Can you recommend the best dark somnium stories for horror lovers?

Sure. 'The Shining' by Stephen King is a great one. It has a dark and foreboding setting in the Overlook Hotel. The psychological horror of Jack Torrance's descent into madness and the creepy events that unfold there make it a top choice. Another is 'Rosemary's Baby' which is filled with a sense of dread and paranoia as Rosemary slowly realizes the dark truth about her pregnancy.

Sure. 'The Yellow Wallpaper' is a great one. It tells the story of a woman who is confined to a room with yellow wallpaper for her 'nervous condition'. As she spends more time there, she starts to see strange things in the wallpaper, and her mental state deteriorates. It's a very psychological and dark story.

I'd recommend 'Bird Box' by Josh Malerman. The concept of not being able to see the outside world because looking at it can drive you mad is really unique and creates a lot of tension. 'Coraline' by Neil Gaiman is also a great dark novel for horror fans. It has a spooky other - world and a really creepy antagonist in the form of the Other Mother. And 'House of Leaves' by Mark Z. Danielewski. It's a complex and disturbing novel with a unique format that adds to the overall sense of unease.

One great 'dark somnium story' could be 'The Yellow Wallpaper'. It's a disturbing tale about a woman's descent into madness while confined in a room. The dark and oppressive atmosphere, along with the psychological breakdown of the protagonist, makes it a classic in the realm of dark stories. Another could be Poe's 'The Tell - Tale Heart', with its exploration of guilt and madness, and the narrator's dark obsession.

Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Cask of Amontillado' is among the best. It's a tale of revenge where the narrator lures his so - called friend into the catacombs under the pretext of tasting a rare wine. He then walls his friend up alive, which is a very dark and disturbing plot. 'The Masque of the Red Death' is also a great one. It shows how death is inescapable even for the wealthy and privileged as they try to hide from the plague in their abbey, but death still finds them in the form of a mysterious figure.

One theme could be fear. The stories might explore different kinds of fears that people have, like the fear of the unknown or the fear of losing one's sanity.

One of the interesting stories might be about a character's journey through a mysterious and dark realm. They face various challenges and encounter strange creatures.

Well, 'The Ghost Ship' is an amazing 'nosleep' short story for horror fans. It's about a ship that is haunted by the spirits of its former crew. The eerie atmosphere on the ship and the unexplained phenomena are really hair - raising. 'The Vampire's Lair' is another. It describes the lair of a vampire and the poor victims who are lured there. And 'The Exorcism' is a story that involves a priest trying to exorcise a demon from a possessed person. The intense battle between good and evil in this story is really exciting.

Sure. 'It' is a must - read for horror lovers. The idea of a malevolent clown lurking in the sewers and preying on children is truly terrifying. Another great one is 'The Shining'. The haunted hotel setting and the slow breakdown of the main character's sanity are classic horror elements. 'Pet Sematary' is also very scary as it plays with the concept of death and resurrection in a very dark way.

Sure. 'American Psycho' is a great pick. It follows the life of Patrick Bateman, a wealthy and seemingly normal man who is actually a deranged serial killer. The book (and the movie adaptation) has some really disturbing and bloody scenes that show his violent tendencies and the dark side of the 1980s yuppie culture.