Halloween Musings and Recommendations

It’s strange, I associate Halloween with “do I really have to get a different costume every year for one party or dance?” instead of a particular feel and desire to watch or read something spooky. It isn’t like Christmas in the sense of an overall atmosphere. But I am going to come up with a spur of the moment recommendations list because I feel a sort of obligation. So here are some things that do remind me of Halloween.


TV: (sorry, don’t really have a good movies list)

• “Hush” from Buffy the Vampire Slayer - THE MUSIC. THE DESIGN. SO CREEPY. (And I mean it’s also funny and weaves together characterization points about how they communicate…and it’s not even my favorite Buffy.)
• "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" from The X-Files - I know it sounds contradictory, but it’s a haunted house story and I first saw it around Halloween.
• Alternatively “Home” from The X-Files if you want to be really disturbed.
• And, well, probably “Blink” from Doctor Who if that wasn’t a given. Or maybe The Talons of Weng-Chiang if you can stomach the racism. Or The Seeds of Doom if you can stomach the frank violence. Really, anything from the Gothic era or some of the black and white era could work well.

Books; or, where I realize just how little scary stories I have read:

• Probably anything by Neil Gaiman, though I would have to say The Ocean at the End of the Lane (my favorite), Coraline, or The Graveyard Book
• The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, because I’m currently reading it and maybe it’s because of the time of year, but there is a creepy vibe to it.
• Frankenstein is also probably awesome but I haven’t gotten around to it yet. And Ray Bradbury wrote Halloween-sounding stories like Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Halloween Tree, and The October Country…none of which I have read quite yet but I’m sure they’re fabulous.
• And there’s always Stephen King. My parents like him…and I haven’t read any of his yet because I just don’t know where to start!

What stories remind you of Halloween?

P.S.: I'm really behind on blogging but my workload shout shorten up a bit soon...hopefully. My next post is kind of a big one.