The Lettered edition has a second, alternate version of Ray Bradbury's story, along with a hand written note telling the origin of the story. Richard Christian Matheson also provides three early drafts of his story with handwritten corrections. Matheson and Bradbury are signing only the Lettered edition, and Jerry Williamson signed both the Numbered and the Lettered before he passed away.

Masques V was a labor of love for Jerry Williamson, who died on December 8th, 2005. As his health began to fail him, he was overwhelmed by well-known authors who without hesitation submitted stories as a tribute to Jerry. In a note to those whose work will appear in Masques V co-editor Gary Braunbeck stated, "I think this will serve as a fine testament to Jerry's memory."

Table of Contents

Introduction — J.N. Williamson
"Wandering the Borderlands" — Poppy Z. Brite
"Haircut" — Richard Matheson
"Recall" — Ray Garton
"Ghosts in Autumn" — Christopher Conlon
"The Black Wench" — Ray Russell
"FYI" — Mort Castle
"Phantom of the Rainbow" — Thomas Sullivan
"Just A Little, Just Enough" — Sharon Cullers
"The Net' — Jack Ketchum and P.D. Cacek
"Disappearing Act" — Barry Hoffman
"Stirrings" — Kealan Patrick Burke
"The Sheets Were Clean and Dry" — Lucy A. Snyder
"Saintkiller" — Joe Nassise
In A Hand Or Face — Gary A. Braunbeck
"Moths in Damp Grass" — Tracy Knight
"A Thousand Words" — Judi Rohrig
"Making Faces" — Tom Piccirilli
"For Whom We Mourn" — Geoff Cooper
"Atomic Possums" — George Ibarra
"Mr. Handlebars" — Mark Powers
"In the Empty Country" — Ron Horsley
"Action Figures" — John Maclay
How Sweet It Was — Tom Monteleone
"Waters Dark and Deep" — Tim Waggoner
Making Cabinets — Richard Christian Matheson
"King Charlie" — William F. Nolan
Intent To Deceive — Ed Gorman
*"The Beautiful Shave" — Ray Bradbury
Outcry — J.N. Williamson

Lettered Edition Only:

"The Beautiful Shave" (First draft) — Ray Bradbury
"Making Cabinets" (3 early drafts) — Richard Christian Matheson

Those ordering through Gauntlet will receive a free chapbook, which will consist of new short stories from four of the contributors of Masques V. They are:

• "In the House of the Hangman One Does Not Talk of Rope," by Gary A. Braunbeck
• "A Piece of Him for Me," by Barry Hoffman
• "Knock, Knock," by Tim Waggoner
• "I'll Call You," by Mort Castle

Masques V will come in two editions:

Numbered Edition
(signed by Jerry Williamson and all contributors except Matheson, Bradbury, and the late Ray Russell)

Lettered Edition
(signed by Jerry Williamson and all contributors except the late Ray Russell)

Review Excerpts

"Masques V is a bulky volume collecting twenty-nine horror stories by both established genre masters and newcomers...the tales are all fine examples of good storytelling, up to the expectations of any Masques fan... You'll be entertained, pleasantly scared and cuddled by a bunch of skilled narrators. Furthermore, you'll find reasons for making some serious thinking about the world and the truths of human life."
— Mario Guslandi, The Agony Column

"You'll be entertained, pleasantly scared and cuddled by a bunch of skilled narrators"
— The Agony Column

"Jerry Williamson's Masques is back, and fans of the series will be glad to hear that the series is as strong as ever, with Volume V serving up twenty-nine stories that run the gamut from good to great, all providing a satisfying reading experience... Editor Williamson has provided a winning mix of new and established authors, artfully arranging the tales for maximum impact."
— Hellnotes

"The range and tone of these stories are breathtaking, cutting a wide swath through the dark landscape of terror... This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to own a piece of horror history."
— Tomb of Dark Delights

"Horror in the small press is flourishing... Perfect timing for a new collection from this landmark series.  Jerry Williamson has assembled an impressive lineup again."
— Horror World

Buy the book:  Shocklines   |   Gauntlet Press