Reccomend some good short story collections?

[Sick_As_Fuck]

Can anyone refer to me some good short story collections? Like ones that are actually scary? My mom used to always buy me short story books from thrift stores and what not, but as I was goin' over them this past week they all seemed too childish for me now. So any help would be appreciated.

[avenger00soul]

The Books of Blood 1-3 by Clive Barker
Night Shift by Stephen King
Blue World by Robert R. McCammon

[Sick_As_Fuck]

Good lookin'. Thanks.

[dmihatmttl]

Avenger had some great recommendations there. I'd second those, most definitely. Also, you can't go wrong with the following:


- BY BIZARRE HANDS or HIGH COTTON by Joe R. Lansdale (single-author collection)
- THE COLLECTION by Bentley Little (single-author collection)
- SKELETON CREW by Stephen King (single-author collection)
- SOFT AND OTHERS by F. Paul Wilson (single-author collection)
- THE BEST OF CEMETERY DANCE Volumes 1 and 2, Edited by Richard Chizmar
- SILVER SCREAM, Edited by David J. Schow
- MOONCHASERS AND OTHER STORIES by Ed Gorman (not really horror, per se, but the greatest single-author collection I have *ever* read)
- NO REST FOR THE WICKED by Brian Keene (single-author collection by a good buddy o' mine)
- SHOCK ROCK Volumes 1 and 2, Edited by Jeff Gelb (rock horror collection -- it doesn't get much better than that!)
- THE ASYLUM Volumes 1 and 2 (maybe I'm a bit biased on this one, though, 'cause I'm in Volume 2 :)
- RANDOM ACTS OF WEIRDNESS (ditto THE ASYLUM)


Hope this leads you to some good reading! Happy hunting . . . .



J.N.
http://members.tripod.com/~NEWMANATOR/index.html

[avenger00soul]

The first story in Skeleton Crew, The Mist, is completely awesome and worth your time. I had forgotten about that book. I have been meaning to check out Joe Lansdale for some time. My local bookstore doesn't seem to carry him. What are your thoughts on him?

[dmihatmttl]

Oh, don't get me started, bud . . . if I had to pick *one* favorite writer, it'd be Lansdale. He's just amazing -- the type of author who makes me wanna just give it up 'cause I know I'll never be half that good. :)

Lansdale rarely writes horror anymore, but he's still fantastic. There's always a touch of "darkness" to what he does. A few of my favorites, besides the aforementioned short stories: MUCHO MOJO, THE TWO-BEAR MAMBO, COLD IN JULY, A THIN DARK LINE, and THE BOTTOMS.

If you end up liking BOY'S LIFE, Avenger, pick up THE BOTTOMS and A THIN DARK LINE *immediately*. They're right up the same alley . . . .


Check 'em out. Talk to you later.



J.N.
http://members.tripod.com/~NEWMANATOR/index.html

[avenger00soul]

Thanks again dmihatmttl. I'll have to check those out. Like I said, I'm going to read through the dark tower stuff first and then start on Boy's Life. I'm looking forward to it though.

[Tony]

My favorite collection of short stories is The Crow: Shattered Lives and Broken dreams. It even has a Crow short story written by Henry Rollins.

[Krzychu]

Lovecraft has wrote many short stories. I recomended! Good short stories wrote Clive Barker in 80's. Avenger specified Books of Blood 1- 3 I would like to add Books of Blood 4-6 - great things too!!

[avenger00soul]

Originally posted by Krzychu
Good short stories wrote Clive Barker in 80's. Avenger specified Books of Blood 1- 3 I would like to add Books of Blood 4-6 - great things too!!

I didn't know there was a 4-6 but I checked them out online. I own those but they are under a different title. My books are called The Inhuman Condition, In the Flesh, and Cabal. I thought you were crazy there for a minute. Haha

[slasher]

I would like to add two collections to this already amazing list. They are :
999: A New Collection of Horror and Suspense
( It says new but it came out in 1999 hence the title, but still really good, especially the short novel at the end called Elseware)

365 horror stories
This is a horror story a day for a year. There are 365 of them and they are each only about 3 pages long. I never realized that you could fit somuch in less than three pages.:eek:

[ChaoticMinister]

Here's a site I just found out about today in my Creative Writing class:

http://www.pulpbits.com

Knock yourself out :P

*FADE OUT*

[azor]

if you wanna try something new, find a book called IO, by simon logan. i've never read anything like it. i guess you could call it industrial horror. very creepy and at time sick.

[simonlogan]

I'm not sick!

[heapodd]

It has to be the master at short story horror writing - Edgar Allen Poe. Some of them are a bit strange though.

[FangoFan]

The Books of Blood trilogy by Clive Barker

[bloodrayne]

Masters of Darkness 1, 2, and 3...Guaranteed to have ALL of your favorites and many, many more...

Have you tried Stephen King's "Everything's Eventual"...If not, you REALLY should...

[FangoFan]

If you like good erotic horror stories read Love In Vein books

[livin_dead_88]

dmihatmttl, is right about A Thin Dark Line, it was an excellent book. Tami Hoag wrote it. Hell I liked it so much taht I bought it, and I read some of her other books they are all good that I have read so far.
If you Like A Thin Dark Line try:
*Ashes to Ashes
*Dust to Dust
*There are alot of other ones I just cant think of there names off the top of my head, Theres just to many of them written by Tami Hoag.
If you like thoughs try Laural K Hamilton, (best author on the face of the earth.
****Happy Reading****

[predfan]

ok this is about 10 or more years old, but its called 'the giant book of best new horror'

[dmihatmttl]

Actually, I was referring to A FINE DARK LINE by Joe R. Lansdale. I screwed up the title -- I sincerely apologize for the confusion (especially considering how pathetic it was for me to do this, as Lansdale is my favorite author!).

I do have a Hoag book on my shelf waiting to be read, though. I'll have to check it out next, on your recommendation.


Take care,



James N.
http://members.tripod.com/~NEWMANATOR/index.html

[Popcorn King]

Some of these have been mentioned already, so forgive my reiteration:

Stephen King - Night Shift, Skeleton Crew, Nightmares and Dreamscapes, Everything's Eventual, etc.

Clive Barker - Books of Blood vols.1-5(4&5 being known as The Inhuman Condition & In the Flesh ). Didn't care for #6 (Cabal), but perhaps that's just me.

Edgar Allan Poe - complete works. What can be said: he is the master, the originator.

H.P. Lovecraft - same as above. There are various collections of his stories floating around; Tales of H.P. Lovecraft edited by Joyce Carol Oates is as good a place to start as any.

Richard Matheson - another must-read. Again, there are various collections of his stories out there, you just have to look.

Fredric Brown - one of the best short story writers of all time.

Charles Beaumont - another great one, and like Matheson, wrote some of the best Twilight Zone episodes.

Karl Edward Wagner - Why Not You and I?
Exorcisms and Ecstacies

Joe R. Lansdale - Anything you can get our hands on by this guy. One of my favorites (as my s/n would indicate).

Robert Aickman - Cold Hand in Mine
Painted Devils

Ramsey Campbell - This guy's got quite a few collections of short stories, and they are all good.

David J. Schow - Seeing Red
Lost Angels

Shirley Jackson - The Lottery and other stories

Robert Bloch - another master storyteller. Various collections of his stories around.

You might also want to check out some short story collections of a couple masters of the ghosts story, Algernon Blackwood and Ambrose Bierce.

The following are a few anthologies I've come across that might be worth your time:

Midnight Graffiti edited by Jessie Horsting & James Van Hise - contains one of my favorite short stories ever, Emerald City Blues by Stephen R. Boyett.

Prime Evil edited by Douglas E. Winter

Cutting Edge edited by Dennis Etchison

Year's Best Fantasy and Horror edited by Ellen Datlow and Terry Windling. This series is still ongoing, but you can find older editions in used bookstores.


Well, I'm sure I've forgotten many, but this would be a good start.:D