Dark Fantasy Short Stories

A collection of eight horror stories created by New York Times best-selling novelist Scott Sigler, author of horror/thrillers Infected, Contagious, Ancestor, Nocturnal and the young-adult Galactic Football League series.

Discover six stories sharing one impactful message in this fantasy collection.

From paranormal plots to stories of the supernatural, tales of the unfamiliar have always fascinated us humans. To keep the tradition alive, fantasy aficionado Paula Guran has gathered the most delightfully disturbing work from some of today's finest writers of the fantastique! No two mysterious shadows are alike, and the same can be said for the books in this series. The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, Volume 4 contains more than twenty stories. Listener beware and indulge if you dare, because these chilling tales are sure to spook and surprise!

The old woman had lived alone in the mountains above the village for untold years, never being approached nor approaching anyone. Now that little world has encroached upon her in the form of a girl seeking refuge from a horrible future. Yet the villagers will not stand idly by while one of their own seeks to retreat from them and their ways. They will deal with the “witch” who has been watching them from afar for so many years. The outcome can only be horror. From the author of The Kobalos Trilogy and The Horrors of Bond Trilogy.

From the author of Aevalorn Tales comes a story about betrayal and vengeance. In the Library of the Dead, the aged Tenrali Bubruco, Lower Magistrate of the City State of Caerleon, comes seeking revenge. Aided by Godwick Emberfoot, a Halfling Warlock, and his pseudodragon familiar, Greymalken, Tenrali shares his tale of betrayal and injustice to Godwick so that the spirit of a dead friend can be contacted and an old wrong can be settled. But Godwick has his own agenda. What begins as a quest for retribution unfolds into an epic journey through the depths of forbidden knowledge and the cost ...

How does a con man survive with no one around to fool but himself? Who does a knight battle when the demons in the dark begin to pale next to his own? And what, exactly, does a minotaur do when he finally gets a vacation day? Here you’ll find scenes that didn’t have a place in the main series, with new events that fall between the first three books to expand the lore and give fresh insight into some of your favorite characters - all with the same snarky and sinister mix you know and love. And maybe a few secrets too, if that’s your kind of thing.

First published in the US in 1988 and in the UK in 1990, The Wine-Dark Sea contains eight unsettling stories that explore protagonists' fears and desires, at once illogical and terrifying, and culminate in a disturbing and enigmatic ending. Aickman's "strange stories" (his preferred term for them) are a subtle exploration of psychological displacement and paranoia; his characters ordinary people that are gradually drawn into the darker recesses of their own minds. For fans of the horror genre, Robert Aickman is a must read.

Anne Bishop's "darkly fascinating"* (SF Site) Black Jewel novels have enthralled readers and critics alike with their mixture of fantasy, intrigue, and romance. Now in Twilight's Dawn, Bishop returns to the Blood realm with four all-new captivating novellas.

This is a SHORT STORY set within the ongoing THE UNSEEN franchise. Potential spoilers ahead! This action-packed thriller stars Jillian Moon, recapping her initial encounter with the Unseen inside New York’s Museum of Natural History, an event that occurs during ORIGIN (The Unseen Book 1).

She inherited a house, but discovered something far more valuable within the haunted walls... When Lyra inherits Fairlane Manor from her late great-uncle, she never imagined the secrets it held within its timeworn walls. The legacy of a once-renowned artist lingers like a specter, his eerie and lifelike animal paintings haunting the minds of those who dare to behold them. In a whispered legend, a traveler sought refuge at Fairlane Manor, only to become ensnared in the painter's mysterious masterpiece. Trapped within the canvas, he was cursed to roam as a fearsome werewolf, his fate forever ...

Rhona and her paladin brother, Alastar, belong to a holy people who have waged war on witches and warlocks and their clans from the highlands. But when she uses magic to save his life, their world is thrown upside down. On the run, having left all they knew behind, they have to rely on those who hate paladins. All magic is evil, the high paladin taught.... But Alastar starts to understand that he might have been misled.

Sin’s Doorway and Other Ominous Entrances is the 4th volume of Night Shade Books’ five volume Selected Stories of Manly Wade Wellman....

This small collection of short stories takes place in a world not unlike our own, but different in so many ways. These six standalone stories are a hint at things to come for this world where hope burns bright. Welcome to Aearth Aearth was once a place of magic and wonder. A world where the gods were said to walk among its people and gift champions with great power. Aearth, once so powerful and grand, fell to the Great War over two-thousand years ago. When the Gods created Aearth, they gave a country to each of their races. The forest of the north to the elves and fawn folk. The mountains ...

In this erotic futanari and lesbian romance, Lily, a pretty and sweet 18-year-old redhead from a small town, meets a beautiful and mysterious woman in the woods outside her home. I’ll take care of that later, sweetie,” the gorgeous dark-haired woman whispered as she wrapped her arms around Lily from behind. Kara nuzzled the young woman’s right temple and enjoyed the mild flowery fragrance that emanated from her hair. Lily melted into the dark-haired woman’s embrace. In Kara’s strong arms, she was a helpless but blissful captive, and felt as if she could remain there forever. ...

Rachel Marek is a journalist with a plan. She intends to expose the truth about dragons to the world - and her target is within sight. Nothing matters but getting the truth, especially not the ruggedly handsome, roguishly thrilling Highlander who oozes danger and charm. And when she finds the truth that shatters her faith, she'll have to trust her heart to the very man who can crush it.

Divining the difference between reality and the fantastic may not be as simple as it seems. Because the world you think you know may not actually exist… STORIES is a collection of six short stories loosely based on legends and folklore. Each is set in a modern context, giving the reader an unusual take that yields interesting insight on these traditional tales. The Snow Woman: a spirit in Japanese folklore who traps people in snowstorms, then uses her icy breath to leave them frost-coated corpses. The Slit-Mouthed Woman: a figure from Japanese urban legends who, mutilated by her husband, ...

As a graduation present for her daughter, Tammy, Samantha Moon and the gang head down to South America for the vacation of all vacations. Next stop: Easter Island On a beach in Chile, the unimaginable happens. Magical cultists kidnap Tammy and Paxton in a blink of an eye—literally. Sam and Allison spring into action, chasing a barely visible trail... and end up, of all places, on Easter Island, famous for its massive collection of giant stone heads. Turns out, the cultists were dead set on sacrificing Tammy and Paxton to a local god. That was their first mistake. And as all hell breaks ...

Winter's Night features two Christmas stories included in number-one New York Times best-selling author Sherrilyn Kenyon's short story collection, Dark Bites. From demons to cowboys, from werewolves to mistletoe, this two-in-one will keep you warm during cold December nights.

Destinies can’t be ignored. No one knows that better than Annita. For as long as she can remember, it's been foretold she would find a dragon. A real-life dragon. She’s beginning to think it was all some kind of mistake until she’s swimming in one of the many caves around the island and discovers none other than a dragon. There is no fear as she approaches, utterly transfixed at the sight of the creature. Then he shifts into the shape of a thoroughly gorgeous man who spears her with bright blue eyes.

A collection of horror/thriller stories with surprise endings to chill you and thrill you to the bone. The creepers include: TOP OF THE WORLD: A dangerous hybrid of several species of animals has escaped from its cage at a remote research facility in the Arctic during a prolonged blizzard. THE ASYLUM: Paranormal investigators are sent to an abandoned mental institution when a teenager disappears after visiting it for a good scare with his buddies on Halloween. THE DEVIL'S DIARY: A horror author rents a creepy cabin to cure a bad case of writer's block and finds a journal written by a serial...