5 Chilling Stories for Halloween

 

Since Halloween will be arriving next week I think it appropriate to recommend some lovely spooky stories to be enjoyed on said day. These stories can add a bit of spooky to any day of the year, but if you have the time to sit down, light some black candles and withdraw into a world of wonderful bone chilling horror on the 31^st this month, then these tales will be just perfect for you to leap in to.

 

1. “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe
   It is a classic for a reason. From the opening lines to the closing ones it is nothing but a gothic masterpiece! The story is about the decay of the Usher Family represented by the decay of their estate. And with the decay is also found melancholy, madness and premature burial. If you have not already read it then, what are you doing? Get on it! If you have read it (many times) before, then you probably do not need an excuse to pick it up again and enjoy the decadent darkness within.
    
   2. “The Colour from Outer Space” by H. P. Lovecraft
   This is for all of you who like Sci-Fi! Part of his whole mythos (with a mention of The Miscatonic University among others) this particular story tells the tale of an unfortunate family and their encounter with a colour from outer space. I do not wish to give away too much, but be aware that this tale is a prime example of the use of Uncanny (unheimlich). It might be a Science Fiction story, but the horror element is most definitely present. And if you have never read any of Lovecraft’s tales before then this is a good one to start out with.
    
   3. “The Hound of the Baskervilles” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
   By far the longest story on this list, but even if you will not be able to finish the story before “trick or treat”-ing, partying or the almost obligatory watching of horror movies, I would still recommend that you read it (or better still, save it for the day after to take care of that Halloween-hangover).  However if you still do not feel like taking on this endeavour, I can highly recommend the movie adaptation with the late Jeremy Brett. Whether it is a movie adaptation or the original text then this story remain one of the greatest gothic tales and one of my favourites.
    
   4. Fairytales by the Brothers Grimm
   This one is a bit of a cheat I will admit. But! The classic fairytales are full of monsters, magic and horrific curses. Even the classic “child friendly” stories like “Hansel and Gretel”, “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Cinderella” are all dripping with blood. I will encourage you to seek out less well known stories too since there are a lot more monsters to be found. And yes, many of the tales are the same formula and they will become a tedious read if you decide to read them all in one go, so choose a handful and enjoy their simple horror and happily ever afters.
    
   5. “Lamppost” by Yours Truly
   A little story about two sad sods and something rather strange happening to them. The two sods are Martin and Harry; one more depressed than the other. They fill their life with booze, drugs and random sex, well to be fair only one of them does, the other just stick to the booze. What happens to them I will not give away here, but if you are curious come back in a few days and find out for yourself.
    
   So there you have it! My little reading list for Halloween (well to be honest; these stories are too good to just be conserved for one weekend every year). I hope everyone has an amazing Halloween weekend with candy, costumes, friends, family and scary movies. Till next time!
    
   Xoxo Christina
    
   Ps. I do apologies for the mishaps in uploads the past two weeks, but sometimes life just works against you rather than with you. I strive to have everything back on track from next week’s upload and onwards!