'Tis the season for spooky tales told in the dark. While we never need an excuse to read, Halloween is the ideal time to dig into a ghastly ghost story or a chilling true crime book. So, to celebrate the season, we've gathered some of the best scary short stories available to read for free—featuring fixtures of Mexican folklore and feminist vampires. These horror stories are best enjoyed with a fall-themed co*cktail in hand—to calm the nerves, of course.
From Angela Carter to Stephen King, these spine-tingling scary short stories are guaranteed to frighten you as much as the best Halloween movies out there. Finally, if you've got kids or squeamish teens, we've also included some family-friendly bedtime options, too.
1
"Lacrimosa," by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
La Llorona is a fixture of Mexican folklore. In this story, Silvia Moren0-Garcia—author of the horror novel Mexican Gothic—puts a modern twist on the age-old tale, by casting a homeless woman as the legendary La Llorona.
2
"The Left Right Game"
Adapted into a podcast in 2020, "The Left Right Game's" first incarnation was as a post on "No Sleep" subreddit, where users submit fictional stories often framed as urban legends. "The Left Right Game" quickly garnered a reputation as one of most elaborate, unexpected, and downright terrifying entries ever. It's about a supposedly harmless game, which can be played on any old suburban road.
3
"Selfies," by Lavie Tidhar
If you're looking for a small story that packs a big scare, check out this imaginative riff of a fixture of the modern age: the cellphone. A girl buys a smartphone that happens to have pictures that foretell her own doom.
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4
"Abraham's Boys," by Joe Hill
Joe Hill comes from horror pedigree: His father is the Stephen King. With this short story (and all of his novels), Hill shows his own distinct, but equally chilling, style. "Abraham's Boys" is about the sons of the Dutch vampire hunter, Professor Abraham Van Helsing—the sons have no idea who their father really was.
5
"All the Fabulous Beasts," by Priya Sharma
"Snakes are easy. It’s people that I don’t know how to charm," the narrator of this sneaky and unexpected story says, at one point—before the plot gets extremely gnarly (trust us, it will). "All the Fabulous Beasts" uses tropes of horror and metamorphosis to discuss trauma rooted in reality.
6
"Haunted," by Harris Tobias
Looking for a kid-friendly story to read around the campfire? We've got you covered with this charming short story about a house in Arkansas that's teeming with ghosts—but the friendly kind.
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7
"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been," by Joyce Carol Oates
Dread. That's the word that best describes this early short story from the legendary Joyce Carol Oates. Connie is a teenage girl at odds with her family, so she turns to the world for companionship. What she finds may be even worse.
8
"A Perfectly Normal Interview with Carmen Maria Machado Where Everything Is Fine"
Carmilla is a vampire novel first published in 1872, predating Dracula by two decades. In 2019, the acclaimed author Carmen Maria Machado edited a new edition of Carmilla. While promoting the book, Machado had quite an...unexpected interview with Electric Literature. It's best not to give away any details from the interview. Just be sure to read until the end—because frankly, this deliciously creepy Q&A is better than any vampire movie.
9
"The Lottery," by Shirley Jackson
FromThe Haunting of Hill House to We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Shirley Jackson made a career out of forging terrifying, but thought-provoking, tales. "The Lottery" is her most famous short story and a staple in school curricula—for good reason. Read what happens when a community perpetuates a twisted tradition.
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10
"The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains," by Neil Gaiman
If it's a Neil Gaiman story, you know you're in for an enchanting, magical, and yes—slightly creepy ride. This short story, in particular, begins with an extremely evocative opening; the kind that teases a story you'll read in one sitting. Follow along as our unnamed protagonist searches through dark caves to find what he's looking for, and encounter what he isn't.
11
"The Yellow Ranch," by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
Kali Fajardo-Anstine's short story follows a 20-something-year-old woman living in a remote desert house with a mind of its own—literally. While there are horrors in this story, they're not supernatural but an all-too-common kind.
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12
"The Doll," by Daphne DuMaurier
Rebecca author Daphne DuMaurier wrote "The Doll" when she was 20 years old. Then, it was lost for approximately 70 years, only resurfacing in 2010. The legend around "The Doll" is but an appetizer for the delightfully creepy story itself, which foreshadows DuMaurier's career as an author of unforgettable gothic fiction.
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13
"The Lady of the House of Love," by Angela Carter
If you are looking for a great gothic story about vampirism, look no further than "The Lady of the House of Love." This short from renowned author Angela Carter follows a female vampire queen on her quest to find her next victim.
14
"Patient Zero," by Tananarive Due
In "Patient Zero" we meet Jay, a little boy who has been in the hospital for a long, long time. In fact, Jay is not allowed to leave. But why are the doctors and nurses going to such lengths to keep Jay locked away, and who really is the danger? Tananarive Due asks these questions and more in this short, thrilling tale.
15
"Hello, Moto," by Nnedi Okorafor
"Hello, Moto" is a short story about three best friends, each in possession of a magical wig. While the wearers planned to use their powers for good, the tone of the story takes a sudden and abrupt shift when the wigs possess them.
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16
"His Face All Red," by Emily Carroll
Emily Carroll is known for her creepy, horror comics, and "His Face All Red" is one of her most popular pieces. The pacing is solid, atmosphere is chilling, and tale is top notch.
17
“Please Momma,” by Chesya Burke
From the very beginning of this haunting short story, one thing is clear: Momma is sick and her kids are suffering. But what is the cause of Momma's illness? The truth is terrifying.
18
"How to Get Back to the Forest," by Sofia Samatar
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19
"A Collapse of Horses," by Brian Everson
Brian Everson's "A Collapse of Horses"—for which an entire collection of stories was later named—isn't about gore or jump scares; instead, it follows an unreliable narrator through a confusing, post-traumatic time. A solid psychological thriller.
Elena Nicolaou
Elena Nicolaou is the former culture editor at Oprah Daily.
