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MY NEW HORROR FICTION EZINE
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MY TOP TEN HORROR STORIES
MY TOP TEN HORROR SHORT STORIES
Here are, in my humble opinion, the best horror short fiction to date. It was obviously very difficult to narrow it down to ten but sacrifice is a price of any project. I can’t recommend these tales enough. If you enjoy good horror fiction be sure to locate a copy of each and every one (I included at least one source for each, although you can probably simply download them from the internet).
1“THE MONKEY’S PAW” by W. W. Jacobs – from “The lady of the barge”
In my opinion, the most unsettling piece of short fiction out there. Although similar to the Faust stories in context, Jacobs creates a truly unnerving piece that settles on your mind like a wet blanket, heavy and suffocating. A classic tale laced with a strong moral issue. The first time I read this was late at night in my music studio. Big mistake. Superb.
2 “THE MIST” by Stephen King- from “Skeleton Crew”
When I first read this one I really had no idea what it was about. At the time I was just getting turned on to Mr. King’s work and I must admit I was a bit dismayed at its length. I love stories where the monsters are unleashed with reckless abandon and in this one King gives them free reign. His vivid descriptions of the creatures (and there’s plenty of them) as well as a wide array
of complex and interesting characters produces a fast-paced and incredibly disturbing piece. The ending is also quite satisfying due to the simple fact that it satisfies no one, which feels like stark realism in the extreme. Read it and tell me it doesn’t stick in your head (and your nightmares) for weeks afterward.
3 “THE CALL OF CTHULHU” by H.P. Lovecraft- from “The Color of Evil”
The great Lovecraft’s entry is so superbly rendered that you’ll be afraid to go on that next boating trip. His descriptions of distorted and unnatural architecture add beautiful realism to the sunken corpse city of R’lyeh. And when the Great Old One finally makes his unholy appearance the sheer terror in Lovecraft’s words are beyond comprehension. Pity reigns supreme in the reader’s feelings towards the poor unfortunates who stumble upon Cthulhu’s abode. And to top it off, Lovecraft recites, in my humble opinion, one of the great lines in horror fiction.
“The most merciful thing in the world is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. But someday the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the deadly light.”
Brilliant.
4 “THE GRAVEDIGGER’S TALE” by Simon Clark- from “Year’s best Horror Stories XVIII
Mr. Clark weaves a gloomy, intense beast that unfolds with deliberate pacing and delivers a knockout ending. Any tale concerning gravediggers is all right in (pardon the pun) my book. Interesting, imaginative and scary. Read it.
5 “…AND EIGHT RABID PIGS” by David Gerrold- from “Night Screams”
Weird, weird, weird. I love the in-depth depictions of the, shall we say opposite of old Kris Kringle. It’s hard to imagine a nastier creation that oddly enough can be related to. And you’ll never see the ending coming, it’s the bits and pieces that nightmares are made of. Good stuff. Good, scary stuff.
6 “SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN” by Stephen King- from “Nightmares and Dreamscapes”
When I read that they nearly deleted this horrific little gem from the Nightmares and Dreamscapes collection I screamed foul. Outrage! Blasphemy! Thank goodness they kept it. Using children as a canvas for portraying evil is hardly anything new but King pulls it off easily. I highly recommend the parts in the school bathroom and when one of the ’things’ reveals itself for what it actually is. A truly frightening piece that will have you looking twice and scrutinizing every aspect of every child you come across…just to make sure they’re human.
7 “TIGHT LITTLE STITCHES IN A DEAD MAN’S BACK” by
Joe R. Lansdale- from “By Bizarre Hands”
My first introduction to Joe R. Lansdale’s fiction was a memorable trip into a surrealistic nightmare that is difficult to forget. Tight Little Stitches (cool name) delves into a post-apocalyptic world where roses (roses?) snake around looking for prey. Scary and bizarre in the extreme, Lansdale’s engrossing tale is unforgettable.
8 “RAINY SEASON” by Stephen King- from “Nightmares and Dreamscapes”
Stephen King’s third entry into the list is an action packed tale whose premise, although nothing new, is nonetheless captivating and frightening. You will feel genuinely sorry for the poor souls trapped in this one. And you’ll never look at frogs the same way again.
9 “LOVE LETTERS FROM THE RAIN FOREST” by Jack Ketchum and Edward Lee- from “Hot Blood Series, Fear the Fever”
An entry worthy in anyone’s list. These two talented authors collaborate to produce an inventive, scientifically accurate and erotic story with excellent characterization and descriptions so unsettling you’ll be checking under your
shirt to make sure nothing is growing there. Viruses running amok are always good for a scare or two…or three…or four…or five…
10 “HELL BENT” by Ford McCormack from “Devils and Demons”
I don’t think there has ever been a more vivid and detailed description of Hell, Satan and the various demons that populate the Abyss in horror fiction. This one had a profound effect on me when I first read it and spurred me to dabble in horror writing. Items of note in this one are Satan’s reaction to the victim’s pleadings about his ‘rules’ and the ingenious ending, which might have failed in the hands of a lesser author. Highly, highly recommended.
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