It's October. I have been running a 30 Days of Monster movies thread on my Twitter, Lovecraft 101 is in full swing, and I have been diving into some great short fiction. It seems I'm not the only one taking in the latter. Matthew Jackson, over at Blastr, has compiled a great list of short fiction to read in the days leading to Halloween.He has put together a list of 25 horror and weird fiction short stories that are all available online to read, for free! So grab a cup of tea, curl up on the couch and dive into some classic creepy tales.
(Note: If you are following along with Lovecraft 101, many of these stories will be mentioned, referred to, or even covered. So this is a great time to brush up on works written before, after, or during the time of Lovecraft, and a good introduction to some of the other authors in the field.)
Check out the list after the jump.
Bierce is one of the best known creepy story writers of the late 19th and early 20th century, and this story is one of his best, featuring a classic horror staple: creepy tapping from inside walls.
No Halloween would be complete with out a creepy Lovecraft tale, so enjoy this particular installment from his legendary Cthulhu Mythos.
Though Lovecraft is the undisputed creator of the Cthulhu Mythos, numerous horror writers -- many of them contemporaries of Lovecraft, have contributed to it over the years. This tale by Conan the Barbarian creator and legendary horror writer Robert E. Howard is one of the more significant contributions.
Chambers' book The King in Yellow is considered a classic of horror fiction, and this story is one of its essential parts.
Blackwood is considered one of the greatest ghost story writers of all time, so "this rather traditional haunted house tale is certainly worth a look.
Though you might not immediately think of horror when you think of Oates, she's capable of crafting some of the creepiest stories you will ever read, and this is just one example of dozens.
Though The Haunting of Hill House might be her most famous story by now, "The Lottery" remains one of Jackson's most widely-read (and haunting) scary stories.
This tale is one of many scary stories produced by Brite, but it's one of a select few that was acclaimed enough to be nominated for a coveted Bram Stoker Award.
The Dracula creator didn't just earn his horror cred by creating the most famous bloodsucker ever, as tales like this prove.
Le Fanu is considered one of the great Gothic writers of the 19th century. This Halloween, dig into one of his earliest stories for some thoroughly creepy fun.
Counselman might be one of the lesser-known spooky writers of the 20th Century, but her contributions to the legendary Weird Tales magazine -- including this story -- are certainly worth checking out.
Along with Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard, Smith was one of the most significant Weird Talescontributors of the early 20th Century, placing him in very esteemed horror company. He was also a friend and follower of Lovecraft's, and this story's cosmic qualities are certainly satisfying in a Lovecraftian way.
Though she's often best remembered now for her determination and involvement in the early feminist movement, Atherton was also capable of writing some really creepy stuff, as this story proves.
He's best known today for his early mystery novel The Woman in White, but Collins was also skilled in the art of the short story.
Dickens is not actually the sole author of this piece. He's the orchestrator, who collaborated with several other authors (including Wilkie Collins) to create a nice collection of spookiness, which makes it a very intriguing experience. There's even the classic Dickensian connection between ghosts and Christmas
Sherlock Holmes will always be his most famous creation, but Doyle was adept at spooky stories as well, including this one.
Though you might not know her name, Freeman was a very prolific and prominent author in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and her output included effective ghost stories like this one.
This story about a man who witnesses a devilish gathering in the woods is one of Hawthorne's most famous, and it's still very effective.
This tale of a man haunted by a supernatural presence was crafted by one of the most famous practitioners of the short story, and is certainly worth a read.
This creepy tale of monstrous machinery is one of Poe's most famous, and if you've never reader it, now might be the time.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde might be his most famous scary work, but it's not his only one. Check out this creepy tale for more of Stevenson's knack for horror.
James is still considered a master of the ghost story, and this tale is one of the best examples of why he deserves that title.
In this 2009 tale, the King of Horror revisits his iconic fictional town of Castle Rock for a story of marital strife and general creepiness.
This creepy tale by the acclaimed author of Ghost Story combines an enthusiasm for tourism with a tale of murder to create a terriying mix.
This story by the author of creepy novels like Swan Song is best known for its adaptation into a season one episode of the revived Twilight Zone series in the 1980s, but the original tale is certainly worth a read.
Originally posted on blastr.com. List composed by Matthew Jackson
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