The Most Horrible Story: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
The Most Horrible Story: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
The Most Horrible Story is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Jakes, John (1932–2023).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"The Most Horrible Story" by John W. Jakes is a short horror fiction piece written in the early 1950s. The narrative revolves around a protagonist named James Thompson, who is lured into a mysterious Horror Book Club, promising readers an unparalleled tale of horror. The story cleverly exploits themes of obsession and the nature of horror itself. As Thompson becomes a member of the club, he finds himself in a chilling reading room where he is presented with a book bound in human skin. Curiosity leads him to read the titular story, which is shockingly brief, yet profoundly unsettling: "You're dead." His experience rapidly transforms from intrigue to despair as he discovers the inescapable nature of the book’s horror. Each rereading intensifies his psychological torment, trapping him in a cycle of horror and madness, ultimately leaving him in a horrifying existential crisis as he alternates between screaming and reading. The story serves as a haunting commentary on the effects of consuming horror and the thin line between fascination and fear.
Book and edition facts
- Title: The Most Horrible Story
- Author credits: Jakes, John (1932–2023)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Horror tales
- Short stories
Gutenberg collections
- Category: American Literature
- Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy
- Category: Short Stories
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
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