It's Not Too Late: Spooky Short Stories You Can Squeeze in Today
I always feel as if there’s not simply enough time in October to squeeze in all the spooky reading I want to do. In fact, even extending my spooky season reading period to the beginning of September hasn’t helped much! Perhaps you’re the same and regret not packing in an extra book or two before Halloween. If so, never fear. Today I’m here with a list of short and spooky stories you can pick up and read in a single sitting so you can squeeze one or more in before the end of the day. I’ve included page counts, and even better, everything here is available instantly online for free!
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe
Around 30 pages, read for free at Poetry Foundation
Where better to start than with the master of the macabre? In fairness, nearly all of Poe’s extensive catalogue would fit onto this list as nearly everything he ever penned fits into the category of short and spooky, but The Raven is possibly his most well-known work and for good reason. It’s the epitome of spooky vibes, brilliantly paced and even better when read aloud. On that note, I’ll leave you with a link to my favourite telling of the poem (yes, outranking even The Simpsons’ fantastic take) read by John de Lancie. Even if you really don’t have the time to read anything tomorrow, take nine minutes out of your evening to sit and immerse yourself in this classically chilling tale.
The Price by Neil Gaiman
8 Pages, Read for free online
The Price is one of my all-time favourite short stories, although one I recommend with a trigger warning: if you love cats, this can be a difficult read. Reading more like an essay or a blog post than a traditional story, the narrator tells us about a stray black cat he and his family take in. The cat obtains more and more injuries every night and one evening, the narrator decides to stay up late with borrowed night vision goggles to try and get to the bottom of what is injuring the cat so badly. It’s a story with a chilling and heart-wrenching conclusion that will have you questioning what you would do in the narrator’s shoes.
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Around 30 pages, Read for free in The New Yorker and elsewhere online
If you prefer your horror a bit more Midsommar or Wicken Man-esque, then give The Lottery a try. Although set in the height of summer, it’s filled with truly sinister vibes perfect for Halloween as a community gathers for an unspecified purpose. Despite its short length, The Lottery does an incredible job of building up tension right until its very final line and leaves you in a state of shock no matter no how many times you read it.
The Signalman by Charles Dickens
Around 40 Pages, Read for free on Project Gutenberg
Another of my all-time favourite short stories, The Signalman is a haunting, gothic-style ghost story from Dickens. Told from the perspective of an unnamed narrator, we meet a railway signalman plagued by visions of ghosts that always precede terrible accidents on the line. A third vision has recently befallen him, and as he recounts his tale to the narrator, we begin to wonder what horror is awaiting next.
Creature Feature Collection on Amazon Prime Reading
Between 29 and 59 pages, Read for free with Amazon Prime
Please note a hefty trigger warning for miscarriage and child loss for The Pram by Joe Hill.
Creature Feature is a collection of six horror short stories released on Amazon Prime Reading in September 2023. Each one is penned by a well-known horror author with offerings from Grady Hendrix, Paul Tremblay, Joe Hill and others included in the mix. As with any short story collection, the quality varies but my favourites were The Pram by Joe Hill and Ankle Snatcher by Grady Hendrix. I’ve really been enjoying these Amazon Original collections and Creature Feature is no exception.