It's the season for ghouls and ghosts so we thought we would bring you some creepy tales based right here in Canada. Welcome to creepy Canadiana!
1. Eerie Edmonton by Rhonda Parrish
Enjoy more than forty stories about hauntings and paranormal activity right here in Edmonton. Eerie Edmonton is told from a combination of personal accounts, documented history and the authors' own investigations. Also available as an eBook.
2. Great Canadian Ghost Stories by Barbara Smith
The brilliant Barbara Smith has traversed across Canada to unearth more than 100 supernatural tales and ghost stories, including Great Canadian Ghost Stories. This is just one of her collection of books based on ghost stories in Alberta and Canada.
3. The Troop by Nick Cutter
During a camping trip, on an uninhabited island off the coast of Prince Edward Island, Tim and his boy scout troop encounter an unexpected intruder whose bioengineered body spreads horror faster than fear. Make sure to add a little rotten flesh to your reading list this Halloween with The Troop. It's also available as an eBook and audiobook CD.
4. The Spine Chillers by Ben Clark
The Spine Chillers is an episodic comic strip relating to the little-known story about the time the world's greatest writers shared a small boarding house, living together to create some of the most loved thrillers and horror stories of all time. Marvel at HP Lovecraft's inspiration for Cthulhu, gasp as Ambrose Bierce struggles under the weight of his own creative output, and marvel as Edgar Allan Poe and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle mud wrestle to determine once and for all who is the better horror writer. Another fun fact is this comic strip was published out of Canmore, AB.
5. Taaqtumi
Taaqtumi is an Inuktitut word meaning in the dark. These spine-tingling horror stories by Northern writers explain just how dangerous darkness can be. These chilling tales from award-winning authors will entertain even the most seasoned horror fans so make sure to grab a blanket and lamp before reading.
6. The Thirteen by Susie Moloney
Unless one counted the occasional dismemberment, blood atonement, or human sacrifice, one could call Haven Woods a suburban paradise. Paula Wittmore returns home to Haven Woods with her twelve-year-old daughter to care for her dying mother, unknowingly bringing with her a worthy gift to the dark forces and a last hope for twelve witches who need to keep their circle at thirteen. The Thirteen is also available as an eBook.
7. The Homecoming by Andrew Pyper
When their absentee father dies, Aaron and Bridge Quinlan travel to his property in the Pacific Northwest to hear the reading of his will. There they reunite with their mother and sister, and they are all surprised by the terms of the will; in order to claim their inheritance, they must spend 30 days in his estate without contacting the outside world. The Homecoming is also available as an eBook.
8. Scanners
Darryl Revok is a rogue scanner of unparalleled power with an insatiable thirst for control. Leader of an underground association, Revok wages war against the "normals" to claim his prize of world domination—his telekinesis a passive-aggressive weapon of the most dangerous and deadly kind. Self-induced "empath" Cameron Vale is on the verge of insanity, struggling to cope with the powers that define his existence. With his propinquity to the subject, Vale is recruited by Dr. Paul Ruth and tasked to track Revok down before any more damage is done. With the uncanny ability to read minds and lock into the human nervous system, Revok sets out to prove himself a formidable exponent—literally blowing people's minds in the process. Stream the Scanners through Kanopy today.
9. Black Christmas
A dangerous psychopath hiding out in the attic of a sorority house torments a small group of pretty young sisters (including Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder) who are staying behind over Christmas break. His tactics range from making obscene phone calls from their mother's house phone, to stalking the terrified boarders with sharp objects and murderous intent. Director, Bob Clark demonstrates a tight, aggressive style that generates some very original shocks, which clearly influenced dozens of similarly themed slasher films to follow. Stream Black Christmas today through hoopla.
10. Prairie Gothic
Calgary-based Prairie Soul Press has put together an anthology of twisted horror stories set amongst the decayed and abandoned environs of the Canadian Prairies. It’s scarier when there’s no where to hide with Prairie Gothic.
If none of these titles scratch your need for thrills, we have one last title that you can access with no waiting or holds until Friday, Oct. 29.
11. Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
Rosemary Woodhouse and her struggling actor husband Guy move into the Bramford, an old New York City apartment building with an ominous reputation and mostly elderly residents. Neighbors Roman and Minnie Castavet soon come nosing around to welcome the Woodhouses to the building, and despite Rosemary's reservations about their eccentricity and the weird noises that she keeps hearing, her husband takes a shine to them. Shortly after Guy lands a plum Broadway role, Rosemary becomes pregnant—and the Castavets start taking a special interest in her welfare. As the sickened Rosemary becomes increasingly isolated, she begins to suspect that the Castavets' circle is not what it seems... Access Rosemary's Baby today.
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