As a child, we had a book of scary stories that included some absolutely ghastly but entrancing pen-and-ink art. I’m 99% sure they’re not “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”. I don’t remember much, but a few things stuck with me:
- a picture of a diver in an old-timey deep sea diving suit and maybe a sea-witch type character draped in seaweed.
- at least one really creepy drawing of a willow tree
- one or more of the pictures also involved a classically gothic cliffside along the sea.
- I want to say the binding was green or teal
- no dust jacket that I recall, but it could have been missing
- as a child, it struck me as old but not ancient, so I’m guessing it was from the late 60s or early 70s maybe
- my parents let me read it, and they were Mormons and frankly not really readers, so I’m guessing it was sort of vaguely considered age appropriate in those days if parents didn’t look too close.
Style-wise, as I recall it kind of split the difference between Edward Gorey (thanks, @[email protected] for unearthing my nightmare fuel) and the semi-famous Darth Maul concept art from Iain McCaig. I have downloaded the first two volumes of SStTitD, as they are technically old enough to be the ones, but while they’re definitely in the same milieu they’re not what I’m thinking of. The art in this had heavier linework and IIRC used pen-and-ink crosshatching instead of shading; I also can’t find any images in those two that hit me as “THAT’S IT!”.
This could absolutely be a wild goose chase down memory lane, but any suggestions?
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My best guess is the Tales to Tremble By scary story collections:
Each story had some creepy art by Gordon Laite:
A lot of this fits with your descriptions from the best of my recollection.
Edit: Removed paragraph about potential third scary story series containing spider egg story, just realized that one was from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark 3, so Tales to Tremble By and its sequel is my only guess here.
I’m not willing to commit, but I can’t dismiss this one out of hand. I will need to track down a copy and see if anything gives me that AHA! moment.
Thanks!
More Tales to Tremble By is the only one so far I might be eventually talked into thinking is the one, but no epiphany yet. The low angle drawing of the house and the sailor peering over the railing feel familiar (particularly that greenish wash over the sailor one), but they don’t quite match the admittedly 35-40 year-old memory in my head.
The Tales of the Black Freighter vibes in it are pretty cool as well.
Oh, jeez. I remember reading that book in elementary school!
Thanks for the horrific trip down memory lane, ya bastid. Happy Halloween, too.
Man what a blast from the past. I haven’t seen these in idk how long but my mom had these when I was growing up. I don’t even remember the stories, but those illustrations were awesome and are among some of my earliest memories of being unnerved by an art style (along with the legendary Scary Stories and the Wizard of Oz series from 1900 with the W.W. Denslow illustrations)
Was there a story about a girl and a ribbon in the book you read, and when the ribbon was removed her head fell off?
If so it might have been “In a Dark, Dark Room” but that was published in the 80s
edit: I’d also look at Ed Gorey as well, his art style is in that same vein. Also i can’t read
No clue if that’s what OP was referring to, but for the longest time I thought that story about the ribbon was just a fever dream. I could only vaguely recall it, could never find the story when I searched what I could remember, but what you replied is definitely it.
The story is such a core memory to me for some reason. I know what you mean about it being a fever dream, i remember reading it in a library book as a small child then never being able to find it again until i was an adult, so Im glad someone else has been in that situation
This has unlocked some vague memory for me. I only (but very specifically) remember her head falling off after untying the ribbon
In a Dark, Dark Room seems to be from something a little later and slimmer. My book was also a good inch and a half thick, maybe pushing 200 pages depending on paper weight.
Ed Gorey specifically got me thinking about this book again, but his style is also not quite right. Thanks for the suggestions, though!
Oh I had that book, and Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark, so I just assumed that story was in the latter. Funny what you misremember! I definitely remember that one clearly. Now I want to go look at the list of stories…
Damn. It had the drowned prison ghost and the casket bobbing up while the two guys were fishing. I need to get a copy of this. Forgot all about it until just now. It was genuinely frightening in an eerie way.
After some unproductive googling, here’s a random guess. The cover art style doesn’t really match (not sure if the inside is different), but it has a deep sea diver and a lady underwater, who I can only assume is the “Ghost Queen”
I will have to take a look, but I tend to think this is not it. I was familiar with Ripley’s as a brand from the newspaper comic, so I think I would have recalled that detail. Still, thanks so much!
I feel like I’ve seen those books way back in the day but I couldn’t tell you the name of them to save my life.
I was really optimistic that the Schwartz books with the original Stephen Gammell illustrations would be it, but it’s just not quiiiite right. It could all be jumbled enough that it’s just me whose wrong, but this feels like one of those times where I think the component parts in my brain are sufficient that the memories will coalesce if and when I see it again.
Can’t help with an answer, but you could also try posting this over on [email protected], might get a bite.
You didn’t mention Scotland, but on the off chance, could it have been Ghosts Go Haunting?
I just looked through it and that’s not the one, (art style is too different) but I have to say I love block-print drawings. Hell, seeing all this mid-century spooky artwork has been really fun even if the for-sure right book never pops up.
Thanks!
I haven’t even read your post, just copy pasted it into chatgpt o1 preview model and it said this:
Based on your detailed recollections, I believe the book you’re searching for may be one of the anthologies by Ruth Manning-Sanders, particularly those illustrated by Robin Jacques. Here’s why:
- Ruth Manning-Sanders’ Anthologies:
“A Book of Ghosts and Goblins” (1968): This collection features a variety of eerie tales from around the world, all retold by Manning-Sanders. The stories often involve witches, ghosts, and other supernatural beings.
“A Book of Witches” (1965): This anthology includes tales specifically about witches, which might correlate with your memory of a sea-witch draped in seaweed.
“A Book of Mermaids” (1967): Given the sea theme and possible illustrations of underwater scenes, this book could also be a contender.
- Illustrations by Robin Jacques:
Art Style: Jacques is renowned for his intricate pen-and-ink drawings with heavy linework and detailed crosshatching, which matches your description.
Depictions: His illustrations often have a gothic and eerie feel, featuring classic elements like willow trees, cliffside scenes, and supernatural creatures.
Sample Illustrations:
Diver and Sea-Witch: While I can’t access specific images, Jacques’ work frequently includes mythical and maritime elements that could involve divers and sea-witches.
Creepy Willow Trees and Gothic Cliffs: His landscapes are detailed and atmospheric, possibly aligning with the images you remember.
- Physical Attributes:
Binding: Many editions of Manning-Sanders’ books from the 60s and 70s came with green or teal bindings, especially after losing their dust jackets.
Publication Era: The books were published in the mid to late 60s, fitting your timeframe of “old but not ancient.”
Age Appropriateness: These books were marketed as children’s literature but often contained darker themes and illustrations that could slip past less attentive parents.
- Why This Might Be the Book:
Combination of Elements: The combination of maritime tales, witches, and eerie illustrations matches the key elements you recall.
Illustrator’s Style: The pen-and-ink crosshatching and gothic atmosphere in Jacques’ illustrations seem to align closely with your memories.
I see it, and it’s not an absurd guess, but of the suggestions so far, the “Tales to Tremble By” books seem closest. I tried AI first, though not with the entire post as a prompt. Oddly, my initial slimmer prompt got something that’s closer than the full thing, though I’ll leave it to the dear reader whether that says more about AI or me. Thanks for the new approach!
I am glad to see ChatGPT is a little less assertive these days about how confident it is.
