Best Horror Short Stories 1850-1899 Anthology Edited by Andrew Barger is Published!

Here on the Horror Stories Blog I'm happy to announce on New Year's Eve that my latest anthology:  Best Horror Short Stories 1850-1899: A 6a66le Horror Anthology is published!  http://www.andrewbarger.com/besthorrorshortstories1850.html It contains the best horror stories from the last half of the 19th century, including shocking tales from popular American and Victorian authors.

Andrew Barger (that would be me), award-winning author and editor of Phantasmal: Best Ghost Short Stories 1800-1849 http://amzn.to/2g3hyLm and 6a66le: Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1850 http://amzn.to/2gwTdf8 has researched the finest horror stories for the last half of the nineteenth century and combined them in one haunting collection. I have added my familiar scholarly touch by annotating the stories, providing story background information, author photos and a list of horror stories considered to settle on the most frightening and well-written tales.

• A Terror Tour Guide (2016) by Andrew Barger (A leading voice in the gothic literature space, Andrew sets the stage for this anthology of nightmares.)
• The Pioneers of Pike’s Peak (1897) by Basil Tozer (Hoards of giant spiders on a Colorado mountain. What could go wrong?)
• Lot No. 249 (1892) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Perhaps the premier mummy horror story ever recorded from the master that is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is measured out to its climatic ending.)
• The Yellow Wallpaper (1892) by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (Explore the depths of insanity.)
• Green Tea (1871) by Joseph Le Fanu (One of the most haunting horror stories by the Irish master.)
• What Was It? (1859) by Fitz James O’Brien (Sometimes the worst horror is one you can't see.)
• Pollock and the Porroh Man (1897) by H. G. Wells (Wells takes us deep into the jungle and its wrought supernatural horror.)
• The Spider of Guyana (1857) by Erckmann-Chatrian (The first giant spider horror story is one of its best.)
• The Squaw (1893) by Bram Stoker (The author of Dracula never disappoints.)
• The Great God Pan (1894) by Arthur Machen (Mythic horror that gained much praise from H. P. Lovecraft.)
• His Unconquerable Enemy (1889) by W. C. Morrow (A fiendish tale of torture sees Morrow at his best.)
• Horror Short Stories Considered (Andrew concludes the horror anthology by listing every horror short story he read to pick the very best.)

Read the premier horror anthology for the last half of the nineteenth century tonight! 

Buy today at Amazon: Best Horror Short Stories 1850-1899

#BestHorrorShortStories #BestHorrorStoriesBook

List of the Top 40 Horror Short Stories from 1800-1849

Below is a rundown of what I believe to be the Top 40 horror short stories from 1800 to 1849. You will notice some familiar names and some that may be new. The Top 12 were recently published in my new book: The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology. They include story backgrounds, annotations and photos of the author. I am also please to announced that for the first time the book is now available as a Kindle ebook for only $4.99. Just click The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849 Kindle ebook to be taken to the page. Enjoy and for those of you in the United States, Happy Thanksgiving!

40.     1839 Running the Gauntlet by Anonymous

39.     1823 The Mutiny by William Harrison Ainsworth

38.     1836 The Wedding Knell by Nathaniel Hawthorne

37.     1842 Ben Blower's Story; or How to Relish a Julep by Charles Feno Hoffman

36.     1827 The Bohemian by Anonymous

35.     1831 Singular Passage in the Life of the Late Henry Harris, Doctor in Divinity by Richard Harris Barham

34.     1830 Confessions of a Reformed Ribbonman by William Carleton

33.     1820 The Field of Terror by Baron Friedrich Heinrich Karl De la Motte Fouquâe

32.     1837 Cousin Mattie by James Hogg

31.     1844 Rappaccini’s Daughter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

30.     1821  The Man in the Bell by William Maginn

29.     1836 The Legend of the Bell Rock by Captain Frederick Marryat

28.     1849 Hop-Frog by Edgar Allan Poe

27.     1832 Gabriel Lindsay by William Mudford

26.     1835 The Fiery Vault by Reithra

25.     1837 The Involuntary Experimentalist by Samuel Ferguson

24.     1831 The Lonely Man of the Ocean by Anonymous

23.     1843 Ko-rea-ran-neh-neh; or, The Flying Head by Charles Feno Hoffman

22.     1846 The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe

21.     1837 Dr. Heidegger's Experiment by Nathaniel Hawthorne

20.     1823 A Scots Mummy by James Hogg

19.     1835 The Story of the Greek Slave by Captain Frederick Marryat

18.     1843 The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe

17.     1834 The Singular Trial of Francis Ormiston by George Sloane

16.     1842 The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe

15.     1827 Le Revenant by Henry Thomson

14.     1841 A Descent into the Maelstrom by Edgar Allan Poe

13.     1830 The Elixir of Life by Honore de Balzac

12.     1836 The Old Man’s Tale About the Queer Client by Charles Dickens
11.     1817 The Deserted House by E.T. A. Hoffmann
10.     1836 The Minister’s Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne
9.       1843 The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe
8.       1828 The Severed Hand by Wilhelm Hauff
7.       1826 The Lighthouse by George Soane
6.       1842 The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe
5.       1829 El Verdugo (The Executioner) by Honoré de Balzac
4.       1832 The Thunder-Struck and the Boxer by Samuel Warren
3.       1845 The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar by Edgar Allan Poe
2.       1832 The Mysterious Mansion by Honoré de Balzac
1.       1839 The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe

 

Reveal for the #1 Best Horror Short Story 1800-1849

The reveal is finally here for the best horror short story of 1800-1849. I pick Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" for the number one spot. This fantastic horror tale is one of the best for the entire century, let alone the first half. You can read my thoughts and background information on it in The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology. In a future post I will list all of the Top 40 horror short stories again just in case you missed them the first time. Enjoy!

Website: www.AndrewBarger.com 

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Reveal for the 2nd Best Horror Short Story 1800-1849

For the second best short horror story of 1800-1849 I choose "The Mysterious Mansion" by Honore de Balzac (1799-1850). This horrific story of "entrapment" rises far above Edgar Allan Poe's best tale of a similar nature, "The Cask of Amontillado." You can read the story along with my annotations and story background in The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology.

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Reveal for the 3rd Best Horror Short Story 1800-1849

I am down to the Final Three in my countdown of the Top 40 horror short stories from 1800-1849. I pick Edgar Allan Poe's "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" as the third best horror tale for this period. You can read it along with my annotations and introduction in my newly published horror anthology.  

Amazon: The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology

Barnes & Noble: The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology 

Website: AndrewBarger.com

Review of The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849 at Bookgasm.com

The Halloween season is upon us and Bookgasm.com, one of the Web's best book review sites, has just published a review of The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology. Here is a snippet from the review: "Through his introduction and footnotes, Barger aims for readers both scholarly and casual, ensuring that the authors get their due while making the work accessible overall to the mainstream." Click to read the <a href="http://www.bookgasm.com/reviews/horror/the-best-horror-short-stories-1800-1849/

Reveal for the 4th Best Horror Short Story 1800-1849

Weighing in as the 4th best horror short story of 1800-1849 is The Thunder-Struck and the Boxer by Samuel Warren. This fine horror tale is included in The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology with background information and annotations. P.S. Halloween is only 6 days away!

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Part I of The Best Horror Short Stories Interview by Andrew Barger

This is part I of the ten question  interview I did for The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology. I hope you find it interesting
 

Q1: Andrew, there are many horror anthologies out there. Why did you decide to edit a book of the best horror short stories from 1800-1849?

A1: In my view, classic horror anthologies have given us a disappointing selection of stories. Many times scant background information is provided about the horror stories and their authors. This is frustrating.

Q2: So the editors were light on horror short story content?

A2: In a number of ways. So to those editors of the gigantics, the colossals, the monstrous, the huge, the huger, the bigs, the really bigs, the even biggers—these portly books of collected horror—you have made my literary waistline bloated with quantity over quality. You have hardened my literary arteries. I was full when pushing back from your table only to be hungry a few hours later. The “greatest” horror anthologies have been greatly disappointing. I have spent time with the “fantastic” and was fantastically used. I have been calmed by the “terrifying” and under-whelmed by the “incredible.” The “mammoth” books have left me feeling wooly inside. [Smiles]

Q3: Are there any other reasons you compiled The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849?

A3: I have never seen one that addresses this 50 year period by itself. This is when the horror short story genre began thanks to Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Honoré de Balzac and so many others. I felt that the best stories of these great horror writers needed to be compared and that is best accomplished when they are put shoulder-to-shoulder. And part of it was my curiosity to see just how good—how groundbreaking—Poe was in telling his horror stories. I was also frustrated reading anthologies that do not disclose what horror stories were considered when compiling them. It’s like declaring a beauty pageant winner without showing the other contestants. I want to know what literary wheat got separated from the chaff. This would answer many questions for my inquisitive mind. Rare is the short horror story anthology that has shown the world what tales were actually considered in making the compilation. In this case I have tried to stem this tide of literary attrition. All of the short horror stories are listed that I reviewed for this anthology, along with their respective author and earliest publication date, if available.

Q4: How does this compare to the best werewolf short stories of 1800-1849 that you edited?

A4: There were only a handful of werewolf short stories published in the English language from 1800-1849. With the horror short stories I had exponentially more to pick from and picking the best was much harder.

Q5: How many horror short stories from the first half of the nineteenth century did you read?

A5: I read over 300 horror short stories. Many of the obscure ones came from key periodical magazines such as Blackwood’s and Atkinson’s Casket. My horror anthology includes background information for each story and photograph of the author. Annotations are included for difficult or antiquated terms.

Reveal for the 6th Best Horror Short Story 1800-1849

The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe is picked as the 6th best horror story from 1800-1849. In my recent book: The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology you can read this horror tale along with my thoughts and annotations for difficult terms. Tomorrow I will post the next author in my countdown.

www.AndrewBarger.com

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Reveal for the 7th Best Horror Short Story 1800-1849

The Lighthouse by George Soane is my pick for the 7th best horror short story for the period in question. It is the best lighthouse horror story for the first half of the nineteenth century. I say this knowing that Edgar Allan Poe never finished the lighthouse story he was penning at his death. My research did not uncover The Lighthouse by George Soane as being collected in any horror anthology. Where can you read it then? The best way is in the recent book I have edited, The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology. Tomorrow I will post the first review of the horror book. Cheers! 

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Author of the 7th Best Horror Short Story 1800-1849 is George Soane

It is extremely rare for George Soane (1789-1860) to be mentioned when scholars discuss the best horror short story writers for the first half of the nineteenth century. In my view he is one of the most largely overlooked horror story writers for this period. Tomorrow I will reveal his scary short story that is 7 on my countdown of the Top 40 from 1800-1849 and is contained in my new book: The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology.

Reveal for the 8th Best Horror Short Story 1800-1849

My pick for the 8th best horror short story from 1800-1849 is "The Severed Hand" by Wilhelm Hauff. You can read the Top 12 in my recently published The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849. The book is a classic horror anthology with photos of the authors, story background and annotations. Tomorrow I will post the creepy book trailer video for the anthology.

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Author of the 8th Best Horror Short Story 1800-1849 is Wilhelm Hauff

Back to my countdown of the Top 40 horror short stories from 1800-1849. The author of the 8th best horror story for this period is Wilhelm Hauff (1802-1827). Here is a photo of this German horror author who died much too young. Tomorrow I will post the title of his horror story.

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Reveal for the 9th Best Horror Short Story 1800-1849

I pick Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart as the 9th best horror short story for the first half of the nineteenth century. Before I am finished with the countdown Poe will make three more appearances. For those of you interested in the great stories and poems of Poe, I edited Edgar Allan Poe Annotated and Illustrated Entire Stories and Poems that is chock full of interesting information about America's most mysterious and haunting author of the early nineteenth century. Next week I will continue with the countdown.

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Author of the 9th Best Horror Short Story 1800-1849 is Edgar Allan Poe

This is not the first time Edgar Allan Poe has appeared in my countdown of the Top 40 horror short stories from 1800-1849, but it is the first time he has appeared in the Top 10. It will not be his last. Tomorrow I will reveal which horror short story of his I place at the ninth best for this period. While you wait, you can check out the press release for the best horror stories book that I edited, which contains the Top 12 horror short stories for this period. It's called The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A  Classic Horror Anthology.

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Reveal for the 10th Best Horror Short Story 1800-1849

Yesterday I announced that Nathaniel Hawthorne was the author of what I believe to be the 10th best horror story for the first half of the nineteenth century. There has been speculation about just which one of his horror tales would be the first in the Top 10. I am happy to report that it is The Minister's Black Veil. If you want to read it in its entirety along with background information about the story, it (and 11 others) are contained in my new book: The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849. Here are some links where you can buy it.

Buy The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology at Amazon.com

Buy The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology at Barnes & Noble

My Website: www.AndrewBarger.com

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The 11th Best Horror Short Story from 1800-1849 is The Deserted House

Few people have read The Deserted House, which in my view is the best horror story ETA Hoffmann (1776-1822) ever wrote. I've included it in my collection of the 12 greatest: The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology. Next week I will begin counting down the Top 10 for this crucial period that serve as a foundation for our modern horror stories.

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ETA Hoffmann is the Author of the 11th Best Horror Short Story 1800-1849

E.T.A. Hoffmann--the ground-breaking German author of ghost, fantasy and horror short stories--is the author of the 11th best horror short story for the first half of the nineteenth century. Tomorrow I will post the title of it as I continue to countdown the best horror stories for this vital period in the horror genre. The top 12 are contained in my horror book: The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology
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List of Authors in The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology

I am nearly finished with my countdown of the best horror stories from 1800-1849. I have published 40-13 and the final 12 stories are contained in my new book: The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology. Next I will start counting down these Top 12, but first I want to tease you a bit by listing the authors whose horror stories made the anthology:

Honore de Balzac
Charles Dickens (Surprise!)
E.T.A. Hoffmann
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Edgar Allan Poe (No surprise)
George Soane (Who?)
Samuel Warren

It's easy to see that some of these classic horror authors have multiple stories in the anthology. See if you can guess what horror stories by these authors made the Top 12 for the first half of the nineteenth century. Tomorrow I will list the countries where the authors are from. Enjoy.

Website: www.AndrewBarger.com

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New Cover for The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology

It has been a while since I have posted to my blog and I have been hearing about it! I was forced to pause my countdown of the best horror short stories from 1800-1849 to launch another book I edited: The Best Werewolf Short Stories 1800-1849. That book has gotten off to a good start in both the US and UK. I was also finalizing the cover for The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849 and here it is! Now, I don't want to hear any jokes about that being a picture of me on the cover. I look much worse than that after a late night of writing. Overall, I am pleased with the cover. It gives the book a classic horror feel without blood and gore. There is little of either in the 12 horror stories I picked as the best ones for this period, yet nothing is lost in their fright factor. The horror book has 250 pages and it is available at all major Internet retailers such as The Best Horror Short Stories at Amazon.com and The Best Horror Short Stories at Barnes & Noble. Over the next two weeks I will reveal the 12 horror stories I have chosen for the book to finish out the countdown.