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Scrambling for a Halloween costume? These punny ideas came straight off the bookshelf.


Edgar Allen Poe's raven is a standard go-to costume for anyone who owns black feathers, but if you have time on your hands and a modicum of crafting talent, you could don a sandwich-board of hearts and past on a tail (fox, donkey, dragon — your choice) to complete the macabre effect.


Don't just be a merman, be a merman that reads "Moby Dick."


You'll need a skeleton costume, some chic sunglasses and a candy cigarette to pull off this skeletal nod to one of the most influential authors in American letters.


Grab your favorite senior citizen — or your friend in a bald cap with a cane — and paste a "C" onto your shirt. Ernest Hemingway would obviously love this thoughtful homage.


George R.R. Martin is really more of a fantasy guy, but you can add a sci-fi twist to the dragon-loving phenomenon with some green paint and alien antenna. Add his trademark suspenders, black hat and bushy beard (is that where he's hiding the next "Game of Thrones" book?) to channel the author.


Inflate a fleet of purple balloons and attach them to yourself. Sharpie on their anguished and rage-filled expressions to finish the look. Try to make it out of the party with all your balloons intact.

Six literary pun costumes to book for Halloween

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