In October, the library will be haunted with the ghosts of several authors including Jack London, Shirley Jackson, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Anne Rice, H.G. Wells, Alvin Schwartz, Ray Bradbury, Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas. They will regale visitors with tales of their lives and loves and also tell all about their work when they were alive.
Writers tend to be readers as well and one question that could be asked of our undead entourage is, "What would you be reading if you were still among the living?" The answers may surprise and delight you and hopefully inspire you to find another great read.
Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury (August 22, 1920–June 5, 2012) is probably best remembered for his dystopian masterpiece Fahrenheit 451 and futuristic novel The Martian Chronicles. He was also a master of horror and his book Something Wicked This Way Comes was considered very influential by author R.L. Stine.
If Bradbury were still reading, his "To Read” list may include horror authors such as Joe Hill and Stephen King as well as other speculative fiction authors such as Margaret Atwood.
Shirley Jackson
Shirley Hardie Jackson (December 14, 1916–August 8, 1965) was born in a suburb of San Francisco, moved to New York when she was a teenager, and settled with her husband and four children in Vermont. Jackson’s books and short stories, including The Haunting of Hill House, We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Lottery, are considered horror and mystery genre, and embody the themes of good vs. evil, loneliness and human cruelty.
If she were reading today’s authors, Shirley may have found a fondness for the novels of Sarah Langan and Monica Ojeda.
Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (August 28, 1814–February 7, 1873) was an Irish writer, born into a literary family in Dublin. Although he studied law at Trinity College, he abandoned that career for journalism. Le Fanu is considered to be an influential ghost story writer of the Victorian era. Anne Rice credited him as being a significant influence on her writing and we’re sure that he would have enjoyed her novels as well.
For more ghostly scares, his “To Read” list might include Spitting Gold by Carmella Lowkis.
Jack London
Jack London (January 12, 1876–November 22, 1916) lived in California and many of his books, including The Call of the Wild, and other stories reflect the themes of survival, instinct and the laws of nature.
What would he have on his “To Read” list if he were alive today? We’d recommend The Revenant by Michael Punke, which was adapted into a movie as well.
Anne Rice
Anne Rice (October 4, 1941–December 11, 2021) was born Howard Allen Frances O’Brien in New Orleans to parents who thought it was important to pass on her father’s name. She started being called Anne in 1st grade. Influenced by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Anne Rice’s most famous novels were about the vampire Lestat, beginning with the novel Interview With the Vampire.
Anne’s “To Read” list would have spanned many genres but she may have enjoyed A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness and the dark fantasies of Leigh Bardugo. She may have gotten a kick out of the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris as well.
Alvin Schwartz
Alvin Schwartz (April 25, 1927–March 14, 1992) was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was an American folklorist and author. He is best known for his children’s book series Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Schwartz, who was fascinated by legends and lore, delved deep into folk stories and legends to research the stories and teamed up with illustrator Stephen Gammell, who gave them the memorably creepy artwork.
If he were still alive, Schwartz, who got his start in comic books, would have enjoyed the Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon. He may have also enjoyed Holly Horror by Michelle Jabes Corpora, which takes spooky to a new level.
Gertrude Stein
Gertrude Stein (February 3, 1874–July 27, 1946) was an American writer, poet and playwright as well as a dedicated art collector. Her writings spanned many years but her two most famous works, Tender Buttons and The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, were particularly memorable.
Gertrude’s “To Read” list might be rather eclectic, but she’d probably enjoy seeing her friend Picasso’s works immortalized in Picasso: 200 Masterworks from 1898 to 1972. She also may have enjoyed the eclectic author Jincy Willett.
Alice B. Toklas
Alice B. Toklas (April 30, 1877–March 7, 1967) was the life partner of Gertrude Stein and they were together for over 40 years. Her cookbooks, which featured French cuisine, were popular even before the days of Julia Child.
Her “To Read” list may have included the delightfully French inspired cookbooks of Dorie Greenspan and David Lebovitz.
H.G. Wells
Herbert George Wells (September 21, 1866–August 13, 1946) was born in Kent, England. Despite becoming a science teacher, his true passion was writing, publishing his first novel, The Time Machine, in 1895. His novels and short stories are mostly science fiction but some can be described as sci-horror as well.
His “To Read” list might include books like Jurassic Park and Prey by Michael Crichton or books by author Andy Weir.
Add a comment to: To Read Lists Never Die: I Read Dead People