The Top 10 Short Stories - Brtitish Gothic

Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author's brain, their soul and heart. A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.

In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted 'Top Tens' across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions - Why that story? Why that author?

The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme. Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature.

Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made. If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something.

In this volume our authors present tales of dark, macabre, and disturbing deeds. From the pens of Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Machen, Amelia Edwards, Rhoda Broughton and many others come carefully crafted literary journeys designed to disrupt reality, jangle nerves and feed upon our souls.

1 - The Top 10 Short Stories - British Gothic - An Introduction
2 - Olalla - Part 1 by Robert Louis Stevenson
3 - Olalla - Part 2 by Robert Louis Stevenson
4 - The Tapestried Chamber by Walter Scott
5 - Count Magnus by M R James
6 - The Bishop of Hell by Marjorie Bowen
7 - The Vampire Maid by Hume Nisbet
8 - The Novel of the White Powder by Arthur Machen
9 - The Phantom Coach by Amelia Edwards
10 - The Monkey's Paw by W W Jacobs
11 - The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth by Rhoda Broughton
12 - The Open Door - Part 1 by Margaret Oliphant
13 - The Open Door - Part 2 by Margaret Oliphant