Did you know that Halloween has roots in the ancient festival of Samhain? This Celtic festival celebrated the end of harvest season, when the boundary between our world and the Otherworld were believed to be more easily crossed.

Once the celebration entered Colonial America, the holiday took on a new life, featuring the telling of ghost stories and the practice of dressing up in costumes. By the 1800s, Americans began celebrating the holiday as more of a community get-together, losing most of its superstitious and pagan overtones and adding the “trick-or-treat” tradition we know and love today. The holiday has certainly changed a lot over the years.

In the age of COVID-19, Halloween celebrations might look a little different again, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with the holiday. At SparkPress, we’re celebrating by sharing a list of eight spooky stories spanning three centuries for you to dive into. Grab a bag of your favorite Halloween candy and choose a story to get into the Halloween mood!

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow“ by Washington Irving (1820)

Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is one of the earliest surviving American fiction pieces we have. The short story is a staple during Halloween because of its character known as the Headless Horseman, a soldier who was decapitated in battle.

The short story takes place in a haunted glen known as Sleepy Hollow and follows a Connecticut schoolmaster named Ichabod Crane who wants to marry Katrina Van Tassel for her family’s money. When his proposal plans fail, Ichabod rides his horse named Gunpowder through the haunted woods where he meets a troubling end.

To listen to the story, click here.

“The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe (1843)

In classic Edgar Allan Poe fashion, this story is told from an unreliable first-person narrator. The narrator is a condemned man explaining the events that led up to his imprisonment, including his encounters with a black cat that seems to have a supernatural hold on his actions. With mysterious fires, hangings, a stalking cat, an axe murderer, and witchlike behavior, this short story is sure to make you tremble.

To listen to the story, click here.

“The Yellow Wallpaper”  by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1892)

Many readers interpret this short story as a biting critique of the male-dominated medical institution of the time, making it an important icon in American feminism. The story is a collection of diary entries from a woman experiencing “the rest cure” treatment for her mental wellbeing, in which she is forbidden from working or writing. The narrator begins to hallucinate women hiding behind the yellow wallpaper of her bedroom, and her mind unravels from there. If you enjoy this gothic tale, be sure to check out the author’s essay, “Why I Wrote ‘The Yellow Wallpaper.’”

To listen to the story, click here.

“The Lottery”  by Shirley Jackson (1948)

This famous short story takes place in a fictional town that observes an annual tradition called “the lottery” that community members believe ensures the town’s wellbeing. The town members explain, “Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon . . . There’s always been a lottery.” As the story progresses, the reader begins to piece together Jackson’s clever clues and understand the horrifying side to this age-old tradition.

We don’t want to give away any spoilers, but we will say that the themes in the short story are so disturbing that The New Yorker, which published “The Lottery,” received loads of hate mail and several readers cancelled their subscriptions because of this short story. Though the tale begins with a very realistic atmosphere, the ending feels as dark and terrifying as any other horror story on this list.

To listen to the story, click here.

“The Rats in the Walls” by H. P. Lovecraft (1924)

Following the death of his only son in World War I, Delapore moves into Exham Priory, his ancestral estate filled with moss, bats, and cobwebs. Nearby residents hate the idea of restoring the estate and circulate disturbing stories about Delapore’s family being responsible for the mysterious disappearance of villagers throughout the years.

As the narrator settles into his new home, he uncovers some frightening family secrets, including a hidden underground cellar, cannibalism—and lots and lots of scurrying rats in the walls.

To listen to the story, click here.

“Lamb to the Slaughter“ by Roald Dahl (1953)

You’re probably familiar with Roald Dahl’s kindhearted children’s books such as Matilda or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, so you might be surprised to learn that he also wrote dark and twisted stories for adults.

His “Lamb to the Slaughter” is one such story and follows Mary Maloney, a devoted housewife with a baby on the way. However, her sweet, friendly demeanor quickly disappears when her husband comes home with upsetting news, and the tale takes a quick turn toward horror and ends with dark humor as the policemen eat the murder weapon they search for throughout the story.

To listen to the story, click here.

“Where Are You Going? Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates (1966)

This fictional short story was inspired by Charles Schmid’s three Tucson, Arizona murders. The narrative follows Connie, a beautiful, rebellious teen who likes to flirt with boys at restaurant in town after school. On one of these outings, she catches the eye of a stranger named Arnold Friend who claims he is eighteen years old. Later, Friend shows up to Connie’s house when she is alone. Although she is initially flattered by his attention, Friend becomes increasingly forceful and threatening as Connie begins to recognize the danger she is in.

To listen to the story, click here.

“Jade, Blood” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (2017)

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the acclaimed author of Gods of Jade and Shadow and her recent horror novel, Mexican Gothic. In “Jade, Blood,” we meet a bored nun living in an isolated convent who discovers a waterhole that had once been a sacred Mayan cenote where people tossed weapons, jewelry, and people to honor the gods. The discovery of this cenote seems to bring the nun to life, but the ancient powers of the waterhole soon turn sinister.

To listen to the story, click here.