CHRISTMAS HORROR STORIES LIST 2013

The past six years when I was writing for Vintage Horror, I would make a list of Christmas-themed horror stories to review during the holidays. With Vintage Horror gone, I intend to continue that tradition here. If you’re looking for more, I reposted a former VH one here near the end of November. http://mattcowanhorror.com/2013/11/28/christmas-ghost-stories-reviving-a-dead-tradition/ If […]

MANLY WADE WELLMAN

Manly Wade Wellman was born in Portuguese West Africa in 1903. He eventually moved to America and settled in North Carolina. He started out as a reporter before quitting to write full time. He wrote in several genres’ including horror, science fiction, adventure, crime, comic books, and mainstream novels. Wellman won the Ellery Queen Mystery […]

My Favorite H.P. Lovecraft Stories

I’ve generally avoided writing articles on H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe due to the prolific amount of coverage already available for them online. However, I’m a fan of Lovecraft, so I thought I’d list some favorites of mine here. 1.”The Music of Erich Zann” (1922) – A man becomes enthralled by the bizarre music […]

TEN SCARY SHORT STORIES FOR HALLOWEEN

Looking for some atmospheric horror stories to enjoy this Halloween? Here’s a few I think fit the bill. Several of these can be found for free online. 1. “Feet Foremost” by L.P. Hartley (1948) – A group assembles at newly-renovated Low Threshold Hall for a housewarming. There they encounter the malicious ghost of an ill-treated […]

EERIE STORIES OF RUSSELL KIRK

Russell Kirk was born in Michigan in 1918. He gained much notoriety as a political theorist with the publication of his book, THE CONSERVATIVE MIND (1953). His career took several paths including that of writer, editor and keynote speaker. Lesser known to most is his fiction writing, which encompassed both novels and short stories. His […]

MY TOP TEN FAVORITE RAMSEY CAMPBELL SHORT STORIES

My favorite writer of all time is Ramsey Campbell. He’s won multiple awards in his career, including: World Fantasy Awards, British Fantasy Awards, Bram Stoker Awards, International Horror Guild Awards, as well as The Horror Writers’ Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Living Legend Award of International Horror Guild 2007. Most of the stories on […]

ALGERNON BLACKWOOD ARTICLE

Algernon Blackwood was born in 1869 in Kent, England to a prosperous family. He became interested in the occult at a young age, which would later become evident in his writing. He rebelled against his family in his early twenties, moving to Canada and America to pursue various jobs. He worked as a dairy farmer, […]

IN GHOSTLY COMPANY BY AMYAS NORTHCOTE

I purchased the Wordsworth collection, IN GHOSTLY COMPANY by Amyas Northcote, because Amazon suggested it to me based on my previous purchases, mentioning him as similar to M.R. James. The Introduced of the book by David Stuart Davies gives some background on Northcote. Not an easy task, I’m sure, due to the obscurity of the […]

My Top 10 Favorite Horror Anthologies

The Mammoth Book of Haunted House Stories by Peter Haining The Dark Descent edited by David G. Hartwell The Penguin Book of Horror Stories edited by J.A. Cuddon Masterpieces of Terror and the Supernatural edited by Marvin Kaye The Mammoth Book of Modern Ghost Stories edited by Peter Haining 100 Wild Little Weird Tales edited […]