As we’re entering the Fall season, it’s time for cosy sweaters, rainy coffee dates, and spooky stories! Being a large gothic fiction enthusiast, I thought it would be fun to put together a list of my favourite novels and short stories to commemorate the start of the season. These all vary vastly in terms of length and spooky-level, so I hope you can find something you’ll enjoy reading 🙂
//House of Leaves// by Mark Z. Danielewski
This book is one of the most insane stories I’ve ever read. It is difficult to even give a summary, due to the layers and complexity of the entire novel. Not a single character is a reliable narrator, and the story is like a labyrinth that you have to make your way through. The book itself is a visual experience, with text turned upside down, footnotes, coloured text, and sometimes just blank pages (look it up if you want more examples). It is quite creepy at times, but it is more just mind boggling. While I highly recommend it, this book can be extremely dense and is a commitment. But I don’t think you’ll find many books like it out there.
//The Scorpio Races// by Maggie Stiefvater
//The Scorpio Races// is vastly different from //House of Leaves//, but it is still an excellent book. There are no thriller/horror aspects of this novel, and it follows a more fantasy-realism route. But the vibes are //immaculate//. It has excellent characters, excellent romance, excellent plot, excellent writing, excellent setting. The aesthetic is so rainy-fall-island-core. Also, man-eating horses.
//The Turn of the Screw// by Henry James
This novella genuinely unnerved me. I’m not even sure why, because plot wise, it isn’t too unique. There are ghosts and a creepy house (which is in every horror story ever) but something about James’s writing is really freaky. The suspense was crazy; there is a constant sense that something horrific is going to happen, and it puts you on edge throughout the entirety of reading. Also the ending is ambiguous (which I don’t always like) but in this case it works. You’re never quite sure what’s real and what’s not.
//Frankenstein// by Mary Shelley
I had to include it lmao. It’s definitely not my favourite of the novels in this list, as it can be very dense at times and I kind of slogged through bits. However, it’s a classic that you should definitely read it at least once. Especially around Halloween! There is so much media surrounding Frankenstein’s monster, and it’s really interesting to read the origin of it. It also delves into a lot of questions about humanity and morality which are really interesting in the context of the story. On top of that, there’s a new Frankenstein movie set to come out in 2025 which is currently being filmed in Edinburgh!
//The Tell-Tale Heart// by Edgar Allen Poe
I am obsessed with this story. It follows a man who is trying to prove to the reader that he is not insane, all while very much proving that he is, in fact, insane… all while murdering an innocent man. Poe does such an excellent job at capturing the narrator’s voice, and it is soo, so creepy. Also, it’s only 5 pages long! Easy peasy.
//The Willows// by Algernon Blackwood
This is another novella that freaked me out quite a bit. Like //The Turn of the Screw//, Blackwood utilises a growing sense of dread throughout the entire story as two travellers journey through a swamp and are ultimately trapped on an island. Blackwood personifies the swamp, making it monstrous and sinister in a way that I haven’t really seen before. While I didn’t love the ending to this story, the buildup is worth it. It’s not too long, but it’s a really fun read.
//The Shunned House// by H.P. Lovecraft
I am a huge fan of Lovecraftian horror, and //The Shunned House// is no exception. If you haven’t read or don’t know much about his particular style, it is almost found-footage-esque, except in writing. There are also some science fiction elements, delving into what is incomprehensible to the human mind, and overall it’s just really entertaining. //The Shunned House// focuses on a house (no way) which has drained the life out of its many occupants. It isn’t too long, and it’s entertaining enough that you can easily finish it in one sitting. It’s a good one to start with if you haven’t read a lot of Lovecraft before!
//Thrawn Janet// by Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson is a wonderful author, probably best known for //Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde// or //The Body Snatchers//. //Thrawn Janet// is less well known, but it is so creepy and good. If you took Sympathy for the Devil (EL30QA) last year, you may have read this already. It has possession and creepy old ladies and resurrection, and some of the imagery is beyond scary. However, keep in mind that the majority of this story is in Scots. If you aren’t familiar with Scots it may be a bit of a challenge (it took me quite a long time to read) but in my opinion it was worth it.
This is by no means a complete list, and I wish I had enough space to include every excellent novel/ short story out there. If you want some more stuff like this, you can check out //Classic Tales of Horror// which includes a lot of the stories mentioned, or //Horror Stories: Classic Tales from Hoffmann to Hodgson//.
Also, I didn’t include much crime, but if that’s more your jam then Agatha Christie’s //Autumn Chills// is a really fun collection for the season.
If you have any of your own spooky book recommendations, hit me up because I’m always looking for more gothic stuff.
I hope this list has helped get you in a cosy-Fall mood, and happy October! 🍂
