Top Ten Tuesday is an event created and hosted by The Broke and The Bookish
I nearly skipped my usual preamble for this list but, at the last minute, decided against it. What’s the point of a list is it’s just a list and I don’t get to talk to any of you? Who wants that? (If you answered yes, feel free to skip past this weird intro thing and straight on down to the list. I ain’t mad)
As some of you may already know, I like to fill my Octobers – My life in general, but mostly October – with spooky things to keep with the spirit of Halloween. Thanks to work and a few other personal projects, I didn’t really get to dive into as many spooky things as I’d have liked, so I wound up adding a couple of spooky things I’ve enjoyed earlier this year into this list.
And without further ado, here’s my list.
1. CAMPFIRE RADIO THEATER
Campfire Radio Theater is an anthology-style horror podcast that I stumbled upon earlier this month while looking for something to listen to while I worked. If you enjoy audio dramas and scary things, you might wanna consider checking this out. Just be warned, not every episode is great, and the voice acting can get a little hammy at times. But for those of us who like to listen to things as we work? This is great to have cued up on your playlist.
You can get this podcast on your phone via Google Play or the App Store, or you could visit their website.
2. THROUGH THE WOODS – EMILY CARROLL
Through The Woods is a collection of original short stories by Emily Carroll – a beautifully illustrated gem that I reviewed not too long ago. If you’re a fan of graphic novels and horror, definitely, definitely check this book out. The stories are simple and will stay with you for a long time.
Bonus: Check out Carroll’s short story The Prince and The Sea
3. THE ENIGMA OF AMIGARA FAULT – JUNJI ITO
WARNING: IF YOU’RE CLAUSTROPHOBIC, STAY AWAY FROM THIS ONE.
The Enigma of Amigara Fault is a wonderfully creepy one shot by horror manga master Junji Ito. Without giving away too much, this story is about a bunch of person-shaped holes in a mountain, that inexplicably draw people to them. It’s filled with lovecraftian horror elements that never fail to leave your hairs on edge. I’m talking lucid compulsion and the sinking knowledge that something Other exists. But seriously, if you’re very claustrophobic, skip this one. It’ll mess you up. I’m lucky enough that it didn’t phase me very much, but it could be very upsetting.
Read it here
4. LITTLE NIGHTMARES
Released early this year, Little Nightmares is a wonderful, creepy game that follows Six, a little girl, as she tries to escape a giant-ass ship thing and not get eaten in the process. It’s messed up, and so fun. Recommended for fans of Limbo and Inside.
5. NO SUCH THING – ALEXIS AND JUSTIN HERNANDEZ
I stumbled upon this fantastic comic earlier this year by accident. Like many of the things I’ve recommended so far, it’s an anthology series. If you like grayscale, scratchy ink illustrations and beautifully written creepy shorts, this is definitely for you.
You can find No Such Thing on the Hernandez’s website, or on Tapastic
6. WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE
Art by acpadilla
Okay, so I’m cheating with this one. Night Vale isn’t something I discovered this year, but I am giving it a re-listen, so that has to count for something. Night Vale, for those of you who don’t know (and what rock, pray tell, have you been living under?) is a lovecraftian horror/sci-fi podcast that is wonderful in its weirdness and its atmosphere. You cannot listen to this podcast without being transported into Night Vale – without picturing Cecil Baldwin talking into your ear.
If you haven’t listened to this already – and I can’t imagine why – you can check it out on the App store, Google play, and Youtube.
7. STRANGER THINGS SEASON 2
Thought I wasn’t gonna mention this, didn’t ya? FOOLS! How could I not?
Everyone’s favorite ragtag group of kids is back with a new, spoopier season. Life’s been keeping me busy, so I haven’t finished this yet, but I can tell you that this time around, the emotions are plentiful and the intensity is at an all time high. I’m so excited.
8. OXENFREE
Oxenfree is “a supernatural teen thriller about a group of friends who unwittingly open a ghostly rift”. The game follows Alex who, along with her new step-brother Jonas and a group of friends, visit the eerie Edwards Island for an annual island party. I have many, many things to say about Oxenfree, so I’ll keep this short. It’s incredibly atmospheric, and complex. The art in this is absolutely gorgeous, the story is complex and layered and features some of the best voice acting I’ve seen in a game.
If you like the X-Files, Gravity Falls, and Undertale, then you need to play Oxenfree at some point in your life.
9. DIRT CREEK RUNS WITH BLOOD – MADELINE MCGRANE
Dirt Creek Runs With Blood is a short comic about a lonely vampire who escapes the city and moves to the wild west, where she meets a bunch of cattle thieves. Things happen. That’s all I’ll say.
It’s a short comic, and you can read it in like, ten minutes.
Read this here
10. BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS – FABIEN VELHMANN
*clears throat*
I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO BE A FAIRYTALE WITH AN EDGE I DIDN’T REALIZE IT WAS GOING TO BE THIS HORRIFIC HOLY CRAP WHAT IS THIS BOOK????
*breathes*
No, yeah, the art was super pretty and it’s a quick quick read, but it’s gross and horrifying and quite frankly a little traumatizing. It was great.
TW: Dead children, and whole bunch of really unpleasant stuff. If you decide to read this, please be careful.
And that, kids, is my list done.
Happy Halloween! Stay safe.
- More
