Ghoulies and ghosties, long-leggedy beasties, and things that go bump in the night. Curl up and enjoy some tasty Hallowe’en treats.
The Book of Hallowe’en by Ruth Edna Kelley, read by Sibella Denton. An account of the origin and history of Hallowe’en, illustrated by selections from ancient and modern poetry and prose.
The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde, read by David Barnes. An American family have bought an English stately home, complete with resident ghost – blood-stains, clanking chains and all.
Ghost Stories of an Antiquary by M.R. James, read by Peter Yearsley. James’s stories often use rural settings, with a quiet, scholarly protagonist getting caught up in the activities of supernatural forces.
Famous Modern Ghost Stories, compiled by Dorothy Scarborough, is an entertaining selection of stories, read by various readers. As the compiler wrote in 1921: “Life is so inconveniently complex nowadays, what with income taxes and other visitations of government, that it is hard for us to have the added risk of wraiths, but there’s no escaping.”
The Beetle by Richard Marsh certainly counts as being creepy enough for Hallowe’en: a story about a mysterious oriental figure who pursues a British politician to London, where he wreaks havoc with his powers of hypnosis and shape-shifting. Narrated from the perspectives of four characters, this is recorded by four different readers.
For a goodly helping of ghosts and witches, how can I possibly leave out the Librivox recording of Shakespeare’s Macbeth?
Nachtstücke von E.T.A. Hoffmann, gelesen von Rainer. Die “Nachtstücke” sind eine Sammlung von unheimlichen Geschichten, die der Romantik zuzuordnen sind.
Animal Ghosts by Elliott O’Donnell, read by Allyson Hester. Supposedly true stories of hauntings by many different kinds of creatures…
And now for a little non-fiction, though these are certainly long-leggedy beasties… The Life of the Spider by J. Henri Fabre, read by various readers.
And, if you finally want to get rid of all those ghouls and get to sleep, how about trying The Ghost Extinguisher by Gelett Burgess, a short story read by Gregg Margarite for one of our many collections of ghost and horror short stories?
