HALLOWEEN SUGGESTED READING LIST XIII (2025)

“The Thirteenth Door of Halloween”

You find yourself once again treading quietly as possible through the brooding confines of Horror Delve Manor – that towering edifice which looms bleak and forbidding atop the high hill at the edge of town. It’s no place for respite but rather somewhere haunters go to be themselves haunted. Some wonder why you continue to return to such a monstrous abode, but the only answer you can muster is that it calls to you – relentlessly. Every time a twisted, new nightmare skitters forth from the murky gloom of its labyrinthian basements, it beacons you to come – to bare witness to it in all its abominable glory. This particular visit, you’ve made your way to a long, gloomy hallway full of doors adorned with leering skulls and cackling jack-o-lanterns – the infamous Halloween Hall. A vintage paneled, wooden door creeks slightly open to emit a gnarled hand whose skin is maggot-white. The finger crooks at you, inviting inside. Stepping closer, you notice the tarnished, brass plate affixed to it embossed with the number thirteen. The faint trill of pipe organ music chimes ominously from within. Will you risk stepping through this Thirteenth Door of Halloween?

SPECIAL ALERT! If you enjoy these annual Horror Delve Halloween Reading Lists, you may want to pick up the latest issue of Nightmare Abbey Magazine ( Nightmare Abbey 9 ) In it I compile a list of my thirteen favorite horror stories set during the Halloween season.

Unlike that list, the one immediately following here has several stories which don’t specifically take place at Halloween but which I strongly believe encompasses the feel of the season.

THE STORIES (Listed By Order of Publication Date)

“The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe (1839) – A man travels to visit his childhood friend Roderick Usher in his moldering, old manor house at his urgent request. Roderick is in poor health and appears on the verge of a mental break. His twin sister Madeline also resides in the house. She suffers from fits of death-like catalepsy. Despite the visitor’s attempts to cheer his friend up, Roderick laments how he believes the decrepit house is alive and sentient. He later informs his friend that his sister has just died and that he plans to keep her body in the family tomb for two weeks before burying it. Afterwards, they start to hear sounds echoing up from the tombs below as a mighty storm rages against the place. This is a quintessential classic of the gothic horror story! You can listen to it here for free: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=RXh9riEobGc&t=40s

“By One, by Two, and By Three” by Adrian Ross (aka Stephen Hall/Arthur Lee Ropes) (1887) – Due to hisodd demeanor, Angus Macbane had few friends while in college. What he did possess was great wealth, curtesy of a rich uncle he despises. When Macbane’s uncle turned up savagely murdered immediately after having left his place following an argument the two had, things change and the narrator lost touch with his friend. When they do meet again, something monstrous lies in wait. This story was adapted into an excellent episode of Rod Serling’s Night Gallery under the title, “There Aren’t Any More Macbanes (1972). Can be found in Nightmare Abbey Issue #2 (Dead Letter Press Nightmare Abbey 2 )

“The Tomb of Sarah” by F. G. Loring (1900) – Attempts to restore a church uncovers an old tomb with a warning not to disturb it. They are left with no choice however and thus inadvertently awaken a female vampire that lies inside. This is a strong, Victorian horror tale with a creature whose powers are well-displayed. You can listen here for free: https://www.hypnogoria.com/gl_sarah.html

“The Fifth” Jo Kaplan (as Joanna Parypinski 2011) – This tale starts with a group of five men dressed in costumes who plan to rob a safe while everyone is distracted by a Halloween party. Things take a tragic turn on the road as the scene shifts between dreams and reality. This is an excellent Halloween story. You can read or listen for free here: https://talestoterrify.com/episodes/tales-to-terrify-225-lauren-beukes-joanna-parypinski/

“The Horror Writer” by Jonathan Oliver (2013) – Afterbeing initially irritated at exiting the tube at the wrong stop, a man feels himself drawn to a small bookstore nearby. The place turns out to be far bigger than expected inside and is filled with a mismatched assortment of used books. Things take a dark turn after he picks up a ragged copy of Dracula which suddenly crumbles apart in his hand. A message scrawled on a rotted page that falls from it reads, “Come Find Me”. From that point forward he is led on an intense journey through a labyrinth of literary horrors from his childhood. This is a superb tale! Can be found in the anthology Terror Tales of London (P &C Finch Ltd Terror Tales of London )

“The Stillness” by Ramsey Campbell (2017) – A man whose agitation at a pale street performer imitating a statue outside his place of employment leads to obsession. The performer stands where an actual statue depicting a famous teacher who invented his own technique to quiet his students once stood. As he digs deeper into this unnerving performer, as well as the person he’s imitating, the world around him alters and he starts to believe he’s being stalked. Set in the chill of late fall, this is an excellently eerie tale! Found in the collection Fearful Implications (PS Publishing 2023 Fearful Implications )

“The First Lunar Halloween” by John R. Little (2017) – In the year 2204, all human life has been wiped from the face of the Earth following an alien invasion. A settlement of a few thousand survivors now live beneath the surface of the moon and have for years. One teacher wants her group of young students to experience what Halloween was like by taking them to the moon’s surface to go trick-or-treating to the other stations. It’s dangerous, but they think it’s worth the trip. Trouble arises when their group begins to disappear. Found in the anthology Haunted Nights (Bloomhouse Books 2017 Haunted Nights )

“White Leaves” by Rami Ungar (2024) – On Halloween a man notices the grounds of the apartment complex where he lives is covered in strange-looking, bone white leaves. These leaves hold terror and death in them. You can listen to this story for free: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-to-terrify/id492711030?i=1000675174022

“The Gobstomper” by Alex Dal Piaz (2024) – A boy is convinced by his peers to trick-or-treat at the house of a local dentist and ask for his special treat. This delicious, special treat is call The Gobstomper and he only gives it to one person every Halloween night. He soon comes to regret the attempt. You can listen to this story for free here: https://pseudopod.org/2024/10/28/pseudopod-945-the-gobstomper/

“They Go To The Fire” by Jim Moon(2024) – A troubled man, who grew up an outcast in his community, hates the way Halloween is celebrated by playful children. He likewise hates the bonfire which glows in the distance where they gather to celebrate their mockery of the season. He thus devises an insidious plan to take revenge, leading him to the nearby bog. But why does the light of the bonfire remain so ever-present during his grim journey? This is a great Halloween tale full of fantastic atmosphere. You can listen here for free: https://www.hypnogoria.com/gl_fire.html

PREVIOUS LISTS:

2025: https://horrordelve.com/2024/10/14/halloween-suggested-reading-list-xii-2024/

2023: https://horrordelve.com/2023/10/10/halloween-suggested-reading-list-xi-2023/

2022: https://horrordelve.com/2022/10/03/halloween-suggested-reading-list-x-2022/

2021: https://horrordelve.com/2021/10/11/halloween-suggested-reading-list-ix-2021/

2020: https://horrordelve.com/2020/10/04/halloween-suggested-reading-list-viii-2020/

2019: https://horrordelve.com/2019/10/14/halloween-suggested-reading-list-vii-2019/

2018: https://horrordelve.com/2018/10/07/halloween-reading-list-vi-2018/

2017: https://horrordelve.com/2017/10/07/halloween-reading-list-v-2017/

2016: https://horrordelve.com/2016/10/10/halloween-reading-list-4-2016/

2015: https://horrordelve.com/2015/10/07/halloween-reading-list-2015/

2014: https://horrordelve.com/2014/10/15/horror-delves-second-annual-halloween-reading-list/