All Hallow’s Read is a Hallowe’en tradition. It’s simply that in the week of Hallowe’en, or on the night itself, you give someone a scary book.
Scholars have traced its origins as far back as this blog post. [http://allhallowsread.com/]
The bleakness of our landscape and the tyranny of distance in our island continent has inspired generations of Australian writers to write dark tales and scary stories. Here we list but a few recommendations for scary books from Australia. If you would like to make a recommendation for the list, please email Tehani at fablecroft [at] gmail [dot] com.
NOVELS
Riley Jensen series by Keri Arthur
MageSign by Alan Baxter
RealmShift by Alan Baxter
The Corpse Rat King by Lee Battersby
The Marching Dead by Lee Battersby
Red Queen by Honey Brown
Souls Along The Meridian by Bill Congreve
Clowns at Midnight by Terry Dowling
The Pilo Family Circus by Will Elliott
After the World: Gravesend by Jason Fischer
Path of Night by Dirk Flinthart
The Opposite of Life by Narrelle M Harris
The Shadowfae Chronicles by Erica Hayes
The Broken Ones by Stephen M. Irwin
Death Most Definite by Trent Jamieson
Managing Death by Trent Jamieson
The Business of Death by Trent Jamieson
Storyman by Victor Kelleher
Sea Hearts by Margo Lanagan
Liar by Justine Larbalestier
Carnies by Martin Livings
Madigan Mine by Kirstyn McDermott
Perfections by Kirstyn McDermott
Salvage by Jason Nahrung
Blood and Dust by Jason Nahrung
The Darkness Within by Jason Nahrung
Night’s Cold Kiss by Tracey O’Hara
Slights by Kaaron Warren
Walking the Tree by Kaaron Warren
Grimoire by Kim Wilkins
The Autumn Castle by Kim Wilkins
The Resurrectionists by Kim Wilkins
In the Winter Dark by Tim Winton
COLLECTIONS/ANTHOLOGIES
The Bone Chime Song and Other Stories by Joanne Anderton
Australian Dark Fantasy and Horror series
A Book Of Endings by Deborah Biancotti
Macabre: A Journey through Australia’s Darkest Fears edited by Angela Challis and Dr Marty Young
Basic Black by Terry Dowling
Dead Red Heart edited by Russell B Farr
Slice of Life by Paul Haines
The Last Days of Kali Yuga by Paul Haines
Nightsiders by Sue Isle
Cracklescape by Margo Lanagan
Living with the Dead by Martin Livings
Caution: contains small parts by Kirstyn McDermott
Dead Sea Fruit by Kaaron Warren
The Grinding House by Kaaron Warren
Through Splintered Walls by Kaaron Warren
Focus 2012: highlights of Australian short fiction
FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION
Burnt Snow by Van Badham
Shift by Em Bailey
Mystery at Riddle Gully by Jen Banyard
The Hair-Raisers series by Margaret Clarke and Lee Striker
Caleb by Gary Crew
Force of Evil by Gary Crew
Gothic Hospital by Gary Crew
Mystery of Eilean Mor by Gary Crew
The Viewer by Gary Crew
The Watertower by Gary Crew (picture book)
The Museum of Mary Child by Cassandra Gold
The Shades series by Robert Hood
The Nest by Paul Jennings
Allie’s Ghost Hunters series by Catherine Jinks
The Life of a Teenage Body Snatcher by Doug Macleod
Halloween in Christmas Hills: the legend of Stingy Jack by Karen Tayleur and Heath McKenzie
The Broken Lands trilogy by Sean Williams
Guardians of the Dead by Karen Healey
The Shattering by Karen Healey
Saltwater Vampires by Kirsty Eager
Yellowcake (collection) by Margo Lanagan
Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan (older readers)
Sounds spooky by Christopher Cheng and Sarah Davis (picture book)
The ghost of Annabelle Spoon by Aaron Blabey
Vampyre by Margaret Wild and Andrew Yeo (picture book)
The Puzzle Ring by Kate Forsyth
NOT STRICTLY SPEAKING BOOKS, BUT…
“Wives” by Paul Haines (in the anthology X6)
“Siren Beat” by Tansy Rayner Roberts (in the Twelfth Planet Press novella doubleRoadkill/Siren Beat)
The Company Articles of Edward Teach/The Angaelien Apocalypse by Thoraiya Dyer/Matthew Chrulew
Kindly created and freely shared by The Introverted Wife
This list was originally curated by Tehani over at ASiF!
FableCroft 