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