31 Classic Horror Stories Every Fan Should Read in October: A Literary Advent Calender for Halloween

Why should Christmas have all the fun? Oldstyle Tales proudly presents a literary advent calendar for your favorite season. Each day has a writer along with the best known work and a link to a lesser known, deeply Halloweenish story that we recommend. And hey, if you're ambitious try reading the masterpiece AND the lesser known story. But be warned: reading 62 horror stories by masters like these can have adverse side effects on your mental health -- so beware!

October 1 – H. G. WELLS.

(You can find our annotated, illustrated collection of his best horror fiction here!)

Known for “The Red Room.”

This year read “The Magic Shop.”

(Click the underlined links to read the stories!)

October 2 – E. F. BENSON.

Known for “The Bus Conductor.”

This year read “The Other Bed.”

October 3 – ROBERT W. CHAMBERS.

(You can find our annotated, illustrated collection of his best horror fiction here!)

Known for “The Yellow Sign.”

This year read “The Messenger.”

October 4 – ALGERNON BLACKWOOD.

(You can find our annotated, illustrated collection of his best horror fiction here!)

Known for “The Willows.”

This year read “The Kit-Bag”

October 5 – BERNARD CAPES.

Known for "An Eddy on the Floor."

This year read "The Thing in the Forest."

***

October 6 – WILLIAM HOPE HODGSON.

(You can find our annotated, illustrated collection of his best horror fiction here!)

Known for “The Voice in the Night.”

This year read “The Whistling Room.”

October 7 – RALPH ADAMS CRAM.

Known for “The Dead Valley.”

This year read “No. 252 Rue M. Le Prince.”

October 8 – W. W. JACOBS.

(You can find our annotated, illustrated collection of his best horror fiction here!)

Known for “The Monkey’s Paw.”

This year read “The Toll-House.”

October 9 – H. P. LOVECRAFT.

Known for “The Call of Cthulhu.”

This year read “The Curse of Yig.”

October 10 – M. R. JAMES.

Known for “Oh Whistle, and I’ll Come…”

This year read “Wailing Well.”

***

October 11 – FITZ-JAMES O'BRIEN.

(You can find our annotated, illustrated collection of his best horror fiction here!)

Known for “What Was It?”

This year read “The Lost Room.”

October 12 – OLIVER ONIONS.

Known for “The Beckoning Fair One.”

This year read “The Cigarette Case.”

October 13 – EDGAR ALLAN POE.

(You can find our annotated, illustrated collection of his best horror fiction here!)

Known for “Fall of the House of Usher.”

This year read “Berenice.”

October 14 – BRAM STOKER.

(You can find our annotated, illustrated collection of his best horror fiction here!)

Known for “Dracula.”

This year read “The Squaw.”

October 15 – F. MARION CRAWFORD.

(You can find our annotated, illustrated collection of his best horror fiction here!)

Known for “The Upper Berth.”

This year read “For the Blood is the Life.”

***

October 16 – RUDYARD KIPLING.

Known for “The Phantom Rickshaw.”

This year read “At the End of the Passage.”

October 17 – GUY DE MAUPASSANT.

(You can find our annotated, illustrated collection of his best horror fiction here!)

Known for “The Horla.”

This year read “The Spectre.”

October 18 – J. SHERIDAN LE FANU.

(You can find our annotated, illustrated collection of his best horror fiction here!)

Known for “Carmilla.”

Read “Strange Disturbances in Aungier St.”

October 19 – WASHINGTON IRVING.

(You can find our annotated, illustrated collection of his best horror fiction here!)

Known for “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

Read “Guests from Gibbet Island.”

October 20 – ARTHUR MACHEN.

(You can find our annotated, illustrated collection of his best horror fiction here!)

Known for “The Great God Pan.”

This year read “The White Powder.”

***

October 21 – HENRY JAMES.

(You can find our annotated, illustrated collection of his best horror fiction here!)

Known for “The Turn of the Scew.”

This year read “The Ghostly Rental.”

October 22 – E. NESBIT.

(You can find our annotated, illustrated collection of her best horror fiction here!)

Known for “Man-Size in Marble.”

This year read “The Power of Darkness.”

October 23 – EDITH WHARTON.

Known for “Afterward.”

This year read “The Lady’s Maid’s Bell.”

October 24 – ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.

(You can find our annotated, illustrated collection of his best horror fiction here!)

Known for “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.”

This year read “Thrawn Janet.”

October 24 – MARY SHELLEY.

(You can find our annotated, illustrated edition of Frankenstein here!)

Known for “Frankenstein.”

This year read “Transformation.”

***

October 26 – RHODA BROUGHTON.

Known for “The Man with the Nose.”

This year read “...Nothing But the Truth.”

October 27 – ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE.

(You can find our annotated, illustrated collection of his best horror fiction here!)

Known for “Lot No. 249.”

This year read “John Barrington Cowles.”

October 28 – CHARLES DICKENS.

(You can find our annotated, illustrated collection of his best horror fiction here!)

Known for “The Signal-Man.”

This year read “To Be Read at Dusk.”

October 29 – AMELIA B. EDWARDS.

Known for “The Phantom Coach.”

This year read “Was It an Illusion”?

October 30 – MRS. OLIPHANT.

Known for “The Open Door.”

This year read “The Library Window.”

OCTOBER 31 – AMBROSE BIERCE.

(You can find our annotated, illustrated collection of his best horror fiction here!)

Known for “The Death of Halpin Frayser.”

This year read “The Spook House.”

***

SAFE READING TO YOU!

AND A VERY HAPPY HALLOWE'EN...

#holidays #halloween