I've never been much of a Halloween person, as evidenced by the fact that even as a child, I would actually sleep through neighborhood Trick or Treat sprees, missing out on free candy for the sake of sweet slumber. I’m not the best person, in other words, to put together a playlist for this spooky season. Which is why I asked author Yvette Tan to do it instead.

Yvette Tan’s stories have garnered Palanca Awards, as well as honors from the Neil Gaiman-sponsored Graphic/Fiction awards organized by Fully Booked. Her work has been enthusiastically praised by Gaiman himself, not to mention local literary luminaries like Gilda Cordero-Fernando.

Last August saw the launch of her first book, the short story collection Waking The Dead, from Anvil Publishing. The book has been described as “a dark, dream-filled delight, with fictions about strange circumstances, bloody bargains and fiendish fates,” and Yvette herself has been called “the undisputed doyenne of Philippine horror fiction.”

We asked her: As a writer whom most people associate with horror, is the Halloween season important to you? Yvette answered: “Not Halloween per se, but the month of October and what it brings with it. The air gets colder, nights get longer, all of it leading up to All Saints Day. Personally, I think Halloween is the fun part, the partying that happens before the seriousness of November 1.”

As for the subject of songs appropriate to this time of year, she said “Since the season is all about scares, the songs tend to be fun instead of corny, unlike certain other holidays.” Here is her playlist for the season, in no particular order:

Love Will Tear Us Apart. “Joy Division straddles the border between goth and pop. Also, the song is romantic, but in a twisted sort of way.”

Alleine zu zweit. “I love Lacrimosa’s lush orchestration; their songs are so theatrical. Tilo Wolf’s guttural growl mixes well with Anne Niurmi’s soaring soprano. Very evocative, especially for the season.”

Bela Lugosi’s Dead. “No Halloween music list is complete without a Bauhaus song in it. A tad overplayed, yes, but it’s overplayed for a reason.”

The Great Pumpkin Waltz. “Just because it’s Halloween doesn’t mean all your music has to be dreary. Anything that was in a Peanuts cartoon is always nice to listen to. Hearing Vince Guaraldi always makes me smile.”

Scary Monsters and Ashes to Ashes. “Actually, I associate these songs with winter, because [the David Bowie album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)] was all I played when I was in Chicago early this year. These are probably two of my favorite Bowie songs and their subject matter fits the holiday, but in a fun, don’t-take-yourself-seriously, fashown way.”

Fairytale of New York. “All the malls have started playing Christmas songs so I thought I’d get in on the action. Love this ballad by The Pogues and Kristy MacColl, about the wrong kind of love that is love nonetheless. There’s something very raw, very real about The Pogues’ stuff, and this is one of the songs where it can be clearly felt.”

Reptile. “Hello Trent Reznor! Your concert was great! Listen closely to this song and you’ll find that it changes every time you play it. There’s a disconcerting quality to it, and not just because of the lyrics. Reznor uses sound to unnerve—from the chitinous buzz of insect wings that punctuates each phrase to the seemingly disconnected rhythm that holds the whole thing together, it’s a song that deserves a second and third listen.”

Post Blue. “Not the most well known Placebo song but definitely my favorite. It’s quiet and sort of creeps up on you, and like most of their songs, is about something or someone damaged. Brian Molko easily evokes emotion, and it is not hard to imagine the pain contained therein, the suffering that is beautiful nonetheless.” (Immediately after saying this, she adds: “Hahaha. Goth-gothan na!”)

A Promise. “Love. Pain. Angst. We were all teenagers before (I know I was14 once), and if you were prone to dark musings, you’ll be able to relate to this Chicosci song.”

Helena. “Or most anything by My Chemical Romance, actually. “Welcome to the Black Parade,” “Teenagers,” heck, even the sappy “I Don’t Love You” seethes with dark drama. The band fits perfectly into the spirit of Halloween—fashionably dark, flamboyantly dressed, and - I cannot stress this enough—fun. Also, Mikey Way is cute.”

Waking The Dead is available in bookstores now. Visit www.yvettetan.com for more about Yvette Tan. Send questions and comments to Luis at thekingofnothingtodo@yahoo.com.