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Spooky Stories
Stephen King - Master of Horror
Though nearly all of King's horror novels are scary, fast-paced, well-told stories, It is truly the best of the bunch. Particularly if you have a deep and abiding fear of clowns. And who doesn't?
Night Shift
This classic collection of horror stories contains the fabulously weird "The Mangler" and the never-leave-your-closet-door-even-slightly-ajar tale of "The Boogeyman."
Skeleton Crew
King's second short story collection includes the wonderful novella "The Mist," as well as standout stories such as "The Monkey," "The Jaunt" and "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut."
Shirley Jackson - Mistress of Creepiness
The Haunting of Hill House
Easily the best haunted house book ever, this was also made into an excellent movie in 1963. (And a really bad movie in 1999.)
We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Merricat, her sister and her uncle live in fairly cheerful isolation far from suspicious neighbors and townsfolk. Why? Read it and find out. Deliciously creepy.
Just an Ordinary Day
In this posthumously published collection of stories, some are horror stories and some are slice-of-life, Good Housekeeping-like stories. You don't find out which type the story is until the end, which lends a lovely hint of menace to every story.
Come Along With Me
This short story collection includes excellent essays on writing and a fascinating essay on the violent public response to "The Lottery."
The Lottery and Other Stories
I'd read Shirley Jackson's grocery list. I'm just saying.
Short Story Authors
Richard Matheson
A prolific contributor to the Twilight Zone tv series, Matheson writes stories that are part horror, part fantasy and completely compelling. Outstanding collections of Matheson's work include Third From the Sun and the Shock series.
Ray Bradbury
Another excellent short story writer, Bradbury mostly writes science fiction but is included on this list because of his spooky classic books Something Wicked This Way Comes and The Halloween Tree. A good collection of his short stories is The Vintage Bradbury which contains such stories as "The Veldt."
Robert Bloch
In addition to writing the novel that Psycho was based on, Robert Bloch was a prolific short story writer. Outstanding collections include Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper and The Best of Robert Bloch.
Short Story Collections
Dark Descent - David G. Hartwell (ed.)
If you could only own one horror collection, this should be the one. This comprehensive collection traces the evolution of horror over the centuries and features over 50 of the very best horror stories by the best horror (and sci-fi and literary) writers.
Devils and Demons - Marvin Kaye (ed.)
My used copy of this book has a bookplate of a fluffy kitty cat on the flyleaf. I recommend fluffy kitty cat bookplates for all your horror fiction.
Silver Scream - David J. Schow (ed.)
Combining the best of horror movies with horror fiction, this collection features movie-themed stories by Joe E. Lansdale, Robert Bloch and Clive Barker as well as an introduction by Tobe Hooper.
Urban Nightmares - Josepha Sherman & Keith R. A. Candido (ed.)
A quirky little collection where the unifying theme is urban legends, stories include such subjects as alligators in sewers in New York City, spiders in beehive hairdos, and scuba divers in forest fires.
More Little Monsters - Roger Elwood & Vic Ghidalia (ed.)
These short stories all feature a creepy and/or evil child as the main character. Consistently excellent and spooky collection starring infrequently collected authors Mildred Clingerman and August Derleth as well as big names Richard Matheson and Robert Bloch.
Spooky Artists
Edward Gorey
Macabre and witty, the classic Gorey collection is Amphigorey which includes the Gorey classic The Gashlycrumb Tinies ("A is for Amy who fell down the stairs, B is for Basil assaulted by bears, C is for Clara who wasted away") and other funny and disturbing tales. Head to Goreyography for a detailed guide to his work.
Charles Addams
Addams's classic cartoons, published in the New Yorker from the 1930s through the 1970s, take black humor to a whole new level. Morbid and hilarious, one of the best recent collections of his work is My Crowd featuring lots of Addams Family cartoons. Check out Morticia's Morgue for more info.
Shag
Tikis, monsters, hipsters are all the subject of Shag paintings. Check out the Halloween Parties and Spooky Music pages for a few examples of his work. Some collections of his work in book form include The Art of Shag, Night of the Tiki and Shag Party.
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Spooky Books for Kids
John Bellairs
Though John Bellairs has written many excellent books for kids, this series is easily his creepiest.
The House With a Clock In His Walls
In the first of the series, Lewis Barnavelt accidentally raises the dead and sets off the doomsday clock planted in the walls of his uncle's house. Luckily, his uncle is a wizard and his next-door neighbor is a witch. Illustrations by Edward Gorey add to the spooky atmosphere.
The Figure in the Shadows
The second in the series concerns a magic amulet and is even scarier than the first (thanks not at all to the not-remotely-scary illustrations by Mercer Mayer.)
The Letter, the Witch and the Ring
The final book in the trilogy features Lewis's best friend Rose Rita and next-door neighbor (and witch) Mrs. Zimmerman. An excellent conclusion to the series (despite the awful cartoonish illustrations by Richard Egielski.)
Ruth Chew
Ruth Chew writes and illustrates wonderfully spooky books for kids, mostly about witches and magic. Listed are three of her very best.
What the Witch Left
Among the neat things the witch left in Katy's mother's wardrobe are a bathrobe that makes the wearer invisible, a box in which lost items mysteriously reappear, and seven-league boots.
Magic in the Park
Jenny is not at all excited about moving to Brooklyn until she begins exploring Prospect Park and discovers a most mysterious, magic tree.
Witch in the House
Laura has a witch of her very own, who does everything upside down. Many magical adventures ensue including a trip on an enchanted flying bath mat.
Other Spooky Kids Books
Random House Book of Ghost Stories - Susan Hill (ed.)
Also published as The Walker Book of Ghost Stories, this collection includes spooky stories by Joan Aiken, Penelope Lively and Ruth Ainsworth and dreamy, haunting illustrations by Angela Barrett.
Newbery Halloween - Martin H. Greenberg & Charles G. Waugh (ed.)
Lovely collection of Halloween stories by Newbery Award-winning authors including E.L. Konigsburg, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor and Madeline L'Engle.
How Spider Saved Halloween - Robert Kraus
Long story short - Spider embraces his natural body shape and dresses up like a pumpkin. Saving Halloween ensues.
The Curse of Claudia - Edward Miller
So much more for hip grownups than kids, Claudia (and her toy poodle) visits her old high school friends (a vampire and zombie) and cheers up the place a bit, to everyone's horror. Great paper cut-out illustrations.
Jan Pienkowski's Haunted House
A intricately detailed pop-up book about a house containing all sorts of unearthly creatures.
Skeleton Closet - Steven Guarnaccia
Another pop-up, this one has all sorts of pop-up skeletons and a jazzy little rhyme that's just itching to be set to music.
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True Ghost Stories
True Ghost Story Websites
The websites listed include heaps of personal experiences with the paranormal. Some are spooky, some are obvious fiction and some are downright crazy.
Obiwan's UFO-free Paranormal Page is an excellent site devoted to all things paranormal (except UFOs). Click here for one of the best true ghost story repositories on the Web.
Castle of Spirits is another good true ghost story website. Stories here are fairly well-edited and have tantalizing titles like "And the Baby Cried," "Image of the Lost Boyfriend," and "That Weary Night."
Archive X is another site where people can send in their experiences with ghosts. This site is not as well-edited as Obiwan's, but still has some interesting stories.
The Shadowlands: Ghosts and Hauntings contains even more true ghost stories.
True Ghost Story Books
Directory of Haunted Places - Dennis William Hauck
This is an excellent state-by-state guide to all sorts of haunted places. Succinct and elegantly written, each annotation contains a brief, eerie tale.
True Ghost Stories - Hans Holzer
Holzer is one of the best-known investigators of the paranormal and the 38 case histories contained in this volume are full of spine-chilling details. Included is the tale of the usher who haunts Minneapolis's Guthrie Theater.
Haunted Holidays - Insight Guides
This travel guide to haunted places in the United States, put out by the Discovery Channel, includes essays, historical background, a ghost hunter's guide, travel tips and lots of photos and illustrations.
Haunted America and Historic Haunted America - Michael Norman & Beth Scott
Stuffed full of stories of ghosts and supernatural occurences all over America, these books would be excellent companions on a cross-country trip as well as spooky night-time reading.
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Updated 3/30/07
Comments, questions, or suggestions?
Email carly[at]carlytown.com.
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