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Help me ID a book from a hazy 1980s childhood memory (self.asklemmy)

submitted 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) by wjrii to c/asklemmy

21 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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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[–] Encom 16 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (4 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 months ago (2 children)

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.

[–] Encom 9 points 3 months ago

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

[–] Cadeillac 4 points 3 months ago

This has unlocked some vague memory for me. I only (but very specifically) remember her head falling off after untying the ribbon

[–] wjrii 6 points 3 months ago

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!

[–] proudblond 4 points 3 months ago

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…

[–] Machinist 2 points 3 months ago

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.