All Hallow’s Read is a Hallowe’en tradition. It’s simply that in the week of Hallowe’en, or on the night itself, you give someone a scary book.

Scholars have traced its origins as far back as this blog post. [http://allhallowsread.com/]

The bleakness of our landscape and the tyranny of distance in our island continent has inspired generations of Australian writers to write dark tales and scary stories. Here we list but a few recommendations for scary books from Australia. If you would like to make a recommendation for the list, please do so here:

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NOVELS

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Riley Jensen series by Keri Arthur

MageSign by Alan Baxter

RealmShift by Alan Baxter

The Corpse Rat King by Lee Battersby

Red Queen by Honey Brown

Souls Along The Meridian by Bill Congreve

Clowns at Midnight by Terry Dowling

The Pilo Family Circus by Will Elliott

After the World: Gravesend by Jason Fischer

The Opposite of Life by Narrelle M Harris

The Shadowfae Chronicles by Erica Hayes

The Broken Ones by Stephen M. Irwin

Death Most Definite by Trent Jamieson

Managing Death by Trent Jamieson

The Business of Death by Trent Jamieson

Storyman by Victor Kelleher

Sea Hearts by Margo Lanagan

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

Carnies by Martin Livings

Madigan Mine by Kirstyn McDermott

Salvage by Jason Nahrung

The Darkness Within by Jason Nahrung

Night’s Cold Kiss by Tracey O’Hara

Slights by Kaaron Warren

Walking the Tree by Kaaron Warren

Grimoire by Kim Wilkins

The Autumn Castle by Kim Wilkins

The Resurrectionists by Kim Wilkins

In the Winter Dark by Tim Winton

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COLLECTIONS/ANTHOLOGIES

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A Book Of Endings by Deborah Biancotti

Macabre: A Journey through Australia’s Darkest Fears edited by Angela Challis and Dr Marty Young

Basic Black by Terry Dowling

Dead Red Heart edited by Russell B Farr

Slice of Life by Paul Haines

The Last Days of Kali Yuga by Paul Haines

Cracklescape by Margo Lanagan

Australian Dark Fantasy and Horror series

Nightsiders by Sue Isle

Dead Sea Fruit by Kaaron Warren

The Grinding House by Kaaron Warren

Through Splintered Walls by Kaaron Warren

FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION

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The After Dark series

Burnt Snow by Van Badham

Shift by Em Bailey

Mystery at Riddle Gully by Jen Banyard

The Hair-Raisers series by Margaret Clarke and Lee Striker

Caleb by Gary Crew

Force of Evil by Gary Crew

Gothic Hospital by Gary Crew

Mystery of Eilean Mor by Gary Crew

The Viewer by Gary Crew

The Watertower by Gary Crew (picture book)

The Museum of Mary Child by Cassandra Gold

The Shades series by Robert Hood

The Nest by Paul Jennings

Allie’s Ghost Hunters series by Catherine Jinks

The Life of a Teenage Body Snatcher by Doug Macleod

Halloween in Christmas Hills: the legend of Stingy Jack by Karen Tayleur and Heath McKenzie

The Broken Lands trilogy by Sean Williams

Guardians of the Dead by Karen Healey

The Shattering by Karen Healey

Saltwater Vampires by Kirsty Eager

Yellowcake (collection) by Margo Lanagan

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan (older readers)

Sounds spooky by Christopher Cheng and Sarah Davis (picture book)

The ghost of Annabelle Spoon by Aaron Blabey

Vampyre by Margaret Wild and Andrew Yeo (picture book)

The Puzzle Ring by Kate Forsyth

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NOT STRICTLY SPEAKING BOOKS, BUT…

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“Wives” by Paul Haines (in the anthology X6)

“Siren Beat” by Tansy Rayner Roberts (in the Twelfth Planet Press novella double Roadkill/Siren Beat)

The Company Articles of Edward Teach/The Angaelien Apocalypse by Thoraiya Dyer/Matthew Chrulew

Kindly created and freely shared by The Introverted Wife

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