- Table View
- List View
Reality: And Other Stories
by John LanchesterA Kirkus Reviews Best Short Fiction of 2021 Selection Ghost stories for the digital age by the Booker Prize–longlisted author of The Wall.In 2017, inspired in part by Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw, the acclaimed English novelist John Lanchester published a ghost story in The New Yorker. "Signal," an eerie story of contemporary life and the perils of technology, was a sensation among readers—and since then Lanchester has written several more.Reality and Other Stories gathers the best of these, taking readers to an uncanny world familiar to fans of The Twilight Zone or Black Mirror. Household gizmos with a mind of their own. Mysterious cell-phone calls from unknown numbers. Reality TV shows and the creeping suspicion that none of this is real…Reality and Other Stories is a book of disquiet that captures the severe disconnection and distraction of our time.
Monsters in the Movies: 100 Years of Cinematic Nightmares
by John LandisFrom B-movie bogeymen and outer space oddities to big-budget terrors, Monsters in the Movies by legendary filmmaker John Landis showcases the greatest monsters ever to creep, fly, slither, stalk, or rampage across the Silver Screen! Landis provides his own fascinating and entertaining insights into the world of moviemaking, while conducting in-depth "conversations" with leading monster makers, including David Cronenberg, Christopher Lee, John Carpenter, and Sam Raimi — to discuss some of the most petrifying monsters ever seen. He also surveys the historical origins of the archetypal monsters, such as vampires, zombies, and werewolves, and takes you behind the scenes to discover the secrets of those special-effects wizards who created such legendary frighteners as King Kong, Dracula, and Halloween's Michael Myers. With more than 1000 stunning movie stills and posters, this book is sure to keep even the most intense fright-seekers at the edge of their seats for hours!
House of Windows
by John LanganThe haunting debut novel by the Bram Stoker Award-winning author—&“think Henry James and Joyce Carol Oates with just a few paragraphs of Joe Lansdale&” (Tor.com). For the last few years, Veronica Croydon has been at the center of scandal, first as the younger woman for whom her famous professor left his wife, and then as his apparent widow. When a writer staying at the same vacation home as Veronica has the chance to hear her story, he jumps at it. What follows takes him to the dark heart of a father's troubled relationship with his only son, in a story that stretches from the Hudson Valley to Afghanistan; and from post-9/11 America to Victorian England. House of Windows is a haunting exploration of a marriage under strain from forces both psychological and paranormal. With its combination of literary complexity and chilling supernatural violence, it is widely considered a masterpiece of contemporary horror fiction. New introduction by Adam NevillReading Group Guide included &“John Langan is a writer of superb literary horror. Both House of Windows and The Fisherman are dark and unsettling contemporary masterpieces.&” —Peter Straub, New York Times bestselling author
The Fisherman
by John LanganIn upstate New York, in the woods around Woodstock, Dutchman's Creek flows out of the Ashokan Reservoir. Steep-banked, fast-moving, it offers the promise of fine fishing, and of something more, a possibility too fantastic to be true. When Abe and Dan, two widowers who have found solace in each other's company and a shared passion for fishing, hear rumors of the Creek, and what might be found there, the remedy to both their losses, they dismiss it as just another fish story. Soon, though, the men find themselves drawn into a tale as deep and old as the Reservoir. It's a tale of dark pacts, of long-buried secrets, and of a mysterious figure known as Der Fisher: the Fisherman. It will bring Abe and Dan face to face with all that they have lost, and with the price they must pay to regain it.
The Lovecraft Squad: A Novel (Lovecraft Squad #1)
by Stephen Jones John Llewellyn ProbertThe first novel in a new series following the exploits of a secret organization dedicated to battling the eldritch monstrosities given form in H. P. Lovecraft's fevered imagination. There has always been something wrong about All Hallows Church. Not just the building, but the very land upon it stands. Reports dating back to Roman times reveal that it has always been a bad place—blighted by strange sightings, unusual phenomena, and unexplained disappearances. So in the 1990s, a team of para-psychiatrists is sent in to investigate the various mysteries surrounding the Church and its unsavoury legends. From the start, they begin to discover a paranormal world that defies belief. But as they dig deeper, not only do they uncover some of the secrets behind the ancient edifice designed by “Zombie King” Thomas Moreby but, hidden away beneath everything else, something so ancient and so terrifying that it is using the architect himself as a conduit to unimaginable evil. After four days and nights, not everybody survives—and those that do will come to wish they hadn’t. Imagine The Haunting of Hill House, The Amityville Horror, The Entity and The Stone Tape rolled together into the very fabric of a single building. And then imagine if all that horror is accidentally released . . .
Single White Female
by John LutzNo matter how much you think you know, you're taking a chance when you shop for a new roommate. But after Allie Jones throws out Sam, her sexy but two- timing live-in lover, she desperately needs someone to split the rent on her Upper West Side New York apartment. And if anybody seems a safe bet, it's shy and unimposing Hedra Carlson, the least likely candidate for leaving dirty socks on the floor. Yet there is something odd about the way Hedra openly envies Allie's appearance and lifestyle. Then Allie begins receiving obscene phone calls from strangers who know her name; her credit cards mysteriously disappear; and she is shocked to discover that Hedra's wardrobe is eerily similar to her own. Unknown to Allie, her plain and modest roommate is sharing much more than the rent...and an unspeakable, bloody nightmare is just beginning...
Dreadful Delineations
by John MaclayA collection of Thirty dark tales, 25 of which have been previously released, along with five new short stories, Maclay's old-fashioned style and some times witty approach to horror are reminiscent of shows such as The Twilight Zone. Contains some descriptions of sex.
But You Scared Me the Most: And Other Short Stories
by John ManderinoThis collection of twenty-six dark but often humorous short stories features a pantheon of disturbed and disturbing characters, human and otherwise. Many of the stories are modern takes on classic monsters crafted with twisted plots and Twilight Zone-esque endings. For example, “Wolfman and Janice” is about a werewolf who is doing the best he can under very trying circumstances, especially when confronted with eating his elderly neighbor’s cat. There’s an adolescent vampire-wannabe who is suffering badly: in love for the first time. “Frankenstein and His Mother” is a terrifying story of a grown man who wears a Frankenstein mask and lives with his mother watching TV and eating corn chips all day while being afraid of work. “Dracula’s Daughter” turns a pretentious hippie into an honest ghost. And Bigfoot—lonely, sexually frustrated—tells all. Other stories feature characters who seem perfectly normal until they're alone. Phil, for instance, is never so happy as when he’s with his inflatable girlfriend Vanessa—until she tells him the devastating truth about himself. Elderly Ellen is running out of patience with her dead husband George, who’s turned prankish. “Bob and Todd” tells the story of a hitchhiking ride gone bad that will have readers squirming in their seats. More than just standard monster stories, the tales in But You Scared Me the Most reveal much more about about human nature and will appeal to a wide range of fans of smart, funny short fiction.
Broken Branch (Novella)
by John MantoothBroken Branch, Alabama, serves as a refuge for the God-fearing, a shelter from the evils of the outside world. But who will protect them from the evil within? Trudy first met Otto and James after World War I, two traveling ministers, preaching the good word to anyone who'd take the time to listen. Together, they founded Broken Branch, a hideaway in Alabama where the faithful would be able to isolate themselves from the impurity of the rest of the world and live blessed lives in the eyes of God. But then the storms came, tearing apart their small compound, God's punishment for hidden wickedness in their hearts. And when an old man wanders into Broken Branch, ranting about a secret hideaway and uncovers an old storm cellar that's been hidden for years, Trudy begins to wonder what other secrets lie under the surface of their safe haven... Includes a preview of The Year of the Storm Praise for Broken Branch "The community of Broken Branch in John Mantooth's fine novella enacts the familiar American quest to found a religiously-pure settlement whose members might escape the evils and ills of the larger world--in this case, Depression-era America. A descendant of Hawthorne's Blithedale Farm, not to mention Puritan Plymouth, its inhabitants come the same discovery as their forebearers, namely, that they themselves contain more than sufficient darkness to undo their enterprise. Through a tight focus on the woman whose largesse has made Broken Branch possible, Mantooth portrays the movement from willful ignorance to painful wisdom. In these pages, tornadoes churn, stars fall burning from the sky, and a strange storm shelter offers a glimpse of another world full of awful beauty. Broken Branch offers compelling evidence of John Mantooth's ambitions and abilities as a writer."--John Langan, author of The Wide, Carnivorous Sky and Other Monstrous Geographies "John Mantooth's Broken Branch is filled with claustrophobic, creeping dread. It's a story of lies and belief, fear and deception, and it will stay with you long after you've finished the last page."--Damien Walters Grintalis, author of Ink
Shoebox Train Wreck
by John Mantooth“A unique, startling, moving collection of genre-twisting stories that play out in those shadowed places that linger as the sun goes down” (Shroud Magazine Book Reviews). The living haunt the dead . . . These sixteen genre-bending stories are set against a backdrop of sudden violence and profound regret, populated by characters whose circumstances and longings drive them to the point of no return . . . and sometimes even further. A young girl takes a journey to see what is really hidden within the belly of an ancient water tower. A high school senior learns about defiance on a school bus and witnesses a tragedy that he won’t soon forget. Six survivors in an underground bunker discuss the possibility of Armageddon being an elaborate hoax. Two brothers take a walk on the dark side of the wheat field and discover that some bonds are stronger than death. And in the title story, a former train conductor must confront the ghosts of his past while learning that it’s not the dead who haunt the living, but the other way around. Traversing the back roads of the south and beyond, these stories probe the boundaries of imagination, taking the reader to the fringes of a society where the world looks different, and once you visit, you won’t ever be the same. “John Mantooth’s short stories crackle with intelligence and violence.” —Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World “Good, spare, bleak storytelling, and some haunting images that will stick with readers like the kid at the end of the road.” —Publishers Weekly
The Year of the Storm
by John MantoothIn this haunting, suspenseful debut novel, John Mantooth takes readers to a town in rural Alabama where secrets are buried deep, reality is relative, and salvation requires a desperate act of faith. When Danny was fourteen, his mother and sister disappeared during a violent storm. The police were baffled. There were no clues, and most people figured they were dead. Only Danny still holds out hope that they'll return. Months later, a disheveled Vietnam vet named Walter Pike shows up at Danny's front door, claiming to know their whereabouts. The story he tells is so incredible that Danny knows he shouldn't believe him. Others warn him about Walter Pike's dark past, his shameful flight from town years ago, and the suspicious timing of his return. But he's Danny's last hope, and Danny needs to believe...
The Sword Of Angels
by John MarcoAn all-new dose of John Marco's trademark combination of morally ambigous and complex action, tight plotting and vivd characterisation. This is action-driven fantasy, packed with magic, betrayal and battle, from one of the most exciting authors in world fantasy. Set in a richly built world which beautifully evokes of magical lands, is detailed in its dissection of motive, and compelling in its characters, The Sword of Angels is the latest work from a natural and mature storyteller revelling in his ability. Building on the success of the acclaimed 'Tyrants and Kings' trilogy, and his growing fanbase in the UK and US, this is a perfect novel for new readers and old fans of John Marco's work alike.
Fangland
by John MarksAs the popularity of Elizabeth Kostova's bestselling The Historian proves, there's always an audience bloodthirsty for quality, page-turning horror. Now, in a marvelously horrifying turn, John Marks-a former 60 Minutes producer-sinks his satirical teeth into twenty-first- century media. In Fangland, Evangeline Harker is an employee of the legendary TV news magazine The Hour. Sent on assignment to Transylvania, she delivers more than a story when mysterious e-mails, coffins, and a creepy guy named Torgu descend on the New York office. This darkly funny tale will appeal to vampire and horror aficionados as well as anyone who's fed up with what passes for "news" today. .
Evie and the Truth about Witches
by John MartzEvie wants to be scared, but she'll get more than she bargained for in this thrilling, witchy chapter book adventure! For fans of Sir Simon: Super Scarer and other spooky, kid-friendly books.Evie wants to be scared, and the usual scary stories just aren't doing it for her anymore. When she stumbles across a different sort of book, The Truth about Witches, she hopes she's found something thrilling . . . but she's forbidden by a kindly shopkeeper from reading the last page out loud! Naturally, her curiosity gets the better of her, and upon reading the last page out loud -- a real summoning spell -- Evie is spirited off to a strange land of magic, weird creatures, feasts and actual witches! They're not as scary as they seem, until Evie asks to join their ranks . . . and only once she does is her quest for true scariness satisfied . . .
Henry Hunter and the Beast of Snagov: Henry Hunter Series #1 (Henry Hunter Series #1)
by John MatthewsAdolphus Pringle lived a relatively normal life before he met Henry Hunter, but being the best friend of a twelve-year-old millionaire genius certainly makes life interesting. He has accompanied Henry on adventures all over the world and encountered dozens of supernatural creatures. Henry has a penchant for paranormal mysteries, and he never fails to drag his trusty sidekick, Dolf, into adventures to track down the truth in these mystical legends.Henry announces one morning that he and Dolf are going to go in search of a creature more terrifying than Dracula himself: the Beast of Snagov. The pair of supernatural investigators travel from where Bram Stoker stayed in Whitby to Transylvania. Along the way they come across some strange things such as Dracula’s daughter, Bella, and an organization called the Order of the Dragon that wants to sacrifice Henry Hunter to the Beast of Snagov. When Henry is taken, it’s up to Dolf and Bella to team up and rescue him!Will Henry survive this supernatural adventure? Get ready to discover the world of the supernatural through the eyes of our spooked narrator as he tags along on the first adventure in the Henry Hunter series!Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers-picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Henry Hunter and the Cursed Pirates: Henry Hunter Series #2 (Henry Hunter Series #2)
by John MatthewsHenry Hunter’s friend Charlie is desperate for help. His parents have gone missing in the Caribbean Ocean, and no one will believe him that something sinister is afoot. Henry and his sidekick Dolf are on the case! The only lead Henry and Dolf have is the sighting of a ghostly galleon and a huge tentacle of mist. Exploring the local pirate history and myths, Henry and Dolf uncover a cursed crew of pirates, led by no other than the deadly Edward Teach—Blackbeard himself. But what's keeping the pirates sailing beyond their deaths? And how and why are they building a crew of live prisoners? It's up to Henry and Dolf to survive monster waves and befriend a crazy local seadog to solve the mystery and put the pirates back in their watery graves!Discover the ghostly world of the paranormal through the eyes of our spooked narrator as he tags along on the second adventure in the Henry Hunter series!
Killing Eyes
by John MiglisKilling Eyes - they carry with them the murderous will of their donor, they create terrifying dreams, they obsess a woman and torture a man, in a nightmare of blood and terror.
The Militia House: A Novel
by John MilasLonglisted for the Center for Fiction's First Novel PrizeNominated for the 2023 Shirley Jackson Award“An extraordinary novel about the quiet and not so quiet horrors of war.” —Roxane GayStephen King meets Tim O’Brien in John Milas’s The Militia House, a spine-tingling and boldly original gothic horror novel.It’s 2010, and the recently promoted Corporal Loyette and his unit are finishing up their deployment at a new base in Kajaki, Afghanistan. Their duties here are straightforward—loading and unloading cargo into and out of helicopters—and their days are a mix of boredom and dread. The Brits they’re replacing delight in telling them the history of the old barracks just off base, a Soviet-era militia house they claim is haunted, and Loyette and his men don’t need much convincing to make a clandestine trip outside the wire to explore it. It’s a short, middle-of-the-day adventure, but the men experience a mounting agitation after their visit to the militia house. In the days that follow they try to forget about the strange, unsettling sights and sounds from the house, but things are increasingly . . . not right. Loyette becomes determined to ignore his and his marines’ growing unease, convinced that it’s just the strain of war playing tricks on them. But something about the militia house will not let them go.Meticulously plotted and viscerally immediate in its telling, The Militia House is a gripping and brilliant exploration of the unceasing horrors of war that’s no more easily shaken than the militia house itself.
The Juggler
by John MorressyBeran found himself juggling cubes and rings, daggers and spinning halls of colored flame, sacks of coins, crowns and scepters, rubies and diamonds and skulls, and other things not easily described. And then, at last, only four shining black balls. Beran will never be able to leave his peasant village; surely he will forever till fields and serve his master, much like his parents before him. But he can still dream of being a juggler. When a mysterious old man offers Beran the one thing he wants most, asking only a "trifle" in return, Beran must make the most important decision of his life: should he sell his soul to the Devil to become the world's greatest juggler? Master storyteller John Morressy has crafted a mesmerizing tale about lies and the Father of Lies, about relentless ambition and the power of the human heart. Set in a nameless but accurate medieval landscape, The Juggler vividly describes life in the age of faith. Beran's travels take him to bawdy inns and crowded marketplaces, lavish weddings and royal courts. Then, in his most difficult journey of all, Beran undertakes a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where he must fight for his soul, with no promise of salvation. Tracing one man's quest for true meaning, and the price he must pay to achieve it, this gripping Faustian novel challenges all readers to question the nature of guilt, the power of belief, and the strength of the human soul.
OINK: Heaven's Butcher
by John MuellerIn a dark, oppressive future, pig-men work tirelessly feeding a society they cannot fathom as slaves of human masters. When Oink realizes that the dogma being forced on them is all lies, he undertakes a path of revenge and revelation.
Assassin of Gor (Gorean Saga #5)
by John NormanA brutal assassin seeks vengeance in an alternate world where men are masters and women are slaves. Welcome to Gor, a parallel Earth where social norms are exotic and the way of life is brutal. In this volume of the Gorean Saga, the deadly assassin Kuurus is intent on a bloody mission of vengeance. His adventure takes him from the caste of the pleasure-slaves, who are rigorously trained in the rules and techniques of sexual ecstasy, to the brutal arenas where humans participate in deadly hand-to-hand combat. He witnesses violence, conflict, and uncertainty, as the inhabitants of Counter Earth are forced to confront their destinies . . . no matter how exalted or debased. Rediscover this brilliantly imagined world where men are masters and women live to serve their every desire. Assassin of Gor is the 5th book in the Gorean Saga, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Avengers of Gor (Gorean Saga #36)
by John NormanPuzzling, disturbing rumors have reached Port Kar. Tarl Cabot, warrior and merchant, pirate and slaver, once of Earth, now of Gor, learns that the Farther Islands, Thera, Daphna, and Chios, west of the Island Ubarates of Cos and Tyros, are being bloodily and systematically ravaged by corsairs supposedly led by himself, by Bosk of Port Kar, as he is commonly known. How could this be? What is one to make of it? Why would so cruel and outrageous a hoax, apparently pointless, be perpetrated? Who would dare to do so? And, in the meantime, shipping is assailed and towns and villages are looted and burned. Tarl Cabot will investigate. He will seek vengeance. His quest will carry him to the taverns and palaces of corrupt, luxurious, decadent Sybaris, on Thera, where life is cheap and collared slave girls plentiful, where ruthless corsairs live by the sword and whip, and into strange and dangerous waters teeming with predatory vessels and monstrous sea life. As the mystery is unraveled, bit by bloody bit, he discovers that its threads may reach far beyond the Farther Islands.
Beasts of Gor (Gorean Saga #12)
by John NormanA monstrous alien race attempts to conquer the Earth-like planet of Gor, where men are warriors and women are sex slaves. The fight for survival on the primitive, Earth-like world Gor continues with a ferocity that matches the rest of the series. On Gor, there are three different kinds of beings that are labeled beasts: the Kurii, a monster alien race that is preparing to invade Gor from space; Gorean warriors, who fight with viciousness almost primitive in its bloodlust; and then there are the slave girls of Gor, lowly beasts for men to treat as they see fit, be it as objects of labor or desire. Now all three come together as the Kurii fight to take over Gor with its first beachhead on the planet&’s polar ice cap. As all three kinds of beasts struggle together, an incredible adventure is told, one that begins in lands of burning heat and ends up in the bitter cold of the polar north among the savage red hunters of the polar ice pack. Rediscover this brilliantly imagined world where men are masters and women live to serve their every desire. Beasts of Gor is the 12th book in the Gorean Saga, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
Blood Brothers of Gor (Gorean Saga #18)
by John NormanOn the run from a death squad, General Half-Ear lures his pursuers into the land of the Red Savages on the planet of Gor. Half-Ear, or Zarendargar, a Kur general fallen from favor in the Steel Worlds, now sought by a death squad of his savage compeers, has determined to lure his pursuers into the Barrens, the vast prairies to the east of known Gor, populated by warring tribes known to Goreans as the Red Savages. He has arranged matters in such a way that he will be abetted in his stand against the death squad and its human allies by a human ally of his own—his former foe, Tarl Cabot. The ancestors of the Red Savages, like those of many other Goreans, were brought to Gor long ago in Voyages of Acquisition by the Priest-Kings. The Red Savages were settled in an area not unlike that of their former home, a sweeping, almost endless grassland, where they tend to continue their former ways of life—and war. Rediscover this brilliantly imagined world where men are masters and women live to serve their every desire. Blood Brothers of Gor is the 18th book in the Gorean Saga, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.