Five spooky story collections to keep you up this Halloween [reading list]

We all know Poe (though Eurovision fans might ask “Who the hell is Edgar?”). We’ve all heard of M.R. James and his wide range of ghost stories (watched The Haunting of Bly Manor yet?). We all love Lovecraft (unless you’re squeamish about tentacles).

But are we neglecting other authors just as capable of keeping us up at night? For centuries, writers have delved into the spooky and strange, the unusual and uncanny, the horrifying and heinous. Their stories deserved to be remembered too.

To celebrate the scariest day of the year, here’s five short story collections to widen your Halloween reading:

1. The Wendigo and Other Stories by Algernon Blackwood, edited by Aaron Worth

Take this as your sign to never go camping in the Canadian wilderness. Or canoeing in Europe. Or on a tropical holiday to Egypt. Best to just stay inside with a copy of Algernon Blackwood’s greatest horror stories, their locations taken from Blackwood’s varied, whirlwind life and distorted into nightmarish borderlands. Enter at your peril…

Read: The Wendigo and Other Stories

2. The Virgin of the Seven Daggers and Other Stories by Vernon Lee, edited by Aaron Worth

Ever heard the saying “the past always comes back to haunt you?” It rings very true in Vernon Lee’s, aka Violet Paget’s, frightening short stories. Whether a haunted portrait, a long-dead poet’s lock of hair, or even a ghostly opera singer’s voice, the past is a lurking presence in all of Lee’s words. And digging it up might prove her character’s dooms.

Read: The Virgin of the Seven Daggers and Other Stories

3. The Great God Pan and Other Horror Stories by Arthur Machen, edited by Aaron Worth

Before Lovecraft there was Machen, a Welsh writer inspired by the Pagan ruins and misty forests surrounding his hometown Caerleon. His stories explore the unknown and unknowable, including “The Great God Pan” and his wicked daughter Helen Vaughan, the twisted, supernatural cult of “The White People”, and the tales within a tale told by “The Three Imposters”.

Read: The Great God Pan and Other Horror Stories

4. Gothic Tales by Arthur Conan Doyle, edited by Darryl Jones

Yes, the creator of Sherlock Holmes also loved his horror! His “Gothic Tales” are some of the greatest put to paper. Try “The Case of Lady Sannox”, a story of deception and gory revenge. Or maybe “The Silver Mirror”, in which visions of a past murder haunt an innocent accountant. If you’re a fan of Conan Doyle’s mysteries, give his “Gothic Tales” a try this Halloween!

Read: Gothic Tales

5. Green Tea and Other Weird Stories by Sheridan Le Fanu, edited by Aaron Worth

With wonderful titles like “The Ghost and the Bonesetter” and “Wicked Captain Walshawe, of Wauling”, you know you’re in for a treat with this Irish author’s weird short tales. Don’t miss out on his most famous story, “Carmilla”, said to have inspired Bram Stoker when writing his own vampiric creation.

Read: Green Tea and Other Weird Stories

If you’ve enjoyed our recommendations, why not check out our full Halloween Reading List on Bookshop?

• Bookshop UK
• Bookshop US

_{Featured image by Mathew MacQuarrie on Unsplash.}