October 29, 2022 - 13 More Short Stories for Halloween

The Halloween weekend is upon us again; the only time of the year we actively seek out ways to scare ourselves.

Last year this blog gave you 13 short stories to celebrate with, and we’re doing it again! Some of these picks are beloved household names, while others are overlooked gems. We hope you enjoy this latest round of recommendations. They can all be easily found in one of our libraries, on the Libby app, or at your favorite podcast site.

Sit back, dim the lights, grab a security blanket, and prepare to be scared!

 

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving (1820)

It’s one of the most famous stories in American history. On his way home one dark and spooky night, Ichabod Crane, the superstitious new schoolmaster, crosses paths with the Headless Horseman.

For a story that’s 202 years old, new readers will be amazed at how accessible and entertaining it is. One of the things that makes this classic stand out is how Washington Irving builds the characters. By the time Crane encounters the Horseman at the end, you feel like you’ve known him your whole life. Irving’s palpable descriptions and the unexpected spurts of humor throughout are sure to entertain you.

 

“The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe (1843)

After viciously murdering his cat in a drunken fit of rage, a man is visited by another cat that looks an awful lot like the one he killed. His guilt is soon followed by madness, which leads to murder.

This is Poe at his darkest. It’s a disturbing story that reminds the reader of a valuable life lesson: every misdeed will eventually come to light, and there’s nothing you can do to escape your past. It’s also a potent allegory about the dangers of alcohol.

 

“Jerry Bundler” by W. W. Jacobs (1897)

It’s Christmastime and a bunch of travelling strangers are entertaining each other with ghost stories. One story in particular spooks them the most: the ghost of a man named Jerry Bundler is said to haunt the building they’re staying in. As everyone starts to go to bed, it’s not long before things go bump in the night.

This chiller from the author of “The Monkey’s Paw” takes place mostly in the dark and has an unforgettable ending.

 

“A Night of Horror” by Dick Donovan (1899)

As mentioned in last year’s list, there’s no better way to spend Halloween night than by reading a good old-fashioned British ghost story.  Horror authors at the time had an amazing ability to make you feel the tension in every cell of your body.

Here, some gruesome apparitions pay the narrator a visit one night and lead him to an unopened door beneath his friend’s castle. The story shares similarities with H. P. Lovecraft’s “The Rats in the Walls” (which is also worth reading).

 

“John Mortonson’s Funeral” by Ambrose Bierce (1906)

One of Ambrose Bierce’s shortest stories is a testament to the power of minimalism.

The somber, bittersweet atmosphere of a funeral is suddenly shattered by something you will never forget for as long as you live. Bierce keeps you in the dark until the very last sentence, but it’s not the sentence itself that scares you. It’s one particular word in the sentence. That one word is the only detail you need. Prepare to have your jaw drop through the floor.

 

“Thurnley Abbey” by Perceval Landon (1908)

While preparing to board a British ocean liner, one of the passengers asks another if he would allow him to sleep in his cabin. The rest of the story is the passenger’s explanation for the strange request.

For years, “Thurnley Abbey” was regarded as one of the scariest stories ever written. Whether that’s true or not will be up to you to decide. One thing’s for sure, it’s a doozy! Landon’s masterful use of description amplifies the tension so that you feel like you’re going through the same emotions as the character. It’s yet another British story that is essential for Halloween reading.

 

“August Heat” by W. F. Harvey (1910)

An artist and a stone worker’s lives cross paths in a supernatural way that neither can explain.

This is one of those stories that doesn’t have a proper ending. One is implied, but not spelled out for you, allowing your imagination to run wild.

 

“The Colour Out of Space” by H. P. Lovecraft (1927)

Years ago a meteor crashed onto a farm, unleashing a substance that could only be described as ‘colour’. Soon every living thing on the property starts changing for the worse.

This fan favorite was written at a time when Lovecraft was experimenting with science fiction. It’s one of the first standouts from a sub-genre he helped create: cosmic horror. More stories in this vein would follow, culminating with his Cthulu mythos cycle, for which he is famous today.

 

“It Walks by Night” by Henry Kuttner (1936)

In this tale, a sick old man is on the hunt for whoever exhumed his wife’s body from the cemetery. What he finds will haunt your dreams.

This is another graveyard classic from Kuttner released the same year as his hair-raising “The Graveyard Rats.” Read them both back-to-back (if you dare).

 

“Miriam” by Truman Capote (1945)

From the author of the crime classic, In Cold Blood, comes the story of Miriam, a widowed woman who meets a mysterious little girl who is also named Miriam. What should have been merely a coincidence becomes a living nightmare, as little Miriam keeps intruding on the sexagenarian’s life in increasingly confrontational ways.

 

“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson (1948)

Sit back and be amazed as the residents of a small town gather for their annual lottery. For the majority of the story, there is nothing scary or ominous at all. It’s the last few paragraphs that have chilled the spines of generations of readers.

This American classic caused a storm of controversy when it came out, but has since gone down as one of the greatest horror stories ever written.

 

“Dress of White Silk” by Richard Matheson (1951)

Richard Matheson was one of the twentieth century’s most gifted writers. His work includes the apocalyptic horror novel I Am Legend, sixteen episodes of The Twilight Zone, and the movie The Incredible Shrinking Man.

In this short story, a little girl has an obsession with her dead mother’s belongings, especially her beautiful dress. The writing style, mysterious atmosphere, and escalating tension are superb. What makes it essential horror reading is how the last sentence, containing only two words, scares the daylights out of you.

 

“The Night They Crashed the Party” by Robert Bloch (1951)

A man’s attempt to throw a party for a bunch of New York socialites and dignitaries isn’t going very well. In a last ditch attempt to keep everyone entertained, he calls for a television set to be brought in so the partygoers can watch a wrestling match. The broadcast they receive instead is both mysterious and unsettling.

This obscure classic from the author of Psycho is entertaining from beginning to end and is noteworthy for its cynical commentary and original writing style.