Best Horror Short Story Collection

[Guttersnipe]

Night Shift by Stephen King
The October Country by Ray Bradbury
In a Glass Darkly by Sheridan LeFanu

 

[Randy M.]

Somehow yesterday I forgot,
William Hope Hodgson: “The Voice in the Night”
Ambrose Bierce: “The Damned Thing”; “The Middle Toe of the Right Foot”; “Oil of Dog”
Robert Barbor Johnson: “Far Below”
Ray Russell: “Sagittarius”; “Sardonicus”


The following are mainly post-1970, I think. Again, some non-supernatural, a few lean toward s.f. and a few toward fantasy.

Harlan Ellison: “The Whimper of Whipped Dogs”
George R. R. Martin: “Sandkings”; “Nightflyers”
Bob Leman: “Window”
Ramsey Campbell: “The Interloper”; “The Tugging”; “Cold Print”;
Octavia Butler: “Bloodchild”
Dennis Etchison: “It Only Comes Out at Night”
Poppy Z. Brite (a.k.a.: Billie Collins): “His Mouth Will Taste of Wormwood”; “Calcutta: Lord of Nerves”; “The Ash of Memory, the Dust of Desire”
Kathe Koja: “Angels in Love”
Jonathan Carroll: “The Panic Hand”; “Black Cocktail”
Michael Blumlein: “The Brains of Rats”; “Tissue Ablation and Regeneration: A Case Study”
Thomas Ligotti: “The Frolic”; “Les Fleurs”; “Nethescurial” “Conversations in a Dead Language”
Stephen King: “The Mist”
Joe Haldeman: “Graves”
Fred Chappell: “The Adder”
Steve Duffy: “The Clay Party”
Glen Hirshberg: “Struwellpeter”; “Mr. Dark’s Carnival”
Neil Gaiman: “Snow, Glass, Apples”; “Only the End of the World Again”;
Caitlin R. Kiernan: “La Peau Verte”; “A Redress for Andromeda”; “Valentina”
John Langan: “On Skua Island”; “Mr. Gaunt”; “City of the Dog”; “The Revel”
Tim Lebbon: “White”
Michael Shea: “The Autopsy”
William Gay: “The Paperhanger”
Stephen Graham Jones: “Mapping the Interior”
M. (Mary) Rickert: “Was She Wicked? Was She Good?”
Laird Barron: “Old Virginia”; Shiva, Open Your Eye”
T. E. D. Klein: “Black Man with a Horn”; “The Events at Poroth Farm”
Charles Stross: “The Colder War”
Tananarive Due: “Ghost Summer”
Elizabeth Hand: “Cleopatra Brimstone”: “Near Zennor”
Alexander Irvine: “The Golems of Detroit”
Graham Joyce: “Leningrad Nights”
Jack Ketchem: “The Box”
Valerie Martin: “Sea Lovers”
Brian MacNaughton: “The Throne of Bones”
James Tiptree, Jr.: “The Screwfly Solution”; “The Last Flight of Dr. Ain”
Sarah Monette: “Bringing Helena Back”
Kim Newman: “Cold Snap”; “Out of the Night, When the Full Moon is Bright”; “Illimitable Domain”
Lisa Tuttle: “The Nest”; “Bughouse”; “Treading the Maze”
Reggie Oliver: “Mrs. Midnight”
Robert Silverberg: “Passengers”
Angela Slatter: “The Coffin-Maker’s Daughter”
Peter Straub: “Pork Pie Hat”; “The Ghost Village”
Karl Edward Wagner: “Sticks”; “The River of Night’s Dreaming”; “By Any Measure”; “In the Pines”: “Undertow”; “The Kind Men Like”
Connie Willis: “Jack”; “All My Darling Daughters”

Probably the biggest problem with these lists is that, because of the era I grew up in, they are heavily white, male. Also, over the last decade or so the output of horror/ghost stories has burgeoned and I'm not keeping up. There are probably a ton of new writers out there that I'm mostly unaware of.

 

[BAYLOR]

Murgunstrumm and Other Tales by Hugh B Cave Ive not read this collection of Horror stores , but have read others stories by this author. He's excellent.

 

[Davelectro]

Somehow yesterday I forgot,
William Hope Hodgson: “The Voice in the Night”
Ambrose Bierce: “The Damned Thing”; “The Middle Toe of the Right Foot”; “Oil of Dog”
Robert Barbor Johnson: “Far Below”
Ray Russell: “Sagittarius”; “Sardonicus”


The following are mainly post-1970, I think. Again, some non-supernatural, a few lean toward s.f. and a few toward fantasy.

Harlan Ellison: “The Whimper of Whipped Dogs”
George R. R. Martin: “Sandkings”; “Nightflyers”
Bob Leman: “Window”
Ramsey Campbell: “The Interloper”; “The Tugging”; “Cold Print”;
Octavia Butler: “Bloodchild”
Dennis Etchison: “It Only Comes Out at Night”
Poppy Z. Brite (a.k.a.: Billie Collins): “His Mouth Will Taste of Wormwood”; “Calcutta: Lord of Nerves”; “The Ash of Memory, the Dust of Desire”
Kathe Koja: “Angels in Love”
Jonathan Carroll: “The Panic Hand”; “Black Cocktail”
Michael Blumlein: “The Brains of Rats”; “Tissue Ablation and Regeneration: A Case Study”
Thomas Ligotti: “The Frolic”; “Les Fleurs”; “Nethescurial” “Conversations in a Dead Language”
Stephen King: “The Mist”
Joe Haldeman: “Graves”
Fred Chappell: “The Adder”
Steve Duffy: “The Clay Party”
Glen Hirshberg: “Struwellpeter”; “Mr. Dark’s Carnival”
Neil Gaiman: “Snow, Glass, Apples”; “Only the End of the World Again”;
Caitlin R. Kiernan: “La Peau Verte”; “A Redress for Andromeda”; “Valentina”
John Langan: “On Skua Island”; “Mr. Gaunt”; “City of the Dog”; “The Revel”
Tim Lebbon: “White”
Michael Shea: “The Autopsy”
William Gay: “The Paperhanger”
Stephen Graham Jones: “Mapping the Interior”
M. (Mary) Rickert: “Was She Wicked? Was She Good?”
Laird Barron: “Old Virginia”; Shiva, Open Your Eye”
T. E. D. Klein: “Black Man with a Horn”; “The Events at Poroth Farm”
Charles Stross: “The Colder War”
Tananarive Due: “Ghost Summer”
Elizabeth Hand: “Cleopatra Brimstone”: “Near Zennor”
Alexander Irvine: “The Golems of Detroit”
Graham Joyce: “Leningrad Nights”
Jack Ketchem: “The Box”
Valerie Martin: “Sea Lovers”
Brian MacNaughton: “The Throne of Bones”
James Tiptree, Jr.: “The Screwfly Solution”; “The Last Flight of Dr. Ain”
Sarah Monette: “Bringing Helena Back”
Kim Newman: “Cold Snap”; “Out of the Night, When the Full Moon is Bright”; “Illimitable Domain”
Lisa Tuttle: “The Nest”; “Bughouse”; “Treading the Maze”
Reggie Oliver: “Mrs. Midnight”
Robert Silverberg: “Passengers”
Angela Slatter: “The Coffin-Maker’s Daughter”
Peter Straub: “Pork Pie Hat”; “The Ghost Village”
Karl Edward Wagner: “Sticks”; “The River of Night’s Dreaming”; “By Any Measure”; “In the Pines”: “Undertow”; “The Kind Men Like”
Connie Willis: “Jack”; “All My Darling Daughters”

Probably the biggest problem with these lists is that, because of the era I grew up in, they are heavily white, male. Also, over the last decade or so the output of horror/ghost stories has burgeoned and I'm not keeping up. There are probably a ton of new writers out there that I'm mostly unaware of.

Thank you so much for the wonderful lists, many authors I've never heard of!

I'm currently in rebuying mode and am enjoying many of the classic authors once again and also checking out some "new guys" - the suggestions on this thread have been great, ty to everyone participating.

I still haven't decided on a table of contents but now have a wider consideration!

 

[BAYLOR]

Thank you so much for the wonderful lists, many authors I've never heard of!

I'm currently in rebuying mode and am enjoying many of the classic authors once again and also checking out some "new guys" - the suggestions on this thread have been great, ty to everyone participating.

I still haven't decided on a table of contents but now have a wider consideration!

The Night Wire by H F Arnold
The Acolytes of Cthulhu By Robert Price
Red Right Hand by Levi Black

 

[Davelectro]

The Night Wire by H F Arnold
The Acolytes of Cthulhu By Robert Price
Red Right Hand by Levi Black

The Night Wire is excellent, the others I'll have to check out those authors - never heard of either. TY!

 

[BAYLOR]

Fruiting Bodies and Other Fungi by Brian Lumley
Titus Crow by Brian Lumley

The Necroscope series by Brian Lumley

 

[BAYLOR]

The Night Wire is excellent, the others I'll have to check out those authors - never heard of either. TY!

I found The Nightwire to be very Chilling and excellent . I do wish Arnold had done more with it then he did though. That story has so much more potential.

The Acolytes of Cthulhu is an anthology Lovecraftain of stores by a variety of different writer, some familiar and some you've never heard of. Its superb collection of stories.

Red Right Hand by Levi Black is the first of a series off books ., I Nyarlthotep has taken on a disciple signed one very unwillingly knowing that here life could end on whim from from the crawling Chaos This woman has a unique gift that Nylarthope in human guise needs. He's got plans for mankind and universe and these plan are not very healthy.

The books by Brain Lumley are are interesting

Trusting Bodies and Other Fungi includes some his best short store and he short stories and novels set in Lovecraft's universe
Titus Crow contain two lovecraftain novels. This state is series where Cow and his associates do battle with the Minion of Cthulhu

Another water you might want ot look at is Pete Rawlik

Reanimators which is set in time frame and setting of Lovrecrafts stories Pete Rawliks novel The Weird Company is sequel to Lovecrats At The Mounts of Madness. Those in void in their store. character from Lovecraft's various stories.

 

[BAYLOR]

Getting back to short stories

Down There by Ramsey Campbell

The People of the Pit by Abraham Merritt

The Damed Thing by Ambrose Bierce

The Inmost Light by Arthur Machen

Upon the Dull Earth by Phillip K Dick and there is a very good reason why im recommending this particular short story by this author

The Salem Horror by Henry Kuttner

John The Balladeer by Manley Wade Wellman This isa collection of short stories . John travels though the mountains of Appachia armed with a mystical silver string guitar in which uses o battle the forces of supernatural evil . Wellman Las wrote the short story The Valley Was Still which the basis for a classic twilight zone episode Still Valley.

 

[Randy M.]

Trusting Bodies and Other Fungi includes some his best short store and he short stories and novels set in Lovecraft's universe
Titus Crow contain two lovecraftain novels. This state is series where Cow and his associates do battle with the Minion of Cthulhu

Fruiting Bodies and other Fungi -- you had it right earlier, Baylor.

A few more titles:

James Blish: "There Shall Be No Darkness"
Marjorie Bowen: "The Sign-Painter and the Crystal Fishes"; "The Crown Derby Plate"
Richard Matheson: "The Distributor"
Robert Aickman: "The Visiting Star"
Walter de la Mare: "Seaton's Aunt"; "Out of the Deeps"
Conrad Aiken: "Silent Snow, Secret Snow"
Leonid Andreyev: "Lazarus"
Bob Leman: "Instructions"
Fritz Leiber: "The Dreams of Albert Moreland"
Charles Beaumont: "Miss Gentilbell"

I feel like I should mention that the stories I've listed offer many "flavors." Some are truly horror, others lean toward fantasy, and either can be written with humor so that some are written tongue-in-cheek, and some dead serious.

 

[Davelectro]

I found The Nightwire to be very Chilling and excellent . I do wish Arnold had done more with it then he did though. That story has so much more potential.

The Acolytes of Cthulhu is an anthology Lovecraftain of stores by a variety of different writer, some familiar and some you've never heard of. Its superb collection of stories.

Red Right Hand by Levi Black is the first of a series off books ., I Nyarlthotep has taken on a disciple signed one very unwillingly knowing that here life could end on whim from from the crawling Chaos This woman has a unique gift that Nylarthope in human guise needs. He's got plans for mankind and universe and these plan are not very healthy.

The books by Brain Lumley are are interesting

Trusting Bodies and Other Fungi includes some his best short store and he short stories and novels set in Lovecraft's universe
Titus Crow contain two lovecraftain novels. This state is series where Cow and his associates do battle with the Minion of Cthulhu

Another water you might want ot look at is Pete Rawlik

Reanimators which is set in time frame and setting of Lovrecrafts stories Pete Rawliks novel The Weird Company is sequel to Lovecrats At The Mounts of Madness. Those in void in their store. character from Lovecraft's various stories.

Agree about The Nightwire, lots of places to go with that one! Would've made an excellent "1st movement" so to speak, in a themed short story book.

Interesting you bring up Lumely, I've got a couple of his short stories set aside to read. Can't remember if I've ever read anything by him in the past, but the name is familiar.

Thanks again, the suggestions are a huge help to me as I've been replacing my collection (long story - no pun intended) but am also acquiring works by authors that I'm unfamiliar with. Before I buy a collection, I like to read a couple short stories to see if I dig them.

 

[BAYLOR]

Agree about The Nightwire, lots of places to go with that one! Would've made an excellent "1st movement" so to speak, in a themed short story book.

Interesting you bring up Lumely, I've got a couple of his short stories set aside to read. Can't remember if I've ever read anything by him in the past, but the name is familiar.

Thanks again, the suggestions are a huge help to me as I've been replacing my collection (long story - no pun intended) but am also acquiring works by authors that I'm unfamiliar with. Before I buy a collection, I like to read a couple short stories to see if I dig them.

Three Men in the Dark : Tales of Terror by Jerome K. Jerome

 

[Davelectro]

JKJ is another author that I have in several collections/anthologies, etc., I'll have to add them to the TBR list - I'll take your advice if I like them, thanks!

 

[BAYLOR]

JKJ is another author that I have in several collections/anthologies, etc., I'll have to add them to the TBR list - I'll take your advice if I like them, thanks!

We've talked a bit about Wagner , Have ever read his Kane Novels and stories ?

 

[Randy M.]

JKJ is another author that I have in several collections/anthologies, etc., I'll have to add them to the TBR list - I'll take your advice if I like them, thanks!

Another I should pull off the TBR pile and read. Includes stories by Barry Pain and Robert Barr, thus the three men. The editor, Hugh Lamb, also edited ghost stories by E. Nesbit, In the Dark, which is good if you like old-fashioned ghost stories, and one by Erkmann-Chatrian, The Invisible Eye, which has more the feel of folk tales. There's also Ghosts in the House, stories by both Benson brothers not named E. F. (who is also a good ghost story writer), and The Black Reaper by Bernard Capes. I haven't read any of the former, but a few of Capes' which I found interesting.

 

[Davelectro]

We've talked a bit about Wagner , Have ever read his Kane Novels and stories ?

I've only read the horror stuff in collections, but it's quite a few, maybe 10 stories or so.

I know of Kane but haven't read any. From what I've read it's considered to be even better than his horror-fiction by many. I haven't read any Sword & Sorcery since I was a very young boy, trying to make heads or tails out of my older bro's REH Conan novels lol.

 

[Davelectro]

Another I should pull off the TBR pile and read. Includes stories by Barry Pain and Robert Barr, thus the three men. The editor, Hugh Lamb, also edited ghost stories by E. Nesbit, In the Dark, which is good if you like old-fashioned ghost stories, and one by Erkmann-Chatrian, The Invisible Eye, which has more the feel of folk tales. There's also Ghosts in the House, stories by both Benson brothers not named E. F. (who is also a good ghost story writer), and The Black Reaper by Bernard Capes. I haven't read any of the former, but a few of Capes' which I found interesting.

Thanks for those! I like all sorts of styles in horror-fiction, easy to please that way lol. Everything from folksy type tales like Manly Wade Wellman's 'Silver John' stories to M R James type stuff to ultra-modern, just about anything, really.

 

[Davelectro]

Oh and speaking of REH, I've just gotten 'The Horror Stories of REH' and there are several stories in there that I would've thought were S&S, but listed here under horror. Labels. Oh well.


BAYLOR Are there any Kane short stories that you would recommend?

 

[BAYLOR]

I've only read the horror stuff in collections, but it's quite a few, maybe 10 stories or so.

I know of Kane but haven't read any. From what I've read it's considered to be even better than his horror-fiction by many. I haven't read any Sword & Sorcery since I was a very young boy, trying to make heads or tails out of my older bro's REH Conan novels lol.

Yes , the Kane books are marvelous and I can't say enough good things about them. Kane is not the run of the mill sword and sorcery heroe. first of he immortal . His background story is interesting , The god that created mankind was demented lovecratain entity . Kane rebelled and sutured mankind int rebellion , in the fight killed Abel his brother. ( this is by any definition not the biblical version of Kane and Able) but Wagner did draw from it . Kane is cursed to immortality for his actions and can only die by violence but given the fact that he's alive tens of thousands of years after, killing hims is easier said than done. Kane's world is not earth but unnamed nightmare of planet . it's world heavily influenced not only buy REH but HP Lovecraft and Abraham Merritt . Yes, this world had magic and super Alien science too . Kane is a deadly fighter but he has very brilliant mind and a great sorcerer ,his goal is to rule the world . Wagner wrote 5 book in all
1. Bloodstone
2, Darkness Weaves
3. Dark Crusade
The above are full length novels all terrific
4. Death Angels Shadow cohosted of 3 short Novellas
5. Nightwinds consists of short stories

There is lot of horror in the Kane stories

This is also the recommend reading order of this books . The last Kans story that Wagner Wrote A Gothic Touch has Kane meet up with Eric of Melnibone and the demon sword Strombringer. . Elric is one the incarnation of The Eternal Champion I created buy Michal Moorcock. Wgner dies in 1994, he pretty much drank himself to death. He wrote na excellent Conan Pastishe Conan The Road of Kings and even better passive out another of REH's heroes Bran Man Morn The book is called Bran Man Morn The Legion from the Shadow. Its quite dark a nasty and in its own right its terrific fantasy novel. with an interesting story premise. revolving around a Roman Legion that vanished in Scotland.

Of Robert E Howard . In all he wrote 21 Conan stores , 17 of which were published his lifetime. Chronologically he wrote the series out order . The very first story The Phoenix On The Sword introduced the world to Conan as King of Aquilonia which existed in the Hyborian age which was 15,000 years before recorded history . Howard wrote an entire long detailed essay about nations and places of Hyboran age and he did maps too He was doing world building before Tolkien though not to the same extent of level of detail. He wrote one full Conan Novel Conan The Hour of the Dragon .whicis considered one of the best sword and sorcery fantasy novels written and it a fun read. Interestingly The first constant story started out as a King Kull story titled By this Axe I Rule. Kull lived 100,000 years ago in the thuraun age and he ruled Atlantis . Howard wrote only a few of those stories and they dint sell very which sad because they too are terrific stories. Bran Mac Morn another Howard hero lai Pictish Chieftain battalion rival and the Roan and in that version of anicfen Britain , all kind of horror exist below the ground . In The Bran story , Worms of the Earth Howard pulls out all the stops, there lots of horror in this one ! In his story Kings of the Night in this tour Bran is facing off agains the Romans , His ally Gonar the immortal sorcerer helps Bran by summoning King Kull from the past to help Bran Mac morn defeat the Romans. in this story you have three of Howard heroes together in one story you Bran man Morn, King Kull and and one of his other heroes Cormac Art This one you can find online. Howard also created the Puritan adventurer Solomon Kane. He wrote not no fantasy hsitcal adventure stories , sconce scion and horror . In short career which went from 1924 to 1936 he was quite prolific. One wonder what he might have been had he not died at age 30. Hoe bet friends were H P Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith. and whats interesting is none them ever met one anther face to face.


Ive read and re read Howard quite a bit and still enjoy them a the other worker you might fin od interest Gardener Francis Fox he was one the cocreator of the DC Carter Dr Fate. he wrote fantasy and Horror he gave the world Kothar the Barbarian who vein the distant future on another planet in which science has gone away and magic has returned.


Sword and sorcery no matter what age one is , is a worthwhile genre.

 

[Davelectro]

Yes , the Kane books are marvelous and I can't say enough good things about them. Kane is not the run of the mill sword and sorcery heroe. first of he immortal . His background story is interesting , The god that created mankind was demented lovecratain entity . Kane rebelled and sutured mankind int rebellion , in the fight killed Abel his brother. ( this is by any definition not the biblical version of Kane and Able) but Wagner did draw from it . Kane is cursed to immortality for his actions and can only die by violence but given the fact that he's alive tens of thousands of years after, killing hims is easier said than done. Kane's world is not earth but unnamed nightmare of planet . it's world heavily influenced not only buy REH but HP Lovecraft and Abraham Merritt . Yes, this world had magic and super Alien science too . Kane is a deadly fighter but he has very brilliant mind and a great sorcerer ,his goal is to rule the world . Wagner wrote 5 book in all
1. Bloodstone
2, Darkness Weaves
3. Dark Crusade
The above are full length novels all terrific
4. Death Angels Shadow cohosted of 3 short Novellas
5. Nightwinds consists of short stories

There is lot of horror in the Kane stories

This is also the recommend reading order of this books . The last Kans story that Wagner Wrote A Gothic Touch has Kane meet up with Eric of Melnibone and the demon sword Strombringer. . Elric is one the incarnation of The Eternal Champion I created buy Michal Moorcock. Wgner dies in 1994, he pretty much drank himself to death. He wrote na excellent Conan Pastishe Conan The Road of Kings and even better passive out another of REH's heroes Bran Man Morn The book is called Bran Man Morn The Legion from the Shadow. Its quite dark a nasty and in its own right its terrific fantasy novel. with an interesting story premise. revolving around a Roman Legion that vanished in Scotland.

Of Robert E Howard . In all he wrote 21 Conan stores , 17 of which were published his lifetime. Chronologically he wrote the series out order . The very first story The Phoenix On The Sword introduced the world to Conan as King of Aquilonia which existed in the Hyborian age which was 15,000 years before recorded history . Howard wrote an entire long detailed essay about nations and places of Hyboran age and he did maps too He was doing world building before Tolkien though not to the same extent of level of detail. He wrote one full Conan Novel Conan The Hour of the Dragon .whicis considered one of the best sword and sorcery fantasy novels written and it a fun read. Interestingly The first constant story started out as a King Kull story titled By this Axe I Rule. Kull lived 100,000 years ago in the thuraun age and he ruled Atlantis . Howard wrote only a few of those stories and they dint sell very which sad because they too are terrific stories. Bran Mac Morn another Howard hero lai Pictish Chieftain battalion rival and the Roan and in that version of anicfen Britain , all kind of horror exist below the ground . In The Bran story , Worms of the Earth Howard pulls out all the stops, there lots of horror in this one ! In his story Kings of the Night in this tour Bran is facing off agains the Romans , His ally Gonar the immortal sorcerer helps Bran by summoning King Kull from the past to help Bran Mac morn defeat the Romans. in this story you have three of Howard heroes together in one story you Bran man Morn, King Kull and and one of his other heroes Cormac Art This one you can find online. Howard also created the Puritan adventurer Solomon Kane. He wrote not no fantasy hsitcal adventure stories , sconce scion and horror . In short career which went from 1924 to 1936 he was quite prolific. One wonder what he might have been had he not died at age 30. Hoe bet friends were H P Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith. and whats interesting is none them ever met one anther face to face.


Ive read and re read Howard quite a bit and still enjoy them a the other worker you might fin od interest Gardener Francis Fox he was one the cocreator of the DC Carter Dr Fate. he wrote fantasy and Horror he gave the world Kothar the Barbarian who vein the distant future on another planet in which science has gone away and magic has returned.


Sword and sorcery no matter what age one is , is a worthwhile genre.

S&S certainly is worthwhile, although I was so young that I couldn't get the fullness of my bro's REH books......but fortunately for me, I had Conan & Kull comics, which dumbed them right down for me!

TY for all the suggestions & insights, they are much appreciated. I am somewhat familiar with Bra Mac Morn & Solomon Kane, as the Savage Sword of Conan magazine did 'Worms of Earth' and some SK in the back pages in the 70's. I remember them being awesome indeed. In fact, 'worms' is one of the stories in the 'Horror of REH' book, maybe I'll read that one first.