Spooky season is upon us!

And here at the Hive, we thought we’d treat you by rounding up a whole host of fantastic horrors authors and asking them how they’d celebrate the season with their characters. We have three of these posts sprinkled through the month for you to enjoy, so settle in an enjoy – hopefully we’ve featured your favourite writers, or maybe you’re new favourite writers…

Which of your characters would you take to a Halloween party and why?

Malinalli because we could raid her closet and she would buy all the drinks if it’s a cash bar.

– V. Castro | Immortal Pleasures 

No doubt I’ll have many regrets the next morning, least of all the pounding headache, but I’ll take Kiel. He’s both a necromancer and a reprobate, so he keeps things lively. You don’t necessarily need to trust someone or agree with their morals to have a fun night together, right? I’ll just want to avoid the drama he will definitely start by provoking someone for his own entertainment. Also, the night will inevitably degenerate, and I could never keep up with him… but as a positive, he’s unnaturally tall. This means he’ll make a fantastic Lurch, which means I get to dress up as Morticia Addams.

– Danielle Knight | A Rather Vengeful Accord

Ah, definitely Julia. She’s thirteen and already been through a hell of a lot. The kid could use a party.

– Keith Rosson | Coffin Moon

Poppy, she’s fun and bubbly! I would definitely do some shots with her!

– George Morris De’Ath | The Haunting at Morsley Manor

Hap from In the Lives of Puppets because when I’m ready to go home at 8pm, he would push everyone out of the way who are trying to get me to stay. Then, I could be home by 830 and in my pajamas.

– TJ Klune | In the Lives of Puppets

Robert Wenless is a mysterious figure in Circle of Shadows. He’s an occult magician, inspired by early twentieth-century figures like Aleister Crowley, but unlike Crowley, Wenless’s dark powers are genuine.  There are many villains in Circle of Shadows, not least the arrogant nobleman, Lord Maltraver and the entitled and ruthless Sons of Dionysus, a secret society at Oxford University, but Wenless’s terrifying abilities and his skill in wielding malevolent spells would make any Halloween party go with a bang.

– Marisa Linton | Circle of Shadows

Probably Detective Inspector Wilkes from my folk horror novel ITCH!, because she is jaded, ambitious and has absolutely no people skills whatsoever. I’d enjoy watching her stand around awkwardly in her overly starched shirt stuffing finger food into her mouth so she can avoid the dreaded small talk. She’s also not a fan of fancy dress.

– Gemma Amor | ITCH! 

Paul. Granted, he’s the love-to-hate sort of annoying, and he’d probably find a way to light a cigarette within thirty seconds. But you can tell he knows how to put down his FBI badge for the evening and have fun. Say what you will about Paul Turner, but he can walk into a room and own it more than if he’d set it on fire. And if I’m going to a party, I need someone who casts a big shadow. Would I want Paul on a road trip, pestering me about his blind trust in the system (and his irresistible body)? No. But I could handle his flirtatious winks over bowls of candy corn and pumpkin spice punch, his roguish smiles that would put Jack-o’-lanterns to shame. Besides, there’s no doubt that a man that confident about himself can dance.

– Rachel Louise Adams | No Rest for the Wicked

You’d definitely want to take the Protector with you. Mysterious, unknowable, but capable of taking care of you no matter the situation, the Berisha family’s protector might not be a lot of chuckles but he would at least win the award for spookiest costume.

– Alma Katsu | Fiend

I wrote a short story called ‘Sweetmeat,’ which was originally a part of a Halloween-themed anthology, where a dad does his best to oversee his kid’s trick or treat candy stash and make sure he doesn’t eat anything dangerous… but ends up snacking on a hunk of cosmic candy himself and things get a little strange after that. I’d say this father would be a fun character to bring along to the party, but only after he doses.

– Clay McLeod Chapman | Acquired Taste

Ben’s skin is flayed so raw that it looks almost transparent. There’s a blue tinge suffusing his skin, like an underglow, but almost everywhere, she sees patches of black. Dead tissue, from lack of blood flow. Massive, deeply purple cold blisters are on every finger, his mangled nose, his ears. Yup, I can’t imagine anyone better than Ben Jacobs, my main antagonist and Antarctic microbe spreader. He is Halloween.
– Michael Nayak, author of Sentient, Book two of the Ice Plague Wars series

Colm. He’s seven feet tall, broad as a barn, and has four arms, so he would be a shoo-in winner for the costume contest without even trying. On the other hand, he loves fancy clothes, and actually would put an enormous amount of effort into his costume.

– J.T. Greathouse | The Tower of the Tyrant

Ducey Evans, of course. Because what Halloween party wouldn’t be improved by a mostly-dead granny in her Sunday best, swanning in with her mismatched eyes, apron, and trocar–and just enough ectoplasmic shimmer to curdle the punch? She’d tell the best zombie stories, cheat at bobbing for apples (the woman can hold her breath for eternity), and slip butterscotch candies into the candy bowl “for the good children” before vanishing in the middle of the Monster Mash.

– Lindy Ryan | Another Fine Mess

Lilith from The Whispering Muse would make a great party guest. I can imagine her doing absinthe shots, dressing up and committing to character all night. Plus spooky things tend to happen around her which would certainly liven up the evening!

– Laura Purcell | The Whispering Muse

I’d take Nancy, because aside from having seen enough horrible things to put together a truly terrifying outfit she deserves a night out

– Sam K Horton | Gorse

Lorenzo – he’s a vampire, and I feel like showing up with the quintessential paranormal bad boy would be a winning move.

– Lucy Lehane | Thirsty

Just one character? Oh wow, I would say Yexue from The Nightblood Prince because he has an automatic costume–dangerous immortal with a vampire army–but it would be fun to make him dress up as something else like a werewolf for giggles.

– Molly X. Chang | To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods and The Nightblood Prince

Messer. I always joke that he runs on intrusive thoughts, and Halloween sounds like the perfect time to experience him in his full glory.

-Rachel Schneider | Metal Slinger

I’d take Jess, no question. She drinks, she flirts, she wears impractical shoes. She is the quintessential fair-weather friend, gliding through life seemingly untouched by tragedy, relentlessly focused on her own fun, whereas I am a bit of a wallflower who tends to overthink everything. I need all the help I can get at parties. I could use Jess as my sociable human shield until I’d had enough Halloween-inspired cocktails to get into the swing of things.

– Leigh Radford | One Yellow Eye

I’d take Lem from my new novel Secret Lives of the Dead because in all honestly he won’t even have to dress up. He’s smothered in tattoos that cover the scars of old injuries –– and often old crimes –– so he’s a man illustrated with his own sins. I’m not sure he’d be good company for a drink, but he’d almost definitely win the prize for Best Fancy Dress.

– Tim Lebbon | Secret Lives of the Dead

Probably Sammy Pipps. He’d have a brilliant costume, get drunk, insult everybody, be effortlessly charming, then pass out.

– Stuart Turton | The Devil and the Dark Water

No question, my date for a Halloween party would be the giant, ill-tempered centipede known as the teratopod. “But Hiron,” you might say, “would it not be dangerous to bring such a thing (if it can even fit through the door) to a Halloween party?” Firstly, of course it would. Any Halloween party worth going to should be at least a little dangerous. Secondly, since the teratopod is known for infesting museums and devouring artworks, I would argue that it probably has a well-developed taste for fashion as well, making it an ideal judge of any costume contest. A creature with an appetite for aesthetics would surely choose (and eat) the best-dressed—but whether that would be considered winning the contest, or losing it, that’s easily up for debate.

– Hiron Ennes | The Works of Vermin (Oct 14, 2025)

I would take Chia along. She needs no costume as she’ll have everyone eating out of her hands with the lethal charm of her Juju Glamour Cream. Not forgetting making a delicious feast of the guys, literally.

– Nuzo Onoh – Queen of African Horror and author of FUTILITY – 14th October,  2025 Titan Books

Arthur Starling, I think. It would be sort of like that scene in Parks and Rec when Aubrey Plaza brings her skeletal goth friend to the party and everyone spends the whole episode avoiding him.

– Alix E. Harrow | author of The Everlasting and Starling House

You know what? I think Lord Alexander Barland deserves a fun night out, Lord knows he hasn’t had many recently. Bonus: he’d have a great [spoiler] costume – extremely realistic!

– MK Hardy | authors of The Needfire

Jesper Idyll from House of Idyll. I mean, come on. A gorgeous millionaire rock star is going to make sure I have the best time ever. We’d hire whoever does Heidi Klum’s Halloween costumes to create gorgeous, detailed, shocking couple’s costumes for us, arrive in a horse-drawn Cinderella carriage–or possibly a Dracula carriage, depending–and he’d introduce me to movie stars and musicians and the literati. When my social battery ran out, which it would, he would gallantly sweep me away out a secret door and into a waiting limo, where a cowled figure in a unicorn mask would be waiting, fingers outstretched–

Well, up until that moment, it would be a dream.

– Delilah S. Dawson | House of Idyll

Dr Everly Bainbridge from The Cold House. She’s a horror writer. She’s got a questionable history. She scares even devils and demons. She’ll definitely know which houses have the best candy.

– Angela “A.G.” Slatter | The Cold House

I have to go with Charlee–she already has experience escorting socially anxious friends through parties and she wouldn’t hesitate to eviscerate any handsy ghouls. Plus, it would be fun to make her dress up in a ridiculous joint costume. Camilla Raines | The Hollow and the Haunted

I’d take Hassan from Dissolution. Sure, he’s the villain, but that’s exactly who you want at a Halloween party. He exudes such a wonderful sense of unease that I don’t think he’d even have to dress up. He’d just loom over people and make them feel uncomfortable. Also, underneath all the petty jealousy and ego that makes him a horrible person, he does have a strong sense of fun, and I think we’d get into some pretty crazy capers (until he… murdered someone, or something of that ilk).

– Nicholas Binge | Extremity and Dissolution

Definitely the Baron. With his vast collection of masks, his swishing black cape and his obvious love for theatrics, he would be a fantastic addition to any Halloween party. Of course, there are his murderous tendencies to be taken into account, but I’m confident that all the characters my fellow authors are bringing to the same party can keep him in check!

– Andrea Morstabilini | A Blood as Bright as the Moon

Gerald. He’d be great at parties, charming and confident. But he’s not just a great wing man when it comes to holiday socializing. He’s also going to have your back no matter how terrifying things get. Even if the witches turn out to be creatures out of ancient Icelandic folklore with crowns of horns growing from their heads, and candles burning atop those horns, he’s going to stand his ground and fight like hell. I wanna party with him!

Christopher Golden | The Night Birds

I’d take Diana Cheung-Merriweather, my little social butterfly and MC of The Undead Complex. She’s a witch with an unending imagination for costumes and is generally the life of any party. If things got dull, she’d just do a listening spell to eavesdrop and gather all the gossip, and she’d come armed with facts about her special interest-slash-love-of-her-life, Francine Leon (who is based on the real life figure Frances Glessner Lee, who is considered the mother of modern forensics) . And crucially, she’d do all the talking for me so I could enjoy myself quietly!

– Courtney Smyth | The Undead Complex – The Undetectables series

If I could pick any character from my books to go to this party, it would be Doc from Swashbucklers, because we’d stand in the corner and make each other laugh and get progressively drunk as we did so – while reminiscing over the last Halloween Party she went to where she ended up fighting some possessed decorations. If I had to pick someone from The Way Up Is Death… I’d go with Alden, because that guy desperately needs to get out and have some fun.
– Dan Hanks | Swashbucklers and The Way Up is Death

I would take Smoke from A Game in Yellow. I’m not great at parties, so it’s always nice to have a fellow wallflower around to chat with, especially if she has weird stories she likes to share. I suppose there would be the risk of her tempting partiers with a book of madness, but it’s Halloween. Let’s have fun.

– Hailey Piper | Teenage Girls Can Be Demons and A Game In Yellow

Mercy Brown (the fictional one) from my novel The Pallbearer’s Club. She’d keep me entertained with snark and I would delight in her taking over the party’s music playlist. The trade off is that I would likely be tired early due to loss of energy/lifeforce, but for one night it’s probably okay.

–Paul Tremblay | Horror Movie and The Pallbearer’s Club

I would take Dolly Dove. She’s a born performer and would entertain us all if there was a lull in the party. She can really get into character and might even pass on messages from the dead. A perfect Halloween party piece!

– Heather Davey | The Ghosts of Merry Hall

I’d bring Yi, Megan’s best friend from Demon Song. She’s artsy and we’d have fun coming up with costumes or outfits beforehand. She’s also fearless and morbid and just weird enough that we’d be sure to have some interesting conversations with fellow partygoers.

–Kelsea Yu |  Demon Song