31 Shots of Shock Reading Challenge
October 6, 2009 by Rob
Filed under 31 Shots of Shock, Feature Story
Welcome (finally) to the hub page for my 31 Shots of Shock – a reading challenge to read one horror-related short story every day throughout the month of October, in the lead up to Halloween. Below you will find my reading schedule for the challenge this year (2009), which lists every story I’m going to be reading, together with links to my afterthoughts for each story once I’ve read it.
With the exception of only a small number of stories, I’ve tried to choose stories which are freely available to read online, just in case any one else wants to read them. Initially I was going to open up 31 Shots of Shock to anyone and everyone who may have wanted to read along. However, I began planning out this challenge a bit too late to be of any practical use to anyone (Tsk..typical man eh? Leaves everything until the last minute 
).
However, this doesn’t stop you still reading along with any of these stories if you want too. Take Kristen (We Be Reading) for instance, who’s been closely shadowing (or should that be leading?) my way through the Kelly Link collection that is so prominent during the first third of this challenge. So if any of the stories below takes your fancy then by all means follow the link to it (if available), give it a read and then drop back with your thoughts (preferably on the relevant afterthoughts post).
Finally, my thanks again to all who came forward with short story suggestions in the first place, after I put out a plea. For one reason or another (the most common being not being able to get a hold of a particular story in time), I’ve not taken up all of your great suggestions, but where I have I’ve credited you directly next to your story/author suggestion, in the table.
A final mention must go to Memory of Stella Matutina. It was her original Tales of Terror reading challenge last year, that inspired me to take up the reigns this year and follow a similar reading challenge throughout the month of October (Memory has been too tied up to re-run her Tales of Terror again this year). So Memory – this reading challenge is in your honour.
| Date | Story Title | Author | Reason for Selection | Rating | Review link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 01 | The Wrong Grave | Kelly Link | Read as part of a review for Pretty Monsters (Canongate) | 3/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 02 | The Wizards of 'Perfil | Kelly Link | Read as part of a review for Pretty Monsters (Canongate) | 3/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 03 | Magic for Beginners | Kelly Link | Read as part of a review for Pretty Monsters (Canongate) | 3/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 04 | The Faery Handbag | Kelly Link | Read as part of a review for Pretty Monsters (Canongate) | 3.5/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 05 | The Specialist's Hat | Kelly Link | Read as part of a review for Pretty Monsters (Canongate) | 3/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 06 | Monster | Kelly Link | Read as part of a review for Pretty Monsters (Canongate) | 4/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 07 | The Surfer | Kelly Link | Read as part of a review for Pretty Monsters (Canongate) | 4/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 08 | The Constable of Abal | Kelly Link | Read as part of a review for Pretty Monsters (Canongate) | 4.5/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 09 | Pretty Monsters | Kelly Link | Read as part of a review for Pretty Monsters (Canongate) | 2.5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 10 | A Good Man is Hard to Find | Flannery O'Connor | Suggested by Kim (Bookstore People) and Tolmsted (Booksexy). Thank you! | 3/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 11 | The Buried Alive | John Galt | As recommended in an earlier post by Hege. Thank you! | 4/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 12 | The Spectre-Smitten (PDF) | Samuel Warren | As recommended in an earlier post by Hege. Thank you! | 3.5/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 13 | The Man in the Bell | William Maginn | As recommended in an earlier post by Hege. Thank you! | 4/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 14 | The Haunted Doll's House (PDF) | M. R. James | Author suggested by Memory (Stella Matutina). Thank You! Story chosen by me. | 3.5/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 15 | The Red Room | H G Wells | Self selected | 2.5/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 16 | An Eddy on the Floor (PDF) | Bernard Capes | Self-selected | 2.5/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 17 | At the End of the Passage | Rudyard Kipling | Self-selected | 2/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 18 | The Tomb of Sarah (PDF) | F. G. Loring | Self-selected | 4/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 19 | Don't Look Now | Daphne Du Maurier | Author suggested by Frances (Nonsuch Book) and affirmed by Gautami (Everything Distills into Reading). Thank you! | 4.5/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 20 | The Kit Bag (PDF) | Algernon Blackwood | Self selected | 4/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Suggested by Eva (A Striped Armchair). Thank You! | *Unable to source in time | **** | |||
| Oct. 21 | The Cafe of Terror | E. Phillips Oppenheim | Self selected | 2.5/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 22 | The Dunwich Horror | H. P Lovecraft | Author suggested by Tolmsted (Booksexy) and Paul. Thank You! Story chosen by me | 4/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 23 | On the Leads (PDF) | S. Baring-Goulds | Self selected | 3/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 24 | A Terribly Strange Bed | Wilkie Collins | Self selected | 3.5/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 25 | Closing Time | Neil Gaiman | Suggested by Tolmsted (Booksexy). Thank you again! | 3/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 26 | The Old Nurse's Story | Elizabeth Gaskell | Self selected | 3.5/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 27 | Midnight Express | Alfred Noyes | Self selected | 4/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 28 | An Account of Some Strange Disturbances in Aungier Street | Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu | Self selected | 4/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 29 | The Upper Berth | F. Marion Crawford | Self selected | 4/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 30 | The Haunted and the Haunters | Edward Bulwer-Lytton | Self selected | 3.5/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
| Oct. 31 | The Fountain House | Ludmilla Petrushevskaya | Suggested by Shannon (Shananagins). Thank You! | 4/5 | Rob's Afterthoughts |
Happy Halloween reading everyone! And remember to let me know if you read/have read any of these 31 stories. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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Rob, a self-confessed bibliophile, is without any hope of rehabilitation. He gets unnaturally excited over anything book-shaped, and if book sniffing were a crime then he would have been locked up years ago (which wouldn't bother him in the slightest provided his cell were lined with books)
Well, I was shadowing for a bit but then I had this terrible cold for four days and I caught up and then finished the book. Luckily that gives me more free time to try and read along with some of your other choices! I like the variety that you chose for the rest of your stories.
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I wondered where you disappeared Kristen. I hope all is well now?
Feel free to read whatever you wish, although I do think there’s a bit of Victorian/Edwardian bias in the stories of chosen
. At least with the exception of Kelly Link, all the choices are one author – one story.
Warmest
Rob
[Reply]
I’m still not completely better but getting there!
I just finished a set of LeFanu stories that I posted about today (the ones in Through a Glass Darkly) but I definitely want to read the one you’ve chosen as well. He’s really broad in his subject matters (though not as much as Kelly Link!).
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LeFanu looks utterly intriguing Kristen. I’ve never read him myself and the one I’ve chosen was well-considered. I look forward to it (as I hope you do)
Warmest
Rob
[Reply]
Wow, I’ve never had a challenge in my honour before! Good luck with your reading month. It looks like you’re off to a good start with the Kelly Link stories, and you’ve got a lot of compelling reads on your challenge list.
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this looks like fun. Wordsworth do some good cheap volumes of classic ghost stories in their ‘Tales of Mystery and the Supernatural’ series… not that you don’t seem to have plenty to be getting along with for the moment!
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@Memory – Thank you for the well wishes Memory. I couldn’t begin without giving you the credit you deserve.
@Rob – Hi Rob! Thanks for the additional recommendations. It does come a bit late but always useful for next year.
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