Six stories for Halloween

Last year I wrote a column titled “The Seven Books That Changed My Life.” The column was not hard to write as books come easy to me, so I was mildly surprised when I began receiving feedback from students and administrators about my list and their own dream roster.

This year, I’ve decided to switch it up—stories instead of novels and, since we’re nearing Halloween, why not play around with really messed up stuff? These stories are scary, but not necessarily in the traditional, grab-your-crucifix type of way. So, no monsters (except for the human kind). And if you like the short stories and want something longer, I’ve listed some novels that are similar in theme and style.

1) “A Romantic Weekend” by Mary Gaitskill. She has been hailed as the “downtown princess of darkness” and the “queen of kink,” so this story is the perfect introduction to her collective work. A woman named Beth decides to go on a romantic vacation with a man who is married. The trip gets twisted when Beth does not listen to her fight-or-flight instinct and lives out a series of S&M fantasies with the man all in the name of “love.” Best Line: “Why do you think I was so rough back there? Deep down, I’m afraid I’ll fall in love with you, that I’ll need to be with you and f-—k you... forever.” Novel: “Veronica” by Mary Gaitskill.

2) “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates. She is perhaps the most prolific writer of all time (publishing an average of two novels and two short story collections every year). This story, which Oates dedicated to Bob Dylan, has been a staple of short story collections for decades. In it, a teenage girl named Connie captures the attention of a dangerous stranger. The story ends with a showdown in front of Connie’s house and will leave you checking all your doors and windows. Best Line: “Yes. I’m your lover. You don’t know what that is but you will.” Novel: “The Trial” by Franz Kafka.

3) “Stab” by Chris Adrian. Recently picked by The New Yorker magazine as one of the 20 best writers under 40, Adrian’s style is often dark and surreal. In this story, the narrator befriends Molly Matthews, a recent transplant to his small town. After discovering that Molly is responsible for the recent string of murdered animals, he watches her obsession evolve. Best Line: “She had a tendency to oppress the other children in our class with her formidable vocabulary.” Novel: “The Wasp Factory” by Iain Banks.

4) “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. First published in The New Yorker in 1948, the story was so poorly received that many readers canceled their subscriptions and wrote hate mail for months after. Describing the brutal annual ritual of a small American town, the story points to the general inhumanity of everyday people. Best Line: “It isn’t fair, it isn’t right.” Novel: “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding.

5) “Last Night” by James Salter. Walter Such’s wife Marit is dying of cancer and she convinces him to assist her in ending her life with a morphine overdose. On her last night alive, she invites a young female family friend to dinner. But the relationships in this story are not what they seem and Walter’s affair with the family friend reveals itself to the reader. I won’t ruin the disgusting denouement but let’s just say the title of the story is ironic and cruel. Best Line: “She had a face now that was for the afterlife and those she would meet there.” Novel: “Ethan Frome” by Edith Wharton.

6) “The Red Bow” by George Saunders. In this story, which won the National Magazine Award in 2003, a town becomes consumed by pet-killing hysteria after a little girl is attacked by a dog. The anger the townspeople feel is expressed through mob violence, so it’s easy to see how this book could be read as an allegory. While Saunders’s fiction is often riddled with hilarious one-liners and ironic turns-of-phrase, this one is appropriately somber and becomes increasingly horrific. Best Line: “Kill every dog, every cat, she said very slowly. Kill every mouse, every bird. Kill every fish. Anyone objects, kill them too.” Novel: “The Plague” by Albert Camus.