Book Description
Sometimes there's a particular kind of bad feeling you can't explain. It's not really fear, at least not at first. It's the moment you notice something odd and spend the next few minutes trying to convince yourself it's nothing.
Most of the time, that works and you move on, forgetting the feeling. In Tales Within the Dark, it may not be that easy.
Written by husband-and-wife authors, J. & B. Hernandez, Tales Within the Dark brings together 25 original short and creepy tales about ordinary moments taking unexpected turns. Some stories are frightening; some are bizarre, some are inspired by real events, and a few are just...wrong.
And there's a little history behind these tales, too. It all started 25 years ago, over a candlelit Halloween dinner, when J. & B. Hernandez began challenging each other to come up with strange and unusual stories. What began as a simple tradition grew into something neither of them ever imagined publishing.
In this book, you'll find a childhood fear that proves it never really went away. An act of kindness that leads to a hungry doorway. Nightmares that stick around even when the lights are on, and many more oddities. Each tale is also accompanied by its own haunting illustration.
Of course, you may finish the book, dismiss it all, and go about your day. But if even one of those stories crosses your mind the next time you get that unexplainable feeling, then Tales Within the Dark has done its job.
More About This Book
When and Why Should Someone Read It?
This book is designed for readers who enjoy psychological horror and suspense, supernatural mysteries, unexpected developments and twists, and fiction that explores the dark psyche of the human mind. It invites readers to consider an uncomfortable possibility: sometimes what frightens us most isn't what we don't understand, but what we understand all too well.
This collection is ideal for anyone interested in sitting down in the evening, reading a strange, unsettling tale by candlelight, and reflecting on the experience. These are short tales that leave you wanting to read more and more.
Themes, Ideas & Atmosphere
There are four recurring ideas: ordinary situations taking twisty turns, personal fears that refuse to go away, innocent decisions with unexpected outcomes, and the bothersome realization that not every experience has a reasonable explanation.
Some stories explore the supernatural, while others delve into the fears, thoughts, and sometimes questionable decisions of ordinary people caught in odd circumstances.
The stories don't frighten readers the same way 25 times but take them through different experiences in which darkness takes different forms.
If You Loved These, You'll Love This
If you enjoy stories from shows like The Twilight Zone (Rod Serling), The Outer Limits, or Alfred Hitchcock Presents, then you'll enjoy Tales Within the Dark.
The Story Behind the Book
About 25 years ago, we started a Halloween tradition of creating and sharing strange, unusual, and sometimes disturbing stories over candlelit dinners. It was something we did for fun, a way to challenge ourselves to creep each other out. Eventually, those tales were tucked away in a box and nearly forgotten. After several years, we stumbled upon them and decided it was time to bring those stories back to life.
The Central Question
Tales Within the Dark isn't necessarily trying to answer one grand question about fear or human nature. Instead, it explores the many different ways darkness can enter our lives. Some tales are scary, others bizarre, and some just disturbing simply because of how ordinary the circumstance is before it takes a drastic turn.
The collection approaches "horror" from different angles, reminding readers that sometimes the most troubling situations are the ones we can almost imagine happening to us.
Tales Within the Dark - 25 tales of horror, suspense and the unexpected by J. & B. Hernandez, a book, promoted on Goodkindles for .