We staked out our territory and nailed this to the wall to guide us: YEAR'S BEST HARDEST HORROR Not your mama's best-of horror annual. This stuff comes from the edge of the abyss, stories you read at your own risk because you feel the abyss looking right back into you through the tainted lens of each twisted tale. 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. Some of these quieter tales offer the reader some time to recover from the more disturbing ones preceding. Most of the stories collected here are from small and specialty press anthologies, with a few from periodicals, like the prestigious Splatterpunk Zine in the UK and Thuglit here in the US. Bizarro is also represented with a couple of tales from the unlikely anthology Blood For You: A Literary Tribute To GG Allin from Weirdpunk Books. (If you're not familiar with the late GG Allin, you can find snippets from some of his outrageous and obscene punk shows online, which will increase your appreciation of those two tales.) So for now, forget about that neighbor you suspect is a serial killer, don't worry about the drunk driver that could take you out on your next trip to the store, push those troubling news stories to the back of your mind and immerse yourself in the imaginary horrors at hand. But don't be surprised if you sense something dark staring back at you from between the lines. That is to be expected when you enter these forbidding realms. With any luck, you may find something useful to help you survive the approaching Apocalypse. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction: The Year That Was "Worth the Having" by Michael Paul Gonzalez "Awakening" by Jeff Strand "Readings Off The Charts" by Adam Cesare "Reborn" by The Behrg "What's Worst" by David James Keaton "Dead End" by Kristopher Triana "What You Wish For" by Lilith Morgan "King Shits" by Charles Austin Muir "Cleanup On Aisle 3" by Adam Howe "Bath Salt Fetus" by George Palacious "Bored With Brutality" by MP Johnson "Exposed" by Monica J. O'Rourke "Eleanor" by Jason Parent "The Scavengers" by Tony Knighton "The Most Important Miracle" by Scott Emerson "Hungry For Control" by Clare de Lune "Clarissa" by Robert Essig & Jack Bantry "Where The Sun Don't Shine" by Pete Kahle "Blackbird Lullaby" by George Cotronis

    To be entertained. Then you find yourself in a school where a group of friends have brought something terrible to life. You meet a family whose extraordinary luck comes at a horrific price. You write a letter to yourself and get a reply that leads to death and madness. As you journey through these shrouded lands, you look back and can't make out where you started. Because once you're traveling through the darkness, the only way out is through. Read the collection of novellas and short stories that is being called "genius", "amazing", and "scary AF". But be prepared. You won't be the same when you come out the other side.

    A book put together with the sole purpose of reminding readers what the horror genre is really about. Each author was told they could write about any subject matter they wanted so long as it was set in a world of horror. The only rule they had: No Paranormal Romance. Vampires do not sparkle, werewolves do not date, Witches do not scour Tinder for Virgins and ghosts do not declare their undying love whilst tidying the apartment... This is horror... Featuring work from: Brian Lumley, Adam Nevill, Guy N. Smith Ramsey Campbell, Gary McMahon, Shaun Hutson, J. R Park, Peter McKeirnon, Jim Goforth, Wrath James White, Craig Saunders, Matt Hickman, Sam West, Kit Power, Daniel Marc Chant, Matt Shaw, Adam Millard, Anton Palmer, Clare Riley Whitfield, Jaime Johnesee, Jeff Strand, Andrew Freudenberg, Michael Bray Shane McKenzie.

    New frontiers discovered. What it means to be human reimagined.Dreams of tomorrow become reality in this third collection of bestselling authors and newly emerging writers from Sci-Fi Bridge. From the inner worlds of unforgettable characters to alien planets at the farthest reaches of our galaxy and beyond, our writers examine the human experience from within and without. They hold up a mirror to the human experience. Who are we as a species? Who do we want to be? How do we achieve that greatest vision of ourselves for us and our children?You'll wonder at the possibilities of what we can accomplish together. You might even come to believe that a better tomorrow can be more than a dream....Foreword by Chris Fox"Centurion" by M.G. Herron"Geospermia" by Patty Jansen"Storming the Norse Wind" by M.D. Cooper"The Far Side of Psyche" by Rhett C. Bruno"Sparkle Ship Shine" by Hall & Beaulieu"Latecomers" by Chris Ward"Fool's Gold" by Zen DiPietro"The Tribe" by Andreas Christensen"The Theta Patient" by Chris Dietzel"The Last Ship" by Chris Pourteau"Taken For a Walk" by Justin Sloan"Playing Doctor" by Robert Jeschonek"Awaken Me, Paper Robot!" by A.K. Meek"Refurbished" by Artie Cabrera"Steel's First Temper" by David VanDyke"Siren Song" by Jon Frater"Digital Commander" by J.S. Morin"Little Blue" by Chris ReherWant to know more about Sci-Fi Bridge? Visit our site at scifibridge.com and subscribe to receive giveaways and great Sci-Fi deals straight to your inbox.

    From neighbourhood yetis to military robots, this terrifying collection has it all and will leave you sleeping with the lights on! Get the No 1 bestselling collection today, but be warned, it might give you nightmares. Don't look under your bed! Collection includes 1. A is for Antichrist 2. B is for Bogeywoman 3. C is for Clown 4. D is for Detour (Empire of the Tooth) 5. E is for Exterminator 6. F is for Feral 7. G is for Genome 8. H is for Hell 9. I is for Ice 10. J is for Jaws 11. K is for Klutz 12. L is for Lamia 13. M is for Matty-Bob 14. N is for Nightmare 15. O is for Orifice 16. P is for Peeling 17. Q is for Quarantine 18. R is for Revenant 19. S is for Sand 20. T is for Troglodyte 21. U is for Urinary Tract 22. V is for Vulgar (Offensive!) 23. W is for Waste 24. X is for X-22 25. Y is for Yeti 26. Z - Zion "Iain Rob Wright scares the hell out of me." - J.A. Konrath, author of Afraid Keyword categories: horror anthology, horror collection, occult, supernatural, thriller, suspense, urban legends

    Looks like something for everyone...There's even an alien puppy.Contents: * Introduction (The Newcomer) (2016) • essay by Alasdair Shaw * Tithe (2016) / short story by Griffin Carmichael * Exodus (2016) / short story by Alec Hutson * First Bonding (2016) / short story by Tom Germann * Ice Dreamer (2015) / short story by J. J. Green * The Nanny (2016) / short story by Cindy Carroll * Right Hand (2016) / short story by Jonathan C. Gillespie * What Make Is Your Cat? (2016) / short story by Richard Crawford * Kaxian Duty (2014) / short story by Cherise Kelley * Lessons Learned (2016) / short story by J. Naomi Ay * The Humra (2016) / short story by Laura Greenwood * The Hawk of Destiny's Fist (2016) / short story by James S. Aaron * Repulse [Two Democracies: Revolution] (2016) / short story by Alasdair Shaw .

    From dark fantasy and pure suspense to classic horror tales of vampires and zombies, 999 showcases the extraordinary scope of fantastical fright fiction. The stories in this anthology are a relentless tour de force of fear, which will haunt you, terrify you, and keep the adrenaline rushing all through the night.Amerikanski dead at the Moscow morgue / Kim Newman --The ruins of contracoeur / Joyce Carol Oates --The owl and the pussycat / Thomas M. Disch --The road virus heads north / Stephen King --Keepsakes and treasures: a love story / Neil Gaiman --Growing things / T.E.D. Klein --Good Friday / F. Paul Wilson --Excerpts from the records of the New Zodiac and the diaries of Henry Watson Fairfax / Chet Williamson --An exaltation of termagants / Eric Von Lustbader --Itinerary / Tim Powers --Catfish gal blues / Nancy A. Collins --The entertainment / Ramsey Campell --ICU / Edward Lee --The shadow, the darkness / Thomas Ligotti --Rio Grande Gothic / David Morrell --Des Saucisses, Sans doute / Peter Schneider --Angie / Ed Gorman --The ropy thing / Al Sarrantonio --The tree is my hat / Gene Wolfe --Styx and bones / Edward Bryant --Hemophage / Steven Spurill --The book of irrational numbers / Michael Marshall Smith --Mad dog summer / Joe R. Lansdale --The Theater / Bentley Little --Rehearsals / Thomas F. Monteleone --Darkness / Dennis L. McKiernan --Elsewhere / William Peter Blatty

    A novelist with more than 25 books written, he has also written more than 50 short stories, and many of these are collected in the books The Nightmare Chronicles, Wild Things, and this collection, Night Asylum. He is currently writing several short stories and novelettes toward a new collection of short fiction to come in 2013.Look for other books by Douglas Clegg:The Children’s HourGoat DancePurityDark of the EyeThe WordsWild ThingsNightmare HouseBad KarmaRed AngelNight CageMischiefThe InfiniteThe AbandonedThe NecromancerIsisThe Hour Before DarkYou Come When I Call YouNaomiThe Nightmare ChroniclesThe Machinery of NightBreederThe Attraction

    Now though, Mary is on the verge of breaking a story which could change the world forever. She has uncovered evidence of something that cannot possibly exist. But Mary knows the threat is real. Should she run with the story, or just bury it and get on with her career? And can she stay alive long enough to make a decision either way? Dark Albion is a novelette length slice of Horror, supported in this highly entertaining and innovative collection by seven other tales of Paranormal Mystery, Suspense and Dread. Traci Thornberry has been persuaded into covering the late shift at the Halfway House Hotel. She has never much enjoyed working nights, and after tonight she'll never want to cover a late shift again.Vlad has hunted his prey across the major cities of the world for many years, and after arriving amid the bright lights of London, he is excited at the prospect of this new hunting ground... Sometimes though, things don't go quite as planned. A wonderfully twisted collection of horror short stories, featuring weird and disturbing tales, which make up the strange world of Dark Albion.

    In "Mercury Rain" a soldier fighting a new enemy learns the importance of holding on to his memories. "Blackwater," the title story of the collection, is an homage to Stephen King's short story, "Graveyard Shift," and it tells the tale of Paul Hawkins, a mine worker who disturbs something terrifying in the Blackwater Hills of Durham, Pennsylvania, in the summer of 1976.

    what lurks among thy branches...Christmas can be the most wonderful time of the year. Candy canes and hot cocoa. Snowmen and sleigh rides. The love and hope that the Nativity brings. Cold milk and warm cookies for Santa. Family, friends, and the cheerful laughter of children.But, beneath the festive wrapping paper and the gleam and glitter of the lights and tinsel, things less jubilant may lie in wait. The holiday season can bring love, peace, and benevolence... but it may also spawn a darkness lurking amid the shadowy boughs of the Christmas tree, ornaments that should have never seen the light of day, let along hung on festive branches, and bones that jingle and dance, in search of Santa's crimson suit... and the flesh that resides within.In this collection of harrowing holiday tales, Ronald Kelly leaves ten frightful and horrific gifts in the Christmas stockings that hang from the mantle of your cheerful fireplace. Ghastly and gruesome presents that slowly unwrap and burst into life while you are tucked, snug and warm, in your bed and take on nightmarish form in the icy winter hours of Christmas Eve, turning comfort and joy into terror and dread.Stories included in this collection:Jingle BonesThe Skating PondDepravity RoadHeirloomsThe Winds WithinThen Came a WoodsmanAs for Me, My Little BrainBeneath the BranchesPapa’s ExileThe Peddler’s Journey

    "The click of the camera before you die. A demon's unthinkable task. A childhood game gone horribly wrong. The nagging feeling that someone is watching your every move. A lover, a betrayer. Breakdown. Vengeance. Misplaced trust. Malice. Surprise. How many times will you soothe yourself in the dark hoping for the light? Welcome to a world hidden behind the blinds of reality. This anthology is not for the faint-hearted. The tales inside are guaranteed to rob you of sleep at night and bring you the nightmares you fear. Now, open your eyes and see..."

    It was a cemetery afterall. Now she’s paying for it. Perhaps the psychic was right about ghosts and Halloween. When television talk show host Monica Stanford goes out for a night of Halloween partying with her life-long friends, things begin to go awry when they take a short cut through the local cemetery on Stone Street. Charlie is convinced that they have unleashed an angry ghost, as bloodcurdling events begin to unfold with deadly consequences. Can they find a way to put to rest the tormented spirit they have provoked before they all wind up dead?If you love ghosts and Haunted houses, you really should be reading Cat Knight’s other books. List of Books The Haunting of Elleric LodgeThe Haunting of Grayson HouseThe Haunting of Fairview HouseThe Haunting of Weaver HouseThe Haunting of Keira O’ConnellThe Haunting of Ferncoombe ManorThe Haunting of Highcliff HallThe Haunting of Knoll HouseIf you read stories in the occult, occultism, horror, supernatural and paranormal genres then add these to your reading list.

    Samuel Johnson The History of the Necronomicon The Complete Juvenilia The Alchemist The Beast in the Cave The Little Glass Bottle The Mysterious Ship The Mystery of the Grave-Yard The Secret Cave The Complete Poetry Part I. - Juvenilia (1887-1905) Poemata Minora, Volume II Part II. - Fantasy and Horror Nemesis Astrophobos The Poe-eta-s Nightmare Despair Revelation The House The City To Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, Eighteenth Baron Dunsany The Nightmare Lake On Reading Lord Dunsanya-s Book of Wonder The Cats Festival Hallowea-en in a Suburb aka a¬In a Suburba(R) The Wood The Outpost The Ancient Track The Messenger Nathicana Fungi from Yuggoth In a Sequestera-d Providence Churchyard Where Once Poe Walka-d To Clark Ashton Smith, Esq., upon His Phantastick Tales, Verses, Pictures, and Sculptures Part III. - Occasional Verse On Receiving a Picture of Swans Fact and Fancy Laeta; a Lament Part IV. - Satire Unda; or, The Bride of the Sea Pacifist War Songa31917 Waste Paper Dead Passiona-s Flame Arcadia Lifea-s Mystery Part V. - Seasonal and Topographical A Garden Sunset Providence Christmas Christmas Greetings Part VI. - Politics and Society An American to Mother England Lines on Gen.

    He was so impressed with the entries that he recommended they be published together in one book, which Cemetery Dance Publications and Hodder & Stoughton are pleased to report has become a reality. The six stories are: WILD SWIMMING by Elodie Harper EAU-DE-ERIC by Manuela Saragosa THE SPOTS by Paul Bassett Davies THE UNPICKING by Michael Button LA MORT DE L'AMANT by Stuart Johnstone THE BEAR TRAP by Neil Hudson Reader beware: the stories will make you think twice before cuddling up to your old soft toy, dipping your toe into the water or counting the spots on a leopard…