Horror tales are capable of making us feel terrifying sensations It is a genre of fiction of a speculative nature, which what it does is scare and create disgust among your readers. But after all, it's what they want, humans are like that.
The sensations of terror come from the great fears of human beings and of society. In our imagination there is a series of fears that some writers know how to surface with excellent mastery. Today we will see a great selection of the best horror stories in history.
Top 10 scary tales: historical classics that will make you horrify
"The horror story is itself a unique genre, creating a strange and eerie atmosphere Literary historian Cuddon defines the short story horror as a piece of prose fiction of varying length that shocks or frightens the reader, or perhaps induces a sense of revulsion or hatred."
There is no doubt that this genre is destined for different feelings of disgust to emerge among readers. Not everyone is willing to read this type of story, but there are people who really enjoy it. Here are the best horror stories ever written.
one. The rats on the walls
Howard Phillips Lovecraft is one of the great masters of the genre. Las ratas de las paredes tells the story of an heir who is going to live in an ancestral family patrimony.There he and his cats hear rats running around behind the walls. He investigates and discovers a very macabre underground city hidden for centuries.
2. The black cat
Edgar Allan Poe, another of the greats, narrates in the first person the relationship between a man and a cat. The cat is black, and it is both an ally and an enemy. He finally kills him and decides to adopt another, also black. The protagonist tells that he induces him to kill his wife, who appears dead. A historical horror tale that will not leave you indifferent.
3. The vurdalak family
Alexis Tolstoy wrote this vampire tale in 1839. The tale is about the journey of a diplomat in a small town in Serbia. He is kindly taken in by a local family, but there is something strange. The father of the family has gone in search of a Turkish brigand. The relatives have orders that if he returns too late they will drive a stake through his chest.After a few months the diplomat returns and the town is not the same.
4. Whistle and I'll come
Whistle and I'll Come is one of the best-known horror tales of M.R. James, and refers to a poem by Robert Burns. The story leads the reader to disturbing circumstances in which a mysterious and terrifying creature appears. It is a ghost story that is part of a collection of stories that M.R. James dedicated to this topic.
5. The tall woman
Pedro Antonio de Alarcón is about a terrible experience that one friend tells another. One night the former meets a mysterious woman on the street. She is she laughs and her appearance is most chilling. He sees her follow him and runs from her until he is out of sight. Since then, every time he sees her, someone very close dies... until he himself dies after a few days.And then he appears to his friend.
6. Green Tea
Joseph Sheridan le Fanu was the Irish writer who wrote this remarkable Gothic tale in 1872. It tells the story of Reverend Jennings, who later After drinking a mysterious concoction, he finds himself haunted by an evil spirit. Jennings commits suicide and the paranormal case is investigated, reaching equally fatal consequences for whoever is in charge of him.
7. The Shining Pyramid
Arthur Machenwrote this magnificent story in which he describes a mysterious species that coexists alongside the human species. This species thirsts for revenge, and there are a series of disappearances in Great Britain. Machen is able to convey a feeling of overwhelm and claustrophobia with great mastery, admired by other authors such as Howard Phillips Lovecraft.
8. The shelter
Guy de Maupassant wrote this tale starring a young man and an old man. Locked up for months because of the cold winter, the old man goes hunting one day. Seeing that he never comes back, the young man goes out and tries to find him but fails. Little by little he is losing his mind. This is one of the best horror stories dealing with madness.
9. The yellow tapestry
The Yellow Carpet is a story written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in 1892. Perkins was a feminist woman who was a reference in the United States. The story is to some extent autobiographical, and revolves around postpartum depression. The protagonist of the story is exposed to conditions that result in a true horror story. In addition, the story is a criticism of the society of the moment at the same time.
10. The death of Halpin Frayser
American author Ambrose Bierce wrote The Death of Halpin Frayser in 1891.Halpin Frayser wakes up from a dream pronouncing some mysterious words: Catherine Larue. The protagonist then finds the corpse of his mother in the forest and dies. The mystery will try to solve two detectives who will have to face a supernatural force.