best old horror short stories

Some of the best include 'The Masque of the Red Death' by Edgar Allan Poe. The vivid descriptions of the plague and the grotesque masquerade ball are really spine - chilling. 'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad' by M. R. James is another. It has a very creepy ghostly apparition. And 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' by Washington Irving, with the headless horseman, is a well - known and great old horror short story.

You can start by looking in classic literature anthologies. Libraries usually have a good collection of these. Another way is to search for 'best old horror short stories' online on reliable literary websites. Some e - book platforms also have curated collections of such stories.

Old short horror stories often have a strong sense of atmosphere. They use vivid descriptions to create a spooky setting, like a dark and gloomy castle or a desolate graveyard. They also usually have a simple yet effective plot. For example, in 'The Monkey's Paw', the basic idea of wishes gone wrong is easy to understand but very chilling. And they tend to have a moral or a lesson, like how greed or hubris can lead to one's downfall.

One of the great ones could be 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's a classic that builds intense psychological horror as the narrator's guilt over his deed drives him mad. Another might be 'The Monkey's Paw' which shows the terrifying consequences of interfering with fate through a simple yet cursed object. And 'The Yellow Wallpaper' which uses the setting and the protagonist's deteriorating mental state to create a sense of horror.

Sure. One of the scariest could be the story about the haunted house where every night strange noises and apparitions appear. It builds a great sense of dread with its detailed descriptions of the creaking floors and cold spots. Another good one might be the tale of the cursed object. When people touch it, they start to have nightmares and then things from their nightmares start to invade their real lives. And there's also the story of the lost souls in the forest. People who enter the forest get lost and are haunted by the wailing voices of the souls that never found their way out.

One great story could be 'The Yellow Wallpaper'. It's a disturbing tale about a woman's descent into madness. Another might be 'The Monkey's Paw' which has that classic horror element of wishes gone horribly wrong. And 'The Tell - Tale Heart' is also quite famous, with its unreliable narrator and the growing sense of dread.

Well, there could be a story in there about a cursed object. Maybe a doll that seems to move on its own and brings misfortune to those around it. The suspense in these stories is what makes them so engaging.

There might be 'The Monkey's Paw' which has elements of the supernatural and shows how a simple wish - granting object can bring great horror. The family in the story experiences unexpected and terrifying consequences from their wishes.

They often have a sense of the unknown. For example, in 'The Call of Cthulhu', the idea of these unknowable cosmic beings is really scary. Another characteristic is a build - up of suspense. In 'The Monkey's Paw', the reader is kept on edge waiting to see how the wishes will turn out horribly. Also, they can play with psychological elements like in 'The Yellow Wallpaper' where the main character's mental state deteriorates in a very disturbing way.

I would recommend 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark' by Alvin Schwartz. This book is filled with classic short horror stories that have been scaring generations. The stories are often accompanied by disturbing illustrations that add to the overall horror factor. It's a great choice for those who enjoy traditional horror stories with a touch of the macabre.