Top 13 List of Halloween Horror Fiction Reads 

If you’re looking for Halloween scares inside your mind instead of inside a theater or haunted house, here are thirteen books to get you into the spooky spirit. I like these selections because all but one are short story collections or anthologies, so you get a lot of different variations on the Halloween theme. I think you may even discover a few modern classic Halloween tales in the mix. I know I did.

Another aspect of these books is the beauty of the cover art, so I listed the cover artists if they were credited. Legendary comic book artist Dan Brereton (a five-time Eisner Award nominee) and Lynne Hansen (who was selected by Bram Stoker’s great-grandnephew to create the cover for the 125th Anniversary Edition of Dracula) are among the talented artists creating the gorgeous cover art for the books on my list. Most of these covers would look perfect hanging as framed posters on any horror fan’s wall.

Anyway, I created the Top 13 List by ranking the books using a dual 13-point system (one for reviews and one for ratings via Amazon and Goodreads) for a maximum score of 26 points. For example, if a book was number one in reviews (13 points) but thirteenth in ratings (1 point), it received 14 points. I also used the ratings to break ties and to eliminate my personal bias. Also, Halloween had to be part of the title or subtitle to be eligible for the list. I linked all the titles to Amazon, and many of the books are free to read if you’re subscribed to Amazon Kindle.

As for the list itself, I think it’s a solid mix of veteran and indie authors. The big-name collections include Ronald Kelly and James A. Moore, who each have two titles in the Top 13, alongside a collection by Lucy A. Snyder. Two of the anthologies (Literally Dead and October Screams) are stacked (46 stories between them) with many well-known and talented horror authors represented.

Without further ado, here is my Top 13 List of Halloween Horror Fiction Reads.

1. The Halloween Store and Other Tales of All Hallows’ Eve (20 points)

Seven short stories and two nostalgic essays from Splatterpunk Award winner Ronald Kelly. Cover art by Zach McCain.

2. Literally Dead: Tales of Halloween Hauntings (16 points)

Edited by Gaby Triana, Literally Dead features 19 short stories from an all-star lineup of authors, including six-time Bram Stoker Award winner Lisa Morton, five-time winner Jonathan Maberry, and four-time winner Tim Waggoner. Cover art by Lynne Hansen.

3. This Is Halloween (16 points) 

Ten short stories by two-time Bram Stoker Award nominee James A. Moore. Cover art by Dan Brereton. 

4. Twisted tales of Halloween Horror (15 points)

Eleven scary stories curated by The Sisterhood of the Black Pen. Cover art by Faye Knightly.

5. Halloween Horrors: 13 Tales of Terror (15 points)

A baker’s dozen worth of spooky tales from Black Widow Press. 

6. October Screams: A Halloween Anthology (14 points)

Edited by Kenneth W. Cain, October Screams is packed with 27 short stories, including a new one by 2014 World Horror Grand Master recipient Brian Keene and Richard Chizmar (who co-authored Gwendy’s Button Box with Stephen King). Cover art by Matt Seff Barnes and Erik Ashley.

7. The Witch of Halloween House (14 points)

Author Jeff DeGordick tells the story of a dead witch’s curse in Book 1 of his series Halloween of Horrors. The sequel, The Witches of Halloween Haven, is set one year later.

8. October Blood: A Book of Halloween Horror (13 points)

Edited by Marcus Hawke who also created the cover, October Blood features 14 haunting tales.

9. Mister Glow-Bones and Other Halloween Tales (13 points)

Tennesse author Ronald Kelly’s second collection on the list, Mister Glow-Bones features 11 more short stories from the Splatterpunk Award winner. Covert art by Kelly.

10. Walking After Midnight: Tales for Halloween (13 points)

Evan Camby gives the spooky season a classic touch in her three-book series of short stories. 

11. Tales from Dark Places: The Halloween Collection (13 points)

The Indie Collaboration presents nine stories written by authors from California, Great Britain, and India. 

12. Halloween Season (11 points)

Five-time Bram Stoker Award winner Lucy A. Snyder reveals all the shades of the spooky season in her collection. Cover art by Lynne Hansen.

13. Halloween Nights: Tales of Autumn Fright (9 points)

Edited by James A. Moore (whose collection is ranked third on this list), Halloween Nights is another short story anthology with a top-notch cast of authors, including a collaboration by Bram Stoker Award winners Christopher Golden and Brian Keene, stories by Jeff Strand and V. Castro, as well as a Richard and Billy Chizmar selection. Cover art by Dan Brereton.