If you find yourself with a little time to curl up to a creepy story in the next few nights, here are 13 of my recommendations. They run from a couple pages in length--perfect for sharing at a party--to others that are a more significant read if you're the one stuck at home on trick-or-treat bowl duty.
In no particular order (and I've linked to online versions where possible):
1) "The Statement of Randolph Carter" by H. P. Lovecraft
This is a quick read but it packs in a moonlit night, an ancient graveyard, and an indescribable horror.
2) "The Masque of Red Death" by Edgar Allen Poe
He has more famous stories, but this one is a personal favorite. I love the mood that he sets up in this tale with colored rooms and party going on in a palace while outside a plague ravages the land.
3) "The Willows" by Algernon Blackwood
Make me pick one on my list, and this is my favorite. An honest-to-goodness creepy, supernatural tale. It's probably the longest on this list, but worth the journey if you decide to take it. Probably a 2-3 hour read (but I'm a slow reader). One of the best stories I've ever read that manipulates suspense.
4) "Oh Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad" by M. R. James
A stuffy British professor goes for a holiday out to an English coast beach. He stays at a bed & breakfast at night and explores the coastline by day. He comes across a graveyard and finds something protruding from the ground. Creepiness ensues.
5) "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
I had read this story a couple times earlier in my life, but it didn't strike me until my latest reading at just how scary this story is. One of the best portrayals of madness I've seen in short story form.
6) "The Burial of the Rats" by Bram Stoker
Stoker is better known for his story "Dracula" but this one, while not dabbling in the supernatural, dishes out a life-or-death flight that has you on the edge of your seat beading sweat on behalf of the protagonist.
7) "Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper" by Robert Bloch
An interesting contemporary take on the famous serial killer by the author who penned "Psycho" which we know Hitchcock turned into a rather famous horror film.
8) "Skulls in the Stars" by Robert E. Howard
A ghost story that features his re-occuring character of Soloman Kane. There is some great mood writing here that deals with swamps, moors, hermits, maniacs, murders, and ghosts. Definitely some bang for the buck in this short story.
9) "The Music of Erich Zann" by H. P. Lovecraft
I'm not sure what to say about this one but that it's down right eerie. A great story that speaks for itself.
10) "The Wendigo" by Algernon Blackwood
If you want some extra effect to this one, read this one outside. Blackwood is one of the best at incorporating the outdoor surroundings into his horror, making them come to life in a way that can scare you to death.
11) "A Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allen Poe
Sure, maybe you had to read this as part of your 11th grade English course, but this time read it for the fun of it, not because you're being graded on it. Ask me what my sentimental favorite horror story is, it's this. And, um, don't follow anyone into their catacombs unless you're sober.
12) "The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs
Are you into zombies? Then this one might be the choice for you on the list. A classic story of "be careful what you wish for...".
13) "Number 13" by M. R. James
It's a story about a room at an inn that may, or may not, exist.
There you go. I could probably double that list from Poe or Lovecraft alone, not to mention many others, but this is a good list to start with.
All I ask in return is that if you liked one of these, let me know what you thought, and if you have a recommendation for me, PLEASE let me know.
Happy Halloween!
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