History Literature / NightmareHour

* GenreAdultery: "The Most Evil Sorcerer" is a dark fantasy work in a DungAges setting in a collection of modern day horror stories. Lampshaded by Stine in the story's intro when he relates it was the result of a bet that he could write a story outside of his usual setting and type.

* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Nightmare Inn, although it's initially dismissed since the "mare" part is graffiti

* AdultFear: Many of the stories involve children being victimized in various ways. "Afraid of Clowns" particularly demonstrates this as a scared child is victimized by clowns essentially beating him and yet [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters the audience just continues to laugh despite the child's obviously real pain]]. In the TV version, the scared child is turned into a clown, with his parents explaining to him that it's a part of his growing up. Either way, the child is scared shitless and everyone has fun at his expense.

* AdultFear: Many of the stories involve children being victimized in various ways. "Afraid of Clowns" particularly demonstrates this as a scared child is victimized by clowns essentially beating him and yet [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters the audience just continues to laugh despite the child's obviously real pain]].

It was followed by a sequel collection of sorts called ''The Haunting Hour'', which really has nothing much to do with the [[Series/TheHauntingHour TV series of the same name]].

It was followed by a sequel collection of sorts called ''The Haunting Hour'', which really has nothing much to do with the [[TheHauntingHourTheSeries TV series of the same name]].

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The kids in "Alien Candy" are shown with many sci-fi touches to their club, which makes sense given it's the Alien Club. However, one finds a ''StarTrek'' novel amusing, which the newly elected club president finds odd. [[spoiler:Turns out they're aliens.]]

''Nightmare Hour'' is a 1999 collection of ten short stories by ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'' author RLStine. Unlike many of his works, these stories aren't tied to a particular series, but stand on their own as disturbing tales. They range from a story about an encounter with a ghost that wants human skin to a group of suspicious kids arranging a club to more realistic accounts like spending a night in the hospital on Halloween.

* EnfanteTerrible: Martin of "I'm Not Martin"

* FaceHeelTurn: Christopher manages to survive being tickle-tortured by clowns [[spoiler:by becoming one of them with the special talent of picking out scared children as future victims]].

* KarmaHoudini: Virtually every villain/antagonist in the stories

* MutagenicGoo: The titular "Alien Candy" is a bizarre sweet that seemingly transforms kids into aliens, yet oddly leaves their newly elected club president unaffected. [[spoiler:Actually, the stuff just gives them an excuse to shed their human disguises so that they can entrap and eat the new kid.]]

* ImAHumanitarian: The kids of "Alien Candy" invite a chubby kid to become president of their club. [[spoiler:In reality, they're aliens that wanted a meal.]]

* WouldHurtAChild

* MutagenicGoo: The titular "Alien Candy" is a bizarre sweet that seemingly transforms kids into aliens, yet oddly leaves their newly elected club president unaffected. [[spoiler:Actually, the stuff just causes them to shed their human disguises so that they can entrap and eat the new kid.]]

* NothingIsScarier: The illustration for "Nightmare Inn" shows an empty motel lobby at night with two eyes staring at you from a distant open door.

** Lauren attempts the titular technique on the specter of "The Ghostly Stare". [[spoiler:But fails when the specter shuts off the lights and seizes her in the dark.]]

* DownerEnding

** "The Black Mask" features a kid witnessing a group of kids dying when a boiler explodes and comes to the conclusion that it's showing a tragic past event. [[spoiler:It's actually showing their future.]]

* [[spoiler:{{Foreshadowing}}]]: "The Black Mask" features a kid witnessing a group of kids dying when a boiler explodes and comes to the conclusion that it's revealing the past. [[spoiler:It's actually revealing their future.]]

* AdultFear: Many of the stories involve children being victimized in various ways. "Afraid of Clowns" particularly demonstrates this as a scared child is victimized by clowns essentially beating him and yet the audience just continues to laugh despite the child's obviously real pain.

* OrWasItADream: "Nightmare Inn" features the protagonist Jillain having a run-in with Priscilla and James who are revealed to be two werewolves and fight over the right to eat her. After escaping with her life, she wonders if it was just a dream. [[spoiler:Then she sees a werewolf claw mark on Priscilla's cheek.]]

* OrWasItADream: "Nightmare Inn" features the protagonist Jillain having a run-in with Priscilla and James who are revealed to be two werewolves and fight over the right to eat her. After escaping with her life, she wonders if it was just a dream. [[spoiler:Then she sees the claw mark on Priscilla's cheek.]]

* AliensAreBastards: [[spoilers:The kids of "Alien Candy" are alien monstrosities that single out chubby children so they can have a meal.]]

* OrWasIt: "Nightmare Inn" features the protagonist Jillain having a run-in with Priscilla and James who are revealed to be two werewolves and fight over the right to eat her. After escaping with her life, she wonders if it was just a dream. [[spoiler:Then she sees the claw mark on Priscilla's cheek.]]

* MonsterClown: The psychotic troupe featured in "Afraid of Clowns" purposely seek out kids who are afraid of them and torment them for the entertainment of the audience. Even worse, they abduct said children and torment them to death, particularly via tickle torture.

* AdultFear: Many of the stories involve children being victimized in various ways.

* AdultFear: Many of the stories involve children being victimized.