The Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark movie hit TV screens a few years back, but its diehard fans still sing praises of the original book series — Alvin Schwartz’s iconic short horror stories for children.
For the majority, they were a childhood staple: The stories, powered by Stephen Gammell, are still engraved into everyone’s minds and, perhaps, instilled a passion for all things spooky.
But how well-written were these original tales? The series was published between the late 1980s and early 1990s and consists of three books: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones.
However, only a few of the 82 stories were selected for the film. Nonetheless, there were numerous duds. In celebration of the film’s premiere, we reread all three books to evaluate which of the 82 stories has maintained their scariness and relevance over the years.
This proved challenging, given that each book concludes with a “funny” segment containing mediocre jokes. Still, there were numerous timeless themes of abuse and self-hatred that sent shivers down our spines, as well as some traditional scares. So, here it is – perhaps avoids reading this list late at night.
#3. “The Viper,” Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Let’s get to the humorous sections of these books. Not saying there is no place for humor in horror, but most of these are either instantly forgotten or painfully stupid.
Without revealing too much, let’s just say that all of this could have been averted if the protagonist had checked the peephole before opening the door and letting in a well-intentioned, albeit slightly off-kilter, window washer.
#2. “The Dead Man’s Brains,” Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Some of the poorest aspects of the series occur when the stories are tailored around a gimmick rather than a narrative. Here, we are informed that this is a game similar to how one of your more unpleasant acquaintances might mislead you into an endless night playing Monopoly or similar games.
You’re probably familiar with this game, which uses food as a substitute for a decaying corpse and relies on a dimly lit room to conceal it as such. The eyes are confirmed to be grapes. The ears are cleverly made of dried apricots.
And so it continues, with each body part matching to a different delicious until we reach the hands. They are rubber gloves, but instead of being filled with something like popcorn, they are filled with dirt or ice, as if that’s not a big blunder.
Because both items are a little inconvenient and have nothing in common with a human hand in terms of consistency, furthermore, reading this guide is not intended to frighten you but rather to inspire you.
#1. “The Big Toe,” Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Unpopular opinion: the film adaptation of the first book in the trilogy is a terrible disaster. After the book’s brief explanation introduction, “Strange and Scary Things,” this narrative is intended to capture the reader’s attention. It is about a filthy little boy who finds and harvests a huge toe from the ground to add to his family’s soup. However, the owner of the toe appears to be seeking its appendage, but how? Only the makers could answer.