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For Your Halloween Listening Pleasure 

Four spine-tingling short stories that go deeper than basic scares

By Sarah Stackhouse October 31, 2023

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Image by Vivian Lai

This collection of audio stories features four narratives suitable for a wide audience that will raise goosebumps as well as attempt to understand the depths of our human experience. From a non-fiction exploration of generational impact to a supernatural encounter with a terrifying hat, these stories provide a listening experience that will linger in your thoughts long after Halloween has passed. So, dim the lights and press play.

Multo, by Samuel Marzioli, is a chilling short story unfolding through the lens of a Filipino man. As he begins to question whether the monster he once dreaded as a child could actually be real, the story explores the unsettling possibility that it may have resurfaced to haunt him once more. Listen here to have it read by LeVar Burton in the LeVar Burton Reads podcast.

Grandma Turned Me Into a Ghost is an episode from the Smithsonian Institution’s Sidedoor series. This essay, by Anelise Chen, examines the relationship between Chen and her Taiwanese grandmother. Chen gets real and goes deep, exploring how our families influence our individual and cultural identities and leave a lasting mark.

Ursula Vernon’s Jackalope Wives, a Hugo Award and Nebula Award-winning short story, unravels the mysteries hidden within folklore. Set in the desert, a young man and his mysterious grandmother uncover the secrets of the elusive jackalope wives. 

In The Specialist’s Hat by Kelly Link, twin sisters, along with their unusual babysitter, encounter a surreal and horrific hat in their attic. Themes of loss, identity, and growing up are all present in the most strange and interesting ways. This story is scary but maintains a sense of play throughout, leaving readers both intrigued and mystified. Read by LeVar Burton in the LeVar Burton Reads podcast.

 

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