90's horror collection - anyone recognise this?

[UpToonGirl]

Keep trying to remember the name of a horror collection of short stories from when I was younger but not having much luck. I would think it was mid to late 90's and in my mind has a black and purple cover, although that might just be my memory playing tricks.

One story was about a pair of haunted earring that 'whispered' to the wearer, one was about a haunted newel post, another about a compost pile that grew into a monster. I think there was one that was about an old school photo where someone tried to be in the photo twice by running from one end of the line to the other (old school style camera that went left to right). I think there was also one about a boy who grew antlers.

Any ideas? I think I got it from a book fair at school.

I used to love the horror stories from the Point Horror collection...there were so many good ones. Point horror was big in the 90s. Also, the Goosebump ones, but I think they might have been later 90s?

The compost heap monster sounds like ‘It’ by Theodore Sturgeon.
I got it from the library in the early 80s, in an anthology, but the others don’t ring any bells. It stood out as the creepiest in the book and I read a lot of horror anthologies.

@wondermoon, definitely not point horror although I did love them. I think this must have been earlier.

@saucery just had a look and that's not 'my' compost monster - it looks v creepy though.

“That’s not my swamp monster, his eyes are too shiny!”

The camera one is bugging me. I keep wanting to say Robert Westall for that one.

The short story about the person who wants to be in the school photo twice was in an English Literature Anthology for GCSE'S in around 97 or 98. None of the others ring a bell though.

this one?
Haunted newel post, children’s author.....

I think the camera one was about a group of girls who were daring each other to run from one side to the other but one of the girls died before the photo. The main character drew the short straw to be the runner and she tripped but her friend who died (and looked a lot like her)took her place at the far end.

It is disturbing how much I can remember from random stories I read as a child but I can't remember what I walked into the kitchen for!

The haunted newel post is Nule by Jan Mark. Maybe you’re thinking of her collection Nothing to be Afraid Of.

Is that the one with the girl who gets knocked off her bike and goes home but there’s a new family there? And she sees her mum in the supermarket but she walks through her? Nice and creepy!

Nule does sound like the one from the collection but nothing else listed in Nothing to Be Afraid Of rings a bell but I can't see any mention of Nule being published in another book on Jan's website.

@Michaelbaubles I don't remember that one being in the collection but it could have been.

Nule is terrifying

I don't recognise your other descriptions but this mentions a school photo with a friend who died: www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Birthday-Pretty-Welcome-Efflorescence/dp/0670831522?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I bet it was an anthology of Jan Mark stories, then!

Ooo, maybe it was a Jan Mark anthology! I wonder if I'm jumbling up a few from different books...

Yes, it looks to me like at least a couple of the stories are from the Jan Mark collection mentioned above. In Black and White is the school photo one, and I think Grow Your Own is the compost one. Jan Mark was much anthologised though, so it’s possible they all appear in another collection.

@Michaelbaubles or anyone else - can you remember the title of the bike story? Sounds like something my class would love!

There was a series of books similar to Goosebumps. I can't remember what it was called but it had the word shiver in the title. There was one about a girl who had the ghost of a girl in her bedroom and then she found a baby's skeleton in her cupboard.

I feel like childrens books were much more disturbing years ago!

Thanks all, I'm now thinking it must have been a jan mark anthology specially published for whoever was running the book fair which is why I can't find the exact book. Will do some digging on ebay!

I remember the story about the girl who died and didn't realise, though I can't remember much about it except that we all copied the twist in our own stories for ages!

If anyone is interested - I found it!

It is a combination of In Black and White by Jan Mark and A Fit of Shivers by Joan Aiken. That's why none of the JM collections looked exactly right. I think I've found a copy on EBay - it's called Spine Tingling Tales and was a special Puffin collection.

I remember A Fit of Shivers - bloody terrifying! Thought I recognised some of the stories you described. I used to love creepy stories at school but I'd be far too scared to read them now 😂

@Nowisthemonthofmaying I know, I've bought it with my 9 year old in mind but I'm worried it will give him nightmares!

Well done OP! Loved Jan Mark, They Wait and other stories was brilliant, might have to buy a copy...

Another brilliant children’s anthology is ‘The Green Ghost and other stories’ can’t remember the editor offhand, but sounds like it might be right up your street 👻

This is what you were thinking of! Hard to find now though