Scary tales, old and new, make Halloween appearance

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By Vick Mickunas 1:29 PM Saturday, October 29, 2011

Jack-o’-lanterns all carved. Decorations up. The neighbors have sweets for the kids. What is your costume this year? Monday is Halloween. Here’s a stack of new books that could haunt you throughout the year:

“Ghosthunting Ohio: On the Road Again,” by John B. Kachuba (Clerisy Press, 236 pages, $15.95)

The author highlights 26 Ohio locations known for paranormal activity. In southwest Ohio, you can visit Chateau Laroche in Loveland or the Ross Gowdy House in New Richmond. There’s also information on D.O.G.S. (the Dayton Ohio Ghostbusters Society). Their favorite haunted site is just north of Middletown at the former Poasttown Elementary School.

“The Best Ghost Stories Ever Told,” edited by Stephen Brennan (Skyhorse, 559 pages, $12.95)

This collection contains more than 40 classic supernatural tales penned by legendary writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, Louisa May Alcott, Robert Louis Stevenson, H.G. Wells, Charlotte Bronte, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Joseph Conrad. Old favorites, including “The Haunted House,” by Charles Dickens, and “A Ghost Story,” by Mark Twain, are mingled with more obscure spooky delights such as “The Man and the Snake,” by Ambrose Bierce.

“A Field Guide to Demons, Vampires, Fallen Angels and Other Subversive Spirits,” by Carol K. Mack and Dinah Mack (Arcade, 306 pages, $14.95)

This fascinating compilation takes readers around the world as we meet more than 90 different bogies. We are taught how to recognize these creatures and how we can dispel or disarm them. Did you know that zombies originated in West Africa? They are neither alive (like werewolves) nor dead (like vampires). And don’t bother trying to disarm a zombie. The authors advise that “very little can be done to stop this species. Best to stay at home after dark.”

“Zombies! Zombies! Zombies!” edited by Otto Penzler (Vintage, 810 pages, $25)

The undying popularity of zombies never ceases to amaze me. They are popping up all over these days. If zombies are your thing, then this is the book for you. It is billed as the “most complete collection of zombie stories ever published.” While you might not be able to disarm a zombie, the publicity materials for this book offer a few tips on how “to protect yourself during a zombie outbreak.” Step 5 advises that “when being chased by zombies, throw the book at them. Being lovers of brains, they will instinctively be drawn to its literary significance. (NOTE: This method has not been tested.)”

“The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror: From Beyond the Grave,” by Matt Groening (Harper, 126 pages, $17.99)

The Simpsons’ annual Halloween TV show has become a classic. Each year the creators of the program also issue a profusely illustrated book with a Halloween-themed trio of stories for those fans who simply cannot get enough.

“Vampire Art Now,” by Jasmine Becket-Griffith and Matthew David Becket (Harper Design, 192 pages, $29.99)

Vampires have been experiencing a zombie-like revival too. If vampires are your preference, this gorgeous coffee table book could be just the thing for you. The stunning illustrations range from beautiful to utterly eerie.

“Vintage Vampire Stories,” (Skyhorse, 318 pages, $12.95)

The editors combed the archives of old magazines, newspapers, and obscure books for these strange tales written between 1679 and 1909. Dark, chilling and quite macabre.

“The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories,” by H.P. Lovecraft (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition, 420 pages, $17).

Lovecraft brought an entirely new vision to his horror stories. No ghosts or witches were needed for such creepy tales as “Rats in the Walls” and “The Hound.” These are masterpieces of the genre.

“The White People and Other Weird Stories,” by Arthur Machen (Penguin Classics, 377 pages, $16).

Before there was Lovecraft, there was Machen. His story “The White People” is one of the most bizarre horror stories ever written. Happy Halloween.

Vick Mickunas of Yellow Springs interviews authors every Friday at 1:30 p.m. and on Sundays at 11 a.m. on WYSO-FM (91.3). For more information, go online to www.wyso.org/programs/book-nook. Contact him at vick@vickmickunas.com.

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