Book picks similar to
Pleasant Dreams by Robert Bloch
horror
danse-macabre
short-stories
fiction
Who Fears The Devil?
Manly Wade Wellman - 1963
In his wanderings, John encounters a parade of benighted forest creatures, mountain spirits, and shapeless horrors from the void of history with only his enduring spirit, playful wit, and the magic of his guitar to preserve him. Manly Wade Wellman's Silver John is one of the most beloved figures in fantasy, a true American folk hero of the literary age. For the first time the "Planet Stories" edition of "Who Fears the Devil?" collects all of John's adventures published throughout Wellman's life, including two stories about John before he got his silver-stringed guitar that have never previously appeared in a Silver John collection. Lost, out of print, or buried in expensive hardcover editions, the seminal, unforgettable tales of "Who Fears the Devil?" stand ready for a new generation ready to continue the folk tradition of Silver John!
In Ghostly Company
Amyas Northcote - 1997
The silent group by the fire once more broke forth into wild gesticulations and cries, Stella prostrated herself, the Form on the altar grew clearer and with a cry of horror Mr Fowke turned away and rushed madly across the moor'. Amyas Northcote's In Ghostly Company is a rare and splendid collection of strange and disturbing tales from the golden age of ghost stories. His style is akin to that of the master of the genre M.R. James: it is measured and insidiously suggestive, producing unnerving chills rather than shocks and gasps. Northcote's tales make the reader unsettled and uneasy. This is partly due to the fact that the hauntings or strange occurrences take place in natural or mundane surroundings - surroundings familiar to the reader but never before thought of as unusual or threatening. Long out of print, this book remains an enthralling and chilling read.
The Doom That Came to Sarnath and Other Stories
H.P. Lovecraft - 1920
Wild ravings from an insane man turn to prophecy when the Truth is revealed.Cover illustration: Michael WhelanContents:"Introduction" (Lin Carter) "The Other Gods" (1921) "The Tree" (1920) "The Doom That Came to Sarnath" (1919) "The Tomb" (1917) "Polaris" (1918) "Beyond the Wall of Sleep" (1919) "Memory" (1919) "What the Moon Brings" (1923) "Nyarlathotep" (1920) "Ex Oblivione" (1921) "The Cats of Ulthar" (1920) "Hypnos" (1922) "Nathicana" (1927) "From Beyond" (1920) "The Festival" (1923) "The Nameless City" (1921) "The Quest of Iranon" (1921) "The Crawling Chaos" (1920) "In the Walls of Eryx" (1935) "Imprisoned with the Pharaohs" (1924)
Ghost Stories and Mysteries
J. Sheridan Le Fanu - 1851
The reasons for his greatness transcend the form he employed and include a remarkable craftsmanship, the ability to explore the absolute depths of terror, and the persistent probing of the sensitive human psyche. Long out of print, his best work is now beginning to be more widely read and appreciated.Among the ten exciting ghost stories are "The Ghost and the Bone-Setter," an unexpectedly humorous story and probably LeFanu's first published fiction; two of his most chilling tales, "Wicked Captain Walshawe, of Wauling" and "Dickon the Devil"; two tales that present a physical confrontation with Evil, "The Drunkard's Dream" and "The Vision of Tom Chuff"; several interesting stories based on folktales; and the problematic story "The Mysterious Lodger," which is not signed by the author but assigned to him, and certainly unlike anything else he ever wrote. The four mystery stories are "The Murdered Cousin," a sealed-room story which he later expanded into Uncle Silas; "A Chapter in the History of a Tyrone Family," often cited as a source for Jane Eyre; an isolated-room mystery, "The Evil Guest"; and "The Room in the Dragon Volant," easily one of the best mystery-adventure stories of the nineteenth century. Several of these stories have never before been reprinted.
Night-Side: 18 Tales
Joyce Carol Oates - 1977
In relating those psychological experiences in the borderland between reality and surreality, Miss Oates enters the mysterious realm of the paranormal, the world of extrasensory perception, "the other worlds of dreams and nightmares, mediums and odd happenings...."Each of us has, to a degree, a private night-side of his own, but in this collection the author, with her uniquely penetrating sense of "the other," brings the reader "through darkened landscapes on untraveled roads to solitary and unfamiliar borders" he has not journeyed before.(from inside jacket)
A Nest of Nightmares
Lisa Tuttle - 1986
Sylvia would take long walks in the country; Pam would have tea ready by the fire for when she returned. Nice fantasies...The house had that kind of effect on people. It felt cosy, lived-in, though it had been empty for many years. Oddly, there was rubbish everywhere, but there was no other sign of a squatter's brief inhabitation.And though the windows were unbroken. the doors securely locked, Pam could never entirely rid herself of the thought that she and her sister might not be alone in the house...One of 13 terrifying tales of terror...
The Empty House and Other Ghost Stories
Algernon Blackwood - 1906
Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.
Black Spirits and White: A Book of Ghost Stories
Ralph Adams Cram - 1895
Gruesome apparitions, oppressive atmosphere, and throughout it all, a profound appreciation for the haunting beauty of Europe through the eyes of an American architect.This collection of six tales of the supernatural is an American fantasy cornerstone. "... foremost for horror fans is a small collection BLACK SPIRITS & WHITE ... hailed as one of the most extraordinary volumes of terror tales published. It includes his best-known story of a frightening journey through 'The Dead Valley,' which Lovecraft [in Supernatural Horror in Literature] singled out for praise." - Ashley, Who's Who in Horror and Fantasy Fiction, p. 58. "Excellent local color; transitional between the Victorian personal ghost story and the Edwardian interest in supernatural evil." - Bleiler, The Guide to Supernatural Fiction 442. "No. 252 Rue M. le Prince" is one of the very best haunted house stories. Barron (ed), Horror Literature 2-16.- No. 252 Rue M. Le Prince, - In Kropfsberg Keep, - The White Villa, - Sister Maddelena, - Notre Dame des Eaux, - The Dead Valley, - Postscript.
Julia
Peter Straub - 1975
Then a pretty blonde child runs into view, bringing with her an inexplicable suggestion of evil.Once Julia Lofting had a husband and a daughter. But everything has changed since she bolted from her marriage, in flight from the unbearable truth of her daughter's death. For Julia, there is no escape. Another child awaits, another mother suffers, and a circle of the damned gathers around her. The haunting has begun . . .
The Dark Country
Dennis Etchison - 1982
Dick and Thomas Harris, Etchinson's award-winning fiction is justly known for its creepy ambiance.
The Man-Wolf and Other Tales
Erckmann-Chatrian - 1860
Quality assurance was conducted on each of these books in an attempt to remove books with imperfections introduced by the digitization process. Though we have made best efforts - the books may have occasional errors that do not impede the reading experience. We believe this work is culturally important and have elected to bring the book back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.
Disciples of Cthulhu
Edward P. BerglundWalter C. DeBill Jr. - 1976
Lovecraft. Yet no other writer ever gathered a more devoted band of followers determined to give his creations immortality.Today the whole world knows of Lovecraft. Today the mythology of the Elder Gods, of the Great Old Ones, of Cthulhu, have become the Horror Pantheon of the science fiction and fantasy reading cosmos.In this remarkable new anthology, Edward P. Berglund has commissioned nine original tales of the Cthulhu Mythos -- nine terrifying tales of the inconceivable past and the unbearable mysteries of outer space and their impact on Earth. Here is Fritz Leiber with a long new novelette, and Eddy C. Bertin, and Lin Carter, and Brian Lumley, and Joseph Payne Brennan, and the others...Here are THE DISCIPLES OF CTHULHU. Read and tremble!
Scars and Other Distinguishing Marks
Richard Christian Matheson - 1987
'Red' seems to me to be a masterwork. 'Vampire' is a breathtaking work of virtuosity."—Dennis Etchison, from his Introduction"An impressive debut. These stories are all beautifully written and very, very disturbing."—Fangoria"Richard Christian Matheson's prose is elegant, yet spare. He is undoubtedly the master of the contemporary horror short story. His potent, subtle horror sneaks up on the reader and its echoes linger long after the story has ended."—Ellen Datlow, fiction editor, Omni
Lesser Demons
Norman Partridge - 2010
Cross-genre blowtorches with bad guys and worse guys. Love stories both dark and bittersweet. A brand new novella and extensive story notes. You’ll find this and more in the fifth collection from three-time Bram Stoker award-winner Norman Partridge, an author Locus calls “one of the most dependable, exciting, and entertaining practitioners of dark suspense and dark fantasy… emphasis on the dark.”In Lesser Demons, Partridge explores the kind of fiction that made him both a horror fan and a writer. Using the shotgun prose of a crime novel, the title story draws a deadly bead on H. P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos. “The Iron Dead” introduces Chaney, a monster-hunting pulp hero with a mechanical hand built in hell. “Carrion” cuts a mean swath through Robert E. Howard territory, while “The Big Man” explores dark shadows of American life never imagined in the atom-age horror movies of the fifties.Part celebration, part reinvention, Lesser Demons only serves to underscore RevolutionSF’s verdict: “Norman Partridge is the finest writer of short horror fiction going.” Table of Contents Second Chance The Big Man Lesser Demons Carrion The Fourth Stair up from the Second Landing And What Did You See in the World? Road Dogs The House Inside Durston The Iron Dead A Few Words AfterDust jacket by Vincent Chong
The Cthulhu Cycle: Thirteen Tentacles of Terror
Robert M. PriceLeonard Carpenter - 1996