You may have your Netflix waiting line all fill up with scarey movie to learn for Halloween , but what about your bookshelf ? Here are seven scarey unforesightful narration that will have you sleeping with the Light Within on .
1. “THE DAEMON LOVER” // SHIRLEY JACKSON
Shirley Jackson ’s “ The Lottery ” is undeniably the horror writer ’s most illustrious story , but there ’s plenty more eery tales in her oeuvre . “ The Daemon Lover , ” from the same 1949 collection as “ The Lottery , ” spread out on a char apparel for her wedding sidereal day . Her fiancé , though , never show up , leading her on an increasingly anxious journey to figure out where he plump — and if he be at all . Thefull textcan be learn online , or you could buy anaudio versionread by the author herself .
2. “OH WHISTLE, AND I’LL COME TO YOU, MY LAD” // M.R. JAMES
Though he spent his day a medievalist scholar , the former twentieth century author M.R. James is best known for his revulsion story — he has beencalled“the most influential generator of ghost history in literary history , ” in fact . “ Oh Whistle , and I ’ll Come to You , My Lad , ” published in 1904 , is one of his most renowned tale . It observe a professor who digs up an old whistling that , when blown , summon a grievous ghost . It ’s on-line onhere , or you may get a hard copyfrom Amazon .
3. “THE BLOODY CHAMBER” // ANGELA CARTER
In the title story of Angela Carter ’s 1979 account book of reimagined fairy tales , a young St. Bride ’s wealthy unexampled hubby goes by on business , depart her with keys to every way in the house . He separate her not to go into one elbow room at the last of the Charles Francis Hall . Predictably , her curiosity gets the better of her , and within , she hear the corpses of her married man ’s previous wives . Carter ’s Gothic , often frankly intimate tales shocked lector at the time of their publication , but she ’s nowconsidereda feminist must - read .
4. “CHILDREN OF THE CORN” // STEPHEN KING
The prolific repugnance captain ’s 1977 short story set in a fictional Ithiel Town in Nebraska has beenreferencedin everything from Eminem ’s raps toWreck - It Ralph . In it , a couple trying to deliver their marriage with an ill - fated road trip-up run over a child darting out of the corn fields onto the road — only to discover that his throat was slit before they shoot him . matter only get skittish after they drive into the nearby township of Gatlin . It’savailableas an ebook for 99 cents . Once you terminate the story , the 1984 moving-picture show adaptation is streaming for freeuntil November 1 .
5. “THE DUALITISTS” // BRAM STOKER
Draculamay have been his masterpiece , but Bram Stoker could churn out a delicious horror story on the small scale , too . “ The Dualitists ” is , per the opinion ofhis publishing company , Dover , “ Stoker ’s most frightful story . ” In it , two vicinity boys with an obsession with knives and a penchant for devastation go from victimize dolls and family objects to torturing coney and other pet . And yet , Stoker writes , “ the passion for hacking still remained . ” When a pair of cherubic bambino twin show up on the view , things get gory . you’re able to read it for freeonline .
6. “HAMSTERS VS. WEBSTERS” // PATRICIA HIGHSMITH
The celebrated generator ofThe Talented Mr. RipleyandStrangers on a Trainhas an total Scripture of narrative dedicate to grisly tales of everyday pets and plague turning red . If you have a fear of rodents , best not to read “ Hamsters vs. Websters , ” a story of a son ’s careful hamster husbandry gone awry . The hamster are n’t the only ones with homicidal intent , either . The whole collection is on Amazonfor $ 14 .
7. “EQUINOX” // JOHN AJVIDE LINDQVIST
In this short storey by John Ajvide Lindqvist , the Swedish author behind the vampire novelLet the correct One In , a woman home sitting for her neighbor finds a disturbing surprise . In 2013,Booklist Reviewcalledthe whole collection , titledLet the Old Dreams Die , “ terribly effective horror fable . ” you could get a used copy of the bookon Amazonfor less than $ 5 , but be warned : You may not desire to read it in the darkness .
