Happy Halloween, readers! Alongside our many celebrated series, SUP has published a number of books fitting the holiday, such as tracing the history of werewolf legends, examining the minds of killers and a psychiatrist with an unhealthy appetite, and deeply analyzing one of the most famous and iconic vampires of all time. That being said, this year, we wanted to know what really scares the SUP staff and put together a list of some of our recommended literary horror tales.
Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano
“Creepy” is the main descriptor for this one. When the protagonist visits a tiny island looking for answers about the death of her son, she finds an insular community obsessed with reliving a specific day from 1994, including wearing outdated clothing, using decades-old technology, and watching the same celebrity car chase on television every day. But what seems quirky on the surface is anything but, and a very sinister element weaves the narrative together. The community-wide participation of repeating the seemingly mundane events of a day, along with the risk of renaming warnings as superstitions, give the plot added tension. The story is a slow burn with an appropriate payoff that makes this a creepy read that sticks.
Heather Stauffer, Editor in Chief
Shutter by Ramona Emerson
I’m re-reading Ramona Emerson’s Shutter in anticipation of her second book, Exposure, both featuring forensic photographer Rita Todacheene. She’s revealing secrets others have killed to keep while keeping one of her own: she sees the ghosts of the people she’s photographing. As a Navajo, she knows she should avoid the dead, and as a professional, she knows she should just record the facts. But when she’s called to photograph a supposed suicide, the dead woman’s furious ghost demands justice for her murder by some of the most dangerous criminals in the city, and Rita finds herself sucked in by rage and fear. How far would you go for revenge, even at the risk of your own sanity?
Catherine Cocks, Director
The Black Spider by Jeremias Gotthelf and translated by Susan Bernofsky
I firmly believe horror stories are best encapsulated in novellas or short stories: enough time to build suspense and understand people’s motivations, but not enough time to get bored or lose the fear. Le Fanu and Jackson are masters at this, but I think Gotthelf’s The Black Spider is a delight in how it builds the terror within a seemingly idyllic and idealistic setting—folk horror at its best. The tale starts with the preparations for a wedding in a Swiss village and digresses into a family morality tale about the consequences of arrogance and fear of strangers. Or perhaps it’s the villagers’ godlessness and desire to toy with the devil that reveals the rot deep within?
Laura Fish, Acquisitions Editor
The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt and Tony DiTerlizzi
This is a beautifully illustrated book surely to stir up spooky vibes for ghouls of all ages. Based on Mary Howitt’s 1829 poem, it is about a trickster spider who tries to lure an innocent fly into his web using flattery and deceit. There are several editions of the book but the first edition hardcover from 2002 is my favorite.
Lynn Wilcox Design and Digital Assets Specialist
Kill Creek by Scott Thomas
I’m about halfway through this modern haunted house story that sees a pack of rival horror authors descend on a legendarily creepy midwestern mansion for a PR event that goes horribly wrong. I’ll admit to letting out a chuckle or two at some of the inside-baseball takes at the challenges of publishing and the pressures placed on authors. However, the real highlight here is Thomas’ ability to ground the narrative in the perspectives of a group of characters who know all too well how these kinds of stories usually go for the people trapped in them.
Jackson Adams, Promotions and Publicity Coordinator