Book # of 241 in CollectionsStatus: Ongoing

The Year's Best Fantasy And Horror--ninth Annual Collection

Quick Answer

"The Year's Best Fantasy And Horror--ninth Annual Collection" is an optional companion work. It can be read at any time, though it is usually best enjoyed after reading the first few core novels of the Collections.

Quick Verdict

🟡 Optional side story — not required for main plot

There are multiple ways to approach this series. Our recommended order is optimized for first-time readers.

❓ Can I skip this book?

✅ Yes — Optional

This is a side story that can be safely bypassed without losing any context for the main series.

Verdict Insight: This is a comprehensive collection and bundle of the Stephen King's works. It typically offers significantly better value than buying the titles individually.

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1996624 ppOptional Side Story

A collection forty-six horror and fantasy fiction stories from the year 1995 from a wide selection of well-known genre authors Acknowledgement -- Summation 1995: fantasy / Terry Windling -- Summation 1995: horror / Ellen Datlow -- Horror and fantasy in the media: 1995 / Edward Bryant -- Obituaries / James Frankel -- Home for Christmas / Nina Kiriki Hoffman -- Heartfires / Charles de Lint -- Screens / Terry Lamsley -- King of crows / Midori Snyder -- Professor Gottesman and the Indian rhinoceros / Peter S. Beagle -- The hunt of the unicorn / Ellen Kushner -- More tomorrow / Michael Marshall Smith -- Penguins for lunch / Scott Bradfield -- Ether OR / Ursula K. Le Guin -- Paper lantern / Stuart Dybek -- [Lunch at the Gotham café](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL19781075W) / Stephen King -- Queen of knives (poem) / Neil Gaiman -- Dragon-rain / Eileen Kernaghan -- Llantos de la Llorona: warnings from the wailer (poem) / Pat Mora -- Too short a death / Peter Crowther -- The James Dean garage band / Rick Moody -- Because of dust / Christopher Kenworthy -- Loop / Douglas E. Winter -- La loma, la luna / Sue Kepros Hartman -- Women's stories (poem) / Jane Yolen -- Swan/princess (poem) / Jane Yolen -- Switch / Lucy Taylor -- Scaring the train / Terry Dowling -- Blood knot / Steve Rasnic Tem -- The girl who married the reindeer (poem) / Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin -- The otter woman (poem) / Mary O'Malley -- Resolve and resistance / S.N. Dyer -- La dame / Tanith Lee -- Circe's power (poem) / Louise Glück -- Dragon's fin soup / S.P. Somtow -- The granddaughter / Vivian Vande Velde -- Daphne and Laura and so forth (poem) / Margaret Atwood -- A lamia in the Cévennes / A.S. Byatt -- The guilty party / Susan Moody -- She's not there / Pat Cadigan -- The white road (poem) / Neil Gaiman -- Refrigerator heaven / David J. Schow -- After the elephant ballet / Gary A. Braunbeck -- Henry V, part 2 / Marcia Guthridge -- Mrs. Greasy / Robert Reed -- ############## / Joyce Carol Oates -- The printer's daughter / Delia Sherman -- Prayer (poem) / Nancy Willard -- Jacob and the angel (poem) / Jane Yolen -- The lion and the lark / Patricia A. McKillip -- Honorable mentions.

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Next Recommended Book

The Stephen King Collection. Stories From Night Shift

Book # of 241 in Series

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Complete Series Reading Order

Publication Order

Preserves character reveals and plot twists exactly as the author intended.

Chronological Order

May spoil surprises but improves timeline clarity for deep lore fans.

Order Confidence

medium Confidence

Why this order?

Our team of curators analyzes publication history, author interviews, and internal narrative continuity to establish the definitive reading sequence. This ensures zero spoilers and maximum narrative impact.

Why This Order Is Confusing

Many reading lists for Collections conflict because early publishers often labeled short story collections as standalone novels, or rearranged internal chronologies for marketing. This guide follows original author intent and narrative continuity to settle the debate for good.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I skip reading The Year's Best Fantasy And Horror--ninth Annual Collection?

This is a side story that can be safely bypassed without losing any context for the main series.

Can I read The Year's Best Fantasy And Horror--ninth Annual Collection before other books in the series?

Yes. The Year's Best Fantasy And Horror--ninth Annual Collection is an optional side story and can be read at any time without spoiling the main series plot.

Is The Year's Best Fantasy And Horror--ninth Annual Collection required reading for the Collections?

No, it is a companion work that enriches the lore but is not essential to the central storyline.

What comes after The Year's Best Fantasy And Horror--ninth Annual Collection in the reading order?

The next recommended book after The Year's Best Fantasy And Horror--ninth Annual Collection is The Stephen King Collection. Stories From Night Shift (Book #null).