Who doesn’t have fond memories of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books? Those collections of urban legends, terrifying folk tales,  and bite-sized horror stories were the epitome of childhood horror literature, and for many were the first forays into the genre. Between the intentionally silly stories, the genuinely horrific ones (I’m looking at you, Harold), and the nightmare fuel that was Stephen Gammell’s illustrations there was something magical in those books that went above and beyond anything else available to children. After all this time, it’s not only refreshing but genuinely surprising to see the spirit and feeling of those books captured so wholly again in Scary Stories: A Tribute to Terror. 

For those who didn’t follow the project through its development, Scary Stories: A Tribute to Terror is a fanmade tribute to the original series which is entirely unaffiliated with the original books. The author, Curt Tuckfield, has studied and emulated the writing style used by Alvin Schwartz while the illustrator, Shane Hunt, has done the same for the iconic art style of Stephen Gammell. In both cases, they are dead-on while still retaining enough identity to make this project feel new and different from its predecessors.

The first thing you’ll notice upon picking up the book, as with any entry in the Scary Stories series, is the art. This has always been one of the few book series for which the illustrations are almost as important as the text itself, and Shane Hunt does not disappoint. Every piece has that same off-putting but unforgettable quality as Gammell’s– proportions and perspective are twisted until things feel nightmarish, there are fibers and spindly strands flying every which way, and smudgy shading distorts even the mundane. There are at least a dozen drawings here that I would buy prints of in a heartbeat, and the art remains a central part of the overall experience of the book.

Similarly, Tuckfield has recreated Schwartz’s direct writing style almost to a T. The writing is sometimes a bit choppy, but the originals were too, and that stylistic choice helps create the otherworldly atmosphere that the series is known for. The stories themselves are a blend of personal experiences and other original ideas, occasionally borrowing from folklore and true stories in the same way as the original books. Not every story is equally memorable, every section has a one or two stories which could have been punched up, but overall a majority of them are winners. I could easily see most if not all of these stories made into effective short films, reminiscent of the original Lights Out. Each section features at least one slightly longer, more developed story, and those tend to be major highlights which showcase truly creepy ideas. Those slightly longer stories feel like a welcome divergence from the tried and true Scary Stories formula, and they give the author a bit of space to spread his wings and experiment more.

Scary Stories: A Tribute to Terror couldn’t be a better love letter to the series. It was clearly made by people who care immensely and who spent a lot of time creating something worthy of the name. If you, like so many others, have always wanted more Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, look no further.

Rating

9 out of 10 Bleeny Gnugs