What do you think?
Rate this book
The Night the Jack O'Lantern Went Out #1
The Night the Jack O'Lantern Went Out
Halloween. A holiday that inspires memories, excitement, and a little bit of fear in everyone. A single day where all the ghosts and ghoulies come out to play and sometimes its hard to tell which of the creepy crawlies are human and which ones truly rise from beyond seeking unsuspecting souls.
Author Alexander S. Brown explores all the wonderfully terrifying possibilities Halloween has to offer in The Night the Jack O'Lantern Went Out ! Brown delivers new tales of terror in this collection laced with just enough nostalgia to make us all hope Halloween comes sooner…and stays far enough away that the monsters don’t get us!
In 2024 the book was rereleased with a new title, 13 Octobers
Author Alexander S. Brown explores all the wonderfully terrifying possibilities Halloween has to offer in The Night the Jack O'Lantern Went Out ! Brown delivers new tales of terror in this collection laced with just enough nostalgia to make us all hope Halloween comes sooner…and stays far enough away that the monsters don’t get us!
In 2024 the book was rereleased with a new title, 13 Octobers
12 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 12, 2014
2 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 13, 2018
Author Alexander S. Brown’s book The Night the Jack O’Lantern Went Out is a collection of eerie stories spanning four decades: the 1930s to the 1960s.
Each story is crafted with references to the time period and the people living in it. Two stories are written with the Southern twang of their narrators. One details the type of Halloween costumes children wore in the 1950s. Some reflect what readers now would think of as an old-fashioned relationship between man and wife.
In all of the stories Brown weaves in dark images of fear of the unknown – and the known.
I was particularly intrigued by this book due to the folklore around the fall season and Halloween Brown draws upon. Scarecrows, owls, haunted houses, spooky dolls, seances and the spirits of the deceased move effortlessly and terrifyingly through the lives of the living. Lessons are learned. Choices are made. Lives are forever changed – or ended.
The characters – and the horrors – in these stories are perfectly crafted. One feels the fright of those being tormented and the delight in the mind of the tormentor. My two favorite stories in the book are “The Spell Collector” and “Mean Spirited.” And I don’t know that I’ll ever look at scarecrows the same way again after reading “Lord of the Garden”!
This young man is quickly becoming one of my favorite modern horror writers. His work echoes Poe, Lovecraft, King and Ketchum – authors who’ve given even a seasoned reader like me the shivers.
Each story is crafted with references to the time period and the people living in it. Two stories are written with the Southern twang of their narrators. One details the type of Halloween costumes children wore in the 1950s. Some reflect what readers now would think of as an old-fashioned relationship between man and wife.
In all of the stories Brown weaves in dark images of fear of the unknown – and the known.
I was particularly intrigued by this book due to the folklore around the fall season and Halloween Brown draws upon. Scarecrows, owls, haunted houses, spooky dolls, seances and the spirits of the deceased move effortlessly and terrifyingly through the lives of the living. Lessons are learned. Choices are made. Lives are forever changed – or ended.
The characters – and the horrors – in these stories are perfectly crafted. One feels the fright of those being tormented and the delight in the mind of the tormentor. My two favorite stories in the book are “The Spell Collector” and “Mean Spirited.” And I don’t know that I’ll ever look at scarecrows the same way again after reading “Lord of the Garden”!
This young man is quickly becoming one of my favorite modern horror writers. His work echoes Poe, Lovecraft, King and Ketchum – authors who’ve given even a seasoned reader like me the shivers.
October 19, 2016
Halloween. A holiday that inspires memories, excitement, and a little bit of fear in everyone. A single day where all the ghosts and ghoulies come out to play and sometimes its hard to tell which of the creepy crawlies are human and which ones truly rise from beyond seeking unsuspecting souls. Author Alexander S. Brown explores all the wonderfully terrifying possibilities Halloween has to offer in THE NIGHT THE JACK O’ LANTERN WENT OUT! Brown delivers new tales of terror in this collection laced with just enough nostalgia to make us all hope Halloween comes sooner…and stays far enough away that the monsters don’t get us!
I came about this book after Alex started following me on twitter so as I'm always up for a good Halloween story I gave this a go and wasn't disappointed.
The set of stories are all set around Halloween and they are set in sections consisting of the 1930's, 1940's, 1950's and the 1960's. The stories are all very simple quick reads but very well written most with a little twist to them just good old fashioned scary tales, the type of story you could tell around a camp fire!
My favourite story was Lord of the Garden this tale was about Buddy the scarecrow I'd say come and meet Buddy but then again maybe not or only from a distance!
This book made a refreshing change to all the blood and gore that can sometimes surround some horror stories today. They reminded me at times of the R. L Stine Goosebump stories but for adults.
I read this book in a couple of sittings and thoroughly enjoyed every story so well done Alex, you kept me engrossed!
I gave this book 4/5 on Goodreads.
June 30, 2016
The Night the Jack O'Lantern Went Out was a great creative short story that tells of a trickster who ends up finding more truth to a holiday myth. This first story to a series will grab your attention and will want you reading other tales by Alexander S. Brown.
September 22, 2016
Tasty tiny tales to terrorize!
Read my full take here: The Night the Jack O' Lantern Went Out
Read my full take here: The Night the Jack O' Lantern Went Out
May 25, 2018
Watch out! This book may give you the creeps! Reader beware!!!
A scary story come to life, a ghost that tells her side of the story, a Halloween seance, a witch who will steal your soul, a scarecrow that comes to life and craves blood, and other deliciously scary tales.
Reminiscent of the scary stories series by Alvin Schwartz, this was a delightful little read. Unlike Schwartz however the author was able to change his writing style slightly from story to story. It was very refreshing for an anthology book. Most of the stories center around Halloween making this a perfect read for October. I would definitely recommend this book to anybody who likes scary anthologies.
A scary story come to life, a ghost that tells her side of the story, a Halloween seance, a witch who will steal your soul, a scarecrow that comes to life and craves blood, and other deliciously scary tales.
Reminiscent of the scary stories series by Alvin Schwartz, this was a delightful little read. Unlike Schwartz however the author was able to change his writing style slightly from story to story. It was very refreshing for an anthology book. Most of the stories center around Halloween making this a perfect read for October. I would definitely recommend this book to anybody who likes scary anthologies.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews