Thousands of prices just dropped across Thryft
Our price drop is now live! Find lowered prices on thousands of one-of-a-kind finds across Thryft
Free delivery on all orders above $30
Get 10% off all year round! Join Thryft Club
Get 10% off all year round and $10 off your next order! Join Thryft Club

Your cart

Your cart is empty

Check out these collections!

Bestselling Fiction
Bestselling Nonfiction
Bestselling Books for Children
Vintage and Rare Books
Vinyl Records
Women's Clothing
Men's Clothing

Find more of what you love

Get thoughtful picks from Thryft’s ever-changing collection of pre-loved books, vinyl and CDs—plus occasional sales and events.

By signing up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Thryft. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Just Arrived

Magic Terror

by Peter Straub
$9.64
Cover of Magic Terror
Cover of Magic Terror

Elusive stories where wonder twists into unease

Magic Terror feels like the kind of book you read slowly, letting its strangeness settle in after each piece. The title alone suggests beauty edged with threat, and that tension is often what makes a collection memorable. If you like fiction that blurs the line between the surreal and the unsettling, this could be a rewarding, haunting read.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
Just Arrived

Magic Terror

by Peter Straub
$9.64
Condition guide

Book Condition Guide

Books in Like New Condition

This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Very Good Condition

This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Good Condition

We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

Books in Well Read Condition

This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.

*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.

 

Find out more about our process here.

ISBN: 9780007109913
Author: Peter Straub

Description

No one tells a story like Peter Straub. He dazzles with the complexity of his plots. He delights with the sophistication and eloquence of his prose. He startles you into laughter in the face of events so dark you begin to question your own moral compass. Then he reduces you to jelly by spinning a tale so terrifying-and surprising-you wind up sleeping with the lights on. With Magic Terror, the bestselling author of Ghost Story and The Talisman (with Stephen King) has given us one of the most imaginatively unsettling collections in years. The terrain of these extraordinary stories is marked by brutality, heart-break, despair, wonder, and an unexpected humor that allows empathy to blossom within the most unlikely contexts. "Bunny Is Good Bread" takes us into the mind of a small boy trapped in grotesque circumstances to portray the creation of a serial killer in a manner that compels pity, sorrow, comprehension, and grief-as well as judgment. "Hunger, an Introduction," narrated by the ghost of a pompous, self-pitying murderer, evokes a profoundly beautiful vision of earthly life, one appreciated far more by the dead than the living. The award-winning novella "Mr. Clubb and Mr. Cuff," a masterpiece of black comedy, draws upon Melville's "Bartleby the Scrivener" to create a revenge tale in which torture is a moral art and the revenger undergoes a transforming, albeit painful, education. In the words of Mrs. Asch, the visionary narrator of "Ashputtle," "The main feature of adventure is that it goes forward into unknown country." Straub's devotees will be entranced by what their fearless guide has in store for them. Those as yet uninitiated are in for a harrowing literary journey. Enjoy the ride.
 

Elusive stories where wonder twists into unease

Magic Terror feels like the kind of book you read slowly, letting its strangeness settle in after each piece. The title alone suggests beauty edged with threat, and that tension is often what makes a collection memorable. If you like fiction that blurs the line between the surreal and the unsettling, this could be a rewarding, haunting read.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Bestselling Fiction

Shop all
All I Want for Christmas
Karen Swan | Pan

All I Want for Christmas

In one line

Festive romance threaded through an art-world mystery

Goodreads 3.97

Condition: Well Read

$9.90

Legend of Suheldev: The King Who Saved India
Amish Tripathi | Harpercollins India

Legend of Suheldev: The King Who Saved India

In one line

A forgotten king rises against invasion

Goodreads 3.96

Condition: Well Read

$9.90

Cover of Little Fires Everywhere (Movie Tie-In) A Novel
Just Arrived
Celeste Ng | Untamed

Little Fires Everywhere (Movie Tie-In) A Novel

In one line

Motherhood's pull, identity, and the rebellion against perfection.

Goodreads 4.07

Condition: Well Read

$8.26

52% off est. retail
The Man Who Planted Trees
Jean Giono, Norma Goodrich, Wangari Maathai | Chelsea Green

The Man Who Planted Trees

In one line

Inspiring tale of ecological restoration and dedication.

Goodreads 4.19

Condition: Well Read

$8.90 $6.90 22% off

72% off est. retail
The Final Gambit
Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Little Brown & Company

The Final Gambit

In one line

One last puzzle before billions

Goodreads 4.1

Condition: Well Read

$9.90

The Bone Shard War
Andrea Stewart | Orbit

The Bone Shard War

In one line

Epic conclusion to magical revolution and identity.

Goodreads 3.93

Condition: Well Read

$8.90

80% off est. retail
The Fake Out - Vancouver Storm
Stephanie Archer | Orion

The Fake Out - Vancouver Storm

In one line

Hockey romance with a fake relationship twist.

Goodreads 4.13

Condition: Well Read

$8.90 $6.90 22% off

The Hours
The Hours
Michael Cunningham | Fourth Estate

The Hours

In one line

Empty string.

Goodreads 3.96

Condition: Well Read

$9.90 $6.90 30% off

Lesson in Violence
Just Arrived
Jordan Harper | Simon & Schuster, Limited

Lesson in Violence

Condition: Well Read

$3.90

Keeping a Christmas Promise
Jo Thomas | Penguin (transworld)

Keeping a Christmas Promise

In one line

Festive Icelandic adventure fulfills friendship promise.

Goodreads 3.97

Condition: Well Read

$6.90 $4.90 29% off

You might enjoy this if…

View book details