Scaring and Daring: Terrifying Takes on 15 Classic Tales: A Horror Writers Association Anthology. Great for Halloween

by Eric J. Guignard (Editor), Kelley Armstrong (Contributor), Jonathan Maberry (Contributor)

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here! 

Get ready for a terrifying spin on some of literature’s most beloved tales—no story is safe! From Captain Hook’s run-in with dark magic to Sherlock Holmes narrowly escaping graveyard spirits to a happily never after for Cinderella, this horror anthology is anything but a bedtime story. In this terrifying new collection for young readers, the best-loved stories from the literary canon are revisited and reimagined with a deadly twist by some of the top authors working in middle grade today. 

Featuring tales from New York Times bestselling authors Jonathan Maberry and Kelley Armstrong, Carlos Hernandez, Lisa Morton, Maurice Broaddus, and many others, this collection will haunt you long after you turn the last page. Read on—if you dare!

Created by award-winning editor Eric J. Guignard.

• In “The Hound of the Basking Villas," a wily girl teams with young Sherlock Holmes to search for a missing boy in a fae-haunted cemetery.

• In “The Boy of La Mancha Rides a Ghost Horse," a young Don Quixote, along with his stalwart companions, seeks honor and recognition by capturing (before time of his mother’s curfew) a ghost horse that terrorizes all of La Mancha.

• In “Hook and the Hand of Fate," Captain Hook trades a promise for the return of his hand, but learns that barters cannot be broken in Neverland.

• In “Prince Badi az-Zaman and the Ogress Fattan," a young prince sets out to find an ogress responsible for mayhem among his people, only to learn not all is as seems.

. . . and more!

Genres: Horror, Childrens, Short Stories, Anthologies, Retellings

300 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 12, 2025

About the author

ERIC J. GUIGNARD is a writer and editor of dark and speculative fiction, operating from the shadowy outskirts of Los Angeles, where he also runs the small press, Dark Moon Books. He’s twice won the Bram Stoker Award (the highest literary award of horror fiction), won the Shirley Jackson Award, and been a finalist for the World Fantasy Award and International Thriller Writers Award for his works of dark and speculative fiction.

He has over one hundred stories and non-fiction author credits appearing in publications around the world. As editor, Eric’s published multiple fiction anthologies, including his most recent, Pop the Clutch: Thrilling Tales of Rockabilly, Monsters, and Hot Rod Horror , and A World of Horror , a showcase of international horror short fiction.

He currently publishes the acclaimed series of author primers created to champion modern masters of the dark and macabre, Exploring Dark Short Fiction ( Vol. I: Steve Rasnic Tem ; Vol. II: Kaaron Warren ; Vol. III: Nisi Shawl ; Vol. IV: Jeffrey Ford ; Vol. V: Han Song ; Vol. VI: Ramsey Campbell).

He is also publisher and acquisitions editor for the renowned +Horror Library+ anthology series. Additionally he curates the series, The Horror Writers Association Presents: Haunted Library of Horror Classics through SourceBooks with co-editor Leslie S. Klinger.

His latest books are Last Case at a Baggage Auction ; Doorways to the Deadeye ; and short story collection That Which Grows Wild (Cemetery Dance).

Outside the glamorous and jet-setting world of indie fiction, Eric’s a technical writer and college professor, and he stumbles home each day to a wife, children, dogs, and a terrarium filled with mischievous beetles. Visit Eric at: www.ericjguignard.com, his blog: ericjguignard.blogspot.com, or Twitter: @ericjguignard.

Reviews

[Irene Well Worth A Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of my favorite writers have breathed new life into classic tales to delight young readers and the young at heart. My favorites were based on the stories I loved best as a child.

The Glass Slipper by Sherrilyn Kenyon imagines a very different fate for Cinderella after she marries her prince.

The Hound of the Basking Villas by Kelly Armstrong leads young sleuths to a graveyard in a spooky search for a missing boy.

The GruelMaster by Nathan Carson could have saved Oliver Twist from going hungry.

The plight of missing people is blamed on an Ogress in Prince Badi Az-Zaman and the Ogress Fattan by Tanvir Ahmed, but who is the real culprit?

The Secret Thing in the Garden by Delilah S. Dawson is a far spookier version when young friends attempt to dig a pond.

Wolf In The Mirror by Sarwat Chadda pays homage to The Jungle Book where Mowgli should have been left alone.

Freckle and Hide by Jonathan Mayberry is about a boy with anger issues and his timid adopted dog.

The Shadows in the Rock by Joe R. Lansdale is a Huck Finn rafting adventure.

These were my favorites; yours may differ. The recommended reading age is 8-12 years old, but there is no reason older children wouldn't relish these tales. I think younger kids may struggle with some of the words and may be better suited to have the stories read to them.

My thanks to Eric J. Guignard for the hardcover copy.

[Ian Welke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this anthology through and through. In particular I liked the musketeer story and the boy of La Mancha story so much that I would gladly read an entire collection of each of them. I also thought the Oliver Twist and Mulan stories were very good, though the anthology as a whole was remarkably solid particularly given the variety the tales drew from.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stories based on fairytales and classic books. A lot of these were hit or miss for me. The ones I liked were typically my favorite fairytales/stories when I was younger.

My favorites:

Out On A Limb by Nancy Holder based on Pollyanna
This paid homage to Pollyanna, which I love, but also a bit of Beauty and the Beast. Complete with a Beast, a magic mirror and an amazing library.

The Secret Thing In The Garden by Delilah Dawson
I love this author and I loved her tribute to A Secret Garden. Horrible nightmares plague the children after they dig a hole to make a pond in the garden. Little did they know they disturbed the home of an angry little creature.

What We Found Beneath Mount Etna by Lisa Morton. This paid homage to Journey to the Center of the Earth, which I’ve never read. I loved the high adventure of this story and the dark underground cave systems.

[Bonita Slovinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of classic tales which have been reimagined for today’s readers with some scary results. Inviting writers to add scary twists and plots to a favorite tale, the editor Eric J. Guignard, has compiled some spooky tales. I enjoyed The Glass Slipper, a Cinderella tale with a never happy story and The Shadows in the Rock, a tale about Huckleberry Finn and Jim, who discovery another world. These tales pay homage to the original tale and author. A Anthology written by authors who belong to the Horror Writers Association.

[Lisa Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scaring and Daring is a middle grade horror anthology from award-winning editor Eric J Guignard, The Horror Writer’s Association, and HarperCollins Publishers. These 15 stories, spun from well-known classics, are written for young readers but are a fun read for young adults and adults too.

Teeming with suspense, intrigue, twists, and terrors, the stories herein are not rewritings of old tales but twisted what-ifs of their respective classics—side stories, before stories, after stories, where characters and premises are taken in new directions and anything can and does happen. Joe R. Lansdale tells a harrowing and fantastical side adventure of Huckleberry Finn. Lisa Morton tells of a return to Mount Etna after Journey to the Center of the Earth. Kelley Armstrong tells of a young Sherlock Holmes helping an enigmatic girl solve a dark mystery in her homage to The Hound of the Baskervilles. And there’s much more to enjoy.

Being at least familiar with the referenced classics helps, but you don’t have to have read them to get into and enjoy these stories; they stand on their own. However, I do dare say reading these engrossing tales will inspire you to read any of the represented classics you haven’t already, and will certainly spark lively discussion. Scaring and Daring is a fantastic assemblage of chilling and intriguing tales and a fun and thrilling reading experience for all ages from preteen on up.

A Bibliophilia Templum review
https://bibliophiliatemplum.wordpress.com/2025/10/25/scaring-and-daring/

[Caity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC book.

This is such a cool concept for an anthology, I really loved seeing where the horror twist kicked in to the different classic tales. I also thought there was a great range of tales while definitely all classics there were some that i was so pleasantly surprised to see as well as some stories that also crossed over a bit with other classics. I particularly loved Prince Badi Az-Zaman and the Ogress Fattan, The Hound of the Basking Villas, Freckle and Hide, and The Gruelmaster. Overall I enjoyed all the stories, my one complaint with the book is that some of the stories felt more geared toward younger readers and some were more firmly YA. Similarly it felt like the horror level ranged from more just creepy elements to full horror stories. This didn't detract from any of the stories being individually enjoyable but it did impact the flow of the anthology where the change in tone between one story and the next felt a bit jarring. I enjoyed this book more reading one or two stories at a time rather than longer stretches. That said I was so excited to read stories from some authors I already loved and discover some new to me authors to check out and overall found this to be a great book.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An original anthology of horror short stories from the Horror Writers Association for middle grade students. It is a different spin on some fairy tales. The best loved stories are reimagined with an eerie twist by some of the top authors writing in middle grade. The tales from New York Times bestselling authors Jonathan Maberry and Kelley Armstrong, Carlos Hernandez, Lisa Morton, Maurice Broaddus, and many others, this middle-grade anthology of fun and frightful tales will haunt you long after you turn the last page. I enjoyed it immensely. One of my favorite stories was “The Boy of La Mancha Rides a Ghost Horse," a young Don Quixote, along with his stalwart companions, seeks honor and recognition by capturing (before time of his mother’s curfew) a ghost horse that terrorizes all of La Mancha. It may be written for middle graders but young adults and adults will enjoy reading this book. I can’t imagine that anyone that likes reading a horror short story wouldn’t enjoy this book as this book includes a variety of settings and a diverse cast of characters.


Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

[Shauna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really excited to get an advance copy of this book. I love fairy tales and classic stories, so the concept of twisting those stories into more scary versions was really fun. Of the 15 stories, more than half were pretty good. There were some that were a little blah or felt too short. I'm not sure how middle school kids would enjoy all the tales. Some are a little more in the writing style of the orginals and that might be a little boring for younger kids. But it would be fun as a parent to read them to the kids. Most of the stories are a little darker than what they're based on, but not scary or terrifying at all.

Overall, it was a quick, fun read for someone who enjoys new takes on older, classic stories. There were a couple that I hadn't read the orginals and still enjoyed them and didn't feel like I was missing anything. And they're short making them quick to read.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Debra Gaynor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scaring and Daring: Terrifying Takes on 15 Classic Tales: A Horror Writers Association Anthology
This is the retelling or redoing of several original stories that were considered terrifying. The tales in this book are some the reader may have heard before but with a different twist. I did recognize several of the tales, but the updated tales lacked luster. After the story you will find a biography of the author. The first story is about dinosaurs living underground, they evolved and plan to take over the world. There is a remake of the Tales of Baskerville, there is a retelling of Huck Finn, Moby Dick, and numerous others. It is difficult to improve or rewrite such well-known stories.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

[H. Woodward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anthologies are useful for finding short stories that I can build assignments out of. Although the premise of this one--retooling childrens' classic stories--is a great writing prompt, the results are mixed. There were several that I really liked: Prince Badi, Glass Slipper, Wolf in the Mirror, and Freckle & Hide. It's no surprise to me that the authors of those stories are already known to me. The rest of the stories were 'meh' at best. An important note--students will need to be familiar with the original classics in order to understand these. In short, I think this has limited use in the general education classroom. Some avid readers will enjoy it, but it would be better marketed to an adult audience who wants to revisit their childhood reads.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book because my favorite author, Delilah S. Dawson, had a story in it. I found the book in the children's section of Barnes & Noble and it said that it was geared toward 8-12 year olds. I thought I would read it on Halloween and it would be a fun and quick read for the spooky holiday. Days later, I have just finished this book. In no way is this a book for 8-year-olds. I am an avid reader with a PhD and I found myself having to look up words, and every time was mumbling to myself that this is supposed to be a book for children. The stories were enjoyable, but none of them were actually scary, which is fine for a children's book, but at the same time the writing level was beyond that age range which left the book feeling disjointed.

[Karen Reeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun to visit some of my favorite stories and see another side to them. Insert a creepy horror into The Secret Garden that gives chills while I try to fall asleep hours after I read the story. Or a disturbing take on Prince Charming with Cinderella. If one tale is not quite your taste, be sure to try a different one because each is written by a different author and has its own unique feel separate from the other stories.

[Jen Self · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent collection of retellings of classic stories we all know and love.....but with a dark twist that is so fresh and fun! The Secret Garden, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Cinderella, Moby Dick and so much more is included here. My favorite of the collection is "Freckle and Hide" by Jonathan Mayberry, which is the most original take on Jekyll & Hyde that I've ever read! While this collection is marketed towards young readers, it's definitely enjoyable for adults as well!

[Sarah L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so unique. It included new spins, terrifying spins on classic stories like Peter Pan, Jungle Book, the 3 Musketeers, or the Hound of Baskerville. Not only can you read classic stories retold, but you also get to read some phenomenal author's works in a unique format. Each story had the right amount of thriller and really made you think "what if my favorite childhood stories were told as horror?" These tales really captured the accents, setting, and feel of the classic stories but in a different genre. I loved these!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Interesting concept, and I can appreciate that the editor loves classic tales. Just not sure that a creepy take on The Secret Garden is necessarily going to be a hit with that many middle school students. Might be useful in a classroom for a mentor text.

[Bibliohiker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. I liked the twisted take from the original versions. Some stories are more darker than their original versions and some are unexpected. I’ll definitely be adding this to my bookshelf.

[Chrissy]

only read one story (so far)

Hound of the Basking Villas by Kelley Armstrong - 4 stars
Featuring a young Sherlock Holmes and an unnamed girl as the main characters, this short story inspired by The Hound of the Baskervilles was lots of fun (and to young readers probably also fairly creepy)

[Sarah Budd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This middle grade anthology contains 15 tales of reimagined classics featuring some of the biggest names in horror!
I had great fun reading this collection, although it is aimed at children its also really fun for adults too!
The prefect book as the nights grow longer!

[Tony Ciak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great set of stories, with a playful look at classic stories.