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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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May the odds be ever in your favor.

Phase One: The “I got this” phase

Phase Two: The “I have time” phase

Phase Three: The uncontrollable sobbing phase

Phase Four: The “help me, I've fallen and I can't get up” phase

Phase Five: The rejoicing phase

10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

Who knows where we would be without them.

1. Thank you for laughing at my jokes, even when they really aren’t funny.

2. Thank you for singing unbearably loud with me all the time.

3. Thank you for letting me vent to you for hours about anything and basically being my personal therapist.

4. Thank you for ordering pizza with me at 2 in the morning.

5. Thank you for all the movie days when we don’t feel like moving.

6. Thank you for being my workout buddy everyday.

7. Thank you for sharing your closets with me.

8. Thank you for taking naps with me at random hours during the day.

9. Thank you for cleaning our home with me when we absolutely need to.

10. Thank you for all the rides when it’s late and you don’t want me to walk home alone in the dark.

11. Thank you for studying with me in our kitchen when we didn't want to go the library.

12. Thank you for making dinner with me.

13. Thank you for helping with my hair, makeup and outfit every time we go out.

14. Thank you for taking countless ugly pictures with me.

15. Thank you for not judging me when I go too long without showering.

16. Thank you for making our apartment feel like a second home.

17. Thank you for being there through all of our boy troubles.

18. Thank you for giving me a hug when I feel homesick.

19. Thank you for getting excited with me when one of us gets a good grade on an exam.

20. Thank you for still being my friend and not judging me when I say or do dumb things.

21. Thank you for telling me what I should do when I am sick.

22. Thank you for dancing horribly with me everywhere we go.

23. Thank you for staying up super late with me when we aren’t tired or can’t sleep.

24. Thank you for being super weird with me.

25. Thank you for all the unforgettable college memories.

26. And most of all, thank you for being the best friends a girl could have.

I may or may not be stressing right now.

1. "What do I have to study for?"

2. "What class do I need to study for the most?"

3. "I’m going to ace this."

4. "Focus!"

5."I have no idea what I'm reading."

6. "I should call my smart friend about this."

7. "I’m going to fail. I’m going to fail."

8. "I’m dropping out of school."

9. "What grade do I have to get on the final to pass the class?"

10. "Oh, no, I have to do good."

11. "I shouldn’t have procrastinated all semester."

12. "I wanna go to bed."

13. "We did not learn this!"

14. "I should go get food."

15. "Why do we even have finals?"

16. "I don’t want to be at the library."

17. "Get off your phone."

18. "I can watch Netflix for like 20 minutes and then go back to studying."

19. "I shouldn’t have watched Netflix."

20. "You have to study now!"

The "Happiest Place on Earth" has a lot of characters with some pretty great advice.

Remember you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine. — Snow White

The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it. — Rafiki

You don't have time to be timid. You must be bold and daring. — Lumière

If watching is all you're gonna do, then you're gonna watch your life go by without ya. — Laverne

Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one. — Grandmother Willow

Always let your conscience be your guide. — Jiminy Cricket

To infinity and beyond. — Buzz Lightyear

Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved. — Pooh

Let it go. — Elsa

If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all. — Thumper

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