Elevate your Halloween with classier, more refined scares

FORGET the jump scares and gory props, the haunted theme parks and chaotic zombie chases, the rented costume and messy make-up. Readers of The Business Times deserve a touch of sophistication in their quest to thrill and chill. This year, elevate your Halloween with classier, more refined scares. Here are our suggestions:

Literary ghost stories

For those seeking a more intellectual scare, the resurgence of literary ghost stories is a must. Many are turning to the works of classic authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, HP Lovecraft, Lafcadio Hearn, Shirley Jackson and Edogawa Ranpo to infuse a sense of literary horror into their Halloween celebrations.

However, not many people – except the English – have heard of MR James. The author and academic was once so popular in the UK, the BBC regularly adapted his short stories into Christmas specials. Some of these adaptations are available on YouTube – just search “M R James BBC”. The best ones are A Warning To The Curious (1972), Whistle And I’ll Come To You (1968) and Lost Hearts (1973).