Strange Things In The Woods: A Collection of Terrifying Tales

by Steve Stockton

Have you ever encountered anything strange, weird or odd in the woods? If so, you're not alone! Welcome to STRANGE THINGS IN THE WOODS, a collection of true, weird encounters by veteran outdoorsman Steve Stockton. In this volume, read about:

-An invisible organist in the sky, a floating coffin and a giant mysterious ball
-The spooky sounds of ghostly kittens, a screaming woman and a crying baby
-Giant snakes, Bigfoot-like creatures and a lake monster
-Haunted cabins, mysterious dwellings and sites of strange cult activity
-Tarot cards nailed to trees, an Ouija board that wouldn't burn and a voodoo doll
- And many MORE true stories!

Genres: Horror, Nonfiction, Paranormal, Short Stories, Audiobook, Mystery, Supernatural

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 20, 2013

Reviews

[clumsyplankton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this. I recommend to anyone who’s also into cryptids but also with the national parks and woods in America. A fast short read with multiple short stories in it.

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of these stories were in my neck of the woods, a fun thing to pop up on and listen to while I was doing other things; the stories were too short to get fully invested in any particular one.

It's like scrolling through the r/cryptidcreature post, intriguing possible eyewitness accounts of local lore, but it doesn't touch the creepiness and writing style of /nosleep. So it just depends on what you're in the mood for.

There was one story in there where the guy kept getting night terrors and encountered alien visitors abducting him at night and probing him. Eventually, he was so over it that he went full-on Rambo on one of their green asses. I would love to read a variation of this writing style focused on alien sightings/encounters/abductions. Because while I love ol' a good 'ol green eye story, I love an abduction gone wrong encounter even more.

[Latasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fellow Northeast Tennessee resident, I loved this book. It's filled with ghost stories from (mostly) this area. It's just a collection of people's personal encounters. Ghost and more. I would read more by this author.

[Tyler Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 A bunch of weird tales, some are rather creepy. Old people have some of the best tales to tell.

[Nathan Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had some creepy tales; one or two of them left just enough reality and mystery to imagine that they really could have happened and made me shiver.

Until I got to one of the very last stories, where a person claims to have been abducted by aliens, was a special strong person for being able to resist paralysis and kill an alien- as well as give a short speech about their right not to be abducted and mind controlled- and it is so either hysterically made up or soberingly delusional that it really upsets the otherwise faintly supernatural/government conspiratorial vibe that the rest of the stories give off.

I understand that these are stories from real people recorded and transcribed as they told them but cutting one story from 80+ wouldn’t really affect the page count and would have really helped this book.

[Boris Bacic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of short creepy encounters in the woods is perfect if you're looking for something non-committal to read.

Some stories are scary, some wholesome, and some show what imaginative horror the human mind is capable of when scared.

Overall, not bad.

[Alison · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was so quaint in the beginning. I really enjoyed reading the stories that seemed to come from old mountain men, it reminded me of the long tales my uncles and grandparents would share when I was a kid. But for some reason, the latter half of the book really started to go downhill for me, some of the stories weren't even woods related, and seemed scrambled and not put together well. Chapters 80 and 81 in particular seemed so weird and out of place. I think this book should've been edited down a bit more for sure, cutting out some of the shorter, nonsensical stories would've helped the final product so much.

[Angustia⋆Cósmica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm finally in a reading mood so I wanted to make the most of it, that's how I landed on this book.
I'm a big fan of 1) Short chapters 2) Personal paranormal stories 3) Spooky forests so this was a perfect, bite-sized read.
Lovingly crafted, this book compiles a bunch of spooky stories told to the author by several people who remain anonymous, much to my liking since it adds a new layer of mystery to it all.
I'm definitely going to read more of this author soon.

[Mitch S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty cool if you are into this kind of thing.

[chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was really fun. there were a couple stories in here that were obviously fabricated and a little ridiculous but overall was an enjoyable read.

[Tracy Jentzsch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picture living in a small town somewhere, and inviting all of the elderly people to stop by and visit you for a coffee or cup of tea, and you ask each one of them what was the most terrifying thing that ever happened to them. That is the vibe of this book. I would have changed the title to Strange Things in the Woods: A collection of interesting tales, as the stories shared are by no means terrifying but are interesting. This is a quick read, and illuminates glimpses of life in a simpler time, when young boys could roam the woods in search of adventure and people still told stories as a means of entertainment. I enjoyed the book.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid collection of eyewitness accounts of high strangeness, presented without wild speculation and with a generous spirit.

[Mistie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories!

It takes a lot to keep my attention, but this book was a page- turner for me! Loved it! Thank you!

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Most of the stories can easily be explained and a few are just silly. Nothing spooky or creepy. I forced myself to finish this book.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring, odd and I probably would not recommend

[Aaron Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Steve Stockton and often listen to his strange missing cases on an evening, what can I say the guy has an amazing and calming voice and so was gifted this collection of strange stories/cases for Christmas. The 85 short and snappy cases included are very easy to read and is one of those pick up and put down books that you can dive into at any point of the day if that makes sense? Some of the stories are just down right bizarre to the utterly unimaginable yet here they are in black and white told by witnesses all over the united states. I thought the layout of the book was perfect for what it was and Steve did a great job at preserving the unheard voices within a book most of which wouldn't have seen the light of day had it not been for Mr. Stockton so kudos to him for that. Obviously as in any book there will be stories which wont satisfy you as others and such was the case here for me but will give a mention to those which did leave me stumped and had me scratching my head. If you were a bit wary of entering the woods and haven't read this collection then I think it's pretty safe to assume you'd be avoiding them at all costs after reading this.

1) The Flying Organ- The opening case of the book and one which will leave you befuddled as it did the witnesses. Very odd stuff.

2) The Light In the Coffin- This one is both creepy and comical and you'll understand why if you read it. Sometimes what we think is something isn't that something.

3) The Mysterious Ball- A ball with a mind of its own apparently out in the woods. Extremely unnerving.

4) The Black Dog- Very compelling and one which will leave you completely baffled. A beautiful story.

5) It was a Pizza...?- Two dudes out in the woods stumble across a cooked pizza, cooked, sliced and ready for eating.....Would you?

6) The Grinning Man- Very eerie tale of a grinning man that was witnessed by a young girl.

7) The Imprisoned Toad- An old glass cola bottle is discovered with a Toad that had been born inside or so it is thought and couldn't find his way out.

8) The Phantom Woodsman- Hey your lost out in the woods and then after two days your greeted with a nice woodsman who points you in the direction to the way out, however was there anyone even there?

9) Surfs up- Your ambling along the woods as a youngster and all of a sudden a surfboard falls from the sky. Hey, it allegedly happened and who can say it didn't?

10) The Man in the Tree- Very unsettling one where a girl is reciting poems inside a fairy mushroom ring or so she playfully assumed. She turns around and there's a man in the tree. Will she call out to him or approach him? Read and find out, trust me it will have you unnerved.

11) The Little Man- Without question my favorite of the collection and one which will have you pondering on whether such things as fairies exist. Very bizarre and has stuck with me above all the others.

There's a whole array of odd things people have encountered within national parks and woodlands and if that's something your curious about and want to read of such oddness then I highly recommend picking up this snappy collection of utterly strange things in the woods.

[Clarissa Dominguez · Rating 1 out of 5]

Please stop sharing about your “1/8” Native American heritage. I’m 100% Choctaw Indian and I never feel the need to tell anyone about it. Unfortunately, as of late, it has become popular among authors to enlighten their readers about their Native American heritage (no matter how small) as a way to validate themselves. Who cares? Write a great book with scary encounters in the forest and not this subpar drivel. This book bored me to tears. None of the stories were believable. If you really are 1/8 Native American that indicates that one of your great grandparents were Native American. So what? Concentrate on being a better writer and don’t rely on a few drops of Native blood to validate the content of your literary work.

[Your Common House Bat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad collection at all. There were a few stories that I mentioned in my first update that I really enjoyed from the first half of the book. From the second half I liked The Lightning Ball and a few others. But the two that stood out the most were definitely Angel hair and Brown Mountain Lights. I actually ended up going down the rabbit hole of the 'Angel Hair' phenomenon so I would like to thank Stockton for for giving me something to entertain myself with for the next few days lol. I just love me a good collection of ghost, bigfoot, ufo's stories. I especially like that this one is told more like a 'word-of-the-mouth' story.

[Sydney · Rating 3 out of 5]

🦇 3 stars 🦇

Strange Things In the Woods is a collection of short tales that the author has collected from various people and their terrifying experiences in the woods. The chapters or tales are very short, which I struggled with when listening to the audiobook, as I had a hard time remembering when we switched from one story to the next. I enjoyed the one chapter where the author inserted themselves before the story and explained why they included it and why it was memorable to them. I would have liked more annotations from the author, as they made the content feel more engaging than just retold stories.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the Audible version because my sister has a subscription and she let me. It was by turns spooking, interesting and funny. Nothing too, too scary - which is fine by me. It was a good thing to listen to while I was pretty much alone in the office. The pacing was good. The narrator clear and easily understood. I enjoyed the fact that the writer preserved the language of the source of the individual tales. All-in-all a very good collection of stories.

[Mark Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually don’t write reviews, but this book was intriguing if you either live in the sticks or in the Blue Ridge Mountains/Appalachian region. It is a collection of short stories told by the general public with the average length being no more than 2.5 pages. Therefore, it is great for anyone with a short attention span like me!

[Waxmodel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great writing

Super short stories nearly just a few hundred words each. It was a good way to pass time. Though i do wish it had the format of a plot and a more develooed storyline. But with these being real accounts from people, there was this flavor of hearing stories from a real person at the campfire.

[Izabela Polak · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting and neat read, but there is absolutely nothing 'terrifying' about anyyyyy of these stories! I got this book because I moved to a house in the woods and wanted to give myself a scare, but...not even a teeny tiny bit creepy, seriously. They're good stories, just ah...not as advertised.

[Renato Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little collection of weird rather than spooky stories. There's not much editing and spellchecking in these self published books, but you can spend and hour or two reading these stories and have a good time. Just don't expect anything too crazy or scary.

[Robin Akin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Steve's tales.

A great batch of unusual and intriguing tales from Steve Stockton. The only thing missing is the soothing sound of Steve's voice as heard on his YouTube Channel.

[James L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent group of stories

My wife and I love to read together in the later evenings before bed and this book of excellent stories was one of our favorites. I'm looking forward to the next!

[Julie Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling Anecdotes

I enjoyed this well-written book, with its anecdotes from many people who have experienced strange things in the forests, abandoned farms, and ghost towns of North America.

[Phyllis H. Pajka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, these were some great stories. Short but sweet and interesting. I think everyone should give this book a try. The stories aren't long but so interesting. It has stories by adults and kids and all are equally well done.

[Christine Best · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of this is a bit misleading, as these stories are quirky rather than terrifying. Some are traditionally paranormal, there are some that fall under high strangeness and some are just odd. The stories are short and there’s a wide selection. My favourite is the pizza in the Pine Barrens.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading stories like this

This is a great collection of stories, well written and well told. I love having books like this around for light reading and will surely be getting more of Steve Stocken’s books.