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šŖ¢š
I think his short stories shine brighter than his longer stuff. His essay āThe lucky dog pet storeā is also very impactful. I revisit that one when I need to hype myself up/prepare to sacrifice. Thatās really the one I recommend. But āthe hanging strangerā is fun and spooky. It covers my greatest fear (loved ones being replaced) but adds another really sinister element. Itās unexpectedly biblical.
Jun 15, 2023
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Meddling Kids - Edgar Cantero: horror-comedy genre fusion, going for (as the title suggests) a grown-up Scooby Doo type thing, and does a surprisingly good job mixing that with a Lovecraftian style of horror
Universal Harvester - John Darnielle: deeply unsettling, kinda a character study, very confusing, but if you like The Mountain Goats (same John Darnielle!) it'll be hard to put down
Haunted - Chuck Palahniuk: I'll throw a trigger warning in front of this one, one of the most disturbing and disgusting things I've ever read. Combines short stories and an overarching narrative very well, but it is a tough read for sure
Skeleton Crew - Stephen King: His best short story/ novella collection, it's got "The Mist" and "The Monkey" (two of my favorites by him) and is just a great insight into his shorter-form storytelling
Universal Harvester - John Darnielle: deeply unsettling, kinda a character study, very confusing, but if you like The Mountain Goats (same John Darnielle!) it'll be hard to put down
Haunted - Chuck Palahniuk: I'll throw a trigger warning in front of this one, one of the most disturbing and disgusting things I've ever read. Combines short stories and an overarching narrative very well, but it is a tough read for sure
Skeleton Crew - Stephen King: His best short story/ novella collection, it's got "The Mist" and "The Monkey" (two of my favorites by him) and is just a great insight into his shorter-form storytelling
Jul 17, 2025
Rec
My favourite short stories tend to be creepy or magical. I think due to the necessary open-endedness of short stories, it lends itself most to mystery and magic.
Angela Carterās Bloody Chamber is a great classic creepy feminist story to start with. Carmen Maria Machadoās The Husband Stitch continued Carterās legacy Iām a HUGE Kelly Link fan, but her stuff is very strange so might not be for everyone, but my favourite of hers is probably The Specialistās hat or Skinderās Veil Shirley Jacksonās The Lottery is also a classic, and if you like creepy stories and want a good overview of writers in that genre, I recommend the collection āWhen Things Get Darkā, a collection inspired by the tone of Jacksonās work; it features Kelly link, Carmen Maria Machado, Joyce Carol Oates, and loads of contemporary short story writers. I discovered the story Tiptoe by Laird Barron through this and its possibly my favourite creepy short story, it sent full shivers down my spine in a way no other story had.
Angela Carterās Bloody Chamber is a great classic creepy feminist story to start with. Carmen Maria Machadoās The Husband Stitch continued Carterās legacy Iām a HUGE Kelly Link fan, but her stuff is very strange so might not be for everyone, but my favourite of hers is probably The Specialistās hat or Skinderās Veil Shirley Jacksonās The Lottery is also a classic, and if you like creepy stories and want a good overview of writers in that genre, I recommend the collection āWhen Things Get Darkā, a collection inspired by the tone of Jacksonās work; it features Kelly link, Carmen Maria Machado, Joyce Carol Oates, and loads of contemporary short story writers. I discovered the story Tiptoe by Laird Barron through this and its possibly my favourite creepy short story, it sent full shivers down my spine in a way no other story had.
Top Recs from @shane
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šIāve been doing this instead of running. Makes me feel like a citizen. But it takes a few hours a day to really get the walkerās high.
Jun 15, 2023
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šæKiller. Makes me feel less alone. Recorded live at a queer bookstore in Taipei. I only know this because he talks a lot between songs. He also explains what some of the songs are about in his stage banter. I usually donāt like that but Cool Fire is absolutely the exception.
Jun 15, 2023