Five Frightening Forgotten Fictions for Halloween

All Hallows Eve is upon us once again. Time for a few reading recommendations so you can scare yourself silly this season. Here are five titles to shriek by:



The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg
A psychologically thrilling tale of a serial killer written in 1824. Hogg examines religion's, namely Calvinism, influence on an impressionable and fragile young mind.






The Other by Thomas Tryon
Identical yet diametrically opposed twins come of age in Connecticut in this horrifying debut from Thomas Tryon. A perfect read for this time of year.





Don't Look Now: Stories by Daphne du Maurier
In this exemplary collection of creepy stories which includes the title tale and The Birds (of Hitchcock fame), du Maurier displays her Gothic talents.



 We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Known primarily for her short story, The Lottery and the masterpiece of horror, The Haunting of Hill House, Jackson also penned this lesser known but, some might say, superior, darkly comic novel about two reclusive sisters and their family secrets which if revealed threaten their very existence.




Wieland or the Transformation by Charles  Brockden Brown
Considered the earliest work of Gothic Horror (first published in 1798) Wieland relates the terrifying story (based on a real incident) of a (once again) religiously confused and deeply troubled individual. It features disembodied voices, spontaneous combustion, and murder.