Short Horror

This new selection of ghost stories, by Michael Newton, brings together the best of the genre. From Elizabeth Gaskell's 'The Old Nurse's Story' through to Edith Wharton's 'Afterword', this collection covers all of the most terrifying tales of the genre. With a thoughtful introduction and helpful notes, Newton places the stories contextually within the genre and elucidates the changing nature of the ghost story and how we interpret it.

Shea receives a call that completely upends her existence and forces her to return to Sundown, the town she thought she had left behind. Tensions increase as she deals with her brother Donovan's untimely death, and long-buried family dynamics start to show again. Shea's return brings back memories of a town with a troubled past that is racially divided as she makes new connections with her childhood friend Marcus, the town's new police chief, and her elder brother Jay, who is now mayor. The repercussions of the past challenge the ties between family and friends. Angelo, Andy to his friends,...

In this masterful collection of short fiction, Joe Hill dissects timeless human struggles in 13 relentless tales of supernatural suspense, including “In The Tall Grass”, one of two stories cowritten with Stephen King, basis for the terrifying feature film from Netflix.

A classic of alienation and horror, The Birds was immortalized by Hitchcock in his celebrated film. The five other chilling stories in this collection echo a sense of dislocation and mock man's dominance over the natural world. The mountain paradise of "Monte Verità" promises immortality, but at a terrible price; a neglected wife haunts her husband in the form of an apple tree; a professional photographer steps out from behind the camera and into his subject's life.

The Sound Of It All Crashing Down is a collection of stories encompassing surrealist horror, apocalyptic sci-fi, and lovecraftian lore, merging these elements to create a sinister mythology all its own. -A man makes a terrible bargain with the denizens of a post-apocalyptic city where experiments are conducted to bring the dead back to life and learn the secrets of the grave. -A woman who uses experimental technology to explore her client’s dreams becomes trapped inside the decaying brain of a dying person. -A grave robber in the far future opens an alien tomb and awakens a monstrosity. A...

Spanning everything from vampires and werewolves to ghosts and wendigos, this collection of supernatural horror stories brings you the finest thrills and chills from the bestselling author of Dead Meat and Cadaver. Dive into the depths of the dark imagination that spawned these highly entertaining and fear-fueled adventures.

More chills await as Frank Benedict goes deeper into the unknown… Frank Benedict has devoted his life to mediating between the living and the dead. With his deep sense of compassion, he helps spirits find peace and provide closure for those they leave behind. Follow Frank as he goes undercover in a nursing home, investigates the haunting of a modern office building, and meets unlikely allies in an idyllic coastal village. These stories explore the challenges of confronting the unknown and the resolve it takes to bring peace to the restless. Haunted Secrets: Tales of Frank Benedict Vol.

The Creepypasta Collection, Volume 2 delves into the depths of the absolute best short stories from the darkest corners of the Internet. You won't be able to sleep with the light off after experiencing the misadventures of our heroes and heroines, who encounter everything from the highly suspicious to the incredibly disturbed. With stories that range from the unforgettable "Jeff the Killer" to the fear-inducing "Smiling Dog," this collection is the perfect gift for Creepypasta fans and horror enthusiasts alike.

They weren’t supposed to be real. But they found us anyway. In The Things That Found Us, thirteen ordinary people share their extraordinary—and terrifying—encounters with the unnatural. From haunted mirrors and hunger-thin shadows to time-anchored ghosts and whispering drains, each first-person account is a chilling reminder that some horrors don't hide... they hunt. Told in gripping, intimate detail, these stories feel less like fiction and more like confession. If you've ever wondered what might be waiting just past the edge of what we call real—this book is your invitation to ...

Binding Pleasure and Pain I am Dr. Jennifer Palmer, a psychiatrist, and I am here at the Northwest Penitentiary to meet with the notorious and brutal inmate, Jeremy Miller. Jeremy is brought to me naked and in chains. He is huge and muscular. I must admit that I have difficulty focusing on his face. The guards leave, and it is just us. I need to gain his trust, but I’m not quite ready to unlock the chains. We compromise and to put us on even footing; I take off my clothes. But I know I must unchain him to prove he can trust me. As soon as he’s loose, his mouth is on mine and his hands ...

Delve into the darkness and discover the world of your nightmares. Eighteen terrifying tales of what lurks behind the veil. A make-belief monster becomes all too real, a mother's hate doesn't stop at death, a late-night work call becomes a fight between life and death, a urban legend becomes all too real. Filled with supernatural and paranormal thrills and chills. These are not your mother's bedtime stories. You have been warned.

Hugo Award-winning editor, and horror legend Ellen Datlow presents a terrifying and chilling horror anthology of original short stories exploring the endless terrors of winter solstice traditions across the globe, featuring chillers by Tananarive Due, Stephen Graham Jones, Alma Katsu, and many more. This anthology of all-new stories invites you to huddle around the fire and revel in the unholy, the dangerous, the horrific aspects of a time when families and friends come together—for better and for worse.

For lovers of the supernatural and the macabre comes this collection of ghostly and chilling stories from legendary mystery writer Agatha Christie. Fantastic psychic visions, specters looming in the shadows, encounters with deities, a man who switches bodies with a cat - be sure to keep the light on whilst listening to these tales. The Last Séance gathers 20 stories, some featuring Christie’s beloved detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, in one haunting compendium that explores all things occult and paranormal, and is an essential omnibus for Christie fans.

Imogene is young, beautiful . . . and dead, waiting in the Rosebud Theater one afternoon in 1945. . . . Francis was human once, but now he's an eight-foot-tall locust, and everyone in Calliphora will tremble when they hear him sing. . . . John is locked in a basement stained with the blood of half a dozen murdered children, and an antique telephone, long since disconnected, rings at night with calls from the dead.

In a marshbound village where time sags and secrets linger, the old bell at St. Olwen’s chapel tolls once more. Thomas Wherrit has buried dozens beneath its shadow. But when the bell rings without warning—and no grave awaits—unease begins to fester. Something is stirring in the soil. And this time, the call feels personal. The Gravedigger’s Bell is a chilling standalone tale from Sebastian Blackwood—perfect for fans of eerie folklore, quiet dread, and stories that leave their echo long after the last page.

"Dancers in the Dark" is set in the Sookieverse and features Sean and Layla. Dancer Layla Rue Le May's childhood prepared her to handle just about anything, including her aloof partner, Sean McClendon, a 300-year-old, redheaded vampire. Even so, when she somehow acquires a stalker, Layla Rue is surprised to find that Sean is the only one she can trust.

Newly collected stories ranging across different genres. Crafted to inspire that grey matter, and containing several previously unpublished pieces. Science Fiction, Horror, and just straight out Weird walk amongst these pages.

Don't look in the shadows. A banshee wails for her victim. A phone app with unusual powers traps an unwary man. A housewife discovers that one can never be too clean. A fair comes to town, bringing death along for a ride. These and other macabre tales await as Anthony M. Strong takes you on a joyride to a dark place where anything is possible, and fear is never far away.

A dark sky grumbled over the town of St. Francis, Louisiana. Storm clouds morphed overhead, dimming the sun. Crispy autumn leaves whooshed across the cemetery, while tall trees creaked in the wind. Among the headstones, crazy-eyed crows cawed, pecking the ground for earthworms. Some observed the comings and goings perched on gravestones. A booming crash of lightning sizzled to earth, piercing the ground with a loud CRACK. Moments later, a white fog ghosted into the air. Picked up by the wind, the mist quickly spread, and within moments, day turned into night. Alarmed by the sudden change in...

Editors Randy Chandler and Cheryl Mullenax put the call out to horror writers and editors of extreme stories, the hardcore stuff that breaks boundaries and trashes taboos, the transgressive tales you can't "unread" (as Chuck Palahniuk says). Some of the stories you'll find here are loaded with very graphic descriptions of violence, sex, and depravities, while others may contain only one shocking moment of brutality. In others, the hardcore aspect may be less graphic and subtler than you might expect.