The tradition of telling ghost stories around an open fire is long since past (I’m sounding like a god blessed carol here), mainly because we don’t scare as easily anymore and we can’t sit by our relatives that long without needing a break. The Woman in Black starts out with our narrator and his family … Continue reading
Tag Archives: horror books
Ghosts of Christmas Past (2017) #25DaysofCreepmas
This anthology is an assortment of tastes. There’s some tame stories in here, a particularly festive tale or two, and some that are suitable for year round. And of course, a Christmas ghost story collection wouldn’t be complete without the addition of M.R. James. Not everyone is going to enjoy every single story in here … Continue reading
Dead of Winter (2010) #25DaysofCreepmas
I’m kicking off #25DaysofCreepmas with a black-as-coal, cold-as-ice short story collection by Kealan Patrick Burke. I read this for the first time in last year, alongside some other Christmas horror collections, and it stood out tremendously. It’s a mix of winter & holiday themes and damn, they really drive the horror home. My favorite story … Continue reading
Twelve Nights at Rotter House (2019) #31DaysofHalloween
Haunted houses6 are essential to the Halloween season. Not the $20 a pop haunted attractions off every highway, but the straight up haunted-as-fuck houses you drive by and get chills from. Such a house exists in this brand spanking new novel, which was also featured in the October issue of Fangoria. Haunted houses ARE Halloween … Continue reading
Carnival (1989) #31DaysofSpookyBooks
Carnivals are inherently creepy to me. I don’t know if that’s a Bradbury thing or a byproduct of too much Pennywise exposure. The worn carnies, the caged animals, the obvious effort to lure in children…yeesh. This 1989 paperback isn’t going to make you lose any sleep or blow your mind. However, it’s like watching a … Continue reading
The Exorcist (1971) #31DaysofSpookyBooks
Some of you prefer the more “extreme” side to Halloween and I’m totally behind that. This landmark in horror is a great choice if you’re wanting some shock value and a feeling of unease without going full blown x-rated. It’s like a classy sort of fucked up, right? I’m confident most of you have seen … Continue reading
Collected Halloween Horror Shorts (2017) #31DaysofHalloween
I’ll admit that there could have been a catchier title for this BUT the lack of a zippy name doesn’t take away from what’s inside. Never judge a book by its cover or its title (though I have been guilty of both). This is a newer collection (2017) that I recently discovered and enjoyed thoroughly. … Continue reading