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Classic horror stories perfect for spooky season
These classic stories of things that go bump in the night are ideal for Halloween entertainment.
Published on September 15, 2023
Dracula
Bram StokerCount Dracula is one of the most-portrayed characters on stage and screen, with more than 200 versions frightening and tantalizing audiences over the years. But his first appearance in Stoker’s horror novel is still the best. Read the classic for yourself to find out why.
Carmilla
Sheridan Le FanuA gripping sapphic vampire romance that predates “Dracula”? Sign us up. Set in 19th-century Austria, “Carmilla” follows the mysterious titular character as she grows closer to 19-year-old Laura. Carmilla’s appearance brings with it a mysterious plague that targets the young women of Laura’s village. Surprisingly steamy for a story published in 1872, “Carmilla” laid the foundation for future works of vampire fiction.
Frankenstein
Mary ShelleyThis is the fabled story of the OG mad scientist-created monster. Equally horrific and misunderstood, Dr. Frankenstein’s (and Shelly’s) creation causes utter chaos everywhere he goes as he attempts to manage growing up in a world that doesn’t accept him. This book is legendary for a reason.
The Island of Dr. Moreau
H. G. WellsAfter surviving a shipwreck, the unnamed narrator of this classic faces dangers far more terrifying than drowning at sea. He lands on an island that’s home to a deranged doctor and his mutilated subjects — the doctor’s attempts to create a new, superior form of being. It’s a grisly yet thought-provoking story that explores the intersection between science and morality. Over a century since its publication, this remains one of the most notable works by Wells (“The War of the Worlds”).
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Robert Louis StevensonLegend has it that the plot for this horror classic came to Stevenson during a particularly productive nightmare. Ironically, this novella, the vanguard of split personality stories, has been the cause of nightmares since it first shocked Victorian-era readers upon its 1886 publication.
The Turn of the Screw
Henry JamesJames’ classic horror novella is a supernatural thriller. When a new nanny moves into an isolated estate to take care of two strangely silent kids, spooky secrets begin to unravel about the family and their home.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Washington IrvingThe iconic Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane have been sending chills down readers’ spines for over 200 years. This Halloween, revisit Sleepy Hollow in one of the first great American horror stories.
Hallowe'en Party: Inspiration for the 20th Century Studios Major Motion Picture A Haunting in Venice
Hallowe'en Party: Inspiration for the 20th Century Studios Major Motion Picture A Haunting in Venice
Agatha ChristieWhen a girl drowns in a tub of bobbing apples on All Hallows’ Eve, Detective Hercule Poirot is on the case to determine who killed the young teen and why. The recent movie version, titled “A Haunting in Venice,” is the third in a series of film adaptations of Christie’s Hercule Poirot tales, following “Murder on the Orient Express” and “Death on the Nile.”
Rosemary's Baby
Ira LevinThis novel has been scaring the pants off generations of readers since it first hit the shelves in 1967. Levin tells the story of a young married couple who, after moving into a gothic New York City apartment building, discovers their new neighbors might be Satanists. In the 1968 movie adaptation, the haunted building is based on the Dakota, which has a real-life reputation for ghost sightings. Speaking of the movie, Mia Farrow, who portrayed Rosemary, narrates this audiobook.
The Silence of the Lambs: 25th Anniversary Edition
Thomas HarrisPerhaps you’ve seen the 1991 hit film starring Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster. But if you really want to dive deeper into the mind of sadistic cannibal Dr. Hannibal Lecter, give Harris’ mystery thriller a read and follow FBI trainee Clarice Starling as she engages in a chilling game of cat-and-mouse. She must hunt down serial killer Buffalo Bill to save the life of a senator’s daughter before it’s too late.
Pet Sematary
Stephen KingIt’s the novel King himself found utterly terrifying. “Pet Sematary” pushes the boundaries of the horror genre, bringing every parent’s worst nightmare to life via a shocking combination of trauma and loss, the dead and undead. It’s worth a read even if you’ve seen the 2019 film adaptation, which strays from the source material in a few different ways.
The House on the Borderland
William Hope HodgsonThis 1908 fever dream of a story made a lasting impression on the cosmic horror genre. In remote Ireland, two vacationers uncover a diary on the edge of a chasm, where an eerie house once stood. The diary, written by the house’s last occupant, recounts the strange happenings he experienced — events that quickly spiraled from unsettling to terrifying to deadly.
Hell House: A Novel
Richard MathesonThe tension builds unbelievably in this cult classic in which a dying millionaire offers $100,000 to whoever can prove or disprove the existence of the afterlife. Easy, right? All investigators have to do is survive the night in the dwelling ominously known as the Mount Everest of haunted houses. Matheson doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to using disturbing and gruesome imagery to describe acts of violence and horror.
The Complete Short Stories
Edgar Allan PoeFrom being buried alive to a murderer who’s haunted by the beating heart of his victim to a masquerade ball in the midst of a plague, master of horror Poe’s short stories are sure to make your spine tingle. If you haven’t read these since your school years, you’re in for a terrifying treat.
The Great God Pan and Other Weird Tales
Arthur MachenFirst published in 1890, “The Great God Pan” has long been touted as one of the greatest horror stories in the English language. It masterfully connects a lobotomy gone wrong, a string of mysterious male suicides, and a peek into the supernatural world. The rest of the tales in Machen’s Gothic horror collection dive into the chilling world of fairies, paganism, and witchcraft.
Fledgling
Octavia E. ButlerButler masterfully mixes horror with science fiction in this chilling tale of a 50-something, genetically modified vampire who wakes up trapped inside the body of an injured, young Black girl. Suffering from amnesia, she fights to recall her past life and discover who wants to destroy her before it’s too late.
The Auctioneer
Joan SamsonIn the small farming community of Harlowe, New Hampshire, hard-working people go about their lives peacefully. When newcomer Perly Dinsmore asks for donations to hold an auction, they give willingly. But then Perly wants more, and more, and he’s soon no longer satisfied with household cast-offs. Claustrophobic and quietly sinister, Samson’s first and only novel explores control and complicity while begging the question, when is enough finally enough?
The Yellow Wallpaper
Charlotte Perkins GilmanGilman’s short but powerful novella explores the depths of postpartum depression and harmful attitudes towards women’s mental health (which, sadly, are not exclusive to the 19th century). “The Yellow Wallpaper” consists of secret diary passages from Jane, a woman whose patronizing husband controls her every move and insists she lives in isolation for her own good. It’s a different kind of horror, as Jane is slowly pushed to the brink of madness as her every movement, action, and decision is monitored by her husband.
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Ray BradburyBradbury influenced so many of today’s great spooky story writers, including Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and R.L. Stine. Stine even calls “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” “the scariest book I ever read.” Experience the frights for yourself in this classic mashup of fantasy and horror about an evil traveling carnival.
The Ballad of Black Tom
Victor LaValleRead the thrilling reimagining of H.P. Lovecraft’s 1927 “The Horror of Red Hook” by the great LaValle. Changing the setting to 1920s Harlem, LaValle expertly blends historical fiction with fantasy in this tale of a Black musician who runs afoul of a sorcerer. Themes of racism and poverty make this NPR Best Books of 2016 selection a timely, exciting new classic. It also addresses the troubling racial and xenophobic representation in the original.
It
Stephen KingHere lies the manifestation of every child’s worst nightmare and the source material for many TV and film adaptations: “It,” starring Pennywise the clown. Amid the horror and gore, King captures the magic of childhood, lifting the reader’s spirit high with the shielding power of friendship in the face of evil.
The Elementals
Michael McDowellGothic horror meets unexpected comedy in McDowell’s supernatural tale set along the sunny shores of the Gulf Coast. The Savages and the McCrays are long-time summer vacationers at Beldame, an isolated retreat that hosts three Victorian mansions. One mansion sits abandoned, slowly filling with sand. However, it’s not as empty as the two families would like to believe, but rather home to a creepy and vicious spirit.
Ghost Story
Peter StraubIf you love horror and crave a good scare, Straub’s classic “Ghost Story” is the read for you. Straub masterfully weaves a tale of revenge and ups the fright factor — not with gore and bloodshed but rather with suspense and paranoia. Read late at night by the fireplace — if you dare.
I Am Legend
Richard MathesonWhen a pandemic sweeps the planet in this 1954 post-apocalyptic horror novel by Matheson (“The Twilight Zone”), everyone either dies or becomes a vampire. Except for one man. You may know him as the character played by Will Smith in the 2007 movie adaptation. (Or Vincent Price in the 1964 film “The Last Man on Earth,” or Charlton Heston in the 1971 version, “The Omega Man.”) This winner of the Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award for “Vampire Novel of the Century” defined the zombie-vampire plague genre, where the lone hero battles for survival night after night against invading mutants.
The Phantom of the Opera
Gaston LerouxFirst published in 1910, “The Phantom of the Opera” continues to enjoy worldwide acclaim as the source material for many successful film and stage adaptations. Partially inspired by true events that took place at the Paris Opera, this ghostly romantic drama is filled with suspense and passion and includes a dark love triangle. Even if you’ve seen the film, the novel is more than worth a read and features an ending different from many of its adaptations.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar WildeNot only is Wilde one of the most famous Irish writers, but he’s also one of the most revered in all of English literature. He wrote volumes of stories, poems, and plays, but published only one novel: the gothic masterpiece “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” Dorian, the ultimate narcissist, sells his soul to stay young forever, letting his image in a portrait grow old instead.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Alvin SchwartzFirst published in 1981, “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” endures as a timeless spooky classic. The collection was written for kids, but adults will likewise get a chill out of the intensely creepy short stories and haunting illustrations to match.
Welcome to Dead House (Classic Goosebumps #13)
R.L. StineFor any kids out there ready for their first big scare (or for us adults who want to relive childhood), the mega-bestselling “Goosebumps” series by horror master Stine provides endless entertainment in the lead-up to All Hallows’ Eve. This was the very first installment in the classic series, creating a craze, particularly after the scene where the children melt a ghost’s face.
Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery
Deborah HoweThis tale about Harold the dog and Chester the cat investigating the new family pet, a bunny with fangs, is likely many a child’s introduction to the mystery genre. A cute and comedic take on “Dracula.”