Whatever the reason, Christmas ghost stories hold a particular magic – a touch of the macabre amid the merry. Here, we delve into the finest ghostly reads for the season, celebrating both contemporary and classic offerings. Among them are standout new additions from Adam Macqueen and Kim Newman, both of which are surely destined to become modern seasonal staples.
Haunted Tales: Ghostly Stories for the Darkest Nights by Adam Macqueen
Adam Macqueen, perhaps best known for his razor-sharp satire and investigative journalism, demonstrates a deft hand for the ghostly in Haunted Tales. This collection, which collates the spooky stories Macqeen has sent to his family in place of a Christmas card over two decades, brims with the evocative and the unnerving, drawing you inexorably in. Macqueen has a remarkable knack for capturing the eerie beauty of winter nights, weaving the kind of narratives that linger atmospherically in the mind. Among the highlights: ‘An unexpected and unwelcome voice on the world’s first radio broadcast in 1908. A son who won’t stop messaging his family on Facebook, although he’s been dead for quite some time now. A frozen forest in a far north land where the sinister elf-kin lurk in the snow. A Scottish island where the locals make very sure their old folk don’t go hungry through the long winter.’ What makes Macqueen’s stories so effective is their ability to balance timeless gothic elements with a modern sensibility, making them accessible yet deeply atmospheric. Perfect for reading by the fire with a steaming cup of mulled wine in hand.
A Christmas Ghost Story by Kim Newman
From the acclaimed author of Anno Dracula comes a haunting Christmas tale that is perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and T. Kingfisher. On the isolated Somerset Levels, Angie and her son Rust prepare for the holidays, but sinister Christmas cards and unsettling memories of a forgotten TV show soon unravel their festive cheer. With twisted traditions, poisoned carols, and malevolent visitors, A Christmas Ghost Story is a chilling exploration of family, nostalgia, and the darkness lurking in seasonal shadows.
The Winter Spirits: Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights by Various Authors
The tradition of sharing ghostly tales at Christmas has endured for centuries, and this collection breathes new life into it, with twelve captivating stories from some of today's most celebrated voices in historical and gothic fiction (among them Bridget Collins, Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Elizabeth Macneal). Each tale is intricately tied to the themes of Christmas or Advent, reimagining this cherished custom for contemporary readers. From the eerie halls of a haunted Tuscan villa to the windswept shores of a remote Scottish island hiding a sinister secret, these vivid and chilling stories are the perfect accompaniment for long, frosty nights.
Classic Ghostly Companions
No list of Christmas ghost stories would be complete without paying homage to the classics. The Victorian era, with its fascination for the supernatural, gifted us an enduring tradition of ghostly Christmas tales, with a slews of other towering favourites added along the way.
Ghost Story by Peter Straub
Published in 1979, Ghost Story by Peter Straub is a cornerstone of supernatural fiction, blending horror, mystery, and psychological dread. The story follows the Chowder Society, a group of elderly men bound by a dark secret, who gather to share eerie tales after the mysterious death of one of their own. But these stories have a way of bleeding into reality, unleashing a tide of unearthly terror. As a brutal winter grips their town, sinister events and buried truths resurface, threatening their very lives. Intense, atmospheric, and deeply unsettling, this is a must-read classic of the genre.
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
While not strictly a Christmas story, this psychological thriller remains a quintessential fireside read, with its atmospheric depiction of haunted children and a governess’s descent into paranoia – and a character that we will forever petrify us to our very core. Shudder.
Oh, Whistle, and I’ll Come to You, My Lad by M.R. James
M.R. James was the undisputed master of the Christmas ghost story, and this chilling short story – with its spectral pursuer and creeping sense of unease – is among his finest. Some even call it the most accomplished ghost story ever written, in fact.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The granddaddy of them all, Dickens’s beloved novella is as much a ghost story as it is a tale of redemption. While the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is chilling, it’s the sense of hope amid the haunting that makes this a perennial favourite. We especially adore this edition with perfect illustrations from the always-brilliant Quentin Blake.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
For those who prefer their ghost stories infused with psychological complexity and subtle menace, Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle is an unmissable choice. While not a traditional ghost story, it exudes an otherworldly quality that makes it ideal for the season. The novel centres on the Blackwood sisters, Merricat and Constance, who live in isolation after a family tragedy that is slowly unveiled over the course of the book. Jackson’s genius lies in her ability to make the mundane deeply unsettling. The looming presence of a dark past – along with Merricat’s peculiar rituals and the town’s hostile curiosity – creates an atmosphere as claustrophobic as it is chilling.
The Room in the Tower by E. F. Benson
E. F. Benson's The Room in the Tower, a tale within a wider volume titled Night Terrors, offers a haunting Christmas read, its suffocating unease slowly building from an unnervingly familiar scene – afternoons spent on lawns in the oppressive heat. ‘The afternoon was very hot, and an intolerable oppression reigned’ sets the stage for a nightmarish loop that tightens with every repetition, ultimately becoming a chilling reality. We adore Benson’s Mapp & Lucia series whose levity somehow makes this darker side if the acutely observant writer all the more pronounced.
