My Favorite Horror Story

A veritable Who's Who of Horror, this wonderful new anthology features the biggest names in modern suspense-and the most terrifying tales ever told. Major authors like Stephen King, Peter Straub, and F. Paul Wilson were asked to choose and introduce the 15 classic stories that frightened and inspired them. The results, of course, are chilling.

Stories chosen and introduced by:

Stephen King

Peter Straub

F. Paul Wilson

Joyce Carol Oates

Dennis Etchison

Rick Hautala

Richard Christian Matheson

Harlan Ellison

Stories written by:

Robert Bloch

Richard Matheson

M.R. James

Nathaniel Hawthorne

H.P. Lovecraft

Edgar Allan Poe

Contents:

ix · Introduction · Mike Baker & Martin H. Greenberg · in

1 · Introduction to “Sweets to the Sweet” by Robert Bloch · Stephen King · is

1 · Sweets to the Sweet · Robert Bloch · ss Weird Tales Mar ’47

11 · Introduction to “The Father-Thing” by Philip K. Dick · Ed Gorman · is

11 · The Father-Thing · Philip K. Dick · ss F&SF Dec ’54

26 · Introduction to “The Distributor” by Richard Matheson · F. Paul Wilson · is

27 · The Distributor · Richard Matheson · ss Playboy Mar ’58

47 · Introduction to “A Warning to the Curious” by M. R. James · Ramsey Campbell · is

48 · A Warning to the Curious · M. R. James · ss The London Mercury Aug ’25

68 · Introduction to “Opening the Door” by Arthur Machen · Peter Atkins · is

70 · Opening the Door · Arthur Machen · ss When Churchyards Yawn, ed. Cynthia Asquith, London: Hutchinson, 1931

85 · Introduction to “The Colour Out of Space” by H. P. Lovecraft · Richard Laymon · is

89 · The Colour Out of Space · H. P. Lovecraft · nv Amazing Sep ’27

124 · Introduction to “The Inner Room” by Robert Aickman · Peter Straub · is

125 · The Inner Room · Robert Aickman · nv The Second Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories, ed. Robert Aickman, Fontana, 1966

162 · Introduction to “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne · Rick Hautala · is

163 · Young Goodman Brown · Nathaniel Hawthorne · ss New England Magazine Apr, 1835

179 · Introduction to “The Rats in the Walls” by H. P. Lovecraft · Michael Slade · is

180 · The Rats in the Walls · H. P. Lovecraft · ss Weird Tales Mar ’24

204 · Introduction to “The Dog Park” by Dennis Etchison · Richard Christian Matheson · is

205 · The Dog Park · Dennis Etchison · ss Dark Voices 5, ed. David Sutton & Stephen Jones, London: Pan, 1993

219 · Introduction to “The Animal Fair” by Robert Bloch · Joe R. Lansdale · is

219 · The Animal Fair · Robert Bloch · ss Playboy May ’71

236 · Introduction to “The Pattern” by Ramsey Campbell · Poppy Z. Brite · is

236 · The Pattern · Ramsey Campbell · nv Superhorror, ed. Ramsey Campbell, W.H. Allen, 1976

258 · Introduction to “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe · Joyce Carol Oates · is

259 · The Tell-Tale Heart · Edgar Allan Poe · ss The Pioneer Jan, 1843

266 · Introduction to “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce · Dennis Etchison · is

267 · An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge · Ambrose Bierce · ss San Francisco Examiner Jul 13, 1890

279 · Introduction to “The Human Chair” by Edogawa Rampo · Harlan Ellison · is

281 · The Human Chair [1925] · Edogawa Rampo · ss Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination, Tuttle, 1956

299 · About the Authors · Misc. Material · bg