Modern horror originated in the late nineteenth century and spanned into the early twentieth century. It brought the sinister to places that you or I could live in, not just spooky castles and old asylums. It took human nature’s fear of the unusual and uncontrollable to extreme levels, and it produced some of the greatest horror writers ever to have spooked the world over. Oxford World’s Classics has compiled a comprehensive collection of horror stories from a variety of different authors.
This horror compendium includes just shy of thirty different short stories. Opening the book is E.T.A Hoffmann’s The Sandman, in which Nathanael becomes enchanted with the lady Olimpia, however she is not what she seems. Also included is Charles Dickens’ The Signalman, a chilling tale of what you can see when you are working alone late at night and what can happen to the curious. Meanwhile, The Mark Of The Beast by Rudyard Kipling gives the reader a very colonial twist when protagonist Fleete desecrates a sacred temple in India and is inflicted with a beastly curse. The next highlight is The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs, in which the aforementioned paw grants the owner three wishes, but they soon learn lessons in playing with fate. Also included is M.R. James’ Count Magnus in which a Swedish traveller meets the ominous title character. The collection concludes with The Derelict from William Hope Hodgson, in which a stranded ship comes across a derelict counterpart with its own story to tell.
Horror Stories is a very impressive collection. It includes a number of tales that anyone who has a passionate interest in horror should have on their bookshelf, with staple titles known across horror aficionados as well as some lesser known works from some very prolific authors such as Arthur Conan Doyle, Bram Stoker and E.F. Benson. With a very thorough and analytical introduction from Darryl Jones, you see the origins of these stories and the enduring influence they have had on the genre. You will not be disappointed.
HORROR STORIES: CLASSIC TALES FROM HOFFMAN TO HODGSON / AUTHOR: DARRYL JONES, VARIOUS / PUBLISHER: OUP OXFORD / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
