Richard Matheson is an author who has written some spine - chilling short stories. His works often explore themes of the unknown and the supernatural. Another famous author is Ray Bradbury. His short stories like 'The Veldt' can be quite spooky. And then there's Charlotte Perkins Gilman with her disturbing 'The Yellow Wallpaper', which is a great example of how she could create a sense of horror through the exploration of a woman's mental state.
One great spine - chilling short story is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's about a narrator who is haunted by the eye of an old man he lives with and his descent into madness as he tries to get rid of the old man. Another is 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson. In this story, a small town has an annual lottery, but as the story unfolds, it takes a very dark and disturbing turn. Also, 'The Monkey's Paw' by W. W. Jacobs is quite spooky. A family gets a magical monkey's paw that can grant wishes, but each wish comes with a terrifying price.
Stephen King also has some excellent short horror stories. For example, 'Children of the Corn'. It takes place in a small town where the children have been indoctrinated by a strange cult, and they start to kill the adults. The sense of isolation and the unknown nature of the cult make it really spine - chilling.
Edgar Allan Poe is a well - known author in this genre. His works often have a dark and macabre atmosphere, with stories like 'The Tell - Tale Heart' that are full of psychological tension.
One scary spine - chilling story is about a haunted house. A family moved into an old mansion. At night, they would hear strange scratching noises coming from the walls. The children would see shadowy figures in their rooms. One night, the youngest child was pulled under the bed by an unseen force. They quickly moved out, and the locals said that a malevolent spirit haunted the place for decades.
Well, 'The Shining' is a well - known spine - chilling story. A family staying in an isolated hotel during the winter, and the father's slow descent into madness and the spooky events in the hotel are quite scary. 'Rosemary's Baby' is another one. A woman's pregnancy becomes a nightmare as she suspects that her baby is the result of a satanic pact. 'It' by Stephen King, with the shape - shifting evil entity that preys on children in a small town, is also very much a spine - chilling story.
The element of the unknown. When readers don't know what's going to happen next, it creates a sense of unease. For example, in many horror short stories, there might be a strange noise in the dark, and not knowing what's causing it is terrifying.
I'm not entirely sure about all the authors involved in this collection. But often in anthologies like this, there are both well - known horror writers and some emerging talents. They come together to create a diverse range of spooky tales.
One of the scariest stories could be about a haunted house that was once advertised on backpage. People who visited the place reported seeing strange apparitions and hearing unexplained noises. It was as if the house held some sort of dark past that was seeping through the walls.
One spine - chilling ghost story is 'The Turn of the Screw' by Henry James. It's about a young governess who takes care of two children in a large, isolated estate and starts to see apparitions. The ambiguity of whether the ghosts are real or just in her mind makes it really terrifying.
One spooky hearse story is about a midnight encounter. A young couple was driving on a lonely road late at night when they saw an old - fashioned hearse slowly approaching. As it passed them, they could see a pale face in the window looking at them. They sped up, but the hearse kept pace. Finally, they turned onto a different road and the hearse disappeared. It left them shaken for days.