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Horror Stories
Chills, spills and empty coffins! This wide-ranging collection of twenty-four spine-tingling stories draws on the best traditions of classic horror, from powerful myths and folktales to contemporary stories of man-made terrors. With contributions by writers of the calibre of John Steinbeck, Edgar Allen Poe, Charles Dickens, T. H. White, Philip K. Dick and Stephen King, this is a truly chilling anthology.
224 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 1995
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November 29, 2022PLACEHOLDER REVIEWS
"The Dancing Partner" by Jerome K. Jerome - an expert maker of clockwork figures turns his skills towards the complaints of young women of his association who are unhappy with their choice of dancing partners at the grand balls. But ingenuity ends in tragedy. There's so much to like about this piece - its succinctness, its restraint (it lets you know that awfulness has happened without spelling it fully out), its prescience (as we enter the age of AI, for good or ill), its (possible) awareness its own lineage (I imagine Jerome must have read Hoffmann's "The Sandman" and incorporated its tale of the proto-android Olympia). A good 'un.
"The Dancing Partner" by Jerome K. Jerome - an expert maker of clockwork figures turns his skills towards the complaints of young women of his association who are unhappy with their choice of dancing partners at the grand balls. But ingenuity ends in tragedy. There's so much to like about this piece - its succinctness, its restraint (it lets you know that awfulness has happened without spelling it fully out), its prescience (as we enter the age of AI, for good or ill), its (possible) awareness its own lineage (I imagine Jerome must have read Hoffmann's "The Sandman" and incorporated its tale of the proto-android Olympia). A good 'un.
October 30, 2008
What could be better this time of year than a collection of spooky tales? Susan Price has filled the order with twenty-four short stories from the likes of John Steinbeck, Stephen King and Charles Dickens. Don't let the name Stephen King frighten you, though. The works in this book are relatively tame and aimed toward a younger (pre-teen?) audience. It is well-worth readng, even if just to enjoy The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe, which has always been a favorite of mine. From the ghost of a murderer to a troll, Grendel the monster to needy chewing gum, this book has a story to suit every taste. My rating: 3/5
October 24, 2022
This was fine, didn’t realize it was more a kids book but I would have if I had read the back! 😂 still got a kick out of the odd stories.
July 29, 2016
I bought this book at a used book store for fifty cents and got WAY more than my money’s worth.
This is one of the best horror anthologies I’ve ever read. It contains twenty-four stories from twenty-four different authors. It includes some of my all-time favorites, such as “The Room in the Tower” by E.F. Benson and “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, and some of the weirdest stories I’ve ever read, like “Something” by Joan Aiken and “The Famous Five Go Pillaging” by Terry Jones and Michael Palin. It also includes stories by Stephen King, Guy de Maupassant, and Charles Dickens, among others.
These stories make for great read-alouds, so gather any children you can find and open up this spine-tingling volume. I suggest you start with “The Affair at 7 Rue de M—” by John Stienbeck, which is about a sinister piece of bubble gum.
This is one of the best horror anthologies I’ve ever read. It contains twenty-four stories from twenty-four different authors. It includes some of my all-time favorites, such as “The Room in the Tower” by E.F. Benson and “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, and some of the weirdest stories I’ve ever read, like “Something” by Joan Aiken and “The Famous Five Go Pillaging” by Terry Jones and Michael Palin. It also includes stories by Stephen King, Guy de Maupassant, and Charles Dickens, among others.
These stories make for great read-alouds, so gather any children you can find and open up this spine-tingling volume. I suggest you start with “The Affair at 7 Rue de M—” by John Stienbeck, which is about a sinister piece of bubble gum.
April 8, 2017
I have a bit of an issue with horror stories in that, whereas thrillers are often thrilling and comedies comic, I rarely find horror horrifying. Rather, they tend to describe something that the protagonist finds horrifying, but I'm left one step removed. None of these stories change my mind about horror, but they're mainly decent little tales - and anything that acts as a gateway drug for more PK Dick, whose story here is the standout for me, can only be a good thing.
July 24, 2013
I think this book was ok. It has a few ok stories and it had pretty good writing in it. I liked the cute pictures in this book.
July 19, 2017
"The Kit-Bag" by Algernon Blackwood is one of the scariest stories I've ever read.
"The Room in the Tower" by E. F. Benson has a scary part.
-05/01/04
"The Room in the Tower" by E. F. Benson has a scary part.
-05/01/04
October 26, 2013
Unfortunately, this wasn't great.
January 18, 2018
Ever had a book you took out from the library frequently as a kid, then just sort of forgot until a few years later? That’s the case with me and this book. I forget exactly how, but one day, I was reminded of the book, and decided to look it up. Then, when I managed to find a decent copy of the book online for an affordable price, I snagged it for my collection.
Consisting of 24 stories, the book has an awesome selection - you know the book’s going to be good when the first story is the Stephen King short “Here There by Tygers” (no, that’s not a typo). I remember being quite creeped out by that one, especially the part when the main protagonist is told that he’d been gone six years. Obviously that’s not possible in real life, but I didn’t realize that as a kid, so it’s an awesome choice for the book. Others that will haunt readers include “The Kit-Bag,” “The Dancing Partner” and “Teddies Rule, OK?”
Another reason the book has stuck for me so long, and why I was happy to get a copy, is the illustrations. Drawn by the late Harry Horse, the images are simplistic yet detailed at the same time, and in some cases use some incredible shading. Sure, they’re not Stephen Gammell-level detailed, but they still enhance the stories.
Probably the only gripe I have with the book is one of the stories it includes - specifically, “The Pear Drum.” Because that one gets included in horror story collections a lot, it’s somewhat cliché, and could definitely have been replaced by a better choice. The illustration for it, though, is quite creepy, and largely overshadows the presence of an overused story. Some of the stories even include multiple illustrations, which is a nice bonus - ever read a book where you wanted to see a moment get drawn that didn't? Large and by, that's not the case here.
To wrap up the review, the book absolutely lives up to its tagline as "a spine-tingling collection." If you're one of those people who liked taking out scary story books from the library as a kid, this is right up your alley.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Consisting of 24 stories, the book has an awesome selection - you know the book’s going to be good when the first story is the Stephen King short “Here There by Tygers” (no, that’s not a typo). I remember being quite creeped out by that one, especially the part when the main protagonist is told that he’d been gone six years. Obviously that’s not possible in real life, but I didn’t realize that as a kid, so it’s an awesome choice for the book. Others that will haunt readers include “The Kit-Bag,” “The Dancing Partner” and “Teddies Rule, OK?”
Another reason the book has stuck for me so long, and why I was happy to get a copy, is the illustrations. Drawn by the late Harry Horse, the images are simplistic yet detailed at the same time, and in some cases use some incredible shading. Sure, they’re not Stephen Gammell-level detailed, but they still enhance the stories.
Probably the only gripe I have with the book is one of the stories it includes - specifically, “The Pear Drum.” Because that one gets included in horror story collections a lot, it’s somewhat cliché, and could definitely have been replaced by a better choice. The illustration for it, though, is quite creepy, and largely overshadows the presence of an overused story. Some of the stories even include multiple illustrations, which is a nice bonus - ever read a book where you wanted to see a moment get drawn that didn't? Large and by, that's not the case here.
To wrap up the review, the book absolutely lives up to its tagline as "a spine-tingling collection." If you're one of those people who liked taking out scary story books from the library as a kid, this is right up your alley.
Rating: 4 out of 5
July 29, 2025
I enjoy horror anthologies and I was directly recommended this book by the proprietress of a bookstore in Arcata. Because it’s not itself a story but instead a collection of stories, I shall give it a couple quick reviews of the stories I liked or didn’t care for.
• I REALLY liked “The Boy Next Door” by Ellen Emerson White. As I mentioned below I like tightly focused single scene stories and this one really nailed the set-up and tense execution as its narrator struggled to stay calm and weave a story. Those kind of “Arabian Nights”/“Forced to tell a story or die” setups are always a real treat. The setting itself is just real enough to happen but just horrible enough to feel like a nightmare, which is a solid line to stride.
• I also really enjoyed the horrific and understated fairy tale nature of “The Dancing Partner” by Jerome K. Jerome. It has the guy turning quality of watching an industrial accident or watching a corpse rag doll, even though it’s not particularly gory in its description.
“Feeding the dog” by the editor herself was a highlight, a very classic kind of comeuppance tale.
But wasn’t as big on “The dog got them” as it just felt kind of odd/disconnected.
“Grendel the Monster” wasn’t really horror inasmuch as mythological epic.
“A grave misunderstanding” by Leon Garfield was another fun one. I enjoy short stories that tightly focus on a single specific scene or event and play through it in detail a bit more than the more largely spread ones.
“Captain Murderer” by Charles Dickens was just kind of weird and goofy honestly.
“Nule” was unnerving but just kind of ends? It would have been cool to see that developed further.
“The fantastic five go pillaging” was a rather comedically morbid story that excelled in grotesque understatement in a very “Addams Family”-like fashion.
• I REALLY liked “The Boy Next Door” by Ellen Emerson White. As I mentioned below I like tightly focused single scene stories and this one really nailed the set-up and tense execution as its narrator struggled to stay calm and weave a story. Those kind of “Arabian Nights”/“Forced to tell a story or die” setups are always a real treat. The setting itself is just real enough to happen but just horrible enough to feel like a nightmare, which is a solid line to stride.
• I also really enjoyed the horrific and understated fairy tale nature of “The Dancing Partner” by Jerome K. Jerome. It has the guy turning quality of watching an industrial accident or watching a corpse rag doll, even though it’s not particularly gory in its description.
“Feeding the dog” by the editor herself was a highlight, a very classic kind of comeuppance tale.
But wasn’t as big on “The dog got them” as it just felt kind of odd/disconnected.
“Grendel the Monster” wasn’t really horror inasmuch as mythological epic.
“A grave misunderstanding” by Leon Garfield was another fun one. I enjoy short stories that tightly focus on a single specific scene or event and play through it in detail a bit more than the more largely spread ones.
“Captain Murderer” by Charles Dickens was just kind of weird and goofy honestly.
“Nule” was unnerving but just kind of ends? It would have been cool to see that developed further.
“The fantastic five go pillaging” was a rather comedically morbid story that excelled in grotesque understatement in a very “Addams Family”-like fashion.
December 31, 2024
A fun collection of horror stories both folk and written by modern authors.
Picked it up at a cool used book store in Waterdown, ON: Pickwick Books.
My favorite stories would probably be "The boy next door" by Ellen Emerson White with an unexpected twist at the end and "Ring" by Margaret Bingley which ended up being a bit creepier than I expected. But overall most stories were very entertaining though not spine chilling as the cover of my edition promised them to be.
Picked it up at a cool used book store in Waterdown, ON: Pickwick Books.
My favorite stories would probably be "The boy next door" by Ellen Emerson White with an unexpected twist at the end and "Ring" by Margaret Bingley which ended up being a bit creepier than I expected. But overall most stories were very entertaining though not spine chilling as the cover of my edition promised them to be.
May 10, 2018
reading this when I was young certainly made my imagination go wild. it did scare me a bit especially with the illustrations. now that I am older I actually smiled at how silly it was to be scared of such stories. enjoyed it and loved reading different imaginations of different authors. in a way I can start choosing which horror story teller to read for next.
August 2, 2020
Some gems, some duds. Not much horror either way, and only one or two stories were unsettling. Perhaps five were genuinely good literature. The Stephen King story was a great disappointment, and even Philip K. Dick's piece was dull.
July 4, 2022
A good, if unremarkable, collection of horror stories. Not much to say about this one, none of the stories really jumped out at me, but none were bad either.
March 29, 2023
Only a handful of stories were good. Really liked The Ring.
Want to read
May 7, 2025The cutting is for The Affair at 7, Rue de M --
By John Steinbeck
By John Steinbeck
August 3, 2022
It is hard to review The Dark Side: Truly Terrifying Tales because the stories varied so much in quality. There were stories from famous writers such as Edgar Allen Poe and Stephen King, as well as stories from lesser known writers, and there were a few adaptations of myths from various parts of the world. Overall, I enjoyed the anthology. The stories are geared towards young people and are mildly scary and definitely entertaining. There is no extremely graphic violence and no sexually explicit material, making this a suitable anthology for older children. (May be too scary for little ones) Some of the topics of the stories included a man's encounter with a troll in the frozen wilderness, a toy teddy bear that is given too much robotic intelligence by an inventor, a story of a young werewolf, and a ring with supernatural powers.
July 5, 2010
This is the kind of story selection I would have loved when I was in middle school. These are a little older than the Alvin Schwartz stories, but similar in style. These have a little more story to them and are a touch more developed. I couldn't finish the entire collection, because I knew I would be having nightmares.
Readers who love the strange and supernatural, are fascinated by urban legend, and can stand a chill or two running down their back will probably be interested.
Spooks. Murders.
Readers who love the strange and supernatural, are fascinated by urban legend, and can stand a chill or two running down their back will probably be interested.
Spooks. Murders.
January 23, 2016
Very Spooky - The stories are chosen by author Susan Price and include Stephen King, Charles Dickens, Joan Aiken, John Steinbeck, Vivien Alcock, Edgar Allan Poe, and Margaret Bingley. My favorites were "The Ring" and "The Room in the Tower." Some of the stories are predictable, but some are not and they are the truly scary ones! Don't read before bedtime!
October 24, 2013
Great collection of old and new(ish) horror stories. My favourites included E.F. Benson's "The Room in the Tower", Nicholas Fisk's "Teddies Rule, OK?", Ellen Emerson White's "The Boy Next Door" and Joan Aikin's "Something".
February 19, 2009
Way more interesting then I thought it would be to tell you the truth.
December 18, 2015
not scary
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews