Subject: Review: WHITE HOUSE HORRORS edited by Martin H. Greenberg

From: "Evelyn C Leeper" <[email-masked]>
Date: 26 Sep 1996 14:52:55 -0400

WHITE HOUSE HORRORS edited by Martin H. Greenberg
                   A book review by Evelyn C. Leeper
		    Copyright 1996 Evelyn C. Leeper

     Four years ago, during the 1992 Presidential campaign, I saw Mike
Resnick's ALTERNATE PRESIDENTS in a window display along with the books by
and about the various candidates.  So I fully expect to see this in a
similar display.  Certainly the picture of the "President" on the cover,
with a grinning half-face, half-skull, fits in with the image people are
starting to have of politicians.

     Unlike ALTERNATE PRESIDENTS --of which this seems to be, if not the
child, then perhaps the niece -- many of the Presidents here are future
Presidents rather than real or imaginary past ones.  Perhaps it's that my
tastes don't normally run to horror that makes me say that this collection
is not as good overall.  There are, however, some very good stories here.
"Healing the Body Politic" by Brian Hodge is a strong lead-off, Gary
A. Braunbeck's "And Somewhere I Shall Wake" is a memorable idea
well-executed, and "The Cabinet of William Henry Harrison" by Barbara
Collins and Max Allan Collins also makes an impression.  "The Ghost and
Mr. Truman" by Bill Crider, while perhaps not as historically accurate (I
don't think the Truman renovations of the White House gutted it quite that
much) does have some very strong images.

     But many stories are sabotaged by anachronisms.  For example, were
doughnuts really purchased in bags 150 years ago, rather than just being
wrapped with paper and string?  Minor, perhaps, but I am of the opinion that
a story set in 1860 should feel like 1860, unless there is some conscious
stylistic reason to do otherwise.  Some stories were a bit too predictable
from the very beginning, and some stories which I think were supposed to be
humorous just didn't tickle my funny bone.  One didn't even seem to have
anything to do with the White House.

     Do I recommend this book?  Well, if you like horror stories in general
you may like this more than I did.  And there were four good stories that
even I liked.  Still, when one considers some of the Presidential candidates
we've had in my lifetime, one can't help but think that the authors could
have come up with more convincing horror stories than these.

     Not surprisingly, assassinated Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy show up
either as characters or references fairly often.  Even Garfield gets a
story.  But poor William McKinley seems to be completely ignored.  People
interested in pursuing the assassination theme should seek out Stephen
Sondheim's musical, ASSASSINS.

%B      White House Horrors
%E      Martin H. Greenberg
%C      New York
%D      September 1996
%I      DAW
%O      paperback, US$5.99
%G      ISBN 0-88677-659-7
%P      316pp

Evelyn C. Leeper    |  [email-masked]
+1 908 957 2070     |  http://www.geocities.com/Athens/4824
"El sueno de la razon produce monstruos."
--caption to plate 43 of Goya's "Caprichios"