Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery (and other stories)

May 29, 2026

Shirley Jackson might be better known for her haunting, psychological horror novels such as We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Haunting of Hill House, but her short horror stories are nothing but extraordinary.

And those collected in this Little Clothebound Penguin are horror stories, alright.
A woman is sent out of the office on a commission and she’s haunted by the idea of being at the centre of a game. Horror.
A woman, recently moved into the countryside, gets a call from her neighbour that their dog has been seen killing chicken and, while she seeks counsel on how to educate the dog, she only gets advice on how to kill her.
Horror.
On her wedding day, a woman frantically seeks her missing betrothed, only to find out he might have never existed.
Horror.
The perfect housewife’s routine is shattered by some distant relations going around her town saying they’re her friends and people even like them. The nerve. The horror.
And then of course there’s the titular story.

Shirley Jackson writes horror, yes, horror stories of everyday life, with a tinge of the supernatural now and then.
And they’re awesome.

books and literature

The Bicentennial Man (and other stories)

If not for the single story where they cure depression by blasting jazz against brainwaves (not how depression works, I’m afraid), one of the best collections I’ve read so far. It has the sequel of “Marooned off Vesta”, one of Asimov’s the best stories of

July 12, 2026 9:00 am

books and literature

Rebecca Ferrier’s The Salt Bind

Rebecca Ferrier’s The Salt Bind is a historical fantasy novel, set on the storm-lashed Cornish coast and steeped in folklore, sea magic, and women’s lives on the edge of the sea. It follows Kensa — daughter of a smuggler and with a regularly-complicated relationship with

July 11, 2026 9:00 am

art and fashion

Andrea Pazienza — They Don’t Always Die

At the beginning of this month, I was in Rome with some friends: we had heard that Danny Elfman himself was going to be on stage at the Auditorium, performing some pieces from his soundtracks, and we’re hardcore fans (I have mixed feelings about the

July 10, 2026 9:00 am

1 Comment

Casey Davis
Posted at 23:30h, 29 May Reply

Haven’t thought about The Lottery in ages. What do you think makes it stand out in Jackson’s body of work?