Thursday, October 29, 2009

Halloween recommendations III: Pigeons From Hell

Once again, a recommendation to a title which came up in my Great Short Stories list.

"Pigeons From Hell" is a great 1938 pulp horror tale from Robert E. Howard, best known for his Conan work. It inspired a 1961 episode of Boris Karloff's Thriller and a "sequel" comic book from Dark Horse.

The story concerns two men who spend the night in an old plantation manor. One of the men goes upstairs during the night and is killed; then he comes downstairs to kill his friend! It's a wild tale of voodoo and revenge with a twist ending I didn't see coming. Howard's atmosphere is perfectly rendered, it's a story that stays with you.

Pigeons From Hell was collected in Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard, but you can read it online for free here.

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