Although i love horror novels, I have often been just as thrilled by horror's short stories. I recall reading a brillant short story , The Body Politic,by Clive Barker where human hands developed a mind of their own and planned a revolt against the rest of the body. It was a great read!

Mine would have to be:

1. The Reach by Stephen King

2. Iverson's Pits by Dan Simmons (this is a truly great story.)

3. The Minister's Black Veil and Young Goodman Brown by Hawthorne

4. The Body Politic by Clive Barker

5. Best New Horror by Joe Hill

What are some of your favorites?

I read so many short stories that I'm not sure I can decide on the 5 best, but I'll give 5 that I can think of right now that are really good.

Dying in Bankok - Dan Simmons

The Lottery - Shirley Jackson

Murder Mysteries - Neil Gaiman

The Distributer - Richard Matheson

Sometimes They Come Back - Stephen King

I could go on and on with Stephen King since there are so many I love.

Oh man, I know I won't be able to pull my absolute favorites out, but here are some that would be contenders:

Graveyard Shift by Richard Matheson

The Colour Out of Space by Lovecraft

The Aqueduct by Brian Lumley

The Night Wire by H.F. Arnold

Lost in the World by Tanith Lee