Short & Sweet: 31 Short Horror Stories to Treat Yourself to this Halloween
The leaves are about to start changing. There's a bite in the morning air. Pumpkin spice lattes have been added to the menu of your favorite coffee establishment, which can only mean one thing to us horror hounds… the spooky season is officially upon us! Sure, we are still over two weeks away from the official start of fall, but in my household, September 1st is the day all the Halloween decorations are up, and we start planning all the movies and books we want to partake in during the holiday season.
In recent years, I haven't had the time to watch as many movies or read all the novels I wanted to but have been able to get my Halloween fright fix from short stories! So, for all the other busy folk who still want to partake in some spooktacular literature, I am sharing my list of thirty-one must-read horror short stories this Halloween.
Original photography by Charles Parker1 - Sticks by Karl Edward Wagner
"Sticks" - by Karl Edward Wagner
Sticks is a short story that follows a horror illustrator who encounters strange stick figures in the woods while fishing. If you're a fan of cosmic horror, you're going to love this story. Karl Edward Wagner is well respected in many horror circles, but he isn't a household name even though his work has had a wide-reaching impact across the genre. Sticks is credited for inspiring The Blair Witch Project and Season One of True Detective.
2 - The Forbidden by Clive Barker
CANDYMAN (Audiobook) "The Forbidden" by Clive Barker - 1985 [Visuals Included]
“Sweets to the Sweet… be my victim!” Ever wondered where those classic Candyman catchphrases originated? Well, wonder no further. The Candyman films were based on a Clive Barker story that, though dont have the great social commentary the 1992 and 2021 films have, is still recognizable as the horror icon portrayed by Tony Todd.
3 - The Small Assassin by Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury reads his story "The Small Assassin"
No Halloween is complete without a story by Ray Bradbury.
4 - Red Rabbit by Steve Rasnic Tem
"Red Rabbit" by Steve Rasnic Tem
I recently discovered Steve Rasnic, even though he has had a career spanning over forty years, written several plays, poems, short stories, and novels. Red Rabbit is a brutal story dealing with mental illness and watching someone you love decline into madness.
5 - Miss Mack by Michael McDowell
The Valancourt Book of Horror Stories, edited by James D. Jenkins and Ryan Cagle
Originally published as one of thirteen stories included in the Halloween Horrors Anthology edited by Alan Ryan, Miss Mack is the only story on my list that isn't readily available online. Still, I include it because I thoroughly believe you should buy this story (and anything written by McDowell). All I'm going to say is McDowell wrote Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Enough said.
6 - A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor
"A Good Man Is Hard To Find" (Flannery O'Connor) Audiobook
This is such a brutal and yet grounded story. If you're a fan of realistic horrors, then this dark tale is for you.
7 - Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? By Joyce Carol Oates
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Joyce Carol Oates Audiobook
Read it: Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? – Celestial Timepiece
Another classic and gut-wrenching read. This story is every parent's worst nightmare.
8 - August Heat by William Fryer Harvey
Read it here: August Heat, by William Fryer Harvey
This is a spooky tale of possible futures from the turn of the century.
9 - The Tower by Marghanita Laski
Listen to it here: The Tower by Marghanita Laski
A creepy gothic story that is well worth your time.
10 - The Demon Lover by Elizabeth Bowen
Read “The Demon Lover,” a short story by Elizabeth Bowen
A haunting tale about trauma.
Original photography by Ryan Thomas LaBee11 - The Clown Puppet by Thomas Ligotti
Listen to it here: The Clown Puppet by Thomas Ligotti
Ligotti should be more known, so I'm doing my part by adding him to my (and hopefully your) Halloween reading rotation.
12 - Talking in the Dark by Dennis Etchison
read it here: Talking in the Dark
I'm not sure anyone writes horror or the psychological quite as Etchison did. And here's a fun fact, not only did Dennis Etchison write tons of original stories, but he also wrote (under a pen name) the novelizations to the films: The Fog, Halloween II, Halloween III, & Videodrome. His short story collection Red Dreams is a personal favorite.
13 - The October Game by Ray Bradbury
Listen to it here: The October Game by Ray Bradbury read by A Poetry Channel
Wait, another Ray Bradbury story? Damn right. And this one may be the darkest tale Bradbury ever wrote.
14 - The Other Place by Mary Gaitskill
Read it here: The Other Place
This story is another set in an all too real world and an all too real worry. A father starts to realize his son has the same predilections as himself. This one stuck with me.
15 - The Road Virus Heads North by Stephen King
Read it: Stephen King - The Road Virus Heads North.html
I had to have at least one King story on my list, and this one is terrific. Who doesn't like scary stories about haunted paintings?
16 - The Possibility of Evil by Shirley Jackson
Read it here: Short Story
Everything Shirley Jackson wrote was brilliant, and almost every list of short horror stories tend to put The Lottery on the list. Who can blame them? It's a tremendous story, but I wanted to share another great story by Jackson that is worth reading this Halloween.
Original photography by Ryan Thomas LaBee17 - Catskin by Kelly Link
Read it here: Catskin
Link weaves a wonderfully weird tale about shapeshifting cats.
18 - See with Your Eyes, Not with Your Hands by Monte Lin
Read it here: See with Your Eyes, Not with Your Hands
A short but terrifying tale of body horror which will leave your skin crawling.
19 - With Graveyard Weeds and Wolfsbane Seeds by Seanan McGuire
Read it here: With Graveyard Weeds and Wolfsbane Seeds
A supernatural story set on Halloween. This one is a lot of fun.
20 - Strange Candy by Robert McCammon
Read it here: Strange Candy: A Halloween Short Story by Robert McCammon – Robert McCammon
McCammon, author of Boy’s Life, was really coming up in the 70’s and 80’s and though we don't hear his name as often, it's a real shame because the man can write horror.
21 - The Skin of a Teenage Boy Is Not Alive by Senaa Ahmad
Read it here: The Skin of a Teenage Boy Is Not Alive
What's scarier than teenagers?
22 - Ancient Sorceries by Algernon Blackwood
Listen to it here:"Ancient Sorceries" by Algernon Blackwood / John Silence #2
Another classic.
23 - October in the Chair by Neil Gaiman
Read & listen here: English Language Learning - ESL Listening Stories, Songs, Audiobooks
A supernatural tale written by the man who brought us Coraline and The Graveyard Book.
Original photography by Ryan Thomas LaBee24 - The Darkest Part by Stephen Graham Jones
Read it here: The Darkest Part
I adore anything written by Stephen Graham Jones, but I chose The Darkest Part because it's excellent and readily available online. However, do yourself a favor and run out to your nearest local bookstore and pick up his latest novels, The Only Good Indians and My Heart is a Chainsaw. You can thank me later.
25 - I Make People Do Bad Things by Chesya Burke
Read it here: I Make People Do Bad Things
An incredible story I stumbled on while researching this list. I wanted to introduce folks to writers I may not have known about, and I am so glad I took the time. The less I say, the better. Just dive in.
26 - The Lake by Tananarive Due
Read it here: The Lake
A quiet and different take on the Monster story.
27 - I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
Read it here: I have no mouth and I must scream
For everyone who wants a little sci-fi in their horror, this is for you!
28 - Where There’s a Will by Richard & Richard Christian Matheson
Listen to it here: Richard Matheson & Richard Christian Matheson 'Where There's a Will'
This story is written by Father/Son duo Richard Matheson (I am Legend and Hell House) and his Son Richard Christian Matheson (Scars and Other Distinguishing Marks).
29 - The Landlady by Roald Dahl
Read it here: The Landlady – NexusLearning.net
When I first read this dark little story about a strange Landlady, I couldn't believe it was written by the same guy who gave us Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda! You know, on second thought, maybe that isn't so hard to believe. You'll never look at taxidermy the same way after reading this one.
30 - The Graveless Doll of Eric Mutis by Karen Russell
Read it here: “The Graveless Doll of Eric Mutis” by Karen Russell
A group of bullies find a scarecrow that reminds them of a boy they have been tormenting. You cannot go wrong with Karen Russell.
31 - The Husband Stitch by Carmen Maria Machado
Read it here: The Husband Stitch | Carmen Maria Machado
This story may seem a bit different than the other selections. When writing this list, I put out the question on my Facebook what everyone's favorite short horror stories were and a friend I trust said 'The Husband Stitch.' I had never read the story, but after I did, I was speechless. This story has been in my head for days. It's a retelling of the classic 'The Green Ribbon' story with a slow creeping horror. This story selection is for my A24 horror fans.
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So that's it! That's my list of 31 horror stories that are (mostly) available online, may not be your first selection, and are worth your time this Halloween. I hope I wasn’t too reductive with some of the stories, because I know some of them deserve some real thought, however I didn’t want to give too much away or turn off any readers who wouldn’t seek out certain stories on their own.
Feel free to find me on twitter and let me know what your favorite horror story is, and I'll make sure to check it out.
Image provided by Ryan Thomas LaBee.Ryan Thomas LaBee
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