New Horror 2023 – Day 27

“She could not bear the thought of Jamie’s bringing to marriage anyone who looked haggard and lined.”

“The Daemon Lover” by Shirley Jackson (1949)

Kind of a sedate spooky reading, but still real good. I suppose if there’s a horror here it’s those skewed heteronormative expectations around a) women must marry when they’re young and attractive and b) men don’t need to commit and can afford to be aloof assholes. But the way Jackson writes this, it still has an eerie vibe about what exactly is going on.

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“Wobbling Rock had finally fallen on a family having a picnic.”

“The Willowdale Handcar or The Return of the Black Doll” by Edward Gorey (1962)

The sedate horror continues with this weird, meandering tale about what I can only guess are some rich yuppies traveling about the countryside without a care as those around them suffer. Since it’s Gorey, there’s a general unsettling look in the illustrations, and the ending does nothing to assuage that feeling.

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“Give me back my head!”

Visible Secret dir. Ann Hui (2001)

You know something’s off in this story about ghosts and possessions, and while it may be predictable there are still some interesting turns before you arrive at the destination.