Ranging from the macabre to the supernatural, the collection of stories found in Classic Tales of Horror contains some of the most influential horror and dark fiction books of all-time. Included in this horror anthology are: The Call of Cthulhu by H. P. Lovecraft Dracula by Bram Stoker Frankenstein by Mary Shelley The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe The Turn of the Screw by Henry James A bit more about each book: The Call of Cthulhu by H. P. Lovecraft recounts Francis Wayland Thurston's investigations into a mysterious otherworldly cult that worships the slumbering god Cthulhu. The published story was regarded by Robert E. Howard (the creator of Conan) as "a masterpiece, which I am sure will live as one of the highest achievements of literature. Mr. Lovecraft holds a unique position in the literary world; he has grasped, to all intents, the worlds outside our paltry ken." Dracula by Bram Stoker tells the story of the vampire Dracula's attempt to move from Transylvania to England so that he may find new blood and spread his undead curse, as well as the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and a woman led by Professor Abraham Van Helsing. Dracula has spawned many undead spinoffs in literature and film and is synonomous with modern horror. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a grotesque but sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Considered by some to be the first example of science fiction, Frankenstein has generated an entire genre of literature, films, and plays. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde tells the story of the adventures of a hedonistic youth after having his likeness captured in a painting...and the paintings reflection of those adventures. Considered too amoral for publication in its original form, Oscar Wilde famously fought for artists' rights to publish and art for art's sake in his works defense. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson relates the story of a London lawyer named Gabriel John Utterson who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll, and the evil Edward Hyde. The novella's impact is such that it has become a part of the common language, with the very phrase "Jekyll and Hyde" coming to mean a person who is vastly different in moral character from one situation to the next. The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe is the tale of an unnamed narrator who endeavors to convince the reader of his sanity while simultaneously describing a murder he committed. The Tell-Tale Heart is widely considered a classic of the Gothic fiction genre and is one of Poe's most famous short stories. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James tells the story of a governess caring for two children at a remote estate who becomes convinced that the grounds are haunted. The novella has been adapted numerous times in film, stage, and television and has enjoyed much debate by academics on the true nature of the evil depicted in the story.
