Writers up North know how to spook

By Tamanna Gera

As the weather grows colder and the sun sets quicker, with an eerie chill in the air, Halloween is near. These four horror reads will put you in the mood for the spooky season this year. 

Experimental Film by Gemma Files 

In this psychological and supernatural read, former film professor Lois Cairns hopes to uncover the mystery behind an ancient lost film by the obscure filmmaker Mrs. Whitecomb, who mysteriously disappeared from a train compartment in 1918. As Cairns dwells on a journey of proving Mrs. Whitecomb was Canada’s first female filmmaker, she discovers her films are connected with a terrifying entity that begins to affect her own life, unearthing parallels between her life and Mrs. Whitecombs. 

This world of cinema and horror will keep you on the edge of your seat as Lois Cairns’s life unravels in front of her. 

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia 

Talented sound editor Montserrat has always felt invisible, even to her best friend Tristan, whom she has been in love with since childhood. When Tristan discovers that his new neighbour Abel Urueta is a cult horror movie director who imbues magic into highly volatile silver nitrate stock sounds to create sheer fantasy, he learns of a movie Abel wasn’t able to finish—one he claims is cursed. Now he wants Montserrat and Tristan’s help to remove the curse and finish that movie. As they begin to help, they slowly notice dark presences and discover that while magic and horror may exist on screens, it might also be real. 

This is a story where romance and horror go hand-in-hand to create a fantastical yet terrifying mystery.

Episode Thirteen by Craig Dilouie 

Husband and wife Matt and Claire Kirklin lead a popular ghost-hunting reality TV show, which releases weekly hauntings investigated by ghost-hunting experts. Then, they come across a brooding, crumbling mansion harbouring secrets and clues about bizarre experiments performed on people there in the 1970s. As the house begins to reveal itself, they discover the afterlife was not all they expected and uncover how everything went wrong in this mansion 50 years ago. 

An unsettling read that immerses the audience in a world of ghost-hunting and paranormal activity.

The Troop by Nick Cutter 

This story follows a group of Boy Scouts on a camping trip to an island where they encounter a terrifying creature carrying a bioengineered, deadly and parasitic infection that is rapidly spreading. As they confront the intruder threatening to invade them, they discover they must also stand up against the harrowing darkness that is slowly emerging from within them all. 

An old-school horror story of desperation and the intense fight for survival where everything is at stake. 

Be sure to lighten your nights with these terrifying reads. Find these books at your local bookstores or online. Happy Halloween!