best weird fiction short stories

One of the best is 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It's a disturbing tale of a woman's descent into madness, with the strange yellow wallpaper in her room playing a central and eerie role. The story uses the setting and the woman's psychological state to create a sense of the uncanny.

H.P. Lovecraft's 'The Call of Cthulhu' is also great. It has this Lovecraftian horror with the ancient, otherworldly entity Cthulhu. The way he builds the atmosphere of a world filled with cosmic horror that is beyond human understanding is what makes it stand out.

Look for stories that create a sense of unease. For example, if a story has a setting that is slightly off, like in 'The Yellow Wallpaper' where the room seems to have a life of its own. This makes the reader feel uncomfortable and is a sign of a good weird fiction.

One characteristic is the unexpected plot twists. In 'best new weird short fiction', the stories often take you in directions you don't anticipate. For instance, a character might suddenly find themselves in a completely different reality.

Well, 'The King in Yellow' is a notable best weird fiction story. It has a very unique and somewhat disturbing atmosphere. Also, 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson is a great example. It seems like a normal small - town story at first but then takes a very dark and unexpected turn. Then there's 'The Masque of the Red Death' by Edgar Allan Poe. The vivid descriptions of the plague and the strange masked ball create a really weird and spooky mood.

H.P. Lovecraft is a major one. He created a whole universe of weird and cosmic horror with stories like 'The Call of Cthulhu' and 'At the Mountains of Madness'. Shirley Jackson is also important. Her 'The Lottery' is a masterpiece of the genre. And Franz Kafka, with his unique and strange stories like 'The Metamorphosis' that bend our understanding of reality.

Well, 'The King in Yellow' is among the top. It has an air of mystery and the presence of a cursed play that drives people mad. 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson is also a classic weird fiction story. The seemingly normal small - town lottery turns out to be a brutal and shocking ritual. Additionally, 'A Rose for Emily' by William Faulkner. The story of Emily Grierson has elements of the grotesque and the unexpected, like the discovery at the end.

One of the best is 'The Yellow Wallpaper' by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It's a story that delves into the psychological breakdown of a woman through its strange and oppressive narrative. The way the wallpaper seems to take on a life of its own is both eerie and thought - provoking.

Another notable collection is 'The Mammoth Book of Weird Fiction'. It has a wide range of stories, from classic to modern, that cover all aspects of weirdness. There are stories about strange creatures, alternate realities, and psychological oddities that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The best weird short stories are appealing because they break the norms. They take the readers to places they've never expected. For example, in Kafka's works, the absurd situations like a man turning into an insect make us question our own existence and the world we live in. It's like a jolt to our normal thinking patterns.