There’s a kind of magic that happens for horror fans of a certain age when you mention Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, a trilogy of books published in the 80s and 90s featuring short scary stories written by Alvin Schwartz and illustrated by Stephen Gammell.

Honestly, it’s pretty cool to watch.

Their eyes don’t so much glaze over as they seem to simply be looking back in time remembering their favorite tales and illustrations from the collections. Slowly, a smile spreads across their face, and at the very last moment, a small shiver runs down their spine. Then, suddenly, they’re back in the now sharing their own memories of when they first picked up one of the three books.

The whole process only takes seconds, but those precious seconds of nostalgia can turn a fan’s whole day around.

Most of us horror fans have been chasing that feeling for most of our lives. We search for movies, books, and even video games, that will give us that special thrill all over again. Some, of course, have channeled that into their own creation, and two men in particular, have created the perfect tribute to the books that inspired us, scared us, and set many of us on the path to horror fandom.

Author Curt Tuckfield in collaboration with artist Shane Hunt have created Scary Stories: A Tribute to Terror filling it with 34 stories and 60 illustrations that will no doubt earn its place on bookshelves next to the original Scary Stories trilogy.

The project’s official website, features four sample stories, and it almost immediately becomes apparent that the time and meticulous study both men put into the project to create a volume that tonally feels like the work of Schwartz and Gammell was well spent. The duo offers new stories that will appeal to fans of the original and can be for an entirely new generation what the work of those previous men were for us.

Take, for instance, “The Time-Out Corner.” In this tale, two brothers, both quite young, play together as their parents host a small part down in the basement. They’re having a good time until suddenly the younger of the two becomes frightened. The shadows have become too dark as the light of day has faded leaving them alone in the only illuminated room in the house.

Beyond the doorway? Darkness. In the corners of the room? Darkness. And then, in one particular corner of the room, the time-out corner where he and his brother are sent when they’re being punished, he sees something, and slowly that something begins to emerge.

Then there’s “When I Wake Up” which describes a young boy named Bradley who wakes up in the middle of the night to discover that he is all alone in his house. He searches for help and flees the house when he is certain he sees something in the darkness there. He falls asleep in the family van, only to wake up again and find himself in his bunk bed alone once more.

Tuckfield taps into the feel of Schwartz’s writing while still bringing his own storytelling voice to the tales included in the collection.

Of course, each of the stories comes with terrifying illustrations by Hunt who previously worked on the documentary Scary Stories, creating illustrations and animations based on a Gammell’s work on the books. Hunt seems to be able to tap into Gammell’s style creating images that walk the thin line between what is terrifying and what you can still show to your kids.

The combination of the two men’s talents is a potent mixture on a volume that, from the sample, appears equal parts nostalgic and new.

You can take a look at more of Hunt’s illustrations from the 230-page Scary Stories: A Tribute to Terror below. The book is now available for order after a successful Kickstarter campaign for only $24. You can order your copy by CLICKING HERE.