Fall is here and Halloween is fast approaching. By now you’ve likely filled out your October horror watchlists, but what about a good old-fashioned story? With the weather starting to cool down, sometimes nothing is better than staying inside with a good book. If you need an alternative to movies this Halloween, here are essential novels and stories to get you in the holiday spirit:
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
Written in the 1790s, this long-running Halloween classic inspired countless films, graphic novels, and Disney cartoons. It’s easy to see why; this creepy classic set in the small New York settlement oozes chilly October atmosphere complete with a Hessian soldier boogeyman in search of his missing head. Even if you’re familiar with Ichabod’s tale, this is still worth a read for Irving’s descriptive writing.
October Dreams: A Celebration of Halloween by various
What’s Halloween without a collection of spooky stories to set the mood? A whopping 650-page collection of Halloween stories by prominent authors, this anthology novel should last you through a couple Halloweens. Novellas, short stories, essays, and real memories all from notable authors like Jack Ketchum, Poppy Z. Brite, Dean Koontz, Peter Straub, and much, much more. For readers who may be difficult to please, this massive book should have something for everyone- all for Halloween.
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
Originally published in 1972, Ray Bradbury’s fantastical journey through time and space for eight costumed boys on Halloween night, in which they discover the meaning of the holiday as they travel from ancient Egypt to the catacombs of Mexico, is a Halloween classic. If you can, though, grab the 2015 edition with illustrations by Gris Grimly, making this story even more Halloween appropriate.
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
When it comes to Halloween, there may be no other more relevant author than Ray Bradybury. This classic novel influenced prominent horror authors like Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, and R.L. Stine. A terrifying coming of age tale surrounding best friends Jim and Will discovering evil when a carnival arrives in the unseasonal month of October. Though carnival leader Mr. Dark promises to fulfill their wishes, they find only nightmares granted instead. The most memorable version of the story is Disney’s 1983 adaptation, but stick with this novel instead.
The October Game by Ray Bradbury
Bradbury wrote a lot of stories and novels around Halloween, but no Bradbury story, Halloween or otherwise, ever got as dark or as gruesome as this short story. Set on Halloween, as a wife prepares for a Halloween party for her daughter and her daughter’s friends, the story is told from the perspective of the husband. It quickly becomes clear that this husband absolutely loathes his family, and the party leave them in danger. The perfect spooky story for Halloween, Bradbury crafts a chilling story.
Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge
This Bram Stoker Award winner is quintessential Halloween. Set on Halloween in 1963, in a small Midwestern town, the legendary October Boy rises every year, is handed a butcher knife, and is pitted against teen boys in a game of hunter or hunted. The boy that kills October Boy is awarded the chance to leave town and a free ride for his family for a year. Of course, this Halloween things go awry. Partridge embraces all the holiday tropes in this quick read.
Johnny Halloween: Tales of the Dark Season
After the success of Dark Harvest, Partridge revisits Halloween with a collection of stories celebrating Halloween past and present. Numerous holiday themed stories, but Partridge also includes one about October Boy from his breakout novel, for those missing this new holiday icon. Not content to just stick with fictional accounts of the holiday, Partridge also includes an essay about what it was like to grow up in the town where the Zodiac Killer began his torment. Another great Halloween read by an author clearly as in love with the holiday as we are.
A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny
Imagine a 31-chapter novel (one for each day in October) that sees the likes of Jack the Ripper, Count Dracula, Rasputin, Dr. Frankenstein, and more coming together in one place on Halloween night to complete a ritual. Oh, and it’s told from the perspective of a dog. More humorous and light than traditional spooky Halloween fare, this one is an absolute blast. The novel also features 31 great illustrations by Gahan Wilson, and served as inspiration for Neil Gaiman’s “Only the End of the World Again.” If you’re looking for something different to read, make it this one.
The Pine Deep trilogy by Jonathan Maberry
This Halloween themed book trilogy is for horror fans; Maberry interweaves Tom Savini, Ken Foree, Joe Bob Briggs, and many more genre vets into his series as characters. As for plot, it’s set in the fictional Pennsylvanian town of Pine Deep, where the rural town is plagued by evil thought to have been destroyed thirty years ago. Considered America’s most haunted town, Pine Deep is deeply rooted in a booming Halloween industry, and the lead character, Malcolm Crow, owns a Halloween-themed craft store. Part love letter to Halloween, part supernatural slasher, this is a must read; start with the first novel, Ghost Road Blues.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Technically not a Halloween novel, Jackson’s final novel still feels like one. It’s small town New England setting, chilling atmosphere, a Gothic dark house, an urban legend quality, and a wacky unreliable narrator makes for a perfect October read. While Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House is a classic, this underrated gem deserves just as much attention.
Pork Pie Hat by Peter Straub
Peter Straub’s most well-known novel, Ghost Story, is also a great October read, but this novella is a unique tale set on Halloween. Jazz legend Pork Pie Hat witnessed a horrible event on Halloween night as a child in the forbidden woods dubbed The Backs, and it’s haunted him ever since. The story of what he witnessed is told over the span of the novella, as an aged saxophonist being interviewed by a graduate student. A quick and disturbing story worth seeking out.
John Carpenter’s Tales for a Halloween Night by John Carpenter, Various
This award-winning graphic novel anthology series is currently being developed for Syfy, and the third collection is due out in bookstores on October 10. All the more reason for you to catch up on this one now. Bringing together storytellers from movies, comics, and novels, this anthology includes stories by Carpenter himself. As with most anthologies, some stories are much stronger than others, but overall this is a fun horror series perfect for October.
Nocturnals by Dan Brereton
A six-part limited series collectively subtitled Black Planet, this pulpy noir series featuring a core group of supernatural characters lead by Doc Horror as they battle the criminal underworld and Lovecraftian beings known as the Crim. Brereton’s stunning signature painted art style further enhances the Halloween feel of this fantastic series. Best of all? As great as all of the characters are, the best may be Doc Horror’s daughter Evening, aka Halloween Girl, who carries around her pumpkinhead filled with toys that grow monstrously large and attack on Eve’s whim.