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13
SCARY BOOKS FOR ADULTS |
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A good horror
novel is a joy any time of year but the closer it gets to
Halloween, the more we seem drawn to all things scary! If they have a
theme based around Halloween, all the better! There are
quite a few out there, too. It seems that Halloween can be
inspirational to some horror fiction writers, adding that
extra element of spookiness to a story.
Here's a list
of our thirteen top Halloween themed books. Some are
anthologies, some are novels, some are history, all will put you in the mood
for Halloween. A few aren't completely Halloween based, such
as ghost stories, but
are so enjoyable and scary that they just work!
If you want
some web-based fiction, be sure to visit
www.HalloweenGhostStories.com for a collection of some
great ghost stories! Some are original works, some old
standards like Poe. You'll also find Urban Legends, poems
and other goodies there. Most of the original stories are
more adult oriented so, keep the kids away!
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October
Dreams - A Celebration of Halloween - 2002
This collaboration of stories, memories and
tales by horror authors is a treat! Stuffed with
Halloween-themed fiction and nonfiction, some
contributors are Dean Koontz, Douglas Clegg,
Poppy Z. Brite, Ramsey Campbell and Peter
Straub, to name but a few. Brought to you by the
editor of Cemetery Dance, the horror literary
magazine, this book will fill your dark and
stormy nights with glee! |
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Frightful
October - Tales of Halloween Horror
by Paul Melniczek - 2002
This indie published book of eleven short
stories centered around Halloween is enough to
not only put you in the mood but bring back
memories of some scary Halloweens that you may
have had in the past. The author may be not as
well known as some but that is often where you
find the gems. Give it a read and see for
yourself. |
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Dark
Harvest by Norman Partridge - 2007
This is an interesting tale of a small town with
a dark secret. In an historic town ritual,
teen-aged boys look forward to Halloween each
year when they must band together to hunt and
kill the Halloween Boy in order to get a ticket
out of town. I found this to be an entertaining
novel, a bit predictable but none the less
enjoyable. It would make a great movie! |
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Halloweenland by Al Sarrantonio - 2007
The tale of a disgraced ex-cop, Bill Grant, in
Orangefield, NY, the Halloween capital of
America. He's tracking "Samhain", the death
Lord of Halloween. This is the latest in a
series of books about Orangefield, NY, with the
first being published in 2001, "Orangefield"
which is out of print. All are entertaining,
some more than others but if you like series
books, this is a fair one to read for Halloween.
No gore but mild adult language makes this
suitable for adults and teens. |
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Murder For Halloween: Tales of Suspense -
2007
Curl up with this collection from veteran
anthologist Michele Slung and a pseudonymous
fellow mystery editor. Ed McBain writes about a
grieving widower who falls prey to thieving
teenagers wearing Frankenstein masks. Cartoonist
Gahan Wilson tells a tale about that old
standby, the neighborhood kids and the local
"haunted" house. The best of the bunch is a
novella by Peter Straub. |
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Halloween:
Nightdance - 2012
by Stephan Hutchinson and Tim Seeley
This new mini-series will be released in
July of 2008 and is a continuation of John
Carpenter's Halloween story in new fiction.
Michael Myers returns! On October 31st, evil
descends on the small town of Russellville,
Illinois. A young girl named Lisa discovers that
a secret from her past has come back to haunt
her, and he's leaving a trail of bodies in his
wake! |
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The Halloween Man by Douglas Klegg - 1998
The plot of this novel is so complex and
multifaceted, it's not easy to summarize, but it
boils down to two narratives about two points in
time about the same young man, Stoney Crawford.
Thanks to Clegg's skillful interlacing of the
two narratives, when the life of 15-year-old
Stony climaxes, so does that of 27-year-old
Stony. The crux of both stories is a powerful
being of "divine evil" and "Azriel
Light"--perhaps a demon or simply a creature
like any other. |
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Ghost Writing: Haunted Tales by Contemporary
Writers
by Roger Weingarten - 2001
A collection of 21 ghost stories, most of
which are original to this book. You'll find
stories by T. Coraghessan Boyle, Robert Coover,
Louise Erdrich, Nicola Griffith, Peter Straub,
and John Updike. The settings seem to run often
to New England and the theme stretches to
include not only the traditional ghosts and
haunted houses but much more. |
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A Halloween Reader: Poems, Stories, And Plays
From Halloweens Past by Lesley Pratt Bannatyne
This author has provided Halloween folklore
enthusiasts, Halloween lovers, teachers, parents
and children, and avid readers a wonderful treat
with this book, a compilation of very old poems,
short stories, and play fragments about
Halloween, including all it's collective names.
Being a folklorist herself, she seems to write
about what she enjoys and creates an
entertaining book. |
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The Pagan
Mysteries of Halloween: Celebrating the Dark
Half of the Year
by Jean Markale
Though the name comes from the Christianized
"All Saints' Eve", Halloween can be traced back
thousands of years to Samhain--the beginning of
the "dark half" of the Celtic yearly calendar.
As a feasting and merrymaking festival, Samhain
lasted about three days, and attendance was
mandatory. This book is full of interesting
history! |
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Halloween: An American
History, An American Holiday
by Lesley Pratt Bannatyne
Halloween has evolved from the Celtic
celebrations of 2,000 years ago to become the
fastest-growing holiday in the country today.
This book covers All Hallow’s Eve, from its
beginnings to the present, examines the ancient
origins as well as its traditions and
celebrations, from costuming to bobbing for
apples. |
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Witch's
Halloween: A Complete Guide to the Magick,
Incantations, Recipes, Spells, and Lore by
Gerina Dunwich
You may think that Halloween is only about
ghosts, ghouls, and goblins. However, there is
much more behind this spooky holiday for Pagans
the world over. Halloween is a night for honoring ancestors,
celebrating the harvest, and ringing in the New
Year. Bestselling author and Wiccan high
priestess Gerina Dunwich dispels the myths of
this holiest of Pagan holidays. |
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Halloween: Romantic Art and Customs of
Yesteryear Postcard Book by Diane C. Arkins
An inexpensive look at Vintage Halloween
postcards used through the Victorian Era. It's a
wonderful way to spend some quality time
browsing by yourself or with your children. It's
a charming look at days gone by. |
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