The landscape of 1990s teen horror was predominantly shaped by novels. Whether standalone narratives or installments within expansive series, such as R.L. Stine’s "Fear Street," these compact books saturated the market, defining the genre and ensuring a constant supply of new scares on bookstore shelves. While anthologies like "Thirteen," featuring contributions from prominent teen horror authors like Stine, Christopher Pike, Caroline B. Cooney, and Sinclair Smith, offered a curated collection of short fiction, standalone short story collections from individual authors were a rarer commodity. This article delves into Christopher Pike’s two "Tales of Terror" collections, "Tales of Terror" (1997) and "Tales of Terror 2" (1998), examining their significance within the context of late 90s teen horror, their thematic connections to Pike’s broader body of work, and the enduring impact of their often dark and provocative narratives.
The waning years of the 1990s teen horror trend, which began to lose momentum around 1996, saw the release of Pike’s two short fiction collections. This timing likely contributed to their flying under the radar for many readers, including this author who possessed vivid recollections of "Thirteen" but no memory of Pike’s individual collections. However, a contemporary reading reveals "Tales of Terror" and "Tales of Terror 2" to contain numerous gems, offering both a snapshot of prevailing 90s teen horror trends and an engaging exploration of themes and narratives familiar from Pike’s popular novels. This analysis will focus primarily on the revenge-driven narratives within these collections, with a subsequent examination exploring their more esoteric and fantastical elements.
Interconnected Narratives: Marvin Summer’s Descent
Both "Tales of Terror" collections feature stories intricately linked to Pike’s 1992 novel, "Master of Murder." Specifically, "The Fan From Hell" in "Tales of Terror" and "The Burning Witch" in "Tales of Terror 2" revisit the character of Marvin Summer, a successful horror novelist whose comfortable lifestyle is juxtaposed with his unsettling exploitation and mistreatment of young women drawn into his orbit. These stories expand upon the perspective established in "Master of Murder," particularly concerning Marvin’s girlfriend, Shelly, depicted as a dangerous femme fatale. In "The Fan From Hell," Marvin’s enduring fascination with Shelly is rooted in his suspicion that she was responsible for the death of a mutual acquaintance, Triad. This ambiguity, as the narrative notes, "she had never admitted to doing the black deed and maybe that was why he still found her so endlessly fascinating, the mystery of not knowing" (39).
The relationship between Marvin and Shelly is characterized by a geographical divide and emotional dissonance. Marvin resides in a coastal California townhome, while Shelly pursues her education across the country. Despite Marvin’s professed devotion, his fidelity is explicitly conditional, with the text stating he "was faithful to Shelly only within specifically defined geographical circumstances" (45). His frequent infidelities, almost exclusively with aspiring writers who express admiration for his work, stand in stark contrast to his possessive rage when he contemplates Shelly reciprocating such attention. Shelly, meanwhile, accelerates her studies to graduate early and return to the West Coast to be with Marvin. However, upon her arrival, Marvin exhibits little enthusiasm for integrating her into his life or adapting his living space to accommodate a shared existence.
Shelly’s Fate and Marvin’s Twisted Devotion
The narrative further explores the complexities of their relationship in "The Burning Witch." Shelly’s devastation upon learning she cannot have children elicits a perplexing response from Marvin, who apparently had never seriously considered fatherhood. He expresses relief at avoiding the worry of accidental pregnancy and suggests, "you can always adopt later, if you want" (5). This choice of pronoun, "you" instead of "we," underscores his persistent view of their lives as separate entities, despite their years together. The story takes a dark turn when Shelly is murdered by witches who desire Marvin. In response, Marvin expresses a willingness to sacrifice anything to retrieve her. However, the narrative offers no indication that this ordeal fosters a newfound appreciation for Shelly or a commitment to their shared future. Instead, Shelly appears to be a prize he has won – his high school "dream girl" who remained elusive until her alleged role in Triad’s demise brought them together. Now, even though he may no longer genuinely desire her, he is determined not to lose her.
Thematic Resonance: Revenge as a Driving Force
While "The Fan From Hell" and "The Burning Witch" are the only stories in Pike’s "Tales of Terror" collections that directly build upon established novelistic narratives and characters, Pike himself notes thematic parallels between other stories and his books. For instance, he identifies similarities between "Death of Despair" and his "Remember Me" trilogy (1989-1995). A dominant theme that bridges these interconnected stories and Pike’s wider oeuvre is teenage revenge, often fueled by sexual betrayal or perceived slights.
Pike explores the multifaceted nature of revenge through various lenses in his collections. "Death of Despair" and "Revenge" from "Tales of Terror," alongside "The Tears of Teresa" in "Tales of Terror 2," navigate revenge narratives ranging from the realistic to the fantastical, and the ambiguous spaces between.
"Death of Despair": A Twisted Take on the Afterlife
In his author’s note preceding "Death of Despair," Pike highlights its connections to "Remember Me," particularly a seemingly suicidal fall from a high-rise balcony that is not as it appears. While "Remember Me" reveals Shari Cooper’s murder, "Death of Despair" presents Mike Cutter awakening in his parents’ townhouse after a party. He encounters three identically dressed young women: his ex-girlfriend Penny, his current girlfriend Linda, and Sandy, a girl he recently rejected. They inform him that he is dead, having jumped from the balcony in despair the previous night after Linda broke up with him. Mike’s vision is obscured by dark shadows, and they lead him to the balcony to witness his body below. To transition to the afterlife, they instruct him to jump. The complication, however, is that Mike is not actually dead.
The young women’s motivations are rooted in a tangled web of romantic grievances. Linda is upset by Sandy’s accusation of Mike’s infidelity, which he denies. Penny remains heartbroken over being dumped for Linda, while Linda is irked by Mike kissing her goodbye after breaking up with Penny. Their solution to this perceived imbalance is to trick Mike into suicide. The story playfully explores the ambiguity of Mike’s fidelity. When Mike denies intimacy with Sandy, she retorts with a confusing explanation about "technical sex" versus "backseat-of-the-car sex," leaving the reader to question the reality of their encounters. Despite this confusion, the women orchestrate an elaborate deception, involving dyed contact lenses to impair Mike’s vision, drugging him, and using an inflatable doll and fake blood to convince him he’s looking at his own corpse. Ultimately, Mike turns the tables, shoving all three women to their deaths from the balcony. In a darkly humorous conclusion, he retrieves the inflatable doll, cleans it of fake and real blood, and snuggles up with it to sleep.
"Revenge" and "The Tears of Teresa": Betrayal and Retribution
The revenge plots in "Revenge" and "The Tears of Teresa" are more straightforward, centering on wronged men seeking retribution against the women who betrayed them. The names of these female characters are reportedly inspired by a former girlfriend of Pike’s. In his author’s note for "Revenge," Pike admits to a past habit of incorporating his then-current girlfriends into his novels, with their character’s fate often reflecting the state of their relationship. He recounts an incident where he and Teresa were swimming in rough seas, and Teresa sank beneath the water. Despite rescuing her, she remained upset, refusing to speak to him upon returning to shore. Pike expresses distress over her reaction, seemingly oblivious to her near-death experience.
In "Revenge," the narrator, Chris, is enraged by Teresa’s initial refusal to have sex with him and her subsequent infidelity with "Mr. Wonderful." Driven to madness by his unfulfilled desires, Chris dons scuba gear, waits underwater at a frequented beach, and drowns Teresa. Her new boyfriend also perishes attempting a rescue, which Chris finds acceptable. However, upon returning home, Chris discovers Teresa has survived. He rushes to her side, welcomed by her family. Instead of being identified as a murderer, Teresa professes her love, declaring that in her near-death experience, "all I could think about was you… You felt so close to me, so close to my soul, and I suddenly knew that it was you I loved" (179). This revelation is deeply unsettling, given Chris’s volatile mix of love, obsession, and toxic hatred for Teresa. The story concludes with Chris testing Teresa’s physical response by placing his arm around her throat, a disturbing indicator of their unhealthy dynamic. The narrative offers a final, albeit unconvincing, reassurance that Chris and Teresa eventually consummate their relationship.
"The Tears of Teresa" presents a less morally complex, more metaphysical revenge narrative. A married couple is kidnapped and paralyzed, as Pike intertwines stories of past betrayal and present retribution. Eighteen years prior, Teresa claimed to be traumatized by an abortion Max forced her to undergo. Teresa convinces the wealthy and fearful Max to marry her in Las Vegas. She then colludes with Max’s best friend and secret lover, David, to push Max off a hotel balcony. It is revealed that Teresa was pregnant and intended to use the baby to blackmail Max’s grieving father. Max survives long enough to die beside his newborn child. This child grows into the mysterious avenger who kidnaps Teresa and David from their mundane suburban lives nearly two decades later, forcing them to confront their past transgressions.
"The Thin Line": A Harrowing Depiction of School Violence
While many of Pike’s revenge plots are extravagant, some stories tackle more serious themes. "The Thin Line" from "Tales of Terror" is a school shooting narrative that resonates with chilling timeliness. Tim Klane, a basketball starter dating Jane Pascal, the coach’s daughter, suffers a career-ending back injury during practice, which he believes was intentionally inflicted by Steve Wiley, who took over his position. The injury leaves Tim in constant, severe pain, exacerbates his addiction to painkillers, and leads to Jane abandoning him. Fueled by depression and suffering, Tim resolves to exact revenge. He acquires two firearms, locks down the gym, and intends to target the coach, the basketball team, and the cheerleading squad.
However, Tim fires only one shot, hitting Steve Wiley in the thigh. The graphic description of the injury – "The bullet caught him in the mid right thigh and, oh God, what a mess. No shot ever fired on TV got results like this. He didn’t develop a nice round red hole that could be covered with a white bandage. The middle of his leg literally exploded. Muscle and bone and blood erupted like a living volcano, splattering me as well as him. I actually tasted his blood on my lips" (154-155) – starkly contrasts Tim’s vengeful fantasy with the brutal reality. Thankfully, this is the only shot fired. Tim learns that Wiley survives, albeit with a lost leg. The situation devolves into a hostage scenario as Tim flees with Jane. The story concludes tragically, with Tim haunted by his mistakes.
Pike’s author’s note reveals his deep reservations about "The Thin Line." He began writing it before the Jonesboro, Arkansas, school shootings and finished it after the Springfield, Oregon, incident, both occurring in 1998. He describes the disorienting experience of witnessing his fictional narrative unfold in real-world news reports. The Jonesboro shooters killed four students and a teacher, while the Springfield shooter killed two students and injured over two dozen. Reading "The Thin Line" within this context, and considering the subsequent decades of escalating school violence, is profoundly disorienting and somber. The story’s title serves as a stark reminder of the precarious balance that can precede such tragedies.
The Enduring Legacy of Pike’s Short Fiction
While Pike’s short stories may lack the intricate character development and thematic evolution found in his novels, they powerfully convey his philosophical outlook and approach to horror. Like much of 90s teen horror, some of Pike’s novels can become convoluted with sensationalistic subplots. However, his short fiction offers a more distilled experience. These stories present compelling characters thrust into bizarre situations, allowing the ensuing action, often with sexually charged, disastrous, or violent consequences, to unfold with minimal extraneous detail. Despite their relative obscurity within Pike’s extensive bibliography, the "Tales of Terror" collections offer a darkly entertaining collection of stories that continue to resonate with readers and offer a significant insight into the evolution of teen horror. The upcoming installment will explore the more esoteric and fantastical tales from these collections.
