My Picks for Quick Halloween Reads!
Horror is a genre that is fairly binary. People either love it and return to it time and time again like visiting an old friend, or they hate it and avoid it with almost religious intent. They turn their noses up at it and wonder why in the world anyone would waste their time with it. Which is a shame. Honestly, horror has to be one of the most enjoyable genres in all of literature that continually brings a smile to my face.
It’s a format that lends exceptionally well to short stories. In fact, if you take a writing workshop class, as I have many times, you will find yourself in the room with more than one horror connoisseurs looking to take their first steps into the world of legitimacy. And why wouldn’t they? Horror is so much fun to write.
I think part of the disgust that many people have collectively for horror is that film has partially soiled the reputation of good horror. Which, again, is a shame. There is a huge difference between horror in the world of movies and television and the world of fiction. So much cannot be done on the silver screen that can be done in the pages of a book. The kinds of tropes that movies fall back on will never work in the pages of a book. The rampant carnage of the torture porn era gets dull and mundane on the pages of a book. Written horror requires a little more finesse and a lot more understanding of the human condition and psyche.
So, coupled with short fiction, a way to unnerve you, and extremely talented professionals, what are some short stories that are worth your time and are dangerously intriguing enough to get you in the mood for Halloween?
5 Great Authors
Of course, Stephen King is going to appear on this list. It’s the icon that people who avoid horror associate with the genre the most. Those better versed in the genre will recognize H.P. Lovecraft and unfortunately I will forego Poe this round, but there are two more names on this list that are probably more obscure to the average reader who doesn’t dive into horror. But, hey, it’s Halloween and it’s time to explore new things! Spooky, new things!
So yes, this article is mostly geared toward those who don’t know where to start in Horror or just want to dip their toes in without getting wet. If you’re a lover of Horror, imagine compiling your own list of excellent Horror short stories that you’ve read. Who would you pick? Who am I missing? If you look over this list and you think I’m definitely missing out on someone you love, let me know in the comments! If you’re new to this whole scary genre, check out the comments for anyone I missed as well! I don’t want you losing a chance for some excellent scares this Halloween!
All right, let’s dive in and see what stories you should read this October to get into the Halloween spirit!
1.) At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft
This is probably the godfather of Cosmic Horror, a particular genre of Horror that dares to ask the unfortunate question of: What if gods do exist and what if they couldn’t care less about our existence. One of the great aspects of human spirit is that we are unique, that we have survived and that we have earned our place in the universe and are working to accomplish more and more. But, what if we’re not? What if we’re just a speck on an infinite timeline of great and powerful beings that have come and gone and have been lurking in the shadows of this home we call Earth for centuries?
In short, At the Mountains of Madness is the tale of an expeditionary team headed to Antarctica to research a mysterious ruin that has been discovered in hopes of making the discovery that would topple all other discoveries in human history. What follows is a doomed expedition that comes face to face with the reality that there are great things in the universe, great and terrible things and that all are might means nothing to them.
It’s an adventure you’ll remember and it will haunt you afterwards that this has not been made into a worthy movie. It’s one of the greatest Horror stories ever written and it is the crown jewel in H.P. Lovecraft’s well-earned Crown of Horror. He proves in this simple story that he is a master of the craft and has inspired countless others with just this story.
Of course, you really can’t go wrong with H.P. Lovecraft. Any of his stories will do, but I strongly believe that if you’ve never read any of his works before, you cannot leave this world without experiencing At the Mountains of Madness.
2.) Graveyard Shift by Stephen King
Oh, where do I begin with Stephen King. If I’m making a confession, outside of The Dark Tower, I’m actually not a fan of Stephen King’s stories. Most of them are ponderous and lose me with a lot of their tangents. There are, of course, exceptions, but I think as I get older, I appreciate them and have the patience and understanding for King’s works.
However, I have always maintained a strong opinion that Stephen King’s best works are his short stories, and I still hold that belief. There are so many short stories to wade through that span from realistic horrors, to monsters, cosmic threats to meeting the devil on the side of the river. I love most of them! It’s hard to pick just one that I would advise anyone to take a look at. I genuinely struggled to decide whether to pick Graveyard Shift over The Jaunt, but I figured the Jaunt was more science fiction, however horrifying it truly is.
So, I’ve settled with Graveyard Shift and I’ve done so happily. In short, it’s the story of a group of factory workers offered the chance to wade into the depths of the immense facility to help clear out and clean the place up. Simple and easy, except the deeper they go, they start to notice that the rats are getting bigger, and meaner. The story is genuine horror and it is fast paced enough to keep you interested in what’s happening. There are no weighty questions here, no moral dilemmas that you’ll be pondering, just unbridled horror.
This will be one of the short stories that you read and decide that you’re probably willing to read “just one more” by King and eventually realize that you’ve devoured the whole collection. Take a look at it. It will definitely get you in the mood for Halloween and you’ll definitely never look at Rats comfortably again.
3.) The Monkey’s Paw by W. W. Jacobs
Fair warning, this might be one of those short stories that you had to read when you were in school. It was the first time I read this story and it was wasted on me, like most stories you’re forced to read in school. What suffers is the fact that Jacobs writes some of the best Edwardian Horror. His short stories are definitely short and they usually pack a punch that seems interested in the supernatural, which is always a bonus.
If you read this little gem in school and were not interested in it, I would strongly advise you take another look at it now that you’ve put some time between you and the short story. The Monkey’s Paw is a story about being careful what you wish for. Like all great wish stories, the Protagonist of this story is forced to realize that some things should not be asked for and some things should be pondered carefully.
The story centers around the idea that there is a cursed monkey’s paw that is this horrid, mummified thing that is cursed to grant three wishes. Of course, this is introduced via a globe-trotting adventuring sailor in the British military who warns that it only grants wishes with horrible results and that it has given him nothing but trouble. Well, the Protagonist and his wife decide that they can use it to make a better life for them and their son. You can guess what happens, but the story takes the unique turn that makes it truly delightful.
This story has so much going for it and there’s something about how simple and clean that it is which makes me smile. It’s a classic in the genre and really highlights everything that was so wonderful about the Edwardian Era of Horror stories that were coming out. I genuinely think that is a great substitution for anyone looking for something like Edgar Allen Poe but are tired of The Raven. Give Jacobs a try. You’ll love it.
4.) I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
Here we go folks! We’re wading into waters that are going to really stick with you. Harlan Ellison is perhaps one of the lesser known horror authors in the mainstream, but he is definitely one of the most disturbing, creative, and terrifying authors who ever put ink to paper. Unfortunately, he passed this year and the world of writing and Horror has suffered a great loss in his absence. But, what he has written lives on in the most unnerving way possible.
Harlan Ellison is one of the writers that I would use the word disturbing to describe what it is that they write, because it is. None of Harlan Ellison’s works are for those who are not ready to feel a little uncomfortable, and that’s okay. His work is not grotesque and brutal for the sake of exploitation, it has a point. The point of his stories is usually presented in an unnerving package that demands you think about it, that you question the theme of his writing. The man pulled no punches and his writing is going to stick with you.
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream is the story of a post-apocalyptic world where an artificial intelligence was built to handle the stresses of World War 3. When the AI becomes self aware, it decides that humanity is the threat and selects a handful of survivors to keep and proceeds to annihilate and ruthlessly slaughter all of humanity. There is no survival in this story, no hope. Dystopian fiction has lost that element these days and Harlan Ellison’s short story takes you on a journey of these survivors as they try to get revenge on the machine that has tortured them for so long, they can no longer remember.
This story is brutal, swift, and it does not let you look away from what it wants you to see. It’s a masterpiece in the world of Horror and I am disappointed that Ellison is not regarded more highly by people who are lovers of Horror. The man was an excellent writer and his stories are sure to stick with you, especially at this time of the year.
5.) I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
You get points for trying, Will Smith; but the movie released falls so far short of what was written by Matheson that it’s almost a disappointment. Sure, there are some similarities, but having read the book and watched the movie, it’s almost tragic that some of the scenes left out of the novel didn’t make it. Who is responsible for this? Anyway, the story is very similar in broad strokes with a vastly different ending.
The story of I Am Legend centers around Robert Neville, who in the books, is a nobody—a gloriously, average, relatable nobody. He’s not a scientist, not a cop, not a war hero; just a guy caught up in an apocalypse that spares nobody. In the novel, Neville loses his wife and daughter the same, but in this world, the pandemic is vampirism, not some kind of weird zombification. What follows is his survival story that makes any Walking Dead fan salivate at the thought of. Every night, he barricades himself in his house and repels the vampires the best he can. Then, when the sun rises, he hunts the vampires while they sleep and in a drunken fog tries to teach himself science to find a cure for his wife and family.
This is a glorious story that is far better than the movie was. While I’m not ragging too hard on the movie, just imagine how much better the book is. Matheson has an enormous list of amazing short stories and many of them deserve your attention, but I’d start here.
Well friends, those are five horror short stories to help get you ready for Halloween if you’re not that into Horror. They go from vanilla to pretty scarring and you’ll definitely walk away with something to think about with each of them. If you are a lover of Horror, what short stories did I miss? What authors do you think deserve more attention? Let’s chat in the comments!