Dark Fantasy Short Stories

Step into the realm of high adventure and untamed magic with Kothar: Barbarian Swordsman, a seminal collection by the prolific author Gardner Francis Fox. First unleashed upon the world of fantasy literature in 1969, this compilation marks one of Fox's most enduring legacies within his impressive oeuvre of 156 paperbacks. Celebrated for its vibrant energy and boundless imagination, Kothar: Barbarian Swordsman secured its place in the hearts of fantasy enthusiasts and significantly influenced the creation of Dungeons & Dragons, as acknowledged by its creator, Gary Gygax, in Appendix N. This ...

SKIN - An anthology of dark fiction. A collection of stories from some of the best up-and-coming authors of horror.

"SEX IN THE CITY meets 50 SHADES—micro-binge style!" 🚨Save 50% over individual purchase!🚨 🔥"Five stars erotic hot! Definitely NSFW..." ~ George Save 50% over individual purchase with this scorching collection from New York Times, USA TODAY, and #1 Erotica Bestseller Marata Eros. 💋 Smart Erotica for Smart Readers: Dara Nichols is a confident, adventurous cougar who knows exactly what she wants—and isn’t afraid to take it. From steamy elevator rides to thrilling masquerade escapades, Dara explores sensual fantasies that blur the line between curiosity and unbridled passion. ...

Fearful Rock and Other Precarious Locales is the third volume of Night Shade Books' five volume "Selected Stories of Manly Wade Wellman." This volume is made up of eight novella length stories. It includes Wellman's "Judge Pursivant" and "Sergeant Jaeger" stories, as well as a lost classic from Strange Stories (1939).

The supernatural, the surreal, and the all-too real . . . tales of the dark. Such stories have always fascinated us, and modern authors carry on the disquieting traditions of the past while inventing imaginative new ways to unsettle us. Chosen from a wide variety of venues, these stories are as eclectic and varied as shadows. This volume of The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror offers tales from some of today's finest writers of the fantastique. Sure to delight as well as disturb!

"Dancers in the Dark" is set in the Sookieverse and features Sean and Layla. Dancer Layla Rue Le May's childhood prepared her to handle just about anything, including her aloof partner, Sean McClendon, a 300-year-old, redheaded vampire. Even so, when she somehow acquires a stalker, Layla Rue is surprised to find that Sean is the only one she can trust.

For more than 30 years, Ellen Datlow has been at the center of horror. Bringing you the most frightening and terrifying stories, Datlow always has her finger on the pulse of what horror fans crave. Now, with the 11th volume of the series, Daltow's back again to bring you the stories that will keep you up at night. With each passing year, science, technology, and the march of time shine light into the craggy corners of the universe, making the fears of an earlier generation seem quaint. This light creates its own shadows. The Best Horror of the Year chronicles these shifting shadows.

Trespassers shall be eaten The only known survivor of mixing black magic and dead magic, Jenny Greenteeth was an evil witch who lived in a swamp. Enter her territory at your own risk!

Prepare to meet the wicked progeny of the master of modern horror. In Lovecraft's Monsters, H. P. Lovecraft's most famous creations--Cthulhu, Shoggoths, Deep Ones, Elder Things, Yog-Sothoth, and more--appear in all their terrifying glory. Each story is a gripping new take on a classic Lovecraftian creature. Contributors include such literary luminaries as Neil Gaiman, Joe R. Lansdale, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Karl Edward Wagner, Elizabeth Bear, and Nick Mamatas.

Hell hath no Fury like a Dark Goddess Life is good for Gathelaus, he won back his crown, his kingdom and his woman - too bad the dark goddess Boha-Annu hasn't forgotten and is plotting her revenge. She knows his weakness, his temptations and his obligations, she will use all of his strengths against him. Nobody holds a grudge like a spurned Goddess... There will be a Fire in the Bones!

Hundreds of years after the end of the world, the Appalachian community of Iron Hollow finds itself beset by demons. Such horrors are common these days in the outlands, where most folks die young—if they don’t turn into monsters first. When a legendary knight is summoned to hunt down the latest unearthly beast to haunt their woods, the town’s new oral historian, Shrike, has more reason than most to be concerned. Because that demon was her wife. And while Shrike is certain that May still recognizes her—that May is still herself, somewhere beneath it all—she can’t prove it.

Four against one, and they still can't tame me. I'm a brat. It's in my blood. But when I cross the four most powerful alphas in town, they take issue with my childish ways. They say I need to know my place. As an omega, I should fear and respect them. My bad behavior requires punishment - the dirty, filthy kind. As the alphas lead me down a dark path of twisted desires, I leave my innocence behind. But what if these men don't just want my body - they want my heart and soul, too? (Surrender To The Alphas is a standalone paranormal dark reverse harem romance. For mature readers only!)

Zombie, Indiana explores the impact of an invading zombie horde on a trio of Hoosier protagonists…each of whom have some dark secrets to keep. When the governor’s daughter mysteriously disappears on a field trip, IMPD Special Sergeant James Nolan, scholarship student Kesha Washington, and Governor Hank Burleson must all come together not only to find the governor’s daughter, but also to undertake a quest to redeem the very soul of the state itself…all while under constant attack from the living dead.

Moon, Jade, and other favorites from the Indigo Cloud Court return with two new novellas from Martha Wells, who continues to enthusiastically ignore genre conventions in her exploration of the fascinating world of the Raksura. Her novellas and short stories contain all the elements fans have come to love from the Raksura books: courtly intrigue and politics, unfolding mysteries that reveal an increasingly strange wider world, and threats both mundane and magical.

From the author of Aevalorn Tales comes a story about freedom and autonomy. Godwick Emberfoot, a Halfling Warlock enslaved to an Archfae, takes the king’s cousin hostage to learn the whereabouts of the last Gifting Tree—a tree whose fruit grants infinite, perfect knowledge—in the mortal realm. Upon finding the tree, Godwick’s pseudodragon familiar, Greymalken, urges Godwick to destroy it, but instead, Godwick eats the fruit from the tree, risking everything by asking a single gnawing question. And when the universe answers, Godwick's consciousness is pulled into the Faewild, where ...

Sword and Sorcery Fans Rejoice! Pick up the latest issue of Savage Realms Monthly and fill up on stalwart heroes doing battle with the forces of evil in this epic collection of short sword and sorcery fiction. This month's crop of stories starts off with a story by the talented Jason M Waltz of Rogue Blades and his cursed hero who uses shadows as a weapon, and it ends with a twisting psychedelic journey into the underworld by new comer Sersa Victory."Fantastic Sword and Sorcery Action!""I hope for a long future for this fun monthly magazine.

Don't miss this breathtaking collection of stories set in the world of the best-selling Darkest Minds trilogy: “IN TIME”, “SPARKS RISE”, and “BEYOND THE NIGHT”.

Fifteen vampire tales selected from my horror story collections, Black As Night, Shivers and Other Nightmares, Don't Look Behind You, Scary Stories- Vols. 1, 4 and 5, Midnight Snacks, and Scare Factory. Table of Contents: The Vampire Club: Something big in the basement has devoured Mike's neighbor's cat on loan to catch a mouse. The Babysitter: A psychotic teen impersonates a new sitter in order to obtain entrance to a wealthy estate. Vampire: After a woman and son move to town, a serial killer who drains his victims of blood begins a reign of terror. Tooth Fairy: A serial killer has driven...

"A Walk in the Dark" was first published in the August 1950 issue of Thrilling Wonder Stories. Sir Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008) is regarded as one of the most-influential science fiction writers of all time. He was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame.

Fortune hunter Billy Newman is not a man of great strength or physical courage. Like a young Johnny Depp, he gets by on his wit, wiles and good looks. And he’s had quite a good run—striking gold in the Philippines and buying his very own island in the South Seas. . . . But there’s trouble in paradise, and Billy’s in the thick of it. The island’s crops are failing. The island’s people are dying. And the island’s owner—Billy—is taking the heat. Why? Because he’s angered the 75-foot-tall big-boss god of the island.