I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
This story is dark, sinister, and very ambiguous. The characters and places they visit might not be as they seem. The descriptions throughout the book give off an eerie tone, and the small sections that include a mysterious phone call can be incredibly unnerving. You’re not given enough information to know the full story going on, whether it be tragic, or something more violent. So, it’s your job as the reader to piece together the missing links, and come to your own conclusion. What you find might not be what you expected all along.
There’s also a Netflix adaptation, but I recommend reading the book, as I thought the ending to the film was a lot less impactful, and just came across as being obtuse for no real reason other than to make an open-ended conclusion.
The Fisherman by John Langan
Like Lovecraftian horror? This might be what you’re looking for.
The Fisherman is a slow and haunting read. The subject matter is depressing to say the least. It’s about not coming to terms with loss, as two men with a similar passion for fishing, go to a remote creek to talk about their shared issue: being widowed.
Now, this is certainly not the main story of this book, as some people may be disappointed to find out. I certainly was, as this is not a modern day narrative about what’s described in the blurb. This is more about a small community of people who have to handle a very distressing situation, and then how this relates to the creek and the characters in the present, retelling this story. If you enjoy slow, richly described stories, then this will be a great read for Halloween.
Hell House by Richard Matheson
The haunted house genre has been around forever. If there’s a creepy looking house in a story, everyone knows that there is bound to go something wrong if a group of people venture into it at night. Hell House takes that concept and somehow makes it even more terrifying.
What happens if a ghost isn’t just a lost and trapped soul? What if that ghost is malicious and cruel in nature? You find this out when a new team of paranormal investigators visit Belasco House. What happened to the last group that took on the expedition? Mass death of the most disturbing kind. And with a long history of horrific events taking place in this particular house, it’s unlikely that everything will go as planned.
While some areas of the book could be a little too intense, I still think this is pretty much perfect for reading in October.
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
While the film adaptation was very popular, some people might not know that it was first a book. And what a creepy book it is, and also dripping in atmosphere, with the setting being an English Moor surrounded by a thick fog.
Isolated in the Eel Marsh House, the main character, Arthur, must hold on to his sanity as everything around him becomes intent on driving him crazy.
The Woman in Black is quite a short book, and shouldn’t take too long to read through, but it can surely leave an impression as the narrative of the book can get unnerving, especially with the backstory to the manor and what happened there before Arthur arrives to see his part in the horror through.
Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix
If you’re looking for a part comedy, part horror, then Horrorstör is that particular book that can blend the two seamlessly. What makes the book funny, is that the narrative takes place in an Ikea-like store. It’s called Orsk, and functions like a bland, soulless consumerist landing ground for middleclass America. Now, what makes the book scary is how the store functions, hosting weird and frightening depictions of a paranormal entity that can’t be defined.
What’s unique about this book is its presentation. It reads like an Ikea catalogue, which adds to the comedy. While I listened to the audiobook version, I might have to revisit the physical version, as I enjoy non-standard literature. However, even the audiobook includes strange segways that parody commercials. So, there’s fun to be had all round with Horrorstör.
