Maybe an HP Lovecraft collection?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Necronomicon-Weird-Lovecraft-Fiction-GOLLANCZ/dp/0575081562

When you say Roald Dahl, do you mean his stuff for adults? Those are some wonderful weird tales. I can't think of anything quite the same but here are some suggestions;

Complete Short Stories - Ambrose Bierce
The King in Yellow - Richard Chambers
Looking for Jake - China Mieville
Fragile Things - Neil Gaiman
Smoke and Mirrors - Neil Gaiman
Labyrinths - Borges
Fictions - Borges
The Bloody Chamber and other stories - Angela Carter
One of the collections of early short stories of PKD might be good, lots of fun twists and interesting ideas. The collections of later stories aren't so good, he gets a bit preachy and goes on a bit.

Maybe a collection of Arthur Machen stories?

>>5316
I have considered Lovecraft. It's on my to-read list, but as I haven't actually read any of his work I'm worried it may not be to her taste as I'm assuming it's more horror than Twilight Zone style bizarre. I could be completely wrong on this, mind.

>>5317
I think so. The only two I've read are Royal Jelly and The Umbrella Man; I think they tend to get included in his collections for young adults/teenagers. I thought they were cracking.

Thanks for these, lads.

>>5319
Dahl's other adult stories are fantastic but if she's already got some there's the danger you'll get the same ones.
Both PDK and Bierce have had stories turned into Twilight Zone episodes so they're a good bet. You might consider getting her DVDs of Tale of the Unexpected or The Night Gallery (one having lots of Dahl stories, the other being the pseudo-continuation of The Twilight Zone) but neither are very good.
Borges isn't ever as dark as Dahl or TZ but if she fancies herself as an intellectual they'll definitely appeal.

>>5320
Are there any PKD collections you recommend?

>>5321

Gollancz have all his short stories in five volumes, in order of earliest to latest, so I'd recommend the first three (starting with the first one if possible).
You may have to shop around to find one with a cover that isn't in that horrendously tacky 80's sci-fi style, unless she wouldn't mind that.

There is a very flash looking 'Library of America' collection of his novels but they're not really tweest stories at all, but protracted paranoid hallucinations of bureaucracy.

Dubliners is fantastic.
Kafka's best work is in his short fiction in my opinion.

OP here, it turns out she likes easy to read escapism. I think that rules out most of the ones I was leaning towards.

>>5329

Buy her The Naked Lunch and tell her to get fucked.
Maybe some Gaiman?

>>5329

Stephen King's short stories are quite easy to read. "Different Seasons" is probably a good collection to start with, as three of the four novellas became Hollywood films (Shawshank, Apt Pupil and Stand by Me).

>>5330
Charming.

>>5315
Life After God by Douglas Coupland.

With that being said and at the risk of hijacking a thread, would anyone please recommend a collection of short stories dealing with mainly negative subjects/emotions? Anything from philosophy, nihilism, despair, sadness, loneliness, etc, will be much appreciated.

>>5336
Beatrix Potter.

No more twist.

>>5336
R. L. Stine - Nightmare Hour.

>>5329
I highly recommend any of the Irvine Welsh short stories.
If you liked school you will love work..
Ecstasy

I assume you don't mind this girl thinking you are fucked up freak.

OP here again.

I've ordered Different Seasons by Stephen King and Volume One of the collected short stories of PKD. I've also ordered Sightseers for her on the back of the hidden gems thread on /v/, as she tends to like black comedies along the lines of Keeping Mum. I'm going to give them to her for Christmas, so I'll let you know how it goes.

p.s. Thanks, lads.

>>5366
>I've ordered Different Seasons by Stephen King and Volume One of the collected short stories of PKD. I

Necroposting with an update - she liked Different Seasons but couldn't get into PKD. I've recently started on the latter and I'm rather enjoying it. This year I'm playing it safer with The Whores Child by Richard Russo as he wrote the screenplay for Keeping Mum and it's one of her favourite films so I'm hoping it'll be up her street.

>>5851

>necroposting

Ok, this needs addressed. 6+ months with no good reason, e.g. "n1 m8" to a year old post, is necroposting. Even then, if you have something relevant to add don't hesitate. You lot seriously need to chill out about bumping threads that haven't been posted in for a few weeks.

It's absolutely fine. Whenever someone has gotten ridiculed for it it has been as outlined above. This isn't directed at you, lad, but Stop falling over each other to enforce rules that simply do not exist.

>>5852
My favourite is when a thread gets bumped and then someone else decides to insult a post made months, if not years, ago.

>>5853

I've almost did this a few times, only to realise that the post I was disagreeing with was my own.

I just went back to find an old post of mine, found one, and was appalled by my writing.

>>5854
>I've almost did
You've broken my brain, ladmate.

>>5852

I've seen some people foam at the mouth about necrobumping at other forums so I add "sorry for necrobumping" in case I upset one of those weirdos.

>>5926
Fortunately, .gs is the kind of place where we don't have any foaming at the mouth, easily offended weirdos.