12 November 2024
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The boo-est of the best - by Alex Davis, Co-ordinator, Winter Haunts
Ah, yes, now here’s the sort of title that isn’t going to stir any sort of debate at all…
Ghost stories have been around for a long time, and while we might well consider their heyday to be the Victorian era, there’s a fine tradition of Edwardian tales and of course a huge modern pantheon in the field to consider too. To say there are literally thousands to choose from is no understatement, and the recent offerings are incredibly strong to boot.
And so, after much soul searching and gnashing of teeth, I have come up with my personal top five more recent ghost stories below. Yours may be a little different, or even wildly different, but these are the stories that have chilled me the most and left the longest lasting impression…
5) HORRORSTOR – GRADY HENDRIX
Why not start with something a little different? Grady Hendrix is a modern horror author with a keen eye for how to bring a different take to old classics, and Horrorstor is no different. At a glance in the bookshelf it looks like a furniture catalogue, which is no accident, as the story itself takes place in a Swedish-owned superstore named Orsk. It has plenty of moments of wry humour, and is effectively a haunted house story set inside a branch of Ikea – it’s a blast and a book quite unlike anything else on the list.
4) CASSANDRA KHAW – NOTHING BUT BLACKENED TEETH
Every now and then you read an author and you can’t help but feel utterly inadequate as a writer by comparison, and Khaw’s wonderfully lush prose just leaves me in awe every time. Nothing but Blackened Teeth is a relatively short book but packs a powerful punch nonetheless. It’s a pitch-perfect haunted house story, with interesting and flawed characters with tension bubbling between them that ultimately explodes into the dark and supernatural. This book absolutely carried me along all the way to its genuinely frightening conclusion, and I can’t recommend Khaw’s writings enough.
3) LAURA PURCELL – THE WHISPERING MUSE
While her excellent debut The Silent Companions may be her best-known book, and the one that cemented her place as one of most exciting ghost story writers today, Laura Purcell’s The Whispering Muse remains my favourite of her output thus far. As well as being a great supernatural tale, this is a wonderful exploration of art, obsession and dedication to a craft, with a cast of evocative and often eccentric characters. And if you’re a fan of theatre I’m sure this one will speak to you even more…
And of course it’s super exciting to have Laura involved in Winter Haunts this November!
2) THE REFORMATORY – TANANARIVE DUE
Due has long been known as one of the best horror authors around, and to see her career truly go from strength to strength has been great to see. But of all her books, The Reformatory is the one that left the deepest impression on me – perhaps because of Due’s own close connections to the story. Set in Jim Crow era America, the story sees young Robbie Stephens Jr. sent to Gracetown School for Boys – a place with past dark enough to match the horrors found there in the present day. This book picks up on so many wonderful themes and does what great ghost stories can do so well – leave a lasting emotional impact on a reader. I had to sit quietly for a while after finishing just to process this one..
1) RING – KOJI SUZUKI
I will stand by this – nothing has ever, ever frightened me like this book, not to mention the film that goes along with it. Ring is a superbly paced story that reveals things bit by bit, bringing something of a modern flavour to the old ghostly tropes. Japan has always had a long and exciting tradition of ghost stories, and Suzuki calls upon the idea of spiritual revenge wonderfully here. Ring for me is not just the best ghost story ever -modern or otherwise - but one of the best horror stories ever period. The fact I have never quite conjured up the courage to revisit it should tell you something on its own…
If your ghost story reading has got you in the mood to write your own, or find out more about some of the leading authors today, then WINTER HAUNTS 3 has you covered with stacks of workshops, interviews and panels coming your way on the 16th November! If you wanted to check out the line-up or grab your tickets, you can do so at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/winter-haunts-2024-tickets-998430531597