Six Books to Read before Halloween

A unique luxury edition of some of Edgar Allan Poe’s famous short stories, including Berenice, The Black Cat, The Island of the Fay, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Oval Portrait, Morella, and Ligeia, accompanied by the spectacular illustrations of Benjamin Lacombe. The edition also includes an essay by Charles Baudelaire on Poe’s life and work.

Τίτλος στα ελληνικά Μακάβριες Ιστορίες κατά Σαρλ Μποντλέρ από την Brainfood Εκδοτική/οξύ.

The Fright Before Christmas is a unique blend of holiday folklore and horror. It explores the darker side of Christmas traditions through tales of terrifying creatures, such as Krampus, Belsnickel, and other sinister figures that have haunted the holiday season for centuries. It takes a deep dive into how different cultures around the world view the more frightful aspects of Christmas and gives a spooky, informative, and entertaining look at the myths and legends that offer an alternative to the more cheerful holiday lore!

Jeff Belanger is one of the most visible and prolific researchers of folklore and legends today. A natural storyteller, he’s the award-winning, Emmy-nominated host, writer, and producer of the New England Legends series on PBS and Amazon Prime, and he is the author of over a dozen books (published in six languages).

“This humble book is my attempt to save Christmas, even if only for myself. To bring the holiday back to a time when it included everyone. I couldn’t do it alone, though. I needed to summon a horde of creepy and chilling monsters to help me tell the tale of how we got to right now, and how we can return the true spirit of this creepiest of holidays. I’m forever in debt to these deadly beasties.” —Jeff Belanger

A collection of three tales that immerse us in the universe of Guy de Maupassant, one of the most famous French authors and an unsurpassed master of short stories. Majorly autobiographical, the short story Le Horla, along with La Chevelure (aka The Hairpiece/A Tress of Hair/One Phase of Love/The Golden Braid/The Head of Hair) and Apparition (aka The Apparition/An Apparition/A Ghost/The Specter) capture a pattern that characterized the author himself during his lifetime: madness, altered state of consciousness, and terror in the face of those inexplicable effects that leave indelible marks on the body. Mauro Cascioli’s paintings that illustrate this edition transcend any physical or mental framework, introducing us to a dazzling, unfathomable universe that reveals the narrowness of the rational gaze.

Τίτλος στα ελληνικά Ο Εξαποδώ* και άλλες υπερφυσικές ιστορίες από την Brainfood Εκδοτική/οξύ.

The Shining has had a lasting cultural impact, not only as a novel but also through Stanley Kubrick’s iconic 1980 film adaptation, which solidified its status in popular culture. King’s ability to craft deeply relatable human characters facing overwhelming supernatural forces has made The Shining a timeless work that resonates with readers and viewers alike, cementing its place as a foundational piece of modern horror.

The novel taps into universal fears of isolation, madness, and familial breakdown while using the eerie, isolated setting of the Overlook Hotel as a symbol of confinement and terror. King’s exploration of Jack Torrance’s descent into madness is both a frightening portrayal of a man unraveling and a broader commentary on addiction, guilt, and the cyclical nature of violence.

Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book by one Julián Carax. But when he sets out to find the author’s other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written, and Daniel may have the last of his books in existence.

“To call this book… old-fashioned is to mean it in the best way. It’s big, chock-full of unusual characters, and strong in its sense of place. Daniel’s initiation into the mysteries of adulthood is given the same weight as the mystery of the book burner. And the setting—Spain under Franco—injects an air of sobriety into some plot elements that might otherwise seem soap operatic. Part detective story, part boy’s adventure, part romance, fantasy, and gothic horror, the intricate plot is urged on by extravagant foreshadowing and nail-nibbling tension.” —Keir Graff, Copyright © American Library Association

This edition is the original 1818 text, which preserves the hard-hitting and politically charged aspects of Shelley’s original writing, as well as her unflinching wit and strong female voice. It includes a new introduction and suggestions for further reading by National Book Critics Circle award-winner and Shelley expert Charlotte Gordon, selected literary excerpts and reviews, and a chronology and essay by preeminent Shelley scholar Charles E. Robinson.