Colin Walsh

The story follows the unnerving experience of a nameless narrator who is summoned to care for a reclusive friend and his sister in an old, haunted mansion. Both are mentally and physically unwell, their paranoia and agitation being exacerbated by strange happenings in and around the property. Soon, the narrator himself begins to experience the eerie old house and its ghostly inclinations. Poe ties themes of madness, mystery, suspense, death and the ethereal together into one of the most gripping short stories ever published.

When the witch built the 40-flight tower, she made very sure to do the whole thing properly. Each flight contains a dreadful monster, ranging from a diamond-scaled dragon to a pack of slavering goblins. Should a prince battle his way to the top, he will be rewarded with a golden sword - and the lovely Princess Floralinda. But no prince has managed to conquer the first flight yet, let alone get to the 40th. In fact, the supply of fresh princes seems to have quite dried up.

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission - and if he fails, humanity and the Earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn't know that. He can't even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he's been asleep for a very, very long time. And he's just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.