Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

This article is about the book series. For the film adaptation, see Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (film).
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
First edition
AuthorAlvin Schwartz
IllustratorStephen Gammell
Brett Helquist (2011 edition)
Cover artistStephen Gammell
Brett Helquist (2011 edition)
LanguageEnglish
GenreHorror, children's literature, folklore
PublisherHarper & Row
Publication date
1981–1991
Publication placeUnited States

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a series of three collections of short horror stories for children, written by Alvin Schwartz and originally illustrated by Stephen Gammell. In 2011, HarperCollins published editions featuring new art by Brett Helquist, causing mass controversy among fans of Gammell.[1][2] Subsequent printings have restored the original Gammell art.[3] The titles of the books are Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (1981), More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (1984), and Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones (1991).

The three books each feature numerous short stories in the horror genre. Author Schwartz drew heavily from folklore and urban legends as the topic of his stories, researching extensively and spending more than a year on writing each book.[4][5] Acknowledged influences include William Shakespeare, T. S. Eliot, Mark Twain, Joel Chandler Harris, Bennett Cerf and Jan Harold Brunvand.[6] The first volume was published in 1981, and the books have subsequently been collected in both a box set and a single volume.

There is also an audiobook version of each book, read by George S. Irving. The audiobooks are presented in unabridged format with the exception of a handful of missing stories from the first book.

As of 2017, the books had collectively sold more than seven million copies,[7] and appeared on numerous children's best-seller lists.[6] They have collectively been hailed as a "cultural touchstone for a generation",[7] with the original charcoal and ink artwork by Gammell often singled out for praise.[8]

A film adaptation of the same name was released on August 23, 2019 to generally favorable reviews from critics.

  1. ^ "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: Gammell vs. Helquist". Adventuresinpoortaste.com. December 18, 2011. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  2. ^ Woerner, Meredith (February 1, 2012). "Publishers destroy Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark's amazing artwork". Gizmodo. Gawker Media. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  3. ^ Squires, John (July 28, 2017). "Original "Scary Stories" Books Were Just Re-Released With Original Drawings Restored". bloody-disgusting.com. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  4. ^ Schwartz, Alvin; Vardell, Sylvia (1987). "Profile: Alvin Schwartz". Language Arts. 64 (4): 426–432. doi:10.58680/la198725531.
  5. ^ Monahan, Maureen (October 22, 2015). "14 Terrifying Facts About 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark'". Mental Floss. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  6. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Tribune was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Scheck, Frank (April 25, 2019). "'Scary Stories': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference huffington was invoked but never defined (see the help page).