A good choice could be 'The Unseen'. It has a clear - cut horror concept. The idea of an unseen entity lurking around creates a lot of tension. The story is short enough for a beginner to get into quickly and still experience the kind of horror that John Keir Cross is known for.
I would recommend 'The Caller'. It has a relatively straightforward plot compared to some of his more complex works, but still has all the elements of a good horror story, like a sense of impending doom.
I'm not sure exactly which ones are considered the absolute best, but his stories often deal with the supernatural in a very spooky way. For example, his use of dark and isolated settings in many of his works adds to the horror factor. He has a talent for making ordinary things seem menacing, like an old house or a lonely road at night.
Here are some beginner's guides on cross-stitching: 1. ** Material preparation ** - ** Cross-stitch fabric **: The unit of cross-stitch fabric is CT, which refers to the number of squares contained in each square inch. The common sizes were 9CT, 11CT, 14CT, 18CT, 22CT, 32CT, etc. The larger the number, the smaller the grid. Generally, it was easy to use a plain cloth with a coarse grid (cotton or hemp), which was woven at intervals of warp and woof. - ** Embroidery Needle **: The head of the needle is a round needle. Most of them use two or three 25-gauge embroidery threads for embroidery. For example, clover brand embroidery needles of 19 - 24 sizes are more commonly used. - ** Embroidered Thread **: Prepare the embroidery thread of the corresponding color according to the selected pattern. 2. ** Initial preparations ** - ** Cloth processing ** - After carefully confirming the size, cut the cloth. After cutting, spray water mist on the cloth and iron it flat to prevent the edge from opening during the embroidery process. - The edges of the cloth were sewn together. - ** Confirm pattern and cloth center position ** - The method to confirm the center of the pattern was to add a cross-shaped line. - The method to confirm the center position of the cloth was to sew a cross-shaped mark with a thin thread, count the grid and cloth of the pattern, and start embroidery from the center. - ** Thread processing **: Leave a thread of about 10CM on the back of the cloth. When the embroidery is over, cut the thread after passing through three or four stitches. The thread left at the beginning of the embroidery should also be put on the needle for processing. In the case of multi-color, it can be passed through the same color. 3. ** Basic Needling Techniques ** - ** Cross embroidery horizontally **: Cross embroidery horizontally. - ** Cross embroidery vertically **: Cross embroidery vertically. - ** Cross embroidery horizontally **: Cross embroidery horizontally. - ** Cross embroidery in a vertical direction **: Cross embroidery in a vertical direction. - ** Cross embroidery diagonally upward **: Cross embroidery diagonally upward. - ** Cross embroidery diagonally downward **: Cross embroidery diagonally downward. - There were also semi-cross embroidery, basket net embroidery, star embroidery, Rodes embroidery, meter embroidery (the needle sequence was to overlap the cross embroidery in the order of 2-out, 1-in, 3-out, 2-in, 4-out, 3-in, 1-out, 4-in), mountain embroidery, leaf embroidery, rococo embroidery, and other needle techniques. 4. ** Needle retracting method **: Every time you finish sewing a thread, you can thread the thread at the bottom and fix it by crossing a few stitches. 5. ** Make a pendant (if needed)**: If you want to make an embroidered pendant, turn it over to the back after embroidery, shrink the cloth, and then cut a piece of non-woven cloth or a thicker cloth to put it on, and then insert the needle from the edge to fix it. "Prosperous Brocade Record" is equally exciting. Everyone is welcome to click and read it!
I'd recommend 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson. It seems like a normal small - town story at first. The townspeople gather for an annual lottery. But as the story progresses, it becomes clear that this lottery is not what it seems, and the 'winner' is actually going to be stoned to death by the rest of the villagers. It's a great introduction to the idea that not everything is as it appears in horror stories.
For a beginner, 'Carmilla' by Sheridan Le Fanu is also worth reading. It was one of the early vampire stories. It tells the story of a young woman who befriends Carmilla, who turns out to be a vampire. The story has an air of mystery and gothic horror that is not too extreme for someone new to horror short stories.
I would also recommend 'SOMA'. It has a thought - provoking story. Although it has some complex themes, the basic premise of exploring an underwater research facility and the strange things happening there is easy to grasp. The game also has a great sense of atmosphere and horror that can draw in new players to the horror genre.
'The Dreadful Lemon Sky' is also a good choice for beginners. It's part of the Travis McGee series, but can be read as a standalone. It has an interesting mystery with plenty of twists and turns. The main character, Travis McGee, is very likable and the Florida setting adds a unique flavor to the story.
There's this story called 'The Haunted Attic'. In this YouTube scary sleepover story, a family moves into a new house. During a sleepover with friends, the kids decide to explore the attic. They find some old toys and a diary. As they read the diary, they start to realize that there's a presence in the attic. It's a story that builds up the suspense slowly and is not too intense, which is perfect for someone new to horror.
A lesser - known but interesting one could be his accounts of some of the early colonial adventures. These stories often involve encounters with strange tribes, dangerous terrains, and the fear of the unknown. They can be a bit of a horror read as they expose the reader to the perils and uncertainties that the early settlers faced.
A great beginner - friendly Hulu short horror story is 'The Mirror'. It's about a young woman who moves into a new apartment and there's an old mirror on the wall. She starts to notice that her reflection doesn't always match her movements. It builds suspense slowly and doesn't rely on extreme shock factors to be scary.
For a beginner, 'The Haunting of Hill House' by Shirley Jackson is a classic that is sometimes underrated among modern readers. It's a great introduction to psychological horror. 'The Siren and the Specter' by Jonathan Janz is also a good choice. It has a traditional haunted house story but with some interesting twists. Also, 'A Head Full of Ghosts' by Paul Tremblay, which is a thought - provoking horror novel that's not too difficult to get into.