Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author's brain, their soul and heart. A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.

In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted 'Top Tens' across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions - Why that story? Why that author?

The theme itself will form the boundaries for our stories which range from well-known classics, newly told, to stories that modern times have overlooked but perfectly exemplify the theme. Throughout the volume our authors whether of instant recognition or new to you are all leviathans of literature.

Some you may disagree with but they will get you thinking; about our choices and about those you would have made. If this volume takes you on a path to discover more of these miniature masterpieces then we have all gained something.

In this volume our authors present tales of dark, macabre, and disturbing deeds. From the pens of Rudyard Kipling, M R James, Marjorie Bowen, Algernon Blackwood and others many others come carefully crafted literary journeys designed to disrupt reality, jangle nerves and feed upon our souls.

1 - The Top 10 Short Stories - English Gothic - An Introduction
2 - The Signalman by Charles Dickens
3 - The Phantom Rickshaw by Rudyard Kipling
4 - The Music on the Hill by Saki
5 - In the Dark by Edith Nesbit
6 - The Monkey's Paw by W W Jacobs
7 - The Empty House by Algernon Blackwood
8 - Count Magnus by M R James
9 - Mrs Amworth by E F Benson
10 - Thurnley Abbey by Perceval Landon
11 - The Bishop of Hell by Marjorie Bowen