Five Scary Books for Halloween Reading

Some of these books great to read, then read again. The shivers are actually better when you know they are coming . . .




The short graphic novel Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King is an overlooked classic, in my opinion. The story goes through the yearly cycle of full moons in the small town of Tarker's Mills, Maine, as the townsfolk slowly realize that a werewolf is living in their midst. And who will unmask the true identity of the beast? I will only give a hint: this is a truly satisfying story about courage and hardship while growing up, much like King's novel Hearts in Atlantis," or the story "The Body," which was the basis for the movie Stand by Me. And the wonderful werewolf illustrations make the story come to life. As one reviewer on Amazon put it: "A Fast Furry Fantasy."

If a reader isn't familiar with H.P. Lovecraft, you might believe he is a science fiction writer thanks to some of the gaudy book covers displaying alien-looking characters from the Cthulu Mythos. But once you read several of his stories set in New England, you will realize he is writing in the same tradition as Edgar Allen Poe and Washington Irving, a tradition that embraces local American history, folklore and ghost stories. There are shadowy valleys and strange fishing villages where no one dares to go. And like his literary descendent, Stephen King, Lovecraft can produce a supernatural shiver that goes up your spine in the midday sun, or when you notice something not quite right and the universe shifts around you. Like a good nightmare, these stories can shake you up, so read them with the light on, and be sure to lock the door first.



The Woman in Black: A Ghost Story was recently made into a creepy movie starring Dan Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame, and before that the 1980s version starred Adrian Rawlins, who plays Harry's father James in the movies. Believe me, watching either or both of those movies will not diminish the pleasurable creepiness of the original novel. Nor will it give away the ending, since both movies based on her work are somewhat different thanks to poetic license of the filmmakers. Susan Hill is an old-fashioned mistress of the macabre, and this is a great atmospheric short read for a cool autumn night.



The late author John Keel writes in The Mothman Prophecies : "The universe does not exist as we think it exists. We do not exist as we think we exist." And that sets the stage for one of the creepiest stories of the late 20th century, the tale of an alleged flying creature that haunted an area of West Virginia, of people convinced they had met a harbinger of doom, of people driven almost to madness. There are hints of UFO's and Men in Black as well as a local curse by a dead warrior named Chief Cornstalk. The most chilling parts are the phone calls from an "entity" named "Indrid Cold," and some bizarre happenings at Keel's New York apartment surrounding his telephone. The movie with Richard Gere is merely based on this book and not a thorough telling - you really need the original to appreciate all the intricate coincidences and weird details. And hopefully this won't give you the heebie-jeebies about driving over large bridges.



Like most of Ray Bradbury's books, Something Wicked This Way Comes
is set in a midwestern town where life is slowly boring everyone to despair until something happens . . . Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show rolls into town and rattles everyone down to their bones. You have to love a book with names like "Jim Nightshade" - a boy who is definitely an American cousin of Harry Potter. But all the magic, except for love, is definitely from the Dark Side. Yes, it's a little over-the-top, but there's so much depth also, as Bradbury changes point of view between the children and the adults that you don't care. And for fans of the author you will notice recurring characters like the Illustrated Man, from the book of stories by that same name. In fact all of Bradbury's books are a little dark and great to read this time of year - The October Country and The Halloween Tree to name a few. But this book is Bradbury at his wicked best.