Halloween Reads or; Spook Books

World War Z by Max Brooks

• New York Times Best Seller
• “The Book is Better Than the Movie” Hall of Famer
• Fully Realized Alternate Reality
• Oral History Style Storytelling Device
• Break glass incase of Zombie Apocalypse
• Personal Annual Re-Read
• Birthed from another Mel
• Easily segmented reading sections
• Killer Audiobook

This one holds a special place in my heart. Not only was it the book that I considered my FAVORITE for many years, it was also written by the son of one of the few unproblematic famous Mels, Mel Brooks. His son, Max Brooks, may not be on as big of a stage, but he does have a wealth of talent all his own. This book was one of the accelerants of the 2000s zombie boom. Along with Dawn of the Dead, The Walking Dead (The Graphic Novel and the show), 28 Days Later, and who could forget Shawn of the Dead. Not to mention [insert one of hundreds (Thousands?) of other examples]. WWZ’s predecessor, The Zombie Survival Guide, was sold in the humor section of Hastings but was presented with (un)deadly seriousness. This concept was blown out into an alternate reality in which a guide to Zombie Survival could possibly be created. The basic concept is that the author works for the UN and was directed to compile a statistical record of the Zombie War for posterity. The resultant book is made up of the stories unintentionally collected by the author while interviewing the survivors and architects of the post-zombie world for his report. It’s not just one story, but dozens. It goes into the biological mechanisms that cause zombie-ism, how it can proliferate, the time to infection, time to symptoms(spoiler: it’s longer than 12 seconds), how different countries handle an outbreak in their own way, the geopolitics of such a global disaster, and into perspectives that only Max Brooks would deign to imagine. Easy to read and engaging, you’ll be impressed by the thoughtfulness put into the world created, and chilled to the bone when you see what such a world can turn you into.

Other Max Brooks Suggestions:

• Devolution - similarly unique storytelling device. Plays with a monster’s lore and creates another chilling page-turner.
• The Zombie Survival Guide - JUST in case
• The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks - A Graphic Novel that details Zombie Attacks that preceded the zombie war.
• World War Z was made into a Full cast Audiobook with an absolutely bonkers cast including Mark Hammill, Rob Reiner, Alan Alda, and Martin Scorsese

Also the movie which I resent for being completely different from the book but has its own merits.

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephan Graham Jones

• 2021 Bram Stoker Award Winner
• Hop on the Stephen Graham Jones Express
• First in a trilogy
• Gritty and Grounded in reality
• Slasher Fan Approved
• Actual Trigger warning (Seriously)

This one’s got a fraction of the carnage but is exponentially more brutal. It’s written by one of the few Horror Superstars not named King, Stephen Graham Jones. His world is harsh and barren and real but is not absent of humanity and warmth. Good horror can show how weak we all are but also how strong we can be. This novel has a reality to it that sticks to your bones even after you've turned the last page. Jones is good at giving you an unflinching look into a horror story while it’s happening. The story still has a modernity to it, though. It is self-aware (except when it isn’t) and littered with pop-culture references Great for horror movie fans, specifically slashers. Think Scream with a little less tongue in the cheek. Part mystery, part slasher, part ghost story.

Other Stephen Graham Jones Suggestions:

• The Only Good Indians - More creepy and unsettling than scary, which is something I actively seek out. I’ve also been a huge fan of folklore from all cultures and Jones infuses this one with Native American folklore with great success.
• Don’t Fear the Reaper - The best part of this book is that it’s part of a Trilogy: Number 2, Don’t Fear the Reaper, is out now and #3, The Angel of Witch Lake, is due out next year.

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

• The Stepford Wives meets Bram Stoker
• Perfect Title
• 90s Nostalgia
• Fun
• Easy Read
• Great for Book Clubs

We’re taking the gravity of the circumstances wayyyyy down with Grady Hendrix’s lovely Vampire Horror, The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. Pretty much a perfect title if you’re trying to get a sense of what the book is. It feels like you dropped a Vampire from The Strain into ABC’s TGIF lineup. It’s kind of a perfect horror for me. I like my horror how I like coffee. Gotta flavor it in a way that makes the bitter darkness go down smooth. This is the perfect example of what I mean. It’s funny, charming, and light but it also gives you what you came for: Gruesome, grotesque scenes with a healthy helping of suspense and thrill. Add in a dash of 90s nostalgia and you’ve got yourself a Vampire book.

Other Grady Hendrix Suggestions:

• I can only really plug My Best Friend’s Exorcism. Another classic horror trope mixed with nostalgia except it’s 80s instead of 90s.
• Two more are on my reading list: The Final Girl Support Group and How to Sell a Haunted House. Maybe they’ll make next year's list!

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

• Carnegie and Newbery Medal Winner
• Hugo Award Winner
• Good for kids (as long as they’re ready for some light murder first)
• Like Kipling or Rowling without the guilt
• Delightful Audiobooks
• Available in Multiple Mediums

Lastly, we have a book that’s more on the Casper side of spooky. Neil Gaiman’s child-safe play on an old classic (The internet says it’s safe as soon as they hit 8). There is an assassin and some murders but we watched Bambi get shot and little German children have been read horror stories for bedtime for centuries so take that for what you wil. The Graveyard Book is a play on The Jungle Book but with less colonizer overtones. (It’s written by a Brit so I can’t promise none). Ghost parents stand in for Rhaksha and Rama and a friendly vampire stands in for Bagheera (Shout out Bagheera, the cat, a worthy inheritor of the name). Definitely has some Harry Potter vibes but, again, less problematic. SPOILER ALERT. A precocious messiah is groomed for death and goes on adventures. Like most good young adult fiction, this book explores a young person’s introduction to the major forces that will influence their lives: Birth, Death, Love, Companionship, Family. However, just because it’s good for kids does not mean it’s ONLY good for kids. I read this when I was in my late 20s and have returned to it several times since. The mythology is constructed well and provides a fun world in which to engage and explore. If I had a kid, this would be one of the books I would be most eager to share. I think it could be a fun read with your little ones if you have them but, since I don’t, I’d judge for yourself.

Other Neil Gaiman Suggestions:

• Gaiman is one of our most talented and prolific writers and is my all time favorite. This being the case I’ll leave you a couple of his works that might work better with the spooky season but I encourage a deep dive of all his works. The Neil Gaiman Reader is a good start.

• The Sandman is probably going to be on his Hall of Fameplaque. Endlessly (no pun intended) creative and creepy. One of the true masterworks of the comic book/graphic novel medium. Available as comic book issues, graphic novel volumes, collector’s editions and even 3 full-cast audiobooks.
• Coraline is a spiritual sibling of The Graveyard Book. A creepy spook book set in the perspective of youth.
• American Gods: I’m putting this here mostly as a way to announce and plug my favorite book. It’s got some spooks and creeps and has an all-together ooky vibes, but probably lands more in the “Dark Fantastic-Realism” phylum than in straight “Horror”
• The Graveyard Book is also available in Graphic Novel and special editions, but I want to highlight the 2 audiobook editions. One is another charming full-cast audiobook that I slightly prefer. The accents and performances are delightful. The other is narrated by the man himself and Gaiman has a charming lilt that makes his narration almost on par with his writing.