The Original Dr. Shade and Other Stories

Fifteen of Kim Newman's earliest stories dating from 1984 to 1992 when he was in the process of establishing a signature style combining classic storytelling craftsmanship with what would later become known as geek-culture. Standouts in this collection include:
'The Original Dr Shade' - a deceptively disturbing tale which blends a satirical take on newspaper comic strips with resurgent anti-Semitism in early 1990s Britain.
'D&D' - 'Nam era grunts are cast into a deadly serious war with hobbits in an RPG-esque subterranean world, think Full Metal Jacket meets Tolkien.
'The McCarthy Witch Hunt' - the reds-under-the-bed scare of the 1950s is reimagined as a literal hunt for real life witches, and one of those called to testify before the House Committee on Un-Christian Activities is named Samantha and has a decidedly twitchy nose.

This edition also benefits from author's notes on each story and an introduction by Neil Gaiman, who relates a pertinent anecdote on the inspiration for Fiddler's Green in The Sandman.