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Strange Folk You’ll Never Meet
by A. A. BalaskovitsFrom A.A. Balaskovits, author of Magic for Unlucky Girls, this new collection of unusual, fabulist fiction leads you down strange paths for dark encounters with familiar fairy tales, odd people from history, and weirdos who may be living right next door. Among the characters in these bizarre stories, a starving beauty finds a beast who can save her village, a man eats everything in sight but is never full, a woman gives birth to bloody animal parts, and a daughter is forced to dance every night to the reenactment of her father's murder. These tales invite you to spend time with people who, in the maddest of circumstances, chew their way forward. With elements of psychological horror, sly humor, and the fantastic, these stories will burrow under your skin, haunt your dreams, and make you wonder what worlds lie just beyond that tiny hole in the wall.
Strange Girl
by Christopher PikeFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Christopher Pike comes a brand-new fascinating and seductive new novel about a girl with a mysterious ability--but one that carries an unimaginable cost.From the moment Fred meets Aja, he knows she's different. She's pretty, soft-spoken, shy--yet seems to radiate an unusual peace. Fred quickly finds himself falling in love with her. Then strange things begin to happen around Aja. A riot breaks out that Aja is able to stop by merely speaking a few words. A friend of Fred's suffers a serious head injury and has a miraculous recovery. Yet Aja swears she has done nothing. Unfortunately, Fred is not the only one who notices Aja's unique gifts. As more and more people begin to question who Aja is and what she can do, she's soon in grave danger. Because none of them truly understands the source of Aja's precious abilities--or their devastating cost. Love Aja or hate her--you will never forget her. In Strange Girl, #1 bestselling author Christopher Pike has created the rarest of novels--a love story that swings between a heart-pounding mystery and a stirring mystical journey.
Strange Grace
by Tessa GrattonOnce, a witch made a pact with a devil. The legend says they loved each other, but can the story be trusted at all? Find out in this lush, atmospheric fantasy novel that entwines love, lies, and sacrifice.Long ago, a village made a bargain with the devil: to ensure their prosperity, when the Slaughter Moon rises, the village must sacrifice a young man into the depths of the Devil’s Forest. Only this year, the Slaughter Moon has risen early. Bound by duty, secrets, and the love they share for one another, Mairwen, a spirited witch; Rhun, the expected saint; and Arthur, a restless outcast, will each have a role to play as the devil demands a body to fill the bargain. But the devil these friends find is not the one they expect, and the lies they uncover will turn their town—and their hearts—inside out.
The Strange Grave of Mikey Dunbar: and Other Stories to Make You Poop Your Pants
by Jeremy JohnA creepy collection of spooky short stories perfect for reading out loud any time you want the fun of a good fright.Boo! See, scared you already. This collection of short, spooky stories is perfect for reading out loud on Halloween night, at a sleepover, or around the campfire. Jeremy John takes you on a frightening trip to the past, where Wild West criminals meet the hangman and brave knights battle monsters in the forest, through to today, where young vampires find victims through dating apps and spirits possess smart speakers.Turn out the lights, grab a flashlight, hide under the blankets, and enjoy the fun frights of ghosts who feed on trick-or-treating kids, a pumpkin patch that hides a terrible secret, and who — or what — is buried in the grave of Mikey Dunbar.
The Strange High House in the Mist
by H. P. LovecraftH. P. Lovecraft was one of the greatest horror writers of all time. His seminal work appeared in the pages of legendary Weird Tales and has influenced countless writer of the macabre. This is one of those stories.
Strange Highways: A masterful collection of chilling short stories
by Dean KoontzOne wrong turn changes everything... Strange Highways is a brilliant collection of dark and suspense-filled short stories from the international bestselling author Dean Koontz. Perfect for fans of Stephen King and Richard Laymon.One rain-swept Sunday night when he was twenty years old, on his way back to college after a weekend with his family, Joey Shannon took the wrong highway - and from that moment, nothing ever went right for him again. Now, exactly twenty years later, on another rain-swept night, Joey finds himself at the same crossroads, looking down the road never taken. Which is odd. Because that road no longer exists. A superhighway replaced it nearly twenty years ago, and the old state route - which had crossed a web of perpetually burning, abandoned coal mines - was condemned as too dangerous and was torn up. But now the highway is exactly as it was on that long-ago night, and when Joey turns on to it, he begins an eerie, terrifying journey toward a truth so dark and stunning that it will change everything he believes about himself, his past, and the nature of life...The first of thirteen short stories sets the pace for a thrilling read. What readers are saying about Strange Highways: 'One of the most thought provoking, terrifying yet enjoyable books I have ever read''Each story is as compelling and equally disturbing as the next''Great stories from when Dean Koontz was at the peak of his powers. There's suspense, horror, and a great atmosphere of something nasty lurking in the cubby holes of your mind'
A Strange Hymn: Book two in the bestselling smash-hit dark fantasy romance! (The Bargainer Series #2)
by Laura ThalassaBook two in the darkly hypnotic Bargainer series!All your debts must be repaid... Siren and soulmate to the King of Night, Callypso Lillis survived the clutches of Karnon, the mad king, and his twisted prison. But the nightmare isn't over. Callie wears the physical reminders of her time as a captive, and mounting evidence suggests the Thief of Souls is still out there. When a fae celebration thrusts Callie and her mate, Desmond Flynn, into the Kingdom of Flora, they take their investigation with them. But under the bright lights and striking blooms of the realm, they find there are more immediate issues to deal with. No place is more uniquely savage than the great fae halls, and no amount of bargains can save Callie from royal intrigues. Fairies play dangerous games. Some want love, some want vengeance, some want flesh, and some want things too unspeakable to utter. One thing is for sure: no one is who they appear to be. Not even Des, who only grows more enigmatic with every passing secret. But the Kingdom of Flora has its own secrets, from bleeding trees to branded slaves and missing guards. Something is stirring in the land of all that grows, and if Callie isn't careful, it will claim everything and everyone she loves - and her along with it.
Strange Ink
by Gary KembleSpine-chilling horror in the vein of Joe Hill. After moving into a new house, journalist Harry Hendrick wakes up with tattoos that aren't his...When washed-up journalist Harry Hendrick wakes one morning with a hangover and a strange symbol tattooed on his neck, he shrugs it off as a bad night out. But soon more tattoos appear: grisly, violent images which come accompanied by horrific nightmares - so he begins to dig deeper. Harry's search leads him to a sinister disappearance, torment from beyond the grave, and a web of corruption and violence tangled with his own past. One way or another, he has to right the wrongs.
Strange Light Afar: Tales of the Supernatural from Old Japan
by Rui UmezawaA bitterly jealous brother, a samurai who makes the ultimate sacrifice, a cold-hearted husband, a monk who mistakes desire for piety, a fraudulent merchant who meets his match in a supernatural river otter — the motives underlying these traditional Japanese folktale characters are explored with haunting results. Prompted by the sometimes illogical and perplexing actions of folktale characters (Why doesn’t the wolf kill Little Red Riding Hood right away?), master storyteller Rui Umezawa revisits eight popular Japanese folktales, delving beneath their sometimes baffling plot lines to highlight the psychological motivations behind the characters’ actions.In “Betrayal,” a treacherous husband poisons his wife so he can marry another woman. In “Paradise,” a young man saves the life of a sea turtle, who takes him to a luxurious underwater palace, where his every whim is fulfilled. A brother in “Rage” is consumed by jealousy when his brother’s dog digs up a cache of gold. In “Honor,” a samurai kills himself to keep a promise made to his blood brother.Tales of addiction, bravery, sex, greed, abuse and control — these stories take their inspiration from the great Japanese storytelling traditions, as well as from Noh and Kabuki. Sometimes laced with ironic humor, sometimes truly horrifying, these stories of the strange and supernatural will appeal to readers of all ages, but they particularly speak to teenagers.Evocative and haunting illustrations by the stunningly talented Mikiko Fujita add to the eerie beauty of this collection. A detailed afterword outlines the author’s storytelling approach and provides source material for each tale.
Strange Pictures: A Novel
by Uketsu“Uketsu is a disrupter, the master of quiet horror.”—Janice Hallett, internationally bestselling author of The Appeal“Delightfully macabre and fiendishly clever. Seemingly unconnected stories tie themselves into a complicated knot, which Uketsu masterfully unravels.”—G. T. Karber, author of the national bestseller MurdleThe spine-tingling "triumphant international debut" (Publishers Weekly starred review) that has taken Japan by storm—an eerie fresh take on mystery-horror in which a series of seemingly innocent pictures draws you into a disturbing web of unsolved mysteries and shattered psyches.An exploration of the macabre, where the seemingly mundane takes on a terrifying significance. . . .A pregnant woman's sketches on a seemingly innocuous blog conceal a chilling warning.A child's picture of his home contains a dark secret message.A sketch made by a murder victim in his final moments leads an amateur sleuth down a rabbithole that will reveal a horrifying reality.Structured around these nine childlike drawings, each holding a disturbing clue, Uketsu invites readers to piece together the mystery behind each and the over-arching backstory that connects them all. Strange Pictures is the internationally bestselling debut from mystery horror YouTube sensation Uketsu—an enigmatic masked figure who has become one of Japan's most talked about contemporary authors.Translated from the Japanese by Jim Rion.Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
Strange Sally Diamond
by Liz Nugent&“Shocking, disturbing, and utterly original.&” —Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author This &“haunting and poignant tale, one that won&’t be easy to forget any time soon&” (Mystery and Suspense Magazine), follows an enigmatic woman confronting her unknown past—from internationally bestselling author Liz Nugent.Reclusive Sally Diamond is thrust into the media spotlight when she tries to incinerate her dead father, causing widespread outrage. Now she&’s the center of attention, not only from hungry reporters and police detectives, but also a sinister voice from a past she does not remember. As she begins to discover the repressed memories of her horrific early childhood, Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends, big decisions, and learning that people don&’t always mean what they say. But who is the man observing Sally from the other side of the world, and why does he call her Mary? And why does her new neighbor seem to be obsessed with her? Sally&’s trust issues are about to be severely challenged in this &“truly incredible reading experience&” (Lisa Jewell, #1 New York Times bestselling author).
Strange Sects and Curious Cults
by Dr Marcus BachStrange Sects and Curious Cults, first published in 1961, is a well-written overview of a number of important religious sects and cults. Author Marcus Bach divides these into three categories: the sex sects, conscience cults, and the utopianists.The first group includes ancient Baalism of Mesopotamia, Osirism of Egypt, Shivism of India, and more recently, Voodoo of Africa and the New World. The Conscience Cults include the Penitentes, Apocalypticists, Father Divine of Harlem, the Oxford Groupers, and Psychiana. The section on Utopians includes the now-vanished Russian Doukhobors, followed by the Shakers, Amanas, Hutterites, and Mormons.For anyone looking for a good introduction to offbeat religious groups, Strange Sects and Curious Cults will provide a useful background and serve as a basis for further research.
Strange Spirits of St. Ignace (Michigan Chillers #6)
by Johnathan RandMICHIGAN CHILLERS. BEING LOST IN THE FOREST HAS NEVER BEEN SO TERRIFYING! Kevin Barnes and his family are going camping in the forest near St. Ignace, Michigan. It's sure to be a fun vacation filled with adventure and exploration. That is, until Kevin, his sister Erin, and brother Bobby find themselves lost. When strange things begin to happen, the three realize that they aren't alone. For there are other unearthly creatures that inhabit the forest ... strange spirits from another realm! Kevin, Erin and Bobby find themselves caught in the middle of a terrible, raging battle, and are forced to take sides. If they win, they can so home. But if they lose ... Look in the back of the book for "STRANGE SPIRITS OF ST. IGNACE" word puzzles!
Strange Stories
by Algernon BlackwoodA scintillating collection from one of the genre's greats. This compilation contains almost 100 of Algernon Blackwood's weird fiction stories, including classics such as" A Victim of Higher Space," "The Haunted Island," "The Sacrifice," "The Attic," and "Dance of Death," presenting the multi-faceted imagination of a pillar of the genre. Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.
Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio: The classic collection of eerie and fantastic Chinese stories of the supernatural (Tuttle Classics)
by Herbert A. Giles Pu Songling Victoria CassLong considered a masterpiece of the eerie and fantastic, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio is a collection of supernatural-themed tales compiled from ancient Chinese folk stories by Songling Pu in the eighteenth century. <P><P> These tales of ghosts, magic, vampirism, and other things bizarre and fantastic are an excellent Chinese companion to Lafcadio Hearn's well-known collections of Japanese ghost stories Kwaidan and In Ghostly Japan.Already a true classic of Chinese literature and of supernatural tales in general, this new edition of the Herbert A. Giles translation converts the work to Pinyin for the first time and includes a new foreword by Victoria Cass that properly introduces the book to both readers of Chinese literature and of hair-raising tales best read with the lights turned low on a quiet night.Some of the stories found in these pages include:The Tiger of ZhaochengThe Magic SwordMiss Lianziang, the Fox-GirlThe Quarrelsome BrothersThe Princess LilyA Rip Van WinkleThe Resuscitated CorpseTaoist MiraclesA Chinese Solomon
A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall
by Jasmine WargaFrom the author of A Rover's Story and Other Words for Home comes an extraordinary story about two friends, a ghost, a missing painting, and a turtle named Agatha. The perfect next read for fans of The Swifts, Kate DiCamillo, and Erin Entrada Kelly. <P><P> A painting has been stolen…! <P><P> When Rami sees a floating girl in the museum, he knows he has seen her somewhere before. Then he realizes: She looks just like the girl in the painting that has gone missing. But how does her appearance connect to the theft? <P><P> Agatha the turtle knows—she has been watching from the garden. But she can’t exactly tell anyone…can she? <P><P> Will Rami, with the help of his classmate, Veda, be able to solve the mystery? The clues are all around them, but they’ll have to be brave enough to really look. <P><P> This is a whimsical, moving story about the universal desire to be seen and understood and how art can help us find connection, even when we are at our loneliest. <p> <b>New York Times Bestseller</b>
Strange Times: The Ghost In The Girl
by Geoff Herbach Tom DelongeFrom the imagination of blink-182's award-winning author Tom DeLonge, the Strange Times crew first debuted in the graphic novel Strange Times: The Curse of Superstition Mountain. Now teamed-up with Geoff Herbach, also an award-winning author of the Felton Reinstein Trilogy, DeLonge tells the hilarious and haunting adventure that originally forced five outcast jerks to band together or give up the ghost. Charlie Wilkins has it all. Pitcher on the baseball team, point guard on the basketball team, good jock friends and girls who just love him. Then his U.S. Air Force dad goes M.I.A. during a secret mission and Charlie falls into darkness. He quits basketball, pushes away his old friends who all seem so stupid. He stops talking. Nobody knows what he's going through, because the government has forbidden the family from disclosing Dad's predicament. Charlie turns into a loner, until an Earth Science assignment forces him to join a new, messed-up team. Wiz has a brain for science, a love for steampunk, and a total disgust for most human beings. Heavy-set, picked-on Riley has a home life Harry Potter wouldn't trade for. Mouse and Mattheson are skateboard slackers with a keen interest in tacos and in building a model volcano that looks like a butt. With zero chemistry between them, Charlie can't see how he's going to pass this class. Will he be stuck, suffering, in eighth grade forever? The earth shifts. It seems impossible. A ghost girl reaches out to Charlie through the terrified skater boys. She's being stalked by a vengeful spirit that shares a past with Charlie's family. It soon becomes clear that the spirit is coming for him. He has to save the ghost girl and save himself. His only hope? The nerd Wiz, the loser Riley, the skaters Mouse and Mattheson who want to hook-up with the girl. But, seriously, she's a ghost. Strange Times indeed...
Strange Ways
by Gray Williams&“A great example of contemporary British fantasy; a gritty page-turner packed with creative twists on criminal magic.&” —Phil Williams, author of the Ordshaw series No magician has ever escaped Coldwater Prison. But that is exactly where Amanda Coleman, heist artist and Abra-killer, must go. Somewhere in London, a mysterious blackmailer has enough evidence to put Amanda&’s head in a noose and ensure her only remaining daughter, Michaela, is right alongside her when it happens. To save Michaela, Amanda must assassinate one of Coldwater&’s most infamous residents. But the only way in is as an inmate. But a notorious Abra-killer like Amanda can expect a few old enemies in a prison full of mages, and they have their own plans . . . A fast-paced thriller filled with magic and suspense, perfect for fans of Lauren Beukes and James Oswald. &“Starts off with a bang and ends up being a thrilling ride . . . Williams does a fantastic job setting the London and prison scenes with action-packed, suspenseful atmosphere . . . Supernatural mixed with Jessica Jones.&” —Cemetery Dance publications &“Strange Ways is a thrilling ride into a world full of dangerous magic that feels all too real. Williams is truly a master of storytelling&’s darkest arts.&” —Mike Shackle, author of We Are the Dead &“Different and cunning, fast-paced and thrilling, a hugely entertaining story from start to finish.&” —Edward Cox, author of the Relic Guild trilogy &“Tense, oppressive and spectacular, a gritty and inventive tale of blood-soaked magic and razor-edged characters to root for.&” —David Wragg, author of The Black Hawks &“A brilliantly weaved redemption story with magic that will blow your mind.&” —Mark Stay, author of The End of Magic
Strange Weather: Four Short Novels
by Joe Hill<P>A collection of four chilling novels, ingeniously wrought gems of terror from the brilliantly imaginative, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fireman, Joe Hill. <P>In Strange Weather, this "compelling chronicler of human nature’s continual war between good and evil," (Providence Journal-Bulletin) who "pushes genre conventions to new extremes" (New York Times Book Review) deftly expose the darkness that lies just beneath the surface of everyday life. <P>"Snapshot" is the disturbing story of a Silicon Valley adolescent who finds himself threatened by "The Phoenician," a tattooed thug who possesses a Polaroid Instant Camera that erases memories, snap by snap. <P>A young man takes to the skies to experience his first parachute jump. . . and winds up a castaway on an impossibly solid cloud, a Prospero’s island of roiling vapor that seems animated by a mind of its own in "Aloft." <P>On a seemingly ordinary day in Boulder, Colorado, the clouds open up in a downpour of nails—splinters of bright crystal that shred the skin of anyone not safely under cover. "Rain" explores this escalating apocalyptic event, as the deluge of nails spreads out across the country and around the world. <P>In "Loaded," a mall security guard in a coastal Florida town courageously stops a mass shooting and becomes a hero to the modern gun rights movement. But under the glare of the spotlights, his story begins to unravel, taking his sanity with it. When an out-of-control summer blaze approaches the town, he will reach for the gun again and embark on one last day of reckoning. <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
Strange Wine: Stories
by Harlan EllisonFrom Harlan Ellison, whom the Washington Post regards as a "lyric poet, satirist, explorer of odd psychological corners, and purveyor of pure horror and black comedy," comes Strange Wine. Discover among these tales the spirits of executed Nazi war criminals who walk Manhattan streets; the damned soul of a murderess escaped from hell; gremlins writing the fantasies of a gone-dry writer; and the exquisite Dr. D'arque Angel, who deals her patients doses of death. But even more so, discover the clarity of voice and courage of conviction of an author who feels passionately, who thinks deeply, and who writes like a locomotive barreling through a tornado.
Stranger
by Simon ClarkThe small town of Sullivan has barricaded itself against the outside world. It is one of the last enclaves of civilization and the residents are determined that their town remain free from the strange and terrifying plague that is sweeping the land—a plague that transforms ordinary people into murderous, bloodthirsty madmen. But the transformation is only the beginning. With the shocking realization that mankind is evolving into something different, something horrifying, the struggle for survival becomes a battle to save humanity.
The Stranger: The Labyrinths of Echo, Part One (The Labyrinths of Echo #1)
by Max FreiThe Russian author&’s international-bestselling series begins with this &“well-written, well-paced grown-up fantasy with a strong dose of reality&” (Kirkus Reviews). Fandomania.com&’s #1 Book of 2009 To put it bluntly, Max Frei is a loser. He spends his day sleeping and at night he smokes, eats, and loafs around because he can&’t catch a wink. But then he gets lucky. Through his dreams, he begins to contact a parallel world where magic is a daily practice—and, strangely, Max seems to fit right in. Once a social outcast, he&’s now known in this new world of Echo as the &“unequalled Sir Max.&” He&’s a member of the Department of Absolute Order, formed by a species of enchanted secret agents; his job is to solve cases involving illegal magic. And he&’s about to embark on a journey down the winding paths of this strange and unhinged universe. &“Fans of Jasper Fforde and Susanna Clark will happily jump into Frei&’s world.&” —USA Today &“If Harry Potter smoked cigarettes and took a certain matter-of-fact pleasure in administering tough justice, he might like Max Frei, the protagonist of this fantasy novel.&” —Kirkus Reviews
Stranger at the Door
by J. S. CookSouth Carolina lawyer Calvin Amos is confident he can gain Thomas Basinger his freedom on appeal. Thom was convicted of a murder during an armed robbery gone bad. But Basinger's case proves more difficult than Cal anticipated, and the battle he assumed he'd win turns into a devastating failure. Remorseful over the personal defeat, after Basinger is executed, Cal throws himself out of his office window. Bizarrely, the fall doesn't kill him. Even stranger, Thom Basinger rings Cal's doorbell looking for a job. Both men are drawn to each other. Before long, the two forge a unique, heartfelt connection that transcends the boundaries of life and death. Calvin Amos always imagined himself in possession of some great love or other. He didn't know he had to die to find it.
Stranger at the Wedding
by Barbara HamblyNew York Times–bestselling author: After a premonition of death, a young wizard-in-training attempts to stop her sister&’s wedding. It&’s normal for a young girl to be jealous of her sister&’s impending wedding, and Kyra is jealous indeed. A plain looking young magic student whose incipient wizardly abilities have done nothing to attract the attentions of the boys of her town, she is not surprised to learn that her sister has caught the eye of one of the city&’s wealthiest merchants. But she is alarmed by some of the signs that are coming up in her prognostication lessons. Water turns to blood, the death card haunts her tarot practice, and finally she has a specific vision: that her sister will die the day she takes her vows. Using every trick in her small magic arsenal, Kyra attempts to disrupt the wedding, going up against a force more powerful than any magic: an impatient bride. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Barbara Hambly, including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author&’s personal collection.