Here's a hilarious news item from across the pond: According to British news reports, the commissioning editor of BBC's Book at Bedtime was blasted for airing "inappropriate" and "disturbing" tales. Caroline Raphael said Helpless by Barbara Gowdy, about the stalking and abduction of a nine-year-old girl by a repair man, was "extremely well written". But she acknowledged that it may

not have been the best book to feature after another "dark" story, The Behaviour of Moths, by Poppy Adams. I guess the criticism was well-received: the current selection is H.G. Wells' horror classic, The Island of Dr. Moreau. If Raphael gets the boot, maybe Stephen King can be the new host. I'd suggest reading The Other, which rally chilled me. Any other suggestions for a nightmare-inducing read?