Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror edited by R.L. Stine

“Combine a title like Fear with a name like Stine, and most readers will naturally assume this collection is filled with supernatural terrors. And for many of these 13 original stories, they would be right. Many genres are represented, and each story (including Stine’s, which opens the book) offers chills, though seldom getting too gruesome. Readers seeking diverse sources of suspense will most appreciate this collection.” —Publishers Weekly

Don’t turn out the lights. Don’t go out alone. And whatever you do, don’t let down your guard. Because your neighbors might seem normal, but why do they collect knives and eat their steaks so bloody? And when the boy of your dreams finally asks you out, why is there something so . . . lupine . . . about him? And if your brother’s fear of the dark is so childish, how do you explain those shadows creeping out of your closet?

In thirteen blood-chilling stories from true masters of suspense, including five New York Times bestselling authors and four Edgar Award nominees, nothing is what it seems, and no one is safe. . . .

Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror, is a collection of terrifying original stories from the hottest names in thriller writing today, including R.L. Stine (widely considered the king of children’s horror writing, who edited and contributed to the collection), Meg Cabot, Heather Brewer, Tim Maleeny, Heather Graham, Alane Ferguson, Jennifer Allison, Walter Sorrells, Peg Kehret, Suzanne Weyn, Jim Rollins, F. Paul Wilson and Ryan Brown.

Edited by the father of scary children’s stories, Stine presents this delightfully chilling collection of thirteen short tales featuring more then just vampires. From Stine comes a series of twists on an initiation challenge that leaves readers guessing, did he or didn’t he. Heather Graham serves up a Halloween treat where the hunter unexpectedly becomes prey and although most readers will see through the plot from the first, its still fun seeing how it plays out. A babysitter with a knack for soothing a troubled yet talented blind boy is the subject of Ryan Brown’s “Jeepers Peepers” while the babysitter in Jennifer Allison’s “The Perfects” discovers the family has a taste for exotic meat.

Though marketed for younger readers, adults may enjoy the plot twists and surprises of these imaginative quick-to-read tales which are just the ticket for getting in the mood for Halloween.

“Vampires, aliens, mind creepers, demons, sinister swamp people, hungry shadows, or cannibals next door –any one of these would guarantee shivers, chills, and sleeples nights for avid horror fans. R. L. Stein, dean of the creepy-crawlies, has collected stories by thirteen authors to provide thirteen times as much of the right stuff, under the aegis of the International Thriller Writers. . . . It is rare for a collection of stories to maintain the same quality from beginning to end, but Fear succeeds in delivering all the suspense, terror, irony, and twisted endings that any horror addict could crave.” — VOYA

“Thirteen highly suspenseful short stories, well selected by none other than R. L. Stine, who contributes the first tale, have the power to attract and delight many stouthearted young readers. The man behind the Goosebumps and Fear Street megaseries enlists some of the best in the business, such as Meg Cabot and F. Paul Wilson, Walter Sorrells and James Rollins, who offer plenty of heart-throbbing supernatural horror, crime suspense, shockers and sometimes a mixture of all three.” — Kirkus Reviews

Robert Lawrence Stine began career as an author writing short stories and joke books — but in the early 1990’s, he introduced the wildly popular Goosebumps series. The books sold millions of copies, and made reading frighteningly fun again for kids.

All of the authors involved in this anthology including R.L. Stine have generously donated their stories to this effort. Half of the proceeds from the FEAR anthology go to support RIF (Reading is Fundamental), and the other half go to support ITW. The International Thriller Writers warmly thanks the authors for their time and effort.