American Gothic Tales

Joyce Carol Oates curates a comprehensive anthology that traces the lineage of American horror from the early nineteenth century to contemporary voices. This collection gathers forty-six stories, linking the foundational works of Washington Irving and Edgar Allan Poe with modern masters like Stephen King and Anne Rice. The volume highlights the persistent gothic imagination in United States literature, presenting a world where psychological repression gives way to dark impulses and nature turns hostile. Readers will encounter a diverse array of tales within these pages. The text includes Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown alongside Herman Melville’s The Tartarus of Maids. Later sections feature Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper, Shirley Jackson’s The Lovely House, and Ray Bradbury’s The Veldt. Oates also incorporates lesser-known works such as Henry James’s The Romance of Certain Old Clothes and Edith Wharton’s Afterward, which appear together here for the first time. Contemporary contributions include Peter Straub’s A Short Guide to the City and Thomas Ligotti’s The Last Feast of Harlequin. This book suits readers interested in the historical evolution of the macabre and those who appreciate the psychological depth of gothic fiction. It may not appeal to those seeking straightforward action or non-fiction narratives. The anthology demonstrates how American writers have manipulated emotions and penetrated dreams through varied styles and subjects over two centuries.