“Speak of the devil, and he doth appear” goes the old English saying, and in the case of the new anthology Sympathy for the Devil, we are all the richer for his presence.
Under Tim Pratt’s editorial direction, Sympathy for the Devil reveals Satan in all of his guises – tempter, accuser and trickster – and moods – churlish, terrifying, droll and dark – through a fine collection of tales from some of modern fantasy’s best-loved authors: Elizabeth Bear, China Mieville, Stephen King, Charles De Lint, Kelly Link and many others. Older tales of Old Scratch find their way into this august collection as well, with excerpts from Dante’s Inferno and stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Mark Twain.
As a person who has enjoyed a devilish tale or two in my time, Sympathy for the Devil is a most welcome addition to my library, and serves as yet another reason why every new anthology from Night Shade Books should be a reason to celebrate.
Teo