Horror & Ghost Stories Books

Book SynopsisA dazzling, provocative debut story collection from celebrated Indonesian writer Intan Paramaditha, putting fierce female characters centre stage in brilliantly funny and sharp twists on fairy tale. ‘Dark, subversive... Here are fairy tales and myths reworked with a feminist bent’ TatlerInspired by horror fiction, myths and fairy tales, Apple and Knife is an unsettling ride that swerves into the supernatural to explore the dangers and power of occupying a female body in today’s world. These stories set in the Indonesian everyday – in corporate boardrooms, in shanty towns, on dangdut stages – reveal a soupy otherworld stewing just beneath the surface. This is subversive feminist horror at its best, where men and women alike are arbiters of fear, and where revenge is sometimes sweetest when delivered from the grave. Dark, humorous, and vividly realised, Apple and Knife brings together taboos, inversions, sex and death in a heady, intoxicating mix. Trade ReviewA phantasmagorical collection of short stories and reimagined tales, not unlike Angela Carter and Carmen Maria Machado. -- Matthew Janney * Guardian *Sometimes disturbing, often humorous, but always unapologetically feminist… a deeply, brilliantly macabre, visceral collection which pulls very few punches. * BBC Radio 4 Open Book *Dark, subversive... Here are fairytales and myths reworked with a feminist bent, with plenty of blood, revenge and horror thrown in... A fun – if unsettling – collection. * Tatler *A sharply subversive feminist retread of fairy tales and myths. These darkly humorous, sometimes viscerally violent tales are inspired by horror stories, exploring taboos and the female body in the modern world. * i *These short stories are fiercely funny and feminist and mix the everyday with the supernatural. * Red *

Read more less

Book SynopsisSOON TO BE A MAJOR TV SHOW, FROM THE NETWORK BEHIND THE WALKING DEAD'[W]hen I found Rice's work I absolutely loved how she took that genre and (...) made [it] feel so contemporary and relevant' Sarah Pinborough, bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes'[Rice wrote] in the great tradition of the gothic' Ramsey Campbell, bestselling author of The Hungry MoonFROM INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR AND 'QUEEN OF THE UNDEAD', ANNE RICEThe Vampire Chronicles continue with a riveting, rich saga - part adventure, part fairy tale - of Prince Lestat and the story of how he came to rule the vampire worldFrom his ancestral chateau high up in the mountains of France, Prince Lestat grapples to instil a new ideology of peace and harmony among the blood-drinking community. Accustomed to welcoming the Undead from far and wide, one night he awakes to news of a ruthless attack by a group of maverick vampires. After fleeing to investigate the terror, Lestat learns of several new enemies who are intent on disrupting the harmony he tries so hard to maintain. But is Lestat strong enough to take on such evil alone or will sacrifices have to be made? Will his cry for peace be heard in a world riddled with violence?Trade ReviewRice serves up lashings of blood in a few skilful set pieces. Fans will love it -- Eric Brown * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisSherlock star Mark Gatiss selects and introduces chilling tales by the unsung master of the classic ghost story - E.F. Benson. There's nothing sinister about a London bus. Nothing supernatural could occur on a busy Tube platform. There's nothing terrifying about a little caterpillar. And a telephone, what could be scary about that? Don't be frightened of the dark corners of your room. Don't be alarmed by a sudden, inexplicable chill. There's no need for a ticking clock, a limping footstep, or a knock at the door to start you trembling. There's nothing to be scared of. Nothing at all.Trade ReviewThis collection, selected by that connoisseur of the eldritch, Mark Gatiss, contains enough nastiness to give you just the right kind of frisson for the time of year. -- Nicholas Lezard * Guardian Review *Ghost Stories collects nine of his most gruesome stories… Impressively shocking. -- Tim Martin * Daily Telegraph *Spooks galore in E.F. Benson’s nightmare-inducing stories. -- Val Hennessy * Daily Mail *[A] master ghost story teller. * Choice *

Read more less

Book SynopsisLovecraft, the foundation stone of horror and the supernatural, presented here in a special, collectable Edition for Ramsey Campbell''s 60 years in publication. Special, collectable hardcover edition for Ramsey Campbell''s 60 years in publication.H.P. Lovecraft, the inventor of cosmic horror, weird fiction and the Cthulhu mythology, inspired a generation of writers to explore the horrors that lurk along the corridors, at the edges of perception. This special collectable edition of Lovecraft''s short stories features a new introduction by Ramsey Campbell along with one of his own tales.The Ramsey Campbell Special Editions. Campbell is the greatest inheritor of a tradition that reaches back through H.P. Lovecraft and M.R. James to Mary Shelley''s Frankenstein and the early Gothic writers. The dark, masterful work of the painter Henry Fuseli, a friend of Mary Wollstonecraft, is used on these special editions to invoke early literary investigati

Read more less

Book SynopsisEdgar Allan Poe's gift for the macabre influenced Baudelaire and French symbolism, Freudian analysis, the detective novel and the Hollywood film. His psychologically profound stories, which comprise this book, represent the darker side of the 19th-century American sensibility.

Read more less

Book Synopsis`Upon her neck and breast was blood, and upon her throat were the marks of teeth having opened the vein: - to this the men pointed, crying, simultaneously struck with horror, a Vampyre, a Vampyre!'' John Polidori''s classic tale of the vampyre was a product of the same ghost-story competition that produced Mary Shelley''s Frankenstein. Set in Italy, Greece, and London, Polidori''s tales is a reaction to the dominating presence of his employer Lord Byron, and transformed the figure of the vampire from the bestial ghoul of earlier mythologies into the glamorous aristocrat whose violence and sexual allure make him literally a ''lady-killer''. Polidori''s tale introduced the vampire into English fiction, and launched a vampire craze that has never subsided. `The Vampyre'' was first published in 1819 in the London New Monthly Magazine. The present volume selects thirteen other tales of the macabre first published in the leading London and Dublin magazines between 1819 and 1838, including Edward Bulwer''s chilling account of the doppelganger, Letitia Landon''s elegant reworking of the Gothic romance, William Carleton''s terrifying description of an actual lynching, and James Hogg''s ghoulish exploitation of the cholera epidemic of 1831-2. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World''s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford''s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.Trade ReviewI enjoyed the collection very much, and recommend it as a good mix of stories that are a little different from the norm. * FictionFan *Moving effortlessly from folklore to melodrama, the Introduction assesses the position that Polidori's story . . . We may not be ableto recover the experience of the origianl readers, but we can be grateful to the editors for bringing back to life tales that are not only of academic interest but which still exert their own nightmarish fascination * Studies in Hogg and his World *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Note on the Text ; Select Bibliography ; Chronology of the Magazines ; The Vampyre ; Sir Guy Eveling's Dream ; Confessions of a Reformed Ribbonman ; Edward Bulwer ; The Master of Logan ; The Victim ; Some Terrible Letters from Scotland ; The Curse ; Life in Death ; My Hobby - Rather ; The Red Man ; Post-Mortem Recollections of a Medical Lecturer ; The Bride of Lindorf ; Passage in the Secret History of an Irish Countess ; Appendix A: Preliminaries for 'The Vampyre' ; Appendix B: John Polidori, Note on the Vampyre ; Appendix C: Lord Byron: 'Augustus Darvell' ; Biographical Notes, Explanatory Notes

Read more less

Book SynopsisLeroux's classic Gothic melodrama, here freshly presented in a vivid new translation, with informative introduction and notes. The original novel behind Andrew Lloyd Webber's famous musical, The Phantom of the Opera tells of the masked Phantom whose obsessive love for Christine Daaé sets in chain a series of terrifying events.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHelen Oyeyemi was born in Nigeria in 1984 and moved to London when she was four. She is the author of the highly acclaimed novel The Icarus Girl, which she wrote while she was still at school, The Opposite House, Boy, Snow, Bird and the short story collection What is Not Yours is Not Yours.Trade ReviewSuperbly atmospheric. The dark tones of Poe in her haunting have the elasticity of Haruki Murakami’s surreal mental landscapes. * Independent *The kind of prose that creeps off the page, crawls up the spine and burrows deep into the reader’s paralysed mind. * Daily Mail *White is for Witching should establish Oyeyemi as an ambitious voice in modern macabre; master of the light, lyrical touch and dark, half-hinted suggestion. * The Times *Entrancing. * TLS *Helen Oyeyemi was a literary prodigy. Now, she is ready to make the transition from wunderkind to established author. Remarkable. * Daily Telegraph *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe time of reckoning has arrived. As a final genocidal Crusade threatens to enslave humanity forever, a new messiah has come of age. She is Aenea and she has undergone a strange apprenticeship to those known as the Others. Now her protector, Raoul Endymion, must help her deliver her startling message to her growing army of disciples.

Read more less

Book SynopsisChiltern Publishing creates the most beautiful editions of the World?s finest literature. Your favorite classic titles in a way you have never seen them before; the tactile layers, fine details and beautiful colors of these remarkable covers make these titles feel extra special and will look striking on any shelf.The Turn of the Screw tells the story of a young governess who is sent to Bly, a large country estate, to care for two children. She has strict instructions from their guardian never to write to him, never to ask about the history of the house, and never to abandon the children.It isn?t long before the Governess starts to see apparitions around the grounds. When she describes the sightings, they are identified by the housekeeper as the previous governess Miss Jessel and former valet Peter Quint, who both died not long ago. As the children?s behaviour grows increasingly strange, the Governess becomes convinced that these ghosts have returned to claim Miles & Flora and vows to protect them.?But are the phantoms real, or is it all in the Governess'' imagination?

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhatever walks there, no longer walks alone . . .Playwright Holly Sherwin is close to her big break. Having received a grant to develop her new play, all she needs is time and space to bring her vision to life. Then on a weekend away, she stumbles upon Hill House - an ornate if crumbling gothic mansion, near-hidden outside a small town.Soon Holly''s troupe of actors - each with ghosts of their own - arrive at Hill House for a creative retreat. But before long they find themselves at odds not just with one another, but with the house itself.For something has been waiting patiently in Hill House all these years.Something no longer content to walk alone.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the New York Times best-selling author of The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires comes a hard-rocking, spine-tingling horror novel about a washed-up guitarist of a ’90s heavy metal band who embarks on an epic road-trip across America and deep into the web of a sinister conspiracy.Every morning, Kris Pulaski wakes up in hell. In the 1990s she was lead guitarist of Dürt Würk, a heavy-metal band on the brink of breakout success until lead singer Terry Hunt embarked on a solo career and rocketed to stardom, leaving his bandmates to rot in obscurity.Now Kris works as night manager of a Best Western; she’s tired, broke, and unhappy. Then one day everything changes—a shocking act of violence turns her life upside down, and she begins to suspect that Terry sabotaged more than just the band. Kris hits the road, hoping to reunite Dürt Würk and confront the man who ruined her life. Her journey will take her from the Pennsylvania rust belt to a celebrity rehab center to a satanic music festival. A furious power ballad about never giving up, We Sold Our Souls is an epic journey into the heart of a conspiracy-crazed, pill-popping, paranoid country that seems to have lost its very soul.Trade ReviewNominated for the 2018 Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel A 2019 Locus Award finalist for Best Horror NovelAn NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour PickAn io9 2018 Fall Preview PickA 2018 Goodreads Choice Award Finalist“A good, creepy, music-tinged thriller.”—CNET“The quintessential horror-metal novel for our times.”—Los Angeles Review of Books “Kickass, horrifying, and smart as hell. It certainly earns my two horns up.”—Dread Central“An addictive read for the metalhead and horror hound alike.”—Bloody Disgusting “Hendrix is an indie horror legend, and We Sold Our Souls is one of his best.”—Book Riot “Wild and fun, genuinely terrifying in places, and also somehow heartfelt.”—Tor.com“Hendrix’s horror chops are nigh-unassailable at this point.”—B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy blog“A fast-paced ride, firmly rooted in the pulp horror tradition…Hendrix’s darkest novel yet will leave readers begging for an encore.”—Booklist, starred review“Enthralling and intense...The plot goes 0 to 100 real quick, and once it does, you won’t want to put the book down.”—Sean Curry, UC San Diego Bookstore bookseller, in the San Diego Union-Tribune“If you see me in the wild and I'm reading a book that was written by Grady Hendrix, interrupt me at your own peril.”—Sarah Gailey, Hugo-Award winning author of Magic for LiarsMore praise for Grady Hendrix:“National treasure Grady Hendrix follows his classic account of a haunted IKEA-like furniture showroom, Horrorstor (2014), with a nostalgia-soaked ghost story, My Best Friend’s Exorcism.”—The Wall Street Journal, on My Best Friend’s Exorcism“Pure, demented delight.”—The New York Times Book Review, on Paperbacks from Hell“Horrorstör delivers a crisp terror-tale...[and] Hendrix strikes a nice balance between comedy and horror.”—The Washington Post, on Horrorstör“Terrific... Sharply written... [My Best Friend’s Exorcism] makes a convincing case for [Hendrix’s] powers as a sharp observer of human behavior.”—The A.V. Club, on My Best Friend’s Exorcism“A true appreciation of the genre.”—Los Angeles Times, on Paperbacks from Hell“Campy. Heartfelt. Horrifying.”—Minnesota Public Radio, on My Best Friend’s Exorcism“An inventive, hilarious haunted house tale.”—Bustle, on Horrorstör “Clever, heartfelt, and get-under-your-skin unnerving.”—Fangoria, on My Best Friend’s Exorcism

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Shockingly real, twisty and dark' - INDEPENDENT 'Tense, thrilling and darkly comedic' - HEAT 'The feminist update to Rosemary's Baby we all needed' - ANDREA BARTZ I wanted this baby so badly. But she may be the death of me... Anna Alcott is desperate to have a family. But as she tries to balance her increasingly public life as an indie actress with a gruelling IVF regime, she starts to suspect that someone is going to great lengths to make sure that never happens. Crucial medicines are lost. Appointments are moved without her knowledge. She's sure she's being followed. And when she finally does get pregnant, someone breaks into her house and steals the ultrasound photograph of her baby. But despite everything she's gone through, not even her husband is willing to believe that someone is playing twisted games with her. Then her doctors tell her she's lost the baby. Despite her grief, Anna ignores the grave-faced men lecturing her - because she can still feel the baby moving, can see the toll it's taking on her weakened body. Isolated in a remote snowbound town, Anna is sure that whoever has been following her is closing in on her and her unborn child. And as her symptoms become more terrifying, she can't help but wonder what exactly is growing inside her... and why no-one will listen when she says that something is horribly wrong. Exploring visceral themes of loss, medical misogyny and female power, The Push meets Behind Her Eyes in this spellbindingly dark thriller. 'A timely, terrifying, heartfelt thriller' - CHRIS WHITAKER 'Perfectly terrifying and terrifyingly perfect' - JANICE HALLETT 'A thrilling, visceral read' - HEATHER DARWENTTrade ReviewShockingly real, twisty and dark. A fabulous read * Independent *Tense, thrilling, and at times, darkly comedic. Ensnaring you from the very first page, it's a roller coaster of emotions * Heat *An indictment of how women are treated during pregnancy, dismissed and ignored, their pain overlooked * Observer *A really sinister, compelling read * Red *Perfectly terrifying and terrifyingly perfect. I swear my fists are still clenched and I finished it two days ago. Expect stratospheric tension from page one, vivid imagery and language so evocative I shivered throughout. Seizes Rosemary's Baby by the throat and drags it into the 21st century -- Janice Hallett, author of THE APPEALA timely, terrifying, heartfelt thriller. I devoured it in one sitting -- Chris Whitaker, author of WE BEGIN AT THE ENDAn absolute cracker of a read, one to be read by all women, everywhere. I could not put it down -- Lisa Hall, author of BETWEEN YOU AND METhe most sinister pregnancy since Rosemary's Baby. This book will keep you on edge the entire time -- Laure Van Rensburg, author of NOBODY BUT USHeartbreakingly visceral, eerie and intense, reading Delicate Condition is feeling, with every new turn of the page, what it's like for your body to no longer be your own. A spooky, devour-in-one-sitting story that's guaranteed to have everyone talking -- Leah Konen, author of ONE WHITE LIEYou may think you know where this is heading, but you'd be wrong. Whip smart and enjoyably gruesome -- Leonora Nattrass, author of BLUE WATERDelicate Condition is the feminist update to Rosemary's Baby we all needed - a twisty page-turner with unsettling details and crackling writing that's also a timely critique of sexism in modern medicine -- Andrea Bartz, author of WE WERE NEVER HEREDark visceral horror. Loved it -- Tina Baker, author of CALL ME MUMMYPitch black horror meets smart psychological thriller in this fantastically moreish debut. I devoured it, feeling simultaneously sick and thrilled. And that ending... just perfect -- SJI Holliday, author of THE DEATHS OF DECEMBERPacy, visceral and very very dark. I didn't want to put this one down -- Rebecca Netley, author of THE WHISTLINGSo many reader emotions, I didn't know who to trust; if anyone! Delicate Condition is a thriller, a horror, a mystery and it's lingering in my mind, an aftereffect of a chilling read! -- J.M. Hewitt, author of THE LIFE SHE WANTS

Read more less

Book SynopsisMichael McDowell’s Blackwater meets Clive Barker’s The Great and Secret Show in the disturbing first installment of a new trilogy of transgressive literary horror from the Bram Stoker Award® finalist and Splatterpunk Award-winning author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke.The lives of those residing in the isolated town of Burnt Sparrow, New Hampshire, are forever altered after three faceless entities arrive on Christmas morning to perform a brutal act of violence—a senseless tragedy that can never be undone. While the townspeople grieve their losses and grapple with the aftermath of the attack, a young teenage boy named Rupert Cromwell is forced to confront the painful realities of his family situation. Once relationships become intertwined and more carnage ensues as a result of the massacre, the town residents quickly learn that true retribution is futile, cruelty is earned, and certain thresholds must never be crossed no matter what.Engrossing, atmospheric, and unsettling, this is a devastating story of a small New England community rocked by an unforgivable act of violence. Writing with visceral intensity and profound eloquence, LaRocca journeys deep into the dark heart of Burnt Sparrow, leaving you chilled to the bone and wanting more.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSelected and Edited with an Introduction and Notes by David Blair, University of Kent at Canterbury. Late in the eighteenth century authors began to write ‘Gothic’ stories as a way of putting literature back in touch with the irrational, the supernatural and the bizarre, which had been neglected in the ‘Age of Reason’. This superb new collection brings together stories from the earliest decades of Gothic writing with later 19th and early 20th century tales from the period in which Gothic diversified into the familiar forms of the ghost- and-horror-story. Work by writers such as Poe, Dickens, Hawthorne, Gaskell and M. R. James appears alongside that of anonymous writers from the start of the period and many lesser-known authors from Britain and America. Some of these stories, like the haunting ‘The Lame Priest’ are ‘lost masterpieces’ and several have never been anthologised before. Together they cover the spectrum of Gothic story-telling – tales of madness and violence, of shape-shifters and spectres, that express some of the deepest fears of the human mind – insanity, sexuality, death and the often terrible power of the past to catch up with the present. In a lively, authoritative introduction David Blair provides fresh insights and a detailed commentary on the stories’ place in the complex traditions of Gothic writing in British and American literature.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen Conrad, son of Prince Manfred of Otranto, is killed in mysterious circumstances on his wedding day, his father, fearing his line is at an end, declares that he will divorce his wife and marry his late son’s intended bride. Soon, however, this planned union brings about a series of supernatural events, tragic misunderstandings and cold-blooded murder. Presented as the translation of a medieval Italian text from the time of the crusades, The Castle of Otranto was the first and most influential novel of the eighteenth-century Gothic revival, and introduced several of what became its most recognizable tropes.Trade ReviewI have received The Castle of Otranto… It engages our attention here, makes some of us cry a little, and all in general afraid to go to bed o’nights. -- Thomas Gray

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA gripping and claustrophobic rural gothic horror novel about an isolated family who worship the bog that surrounds them, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher and Stephen Graham Jones.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBret Easton Ellis is the author of several novels, including Imperial Bedrooms, Less Than Zero, The Rules of Attraction, American Psycho, Glamorama and Lunar Park, and a collection of stories, The Informers. Less Than Zero, The Rules of Attraction, American Psycho and The Informers have all been made into films. His first work of non-fiction, White, was published in 2019. He is the host of the Bret Easton Ellis Podcast available on Patreon. He lives in Los Angeles.Trade ReviewAn enormously entertaining novel, powered by a celebratory fun entirely absent in the writing of the generation of American writers who succeeded Ellis. * Independent *Great emotional complexity and depth . . . it’s a very interesting ride with an always interesting novelist – and, as such, is one worth taking. * The Times *Sharply observed, insidiously disquieting and extremely funny. * Literary Review *A triumphant piece of storytelling from a rebel whose work is controversial precisely because its sinister themes are so dexterously written. -- Chris Cleave * Sunday Telegraph *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE GRIPPING NEW PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK THE WHISPER MAN''Hugely atmospheric and deliciously creepy'' Alex Michaelides, bestselling author of The Silent Patient''A surprising and moving finale that will live long in the memory'' Daily Express_______THE VICTIM WAS YOUR FRIENDIt was just a silly game to start with. Paul never really believed in it.He never dreamed Charlie would take it so far.SO WAS THE MURDERERFor twenty years, Paul''s tried to put his past behind him, but now his mother is dying, and he can''t run any longer.But home isn''t just full of bad memories. It''s also the last place anyone saw Charlie alive.And Paul starts to wonder if Charlie might come back to finish what he started . . ._______''Alex North has outdone himself. The Shadow Friend is the work Trade ReviewAlex North has outdone himself. As terrifying as a great horror novel, as unpredictable as the best type of crime novel and above all beautifully written, The Shadow Friend is the work of a writer who is an absolute master of his craft. I couldn't begin to guess how the story was going to end but I enjoyed every second of the journey -- Jane CaseyIf you liked The Whisper Man, you'll love this. Alex North has crafted a second novel which is just as gripping as his first and even scarier. Hugely atmospheric and deliciously creepy, it's about how the past encroaches on the present, and how dreaming influences reality, until in the frightening world of The Shadow Friend, it becomes harder and harder to tell one from the other... and the nightmare takes over -- Alex Michaelides * No.1 bestselling author of The Silent Patient *This is absorbing, headlong reading, a play on classic horror with an inventiveness of its own... As with all the best illusions, you are left feeling not tricked, but full of wonder -- New York TimesNorth has returned with another creepy, atmospheric tale exploring the devastating effects of childhood traumas on communities . . . Builds to a surprising and moving finale that will live long in the memory * Daily Express *With echoes of the chilling Slender Man myth, this thriller ultimately feels like a ghost story conjured out of guilt and loss * Crime Monthly *North follows up his sensational debut, 2019's The Whisper Man, with another terrifying spine-tingler... The complex plot shifts smoothly between past and present with numerous unexpected twists. An overwhelming atmosphere of doom and disaster hovers over the perennial darkness of the nearby woods. This heart-pounding page-turner is impossible to put down * Publishers Weekly *The layers of deception make for a chilling read * Woman & Home *A chilling read * Woman's Weekly *Included in 'The Week's Best Books - The Creepy One' * Heat *A chilling and deeply psychological read * Woman & Home *Included in 'The Hot List' * Inside Soap *

Read more less

Book SynopsisDark academia meets cosmic horror in this murderous tale of betrayal and broken hearts at an elite academy for the gods and monsters of the world, perfect for fans ofThe Atlas Six, If We Were VillainsandBury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil.

Read more less

Book SynopsisEdgar Allan Poe was a writer of uncommon talent; in The Murders in the Rue Morgue he created the genre of detective fiction while his genius for finding the strangeness lurking within us all has been an influence on everyone from Freud to Hollywood. This complete collection of all his short stories and novellas contains well-known tales ''The Pit and the Pendulum'' and ''The Tell-Tale Heart'' alongside hidden gems that both unsettle and enthrall the reader.Trade ReviewPoe's work as a whole is a series of haunting improvisations on themes from the macabre that are hard to categorise, dazzlingly original and posthumously influential on an extraordinary range of writers from Baudelaire and RL Stevenson to Yeats, Wilde and Borges * Observer *His work continues to enthral. His greatest tales (The Fall of the House of Usher, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Pit and the Pendulum) radiate a dark humour and mockery that strike an oddly modern note * Sunday Times *If genius is an exceptional capacity for imaginative creation, Poe had it in spades * Daily Mail *His reputation as a master of the grotesque and macabre has veiled the real cause of his fame: an astonishing mastery of language and literary technique which made Arthur Ransome, himself no mean story technician and a considerable literary critic, liken his stories to rare coloured goblets or fantastic metalwork * Independent *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the creator of the wildly popular Welcome to Night Vale podcast comes a story about loving, about searching and about the courage you need when you find the unexpected.Keisha Lewis mourned the loss of her wife, Alice, who disappeared two years ago. There was a search, there was grief beyond what she thought was possible. There was a funeral.But then Keisha began to see her wife, again and again, in the background of news reports from all over America.Alice isn't dead. And she is showing up at the scene of every tragedy in the country.Keisha shrugs off her old life and hits the road as a trucker hoping on some level that travelling the length of the country will lead her to the person she loves.What she finds are buried crimes and monsters (both human and unimaginable), government conspiracies, haunted service stations and a darkness far older than the highway system it lies beneath.Cast in the fluorescent lights of midnight diner-signs, this story is as big as the open road and Trade Review“ … Thrilling … Creator of the popular Welcome to Nightvale podcast, Fink fills his world with fully realized characters … Fans of eerie suspense will find much to like.”Publishers Weekly PRAISE FOR WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE ‘Clever, twisted, beautiful, strange, wonderful and sweet . . . this might be the best book I've read in years’New York Times bestselling author Patrick Rothfuss ‘I'm packing up and moving to Night Vale!’New York Times bestselling author Ransom Riggs 'Cultural phenomenon'Telegraph 'As hilarious as it is macabre'Time Out

Read more less

Book SynopsisSOON TO BE A MAJOR TV SHOW, FROM THE NETWORK BEHIND THE WALKING DEAD''[W]hen I found Rice''s work I absolutely loved how she took that genre and (...) made [it] feel so contemporary and relevant'' Sarah Pinborough, bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes''[Rice wrote] in the great tradition of the gothic'' Ramsey Campbell, bestselling author of The Hungry MoonIn my dreams, I saw a city fall into the sea. I heard the cries of thousands. I saw flames that outshone the lamps of heaven. And all the world was shaken... Lestat de Lioncourt is no longer alone. A strange, otherworldly spirit has resurfaced, taking possession of his body and soul. All-seeing, all-knowing, its voice whispers in his ear, telling the hypnotic tale of Atlantis, the great sea power of ancient times...Prince Lestat is seduced by the power of this ancient spirit, but is he right to trust it? Why has Lestat, leader of the vamTrade ReviewReading a Lestat story is like meeting up with an old friend * Sci Fi Now *A fresh look at the legend of Atlantis… The story will keep fans gripped. * UK Press Syndication *Rice’s prose is, as one can expect, very well composed. It flows brilliantly… it’s rare that a scene is not vividly displayed on the page. * Civilian Reader *

Read more less

Book Synopsis90 classic titles celebrating 90 years of Penguin BooksBeware the self-righteous man of faith, the wicked-eyed child, the jealous lover. For this is Salem, in 1691, where rumours fly on the wind and witchcraft is abroad. Lois Barclay, cursed in childhood, is a stranger in a strange land and the devil will work his mischief on Lois's neighbours before the season of madness is out.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMoonflow is three-time Hugo Award nominee Bitter Karella''s debut horror novel - a gloriously queer and irreverent psychedelic trip into the heart of an eldritch wood and the horrors of (cis)terhood. Answer the call of the forest, if you dare. I see something out there, in the woods. It does not have a face. They call it the King''s Breakfast. One bite and you can understand the full scope of the universe; one bite and you can commune with forgotten gods beyond human comprehension. And it only grows deep in the Pamogo forest, where the trees crowd so tight that the forest floor is pitch black day and night, where rumors of strange cults and disappearing hikers abound. Sarah makes her living growing mushrooms. When a bad harvest leaves her in a desperate fix, the lure of the King''s Breakfast has her journeying into those vast uncharted woods. Her only guide is the most annoying man in the world, and he''s convinced there''s no danger. But as they descend deeper, they realize they''re not alone. Something is luring them into the heart of the forest, and they must answer its call.''Weird, wild, and oh-so-wretched, Moonflow is the trans botanical horror we need in the world right now. Moonflow will sink its tendrils into you and infest you with its spores . . . and you''ll enjoy it'' Drew Huff, author of The Divine Flesh and Free Burn''A triumph of queer, horny, hippy horror that''ll make you cackle, gasp, and scream! With its cast of iconic characters, imaginative enchanted setting, gripping story, and mind-bending horrific imagery, Bitter Karella''s Moonflow is a trip to die for'' Eve Harms, author of Transmuted''Is it legal to have this much fun reading a book? I''m in awe of Bitter Karella''s incredible gift for creating biting satire without a shred of cruelty. Moonflow made me laugh out loud while genuinely caring about its wild cast of characters . . . I had a f*cking blast'' Joe Koch, author of The Wingspan of Severed Hands and Invaginies

Read more less

Book SynopsisSo much fun!' Lilly WachowskiHorrifying and delightful' Kristen ArnettRenee has made it: she's in the final four. But is she dying to win?Renee should be thrilled to have been chosen as one of the final four contestants in The Catch, the world's biggest reality show. But now she, the other contestants, and Jeremy the Catch' have arrived on the remote, wooded island for the final show, Renee begins to wonder if there's something wrong. Is she taking a bigger risk than she realised?And as she and the other contestants begin their final challenges, they slowly start to realise that the island they've been taken to is hiding a terrifying secret one that could make the final Elimination Event all too real.''Not one to miss . . . a funny, eccentric page-turner that you will absolutely love.'' Daily Mail''A really fun read that's ultimately about finding a place in the world where

Read more less

Book Synopsis**Longlisted for the HWA Gold Crown**An eerie and compelling ghost story set on the dark wilds of the Yorkshire moors. For fans of The Witchfinder''s Sister and The Silent Companions, this gothic tale will weave its way into your imagination and chill you to the bone. ''Spine-tingling... the scariest ghost story I have read in a long time'' Barbara Erskine ''A wonderful, macabre evocation of a lost way of life'' The Times ''Like something from Emily Bronte''s nightmares'' Andrew Taylor, author of The Ashes of London Maybe you''ve heard tales about Scarcross Hall, the house on the old coffin path that winds from village to moor top. They say there''s something up here, something evil.Mercy Booth isn''t afraid. The moors and Scarcross are her home and lTrade ReviewA wonderfully sinister novel [with] a unique heroine... But the real star here is Clements's beautiful, unsparing evocation of a bygone life on these unforgiving moors * The Times *A striking combination of Brontëan romantic melodrama and gothic ghost story... Clements has written an eerily gripping novel in which the ghosts of the past haunt the present in more ways than one * The Sunday Times *Intense, twisty drama... the atmospheric writing and the strong evocation of the landscape are terrific * Daily Mail *Spine-tingling... the scariest ghost story I have read in a long time. Beautifully written, fantastically atmospheric, it left me sleepless and in tears -- Barbara ErskineBrooding and full of creeping menace -- Laura PurcellThe Coffin Path is the perfect ghost story: utterly absorbing, immersed in a world so completely authentic, peopled by men, women, children - and the beasts of a shepherding life - so completely flesh and blood that when the not-so-flesh arise, it's *terrifying*. But not only that, it's a beautifully wrought evocation of a world and a time that feels as if it's just around the corner. If you like Michelle Paver, you'll love this, but fans of Mantel will love it too - the language is a delight, the word-smithing pitch-perfect, and the narrative drive compelling. This is a book about passion and fear, blood and death and life and love and all the pieces from which life is wrought - if you read only one book this year, make it this one, you won't regret it -- Manda ScottClements brings alive the bleak beauty of the moors with a chilling ghost story that vividly portrays the superstitions and beliefs of 17th-century rural society * Sunday Express S Magazine *A wonderful piece of Yorkshire Gothic, all the more effective for being so firmly anchored in its time and place... like something from Emily Bronte's nightmares -- Andrew Taylor, author of The Ashes of LondonOozing with gothic symbolism, this brooding and beautiful ghost story is guaranteed to haunt your dreamslong after the cover has been closed -- Essie FoxW&H March Great Read - not to be read alone late at night * Woman & Home *Winter nights drawing in has made this atmospheric 17th-century-set gothic story the perfect read over the past few days (Editor's Choice) * Bookseller *Mixes a Wuthering Heights-esque love story with a MR James-esque fire-side frightener... Now we just need Kate Bush to write and perform a song about it * SFX *All the unsettling ingredients for a truly chilling and atmospheric read... Akin to the best of Susan Hill, this is just the kind of tale for the lingering cold nights * Culturefly *A classic of the genre. Anyone who loves Wuthering Heights will adore this -- Rory ClementsCompletely and brilliantly rooted in the rhythms and detail of moorland farming, The Coffin Path is also that very rare thing: a ghost story that is genuinely and memorably scary. I loved it -- Ashley Pharoah (Creator of Life on Mars and The Living and the Dead)A beautifully written, nuanced ghost story which packs a powerful emotional punch. Katherine Clements expertly layers her story of the Yorkshire moors with a burgeoning sense of evil and impending emotional crisis. A haunting and evocative gothic story for a winter's evening -- Sophia TobinAs dark and unsettling as I'd hoped. A brilliant ghost story. Her best novel yet -- Anna MazzolaThe Coffin Path is exquisite - the intense and brooding sense of place is reminiscent of Wuthering Heights, while Clements' characters are as vividly evoked as the dark fate hovering over them all. Highly recommended -- Alison LittlewoodA chilling and disturbing tale of unusual power. The rich, textured writing delivers a gripping sense of time and place. I was convinced, transfixed, transported and I'll be keeping these characters close to me for a long time to come -- Imogen RobertsonSeriously impressive... A good ghost story needs an absolutely authentic framework and a clear place in history, which is what we get here. The supernatural seeps into Scarcross Hall like rising damp, but the real horror is in the everyday cruelty of country life and its lingering barbarism. Even as your heart bleeds for the admirable Mercy Booth, you sense things are only going to get worse... -- Phil Rickman (author of the Merrily Watkins novels)A stunning read! I couldn't put it down. The writing is achingly beautiful and the atmosphere chillingly realised. Both as a historical novel and a ghost story it is so emotional and compelling that I'll be recommending it to everyone -- Nicola Cornick (author of The Phantom Tree)I enjoy a ghost story, but I have found it difficult lately to find one that kept me on edge. The Coffin Path has made up for recent disappointments; it is one of the eeriest books that I have read * Steph's Book Blog *The Yorkshire moors are as bleak here as they've ever been but mix in a ghostly tale, the ghosts of men returning from war and secrets hidden under lock and key and you're in for a real treat. Katherine writes with flair and a flicker of fear in the pen. The scratches of each and every word will pierce your heart and make it go faster... Chillingly brilliant * The Booktrail *A story combination of historical fiction and ghostly goings on is the perfect read for cold wet nights * Postcard Reviews *A chilling and eerie story this is bound to make many lists as a 'must read' book for next Halloween * Novel Heights *Like an unlikely love-child of the Brontë sisters and Daphne du Maurier, Clements has created a rich world in which to wreak havoc on her characters * Bookbag *As much a hymn to the Yorkshire countryside and the old farming traditions as it is a terrifying historical chiller. It is so rich in its beautifully rendered atmosphere that I could feel it pressing at my chest -- Jason Hewitt

Read more less

Book SynopsisJackson P. Brown is a writer from London, an anime and manga enthusiast, and the founder of Black Girl Writers a mentoring programme for aspiring Black writers. After winning Penguin Random House's #WriteNow competition in 2020, her urban fantasy series, GETHSEMANE, was acquired by Del Rey UK. Set in modern London, the story follows Gerald Reaper and Amy St Clair as they solve fantastical mysteries whilst maintaining the secrecy of the city's underground supernatural community.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Power Fantasy is a pop culture-infused, superpowered, Cold War thriller about the spying, scheming, and violence these people will do to avoid coming into open conflict. Come dance to the ticking of the doomsday clock with KIERON GILLEN (The Wicked + The Divine, DIE) and CASPAR WIJNGAARD (Homesick Pilots, All Against All). The eternal fight against fighting starts now. Collects issues #1-5.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Creeper is a masterful tale of horror and suspense from one of Ireland's most talented emerging authors. Superstitions only survive if people believe in them... Renowned academic Dr Sparling seeks help with his project on a remote Irish village. Historical researchers Ben and Chloe are thrilled to be chosen – until they arrive. The village is isolated and forgotten. There is no record of its history, its stories. There is no friendliness from the locals, only wary looks and whispers. The villagers lock down their homes at sundown. It seems a nameless fear stalks the streets, but nobody will talk – nobody except one little girl. Her words strike dread into the hearts of the newcomers. Three times you see him. Each night he comes closer... That night, Ben and Chloe see a sinister figure watching them. He is the Creeper. He is the nameless fear in the night. Stories keep him alive. And nothing will keep him away... Reviewers on A.M. Shine: 'A dark, claustrophobic read.' T. Kingfisher 'Readers get an intimate glimpse into the fraying edges of each character's psyches... Will appeal to fans of Kealan Patrick Burke, Josh Malerman, and Scott Smith.' A.E. Siraki, Booklist 'An ideal read for the Halloween season, or any time you want some spookiness in your life!' Beauty and LaceTrade ReviewShine has quickly established himself as a must-read author... Brutal, visceral and unputdownable * Kendall Reviews *Absolutely perfectly pitched. Horror fiction is teeming with great boogiemen and The Creeper ranks with the very best of them * Horror DNA *A masterfully written novel of gothic horror that will draw you slowly into a scary, claustrophobic world * SF Crowsnest *PRAISE FOR A.M. SHINE: 'A dark, claustrophobic read.' T. Kingfisher, on The Watchers. 'This book has such atmosphere, and creepiness, and is an ideal read for the Halloween season, or any time you want some spookiness in your life!' Beauty and Lace. 'Readers get an intimate glimpse into the fraying edges of each character's psyches... Will appeal to fans of Kealan Patrick Burke, Josh Malerman, and Scott Smith.' -- A.E. Siraki, Booklist

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Stoker Award-winning, taut and propulsive twist on home invasion horror, packed psychological suspense. Soon to be a major film, Knock At the Cabin, directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Seven-year-old Wen and her parents, Eric and Andrew, are vacationing at a remote cabin on a quiet New Hampshire lake, with their closest neighbours more than two miles in either direction. As Wen catches grasshoppers in the front yard, a stranger unexpectedly appears in the driveway. Leonard is the largest man Wen has ever seen but he is young and friendly. Leonard and Wen talk and play until Leonard abruptly apologises and tells Wen, "None of what's going to happen is your fault". Three more strangers arrive at the cabin carrying unidentifiable, menacing objects. As Wen sprints inside to warn her parents, Leonard calls out, "Your dads won't want to let us in, Wen. But they have to. We need your help to save the world." So begins an unbearably tense, gripping tale of paranoia, sacrifice, apocalypse, and survival that escalates to a shattering conclusion, one in which the fate of a loving family and quite possibly all of humanity are intertwined.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen a TERF bombs Frankie's workplace, she blows up Frankie's life with it. As the media descends like vultures, Frankie tries to cope with the carnage: binge-drinking, sleeping with strangers, pushing away her friends. Then, she meets Vanya. Mysterious, beautiful, terrifying Vanya. The two hit it off immediately, but as their relationship intensifies, so too does Frankie's feeling that Vanya is hiding something from her. When Vanya's secrets threaten to tear them apart, Frankie starts digging, and unearths a sinister, depraved conspiracy, the roots of which go deeper than she ever imagined. Shocking, grotesque, and downright filthy, Brainwyrms confronts the creeping reality of political terrorism while exploring the depths of love, pain, and identity.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThomas Ligotti has won the Bram Stoker award and World Fantasy Award four times respectively for his unique horror fiction. A reclusive author, whose existence was even doubted, Thomas Ligotti currently lives in Florida.Trade ReviewAn accomplished conjuror of nightmares in the tradition of H. P. Lovecraft * The Times *My Work Is Not Yet Done displays a Thomas Ligotti at the height of his form * S T Joshi *Ligotti is wonderfully original; he has a dark vision of a new and special kind, a vision that no one had before him * Interzone *

Read more less

'Scary as hell. Gothic as decay' Josh Malerman'Reading Dracul is like watching a classic vampire film . . . a terrifying read' R. L. Stine Inspired by the notes DRACULA's creator left behind, Dracul is a riveting, heart-stoppingly scary novel of Gothic suspense . . .___ Dracul reveals not only the true origins of Dracula himself, but also of his creator, Bram Stoker . . . and of the elusive, enigmatic woman who connects them. It is 1868, and a 21-year-old Bram Stoker has locked himself inside an abbey's tower to confront a vile and ungodly beast. He is armed with mirrors and crucifixes and holy water and a gun - and is kept company by a bottle of plum brandy. His fervent prayer is that he will survive this one night - a night that will prove to be the longest of his life . . . Desperate to leave a record of what he has witnessed, the young man scribbles out the events that brought him to this point - and tells an extraordinary tale of childhood illness, a mysterious nanny, and stories once thought to be fables now proved to be true.____What readers are saying:***** 'Gripping . . . has you clinging to the pages white-knuckled' ***** 'This book oozed atmosphere . . . If you love classic, atmospheric, proper old school horror, read this book'***** 'Packed full of suspense and horror to rival the Dracula story itself'

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe No.1 bestselling classic from Dean Koontz, the master of chilling suspense, that will thrill fans of Stephen King and the Odd Thomas series.They escape from a secret government project: two mutant creatures, both changed utterly from the animals they once were. And no one who encounters them will ever be the same again.A lonely widower, a ruthless assassin, a beautiful woman, a government agent.Drawn together in a deadly hunt, all four are inexorably propelled towards a confrontation with an evil beyond human imagining.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less