The Classic Horror Stories

'Loathsomeness waits and dreams in the deep, and decay spreads over the tottering cities of men. A time will come - but I must not and cannot think!' H. P. Lovecraft (1890-1937) was a reclusive scribbler of horror stories for the American pulp magazines that specialized in Gothic and science fiction in the interwar years. He often published in Weird Tales and has since become the key figure in the slippery genre of 'weird fiction'. Lovecraft developed an extraordinary vision of feeble men driven to the edge of sanity by glimpses of malign beings that have survived from human prehistory or by malevolent extra-terrestrial visitations. The ornate language of his stories builds towards grotesque moments of revelation, quite unlike any other writer. This new selection brings together nine of his classic tales, focusing on the 'Cthulhu Mythos', a cycle of stories that develops the mythology of the Old Ones, the monstrous creatures who predate human life on earth. It includes the Introduction from Lovecraft's critical essay, 'Supernatural Horror in Literature', in which he gave his own important definition of 'weird fiction'. In a fascinating contextual introduction, Roger Luckhurst gives Lovecraft the attention he deserves as a writer who used pulp fiction to explore a remarkable philosophy that shockingly dethrones the mastery of man.

"This collection of chilling horror stories from the maestro of suspense contains nearly 20 of Edgar Allan Poe's best known stories"--Amazon.com

Curl up with this collection of classic scary stories from the masters of the genre. With dozens of stories of the macabre, fantastic, and supernatural, Classic Horror Tales is sure to keep readers on the edges of their seats. This collection of works by classic writers spans more than a century—from 19th-century trailblazers such as John William Polidori, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Washington Irving to 20th-century masters like Saki, Edith Wharton, and Franz Kafka. The fear of the unknown is a driving force in literature, and the horror genre surpasses all others in bringing this idea to the forefront of the reader's consciousness. A wide range of cultures and classes of society are represented in this volume, reminding us that dark forces lurk all around us—for even in broad daylight, a shadow exists somewhere.

An inspired selection of ghost stories chosen for their literary style, psychological complexity, and enduring power to electrify both the imagination and the senses. Includes H. P. Lovecraft's essay, "On the Supernatural in Poetry."

The best horror short stories from the last half of the 19th century are combined for the first time by Andrew Barger, award-winning author and editor of 6a66le: Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849. Andrew has meticulously researched the finest Victorian horror short stories and combined them into one undeniable collection. He has added his familiar scholarly touch by annotating the stories, providing story background information, author photos and a list of horror stories considered. Historic Horror. The best horror short stories from the last half of the 19th century include nightmare tales by Bram Stoker, Arthur Conan Doyle, Joseph Le Fanu, W. C. Morrow, H. G. Wells, Arthur Machen, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and other early founders of the horror tale. A Terror Tour Guide (2016) by Andrew Barger (A leading voice in the gothic literature space, Andrew sets the stage for this anthology of nightmares.)The Pioneers of Pike’s Peak (1897) by Basil Tozer (Hoards of giant spiders on a Colorado mountain. What could go wrong?)Lot No. 249 (1892) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Perhaps the premier mummy horror story ever recorded from the master that is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is measured out to its climatic ending.)The Yellow Wallpaper (1892) by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (Explore the depths of insanity.)Green Tea (1871) by Joseph Le Fanu (One of the most haunting horror stories by the Irish master.)What Was It? (1859) by Fitz James O’Brien (Sometimes the worst horror is one you can't see.)Pollock and the Porroh Man (1897) by H. G. Wells (Wells takes us deep into the jungle and its wrought supernatural horror.)The Spider of Guyana (1857) by Erckmann-Chatrian (The first giant spider horror story is one of its best.)The Squaw (1893) by Bram Stoker (The author of Dracula never disappoints.)The Great God Pan (1894) by Arthur Machen (Mythic horror that gained much praise from H. P. Lovecraft.)His Unconquerable Enemy (1889) by W. C. Morrow (A fiendish tale of torture sees Morrow at his best.)Horror Short Stories Considered (Andrew concludes the horror anthology by listing every horror short story he read to pick the very best.) Read the premier horror anthology for the last half of the nineteenth century tonight! “But it now struck me for the first time that there must be one great and ruling embodiment of fear, a King of Terrors to which all others must succumb.” 1859 “What Was It?” Fitz James O’Brien

In Providence, Rhode Island, a dangerous inmate disappears from a hospital for the insane. At Miskatonic University, a professor slumps into a five-year reverie. In a mysterious and vivid dreamworld, a melancholy man seeks the home of the gods. And in the frozen wasteland of Antarctica, polar explorers unearth secrets that reveal a past almost beyond comprehension--and a future too terrible to imagine. Graphic novelist I.N.J. Culbard gives terrifying form to four classic tales by H.P. Lovecraft: "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath," "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward," "At The Mountains of Madness," and "The Shadow Out of Time." Expertly adapted and beautifully drawn, Culbard's lean and thrilling adaptations breathe new life into four stories that helped to reinvent the horror genre.

A superb collection of some of the greatest tales of the genre; many are classics while others are lesser-known gems unearthed from the vintage era of the supernatural.

Spanning the extraordinary breadth of the genre, these terrifying stories are sure to leave you sleeping with the light on for many nights to come. Whether the threat comes from accursed artefacts, supernatural villains, or deadly rituals, there is always some unknowable evil lurking around the corner waiting to pounce. Ranging from the efforts of classic literary writers like Mary Shelley and Robert Louis Stevenson to pulp icon H. P. Lovecraft, these masters of the dark arts knew how to create suspense and an impending sense of dread. Horror fiction found its first connoisseurs amongst the Victorian public. This collection features several of its most accomplished pioneers. Short stories from Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula, and Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, show that some of the 19th century's most revered horror novelists could provide equally terrifying experiences in a shorter form. Other authors such as H. P. Lovecraft, William Hope Hodgson, Pearl Norton Swet, and M. P. Shiel established themselves in the emerging pulp magazines of America in the early 20th century. There, they mastered their craft and provided terrifying thrills for an audience eager for a new type of fiction. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom and Ireland, writers like Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, E. F. Benson, and M. R. James mastered the classic ghost story. And who can forget Edgar Allan Poe? He devoted himself almost entirely to his poetry and his short stories, and his lyrical style and ability to evoke an atmosphere are unparalleled. includes stories by: Edward Frederic Benson Ambrose Bierce Francis Marion Crawford George Allan England William Hope Hodgson W. W. Jacobs M. R. James Vernon Lee Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu H. P. Lovecraft Arthur Machen Guy de Maupassant Edgar Allan Poe Charlotte Riddell Mary Shelley M. P. Shiel Robert Louis Stevenson Bram Stoker Pearl Norton Swet

Eleven classic whodunits starring master sleuths such as Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, and Father Brown. A superstar lineup of detectives—including Sherlock Holmes, C. Auguste Dupin, and Hercule Poirot—headlines this elegant leather-bound edition of classic mystery stories. Short stories such as Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” and G. K. Chesterton’s “The Blue Cross” are ideal for a cozy evening by the fire, while novels like Agatha Christie’s The Murder on the Links and Jules Verne’s An Antarctic Mystery will keep you engrossed for days. The eleven works in this volume are preceded by a scholarly introduction that explores the origins of the genre, as well as the development of the modern mystery story and the contributions made by each author. Works Included Short stories: "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," Edgar Allan Poe "The Adventure of the Creeping Man," Sir Arthur Conan Doyle "The Blue Cross," G. K. Chesterton "The Coin of Dionysius," Ernest Bramah "The Anthropologist at Large," R. Austin Freeman "The Most Dangerous Game," Richard Connell Novels: The Murder on the Links, Agatha Christie Whose Body?, Dorothy Sayers The Thirty-nine Steps, John Buchan An Antarctic Mystery, Jules Verne Room 13, Edgar Wallace

While best known for literature's greatest, most popular, and most famous vampire novel, Dracula, Bram Stoker also wrote superlative short stories. Indeed, he was a genius at creating horror within the confines of a short tale. Now readers can sample Stoker's mastery in this treasury of fourteen spine-tingling stories. Not all the selections deal with the ghostly and supernatural, but they are always bizarre, and some—like "The Squaw" and "The Burial of the Rats"—are equal to Poe at his best. In addition to these two masterly tales, the collection includes "The Crystal Cup," "The Chain of Destiny," "The Castle of the King," "The Dualists" (probably Stoker's most horrifying story), "The Judge's House," "The Secret of the Growing Gold," "A Dream of Red Hands," "Crooken Sands," "Dracula's Guest," and three more. Lovers of occult and supernatural fiction will delight in this inexpensive collection of ghost and horror stories, called by Stephen King "absolutely champion short stories."