Read a ghost story

A good ghost story needs very little: a quiet room, one lamp, and a writer who knows how to make you look at the dark corner. Short ghost stories are easy to finish in an evening, which makes them one of the cheapest and coziest things to do in October. This guide covers how to pick one and how to read it.

Choose a short ghost story

Short is better. A story you finish in one go keeps the mood going, and it’s easier to fit into a weeknight. Older ghost stories tend to be slow and atmospheric rather than gory, which is part of the appeal.

A few places to start:

• M. R. James. An English writer of quiet, creepy ghost stories. “Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad” is a famous one.
• Charles Dickens. “The Signal-Man” is a short, tense story about a man who works on a railway line.
• Edith Wharton. “Afterward” is a haunting story about a couple in an old house.
• Edgar Allan Poe. “The Fall of the House of Usher” is a gothic classic. It’s darker and more dramatic than most.
• Shirley Jackson. Her novel The Haunting of Hill House is a modern classic of the genre. It’s a full book, so it works as a longer read through the season.
• Henry James. “The Turn of the Screw” is a famous novella that leaves you unsure what really happened.

Many older stories are in the public domain and free online. You can also find collections in libraries, and one anthology can give you several evenings of reading.

Pick your night

Choose a quiet evening when nothing is on. It works best after dark, when the house is still and you aren’t in a rush. A windy or rainy night is a bonus. Turn off the television and put your phone on silent, face down.

Set the scene

1. Turn off the big light and switch on a single lamp, or light a candle.
2. Get a blanket and put it over your knees.
3. Make something warm: tea, hot chocolate or hot cider.
4. Sit somewhere comfortable, but not so comfortable that you fall asleep.
5. Start reading, and don’t check how many pages are left.

If you use a candle, keep it on a stable surface away from the blanket and curtains, and put it out when you finish. A battery candle is easier.

Read it slowly

Ghost stories are built on small details: a sound, a shape, a room that feels wrong. If you rush, you miss them. Slow down at the descriptions, and let yourself picture the place. Older writing uses long sentences and unfamiliar words, so keep a dictionary nearby or read it aloud to hear the rhythm.

Read it aloud, or with someone

Reading aloud is how these stories were often shared. Take turns reading a page each with a friend, or read the whole thing yourself while others listen. Lower your voice at the frightening parts, and pause before the ending. It makes the room feel different.

If it’s too scary

Most classic ghost stories are suspenseful rather than graphic, but if you get too scared, stop. Put on the lights and make a drink, or read something light for a bit. You can come back to it in daylight, which is a very good way to finish a story.

If you want something longer

A single short story is a good start, but a collection gives you the whole month. Choose an anthology of classic ghost stories and read one each night, or one each Sunday. Reading the same writer in order also helps you notice how they build a scare: usually by what they leave out. When you’ve finished, you’ll have your own favourite to recommend to someone.

After you finish

Write down a few thoughts: what scared you, what you liked about the writing and who you’d like to read it to. If you keep a notebook, that’s a good place. If you liked the story, find another by the same writer, and you’ll have your reading sorted for the rest of October.

Make it a fall evening

Pair it with something else spooky: a ghost tour gives you real stories from your own town, and a movie night is the group version of the same mood. Read the story first and talk about it with friends afterwards.