The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. These facts few psychologists will dispute, and their admitted truth must establish for all time the genuineness and dignity of the weirdly horrible tale as a literary form…

As may naturally be expected of a form so closely connected with primal emotion, the horror-tale is as old as human thought and speech themselves.

H. P. Lovecraft

 

Horror intends to create an eerie and frightening atmosphere for the reader. Prevalent elements include ghosts, demons, vampires, werewolves, ghouls, the Devil, witches, monsters, dystopian and apocalyptic worlds, serial killers, cannibalism, psychopaths, cults, dark magic, Satanism, the macabre, gore, and torture.

 

Edgar Allan Poe

THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE

THE GOLD BUG

THE BLACK CAT

THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM

THE TELL—TALE HEART

THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER

THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH

THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO

THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF M. VALDEMAR

HOP-FROG

THE RAVEN

 

Bram Stoker

DRACULA

 

Mary Shelley

FRANKENSTEIN

 

Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

CARMILLA

 

Robert Louis Stevenson

THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE

 

H.P. Lovecraft

THE ALCHEMIST

AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS

AZATHOTH

THE BEAST IN THE CAVE

BEYOND THE WALL OF SLEEP

THE BOOK

THE CALL OF CTHULHU

THE CASE OF CHARLES DEXTER WARD

THE CATS OF ULTHAR

THE COLOUR OUT OF SPACE

DAGON

THE DESCENDANT

THE DOOM THAT CAME TO SARNATH

THE DREAM-QUEST OF UNKNOWN KADATH

THE DUNWICH HORROR

THE EVIL CLERGYMAN

EX OBLIVIONE

FACTS CONCERNING THE LATE ARTHUR JERMYN AND HIS FAMILY

THE FESTIVAL

FROM BEYOND

THE HAUNTER OF THE DARK

HE

HERBERT WEST-REANIMATOR

THE HISTORY OF THE NECRONOMICON

THE HORROR AT RED HOOK

THE HOUND

HYPNOS

IBID

IN THE VAULT

THE LITTLE GLASS BOTTLE

MEMORY

THE MOON-BOG

THE MUSIC OF ERICH ZANN

THE NAMELESS CITY

NYARLATHOTEP

OLD BUGS

THE OTHER GODS

THE OUTSIDER

PICKMAN’S MODEL

THE PICTURE IN THE HOUSE

POLARIS

THE QUEST OF IRANON

THE RATS IN THE WALLS

A REMINISCENCE OF DR. SAMUEL JOHNSON

THE SECRET CAVE OR JOHN LEES ADVENTURE

THE SHADOW OUT OF TIME

THE SHADOW OVER INNSMOUTH

THE SHUNNED HOUSE

THE SILVER KEY

THE STATEMENT OF RANDOLPH CARTER

THE STRANGE HIGH HOUSE IN THE MIST

THE STREET

THE TEMPLE

THE TERRIBLE OLD MAN

THE TOMB

THE TRANSITION OF JUAN ROMERO

THE TREE

UNDER THE PYRAMIDS

THE VERY OLD FOLK

WHAT THE MOON BRINGS

THE WHISPERER IN DARKNESS

THE WHITE SHIP

SUPERNATURAL HORROR IN LITERATURE

 

Algernon Blackwood

THE WILLOWS

 

Francis Marion Crawford

THE DOLL'S GHOST

 

Robert W. Chambers

THE KING IN YELLOW

 

M. R. James

CANON ALBERIC’S SCRAP-BOOK

LOST HEARTS

THE MEZZOTINT

THE ASH-TREE

NUMBER 13

COUNT MAGNUS

THE TREASURE OF ABBOT THOMAS

A SCHOOL STORY

THE ROSE GARDEN

THE STALLS OF BARCHESTER CATHEDRAL

THE DIARY OF MR. POYNTER

AN EPISODE OF CATHEDRAL HISTORY

THE STORY OF A DISAPPEARANCE AND AN APPEARANCE

AN EVENING’S ENTERTAINMENT

A WARNING TO THE CURIOUS

A NEIGHBOUR’S LANDMARK

THE UNCOMMON PRAYER-BOOK

THE HAUNTED DOLLS’ HOUSE

WAILING WELL

THERE WAS A MAN DWELT BY A CHURCHYARD

RATS

AFTER DARK IN THE PLAYING FIELDS

THE EXPERIMENT

THE MALICE OF INANIMATE OBJECTS

A VIGNETTE