The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe (1839)

Roderick!

"It was a dark and soundless day near the end of the year, and clouds were hanging low in the heavens."

Such an amazing opening sentence for a horror story that might seem cliché by 21st century standards but Poe was the OG. 

As this Halloween short-story reading challenge comes to an end, it would feel incomplete not to review at least one work by the horror master himself: Edgar Allan Poe.

"The Fall of the House of Usher" is the quintessential example of American gothic horror and remains one of the most celebrated short stories in the genre. Is this the greatest haunted house story ever written? Probably. To me, the horror genre truly begins and ends with Poe; his mastery of suspense, dread, and the psychological undertones of terror is unparalleled. In fact, I should make it a personal tradition to revisit Poe’s work every Halloween.

There’s little that I can add to the wealth of literary analysis attributed to this story. Instead, I’ll focus on a few aspects that stood out in this re-reading:

• Atmosphere and Tone: Poe’s command over the macabre and the phantasmagoric is mesmerizing, creating a suffocating atmosphere of impending doom. This story oozes gothic horror, immersing readers in an oppressive, decaying world that feels almost alive. The mansion itself, the surrounding mist, and the very walls seem to breathe with a life of their own, embodying the decay of Usher’s family line.
• Language and Style: Poe’s language is meticulously crafted to evoke dread and unease. His descriptions of the mysterious and sinister forces lurking in and around the Usher estate are as poetic as they are profound, layering imagery and symbolism that invites deeper reflection. Every line pulses with an eerie rhythm, balancing poetic beauty with a creeping sense of horror.
• Narrative Perspective: The use of an unreliable first-person narrator whose own grip on reality becomes increasingly tenuous—adds another layer of psychological tension. Poe blurs the lines between the subjective and objective, drawing us into the narrator's fractured psyche as he himself questions what is real. The reliability of the narrator dissolves as the story progresses, and we’re left in a murky space where reality and illusion collide.
• Realism vs. the Uncanny: On a similar note, Poe’s deft handling of realism and the uncanny propels the story beyond a simple haunted house narrative. As layers are peeled back, the story becomes a deeper meditation on themes of mortality, madness, and familial decay.

"The Fall of the House of Usher" is one of those rare short stories that works brilliantly on so many different levels. Indeed, it can be appreciated as pure entertainment—a chilling tale of horror and suspense—and, upon closer inspection, it reveals itself to be a profound exploration of existential dread and the haunting legacy of family. This is, without a doubt, an undisputed masterpiece of Gothic fiction, and one that only seems to grow in significance with each reading.

Cocoon by Thomas Ligotti

Metamorphosis.

By Thomas Ligotti’s standards of deeply disturbing and twisted horror, Cocoon feels relatively tame—though no less chilling. The story still possesses his signature creepiness and eerie allure, an interesting blend of mystery and horror that pulls the reader in slowly. The pacing is intentionally measured, allowing the author to immerse the reader in his unique brand of the macabre and psychological horror—a decaying, shadowy cityscape pulsing with despair, madness and an undercurrent of malevolent intrigue. He successfully creates this bleak urban nightmare, where decay and dread linger around every corner. The cocoon metaphor of rebirth and transformation is well integrated throughout the story.

The final act is stellar with a surprising twist ending that I did not see coming. The grotesque and visceral horror in these moments bring to mind the dark, flesh-crawling aesthetics of a David Cronenberg film. Ligotti’s unsettling use of imagery, particularly with insects and larvae, adds another layer of discomfort, making this a read best avoided by anyone squeamish around bugs. Overall, Cocoon is an intriguing, surreal and creepy tale that showcases Ligotti’s ability to disturb without veering into "what-the-hell-did-I-just-read" territory, like some of his other stories.

The Zombies by Donald Barthelme

"There are good zombies and bad zombies. Gris Grue said so."

If there is another author other than Ray Bradbury who can help me get out of this severe reading and writing slump, it would probably be Donald Barthelme. I didn't want to pigeon-hole myself into only reading scary horror short-stories this month. The horror comedy subgenre doesn't nearly get enough recognition but is even more difficult to pull off effectively. Sure, there have been several great movie/tv horror comedies over the years like Shaun of the Dead or What We do in the Shadows, but I don't recall coming across many memorable horror comedy short-stories. 

"The Zombies" by Donald Barthelme is so unique, absurd, clever, surreal and just pure vintage Bartheleme in all his satirical glory. This is no mere subversion of a familiar horror archetype, this is an author at the height of his imaginative powers, giving us something that feels less like a story and more like a bizarre, darkly funny thought experiment. Barthelme doesn’t just invite us to laugh at the undead—he compels us to empathize with them, turning our typical expectations on their heads and laughing at his own genre-defying creation along the way.

The story thrives on absurdity but never feels gimmicky like it’s trying too hard, which is what makes Barthelme such a master. He takes a concept as overplayed as zombies and breathes fresh, strange life into it with humor that’s as silly as it is profound. There’s a delightful dissonance here, where disturbing moments meant to chill instead make you chuckle, and the existential crisis of these undead characters is treated with a levity that somehow makes it hit harder.

Barthelme’s prose is the real highlight, like a jazz musician on a caffeine kick – unpredictable, sly, and filled with deadpan humor that’s at once clever and totally ridiculous. This shouldn't work and would be a mess in lesser hands yet, somehow it all works. Each sentence has a punchline simmering beneath it, and his zombies don’t stumble so much as philosophize their way through their humdrum existence. The narrative is spiked with satirical digs at modern culture, social conventions, traditions, relationships and media with a touch of literary madness that makes you want to double-check if you've really just read what you thought you did.

Ultimately, "The Zombies" is a reminder that horror can be many things—it can unsettle, amuse, even philosophize. Barthelme does it all with a wink and a smile, making this story a must-read for anyone looking to shake up their usual horror fare. This is the kind of story that leaves an impression, the sort you’ll think about long after you’ve read it, chuckling to yourself and wondering just how Barthelme pulled it off so effortlessly.

You can read this story HERE.

The October Game by Ray Bradbury

Bones, bones, rattlin' dem bones!

October is almost over and my Spooktacular reading challenge is on the verge of becoming a total bust. Granted, I did end up reading a few scary short-stories this month but lacked the mental capacity to write any reflections about them. if there is one author that might help me get out of this slump, it is Ray Bradbury. "The October Game" seemed like the perfect fit in terms of the title and taking place on Halloween. 

The author should be commended on slowly building up the sense of dread and creating a palpable tension until the sinister finale. Bradbury doesn’t rely on overt scares or cheap thrills; instead, he skillfully uses atmosphere and psychological paranoia to drive the narrative. What starts off as an innocent Halloween night in the suburbs, becomes increasingly unsettling, especially once the father figure takes everyone down into the dark cellar to play a game called "The Witch is Dead."

Bradbury peels back the layers of an unhappy nuclear family, revealing a darkness simmering beneath their carefully constructed facades, particularly in the intense dynamic between husband and wife. His ability to expose the sinister within the ordinary is quintessential Bradbury. Years of unhappiness and avoidance boils over into shocking rage that is quite disturbing. This story reminds us that the most scary monsters aren’t lurking in dark corners—they may be seated right at the family dinner table. Bradbury doesn’t rely on supernatural horror but on a more visceral, psychological dread manifesting into unspeakable madness. 

And that bone-chilling final line...

Well played Mr. Bradbury, well played.

Bite-Sized Nightmares: Quick Scary Reads for the Halloween Season!

During the spooktacular month of October, I’ve set out on a mission to devour as many spine-chilling horror short stories as I can get my hands on. Not only is it the perfect way to embrace the eerie vibes of the season, but I’m also hoping it will reignite my passion for reading again, which took a nosedive near the end of May. 

Below is a list of some haunting titles I plan to tackle (some might be re-readers). If you have any favorite spooky short stories of your own, I’d love to hear your recommendations—feel free to drop them below in the comments!

• Nightmare magazine
• The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe
• Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe
• The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe
• The October Country by Ray Bradbury
• Zombies by Donald Barthelme
• The Summer People by Shirley Jackson
• The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains by Neil Gaiman
• Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror (Edited by Jordan Peele)
• The Yattering and Jack by Clive Barker (Books of Blood Collection)
• midnight Meat Train by Clive Barker (online)
• In the Hills, the cities by Clive Barker (online)
• Pig Blood Blues by Clive Barker
• How to Get Back to the Forest by Sofia Samatar (Lightspeed Magazine)
• The weird : a compendium of strange and dark stories (2012) 
• Contemporary Women's Ghost Stories : Spectres, Revenants, Ghostly Returns.
• Supernatural noir edited by Ellen Datlow
• Fearful symmetries : an anthology of horror edited by Ellen datlow
• The Dark Descent edited by David G. Hartwell
• Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come To You, My Lad by MR James

• Survivor Type by Stephen King
• The Tower by Marghanita Laski

• Selfies by Lavie Tidhar
• Patient Zero by Tananarive Due
• Hello, Moto by Nnedi Okorafor
• The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne Du Maurier 
• The Lady of the House of Love by Angela Carter (Bloody chamber)
• All the Fabulous Beasts by Priya Sharma
• In the Bag by Ramsey Campbell
• The White People by Arthur Machen (online
• The Willow by Algernon Blackwood
• Thomas Ligotti (Anthology)
• The Thing on the Doorstep by H.P. Lovecraft
• Death and Suffrage by Dale Bailey (online)
• Whisper by Ray Vukcevich (online)
• In a Cavern, in a Canyon by Laird Barron (online)
• Do you love me by Peter Carey
• The Screwfly Solution by Racoona Sheldon 
• Raphael by Stephen Graham Jones
• Sanctified and Chicken-Fried by Joe Lansdale (available online through UTL)
• Monkeys Paw by W.W. Jacobs
• Lacrimosa by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (online)

Dr. A.H. Moynihan by Lucia Berlin

Mirror! Mirror!

Blood...so much blood. The grotesque and absurd collide in this darkly humorous coming-of-age tale where the vivid descriptions of tooth extractions are so exaggerated that they verge on camp. In "Dr. A.H. Moynihan", the narrator reflects on their youth when she was expelled from Catholic school and went to work at her grandfather's dental office during the summer (she is possibly the same narrator from "Stars and Saints"). Lucia Berlin's witty and economic prose is always reliable to keep the narrative flowing at a quick pace.  

The grandfather figure is an alcoholic and a curmudgeon who is estranged from his own daughter. It is implied that he might be have been abusive to her growing up. He is also a racist: "On all the windows, facing the main street of El Paso, were large gold letters that read, "Dr. H.A. Moynihan. I Don't Work for Negroes." The story's casual racism towards black people is disconcerting and difficult to overlook.  

The main comedic set piece involves the unqualified narrator performing oral surgery on the grandfather to remove his remaining teeth and install dentures. It is very chaotic and unfolds like a slapstick comedy with the narrator frantically trying not to kill the grandfather in the process, while blood is spraying everywhere. The entire scene is quite graphic and utterly absurd but the humor somehow manages to humanize the flawed characters, especially the grandfather. This is certainly one of my least favorite Lucia Berlin stories but she always impresses me with the her skillful use of humor that contributes to the sense of verisimilitude. Life is rarely devoid of humor, even in its most intense and absurd circumstances. 

My Jockey by Lucia Berlin

Secretariat, at the Kentucky Derby circa 1973.

I have mentioned Lucia Berlin's talent for minimalism before in other reviews, but "My Jockey" really took me by surprise as to how concise and quick it reads. The story's brevity, driven by lightning-fast prose, ensures that it concludes almost before the reader can fully immerse themselves in its eccentric premise: a nurse is assigned by hospital management to solely attend injured jockeys in the ER because she speaks Spanish and most of them are Mexican. Racial stereotypes aside, the entire scenario is quite comical and even poignant as she takes on a motherly role of caring for the injured jockey: "Munoz lay there, unconscious, a miniature Aztec God." Despite the absurd and unusual situation, she makes the best of it and even forms an emotional attachment to him. There is this very funny and tender moment where she is carrying him in her arms down the hospital hallway for surgery and is described as King Kong. Lucia Berlin's blend of absurdity, situational humor, and irony, offers a refreshing peak into the absurdity found within the medical profession.

The Phantom of the Opera's Friend by Donald Barthelme

Sing once again with me, our strange duet / My power over you grows stronger yet.

In the literary realm of Donald Barthelme's short stories, a recurring motif emerges—the portrayal of the tortured artist, often relegated to the margins of society. Among his works, 'The Phantom of the Opera's Friend' is probably one of the more explicit and poignant explorations into this thematic terrain. It also has that playful, quirky and absurdist humor that makes it such an enjoyable read. 

The narrator, his friend, is conflicted. He recognizes the Phantom's prodigious talent as an artist/musician but would also like to help this tragic figure emerge from the shadows and assimilate back into society: "His situation is simple and terrible. He must decide whether to risk life aboveground or to remain forever in hiding, in the cellars of the Opera." Of course, the friend acknowledges his selfish inclinations, even feeling guilty at times for being associated with such a melodramatic companion. 

If the Phantom represents misunderstood art, then perhaps he could also be a stand in for Barthelme himself. Post-modernism as a radical literary art form subverts narrative conventions and is therefore not easily accepted by the general readership or literary critics. As the narrator astutely observes regarding his conversation with the Phantom, although this commentary can also extend to the the stagnation in art: "Everything that can be said has been said many times." Hence, Barthelme seems to be expressing his frustration with the limitations of language that has been reduced to clichés but it is the artist's goal to transform it into something new.

The sense of loss in the final paragraph is palpable but also quite comedic: "I will wait here for a hundred years. Or until the hot meat of romance is cooled by the dull gravy of common sense once more." How does Barthelme come up with such ingenious phraseology? It's absolutely brilliant! Much like the narrator, many of us will continue the endless search for great art that pushes the boundaries of creative imagination and offers something fresh, exciting, and innovative. The metafictional twist here is that greatness is not some distant concept to seek out; it's all right here, within the very words of Barthelme's story that you are reading.

Now, I can't get the Phantom of the Opera theme song out of my head...not that it's a bad thing.

You can read this story HERE.

The President by Donald Barthelme

Maestro!

"The President" by Donald Barthelme is another bizarre and experimental political satire that is wildly uneven. The mysterious figure is an enigma, shrouded in ambiguity. We do learn a few things though: there is a "strangeness" about him, a powerful aura that causes people to faint in his presence, he is obsessed with death and loves attending the opera. The narrator repeats several times that he is "not entirely sympathetic" to the president who seems to have gained political power and influence through his charming personality and more disturbingly, propaganda. Yet, in times of crisis, many believe that he is the answer to all of the world's problems: 

"But everyone is convinced that he will bring it off. Our exhausted age wishes above everything to plunge into the heart of the problem, to be able to say, Here is the difficulty. And the new President, that tiny, strange, and brilliant man, seems cankered and difficult enough to take us there."

This sounds a lot like the he could be a fascist dictator. The surreal ending with the President making a surprise appearance at the opera house is wildly absurd. Everyone is cheering for him with rapturous enthusiasm and unable to contain their excitement, jump into the orchestra pit (a metaphor for descending into the pits of hell?). During the thunderous applause and commotion, the narrator provides a small detail that is quite chilling: "The president was smiling in his box." There is something nefarious about that smile amidst the chaos unfolding below in the pit below.