Adventures in Horror Vol 1 No 1 October 1970

Adventures in Horror
Vol 1 No 1 October 1970

The longest running of the "Monster Porn" tiles of the 70s.  The prose had a Men's Adventure Magazine vibe - short, semi-confessional first person stories, many with a "as told to" byline.  Some of the stories had a Herschell Gordon Lewis or "Orgy of the Dead" era Ed Wood vibe to them, and indeed Wood wrote some of the stories in later issues.  A few bare breasts in the photos, but not enough for a full on spank rag.

Love is the Color of Blood: Vampire rape.
The Spell of the Witch: The old "witch told me it was a dream so I didn't think I was really killing my professor" trick.
Howl, Wolf, Howl: Attempted werewolf rape.

Gory Terror in the Night: Gang rape torture porn
The Unholy Six: A beach pickup leads to a Satanic mass with a witch who adds her lovers to her obscene carved headboard.
The Naked Slaves of the Master of Hell: Under the guise of a photo session, a sadistic madman lures four models to their doom
Devil of Denham Swamp: A couple take the wrong road, get genital tortured, and doomed to hell

Find it here at archive.org.

Zebra horror through 1991

Below is a comprehensive list of the almost 200 horror novels Zebra Books released through 1991.  Horror continued to be released regularly until Zebra shut down their horror line in 1996, but starting in 1991 horror started started splitting off into Silence of the Lambs knock-offs, Interview with a Vampire copies, and young adult style covers.

A full cover gallery with shop links over at Trash Menace Gallery

1974
Dementia by Keith Parnell

1975
Satan's Daughters by Othello Peters

1977
Hell Hound by Ken Greenhall
The Soul by Ron Gorton

1978
Replica by Lionel Saben
The Ashes of Tamar by Elizabeth Wade

1979
Dracula in Love by John Shirley
Benediction by Joseph P. Furek
There is a Serpent in Eden by Robert Bloch
Long Night by P.B. Gallagher
The Rite by Gregory Douglas

1980
Caly by Sharon Combes
Wild Violets by Ruth Baker Field
The Nest by Gregory Douglas
Cherron by Sharon Combes

1981
Moondeath by Rick Hautala
The Devil's Kiss by William W. Johnstone
Act of Love by Joe R. Lansdale
The Witching by Fritzen Ravenswood
Great Liquidator by J.V. Grombach
Unholy Smile by Gregory A. Douglas
Death-Coach by J. N. Williamson
Mysteries of the Worm by Robert Bloch
Unholy Goddess by Baker Stein
Halloween II (Novelization) by Jack Martin
The Spawning by Fritzen Ravenswood
Ghost Mansion by J. N. Williamson
Death-Angel by J. N. Williamson
Sweet Revenge by Dick Beaird

1982
The Uninvited by William W. Johnstone
The Unblessed by Paul Richards
The Evil One by J. N. Williamson
The Initiation by William W. Johnstone
The Witching by Fritzen Ravenswood
Death-School by J. N. Williamson
Moon Lake by Stephen Gresham
Traces by Patricia Wallace
Night Bait by Phillip Straker
The Trident by Joel Hammil
Extraterrestrial by Julian Shock
Horror Mansion by J. N. Williamson
Slice of Life by James Kisner
Wolfsbane by William W. Johnstone
Blood Knot by Bruce Algozin
Moonbog by Rick Hautala
Night Lust by Phillip Straker
Death-Doctor by J. N. Williamson

1983
Devil's Heart by William W. Johnstone
Videodrom by Jack Martin
A Crying Shame by William W. Johnstone
White Noise by R.F. Beaird
The Taint by Patricia Wallace
The Nursery by William W. Johnstone
MaMa by Ruby Jean Jensen
Death Screen by Richard F. Beaird

1984
Rip Tide by Donald D. Cheatham
The Stalker by Claude Teweles
Rockabye Baby by Stephen Gresham
The Devil's Touch by William W. Johnstone

1985
Sweet Dreams by William W. Johnstone
Home Sweet Home by Ruby Jean Jensen
The Children's Ward by Patricia Wallace
Daddy's Little Girl by Daniel Ransom
Half Moon Down by Stephen Gresham
Soul Eater by Dana Brookins
Only Child by Patricia Wallace
Best Friends by Ruby Jean Jensen
Child's Play by Andrew Neiderman

1986
Rockinghorse by William W. Johnstone
Twice Blessed by Patricia Wallace
The Doll by Josh Webster
Dew Claws by Stephen Gresham
Cat's Cradle by William W. Johnstone
Night Stone by Rick Hautala
Wait and See by Ruby Jean Jensen
Toys in the Attic by Daniel Ransom
The Alchemist by Les Whitten
Jack-In-The-Box by William W. Johnstone
Deadly Ernest by Daniel Lynch
Teacher's Pet by Andrew Neiderman
The Shadow Man by Stephen Gresham

1987
Piper by Brett Rutherford and John Robertson
The Dollkeeper by Jack Scaparro
Fertility Rights by Fay N. Zachary
Annabelle by Ruby Jean Jensen
Sight Unseen by Andrew Neiderman
Blood Bath by Linda Stahl Borlik
Midnight Boy by Stephen Gresham
The Devil's Cat by William W. Johnstone
Night Whisper by Patricia Wallace
Cry Wolf by Alan B. Chronister
Shadow Child by Joseph A. Citro
Sleep Tight by Matthew Costello
Baby Grand by William W. Johnstone
The Evil One by J.N. Williamson
Chain Letter by Ruby Jean Jensen
Night Caller by Daniel Ransom
A Killing Frost by Daniel Lynch
Water Baby by Patricia Wallace
Dream House by Christopher Fahy
Toy Cemetary by William W. Johnstone
Witch Child by Elizabeth Lloyd

1988
Smoke by Ruby Jean Jensen
Little Brothers by Rick Hautala
Guardian Angels by Joseph A. Citro
Hocus-Pocus by Jack Scaparro
Blood Sisters by Deborah Sherwood
House of Illusion by Ruby Jean Jensen
Deadly Nature by V. M. Thompson
Grim Reaper by O'Neil de Noux
Abracadabra by Stephen Gresham
Witch Daughter by Elizabeth Lloyd
Sandman by William W. Johnstone
Devil's Moon by William M. Carney
Play Time by Morgan Fields
See No Evil by Patricia Wallace
Ten Little Indians by E. Patrick Murray
The Lost Children by Brett Rutherford
Runaway by Stephen Gresham
Keepers of the Beast by Jack Maclane
Jump Rope by Ruby Jean Jensen
Eternal Bliss by Christopher Fahy
Baby Doll by Marilyn Knight
Night Touch by Stephen Gresham

1989
Goodnight Moom by Jack MacLane
Carnival by William W. Johnstone
Brain Child by Stephen George
Moonwalker by Rick Hautala
Pendulum by Ruby Jean Jensen
Project God by V. M. Thompson
Dark Souls by Barry Porter
Blood Dreams by Jack MacLane
Beasts by Stephen R. George
Demon's Eye by Stephen Gresham
Tree House by Victor Mullen
Deathsong by Jack Scaparro
Spellcaster by J. Edward Ames
Monday's Child by Patricia Wallace
Deadly Harvest by Morgan Fields
Death Stone by Ruby Jean Jensen
Secret Orders by H. Paul Jeffers
Dark Miracle by Stephen R. George
The Manipulator by Dana Brookins
Junkyard by Barry Porter

1990
Vampire Child by Ruby Jean Jensen
Hindsight by Ronald Kelly
Blood Wings by Stephen Gresham
Darksong by Jean Simon
Lullabye by Patricia Wallace
Flesh Stealer by Pauline Dunn
The Lyssa Syndrome by Christopher Fahy
Dark Reunion by Stephen R. George
Children of the Shadows by Don L. Freeman
Lost and Found by Ruby Jean Jensen
Evilway by Ryan O. Moses
Pitfall by Ronald Kelly
Dollies by Pat Graversen
The Devil's Coin by Mark Manley
Poison Pen by James Kisner
Mindscream by R.D. Zimmerman
Shaman Woods by Morgan Fields
Thrill by Patricia Wallace
Demonic Color by Pauline Dunn
Grandma's Little Darling by Stephen R. George
Just Before Dark by Jack MacLane
Victoria by Ruby Jean Jensen
Earthblood by James Kisner

1991
Stones by Pat Graversen
Wild Card by Jean Simon
Hide and Seek by William M. Carney
Grandfather by Anne Joseph
Something Out There by Ronald Kelly
Perfection by Marc Berrenson
The Vampire Memoirs by Traci Briery & Mara McCuniff
Watchers in the Woods by William W. Johnstone
Blood Sabbath by Leigh Clark
The Living Dark by Stephen Gresham
Waltz With Evil by P.D. Rozzi
Little Brother by Bill Eidson
The Forgotten by Stephen R. George
The Crawling Dark by Pauline Dunn
The Burying Point by Ann Brahms
Celia by Ruby Jean Jensen
Faith Killer by Josh Webster
Wind Chimes by R. R. Walter
Cold Whisper by Rick Hautala
The Attic by Jack Scaparro
Dr. O by Glenn Hale
The Quagmire by James Kisner
Vampire Blood by Kathryn Meyer Grifftth
Sweet Revenge by Jean Simon
The Gifted by Jack Caravela
The Night Seasons by J.N. Williamson
Deadly Breed by T.J.Kirby
Baby Dolly by Ruby Jean Jensen
Listen to the Shadows by Joan Hall Hovey
Moon of the Werewolf by Ronald Kelly

More Zebra Horror at Too Much Horror Fiction, Fright.com, and Vault of Evil.

This is the result of looking up over 3500 titles by ISBN number.  Horror made up just over five percent of Zebra's output.  Mostly historical romance, then westerns, with several adult western series.  Men's Adventure will be covered separately.  Compared with the 70s, Zebra stuck to only a few specific subgenres.  The only historical oddities were trivia books and gross humor collections.

Them by William W. Johnstone

Them
by William W. Johnstone
Zebra Books 1992

Alien brains with tentacles land on Earth and communicate with Jake Silver, a nerd who is teased around town and beaten by his ignorant father.  After a few pages of Jake's snide pedantic attitude, I'm rooting for the dad, but we're told early on that Jake is evil, so it's OK.

The leader brain, named Cag, gives Jake telepathic powers, which he uses to have sex with his teacher and wreak revenge on his tormentors.  He makes one masturbate in public while two others sodomize each other in a grocery store (box ticked).  I was thinking there would be more in this direction, but Johnstone loses interest in Jake pretty quick.

Other alien brains take over Earthling brains with unhappy results.  Some humans go a little slow and turn to baser instincts, committing acts of violence and incest.  Others have their brains explode out their eye sockets.

This leads to the best part of the book, as an already deranged town idiot goes on an ax murdering spree.  Those segments may be the most horror novelish of anything Johnstone has produced.

Cag is communicating with Jake's Mom and some scientists and has a mind laser war with the other alien brains.  The last chunk of the book is Cag bemoaning how humanity values sports over intellect, and how he decided humanity doesn't deserve to be conquered.

Over pages and pages of this, it slowly dawned on me that Cag is supposed to be the good guy, and that his exposition is the clearest form of the worldview that runs further in the background of Johnstone's other books.  Cag's plan is to murder half the population of Earth - those that break the slightest rule or don't produce enough.  Everyone left will be reasonable and productive, so there will be an end of conflict.

As long as you can manage a looooot of skimming, the good parts of Them are some of Johnstone's best.  The bad parts (college vocabulary insults and repetitive soap-boxing) are probably the worst.

Available in Kindle ebook from Amazon.

Click here to read a sample

Paperback from AbeBooks

The Devil's Laughter by William W. Johnstone

The Devil's Laughter
by William W. Johnstone
1992 Zebra Books

Something funny was going on in Louisiana's backwoods, but the devil was the only one laughing.

Less of the same.  People are acting funny in town, nobody's showering, etc.  Our hero, former CIA operative and reporter (?!) Link Donovan is at the center - the Balon family is mentioned but doesn't appear, along with Satan, sodomy, and everything else that made the Devil series sleazy fun.

Donovan takes care of wounded animals at his ranch home and is harassed by violent rednecks who he just guesses are Satanists.  Everything's small scale here - only a couple hundred Satanists instead of the whole town, God and his "mercenary angel" Michael don't show, and Satan is said to barely make an appearance.  We're teased with beasts, but their just an illusion, and the undead only appear in a comedic epilogue.

This one's more action packed than the rest, with Link spending his time tossing grenades and mowing down rednecks in the woods with a MAC-10.  At least Johnstone's action scenes are improving.

There are no evil clowns.

Available in Kindle ebook from Amazon

Click here to read a sample