The best horror short stories from the last half of the nineteenth century are combined for the first time by Andrew Barger, award-winning author and editor of 6a66le: Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849.

Andrew has meticulously researched the finest Victorian horror short stories and combined them into one undeniable collection. He has added his familiar scholarly touch by annotating the stories, providing story background information, author photos and a list of horror stories considered. 

Historic Horror. The best horror short stories from the last half of the 19th century include scary tales by Bram Stoker, Arthur Conan Doyle, Joseph Le Fanu, W. C. Morrow, H. G. Wells, Arthur Machen, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and other early founders of the horror tale.
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  • 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! 
“But it now struck me for the first time that there must be one great and ruling embodiment of fear, a King of Terrors to which all others must succumb.” 

1859 “What Was It?” 
Fitz James O’Brien

Interview with Andrew Barger


Q1. You have edited the best horror short stories for the first half of the 19th century and now you are finishing off the century with your new horror stories anthology?
A1. In the fantasy genre I wanted to start with the first modern form of short stories in the English language, which really began the first half of the 19th century. I published Witchcraft Classics: Best Witch Short Stories 1800-1849, 6a66le: Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849, Shifters: Best Werewolf Short Stories 1800-1849, Mesaerion: Best Science Fiction Short Stories 1800-1849, Middle Unearthed: Best Fantasy Short Stories 1800-1849 and Phantasmal: Best Ghost Stories 1800-1849. Now I have moved on to the last half of the century with a collection of the best horror short stories and also the Best Ghost Short Stories 1850-1899: A Phantasmal Ghost Anthology.

Q2. What are some of the differences in the horror short stories from the first to the last half of the century? You stated that Edgar Allan Poe wrote something like 30% of the best horror stories for the period he wrote in and you published Coffee with Poe: A Novel of Edgar Allan Poe's Life.
A2. The writing is at a higher level and, for the most part, the character generation is better. Poe would be proud. They say horror writers of the last half of the century were in the shadow of Poe, but they were really standing on the shoulders of Poe and the huge leap forward he gave to the genre.

Q3. Did you include background information on each story in the collection like you did with the prior anthologies?
A3. Yes. I can’t help myself. I want my anthologies to be viewed as the premier anthologies in their space. I also included author photos, publication dates and a list of stories read at the end of the book.  Annotations are included too and there are a lot of them.

Q4. Are any of the horror short stories in the anthology comedic?
A4. Not a chance. In my humble view comedy has little place in a good horror short story. 

Q5. Who are some of the more famous authors in the anthology?
A5. Bram Stoker, Joseph Le Fanu, H. G. Wells, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Q6. Do you have a favorite?
A6. “Green Tea” by Joseph Le Fanu is a classic and nothing by Bram Stoker ever fails to disappoint. I really enjoyed “Pollock and the Porroh Man” by H. G. Wells. It is the foundation to “The Screaming Skull” by Francis Marion Crawford. “The Yellow Wallpaper” makes flesh crawl. “Lot 249” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a potboiler that builds to a horrific crescendo. Was that specific enough for you? [laughs]

Q7. Were you surprised that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote such a good horror story?
A7. As the inventor of Sherlock Holmes, he is one of the most highly regarded short detective story writers to come out of the nineteenth century. I’m convinced he would have been successful in most any genre he picked. The really great writers have any genre at their whim. 

Q8. What are you working on now? 
A8. A novel about death!

Q9. Were you involved in the cover design for Best Horror Short Stories 1850-1899?
A9. You bet, just like all of them. I like simple covers that really pop even when a thumbnail on the Internet. The cat face goes nicely with Bram Stoker’s horror short story that is ready to pounce on the inside off the anthology. 

Q10. Did you unearth any misconceptions in doing your research?
A10. Most believe it was just men penning horror stories in the Victorian age, but women came on the stage in a big way. To a much larger extent they did in the ghost story genre and that is reflected in Best Ghost Short Stories 1850-1899 that I was fortunate enough to edit.


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