When we talk about horror short stories and how much they scare us, we cannot do that without talking about Edgar Allan Poe. Though the stories like the terrifying twins in The Fall of the House of Usher scare us as much as Montressor's scheme in The Cask of Amontillado. Though the beating Tell Tale Heart terrifies its readers as much as the elusive Premature Burial and The Raven has definitely scared more than one soul upon a midnight dreary. There are scary stories that are just as frightening not written by Edgar Allan Poe too. So let us explore 5 horror stories not by Edgar Allan Poe for a truly spooky Halloween.
5 Great Horror Stories Not by Poe
5. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
On the same notes as The Tell Tale Heart, Charlotte Perkins Gilman has a talent for terrifying her reader through the madness of the protagonist of The Yellow Wallpaper. As the protagonist descends further into madness, the discomfort the reader experiences is great and wide. The breadth of the madness would come to inspire readers to compare this story with Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar. In my personal opinion, The Bell Jar isn't frightening, but The Yellow Wallpaper has probably caused a nightmare or two now and again.
4. Count Magnus by M.R James
When Mr Wraxall travels to Sweden to take a look at some historical documents, we see him descend into the spiritual world of forbidden ideas and religious tension. Wraxall discovers the story of the ominous Count Magnus, a nobleman from the past who was anything but likeable - but instead was a vengeful man of wrath. He ultimately stumbled upon the place where Magnus is said to be buried and through secrets, forboding tales and the ghosts of our past, Wraxall falls backwards into a tale of absolute vengeance as he is haunted by a truly malevolent spirit.
3. Jerusalem's Lot by Stephen King
Stephen King is another name that is nearly synonymous with the horror genre. The story Jerusalem's Lot is from his Night Shift collection and so I have only recently encountered it in its full form. Charles Boone inherits a mansion in a place called 'Jerusalem's Lot' and notices that the town is seemingly abandoned. After doing some learning and snooping, he gains access to what happened here and his family secrets deeply unsettles him. As we move in classic Stephen King atmospheric style, this story teaches us a lesson in what we should leave alone and how ignorance probably is bliss.
2. The Landlady by Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl is probably most famous for his wholesome children's stories about creepy old men who live in cold chocolate factories inviting children to their possible deaths - oh, wait. I meant his wholesome children's stories about foxes and rodents getting food from a farmland as the farmers mercilessly gouge them of their tales and use combine harvesters to attempt to murder them - no not that one. I meant his wholesome stories about a giant who kidnaps a small girl and takes her to an unknown place deep in the cosmos - not that one either. But you get where I'm coming from.
The Landlady is about Billy who visits a bed and breakfast only to realise something is desperately wrong. The Landlady tries to assure him that everything is always how it was and before Billy can know what's going on, things are definitely put back to the way they were. With almost a Psycho (1960) feel to it, this is definitely out of the box for Roald Dahl - or maybe it isn't out of the box at all. Maybe he's been this way all along.
1. Dagon by H.P Lovecraft
Lovecraft is another name that stands with Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, M.R James and more as being those that are completely connected with the horror story. Dagon is a story about a man who discovers a piece of land where the pacific oceans depths have sort of washed up and been thrown around. From this, he sees a weird tablet where giant monster squids and cuttlefish can be seen. There are also people, terrifying and as large as whales in a distorten form. And then he sees it coming over the horizon. A massive and daunting thing that moves towards him.
In H.P Lovecraft's tales, we see things we should not see and Dagon is no exception. A terrifying tale which ends on an even more terrifying note, this story will leave you chilled to the bone so badly you may want to check if that window is truly closed before you go to sleep.
Conclusion
So there you have it, five horror stories you can read that are not by Edgar Allan Poe. This doesn't mean don't read him too. But you probably don't want to read all of these together or I would heavily recommend that sleeping with the light on is your best bet. Have a great Halloween season.
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