10-26-26 Kerry E.B. Black Binges Books!

I’ve reviewed many Halloween specific books over the years, so I thought I’d share some here, in case you’re on the hunt for a seasonal story. Have you read any of them? Will you be reading one of these, or do you have others you recommend? Please share in the comments if so, because you know - improve the TBR, and all!

End of Halloween by Greg Chapman

I enjoyed Greg Chapman’s novella-length collection of four thematic short stories, End of Halloween. 

In the first story, “Daughters of the Veil,” Sera tried to figure out a family secret while dealing with the grief of her twin sister’s suicide and her mother’s declining mental health. However, “The veil is always thinnest on All Hallow’s Eve,” and secrets can slip through.

“Octoberville” was my favorite of the stories. Tom Crane was driving home from a difficult business meeting, unhappy that he inevitably would miss his kid’s trick-or-treating, when something large and mysterious darted in front of his car. He wrecked, and so he walked the two miles to the town of Octoberville where everyone celebrated the holiday. Jack O’lanterns lined the highway, leading to the festive and decorated fiesta where “Beams of moonlight sliced through the wispy miasma like shards of cool glass.”

“Hell is always at its brightest in October…” when demon children celebrate with grisly trick-or-tricks with some infamous historical characters.

The final story is the rather nihilist “The End of Halloween.” Death personified reflects on what remains on the decimated earth. The spirits waiting to break through the veil have noone left to visit, and those who remain have a taste for the god with the scythe. He sadly reflects, “Samhain was meant to remind them of the importance of life, to empower them.” 

Despite a few editing errors, this is a solid collection of seasonal tales written by an author with an obvious love for Halloween. 

Halloween Fiend By C.V. Hunt

In the town of Strang, something stalks the streets at night, something that demands tribute, something with its own devilish sense of humor. The locals don’t want word to spread about their strange, shape-shifting creature dubbed Halloween. Instead, they host a yearly lottery (Ala Shirley Jackson’s EXCELLENT “Lottery”) to decide who among them will be Halloween’s special guest on All Hallow’s Eve.

The story follows the protagonist through the nightly rituals and lead up to the festival. He lost his mother to the beast years before and wishes to find a way to stop the monstrosity. As the festival looms, he plays host to two outsiders, the carnival ride operators.

C.V. Hunt took an interesting idea and made an atmospheric novella about Halloween every day.

Halloween Land by Kevin J. Kennedy

A mysterious Halloween-themed carnival shows up on an abandoned pier outside of town in Kevin J. Kennedy’s 2021 novella Halloween Land. Teen Halloween enthusiasts plan their costumes and venture to the carnival together as a new couple. A fortune teller and a beautiful clown foreshadow something amiss. In the tunnel of terror, a shift of sorts happens. Pumpkin-headed adversaries attack, and the couple fights their way to reality. On 1 November, nobody in the town except the couple remembers the carnival, and at least two of the townsfolk are missing. Years later, when the couple has split, each dealing with the stress and memories in their own way, Halloween Land returns, reuniting the would-be lovers for a battle against the sinister Samhain and his carnie terrors.

After its epilogue is a poem by the author about Halloween Land and several pen and inks of characters from the tale created by Mar Garcia. 

Mr. Glow Bones by Ronald Kelly

Looking for something fun to read this Halloween? Ronald Kelly’s Mr. Glow-Bones and Other Halloween Tales provides nostalgic Halloween tales and ends with a few personal essays. The collection published in 2014 by Crossroads Press boasts black and white illustrations to give a quick glimpse into its story, beginning with the title tale. In its 121 pages, decorations come to life, mischief goes dangerously awry, and organs are rearranged. Kelly explores revenge, harvest kisses, ashy graves as well as his personal experiences with the black and orange day. 

Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge

Every Halloween recommended reading list I’ve seen suggests Norman Partridge’s Stoker and World Fantasy award-winning novella, Dark Harvest. Its distinctive cover features the October Boy, an animated, pumpkin-headed being with candy for innards. This slim volume tells of the 1963 enactment of an annual event in a “controlled” little town filled with secrets and a corrupt police force. Young boys gear up to face The October Boy. They’re starved for days beforehand, too. During this year, a few things are different. For one thing, a girl is participating in the deadly game. For another, new weapons are used. But most important of all, one young man learns the town’s secret. Told in a startling 2nd person POV, directly addressing the reader, this book has a conversational quality mixed in with the horrors which makes an unusual reading experience. *This was adapted for film, too. 

Johnny Halloween: Tales of the Dark Season by Norman Partridge

Norman Partridge serves up six delicious, blood-dripping stories and a moving personal essay for spooky season with his collection Johnny Halloween: Tales of the Dark Season. The atmospheric stories conjure autumn leaves and ripe apple orchards, buckets of white roses and full-sized boxes of Crackerjacks (with prize inside!) My favorite of the collected short stories was “Satan’s Army” which brought back the Satanic Panic in an insidious way, though it was a treat to revisit the land of the author’s “Dark Harvest.” This nostalgic group of flash fiction/short stories are perfectly bite sized treats to put readers in the mood for Halloween.

It Came From the Pumpkin Patch by Heinicke and Reedwood

For lots of pumpkin zombies and Ratzilla hijinx in an overrun little town, check out It Came From the Pumpkin Patch by Chris Heinicke and Kathryn Reedwood. This 2024 KC Stories publication leans heavily on camp while retaining its heart. The action begins with the Harvest Creek Harvest Festival, a huge deal to the inhabitants. Even pumpkin-hating Timmy is intrigued when his cute neighbor becomes involved. His mom is determined to win the baking competition with all things pumpkin, and for that, she requires the best gourds. The nearby, secretive research laboratory has some gorgeous ones growing from suspiciously dark and vile vines, which she puts to good use in pies and chili. However, the plants are part of an experiment. They corrupt. Soon, the town faces hybrid plant zombies, and a determined group of teens and the scientist to blame fight back.

Halloween Season by Lucy A. Snyder 

Another fine collection of Halloween stories is Halloween Season by Lucy A. Snyder published through Raw Dog Screaming Press in 2020. The collection starts with a creepy flash fiction, “Beggar’s Night,” with a grim slip in reality. Fourteen tales, with a warning for a rating change for the last two, included my favorite of them,  “Visions of the Dream Witch” with a dark tale of swamp magic combating an esoteric foe. Cosmic horror and speculative scares await!

The Samhanach and Other Halloween Treats by Lisa Morton

For a seasonal treat, dive into The Samhanach and Other Halloween Treats, a marvelous book which contains four novellas and ten short stories written by The Queen of Halloween herself, Lisa Morton. Authentic Irish Sidh, the trickster Jack, a crossroads demon, hungry forests, devilish days, and haunting nights make for the best and most frightening sorts of Halloween. Each piece in this collection creates a marvelous, autumnal mosaic. I look forward to re-reading this magical book every Halloween! 

Trick Or Treat: A History of Halloween by Lisa Morton is over 230 non-fiction pages presented as though the reader’s across a table with a knowledgeable and enthusiastic friend. The exploration begins with a brief history and from there dives into the culture that’s grown up around the spooky fun of autumn’s quintessential experience. From there, the book introduces Halloween’s spiritual siblings, such as Dia de los Muertos, St. Martin’s Day, All Saints, and All Soul’s Day. Interesting and insightful, this is a pleasure to read.

Haunted Eve: Four Halloween Frights by Lisa Morton

As a treat for reading her already interesting and entertaining newsletter, Lisa Morton offered a free copy of Haunted Eve: Four Halloween Frights. This is divided into three sections, past, present, and future. In the past, a young woman and her brother embroiled in the Civil War conjure a fetch - and something else - and friends encounter something that rolled in with the Dust Bowl.  In the present, a downtrodden lad embraces the darkest aspects of the season, while in the future, a new app sweeps the nation. 

So, if you don’t follow Lisa Morton, the Halloween Expert and award-winning storyteller, why on earth aren’t you? 

Walking After Midnight: Tales for Halloween by Evan Camby

To get into the Halloween state of mind, I picked up Evan Camby’s collection of six short stories, Walking After Midnight. In it, I met the “Hat Man,” a spooky archetype fixated on a young woman, went on a fateful family “Hayride,” traveled with newlyweds who escaped what promised to be a terrible experience in “A Good Samaritan,” went “Walking After Midnight,” “Into the Abyss,” and finally settled in to enjoy a woman’s favorite holiday despite having no trick or treaters, until she did, in “Trick & Treat.” It’s a quick and fun collection!

Walking After Midnight: Tales for Halloween Part III by Evan Camby

I wanted to get a jump into the Halloween spirit as I welcomed the first ‘ber month, so I picked up an e-copy of Evan Camby’s Walking After Midnight: Tales for Halloween III. (I somehow missed II, which I will have to amend some time.) The first story seems like the introduction of a couple of paranormal investigators with more stories to tell. Next up is a dad trying to give his kids a trick or treat night they’ll never forget, even though the coolest house in the neighborhood neglected their customary decorative spread. A lighthouse, Fantasy Fest in Florida in the mid-1970’s, and a hanged pirate’s curse, and a new lighthouse keeper populate the third tale. Threaded through the stories are pop culture references, such as the sea shanty from Jaws, quotes from “American Psycho,” and carpeting from Stephen King’s Overlook Hotel. The next story tells of a late-night showing of a certain George Romero film in an old-timey movie theater.  Travel back in time for the next story to the early 1700’s. Hallowtide tells of three generations. As the title suggests, Evan has two previous Halloween collections available as well.

Old Dark Houses: A Halloween Novel by Tylor James

Tylor James’ novel Old Dark Houses: A Halloween Novel is lush, descriptive, and dripping in hauntings. Three old, dark houses, neglected but important pieces of the history of the town of Sweet Hollow, are slated for destruction. However, the spirit of these places have other plans. This novel alternates from nostalgic and almost Bradburian to action that would translate into a kick-butt video game (rated M for gore and violence.) The characters are interesting. The scenery evocative of perfect autumns, and the outcome not quite happily ever after. Throughout the story, beautiful art plates by Luke Spooner accentuate the action.

 “A voice of dead leaves crinkled in the air, then fell to the ground amidst a detritus of chocolate wrappers, cracked plastic masks, and

discarded candy bags.”

As a bonus, the novel tags on thematic short stories. 

“There Shall Be Fish and Gold in Innsmouth” is something of a coming of age tale, with a Lovecraftian twist. It is set during Halloween, and this reader wonders if the action is taking place at the same time as the Old Dark Houses seizing Sweet Hollow’s youth. 

“When Halloween Came to Egypt” invokes the dusty crypts and hieroglyphics, intrepid explorers, and old gods the name implies. 

“Halloween Night in Sweet Hollow, 1935” takes us back to Sweet Hollow where costumed children are heard and seen.

What a perfect collection for the spooky season - or any time a reader wants to feel the chill of winter sneaking through desiccated autumn leaves.

Stitchface by Dr. Stuart Knott

Channeling his obvious love for the horror genre, Dr. Stuart Knott creates a psychopathic murderer in his novella Stitchface. 

Jenny doesn’t celebrate Halloween, not after her childhood encounter with the grisly boogeyman, Stitchface. She doesn’t allow her small daughter to celebrate it, either. Nor does she tell her child of the sing-songy Stitchface rhyme that threads through her waking thoughts and harries her nightmares. However, the little girl learns of trick-or-treats and the rhyme at school. She surprises her mam with a drawing of the fiend, and Jenny’s husband stiff-arms her into taking the child out for tricks and treats, dressed - no less - in a look-alike scarecrow outfit, one fateful Halloween. (By the way, I hated the husband for Jenny. Miserable so-and-so…) The dream or remembered sequences are told with a visceral immediacy. And the conclusion felt as blood-drenched as any ‘80’s horror film.

Speaking of which, this Stitchface reminded me quite a lot of Halloween. I believe that was by design. (I believe the lead character’s last name is even Carpenter!) However, Dr. Knott takes the ending and turns it on its ear (which reminded me of a different horror film, but I’ll not name it because - SPOILERS!) However, Stitchface populates the lead character with all of the PTSD, Survivor’s Guilt, and the like that you’d expect from a Final Girl, and the ending is straight from a psychology book.

We Bleed Orange and Black written by Jeff C. Carter

When I heard Jeff C. Carter put together a Halloween gift of thirty-one of his stories to take the edge off what has been a challenging year, I jumped at the opportunity. The collection even has 10 stories suitable for younger readers. 

The book starts off strong and includes an excerpt from Mr. Carter’s upcoming novel, “The Year without a Halloween.” In this book, some kids refuse to let go of their favorite holiday when it is cancelled. Although the “Candy Club” finds their Halloween cancelled because of an unusual autumn blizzard, the story provides a sort of mirror into the difficulties many communities face this ridiculous 2020.  

One of my favorite stories in the We Bleed Orange and Black collection was “Working the Roots of Pumpkins,” but with 31 tales from which to choose, I am sure there’s something for everyone. Two of the tales (“Nearby Incidents” & “Anonymous IRL”)  are linked by a common happening, a grisly serial killer in the neighborhood, and use horrors of the modern internet to produce scares. There are several unusual offerings, too, including one that begins each sentence of a flash fiction alphabetically. There are directions to keep your jack-o-lantern alive longer and ways to prepare your body for death. There are nods to ancient beliefs and folk stories. In 31-derful ways, Mr. Carter shares his love of the spooky season. 

Twisted Tales of Halloween Horror anthology

Checked out The Sisterhood of the Black Pen’s Twisted Tales of Halloween Horror and found 11 short stories of holiday hijinx. Some put the spice in the pumpkin. Others delivered chills that kicked up colored leaves and whispered of thinned veils between the worlds of the living and the dead. My favorite of the stories was “Betwixt and Between Bill” by Dana Monaghan, which retells the legend of Stingy Jack, but this adaptation features a cool gram, her capable granddaughter, and reminds all to carve their jack o'lanterns, be they pumpkin or turnip. 

Kerry E.B. Black, author of two paranormal thrillers (Awakening at Equinox and Spring of Spirits), four collections of short scares (Herd of Nightmares, Carousel of Nightmares, Nightmares on Holidays, and Fairy Herds and Mythscapes), two poetry collections (Poetic Nightmares and Witches in the Air) and a pseudo-historical novella (Wolves at Bay) is a member of the HWA, wishes she could read all of the books that catch her attention with the goal of reviewing those she enjoys. Please follow her social media, including her website https://www.KerryEBBlack.com