Looking for an old story
 

I'm wondering if anyone can point me to a website or forum that discusses old horror anthologies. I'm looking for a story that I read back in high school (c.1975). I don't have a title or author, just a brief description of the plot. It really creeped me out and still gives me nightmares 30 years later. The weird thing is that nothing much happens in the story - just someone walking through a forest that seems "wrong", finding a dead spot and experiencing an overwhelming sense of dread, and realizing it's too late to make it back to safety before dark. For some reason I seem to think the author was European...don't know for sure. Any leads?

Hmmm... that's not really a whole lot to go on... but from your description, sounds like it could be:

Ramsey Campbell
Robert Aickman
M.R. James

From the time period, I'd say that Campbell or Aickman are the most likely culprits.

Yes, the description is really thin. I know it's not Ramsey Campbell - he also wrote a piece that gave me nightmares and I'd have remembered if he was the author.

Ive read this one, in fact I have it in a collection that's lying on my floor. Give me a minute, and I'll have it.

This might not be it now that I read some of it, sounds too complicated for your discrption.....but it has strong similarities.

Fishhead by Irvin S. Cobb...it was written LONG before the time period though.

Maybe it could be a short tale of Ambrose Bierce

You know, I kinda wish this guy would come back. I just re-read Fishhead, and Im pretty sure thats the one he's looking for. Would like to know if I was right...

By the way, Fishead is a really cool story, I recomend it.

I have a story,that i have only read once by Ramsey Campbell,that i think could b the story in question.. Its from an anthology i have titled Night Visions:The Hellbound Heart and also has that story of Clive Barkers which,by the way Hellraiser was based on. Anyway the anthology has3 stories by Lisa Tuttle and 7 stories by Ramsey Campbell in it and if i am not mistaken it is the first story by RC titled "In the trees" that i think may be the story, altho eden does not think it is.I may re-read it tonite to find out..however..even if its not the story ,it is fairly similiar.,and as with many of Ramsey's stories,very bizarre and eerie,in the style only he can write!

My bad.."In the trees" is copyright 1986..wrong time period i guess..but..still..very similiar story!

checking in
 

Thanks for the suggested titles - next time I'm online buying used books (which is often) I'll get both stories. I'm always up for Ramsey Campbell, since he's already scared the hell out of me once. I don't remember why I thought the author was European (Swedish? Norwegian?). Must have been something in the author's name or the story setting.

BTW - Has anyone read "The Hollow Man" by Norman Partridge? Short but tres scary.