“The Ultimate Halloween Party App” by Lisa Morton

The Mammoth Book of Halloween Stories (2018) edited by Stephen Jones

Readers unfamiliar with The Mammoth Book of Halloween Stories may prefer to read these notes only after reading the anthology.

In a world where unconventional civil war rages between supporters of hi-tech app culture and it's opposite, Marcus and Olivia attend a Halloween party hosted by Jet, a renowned app designer. Over the evening, they download the ununinstallable “Ultimate Halloween Party App,” which will remake a divided world.

Setting: A near-future Halloween party.

Characters: Marcus, an app developer; Olivia, his date; Jet, the party host and app creator.

Halloween seen as: A backdrop for technological horror and social commentary, exploring the dangers of virtual reality and the blurring of lines between reality and illusion.

Style: Science fiction horror, with a focus on the dark side of technology and its impact on human perception.

Point of view: Third person, primarily from Marcus's perspective.

Jay