Many outstanding writers have turned (and are turning) to the genre of “horror story”, the genre of “black” story. An unexpected twist and an unusual plot device are the hallmarks of an action-packed story. But the genre of the “black” story, so popular in England and the USA, also implies some kind of devilry. This does not mean that the authors of “black” stories are flirting with the forces of Evil. A different, unusual for the reader, look at a person, at the events of everyday life, the assumption of the impossible, coupled with a constant build-up of tension, bloodiness and tragedy of the plot - these are the distinctive features of the “horror story”, which are also present in the selection offered to your attention. Taken from different anthologies, written at different times, these stories, it seems to us, give a fairly complete picture of the popular genre. In the future, the works of classics of this genre Ambrose Bierce and H. P. Lovecraft will be published in the “horror story” section.