All the Fear of the Fair: Uncanny Tales of Circus and Sideshow

by Edward Parnell (Editor)

Step right up to see the enchanted Ferris wheel whose magical gifts are to die for! Marvel at the man-eating menagerie and dreadful secrets of ‘Satan’s Circus’! Behold the nightmare waxworks of Mrs. Groby's Chamber of Horrors!

Carnivals and sideshows are settings closely entwined with the history of horror cinema, but in the realms of literature, there is a strain of uncanny fairground fiction with even deeper roots. Home to a sinister troupe of conjurers, puppeteers, beast tamers and crowds baying for blood beneath the Big Top, the performance spaces of these classic weird tales are borderlands where the unearthly meets the darker cravings of the human heart.

Presenting sixteen sensational short stories, hailing from Edgar Allan Poe’s 1840s through to Robert Aickman’s 1960s, Edward Parnell invites you to enjoy a cavalcade of uneasy thrills courtesy of Gerald Kersh, Ray Bradbury, Margery Lawrence and many more.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Classics, Fiction, Anthologies

284 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 16, 2025

About the author

Edward Parnell is the author of the narrative non-fiction 'Ghostland' (William Collins), shortlisted for the 2020 PEN Ackerley Prize for memoir. He lives near Norwich in the UK and has an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. He has been the recipient of an Escalator Award from the National Centre for Writing and a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship. 'The Listeners' (2014) was his first novel, and was the winner of the Rethink New Novels Prize.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always found that there is something about circuses, fairs and the like which fascinates me. In my childhood they arrived on bits of waste ground and just as quickly disappeared again, with a brief interlude of lights, music noise and revelry. This is a good collection of stories mostly about fairs and circuses, with a few based on music hall and one from Poe about a jester at a court which is deliciously subversive. Welcome to a:

“world that transgresses societal norms, drawing on our willingness to be lured towards the novel and the sleazy, the desire to step outside our regular bounds and experience a glimpse of the other…”

There are sixteen short stories by Poe, Eleanor Smith, Margery Lawrence, L P Hartley, Tod Robbins, W L George, Charles Birkin, Robert Silverberg, Richard Middleton, Charles Davy, J D Beresford, Gerald Kersh, Frederick Cowles, “Simplex”, Ray Bradbury and Robert Aickman.
There are plenty of strange and weird stories here and there are few weak ones. We are introduced to Margery Lawrence’s detective of the weird and supernatural Pennoyer and his Watson-like sidekick. There is the mandatory haunting Punch and Judy tale, a very sinister ventriloquist’s dummy, some waxworks which aren’t entirely what they seem, a Ferris wheel which has an interesting effects on an occupant, a vanishing trick which works too well and the Aickman story at the end is just weird and rather uncomfortable, but then that may be the point.
It’s one of the better collections in this series.

[Demeter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally a very good choice of stories. However, I’m taking a star off for the inclusion of the Birkin one, which involved harm to a child. I find that sort of tale just lazy writing -no subtle build up or clever writing, just cruelty. The others were much better.

[Magdalena Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely one of the strongest collections in the British Library Tales of the Weird series! There wasn’t a single story that made me go meh or that made me want to skip it entirely. These are well written, nostalgic, fun and properly creepy and disturbing too. It’s a very strong selection plus both the general intro and short intros to each story/authors are brilliantly written by the editor, Edward Parnell, and you can feel his passion for this project.

My favourite stories were:
‘Hop-Frog’ by Edgar Allan Poe - just a brilliant opening story!
‘A High Dive’ - L.P. Hartley - quick, surprising and funny read which is a nice contrast to some other uncanny and cruel stories in this book
‘Spurs’ by Tod Robbins - grim and cruel, but so good. Adapted into the infamous movie Freaks!
‘The Harlem Horror’ by Charles Birkin - so dark and disturbing but again, so good and well written!
‘Freak Show’ by Robert Silverberg - just like an episode of The Twilight Zone and I loved it.
‘The Black Ferris’ by Ray Bradbury - I mean, it’s Bradbury! This one is short and sweet, has this great coming of age feel to it and the ending is brilliant.

This is really just a very good bunch of short stories put together by a great editor! Very much recommended 🎪

[p. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5☆

Some of the stories were impressively gruesome but I suspect the subject matter lends itself to it incredibly well. Quite a few snappy fast favourites in here.

Favourite entries: "Satan's Circus" by Eleanor Smith, "Circus Child" by Margery Lawrence, "Waxworks" by W. L. George, "The Harlem Horror" by Charles Birkin, "The Vanishing Trick" by Charles Davy, "The Little Town" by J. D. Beresford, "Punch and Judy" by Frederick Cowles, "The Swords" by Robert Aickman

[Theofilos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't praise this series enough, this one is certainly one of the best, only a couple of mediocre tales from the 16 in total.

Circuses, freakshows and sideshows are totally my thing, and the theme was done masterfully! The Aickman story "Swords" is bleak and sooooo good!

[Benjamin Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't let the less than excellent first half deter you, the second half of this book is pure gold.

Fave.: The Vanishing Trick, Charles Davy

[Jay Rothermel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Midway Lineup

"Hop-Frog" (1850) by Edgar Allan Poe
A royal court dwarf with the heart of King Kong and the mind of an orphaned Borgia concocts a spectacular act of violence costumed as a joke.

"Satan's Circus" (1931) by Lady Eleanor Smith
The Brandt circus spreads its maleficent shadow over Europe. A deserter from the French Foreign Legion learns how poorly he chose a hiding place with the Brandt's.

"Circus Child" (1959) by Margery Lawrence
A young woman finds an ersatz family that can liberate her from maternal suicide, trafficking, abuse, and infanticide.

"A High Dive" (1961) by L. P. Hartley
Funny haha, but not funny oh-no.

"Spurs" (1923) by Tod Robbins
Freaks and bourgeois right. The brutal enforcement of the sideshow code against the intrusion of the wealthy "normal."

"Waxworks" (1922) by W. L. George
Lionel Atwill, Vincent Price, Paris Hilton. But first, George's young couple in search of shelter from the rain. The uncanny power of the wax museum is its imperfect commemoration of the dead.

"The Harlem Horror" (1932) by Charles Birkin
Was that my missing daughter? A devastating reveal of mutilation and loss.

"Freak Show" (1957) by Robert Silverberg
Running away to join the circus, with a galactic twist.

"The Conjurer" (1912) by Richard Middleton
A stage magician performs a vanishing trick that works too well, leaving only a wistful sadness in the empty theater.

"The Vanishing Trick" (1931) by Charles Davy
An unhappily married man seeks a permanent exit via a pier-end magic show. A teleporting nightmare, truly.

"The Little Town" (1918) by J. D. Beresford
A traveler discovers a mysterious town where the entertainment is visions of wonder and strangeness.

"The Extraordinarily Horrible Dummy" (1939) by Gerald Kersh
A ventriloquist is dominated by a dummy. But a rooming house neighbor who must hear them practice all night, only to learn which is which.

"The Haunted Roundabout" (1929) by 'Simplex'
A ride that whirls the rider through supernatural thrills and vengeful justice.
Cf. "The Companion" by Ramsey Campbell

"The Black Ferris" (1948) by Ray Bradbury
The sinister mechanics of a carnival ride that can exonerate Mr. Cougar of any crime.

"The Swords" (1969) by Robert Aickman
Surreal, psychosexual encounters where performance and violation merge.

[Chris Greensmith · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The carnival had come to town like an October wind, like a dark bat flying over the cold lake, bones rattling in the night, mourning, sighing, whispering up the tents in the dark rain. It stayed on for a month by the grey, restless lake of October, in the black weather and increasing storms and leaden skies."

[Joshua Hair · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a perfect anthology. Review to come.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Synopses are spoiler-free.

Immerse yourself in a captivating anthology of stories that revolve around the enchanting world of circuses, both grand and quaint. Within this collection, you'll find everything from spectacular performances under the majestic Big Top to intriguing sideshows, lively carnivals, extraordinary freaks, thrilling amusement rides, skilled magicians, and daring lion tamers. Featuring an impressive lineup of renowned authors such as Poe, Bradbury, Aickman, and Silverberg, this compilation is a treasure trove of tales rated between three to five stars that promises to captivate your imagination.

1. Hop-Frog by Edgar Allan Poe (1849) - A crippled dwarf and a female dwarf of regular proportions are enslaved by the same king and from the same country. They've become such good friends, but at a dinner, Hop-Frog becomes enraged as he watches the king throw wine over her and shoves her out of the way. He vows to get revenge on them. This is the story of the diabolical revenge he takes on the king and his seven privy councillors who set him free. (3/5)

2. Satan's Circus by Elanor Smith (1934) - A man finds himself interested in the Bradt Circus and, having some circus friends, occasionally asks one about it. Still, they refuse to talk about the circus. Until he comes across a friend he hasn't seen in some years, and after asking what he's been up to, he answers he's been with the Brandt Circus; he finally gets his information. He's told an eerie backstage story of powerful, strange owners. A good story told with suspense. There is a part where a dead body is bleeding, which I'm sure the author didn't realize shouldn't have been happening in the scene, but if you catch it, it makes it so much more diabolical. (4/5)

3. Circus Child by Margery Lawrence (1959) - A woman falls asleep at 4 pm and 8 pm every day as if in a trance, wherever she is, and speaks in a demanding foreign male voice. They are so worried that her fiancé calls in Dr. Miles Pennoyer, occult detective. A satisfyingly long story where the detective's "Watson" narrates. (5/5)

4. A High Dive by LP Hartley (1961) - Circus owners are standing around bemoaning the fact that they need a dangerous act to bring in the crowds when a sandy-haired fellow walks in to say he needs a job. He has other features the author mentions to describe him as "leonine," and the man says he can jump 60 ft into an 8'x4'x4' tank of water. This is a short but mysterious tale. (3/5)

5. Spurs (Freaks) by Tod Robbins (1923) - The circus dwarf is always made fun of but is in love with the bareback rider, who is in love with the male bareback rider. When the dwarf inherits an estate, he asks her to marry him, so she does, thinking he will die early and she can then marry her true love. But she humiliates her new husband at the wedding dinner. Certainly nowhere near as unsettling as the movie based on the story, but as the introduction says, it is a must-have in a circus-themed book. (3/5)

6. Waxworks by WL George (1927) - This one's a bit of a mystery. An engaged couple goes down to the docks for something new to do. It starts to rain, and as they're running, they come across a waxworks and go inside to get out of the rain. They get more than they expected. This one is included because of its setting rather than its being a weird tale. It's rather a mystery. A fun piece. (3/5)

7. The Harlem Horror by Charles Birkin (1932) - First, we hear of some disappearances, and then a family arriving in New York. Almost three years later, the little girl of the family disappears, walking from one house to another on the same street. This was really freaky. It's a sensationalist story that goes for the gut. I loved it. (4/5)

8. Freak Show by Robert Silverberg (1957) - Two boys go to see the intergalactic show at the travelling circus, starting with The Man From Mars. Then, when one gets home for dinner, his dad says they've finally run the fakers out of town. This is the first time I've seen a more modern author of this calibre in this series. I don't really like it, and what's he doing in the British archives? A silly story as well. (2/5)

9. The Conjurer by Richard Middleton (1912) - A magician is performing on stage with his wife as his attendant. This is a trial performance with the theatre, and he's batching every gig, then comes the grand finale. A quick, short, abrupt story that you have to think about for a few minutes afterwards. (3/5)

10. The Vanishing Trick by Charles Davy (1931) - A conjurer is visited by a strange little man who wants to participate in his act for free. He wants to get in the disappearing box and perform the trick with him, so they practice it together, and he gets the hang of disappearing and coming back, no problem. When the night of the show comes, things go rather amok. This is a top-notch story, well written and well told. The way things turn out is predictable, but the how-of-it-all certainly isn't. Good one. (5/5)

11. The Little Town by JD Beresford (1912) - A man has to go to a town, and he's told it's a little town. When he arrives there after a stressful drive in the semi-dark, he tells the landlady that he'll take a walk into town. She remarks it's almost dark. He thinks nothing of it since it's a little town; however, the walk straight heads down for a while, then ends, and only a path continues straight forward. He decides to continue in the same direction as the houses continue on, but it is a long path which ends onto a field showing that people have walked here, so he continues on, unbelieving this long path can be in such a small town. Then he reaches the end. An enjoyable tale with a creepy ending that is very profound if you really think about it. (4/5)

12. The Extraordinarily Horrible Dummy by Gerald Kerssh (1939) - A man hears two men talking loudly in the room next door to his. He is a member of the performing theatre, and the ventriloquist occupies the room next door. The next night, there are two men arguing in that room at 3:00 am, and he decides to ask them to quiet down. A predictable story but not badly told. (3/5)

13. Punch and Judy by Frederick Cowles (1947) - A man out for a walk comes upon another man, drunken and sleeping, who awakens and wants to tell his tale, so he does. It's a frightening tale, and it only gets worse when he compares tales with his friend, the local law. (3/5)

14. The Haunted Roundabout by Simplex (1930) - A man asks a Reverend if he believes in ghosts, and he says that yes he didn't, until he saw something with his own two eyes. Then he proceeds to tell them about it. Fairly laid-back story. Well written. (3/5)

15. The Black Ferris by Ray Bradbury (1948) - A couple of boys go to the carnival, and one tells the other an amazing thing he had seen. The other didn't believe him until he'd seen it himself, and thus begins a cross between a supernatural/mystery. This is a whole lot of fast fun. Written well and told well, just as you come to expect from Bradbury. (5/5)

16. The Swords by Robert Aickman (1969) - A man takes a seat at a sideshow attraction, not sure what show is on. When a beautiful woman comes on, and audience members stab her with swords, but no blood flows, no injury is shown. The man does not participate, but his virginal self is turned on. Very sexy and startling. (5/5)'

[Leila Anani · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite of the British Library Tales of the Weird anthologies to date - The subject matter is very close to my heart anyway, part of my degree exploring the relationship between Horror and Circuses - this one ticked lots of boxes before even looking at the stories - Its nice to note though that there's not a bad story in here and several tie in to other horror media.

For Film & TV fans we have, Tod Robbins "Spur" (the basis for Todd Browning's Freaks), Poe's excellent "Hop-Frog" (which has a nice nod in the movie of Masque of the Red Death) W. L. George's "Waxworks" which inspired a whole host of things most notably 'House of Wax', Gerald Kersh's "The extraordinarily horrible Dummy" (the inspiration for the Dummy story in 'Dead of Night' and Robert Aickman's "The Swords" which was filmed as the first episode of the TV series The Hunger.

We've also got Eleanor Smith's "Satan's Circus" which was a big influence on Hammer's 'Vampire Circus' and Charles Birkin's "The Harlem Horror" which although I've yet to see any direct linkage feels to me the inspiration for 'The Mutations' (1974) AKA: The Freakmaker

All great stories and its nice to have them gathered together in one volume. This anthology really is a must have for B-Movie horror fans.

Other particular highlights include:

Ray Bradbury's "The Black Ferris" is a personal favourite and it struck me reading it here that it was probably the inspiration for Cornelia Funke's The Thief Lord - with the magic roundabout that can turn back time...

Robert Silverberg's "Freak-show" - adding a sci-fi element with an intergalactic circus was another delight.

Margery Lawrence's "Circus Child" - is a nice Homes/Watson style mystery about a girl under the thrall of an evil Svengali type hypnotist.

There's a nice variety of stories - we cover waxworks, ventriloquists dummies, hypnotists, conjurers, haunted roundabouts, freakshows... and they flow very nicely.

An excellent collection.

[Linlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very decent collection, enjoyed most of the stories. Read a few other books from the Weird Tales series and this one is definitely the more well put together ones.

Among my favourites were the Spurs by Ted Robins that was the original inspiration of the cult movie Freaks that later also inspired American Horror Story: The Freak show.

Waxworks by W.L.George - nothing more creepy than wax figurines and the fear they might be alive.

The Harlem Horror - very brutal ending and since it involved a child it did have that horrifying shock effect.

Freak Show by Robert Silverberg - amazing short little science fiction story about a "circus" that claims to have creatures from other planets.

All in all the book well deserves a 4 star rating.

[Phillip · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great and very readable collection of spooky stories involving fun fairs, circuses, Carnivals and the characters you would expect to be involved in such places. I presumed, correctly, that there would be a Ray Bradbury story (a very important story it is too), Also tales from authors I knew of such as Robert Silverberg, Edgar Allan Poe, Margery Lawrence, but also a lot that I didnt know. Liked every single story, loved a lot of them.

[Katrine Engelhardt Thomsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mixed selection, but my favourites made this a 3,5 stars rounded up to 4 stars read.

My personal favourites:

•Edgar Allan Poe - Hop-Frog

•Eleanor Smith - Satan’s Circus

•L. P. Hartley - A High Dive (bit different, but a good addition for the collection)

•Charles Birkin - The Harlem Horror (possibly the most disturbing story of the whole book)

•Gerald Kersh - The Extraordinary Horrible Dummy

•Ray Bradbury - The Black Ferris

•Robert Aickman - The Swords

[Michael John Paul McManus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great creepy stories about fairgrounds, magicians, and sideshows. British Library of the Weird have produced another great collection of weird short stories edited by Edward Parnell. Excellent indeed. 10/10.

[Ben Crozier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best British library tales of the weird by multiple authors I have read. Some many different styles of story. Despite the content I found Circus Child by Margery Lawrence really sweet while some like the Harlem Horror where the exact opposite.

[Steven West · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best 'Tales of the Weird' collections, with great editorial commentary and excellent, chilly stories - among them, the inspirations for Freaks and Dead of Night's famous ventriloquist episode. Charles Birkin, Ray Bradbury, Robert Aickman and Frederick Cowles are behind the standouts.

[Samuel (Still Reading Sam) M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up
not the best not the worst. very middle of the road on balance

[Ren Dreem · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was really helpful to read while I was drafting my own gothic horror novel about a circus, it really helped me get into the vibe ✨