Dark Fantasy Short Stories

Featuring stories from R.L. Stine and Madeleine Roux, this middle-grade horror anthology, curated by New York Times best-selling author and master of macabre Jonathan Maberry, is a chilling tribute to Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Flesh-hungry ogres? Brains full of spiders? Haunted houses you can’t escape? This collection of 35 terrifying stories from the Horror Writers Association has it all, including ghastly illustrations from Iris Compiet that will absolutely chill listeners to the bone.

Like the tanning of a leathered corpse, the inaugural release of Grimoire seeks to stretch the fleshy bounds of dark fiction and horror. Included within these unhallowed book are tales of medieval horror and cacophony, Lovecraftian delights and wretched Kaiju, accursed djinn and pestilential priests, all brought together for the very first time in one horrific collection. Engaging and provocative, these tales of the damned stalk the graveyards at night, crawl up from the empty and wet places of this world, and haunt the dreams of all who hear them.

Dan Harmon, creator of NBC's Community and known Dungeons & Dragons aficionado, tells the tale of when Drizzt stands face-to-face with his own prejudices.

Ignite your senses and surrender to a world transformed by fiery desire. In the wake of a cataclysmic meteor's arrival, humanity finds itself locked in an unending battle against alien creatures from another world. For forty-two years, survival has been a fierce struggle. Amidst the chaos, a single spark of hope emerges: the Starters. Extraordinary women who possess the ability to tap into their deepest desires, channeling their passions into elemental powers strong enough to stave off the impending invasion. Alanna, a tenacious young woman, dares to dream of becoming a Starter. However, ...

A Sci-Fi Short Story In the far reaches of the Orion Expanse lies a mystery older than civilization—a silent forest no ship has ever returned from until now. The Dark Forest Protocol is a gripping, atmospheric sci-fi short story that explores the chilling theory that the universe may not be empty but hiding. With compelling characters, rich world-building, and thought-provoking themes, this tale will keep you hooked from the first page to the last. Perfect for fans of hard sci-fi, space exploration, and cosmic suspense, this short story delivers a powerful narrative in a fast-paced format...

Welcome to Winterhaven ~ Almost Nothing Is What It Seems... But the Sex is Real and the Secrets are Many! Down and out on her luck, Verity answers an ad in in a small country newspaper. The job offer sounds almost too good to be true and the salary is much more than she made in the city. Even with her doubts, though, Verity visits Winterhaven and falls in love with the rural area... but behind the lush green beauty of the countryside lies ugly secrets! Winterhaven Manor holds many secrets, and all those associated with the grand old estate seem to have secrets of their own to protect. ...

Pick up the latest issue of Savage Realms Monthly and fill up on stalwart heroes doing battle with the forces of evil in this epic collection of short sword and sorcery fiction. This month brings you an exciting crop of stories; Brad Younie returns with another rousing adventure in the city of Sharkham, Jack Myers delivers a tale of dark vengeance, and Morgan Kane thrills with another tale of everyone's favorite exile. Don't miss the latest issue of Savage Realms!

Over the course of two award-winning collections and a critically acclaimed novel, The Croning, Laird Barron has arisen as one of the strongest and most original literary voices in modern horror and the dark fantastic. Melding supernatural horror with hardboiled noir, espionage, and a scientific backbone, Barron's stories have garnered critical acclaim and have been reprinted in numerous year's best anthologies and nominated for multiple awards, including the Crawford, International Horror Guild, Shirley Jackson, Theodore Sturgeon, and World Fantasy awards.

The Shadow Market is a meeting point for faeries, werewolves, warlocks, and vampires. There, the Downworlders buy and sell magical objects, make dark bargains, and whisper secrets they do not want the Nephilim to know. As a Silent Brother, Brother Zachariah is a sworn keeper of the laws and lore of the Nephilim. But once he was a Shadowhunter called Jem Carstairs, and his love, then and always, is the warlock Tessa Gray. And Jem is searching through the Shadow Markets, in many different cities over long years, for a relic from his past.

The stories in Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart are about the abomination that resides within us all. That churning, clawing, ravenous yearning: the hunger to be held, and seen, and known. And the terror, too: to be loved too well, or not enough, or for long enough. To be laid bare before your sweetheart, to their horror. To be recognized as the monstrous thing you are. In these lush, strange stories, GennaRose Nethercott explores human longing in all its diamond-dark facets to create a collection that will redefine what you see as a beast, and make you beg to have your heart broken.

This collection includes all three novels in The Shadow Changeling Series, a Colin McCool Junkyard Druid spin-off series set in M.D. Massey's Druidverse® urban fantasy setting. If you enjoy dark urban fantasy books featuring haunted antiheroes in the tradition of Snape, Walker Boh, and Constantine, you'll love this story about a shadow wizard who's searching for his long lost human family.

In these marvelously inventive stories, Samantha Hunt imagines numerous ways in which human lives might be altered by the otherworldly: an FBI agent falls in love with a robot built for a suicide mission; a young woman unintentionally cheats on her husband when she is transformed into a deer; two strangers become lovers and find themselves responsible for the resurrection of a dog; a woman tries to start her life anew after the loss of a child but riddles that new life with lies.

A collection of horror/thriller stories with surprise endings to chill you and thrill you to the bone. The creepers include: THE MALL OF THE DAMNED: During the zombie apocalypse, a masked assassin with unusual skills terrorizes five survivors seeking refuge in a mall. SHADOW OF A DOUBT- There's something Timothy is not telling about the fatal accident that took his sister's life. METAMORPHOSIS: A young teenager is repulsed when she looks in the mirror and pursues black magic to become beautiful. ANOTHER DAMN DAY IN VEGAS: Two detectives have a particularly grisly day chasing bad guys. ...

Such a long life of killing has left plenty of dangerous enemies in its wake. An ancient witch coven, a jealous assassin, and even a demon lord all have old scores to settle. With one last contract to fulfill, Yrlissa hopes to be free from her past and her guild forever so she can disappear with her husband and young daughter. But the past doesn't forget so easily, and neither will a betrayed guild of magical assassins. Yrlissa's only concern is to keep her new family safe, but with enemies closing in on all sides, will they become a distraction she cannot afford?

She’s a marine biologist; he’s a shark. Will they ever be able to make a relationship work, or is their sea-crossed love doomed to fail? And who says you need to be alive or even human to enjoy a happily ever after? Warning: this is not a kid’s story. This sharktastic love story is an over-the-top, cheeky tale with a ridiculously fun and shocking, gory conclusion. Originally, I wrote it years ago as a creepy romance just for my partner, as a Valentine’s Day gift. I revamped it after finding inspiration in the latest shark movie trailer. It seemed appropriate to release it on the ...

A collection of horror/thriller stories for readers who would enjoy a stroll through a graveyard after midnight. Hark! Don’t read this book if a deranged maniac has escaped from the local asylum. Otherwise, enjoy the horror.The creepers include: BLOOD OF THE UNBORN: Daniel's lifelong obsession is to have a son to carry his name and legacy. Then, one fateful night, something answered. THE IMMORTAL PLAGUE: Felix has poured his wealth into conquering death and achieving immortality. The first step is reanimating the dead. THE DEVIL'S RETIREMENT: Lucifer is becoming senile after all the years...

It's the holidays, and Samantha Moon and her family are ready to get together and celebrate. No, they may not be your average family, but the love is just as real. It's two days before the big Thanksgiving meal when Sam receives a most unusual guest. Unusual because she hasn't seen her brother, Clayton, in twenty years. Turns out, he isn't just here for the pumpkin pies and yams. He's got a problem. He's been cursed and thinks his little sister is his best chance to fix it. With pie baking put on hold, Sam and company set out to break his curse, locate a kidnapped baby, and save the day. ...

A collection of horror/thriller stories with surprise endings to chill you and thrill you to the bone. The creepers include: THE BLIND MAN: Two career criminals see a blind man with a wad of cash at the mall and follow him home. BAD TO THE BONE: Ted sees a gruesome accident, discovers he can't get enough death and dismemberment, and his graphic videos go viral on the net. DEAL OR NO DEAL: An author who lost his wife in a fatal accident meets a weird man at the bar who says he can bring her back for a price. IDENTICAL: A frightened and confused pregnant woman delivers three identical girls ...

A collection of horror/thriller stories with surprise endings to chill you and thrill you to the bone. The creepers include: THE KILLER IN THE CLOSET: Elvis awakes with a butcher knife in his gut and calls 911 to save his life. AS RARE AS A WHITE CROW: An Uber driver picks up a fare, and a series of calamities occur on his way to the airport. MASSANUTTAN ACRES: A family enjoys their vacations camping each summer until a truck transporting a polar bear runs off the road. WAXWORKS: Sue discovers the wax figure of Jack the Ripper at the museum looks exactly like her new boyfriend. THE END OF ...

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.