SOLVED. Short story collection - Horror/possibly YA [s]

[Allison]

I remember bits of several of the stories!

1. A male little person in a "robot" (think R2D2 type robot) in a freak show type fair, I think. The main guy didn't let the little person out and he died, and the robot continued to move on it's own and haunted the guy.

2. Couple moves to a new town - they come to find out that everyone in the town has to sacrifice something to a demon or the devil or somebody supernatural and evil. The demon wants the couple's little girl's first joint of her pinky finger. I remember the demon/devil being outside the house and scrabbling around on the roof - maybe trying to come down the chimney.

3. One possibly about a teenage girl on a field trip with her class/school, and having to rescue the boy she likes (and other kids, maybe) from a siren. There is a large bridge and mist involved.

[Amanda]

The third story sounds familiar to me, as does the second. The first, not so much. I shall look and see if I have the book you are talking about. I know I read the third one for sure. I'll get back to you if I find anything.

[Allison]

Bump.

[Amanda]

I'm thinking this is Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark or More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. I know that one of them had the third story in it if I remember correctly. Not sure of the other two stories.

[Kaion]

The third sounds like Wrede's "The Lorelei". I read it in her Book of Enchantments, but it may have been collected elsewhere.

[Tess]

Okay, so #3 is almost certainly "Lorelei" by Patricia c wrede. I checked her complete bibliography on her webpage and that short story was never reprinted any where besides"Book Of Enchantments". Could you be confusing two collections?

[Allison]

It's entirely possible I'm mixing up two collections! I have Book of Enchantments at home, so I'll see if that's the one I'm thinking of.

I don't THINK I'm thinking of either of the Scary Stories to tell in the Dark books, but I'll have to find them and double check.

Thanks for the help and suggestions!

[Ann aka Iftcan]

Let us know if they are right or not. And I'm always mixing up collections Allison, simply because I've read so many of them.

[Allison]

I bet The Lorelai is the 3rd one, although I can't put my hands on my copy of Book of Enchantments (which I know I have somewhere, because I've made the After Battle Chocolate Cake before). So, yes, I'm mixing up two collections.

I flipped through the Scary Stories series in the library, and I'm positive the other two aren't from there - they're longer stories, and the Scary Stories stories are very short.

[Allison]

bump

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Allison, are you still looking for this collection or did you find it?

[Allison]

still looking, just forgot to bump. :)

[Tab]

How many years ago did you read this?

About how many stories were in the book? More than 10, more than 50?

Anything about the cover?

[Allison]

Oh, years - 15 or so, I would think. I think there were about 10-15 stories in the book, but I dont remember anything about the cover.

[Tab]

Oh, one more question: were all the stories by the same author?

[[deleted user]]

The first story is definitely from "The Haunted Planet" by Tony Tallarico.

[Allison]

I'll look for it- thanks!

[Allison]

Got the first and third stories figured out - any thoughts on the second, anyone?

[[deleted user]]

http://lucysfootball.com/2012/10/11/t... This person reviews each story in The Haunted Planet with some pix. If you can't get the book maybe you'd at least want to check it out.

[Allison]

I've got Haunted Planet, and that's the story about the robot, and the Lorelei story is from Book of Enchantments - it's just the pinky finger book I can't figure out!

[[deleted user]]

I understood that. I was just adding it for curious folk etc. Good luck.

[[deleted user]]

Thanks for the link Corinne, that review was hilarious! :)

[[deleted user]]

I thought so too and your welcome. :)

[Allison]

Bump, as still looking for the second story.

[Phil]

The second story was in an anthology called Halloween Horrors

[Allison]

That is it! I followed a link to look at different covers, and I read the one with the jack o lantern crying blood.

Thank you!

[[deleted user]]

for the link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

I'm very confused. Are all of these in the same anthology, in two different anthologies, or in three different anthologies? Or is that still undetermined?

[Justanotherbiblophile]

Lobstergirl, there are at *least* two collections. "Lorelei" is only in one collection: Book of Enchantments by Patricia C. Wrede.

I'm assuming the first one is: "The Robot’s Revenge" by(?) Tony Tallarico, based on the story title - from the identified collection: The Haunted Planet

Although the name of the 2nd story would be nice; I'm guessing based off of the short synopses posted on the GR page (none of which is a good match) that it is:

"He'll come knocking at your door" by Robert R. McCammon

Which is listed from this collection: Halloween Horrors