Haunting Classic Novels & Stories by Women Writers

Chilling literature of the past for today's terrifying time

Every year, as Halloween approaches, literary thoughts turn to Edgar Allen Poe, Bram Stoker, and Stephen King. 

Roundups of classic haunting and thrilling stories that appear like clockwork in late October have been pretty male-dominated, even though women have been diving into the uncanny valley since the 19th century (see later in this post).

More literary terror by women: In the past few years, things have changed. Of late, women have taken a prominent place in the genre of horror and thrillers. This list of contemporary horror stories is decidedly female dominated!

The following sampling of classic novels and stories by women (by no means exhaustive) will send shivers up your spine while giving your taste for great language a thrill.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818)

It’s hard to imagine a character that has gripped the public imagination more than Frankenstein. While countless Frankenstein monster costumes are trotted out each Halloween, not enough people connect Mary Shelley with the original novel.

Barely twenty-one when the book was published in 1818, she would have been amazed at its staying power, more than 200 years on. Disturbing and beautifully written, it’s the story of the tormented scientist Victor Frankenstein, and the consequences of creating a living being from dead flesh.

The Hollywood movie adaptation of 1931 is the one most emblazoned in the public imagination, but it strayed far from the book, turning an emotionally devastating masterpiece into high camp.

Behind a Mask by Louisa May Alcott

Wait, what? Louisa May Alcott, the author of Little Women and Jo's Boys? Early in her career, before she wrote the books for which she became famous, Louisa wrote thrillers under a pseudonym because they sold well. Presumably she wrote them in the 1850s and possibly the early 1860s.

As the main support of her parents and sisters, she needed the money, but it seems like she didn't mind writing what she referred to as her "blood and thunder" tales. These are collected in Behind a Mask or a Woman's Power (full text) under the pseudonym A.M. Barnard.

While they may not have been as terrifying as The Lottery or The Birds, Louisa May Alcott's rediscovered thrillers, including A Long Fatal Love Chase and others, reveal a very different side of this beloved author. 

The Giant Wistaria by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1891)

Charlotte Perkins Gilman's 1891 short story The Giant Wistaria is less known than The Yellow Wallpaper,  a feminist classic. “Wistaria” has in common with “Wallpaper” the underlying themes of patriarchal repression of women’s sexuality and control of the realm of motherhood. What results is a chilling ghost story. You can read the full story here.

“The Eyes” by Edith Wharton (1910)

Edith Wharton, she of the old New York novels like The Age of Innocence and the New England classic Ethan Frome,  also enjoyed writing spooky tales. These were collected by Edith herself in Ghosts (1937), and reissued in 2021.

Frances Booth writes" “The Eyes” is a tale presented as having been told by a member of a group of educated, rational friends sitting round a convivial but spooky fireplace in the dark, swapping ghost stories, which perhaps refers to the “dark and stormy night” when Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and John Polidori’sThe Vampyre were both conceived. Read “The Eyes” in full.

The Birds by Daphne du Maurier (1952)

Daphne du Maurier wrote her share of brilliant psychological thrillers and dark mysteries. Two of her standouts are the novel-length Rebecca and the long short story, The Birds.

Both were adapted to film by Alfred Hitchcock, though the Birds in its 1965 film version was quite altered. The film really freaked me out when I first saw it as a teen. When I see clouds of black birds migrating I can't help but be reminded of this extraordinarily unsettling movie.  Du Maurier’s story, though not one of her best, is taut and thrilling. And best of all, not as scary as the film.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (1938)

Another by Daphne du Maurier, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more beautifully written psychological thriller than Rebecca. The eponymous mistress of Manderley continues to rule from the grave, assisted by her devoted and supremely creepy housekeeper Mrs. Danvers.

The nameless narrator, the new Mrs. Maxim De Winter, does battle to find her place as the woman of the manor. The story combines thrills, tragedy, pathos, romance, and plenty of twists and turns. The 1940 film version is wonderful, too, though it changes an important plot element. Read the book first!

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson (1948)

Do you remember reading The Lottery by Shirley Jackson in high school? A kind of precursor to The Hunger Games, it tells of a bizarre ritual of a small village. When it was first published in The New Yorker in 1948, readers were shocked.

Somehow, despite initial revulsion and some attempts to ban it, the story had legs. It’s considered a classic of psychological terror. Similarly, Jackson's We Have Always Lived in the Castle, and The Haunting of Hill House are designed to both thrill and unsettle. It's easy to see why Stephen King has long cited Jackson as a prime influence.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (1959)

Another by Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House is a 1959 novel in the gothic horror genre, though it might be more accurately described as a literary ghost story. It’s a masterful story of psychological terror.

Hill House is a mansion built by Hugh Crain, long passed away. Dr. John Montague, an investigator of the supernatural, wishes to conduct a study there to find existence of spirits. With him are three young companions, of whom Eleanor is the central character. A close reading of the novel is an exploration of her psychological breakdown.

Explore the novels of Shirley Jackson, a master of the psychological thriller. 

Lesser known haunting stories from literary herstory

In No Direction Home: The Uncanny in Literature, Francis Booth (a frequent contributor to Literary Ladies) includes plenty of haunting stories by women writers. No Direction Home is available for Nook and from Kobo and other distributors of ebooks.

Francis unearthed some fascinating women who wrote in the genre of the occult, uncanny, and ghost stories from way back when. See this treasure trove in Classic Uncanny Stories by British Women Writers.

Last call on books from my Etsy Shop! I’m putting physical products on hiatus until after the new year. Beautifully designed, signed coobooks (plus the satiric Secret Recipes for the Modern Wife) make great gifts! With free shipping and discounted prices that come out to less than what it would cost to order from Amazon or a bookstore. Last day to order, Saturday, November 2.