Reveal for the 10th Best Horror Short Story 1800-1849

Yesterday I announced that Nathaniel Hawthorne was the author of what I believe to be the 10th best horror story for the first half of the nineteenth century. There has been speculation about just which one of his horror tales would be the first in the Top 10. I am happy to report that it is The Minister's Black Veil. If you want to read it in its entirety along with background information about the story, it (and 11 others) are contained in my new book: The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849. Here are some links where you can buy it.

Buy The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology at Amazon.com

Buy The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology at Barnes & Noble

My Website: www.AndrewBarger.com

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Author of the 10th Best Horror Short Story 1800-1849 is Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) is the next author to appear on my countdown of the Top 40 horror short stories from 1800-1849. Tomorrow I will reveal his story that is the first in the Top 10.

Review of The Best Werewolf Short Stories 1800-1849 Posted by Werewolf-News.com

One of the top Websites for all things Werewolf/Lycan/shape-shifter--Werewolf-news.com--has posted a review of my book: The Best Werewolf Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Werewolf Anthology. Here is a snippet: "Barger’s enthusiasm for the material is evident on every page: the commentary and the depth of the research which informs it makes it clear that he isn’t publishing this anthology simply to cash in on the current werewolf / monster craze. He posits that these stories have value, both as examples of writing from a nascent period of horror fiction and as the genesis of the ideas that form our modern vision of the werewolf. I agree with him." If you want to read the entire review, follow this werewolf book review link. It is worth the trip. 

The 11th Best Horror Short Story from 1800-1849 is The Deserted House

Few people have read The Deserted House, which in my view is the best horror story ETA Hoffmann (1776-1822) ever wrote. I've included it in my collection of the 12 greatest: The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology. Next week I will begin counting down the Top 10 for this crucial period that serve as a foundation for our modern horror stories.

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ETA Hoffmann is the Author of the 11th Best Horror Short Story 1800-1849

E.T.A. Hoffmann--the ground-breaking German author of ghost, fantasy and horror short stories--is the author of the 11th best horror short story for the first half of the nineteenth century. Tomorrow I will post the title of it as I continue to countdown the best horror stories for this vital period in the horror genre. The top 12 are contained in my horror book: The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology
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The 12th Best Horror Short Story 1800-1849 is The Old Man's Tale About the Queer Client

Yesterday I revealed the surprise author for what I believe is the 12th best horror story from 1800-1849 as being Charles Dickens. In The Old Man's Tale About the Queer Client he has penned a devilish horror story of revenge that is unmatched for this period. You can read the story and the background I provide for it in The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology. Tomorrow I will announce the author of the 11th best horror story.

Author of the 12th Best Horror Story 1800-1849 is Charles Dickens

When considering horror stories for the first half of the nineteenth century, Charles Dickens usually does not come to mind unless it is in the context of his ghost tales. For those following this blog you know that I excluded ghost stories from The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology because they belong in a genre all their own. Tomorrow I will provide the name of Dickens's horror story. Hint: It's from The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.

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Countries for the Authors in The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology

Yesterday I posted a list of the authors in The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849. In reviewing the list, I see that I left out Wilhelm Hauff, the brilliant German writer of scary short stories who died much too young. For those of you counting at home, here is another list of the authors who have scary stories in my classic horror anthology AND their respective countries.

Honore de Balzac (France)
Charles Dickens (UK)
Wilhelm Hauff (Germany)
E.T.A. Hoffmann (Germany)
Nathaniel Hawthorne (US)
Edgar Allan Poe (US)
George Soane (UK)
Samuel Warren (UK)

The UK is represented by the most authors (3) in my best horror stories book for the first half of the nineteenth century. Now let's look at it from a different angle--from the number of horror stories by country. 

Honore de Balzac (France) (Stories in horror anthology: 2)
Charles Dickens (UK) (Stories in horror anthology: 1)
Wilhelm Hauff (Germany) (Stories in horror anthology: 1)
E.T.A. Hoffmann (Germany) (Stories in horror anthology: 1)
Nathaniel Hawthorne (US) (Stories in horror anthology: 1)
Edgar Allan Poe (US) (Stories in horror anthology: 4)
George Soane (UK) (Stories in horror anthology: 1)
Samuel Warren (UK) (Stories in horror anthology: 1)

By this you will see that the US has 5 of the 12 horror stories, the UK has 3, Germany and France have 2 each. To me this is interesting. Please keep in mind that only stories translated into the English language were considered for the horror anthology. Next week I will start counting down these Top 12. Have a great weekend.

Buy The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849 at Amazon
Buy The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849 at Barnes & Noble
Website: www.AndrewBarger.com

List of Authors in The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology

I am nearly finished with my countdown of the best horror stories from 1800-1849. I have published 40-13 and the final 12 stories are contained in my new book: The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology. Next I will start counting down these Top 12, but first I want to tease you a bit by listing the authors whose horror stories made the anthology:

Honore de Balzac
Charles Dickens (Surprise!)
E.T.A. Hoffmann
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Edgar Allan Poe (No surprise)
George Soane (Who?)
Samuel Warren

It's easy to see that some of these classic horror authors have multiple stories in the anthology. See if you can guess what horror stories by these authors made the Top 12 for the first half of the nineteenth century. Tomorrow I will list the countries where the authors are from. Enjoy.

Website: www.AndrewBarger.com

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New Cover for The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849: A Classic Horror Anthology

It has been a while since I have posted to my blog and I have been hearing about it! I was forced to pause my countdown of the best scary short stories from 1800-1849 to launch another book I edited: The Best Werewolf Short Stories 1800-1849. That book has gotten off to a good start in both the US and UK. I was also finalizing the cover for The Best Horror Short Stories 1800-1849 and here it is! Now, I don't want to hear any jokes about that being a picture of me on the cover. I look much worse than that after a late night of writing. Overall, I am pleased with the cover. It gives the book a classic horror feel without blood and gore. There is little of either in the 12 scary stories I picked as the best ones for this period, yet nothing is lost in their fright factor. The horror book has 250 pages and it is available at all major Internet retailers such as The Best Horror Short Stories at Amazon.com and The Best Horror Short Stories at Barnes & Noble. Over the next two weeks I will reveal the 12 horror stories I have chosen for the book to finish out the countdown.