Here is the list for 2020:
10. "Crouch End" Stephen King. This is King's tribute to the world of H. P. Lovecraft. It has some of the most terrifying scenes and imagery that I have ever encountered. He nails the Lovecraftian concept of only hinting at the terrible things - or just showing a glimpse of the monster - better than Lovecraft did.
A husband and wife are visiting London and take a cab ride to an obscure address in "Crouch End." Unfortunately for them, Crouch End rubs up against another reality. One that is far more sinister and evil. And one that bleeds over to this world. Unfortunately, for our main characters.
9. Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke.
I just finished this yesterday. It is Lovecraftian in its cosmic horror yet it is right out of the school of Ray Bradbury in its every day, ordinariness. What a blend. I read it once on the bus ride back from Wahpeton, ND. It was so good, I re-read it last night. It's so simple yet so horrible: What happens if you see a child with another adult. And somehow the child isn't a child. Maybe it's a demon who is controlling that person and keeping them prisoner. Then what if that child is something worse than a demon? And what if it comes to control you? Only it gets worse: it isn't controlling you. It's protecting you . . . for something even worse than you can possibly imagine?
8. "The Gentleman's Hotel" by Joe R. Lansdale. This is the best werewolf story I've ever read . . . well, next to another one later on in this list. Like that one, this tale is a great blend of two different genres: the werewolf story and the western. I know it sounds crazy. And it is. But it's worth it.
7. "The Quiet Boy" by Nick Antosca. You can read an online version here. I discovered this treasure while researching the upcoming film, Antlers. If it's good enough for Guillermo Del Toro to produce, it's good enough for me.
The lines they use to entice us on - "But there was no Goldilocks in his story. There was only the Wolfs, who lived together in a cave above town. Big Wolf, Middle Wolf, and Little Wolf. Big Wolf was a brute. Little Wolf was timid. Middle Wolf was the peacemaker - made me stop everything I was doing and spend the next 20 minutes enthralled and terrified. Yes. This story is THAT good. I can't wait for the movie version now.
6. "Orange is for Anguish and Blue is for Insanity" by David Morrell. Here is a link highlighting some of the horror in Morrell's classic. I became curious in this story just for its title alone. And when I finally read it, it didn't disappoint. An art student becomes obsessed with a notorious artist and his works. This notorious artist's work suddenly took a hard left and morbid turn. It became violent and horrifying. So much so that the artist himself eventually stabbed his own eyes out and died. What our narrator discovers is that others who have been tempted into studying this artist have all done the same exact thing . . . guess what happens to our narrator? Yep. Only he takes us along for the ride so we can learn all about the anguish and insanity.
5. "I Have No Mouth Yet I Must Scream" by Harlan Ellison. This makes the Terminator franchise seem like The Wizard of Oz. In this tale, an AI computer takes over the world. In fact, it's mainframe is so large it encloses the earth. Because it's self aware and alone, utterly alone, it hates the humans for inventing it and making it so lonely. So it keeps a handful of humans alive to torment them. That's all I go into. But there is so much more. So, so much more.
4. "N." Stephen King. His second entry. And that's justified. "N." is from his short story collection Just After Sunset. It's his homage to The Great God Pan (just wait for later in the list). It's a story of "N." an obsessive compulsive man who seeks out the help of a shrink. Unfortunately, the true horror behind "N.'s" obsessive compulsive disorder spreads to his unsuspecting doctor . . . and others. Maybe even the entire world.
3. "Pig Blood Blues" by Clive Barker. This is from his iconic, The Books of Blood, series. This tale, set in rural England is bleak and terrifying. Unlike the next story to follow, this story leaves nothing to the imagination. That is perhaps one of Barker's strengths as a writer. Unlike Lovecraft - who just hints at the horror behind the door - Barker throws the door open and scares the hell out of is. And I don't think he does it any better than he does here. You've been warned.
2. The Great God Pan - Arthur Machen. This story/novella is subtle and complex. But it's terrifying in its implications and horror. I love listening to this when I rake up the leaves. It's so spooky that one time I was listening to it and Cash ran up wanting to ride with me. I just about had a heart attack. What is so freaky about this is what Machen chooses to leave out. This may have had the most profound effect on Stephen King's concept of horror than any other short story.
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