CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY SUGGESTED READING LIST XII (2024)

Welcome to The Twelfth Annual Christmas Horror Story Suggested Reading List. Twelve years is a pretty long time and I’ve loved seeking out a new batch of spooky, festive tales to share with you each season. This year I’ve had to dive in extra-deep as, alongside this list, I also had to draw upon the previous 11 years of suggested reading lists to create an ultimate list of the 13 Scariest Christmas Horror Stories Of All Time for the most recent iteration of my regular column for Nightmare Abbey Magazine. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DMM1DN77?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1CNp7hEgS6doezlYtuPjQEqCiE7bSbGNfML1roRFSyEWt25LGGqnpmGow_aem_vnws7lvBJCt1R4Wknrc5kw .

So, grab a glass of eggnog as I bring you this year’s list!

THE LIST:

“The Old Nurse’s Story” by Elizabeth Gaskell (1853) – A large manor house is haunted by three grim specters, a phantom organist, a sad woman and the vengeful little girl who seeks to lure living girls out into the frigid cold on Christmas night. You can listen here for free: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0ubPJe03VXdy0JMz9Rc3eW

“The Irtonwood Ghost” by Elinor Glyn (1911) – When Mrs. Charters arrives at her friend’s manor house Irtonwood,to celebrate Christmas with them, she finds her inheritance has been called into question by a mysterious foreign stranger who is likewise a guest at the house. From then on she begins suffering from eerie dreams, discovers secret passageways, witnesses ghostly manifestations and more in this action-packed, entertaining Christmas ghost story.

“Mrs. Lunt” by Hugh Walpole (1926) – A man is invited to visit the house of an author he’s never met before but whose work he reviewed favorably. He spends several chilly days there with the peculiar man, during which time they both keep seeing an eerie woman lingering about the house. You can read it here for free: https://www.hypnogoria.com/gl_mrslunt.html

“The Leaf-sweeper” by Muriel Spark (1956) – A man, driven mad by thefailure of his attempts to abolish Christmas, is seen in two places at the same time: sweeping leaves in front of an asylum and putting up Christmas decorations at his mother’s house. Could this be the ghostly manifestation of a living person?

“The Soldier” by Roger Johnson (1990) – A journalist tells the story of her investigation into an obscure military group called The Worshipful Company of Militia, which is said to be the oldest volunteer corps in the British army. Despite intense research, the reporter is unable to uncover anything more about them until she receives a package containing papers which recount the personal story of a young man who’s sole desire was to be a soldier and how he comes upon an old church ran by members of the Worshipful Order. They recruit him with his initiation set to take place on Christmas Day. There is something dark and secretive about this cult-like group.

“What Did You See?” by Paul Finch (2020) – Two engaged, college-age girls share a train compartment with an older woman while on their way to stay at a cottage in the Cotswolds for Christmas. The woman warns them to stay clear of a local church there on Christmas Eve. This woman says she and her friend went there 60 years ago and performed a ritual while standing atop the grave in the church’s crypt. Doing that was said to show them an image of their future spouse. The results went badly, leaving them haunted by the experience. While they dismiss her claims at first, their interest is peaked when they arrive and see the old church steeple in the distance. You can read it here for free: http://paulfinch-writer.blogspot.com/2022/12/check-in-for-my-annual-festive-bone.html

“His Castle” by Alma Katsu (2023) – A couple of wealthy Londoners rent an air B&B in Whales for Christmas. Soon after they arrive there, an aggressive trio of rough men come knocking at their door carrying a large, decorated animal skull on a pole with them and drunkenly demanding food and drink. They get more than they bargained for at the hands of the two Londoners, however.

“Jolly” by Steve Rasnic Tem (2024) An alcoholic, down-on-his-luck, store Santa struggles to keep himself together.Later, he is visited by a less-than-jolly specter. (This story appears in issue #7 of Nightmare Abbey Magazine)

Merry Christmas To All!!

Previous Christmas Horror Reading Posts:

2023: https://horrordelve.com/2023/12/04/christmas-horror-story-suggested-reading-list-xi-2023/

2022: https://horrordelve.com/2022/12/13/christmas-horror-story-reading-list-x/

2021; https://horrordelve.com/2021/12/13/christmas-horror-story-reading-list-ix-2021/

2020; https://horrordelve.com/2020/12/07/christmas-reading-list-viii-2020/

2019: https://horrordelve.com/2019/12/09/christmas-horror-story-reading-list-vii-2019/

2018: https://horrordelve.com/2018/12/10/christmas-horror-reading-list-vi-2018/

2017: https://horrordelve.com/2017/12/11/christmas-horror-story-reading-list-v-20170/

2016: https://horrordelve.com/2016/12/04/christmas-horror-stories-reading-list-4-2016/

2015; https://horrordelve.com/2015/12/07/christmas-horror-reading-list-2015/

2014:https://horrordelve.com/2014/12/05/christmas-horror-story-reading-list-2014/