P. Lovecraft into calling him "perhaps unexcelled by any other writer, dead or living” or compel Fritz Lieber to employ the worthy term sui generis. Clark Ashton Smith—autodidact, prolific poet, amateur philosopher, bizarre sculptor, and unmatched storyteller—simply wrote like no one else, before or since. This new collection of his very best tales and poems is selected and introduced by supernatural literature scholar S. T. Joshi and allows readers to encounter Smith’s visionary brand of fantastical, phantasmagorical worlds, each one filled with invention, terror, and a superlative sense of metaphysical wonder.

    do you? The masters of horror are waiting to take you on a terrifying ride, and there are 13 stops.Meet the new guy in town, very handsome, very sexy, and very deadly. Dine on sweet and wonderfully inviting confections - they're good to the last breath. Learn that some spells can never be broken...Inside you'll find the works of 13 masters of horror. Let Christopher Pike, R.L. Stine and the rest of our macabre crew show you the beauty in your worst nightmares - and the terror in your most exquisite dreams.... * viii • Introduction (Thirteen) • (1991) • essay by T. Pines * 1 • Collect Call: The Black Walker: Part I • (1991) • novella by Christopher Pike * 49 • Lucinda • (1991) • novelette by Lael Littke * 73 • The Guiccioli Miniature • (1991) • shortstory by Jay Bennett * 83 • Blood Kiss • (1991) • novelette by D. E. Athkins * 103 • A Little Taste of Death • (1991) • novelette by Patricia Windsor * 127 • The Doll • (1991) • novelette by Carol Ellis * 149 • House of Horrors • (1991) • shortstory by J. B. Stamper * 165 • Where the Deer Are • (1991) • novelette by Caroline B. Cooney * 183 • The Spell • (1991) • novelette by R. L. Stine * 205 • Dedicated to the One I Love • (1991) • novelette by Diane Hoh * 231 • Hacker • (1991) • novelette by Sinclair Smith * 257 • Deathflash • (1991) • novelette by A. Bates * 279 • The Boy Next Door • (1991) • novelette by Ellen Emerson White * 305 • Collect Call: The Black Walker: Part II • (1991) • novella by Christopher Pike * 331 • About the Authors (Thirteen) • (1991) • essay by uncredited

    Volume 1 features all new and original stories from authors Joe R. Lansdale, John Skipp, Cody Goodfellow, Jeff Strand, J. F. Gonzalez, Stephen Mark Rainey, Nate Southard, Shane McKenzie and (in deluxe hardcover retail editions only) William Meikle. Each story is preceded by a full page/full bleed color illustration by artist Zach McCain. Table of Contents “Santa Explains” by Joe R. Lansdale “The Endless Black of Friday” by Nate Southard “Red Rage” by Stephen Mark Rainey “Pointy Canes” by Jeff Strand “Naughty” by Shane McKenzie “Krampusnacht in Cell Block J” by Cody Goodfellow “The Shittiest Guy in the World (A Christmas Fable)” by John Skipp “Belsnickel” by J. F. Gonzalez “The Color That Stole Christmas” by William Meikle (Deluxe Hardcover Editions Only)

    WuMorning Terrors — Peter CrowtherMisadventures in the Skin Trade — Don D’AmmassaCircle of Lias — Lawrence C. ConnollyWatching the Soldiers — Dirk StrasserOne in the A.M. — Rachel DrummondA Side of the Sea — Ramsey CampbellPainted Faces — Gerard Daniel HournerMonotone — Lawrence GreenbergDead Leaves — James C. DobbsFrom the Mouths of Babes — Bentley LittleThe Late Mr. Havel’s Apartment — David HerterUnion Dues — Gary BraunbeckEarshot — Glenn IsaacsonFee — Peter Straub

    Every few generations this strangeness crawls out from the dark places of the British imagination, seeping into our art and culture. We are living through such a time.This Dreaming Isle is an anthology of new horror stories and weird fiction with a distinctly British flavour. It collects together fifteen brand new horrifying or unsettling stories that draw upon the landscape and history of the British Isles for their inspiration. Some explore the realms of myth and legend, others are firmly rooted in the present, engaging with the country’s forgotten spaces.Featuring new and exclusive stories from:Ramsey Campbell, multi-award winning author of over 40 novels.Andrew Michael Hurley, author of The Loney and Devil’s Day.Catriona Ward, author of Rawblood and Little Eve.Robert Shearman, World Fantasy Award, British Fantasy Award and Shirley Jackson Award winning author of four collections.Jenn Ashworth, author of Fell, Cold Light and more.Gareth E. Rees, author of Marshland and The Stone Tide.Tim Lebbon, screenwriter and author of over 35 books including Dusk, The Silence and Relics.Alison Littlewood, author of The Crow Garden, The Hidden People and more.Aliya Whiteley, author of The Beauty, The Arrival of Missives and The Loosening Skin (forthcoming from Unsung Stories).Stephen Volk, screenwriter and author of Whitstable, Monsters in the Heart and more.Kirsty Logan, author of The Gloaming, The Gracekeepers, A Portable Shelter and The Rental Heart.James Miller, author of UnAmerican Activities, Lost Boys and Sunshine State.Jeannette Ng, author of Under the Pendulum Sun.Richard V. Hirst, co-author of The Night Visitors.Alison Moore, author of The Lighthouse, Missing and more.Gary Budden, author of Hollow Shores.Angela Readman, author of Don’t Try This at Home and The Book of Tides.

    The sun will be rising soon. And you say you still aren’t tired? How’s that? You’re…trying to stay awake? You’re afraid to begin…dreaming? You’re scared you might run into…me? …PERCHANCE TO SCREAM… “But I’m already in the book you’re holding! I’m here in all my twisted glory, in seven grotesque tales by the masters of the macabre, including Nancy A. Collins, Bentley Little, and Tom Elliott. Stories about my bone-chilling past, my devilish present—and the horrifyingly vile plans I have for the future. AYE, THERE’S THE RUB! “What’s that? You thought I said—plans for your future? Well, now that you mention it…I can see you’re getting drowsy now. I’ll be waiting for you.”

    Each story is accompanied by a ghastly illustration from the mind of Andy Sciazko... the kind of illustrations that will disturb you in the best way possible.

    Over 40 tales of visitation by the undead--from vengeful and violent spirits, set on causing harm to innocent people tucked up in their homes, to rarer and more kindly ghosts, returning from the grave to reach out across the other side. Yet others entertain desires of a more sinister bent, including the erotic. This new edition includes a selection of favorite haunted house tales chosen by famous screen stars such as Boris Karloff, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. In addition, a top ranking list of contributors includes Stephen King, Bram Stoker, Ruth Rendell, and James Herbert--all brought together by an anthologist who himself lives in a haunted house.Contents1 • The Haunted House • (2000) • short fiction by Elizabeth Albright and Ray Bradbury3 • Foreword: I Live In A Haunted House • (2000) • essay by Peter Haining9 • The Haunted and the Haunters • (1919) • novelette by Edward Bulwer-Lytton (variant of The Haunted and the Haunters; or, The House and the Brain 1859)39 • Authentic Narrative of a Haunted House • (2000) • short story by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (variant of An Authentic Narrative of a Haunted House 1862)53 • A Case of Eavesdropping • [Jim Shorthouse] • (1900) • short story by Algernon Blackwood69 • A Haunted House • (1921) • short story by Virginia Woolf73 • Ghost Hunt • (1948) • short story by H. Russell Wakefield81 • Dark Winner • (1976) • short story by William F. Nolan89 • The Old House in Vauxhall Walk • (1882) • novelette by Mrs. J. H. Riddell [as by Charlotte Riddell]109 • No. 252 Rue M. Le Prince • (1895) • short story by Ralph Adams Cram125 • The Southwest Chamber • (1903) • novelette by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman [as by Mary Eleanor Freeman]145 • The Toll-House • (1907) • short story by W. W. Jacobs157 • Feet Foremost • (1932) • novelette by L. P. Hartley191 • Happy Hour • (1990) • novelette by Ian Watson217 • The Ankardyne Pew • (1979) • short story by William Fryer Harvey [as by W. F. Harvey]231 • The Real and the Counterfeit • (1988) • short story by Mrs. Alfred Baldwin [as by Louisa Baldwin]249 • A Night at a Cottage ... • (1926) • short story by Richard Hughes253 • The Considerate Hosts • (1939) • short story by Thorp McClusky265 • The Grey House • (1967) • short story by Basil Copper309 • Watching Me, Watching You • (1981) • short story by Fay Weldon329 • A Spirit Elopement • (1915) • short story by Richard Dehan339 • The House of Dust • (1920) • short story by Herbert de Hamel357 • The Kisstruck Bogie • (1946) • short story by A. E. Coppard367 • Mr Edward • (2000) • short story by Norah Lofts (variant of Mr. Edward 1947)385 • House of the Hatchet • (1941) • short story by Robert Bloch403 • Napier Court • (1971) • short story by Ramsey Campbell423 • Lost Hearts • (1895) • short story by M. R. James435 • The Shadowy Third • (1916) • novelette by Ellen Glasgow461 • A Little Ghost • (1922) • short story by Hugh Walpole477 • The Patter of Tiny Feet • (1950) • short story by Nigel Kneale489 • Uninvited Ghosts • (1981) • short story by Penelope Lively497 • Playing with Fire • (1900) • short story by Arthur Conan Doyle [as by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle]513 • The Whistling Room • [Carnacki (Hodgson)] • (1910) • short story by William Hope Hodgson533 • Bagnell Terrace • (1925) • short story by E. F. Benson547 • The Companion • (1978) • short story by Joan Aiken557 • The Ghost Hunter • (2000) • short fiction by James Herbert563 • Computer Séance • (1997) • short story by Ruth Rendell573 • In Letters of Fire • [L'homme qui a vu le diable] • (1908) • novelette by Gaston Leroux (trans. of L'homme qui a vu le diable)593 • The Judge's House • (1891) • short story by Bram Stoker613 • The Storm • (1944) • short story by McKnight Malmar627 • The Waxwork • (1931) • short story by A. M. Burrage [as by Ex-Private X]641 • The Inexperienced Ghost • (1902) • short story by H. G. Wells655 • Sophy Mason Comes Back • (1930) • short story by E. M. Delafield669 • The Boogeyman • (1973) • short story by Stephen King683 • Appendix: Haunted House Novels: A Listing • (2000) • essay by Peter Haining

    They are the building blocks of our lives. They are our memories. They are how we come to know our history. They are our escapism and entertainment. Some fact, some fiction, and some are a clever little mix. These stories… these stories are fiction. Short and scary. Delivered to you in small, terrifying bursts, much the way you'd experience each individual room in a haunted house attraction. They were specifically written to be enjoyed by both the not-too-young and old alike. Inside, you'll see some names you know and some names you don't. You'll find horror, drama, and even a few laughs... and zombies. Zombies by the ton. Gnawing, gnashing, stumbling, and staring... Right. At. You. Waiting... for a bite-sized offering. Enjoy!

    P. Lovecraft, others he revised, two he co-authored – but all bear the mark of the master of primordial terror.The Horror in the Museum –Locked up for the night, a man will discover the difference between waxen grotesqueries and the real thing.The Electric Executioner – Aboard a train, a traveler must match wits with a murderous madman.The Trap – This mirror wants a great deal more than your reflection.The Ghost-Eater – In an ancient woodland, the past comes to life with a bone-crunching vengeance.AND TWENTY MORE STORIES OF UNSPEAKABLE EVIL.

    Represented in the anthology are such distinguished spell weavers as Edgar Allen Poe ("The Black Cat"), Wilkie Collins ("A Terribly Strange Bed"), Henry James ("Sir Edmund Orme"), Guy de Maupassant ("Was It a Dream?"), O. Henry ("The Furnished Room"), Rudyard Kipling ("They"), and H.G. Wells ("Pollock and the Porroh Man"). Included as well are such modern masters as Algernon Blackwood ("Ancient Sorceries"), Walter de la Mare ("Out of the Deep"), E.M. Forster ("The Celestial Omnibus"), Isak Dinesen ("The Sailor-Boys Tale"), H.P. Lovecraft ("The Dunwich Horror"), Dorothy L. Sayers ("Suspicion"), and Ernest Hemingway ("The Killers"). "There is not a story in this collection that does not have the breath of life, achieve the full suspension of disbelief that is so particularly important in [this] type of fiction," wrote the Saturday Review. With an introduction and notes by Phyllis Cerf Wagner and Herbert Wise.

    This collection goes back to the roots of the occult detective story. The earliest story in this collection—Fitz-James O'Brien's "The Pot of Tulips"—originally appeared in 1855. Rare stories by Mary Fortune and Bayard Taylor, famous tales from the end of the 19th century by E. and H. Heron, plus 20th Century stories by Robert E. Howard, Edmond Hamilton, Manly Wade Wellman, Seabury Quinn, and many more round out the book...29 classic tales in all!Included are:THE POT OF TULIPS, by Fitz-James O'BrienWHAT WAS IT? by Fitz-James O'BrienTHE HAUNTED SHANTY, by Bayard TaylorDr. Martin Hesselius in "GREEN TEA," by Joseph Sheridan Le FanuMR JUSTICE HARBOTTLE, by J. Sheridan Le FanuTHE UNINHABITED HOUSE, by Mrs. J. H. RiddellTHE PHANTOM HEARSE, by Mary FortuneAYLMER VANCE AND THE VAMPIRE, by Alice and Claude AskewTHE DOOR INTO INFINITY, by Edmond HamiltonCarnacki in "THE GATEWAY OF THE MONSTER," by William Hope HodgsonCarnacki in "THE HOUSE AMONG THE LAURELS," by William Hope HodgsonCarnacki in "THE WHISTLING ROOM," by William Hope HodgsonCarnacki in "THE HORSE OF THE INVISIBLE," by William Hope HodgsonCarnacki in "THE SEARCHER OF THE END HOUSE," by William Hope HodgsonCarnacki in "THE THING INVISIBLE," by William Hope HodgsonFlaxman Low in "THE STORY OF SADDLER'S CROFT," by E. and H. HeronFlaxman Low in "THE STORY OF BAELBROW," by E. and H. HeronFlaxman Low in "THE STORY OF YAND MANOR HOUSE," by E. and H. HeronFlaxman Low in "THE STORY OF KONNOR OLD HOUSE," by E. and H. HeronFlaxman Low in "THE STORY OF THE SPANIARDS, HAMMERSMITH," by E. and H. HeronFlaxman Low in "THE STORY OF SEVENS HALL," by E. and H. HeronSteve Harrison in "FANGS OF GOLD," by Robert E. HowardSteve Harrison in "THE TOMB'S SECRET," by Robert E. HowardSteve Harrison in "NAMES IN THE BLACK BOOK," by Robert E. HowardSteve Harrison in "GRAVEYARD RATS," by Robert E. HowardTHE HALF-HAUNTED, by Manly Wade WellmanJules de Grandin in "THE JEST OF WARBURG TANTAVUL," by Seabury QuinnJules de Grandin in "PLEDGED TO THE DEAD," by Seabury QuinnJules de Grandin in "INCENSE OF ABOMINATION," by Seabury QuinnAnd don't forget to search this ebook store for "Wildside Megapack" to see more great entries in this great series, covering mysteries, ghost stories, westerns, science fiction, historical, and much, much more!

    Through the lens of Link's vivid imagination, nothing is what it seems, and everything deserves a second look. From the multiple award-winning The Faery Handbag, in which a teenager's grandmother carries an entire village (or is it a man-eating dog?) in her handbag, to the near-future of The Surfer, whose narrator (a soccer-playing skeptic) waits with a planeload of refugees for the aliens to arrive, Link's stories are funny and full of unexpected insights and skewed perspectives on the world. Her fans range from Michael Chabon to Peter Buck of R.E.M. to Holly Black of Spiderwick Chronicles fame. Now teens can have their world rocked, too!

    It includes stories by Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins, M. R. James, W. W. Jacobs, and L. P. Hartley, among other masters of the fine art of making the flesh creep, all accompanied by Gorey's inimitable illustrations.ALGERNON BLACKWOOD, "The Empty House"W.F. HARVEY, "August Heat"CHARLES DICKENS, "The Signalman"L.P. HARTLEY, "A Visitor from Down Under"R.H. MALDEN, "The Thirteenth Tree"ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON, "The Body-Snatcher"E. NESBIT, "Man-Size in Marble"BRAM STOKER, "The Judge's House"TOM HOOD, "The Shadow of a Shade"W.W. JACOBS, "The Monkey's Paw,"WILKIE COLLINS, "The Dream Woman"M.R. JAMES, "Casting the Runes"

    A. Suleiman, and Paul Melniczek treat readers to some spooky tricks with a hair-raising assemblage of tales gathered together by author, editor, and master of the macabre Brian James Freeman. THE MANNEQUIN CHALLENGE by Kealan Patrick Burke For some, office parties are the highlight of the season. For others, they can paralyze with dread. Theo is determined not to let his anxiety stop him from attending—though maybe he’s right to be afraid. ACROSS THE TRACKS by Ray Garton The candy’s always better on the other side of town, even if it means crossing paths with bullies. But a rich house with an unlocked door might just be too good to be true. . . . THE HALLOWEEN TREE by Bev Vincent Every town has one: a house or a field or an old tree that just gives off a bad vibe. Of course, those feelings are just silly superstition, nothing to take seriously. Right? PUMPKIN EATER by C. A. Suleiman Peter loves Halloween—almost as much as he hates his wife. Luckily, his favorite holiday presents an opportunity to fix his problem. After all, putting his wife in her place should be as easy as pie. WHEN THE LEAVES FALL by Paul Melniczek Haverville always seemed like a typical town to me: a place where people work hard, and no one ever really leaves. Until the night I went to Graver’s Farm—and discovered what Haverwille was really hiding.