In "Polyphemus," an exploration team on a desert planet encounters a terrifying alien monstrosity. "The Angel of Death" is the story of a serial killer hunting innocent women who turns out to be a visitor from another world. In the blackly humorous horror story "Uncle Tuggs," a series of grisly and bizarre deaths may be connected to the mysterious disappearance of old Uncle Tuggs. "The Horror on the #33" tells of the strange and horrific monster one man encounters on a city bus. And the highlight of the collection, the classic story "The Autopsy," which Algis Budrys called "one of the most successful meldings of science fiction with horror that I have ever encountered" and which was filmed for Guillermo Del Toro's Netflix series Cabinet of Curiosities, tells of an aging pathologist called in to perform an autopsy-but what he discovers during his examination is chilling and unthinkable . . .
Michael Shea (1946-2014) was one of the finest American authors of speculative fiction of modern times, and Polyphemus (1987), originally published as a limited edition hardcover by Arkham House, features the best of his short fiction, in which he deftly blends the genres of horror, fantasy, and science fiction. A landmark collection of modern speculative fiction returns to print at long last in this edition, which features a new introduction by Laird Barron.