Theme: fear
Dracula / Desperation for Life
Check to the King!” We took Lucy into another room, which had by now been prepared, and laid her in bed and forced a few drops of brandy down her thro...
The War of the Worlds / Survival Under Siege
A man, knee-deep near the towing path, shouted inaudibly to me and pointed. Looking back, I saw the other Martians advancing with gigantic strides dow...
Gulliver's Travels / Perception and Reality
That upon coming nearer, and finding his error, he sent out his long-boat to discover what it was; that his men came back in a fright, swearing they h...
The War of the Worlds / Echoes of Despair
I have an impression that many of the houses here were still occupied by scared inhabitants, too frightened even for flight. Here too the evidence of ...
Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea / Oceanic Encounter
It swam crossways in the direction of the _Nautilus_ with great speed, watching us with its enormous staring green eyes. Its eight arms, or rather fee...
The War of the Worlds / Domestic Dread
I startled my wife at the doorway, so haggard was I. I went into the dining room, sat down, drank some wine, and so soon as I could collect myself suf...
A Journey to the Centre of the Earth / Antediluvian Fears
"A tremendous spurt of water rising out of the waves." "Some other marine monster," I cried, already alarmed. "Perhaps." "Then let us steer more to th...
Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea / Unseen Threats
As we advanced, I heard a kind of pattering above my head.
The War of the Worlds / Natures Wrath
All about me the red weed clambered among the ruins, writhing to get above me in the dimness. Night, the mother of fear and mystery, was coming upon m...
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes / Insight and Revelation
Sherlock Holmes welcomed her with the easy courtesy for which he was remarkable, and, having closed the door and bowed her into an armchair, he looked...
Frankenstein / Creators Horror
I started from my sleep with horror; a cold dew covered my forehead, my teeth chattered, and every limb became convulsed; when, by the dim and yellow ...
The War of the Worlds / Collective Panic
Sparks and burning twigs began to fall into the road, and single leaves like puffs of flame. There were shrieks and shouts, and suddenly a mounted pol...
Dracula / Tension and Touch
The nails were long and fine, and cut to a sharp point. As the Count leaned over me and his hands touched me, I could not repress a shudder.
A Journey to the Centre of the Earth / Scientific Inquiry
What would become of us?" "Don't be alarmed at the heat, my boy." "How so?" "Neither you nor anybody else know anything about the real state of the ea...
Frankenstein / Fear of Knowledge
He soon perceived that I disliked the subject; but not guessing the real cause, he attributed my feelings to modesty, and changed the subject from my ...
A Journey to the Centre of the Earth / Conflict of Knowledge
My uncle had completely defeated me with his scientific arguments. Nevertheless, I had still one hope, and that was, when once we were at the bottom o...
The War of the Worlds / Panic in Proximity
Then a hoarse murmur and a movement of feet—a splashing from the water. A man, too frightened to drop the portmanteau he carried on his shoulder, swun...
Dracula / Vampiric Transformation
I can see the characteristics of the vampire coming in her face. It is now but very, very slight; but it is to be seen if we have eyes to notice witho...
The War of the Worlds / Martian Physiology
They were huge round bodies—or, rather, heads—about four feet in diameter, each body having in front of it a face. This face had no nostrils—indeed, t...
Frankenstein / Desolation and Vulnerability
dark when I awoke; I felt cold also, and half frightened, as it were, instinctively, finding myself so desolate. Before I had quitted your apartment, ...
Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea / Technological Terror
Just then a bubbling began at the back of this strange thing (which was evidently propelled by a screw), and it began to move. We had only just time t...
The War of the Worlds / Nature and Mechanization
Once the lightning had begun, it went on in as rapid a succession of flashes as I have ever seen. The thunderclaps, treading one on the heels of anoth...
The War of the Worlds / War Fever
For my own part, I had been feverishly excited all day. Something very like the war fever that occasionally runs through a civilised community had got...
Dracula / Confronting the Unknown
Do not fear any of us, we are all devoted to this cause, and to-day shall see the end. The time is coming for action; to-day this Vampire is limit to ...
Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea / Confrontation with Authority
Certainly my trouble and agitation would have betrayed me to Captain Nemo’s eyes. At every moment I expected to see him appear, and ask me why I wishe...
The War of the Worlds / Titan Encounter
I marched on recklessly towards this Titan, and then, as I drew nearer and the light grew, I saw that a multitude of black birds was circling and clus...
Dracula / Perception and Myth
And that’s all I know for certing.” “Did any one else see anything?” “One of our gard’ners was a-comin’ ’ome about that time from a ’armony, when he s...
Dracula / Imminent Tension
Mate getting very impatient with them; feared some trouble ahead. * * * * * On 17 July, yesterday, one of the men, Olgaren, came to my cabin, and in a...
The War of the Worlds / Martian Threat
That night another invisible missile started on its way to the earth from Mars, just a second or so under twenty-four hours after the first one. I rem...
A Journey to the Centre of the Earth / Descent into Darkness
The descent then commenced in the following order: Hans went first, my uncle followed, and I went last. Our progress was made in profound silence--a s...
Gulliver's Travels / Fear and Resistance
The enemy was so frightened when they saw me, that they leaped out of their ships, and swam to shore, where there could not be fewer than thirty thous...
The War of the Worlds / Alien Encounter
Something was moving to and fro there, very quietly; every now and then it tapped against the wall, or started on its movements with a faint metallic ...
Dracula / Corrupted Purity
The sweetness was turned to adamantine, heartless cruelty, and the purity to voluptuous wantonness. Van Helsing stepped out, and, obedient to his gest...
Gulliver's Travels / Authority and Illusion
He desired me to give him some account of my travels; and, to let me see that I should be treated without ceremony, he dismissed all his attendants wi...
Dracula / Dreadful Transformation
If I was shocked when I saw her yesterday, I was horrified when I saw her to-day. She was ghastly, chalkily pale; the red seemed to have gone even fro...
The War of the Worlds / Uncanny Encounter
It worried at the catch for a minute, perhaps, and then the door opened. In the darkness I could just see the thing—like an elephant’s trunk more than...
Frankenstein / Transition and Isolation
I, who had ever been surrounded by amiable companions, continually engaged in endeavouring to bestow mutual pleasure—I was now alone. In the universit...
The War of the Worlds / Survival in Darkness
He had eaten no food since midday, he told me early in his narrative, and I found some mutton and bread in the pantry and brought it into the room. We...
Dracula / Arrival of Change
He will now come on to Bukovina, and return to-morrow or the next day; better the next day.” Whilst he was speaking the horses began to neigh and snor...
Dracula / Protective Circumference
Then, with the fear on me of what might be, I drew a ring so big for her comfort, round where Madam Mina sat; and over the ring I passed some of the w...
A Journey to the Centre of the Earth / Rationality and Fear
If, then, the steam remains in its normal or habitual state, if their energy does not increase, and if you add to this, the remark that the wind is no...
The War of the Worlds / Encounters with the Unknown
But, looking, I presently saw something stirring within the shadow: greyish billowy movements, one above another, and then two luminous disks—like eye...
The War of the Worlds / Urban Despair
My brother supposes they must have filled outside London, for at that time the furious terror of the people had rendered the central termini impossibl...