Some Big @$$ Anthologies I’ll Be Reading

[@jeremyfee]

The Thumbnail of the Day award definitely should go to this one. That was hilarious!

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Ha! Thanks!

[@charliedogg7683]

Is that Francis the Talking Mule in your KZbin slide? I know Mr. Ed gets more press but I have a soft spot for Francis (and Donald O'Connor). I grew up reading anthologies and still track down old ones I don't have on Ebay. Single-author anthologies are great when they include stories from different points in the writer's career so you can see his/her development; multi-author anthologies are great for introducing the reader to new writers. So it's win-win for everyone! Shea's brilliant "The Autopsy" is one of the episodes in Netflix's "Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet Of Curiosities" and stars the wonderful F. Murray Abraham. It's a very commendable effort but I agree with you Michael that Shea's story is better. Manphibian first appeared in Marvel's b/w magazine Legion Of Monsters #1 (and only) and I don't think he returned to comics until the early 2000s. John Kowalski is from a little-remembered Chris Claremont-written Marvel series War Is Hell #9-15 which is really very good and deserves more recognition. Now go reinforce those bookshelves with adamantium bracing!

[@mediumjohnsilver]

Don’t forget Isaac Asimov’s _Before the Golden Age,_ a 912 page anthology of good old SF from 1931 to 1938. I need to get back to that one; I’m just halfway through.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

That is a good one.

[@binglamb2176]

You and those thumbnails! I swear.😂 You and Book Time with Ryan are the absolute masters.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Of course, nobody can beat Ryan’s thumbnails.

[@jamiebbooks]

I've been listening to audiobooks of big anthologies while crocheting. I also really like the anthologies from John Joseph Adams. I have his Wastelands book on my TBR for Halloween this month.

[@MysteryandMayhem-gr7nn]

I am a fan of the story story anthology! It's my favorite form of fiction.

[@glockensig]

The Autopsy....Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities..... I believe....

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Yes, that was the show! Thank you!

[@danieltenney1896]

Very nice collections! Just in time for some October reading! On a side note I got around to reading REH's God in the Bowl yesterday. I really enjoyed it! It was fun having Conan involved in a murder mystery. Just wish he got a little more to do. The Black stranger and Frost Giant's Daughter is next. I hope your Cimmerian Sept. Is still going well. Then you can dive into those great horror anthologies.

[@nunyabizness6595]

Double columned pages. Get ready for your eyes to cross. Ready glasses will help. Maybe...😮😮😮

[@snowysnowyriver]

I didn't have my glasses on when I saw the title on my phone and thought it said "Big @$$ Apologies"!! 😂

[@dqan7372]

Ooh. Now I'm tempted to read the Penzler Ghost collection... Recently picked up the Mammoth Book of Folk Horror too. Must resist starting another book....

[@arekkrolak6320]

Oh boy, I was watching it at night and I'm glad I fell asleep before Wendigo came up!

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

That was lucky.

[@PaulgedDonohoe]

WOW!..that's a big ass on the Kim Kardashian scale!

[@fiberartsyreads]

I’ve got The Dark Descent and Zombies x3 on my shelf too. I do need to make my way through these big anthologies.

[@bookMark2967]

What an epic thumbnail! Most of my reading seems to be anthologies so I would love to see your coverage of the Time Travelers Almanac. Havent started my copy yet, still working my way through The Weird and many others.

[@imorca1994]

I just realized that I think I missed something: Did you end up finishing the biography of Edgar Rice Burroughs?

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

You missed nothing. I set that book down and haven’t picked it back up yet, even though it’s great. I need to get back to that.

[@M-J]

Best thumbnail of the week! 👏🏻👏🏻

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Thanks!

[@missstarbuck]

Whenever i see a video from you about big books, i want to read big books haha XD So i think i will read another big book this year :D

[@rickcroucher]

I ordered the American Fantastic Tales but never received it. That was a year ago and they said it has not been republished once the first run disappeared. Thanks to your review here I found both as second hand in decent condition. Thanks. I asked LOA to cancel my request since it seems they are not going to republish them.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

What a disappointment. I always thought their deal was that they kept their books permanently in print. I guess that could be different with anthologies because of rights and all that. Glad you found a copy!

[@LAVIV007]

The only anthology I have ever (had to) read was The Norton Anthology of English Literature and it was massive. Had all the ancient Greek sagas and British. This was our big bad book in English Lit at university. Could have been a fantastic course if not for the sad fact we had to read way too much text that was outdated and not very colorful, not to mention, in parallel, had to spend much time in the library searching for an ocean of analytic articles written by many smart people about the classics--the latter destroyed whatever creativity we had left. Surely, that book did not include any modern fiction of ny type or sort. Naturally, I developed an allergy for anthologies. Your selection here is amazing. I have no idea how you're planning to dive into so much but hats off.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

I hope you overcome that allergy one day.

[@LAVIV007]

@@michaelk.vaughan8617 question then: would the other forms of collections fit, say, Kings's collections of short stories (e.g., Night Shift comes to mind--never read any better collection of short horror by a single author)or maybe them great thick leather-bound editions by Barnes and Noble? what if I combine all sorts of books of a single genre for a continuous read? what's the difference except that it will be me acting as the editor?

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

@@LAVIV007 A collection is by a single author. An anthology has work by multiple authors. As far as I can tell that’s the difference. Barnes & Noble has some good ones.

[@LAVIV007]

@@michaelk.vaughan8617 Fine. Thanks.

[@williamramskill5488]

If you fancy reading a great single author Sci-Fi collection I can recommend Beyond the Aquila Rift by Alistair Reynolds

[@holzausgabe8812]

Best thumbnail of the year 😂

[@ceberuss_yt8266]

Someone recommended the dark decent to me years ago and I’m happy to have the 3 volume uk hardcovers. Maybe I’ll put a picture on your Discord. I didn’t know it had a sequel 😮. You have awesome big ass anthologies 👌. I also love the annual ones by Ellen Datlow. Kudos from Belgium

[@robertlynn7746]

You've got five years worth of reading there!

[@DamnableReverend]

I definitely feel the magic with anthologies. Just wonderful even reading the table of contents. haha Masterpieces of Terror is a really great one with some unusual stories. I'm not positive but I think the thing with FOundations of Fear is that for the most part it does features storeis that are longer than the ones in the Dark Descent -- more novella type stuff and not so much short stories. I think with Dark Descent they tried to go for an approach that equally balanced quantity and quality, as there are so many storeis in there, but some of them are just a few pages long. You won't get any "bite-zied" stuff like that in Foundations. I must look into those Otto Pensler ones. They seem really cool.

[@April_Davis]

Good stuff. I need to see if my library has some

[@fredflintstone1485]

Read the first book from Chronicles of Amber. You were so enthusiastic about it. It just wasn't my cup of tea. In your defense so much of what you get enthusiastic about so am I; Robert E Howard, Edgar Rice Burroughs just to name 2 authors. Tell Roger he deserves more credit for his wonderful editing of your videos. :)

[@philiplawson6754]

Hi, Michael. Seeing as you are now well into reading Superman, I have a question for you. Why does the new, soon to be published, SILVER AGE SUPERMAN OMNIBUS that you are waiting anxiously for, begin its re-prints with Superman issue 122 ( July 1939 ), when even D.C themselves acknowledge that the silver age began with Showcase #4 ( the Flash ) in October 1956 and the accepted time period of the silver age of comics is 1956 to 1970? Surely, if this is the case, the earliest Superman comic would be #109 ( November 1956 ) headlined story " The super puppet with X-ray eyes" . Also the Action Comics reprints begin in the omnibus with issue241 ( June 1958 ). A missing two year gap? Perhaps your pal Steve D would like to comment on this too? P.S. - I think I saw Roger move, in the background - or was Zorro humping his leg? Take care. From INKYPHIL.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

I have no idea why DC decided to start Superman’s silver age omnibus in 1958 with 122. You would have to ask them. I’m just happy to see them finally make one.

[@avidreader1527]

Looking good , and of course Roger too .😊

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Thanks!

[@RichardSheehan]

I've only just realised that clock doesn't work, lol.

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Wait….my clock doesn’t work!?

[@troytradup]

Hm. I feel there's an anthology missing from your list. Perhaps something focused on trashy fiction in all its glory? If only someone would publish something like that! 🤔

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Yeah, that is a great idea. Maybe…someday…

[@davebrzeski]

I remember Modred the Mystic. It was horrifyingly bad! 😂

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

So true.

[@bernardjohnson8093]

I like “@$$”, tres stealthy.

[@bigaldoesbooktube1097]

Holy page count Batman! 😅

[@suzannes8017]

Is Prince Valiant on your radar screen at all? Are there any anthologies of PV that you can recommend?

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Check out Epic Comic Book Wednesday in a couple weeks.

[@c.g.5898]

Hi Michael, have you ever read The Once and Future King by T.H. White?

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Not yet, but I have a paperback of it ready to read.

[@tonette6592]

Oh, I LOVE anthologies. If the 500 Challenge is still haunting you, it really stinks if you are counting all of that as only one. Do NOT stop your posts!

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

I won’t stop anytime soon. Thanks for watching!

[@stephenwalker2924]

Michael makes me spend money. Again. (just got to get that 2 volume American Library set!) Oh well, maybe I should take up the 500 book challenge? You know, take it off his hands, so to speak...

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

Sorry for the whole money spending thing.

[@redwawst3258]

😊

[@DDB168]

Wow that was an exhausting..ahem...I mean exhaustive, yes exhaustive run down of anthologies. Zombie anthologies - who knew ? 🤔 You have forgotten one of the greatest anthologies of all time - The Best American Sports Writing of the Century (edited by David Halberstam no less).

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

How on Earth did I forget that one 🙄

[@sketchyloop951]

How long do you take to finish such a long anthology? I mean what's your average reading speed Michael?

[@michaelk.vaughan8617]

My average reading speed is sloooooooow. 🐢