Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a series of three collections of short horror stories for children, written by Alvin Schwartz and originally illustrated by Stephen Gammell. In 2011, HarperCollins published editions featuring new art by Brett Helquist, causing mass controversy among fans of Gammell. Subsequent printings have restored the original Gammell art. The titles of the books are Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (1981), More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (1984), and Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones (1991).

The three books each feature numerous short stories in the horror genre. Author Schwartz drew heavily from folklore and urban legends as the topic of his stories, researching extensively and spending more than a year on writing each book. Acknowledged influences include William Shakespeare, T. S. Eliot, Mark Twain, Joel Chandler Harris, Bennett Cerf and Jan Harold Brunvand. and appeared on numerous children's best-seller lists. The stories in this book include:

jump stories (stories that end with a jump scare)
ghost stories, including a retelling of The Suffolk Miracle
folk music, including The Hearse Song
a story involving voodoo death
a witch story
a story of a man who shapeshifts into an alligator
a couple of stories of omens of death
a retelling of Algernon Blackwood's novella The Wendigo
a game called "The Dead Man's Brains"
a bogeyman story
a number of urban legends, including the legends of the hook, the poison dress, the killer in the backseat, and the babysitter and the man upstairs
and a selection of jokes and humorous folktales

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Editions

To celebrate the books' 30th anniversary in 2011, HarperCollins re-released the books with new illustrations from Brett Helquist. The new illustrations were generally regarded as kid-friendly and not as disturbing as their previous illustrations, resulting in widespread criticism from fans of the original. In 2017, the books were re-issued with the original artwork. In 2019, to coincide with the release of the movie, the books were re-released with images taken from the film.

Reception

Reviews

Jon Scieszka of Entertainment Weekly called the first book a "wonderful collection of tales that range from creepy to silly to haunting." He added that Gammell's illustrations added "just the right touch."

Controversy

This series is listed by the American Library Association as being the most challenged series of books from the 1990s, and seventh most challenged from the 2000s. It again made the list in 2012. Complaints have typically centered on its violence, disturbing subject matter, and potential unsuitability for younger readers, as well as religious concerns. Critics have called the stories, many of which feature macabre topics such as murder, disfigurement and cannibalism, "sick... repulsive", The nightmarish artwork by Stephen Gammell has also been a subject of criticism. Among the groups who have attempted to have the book removed from school libraries are local parent groups and Concerned Women for America; defenders have included the American Library Association and The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books.

Tribute anthology

The Horror Writers Association compiled a new tribute anthology titled Don't Turn Out the Lights, edited by Jonathan Maberry, and featuring submissions from HWA members. It was released on September 1, 2020.

Film adaptation

In 2008, a short cartoon was released director and animated by Brian Bear Just Delicious based on the story of the same name in collection "Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones". The entire film bripbear official YouTube channel.

In 2013, CBS Films acquired the rights to the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books from 1212 Entertainment who initially optioned the material. The script (initially written by John August) was ultimately credited to Dan and Kevin Hageman, with Guillermo del Toro, Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton receiving a "story by" credit.

Del Toro produced the film along with Sean Daniel, Jason Brown, and Elizabeth Grave, with Roberto Grande and Joshua Long executive producing.

The film was released on August 23, 2019, by Lionsgate and CBS Films.