Here at American Short Fiction, we’re split down the middle regarding our feelings for Halloween. Some of us want to get into costume, but just as many want to go into hiding. Thankfully, one thing we can all agree on is that we enjoy a good horror story. Below, in alphabetical order, are our staff’s picks for our favorite stories that scare us, haunt us, or make us feel exceedingly uncomfortable. And with that in mind: enjoy!
1. “The Rememberer“– Aimee Bender
2. “The Beginnings of Sorrow”– Pinckney Benedict
3. “The Bloody Chamber”– Angela Carter
4. “Fugue State”– Brian Evenson
5. “A Rose for Emily“– William Faulkner
6. “The Lottery“– Shirley Jackson
7. “The Monkey’s Paw“– W.W. Jacobs
8. The Turn of the Screw— Henry James
9. “Monkey Shines”– Stephen King
10. “1408”– Stephen King
11. “The Cottage on the Hill“– J. Robert Lennon
12. “Some Zombie Contingency Plans“– Kelly Link
13. “The Colour Out of Space“– H.P. Lovecraft
14. “Before I Offer Myself to the Birdmen”– Alexander Lumans
15. “The Dark Arts“– Ben Marcus
16. “The Terror“– Guy de Maupassant
17. “The Sisterhood of Night”– Steven Millhauser
18. “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been“– Joyce Carol Oates
19. “The Tell-Tale Heart“– Edgar Allan Poe
20. “The Masque of the Red Death“– Edgar Allan Poe
21. “The Black Cat“– Edgar Allan Poe