October Shadows : Classic Ghost Stories for Halloween

A ghostly story collection accompanied by hauntingly beautiful illustrations—reproductions of paintings on autumn leaves.

In October Shadows, artist John A. Rice brings to life classic ghost stories, using actual autumn leaves as his canvas. Each of the 13 tales—by authors including Washington Irving, Edgar Allen Poe, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman—explores the unexplained and the macabre, tapping into our worst fears and the darker side of human nature while exploring the supernatural mysteries that connect all our lives. This is the perfect book for curling up in front of a fire on a chilly night, when the moon is high, the wind whispers in the trees, and ominous shadows lurk around every corner.

Every story in October Shadows is illustrated with an original artwork executed on an autumn leaf. Each artwork is shown twice: once at the beginning of the story, and once at the end, transformed—like the face of a jack-o’-lantern—by backlighting, the light bleeding through the leaf and transforming the colours to an eerie and haunting effect. Like a relic from another era, October Shadows features a deluxe binding and gilt edges. By breathing new life into timeless stories and reimagining them with Rice’s unique approach, this anthology is poised to become an essential autumn classic—a book for Halloween and for cozy, spooky reading all year round.