Book picks similar to
Worming the Harpy and Other Bitter Pills by Rhys Hughes


tartarus-press
rhys-hughes
weird-fiction
short-stories

Black Magic Woman


John G. Hartness - 2011
    Hilarity does not ensue when an ancient soul-sucker shows up to drain the local nerd population of vitality and life energy.If you've ever wondered who would win in a knock-down, drag out fistfight between Jimmy Black and Greg Knightwood, here's your chance to find out!This Black Knight Short Story is about 6,000 words, or roughly 20 pages long.

Houses Without Doors


Peter Straub - 1990
    "Straub at his spellbinding best".--Publishers Weekly.

Real Ghost Stories


William T. Stead - 1921
    He was born in Darlington, the son of a Congregational minister. He attended Silcoates School in Wakefield, but was early apprenticed in a merchant's office at Newcastle-on-Tyne. He soon gravitated into journalism, and in 1871 became editor of the Darlington Northern Echo. In 1880 he went to London to be assistant editor of the Pall Mall Gazette under John Morley. The number of his publications gradually became very large, as he wrote with facility and sensational fervour on all sorts of subjects, from The Truth About Russia (1888), to If Christ Came to Chicago! (1894), and from Mrs. Booth (1900) to The Americanization of the World (1902). In 1892, Stead published a story called From the Old World to the New, in which a White Star Line vessel, the Majestic, rescues survivors of another ship that collided with an iceberg.

Bigot Hall


Steve Aylett - 1995
    Uncle Burst's belief that his face is made of pasta is one of the milder notions with which he regales the family. Uncle Snapper is confined to a treehouse because of the uncontrollable urges he feels once his gun is loaded. Uncle Blute drowned in the lake at the wheel of his Morris Traveller, where he remains perfectly preserved. And Nanny Jack refuses all efforts to bury her and strikes terror into her relatives' hearts as she abandons yet another final resting place. Throughout this happy breed strolls a nameless anti-hero, who, when not kidnapped by clowns or puzzling out the fossilised family tree, is passionately in love with his spaced-out sister, Adrienne ...

The Bug: Complete Season One


Barry J. Hutchison - 2016
    A wave of violence is sweeping Hoon's city, and reports are flooding in that the whole world is rapidly tearing itself apart. As anger and violence gives way to full-blown madness, Hoon finds himself babysitting a group of survivors, who he has reluctantly vowed to protect. But with the madness that's gripping the rest of the world rapidly affecting him, can he get them to safety before he himself becomes their greatest threat? Meanwhile, across the ocean in Boston, two teenage slacker grocery store clerks are discovering that the end of the world isn't as much fun as they'd always imagined, as they are hurled into a desperate battle for survival - and a quest to find and rescue their parents. But the hordes of crazed infected are only the start of the world's problems, and things take a decidedly creepy turn when the true instigators of the violent epidemic come crawling out of the shadows... Because it isn't a virus that ends the world. It's a Bug.

Sinister Scribblings - Volume 1: A Short Story Collection


Matt Hickman - 2017
    Featuring a foreword from Kyle M. Scott, Sinister Scribblings brings together a unique blend of stories, some of which have been previously published, others that are original pieces and only available within this collection. In this collection we meet a whole host of broken, deranged characters in a sequence of horrific circumstances, including a mother who is determined to seek vengeance upon the school thugs that are bullying her only daughter; a woman who’s lifestyle has spiralled out of control after finding her boyfriend in a more than compromising position; a man who once spent his life in the public eye, has fallen from the heights of stardom and is slowly rebuilding himself; a teenage boy, a daydreamer who enjoys chocolate eggs for breakfast, who finds himself unravelling a unique Easter gift; a cave dwelling creature who has a taste for young flesh; a mischievous young boy who finds himself upon the naughty list at Christmas; a man, who after recently losing his job, makes a compelling agreement with a strange figure in a bar; two twin sisters who battle it out in brutal style after a major misunderstanding; a group of friends on their friends stag night, who get more than they bargained for upon entering an abandoned hospital for a prank; a man who awakens in a terrifying situation, in a strange location following a party with his friends; a woman abandoned in her friend’s cabin at a picturesque lake during a thunder storm; a man who crashes his car whilst driving home and spotting the figure of woman in amongst the trees beside the road; a serial killer enduring complications whilst receiving the lethal injection. Featuring bonus stories from Stuart Keane, Andrew Lennon, Michelle Garza & Melissa Lason, C.M. Saunders, Daryl Duncan, Mark Nye and Dale Robertson. Sit back, relax and immerse yourself in these Sinister Scribblings.

Polyphemus


Michael Shea - 1987
    Whether based in sf or fantasy, Shea's short fiction is not for the squeamish.Contents:Polyphemus (1981)The Angel of Death (1979)Uncle Tuggs (1986)The Pearls of the Vampire Queen (1982)The Horror on the #33 (1982)The Extra (1987)The Autopsy (1980)

The Monkey's Paw The Lady of the Barge and Others Part 2


W.W. Jacobs - 2012
    

The Weird Fiction Megapack: 25 Stories from Weird Tales


Steve Rasnic Tem - 2014
    Included are works by many famous authors, such as H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, Manly Wade Wellman, E. Hoffmann Price, Tennessee Williams, and many more—with an emphasis on great but less-well-known stories that readers may not have encountered before. "To Become a Sorcerer," by Darrell Schweitzer (included here) was a finalist for the World Fantasy Award.Included are:BOY BLUE, by Steve Rasnic TemTAP DANCING, by John Gregory BetancourtTO BECOME A SORCERER, by Darrell SchweitzerTHE GOLGOTHA DANCERS, by Manly Wade WellmanTHE DEATH OF ILALOTHA, by Clark Ashton SmithTHE SALEM HORROR, by Henry KuttnerTHE DISINTERMENT, by H.P. Lovecraft and D.W. RimelTHE SEA-WITCH, by Nictzin DyalhisVINE TERROR, by Howard WandreiTHE PALE MAN, by Julius LongWEREWOLF OF THE SAHARA, by G.G. PendarvesTRAIN FOR FLUSHING, by Malcolm JamesonTHE DIARY OF PHILIP WESTERLY, by Paul ComptonMASK OF DEATH, by Paul ErnstTHE GIRL FROM SAMARCAND, by E. Hoffmann PriceTHE MONKEY SPOONS, by Mary Elizabeth CounselmanTHE VENGEANCE OF NITOCRIS, by Tennessee WilliamsTHE NINTH SKELETON, by Clark Ashton SmithBIMINI, by Bassett MorganTHE CURSE OF YIG, by H.P. Lovecraft and Zealia BishopTHE HAUNTER OF THE RING, by Robert E. HowardTHE MEDICI BOOTS, by Pearl Norton SwetTHE LOST DOOR, by Dorothy QuickDOOM OF THE HOUSE OF DURYEA, by Earl Peirce, Jr.IN THE DARK, by Ronal KayserAnd don't forget to check out the other volumes in this series, covering science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, westerns, single author collections -- and much, much more! Search this ebookstore for "Wildside Megapack" to see the complete list.

The Avoidable Orphan


T.M. Clark - 2015
    He’s a man of the African bush, and coping with ‘girlie feelings’ was always Helene’s department, not his. When an orphaned baby elephant is found, Rodger sees an opportunity that might help him reconnect with his children. But interfering with the orphan goes against his usual conservation methods. It will require a new approach to save both the baby and his family.

Lingering Things and Other Dark Tales: A Horror Anthology


Dana Noraas - 2019
    A woman is left struggling to survive after a bear attack leaves her alone in the wilderness. A writer desperately tries to complete his book while being harassed by a relentless spirit. A poem of warning from a traveling salesman. A young boy disappears after hearing his mother calling to him from the woods and returns later that night acting strangely. This horror anthology features both supernatural and realistic situations that will make you double-check your locks at night. Before you tell yourself that these 15 original stories are just made up, rest assured knowing that one of them is inspired by true events.

Vastarien: Vol. 1, Issue 1


Dagny PaulMichael J. Abolafia - 2018
    The journal includes nonfiction, literary horror fiction, poetry, artwork and non-classifiable hybrid pieces.Vol. 1, Issue 1 Contents:• Foreword to Teatro Grottesco essay by Thomas Ligotti•The Nightmare of His Art: The Horrific Power of the Imagination in "The Troubles of Dr. Thoss and "Gas Station Carnivals" essay by W. Silverwood•The Gods in Their Seats, Unblinking short fiction by Kurt Fawver• Affirmation of the Spirit: Consciousness, Transformation, and the Fourth World in Film short fiction by Christopher Slatsky•Try the Veal poem by Robert Beveridge•How to Construct a Gun from Your Own Flesh short fiction by Michael Uhall•Notes on a Horror essay by Dr. Raymond Thoss•"Eccentric to the Healthy Social Order" : Inversions of Family, Community, and Religion in Thomas Ligotti's "The Last Feast of Harlequin" essau by Michael J. Abolafia•Wraiths poem by Wade German•Eraserhead as Antinatalist Allegoryessay by Colby Smith•The Alienation of the Self: Marx, Polanyi, and Ligottian Horroressay by S. L. Edwards•The Theatre of Ovid short fiction by Aaron Worth•Infinite Light, Infinite Darkness short fiction by Martin Rose•Night Walks: The Films of Val Lewton essay by Michael Penkas• Solar Flare short fiction by Paul L. Bates•Strange Bird poem by Ian Mullins•Nervous Wares & Abnormal Staresshort fiction by Devin Goff•My Time at the Drake Clinic short fiction by Jordan Krall•Singing the Song of My Unmaking short fiction by Christopher Ropes•"They say I should kill myself and not try to spoil their enjoyment in being alive": An Interview with Thomas Ligottiinterview by Wojciech Gunia

The Harry Harrison Megapack: 12 Classics of Science Fiction, including ROBOT JUSTICE, DEATHWORLD, and DEATHWORLD II


Harry Harrison - 2014
    Search your favorite ebook store for "Wildside Press Megapack" to see the complete list.

The Coma


Alex Garland - 2004
    He arrives at his friends' house without knowing how he got there. Nor do they. He seems to be having an affair with his secretary which is exciting, but unlikely. Further unsettled by leaps in logic and time, Carl wonders if he's actually reacting to the outside world, or if he's terribly mistaken. So begins a psychological adventure that stretches the boundaries of conciousness.

Diary of a Dead Man: The Final Thoughts of Ed Boothe


Matt Shaw - 2015
    It is believed he killed many, many more. His methods were brutal and documented here, along with his fascination of collecting body parts. Up until he execution, he showed no remorse for his acts.This is a short story of 20,000 words - from the author behind PORN, WHORE and Sick B*stards