Sinister Tales #17

A young man inherits Dexter Hall and its dark secret: a sealed room that once promised his uncle eternal youth through mysterious means—but at a terrible cost. Now Philip must confront the forbidden chamber himself and discover what truly waits within its walls. S. Ditko illustrates this supernatural tale of greed and the price of defying time's inevitable march.

A charter pilot named Sock Sorenson is hired by the sinister Doctor Ernst Volkert to fly him to a remote, unmapped valley in the far north, where Volkert has devised a scheme to thaw prehistoric creatures frozen in glacial ice—planning to unleash them on North America as instruments of conquest. When Sorenson discovers the horrifying truth behind the melting glacier and the monsters stirring to life, he must find a way to escape Volkert's clutches before becoming trapped in a world of revived prehistoric predators.

A hermit hiding in a remote swamp hears voices calling his childhood name—voices that seem impossible, since no one has found him in years. As Teddy struggles to understand who's searching for him in the darkness, fragmented memories surface of a scientist's experiment gone wrong, rejection by those closest to him, and a machine designed to slip between worlds. The line between reality and delusion blurs as the voices grow more insistent, pulling him toward a truth he may not be ready to face.

An alien observer named Namo has spent three centuries on Earth gathering intelligence for his people, but his disguise is failing—and fast. When panicked humans spot his deteriorating face and give chase, he races toward what they believe is a giant redwood blocking the road, desperate to reach his hidden spacecraft before his report window closes. A tense pursuit builds to a explosive climax that will determine humanity's fate.

Toni Corso cuts what he thinks is an incredible deal on a beautiful Italian villa—unaware that the previous owner sold it cheaply for a reason. When Professor Mantelli reveals the house's dark history at the club that very evening, Toni learns that his bargain may have come with far more than he bargained for. A cautionary tale about the true cost of greed, wrapped in occult mystery and dread.

In "The Talking Dog," a man on the brink of divorce returns to his childhood home, only to be met by the ghost of his long-dead dog, Toby. The canine’s unexpected return offers a quiet, unsettling plea that challenges the man’s resolve—and his memories—more than he ever expected.

In "Madman at Large," a lone driver picks up a hitchhiker during a storm, the radio crackling with news of a dangerous fugitive on the loose. As paranoia sets in, he races to escape the man he thinks is a threat—only to realize, too late, that the madman he’s been fleeing was never the stranger in the passenger seat.

In "Second Hand," a young woman discovers a strange coat that, when worn, sends her to a parallel world where she is replaced by her doppelgänger—only to find herself trapped in a reality where every choice she made differently has rewritten her life.

In the frozen frontier of 1892 Nome, Dutch Kessler’s steaks draw whispers of mystery—too good to be true, and too cheap to be normal. When the townsfolk start wondering where the meat comes from, the truth lies buried beneath the ice, waiting to be uncovered.

On a cold winter's night, elderly John and Hester Browne face hunger and despair until a mysterious green-and-yellow parakeet arrives at their window seeking shelter. When John's former employer appears at their door searching for the lost bird, something extraordinary unfolds—the bird seems to speak with John's voice, securing him a job and better wages his boss can't quite explain. As the night clears and warmth returns to their home, Hester begins to wonder if the little visitor might be something far more than a lost pet—perhaps one of the watchers her mother once spoke of, sent to aid those in need.

Dive into the ocean's mysteries in this fascinating look at Earth's final frontier. From bioluminescent deep-sea creatures and giant squid to the vast resources hidden beneath the waves—pearls, oils, and minerals—"Wonders of the Deep!" explores the strange plants and animals that thrive in crushing darkness, and the untapped potential waiting in the world's deepest chasms. Science is only beginning to unlock what the sea has to offer humanity.