The Scariest Short Stories of All TimeSome of the scariest short stories of all time happen to be a classic and a favorite of some acclaimed horror and science fiction writers.

In "My Favorite Horror Story" by Mike Baker and Martin H. Greenberg, these prominent authors have shared fifteen stories that

spooked them.

The first story was submitted by Stephen King and written by Robert Bloch. "Sweets to the Sweet" is a story about a cute and innocent

little girl name Irma who has turned evil by the eyes of her father and nanny. When Ms. Pall, the nanny, quits her job and claims the

girl has changed, the uncle goes to investigate. What he finds at the house is his niece playing with her “doll.”

In this second classic alien story, ‘The Father-Thing" is written by Philip K. Dick and chosen by Ed Gorman. When aliens body-snatch

Charles Watsons’ father, he flees from his father’s replacement. The boy gathers his friends and seeks revenge to find out what

happened to his father, hoping to save his life.

Ever have neighbor problems? In this third tale, ‘The Distributor," written by Richard Matheson and chosen by Ed Gorman, is just that

story—and more. A man by the name of Theodore Gordon moves into Joseph Alston’s neighborhood. Theodore seems to be an okay

guy until he starts “redistributing” the neighbors’ belongings and stirring up some commotion. Joseph takes control of the matter and is

determined to solve the problem even if it is in an odious nature.

The fourth story is "A Warning to the Curious." It is written by M.R. James and chosen by Ramsey Campbell. This ghost story is

about an amateur archaeologist, Paxton, who is on a mission to recover an artifact buried in the English countryside. He convinces two

older men to help him with the mission, but something uncanny happens when this artifact is removed.

This fifth story is a mysterious one. "Opening the Door" is written by Arthur Machen and submitted by Peter Atkins. A journalist

interviews a clergyman who leaves the journalist with a spotty memory. The journal recounts his interviews and copes with the

realization that the clergyman may have disappeared from true existence.

‘The Colour Out of Space" comes in sixth, and is written by H.P. Lovecraft and chosen by Richard Laymon. It is part horror and

science fiction. When a meteor crashes into Nahum Gardner’s farm, it leaves a “colour” which infects anything living nearby. The

vegetation grows large, animals become deformed, and the greatest horror yet is what the subhuman beings have become.

The craftsmanship to a dollhouse can be amazing, and little girls love them. In this seventh story, ‘The Inner Room," written by Robert

Aickman and chosen by Peter Straub, a little girl’s wish comes true when her parents let her buy a large dollhouse. Shortly, the little

girl and her brother find out something isn’t right with the dollhouse. Some of the rooms, although inaccessible, are easily observed

through the windows, and the measurements of the house just don’t quite add up. The center room of the house is the only room that

cannot be observed through the windows, and the secrets of that room goes on to affect and dominate their lives.

"Young Goodman Brown" is written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and submitted by Rick Hautula. This eighth tale, tells a story about a

man who faces the devil himself. Convinced to finish a task by night, he leaves his wife to run the unknown errand in the woods. It is

in the woods where his opinions of his friends and wife are debased. He becomes wary, and his own morality is tested.

In this creepy ninth tale, ‘The Rats in the Walls," written by H.P. Lovecraft and chosen by Michael Slade, a man moves into his

ancestral estate and discovers the house is infested with rats. After further investigation, things may not be what they seem—his

ancestors have a frightening secret.

The tenth story is ‘The Dog Park," written by Dennis Etchison and chosen by Richard Matheson. A man’s dog goes missing in a park

that is utilized by the wealthy. When he goes back to explore, he meets a woman whose dog meets its fate, learning there’s more to the

park than what’s shown.

‘The Animal Fair" comes in at eleventh, and is written by Robert Bloch and chosen by Joe R. Lansdale. During a carnival, a drifter

watches a trained gorilla in show. He finds the inhumane treatment of the gorilla cruel. At the end of the show, he hitchhikes and

catches a ride with the gorilla’s master. Midst conversation, the drifter learns a cruel secret.

In the twelfth story, ‘The Pattern," written by Ramsey Campbell and chosen by Poppy Z. Brite, a young couple seeks solitude in a

cabin. Their first night there, they hear a horrific scream, which leads them to investigate. They find nothing, but learn from the locals

that some things are left better undiscovered.

‘The Tell-Tale Heart" is a classic horror story written by Edgar Allan Poe, and is chosen by Joyce Carol Oates, coming in as number

thirteen. A man justifies his murderous action and dismembers the victim’s body parts, hiding it under his floorboards. When police

officers come over to investigate, he readily allows them to. However, the sound of his victim’s heart is ringing loudly in his ears,

driving him to insanity. Can the officers hear it, too?

The fourteenth tale, "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," is written by Ambrose Bierce, and chosen by Dennis Etchison. Peyton

Farquhar, a confederate soldier caught in demolishing a bridge, escapes his own hanging. After his escape, he returns home to his wife

and realizes he has superhuman power, or does he?

Lastly, ‘The Human Chair" is written by Edogawa Rampo and chosen by Harlan Ellison. A woman receives a letter from a chair

maker who claims he has designed a chair where he can reside in. He recounts how he has lived in the chair where it has taken

residence in expensive hotels, and how it has allowed him to commit thievery. In the end, the letter unfolds a creepy secret that links

the woman to this unknown man.

All fifteen scary stories are unique and different, and may affect each reader differently. Nevertheless, these classic stories are worth a

read. And whether you have read these stories or not, maybe one of these tales will pique your curiosity and having you tell a story or

two.

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