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10 Spooky Short Stories To Put On Your Reading List This October

A compilation of creepy tales for your enjoyment this spooky season.

Christal Campa

Oct 25, 2018

Boise State University

Flickr

Boo! Ready for another time-honored season of scaring the wits out of ourselves? Here is a classic list of short and scary stories to put you in the holiday spirit, because everyone knows life's no fun without a good scare. These are the top ten goriest, creepiest, spookiest short stories to put you in a Halloween mood. The best part of all is that you can read or listen to every one of these short stories for free online (Links to each of the reads are within the list below) and likely hunt down even more frightening tales to peak your interest. Happy hunting, happy Halloween, and here is the list!

1. "The Tell-Tale Heart," Edgar Allan Poe

What's a perfect spooky short story list without some Poe? The ultimate creator of creepy tails "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a psychological thriller that will keep you up at night— staring at your door.

2. "The Terrible Old Man," H. P. Lovecraft

In this eerie tale a wealthy recluse is preyed upon by a group of robbers. In this minimalist piece, the suspense and eeriness is found in the details that aren't written.

3. "Bluebeard," Charles Perrault

In the spirit of Halloween, I'm throwing a fairy tale into the mix. Charles Perrault's rendition of "Bluebeard" is one of the best campfire spookers. , old Halloween scare list isn't complete without this classic tale!

4. "The Monkey's Paw," W. W. Jacobs

In this dark piece of fiction the White family gain a magic monkey's paw that grants the owner three wishes, but those wishes come with them a harrowing price…

5. "A Ghost Story," Mark Twain

Mark Twain writes a surprising haunting based on the Cardiff Giant, a 19th century hoax in which a petrified giant was buried for others to "find" later on.

6. "Graves and Goblins," Nathaniel Hawthorn

This charming short story is told from the perspective of a ghost.

7. "A Rose For Emily," William Faulkner

When Miss Emily Grierson dies the narrator recalls everything that the community knows about the aristocratic recluse. This suspenseful Southern Gothic is a treat.

8. "The Veldt," Ray Bradbury

Lions and evil children and killer robots, oh my! If you enjoy sci-fi with your horror this little short story is the perfect mix of both.

9. "Afterward," Edith Wharton

Here's a story about greed, retribution, and a mysterious ghost. It's said that there is a ghost at Lyng, but one would never know of it until long afterward.

10. "The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow," Washington Irving

Irving's chilling classic is last but not least on the list of short stories to read this October. There's no way this list would be complete without the legend of one of Halloween's most infamous characters: The Headless Horseman.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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Recommended for you

10 Spooky Short Stories To Put On Your Reading List This October

A compilation of creepy tales for your enjoyment this spooky season.

1. "The Tell-Tale Heart," Edgar Allan Poe

2. "The Terrible Old Man," H. P. Lovecraft

3. "Bluebeard," Charles Perrault

4. "The Monkey's Paw," W. W. Jacobs

5. "A Ghost Story," Mark Twain

6. "Graves and Goblins," Nathaniel Hawthorn

7. "A Rose For Emily," William Faulkner

8. "The Veldt," Ray Bradbury

9. "Afterward," Edith Wharton

10. "The Legend of the Sleepy Hollow," Washington Irving

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The Best Lines from the Fab Four

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make

The sun is up, the sky is blue, it's beautiful and so are you

Love is old, love is new, love is all, love is you

There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be

Life is very short, and there's no time for fussing and fighting, my friend

He say, "I know you, you know me", One thing I can tell you is you got to be free

Oh please, say to me, You'll let me be your man. And please say to me, You'll let me hold your hand

It was twenty years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play. They've been going in and out of style, but they're guaranteed to raise a smile

Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see

Can you hear me? When it rains and shine, it's just a state of mind

Little darling, it's been long cold lonely winter. Little darling, it feels like years since it' s been here. Here comes the sun, Here comes the sun, and I say it's alright

We danced through the night and we held each other tight, and before too long I fell in love with her. Now, I'll never dance with another when I saw her standing there

I love you, I love you, I love you, that's all I want to say

You say you want a revolution. Well you know, we all want to change the world

All the lonely people, where do they all come from. All the lonely people, where do they all belong

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends

Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks as though they're here to stay. Oh, I believe in yesterday

And when the brokenhearted people, living in the world agree, there will be an answer, let it be.

And anytime you feel the pain, Hey Jude, refrain. Don't carry the world upon your shoulders

I'll give you all I got to give if you say you'll love me too. I may not have a lot to give but what I got I'll give to you. I don't care too much for money. Money can't buy me love

All you need is love, love is all you need

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Blackbird singing in the dead of night, Take these broken wings and learn to fly. All your life, You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Though I know I'll never lose affection, for people and things that went before. I know I'll often stop and think about them. In my life, I love you more

Obviously the best superpower.

There have been many lessons learned.

1. The importance of traditions.

2. How to be thankful for family and friends.

3. How to give back.

4. What the word "community" really means.

5. That it isn't about the destination, but the journey.

6. The consequences of making bad choices.

7. To trust people, until you have a reason not to.

8. To be welcoming and accepting of everyone.

9. How to be my own, individual person.

10. How to work for what I want.

11. How to be great at giving directions.

12. How to be humble.

13. To be well-rounded.

14. How to be great at conflict resolution.

15. The beauty of getting outside and exploring.

16. To be prepared for anything.

17. That you don't always have to do it alone.

18. How to be creative.

19. To brush off gossip.

I have never been so thankful to know you.

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

Don't freak out

Email the professor

Attend the first class

Keep attending class

Have a backup plan

Remember that everything works out at the end

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