Here’s the situation: you just finished reading A Christmas Carol, and now you’re in the mood for more Christmas ghost stories. What should you read next? (and are you a total weirdo?)
The answer to the first? Scroll and you’ll see. The second? No, you’re not weird at all.
In fact, there’s a reason the song It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year talks about scary ghost stories: it used to be a far more popular tradition than it is now. The Victorians in particular loooved supernatural tales told while gathered around a warm fire when it was gloomy outside.
I mean, honestly… picture a better environment for that kind of thing. I kinda wish I could time travel and join in.
They weren’t just meant to scare people, though. The point of these stories was like the original Brothers Grimm tales, full of warnings and reflections on guilt, class, memory, and mortality.
If your idea of a holly jolly Christmas is less Hallmark and more haunted, these are the books you’re going to want to add to your TBR.
Christmas Ghost Stories for Readers Who Prefer Their Holidays Dark
#1 A Christmas Tale by Austin Crowley
A retelling of A Christmas Story wherein three young women hold a seance to try to raise the spirits who visited Scrooge.
It’s only around 100 pages long, so you’ll be able to start and finish the story on Christmas Eve (provided you’re not up wrapping presents last-minute.)
Reviewers say it’s a cozy psychological horror.
From the book description:
“A chilling Christmas story that will keep you awake all Christmas Eve!
Inspired by the Dickens tale, A Christmas Carol, three young women decide to hold a séance to raise the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future. They don’t expect a result, but what they call out of the aethyr gives them a creepy holiday they will never forget, if they live to tell the tale!”
#2 The Woman In Black by Susan Hill
A vengeful ghost turns quiet Christmas nights into something unbearable. Susan Hill’s classic is a masterclass in atmosphere, proving that Christmas settings can heighten horror rather than soften it.
Also, when you’re finished reading it you can watch the movie (I always find it fun :))
From the book description:
“Arthur Kipps is an up-and-coming London solicitor who is sent to Crythin Gifford—a faraway town in the windswept salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway—to attend the funeral and settle the affairs of a client, Mrs. Alice Drablow of Eel Marsh House. Mrs. Drablow’s house stands at the end of the causeway, wreathed in fog and mystery, but Kipps is unaware of the tragic secrets that lie hidden behind its sheltered windows.
The routine business trip he anticipated quickly takes a horrifying turn when he finds himself haunted by a series of mysterious sounds and images—a rocking chair in a deserted nursery, the eerie sound of a pony and trap, a child’s scream in the fog, and, most terrifying of all, a ghostly woman dressed all in black.”
Related: 22 Gothic Horror Novels That Are Delightfully Moody
#3 Ghost Story by Peter Straub
While not traditionally labeled a Christmas book, this novel embodies the spirit of winter ghost stories told by the Victorians. It’s the perfect companion to darker holiday reading.
Bonus: because it’s not necessarily Christmas, you can extend your TBR into later in the winter (you’re welcome!)
From the book description:
“What was the worst thing you’ve ever done?
In the sleepy town of Milburn, New York, four old men gather to tell each other stories—some true, some made-up, all of them frightening. A simple pastime to divert themselves from their quiet lives.
But one story is coming back to haunt them and their small town. A tale of something they did long ago. A wicked mistake. A horrifying accident. And they are about to learn that no one can bury the past forever…”
#4 The Chimes by Charles Dickens
If A Christmas Carol left you wanting something more ominous, The Chimes delivers. This lesser-read Dickens work offers spectral warnings, social commentary, and a far darker tone than his most famous Christmas tale. (It’s my current read—if you’re reading too, I’d love to chat.)
From the book description:
“The Chimes focuses on Trotty, a poor elderly messenger who is filled with gloom over reports of crime and immorality in the newspapers. After losing faith in the society, Trotty follows a call to the church bell tower where he encounters Goblins that teach him, and listeners, lessons in the form of visions about the mistreatment of the lower class in society. This story of social awakening inspires listeners to treat everyone with fair kindness.”
While this is not an exhaustive list (by any means!) it should definitely get you through this Christmas.
Do you have any Christmas ghost stories to recommend? Leave them in the comments! I’d love to add more to my TBR 🙂
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