Short Horror

What is Horror? In literature, horror falls under numerous genres and sub-genres of fiction whose sole purpose is to bring on feelings of anxiety, fright, dread, repulsion, and terror in the reader or observer; in other words, it develops a situation of absolute terror. Although some of the collections of short horror stories in this book may not terrorize the reader, they are meant to be thought-provoking and unnerving. Is there something lurking in the darkness? Is there something hiding under the bed? Who did it? The murderer lurking within the subconscious. I wouldn’t go in there. ...

Dare to venture into the Hudson Valley's darkest corners... where the legend of Bigfoot is terrifyingly real. This chilling collection of fifteen short horror stories unearths the bone-chilling encounters and unexplained mysteries lurking just beyond the familiar trails. From the eerie silence of mist-shrouded rivers and the menacing depths of abandoned towns, to the oppressive darkness of the deep woods, each tale confronts you with the primal fear of a creature that should only exist in folklore. You'll find more than just footprints and broken branches. These are stories of heart-...

In April 2020, the world faced imminent lock-down, so a group of filmmakers started a virtual support group. Once a week, these diverse voices would assemble to do what they do best: tell each other stories. Campfire horror tales, emotional cosmic mysteries, and anything else that either made them take their minds off what was happening to the world, or help them understand it. HAUNTED REELS is the best of those stories.

USA TODAY and #1 AMAZON bestselling author Jeremy Bates presents the complete collection of the award-winning Midnight Book Club short novels. With fast-paced plots and stunning twists, these stories offer close to 1,000 pages of heart-racing suspense, action, and terror from one of today's most exciting voices in horror. Black Canyon Twelve-year-old Brian Garrett embarks on a weekend camping trip in Colorado’s Black Canyon of the Gunnison, hoping to reconnect with his distant parents. But when his father suffers a brutal accident deep in the chasm, survival takes a sinister turn. Over ...

In "Strange Highways," a floundering alcoholic gets a mysterious second chance to relive the night his life began its downward spiral 20 years ago. But on this dark journey, he’ll be supremely tested by conflict with his successful, charismatic older brother, his loss of faith, and the clash between good and the ultimate evil. Sink into this binge-worthy collection of beloved Koontz short stories, featuring denizens of hell, vengeful children, and eerily human-like robots that will send shivers down your spine.

"The perfect blend between Ray Bradbury and H.P. Lovecraft." --Sheila Shedd (Author of Heart of Jet) Dark Forces are Everywhere. Dark Forces of Nature has all the excitement and imagination of the best works of classic science fiction. This collection of twelve original tales of cosmic terror and mad science by best-selling author Tristan Vick are sure to thrill and entertain you. In this collection of short stories, you will find the following tales: 1. Solar Winds -- During a spacewalk on the outer rim of our solar system, an astronaut hears ominous and strange whispers talking to him and...

That there is darkness at the heart of the Yuletide season should not surprise. Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is filled with scenes that are unsettling. The hideous children - Want and Ignorance - beneath the robe of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. In the finest versions of this story, the best parts are the terrifying parts. Best-selling author and editor Christopher Golden shares his love for Christmas horror stories with this anthology of all-new short fiction from some of the most talented and original writers of horror today.

Here are 16 chilling, never-before-published tales that explore every aspect of our darkest holiday, Halloween, coedited by Ellen Datlow, one of the most successful and respected genre editors, and Lisa Morton, a leading authority on Halloween. Included are stories about scheming jack-o'-lanterns, vengeful ghosts, otherworldly changelings, disturbingly realistic haunted attractions, masks that cover terrifying faces, murderous urban legends, parties gone bad, cult Halloween movies, and trick-or-treating in the future.

At the age of 12, Joel Knox is summoned to meet the father who abandoned him at birth. But when Joel arrives at the decaying mansion in Skully's Landing, his father is nowhere in sight. What he finds instead is a sullen stepmother who delights in killing birds; an uncle with the face - and heart - of a debauched child; and a fearsome little girl named Idabel who may offer him the closest thing he has ever known to love.

In this anthology, Anthony Ventrello presents 12 tales of the macabre, the strange, the supernatural, and the unexplained. Some of them are based on actual events, while others delve deep into the darkest and scariest parts of the imagination. These are tales of: A displaced family who move into an old house with a dark secret in its attic. A college student who gets a little extra help with a research paper from its subject. A silent film enthusiast who finds himself in face to face with his long-dead celebrity crush. A heart-broken man revisits a previous place of happiness. An stalker ...

Terrifying Tales: Omnibus By Samuel Brower Darkness creeps through the cracks of forgotten places. Whispers linger in the night, and horrors beyond comprehension wait just beyond the veil. Welcome to Terrifying Tales: Omnibus—a chilling collection of all 21 spine-tingling stories from the first three volumes of Terrifying Tales. From cursed towns to haunted railways, eldritch horrors to vengeful spirits, each story plunges readers into a nightmarish world where the unknown is deadly and the shadows are alive. Follow paranormal investigator H.H. Horowitz as he braves the abandoned and the ...

A collection of classic works by Edgar Allan Poe, American author, poet, editor, and literary critic. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre. He is further credited with contributing to the emerging genre of science fiction. He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone, resulting in a financially difficult life and career.

The wildfire isn't the deadliest thing in these woods. A raging inferno tears through Timberline Ridge. A six-person hotshot crew is deployed to contain it. But as smoke thickens and the forest closes in, something ancient and furious emerges from the untouched trees. They call it Bigfoot. Cut off from radio, trapped by fire, and stalked through ash and flame, the team must survive not only the blaze—but a predator that’s lived in these forests long before men ever carried axes. Bigfoot – Fire on the Ridge is a blistering horror novella of primal terror, isolation, and survival. ...

Deep in the sewers of New York City, the rat population is growing. Dr. Randolph Finch is determined to break the cycle. His new rodenticide, Degenesis, doesn’t kill rats. It sterilizes them from reproducing. But nothing adapts faster than a New York rat.... City exterminators and soon-to-be divorced Chris and Benita Jackson think they know how these rats think. They know how rats breed. And they fear that Degenesis has only made these rats stronger. More aggressive. More intelligent. And more ravenous than ever...

Nine stories that will redefine your fears from the fairy tales and nursery rhymes of your childhood. A small town hires a unique exterminator to clear their fields of pests, but when they refuse to pay he uses his skill for revenge. The U.S. military embarks on an experiment unlike any other and offers soldiers the chance to reach new heights and shorter contracts. An anesthesiologist discovers his skills go beyond simply guiding people to sleep and that they have lasting consequences. A brother and sister get lost in the woods and discover a beautiful woman with a house luring teenagers ...

A master storyteller at his best - the O. Henry Prize winner Stephen King delivers a generous collection of stories, several of them brand-new, featuring revelatory autobiographical comments on when, why, and how he came to write (or rewrite) each story. Magnificent, eerie, utterly compelling, these stories comprise one of King's finest gifts to his constant fan. "I made them especially for you," says King. "Feel free to examine them, but please be careful. The best of them have teeth."

Silent Night. Not Calm. Not Bright. Reggie was alone for Christmas. He liked it that way. But when he goes to a secluded cabin in the woods, he encounters something sinister among the trees. A strange red velvet sack waits for him along his hiking path. Inside is the gift of terror. Soon, Reggie finds himself thrust into a bizarre and horrifying world where the trappings of Christmas are deadly perversions of what he's always known. The only question is: will he escape with his life, or will he become fuel for a dark entity's fire and sustenance for its meal? Walking in a Winter Terrorland ...

Get ready to embark on a spine-tingling journey into the world of childhood fears and chilling tales. In this eerie collection of short stories, young readers will experience the thrill of the unknown and the delight of a good scare. You'll read about a haunted school bus, a figure known only as The Grinner, a farmer with a sinister secret, and mysterious old towns where the line between reality and imagination blurs. "Scary Stories To Give You Nightmares" offers a diverse range of hair-raising adventures that are perfect for campfire storytelling or sleepovers. But beware, for within these...

Lily wants more excitement in her life. She has been sharing erotic fantasies with an online stranger for months. They decide to meet in person for some vampire role play and sexy foreplay. When Lily’s car breaks down en route to meet her blind date, things take a dangerous turn. As the two strangers meet beneath the moonlight, they boldly engage in their erotic fantasies, but tensions escalate when one of them exposes an unsettling secret. What is intended to be a night of thrilling exploits leads to a shocking and brutal climax.

When a mysterious monolith hungers for blood…when a boy who’s treated monstrously is drawn to monsters…when cold children eaten by the streets want to make a young junkie their next meal…when Little Red Riding Hood is vengeful and full of rage…when a disembodied hitchhiker will do anything to get home…when the Gurgash are out to get you…when a sister pushes her sibling too far…when a family’s afternoon sail turns into a hellish nightmare. Eight bite-size pieces of eerie horror in one slim volume, the perfect little dark companion for lovers of horror to curl up with. Pour ...