Can you recommend the best book of horror short stories for beginners?

Sure. 'The Monkey's Paw' is a good start. It has a simple yet engaging plot about wishes gone wrong. 'The Tell - Tale Heart' is also great as it's short and straightforward in its horror. The narrator's paranoia and guilt are very palpable.

Sure. 'The Call of Cthulhu' is a great start. It's very famous and has a simple yet terrifying concept. The idea of an ancient, powerful being that can drive people mad just by its existence is really spooky. Another one is 'The Colour Out of Space'. It's not too complex and gives a good taste of how cosmic horror plays with the unknown and the unearthly.

Sure. 'The Monkey's Paw' is a great start for beginners. It's a short and straightforward story with a really creepy concept. You can easily understand the horror elements without getting too bogged down in complex language or long - winded plots. Another good one is 'The Tell - Tale Heart'. It's a classic Poe story that is short enough to hold a beginner's attention and the psychological horror aspect is very accessible.

Sure. 'The Monkey's Paw' is a great start. It's a short story with a simple but very effective horror concept. A family gets a magical paw that can grant wishes, but every wish comes with a horrible price. 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' is also suitable. The headless horseman is a well - known horror figure, and the story has a spooky, atmospheric setting. And 'The Canterville Ghost' which combines humor with horror in a story about a ghost that is trying to haunt a family but often fails comically at first.

A great beginner - friendly horror story is 'The Yellow Wallpaper'. It's a psychological horror about a woman who slowly descends into madness while being confined in a room with the eponymous wallpaper. It's more about the build - up of psychological terror rather than extreme scares.

Sure. 'The Monkey's Paw' is a great one for beginners. It's a short story that shows how a simple wish - granting device can bring about great horror. A family gets hold of a monkey's paw that can grant three wishes, but each wish comes with a terrible price.

Roald Dahl's 'The Witches' is another good option. It's a bit more on the lighter side of horror but still has its spooky moments. The story is about a boy who discovers the existence of witches and has to stop their evil plan to turn all children into mice. It has Dahl's signature dark humor and engaging storytelling.

A more modern option could be 'The Conjuring' series tie - in novel. It has a clear story line about a family being haunted by a malevolent spirit. The scares are there from the beginning, and it's a good introduction to the horror genre as it has elements of both the supernatural and psychological horror.

For beginners, 'The Call of Cthulhu' is a great start. It's very well - known and has a simple enough plot to follow while still being full of that eldritch horror. It gives a good taste of the genre with its dark and mysterious elements. Another good one is 'The Colour Out of Space' as it is relatively short and easy to understand, but still manages to create a sense of unease and horror.

'In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories' is also suitable. The stories are short and easy to read. They include things like witches, haunted rooms, and other classic horror elements. It helps introduce the basic concepts of horror in a digestible way. It's a great choice for those new to horror stories as it doesn't go into extreme gore or overly complex horror themes.