosphere, providing a rewarding experience for those willing to engage with difficult themes and nuanced character studies.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

⭐ HorrorReads editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

Ideal for literary horror enthusiasts who crave psychological depth over cheap thrills. Those seeking straightforward jump scares or lighthearted escapism will find this collection too dense, bleak, and morally complex for their taste.

Reader rating

4.4

Based on 4 reviews

Karen T.

July 6, 2026

A modern classic

Ordered it for Halloween and it came in time. Not a jump-scare book; it gets under the skin and stays there. Definitely recommend.

Nora K.

November 21, 2025

Not for the squeamish

Got it as a gift for a friend who loves the genre. The setting is practically a character, and a hostile one.

Mark R.

March 20, 2025

This has been on my wishlist for months. The monster is scarier for how little you see of it. It assumes some familiarity with the genre's tropes. Good, with the caveats above.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No. Straub focuses on psychological horror and moral ambiguity rather than conventional creatures or jump scares. The terror is derived from human behavior and complex emotions, making it more akin to literary fiction with dark themes.

It blends award-winning prose with unexpected humor and profound empathy. Straub’s work challenges moral compasses while maintaining exquisite beauty, offering a sophisticated reading experience that avoids clichés in favor of startling, deeply unsettling narratives.

📖 Who should read this

📜 Historical context

Peter Straub stands as a titan in American supernatural fiction, bridging the gap between traditional Gothic dread and modern psychological realism. This volume extends his legacy by integrating high literary craft with genre conventions, reflecting a shift toward character-driven terror. It honors the lineage of writers who use horror to examine the human condition, proving that true fear often resides in the mind rather than in monsters.