Watching, here's my take on _Werewolves and Shapeshifters: Encounters with the Beasts Within_

Introduction: To Walk on Four Legs Breaks the Law (And That's Alright With Me) by John Skipp

Cute intro... definitely got me in the mood to read further.

The Company of Wolves by Angela Carter

A classic and a must have. Right up our folkloric alley.

The Other Side by Count Stenbock

A cool classic.

The Lady on the Grey by John Collier

This would've been awesome as an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, like he wanted. Cool story.

Gabriel Ernest by Saki

It's Saki. C'mon. Cool by default. >;-)

The Shadow over Innsmouth by H. P. Lovecraft

Same goes for Lovecraft, of course. It was fun to reread this after so many years--jesus, like twenty at least. Wow.

Grandfather Wolf by Steve Rasnic Tem

Oh, whoa! Way cool. Neat.

Fire Dog by Joe R. Lansdale

Ha! Too funny, and remarkably bittersweet.

Pure Silver by A. C. Crispin and Kathleen O'Malley

This was in another werewolf anthology of mine. That's alright, though, it's a good story.

Gift Wrap by Charlaine Harris

This was in the Wolfsbane and Mistletoe anthology. In my humble opinion, Charlaine can't write for crap; yet Alan Ball's genius has turned True Blood into one heck of an addictive TV series! The only redeeming thing about this story is that it gave me some spoilers about the series--spoilers that made me happy indeed. >;-)

Side-Effects May Include by Steve Duffy

Pretty interesting. Funny and weird.

Unless You Change by Francesca Lia Block

Holy crap! This stung deep. Probably anybody struggling with chronic, debilitating health issues and who loves wolves will feel this.

Forgiven by Eric Shapiro

Seriously? I can't actually remember this one. Probably means it's not bad, then...?

The Cold that Flays the Skin by Tessa Gratton

This one's, well... not awful. Just not my cup of tea. It's too YA paranormal romance angsty
Twilight-esque for me.

Il Donnaiolo by Brad C. Hodson

Okay. Interesting, though pretty graphic in parts. It didn't turn me off, but those with a more sensitive stomach might be better off skipping it entirely.

Werewolf 101 by Mercedes M. Yardley

Heh, pretty cute.

Mandible by Alice Henderson

This brought Twilight Zone to mind... Interesting story, for sure.

Far and Wee by Kathe Koja

Hm!

Braids by Melanie Tem

A breath of fresh air--YA paranormal romance that's neither childish nor solely focused on romance to the detriment of character-building or plot. Plus, were-horsies. C'mon.

Not From Around Here by David J. Schow

I'm not quite sure I liked this one. On some level, or various levels, I did; yet it was unsettling.

The Skin Trade by George R. R. Martin

Oh my stars 'n' garters. What a freakin' amazing, visceral treat! This better damn well be made into a movie, and a good one at that. Great story.

The Animal Aspect of Her Movement by Adam Golaski

Eh... hm. This one didn't effect me. Not poorly written, merely ineffectual.

Strange Skin by Bentley Little

This one's probably too gross for a lot of folks. I enjoyed its weird visuals and bizarre twists and turns, but be warned: not for the sensitive of stomach.

Break-Up by Richard Christian Matheson

Another one I can't recall. Hm... probably not awful, then?

The Better Half: A Love Story by Scott Bradley and Peter Giglio

I'm loathe to admit it, but this story bested me. In the sense that I didn't quite get it. I still don't get it.

Plastic Fantastic by Dieter Meyer and Maxwell Hart

Meh. Not terrible, just didn't effect me.

Warm, In Your Coat by Violet Glaze

Oh boy. Gross for grossness sake. In an attempt to be shocking and edgy, Violet plummets
into the puke pile. Nothing redeeming here, move along.

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Piggy Class by Nicole Cushing

Whoa. Disturbing! Made me think of elements of Pink Floyd's The Wall. Scary and thought-provoking.

Howl of the Sheep by Cody Goodfellow

Fun, scary, weird, and chock full of unexpected twists and turns.

Pieces of Ethan by Adam-Troy Castro

Very insightful, haunting, and ends with quite the plot twist. Parts are graphic, yet serve the story.

I Cover All the Waning Hours by Zak Jarvis

Ack, another one I don't recall.

When Sussurus Stirs by Jeremy Robert Johnson

Ew. No. Parasitic grotesqueness for no reason save to be vomit-inducing. Move along...

War Pig by Carlton Mellick III

Squee! Unabashedly weird and ultimately charming.

Dissertation by Chuck Palahniuk

Hee! Awesome story.

Only the End of the World Again by Neil Gaiman

Excellent! >;-D

Sweetheart Come by Alethea Kontis

Beautiful and mythic.

Overall, the good definitely outweighed the bad or the not-so-memorable. >;-)