1. Bram Stoker's "Dracula" Count Dracula was introduced in this famous book, first published in 1897. The way that Stoker portrayed Dracula as a seductive and evil vampire has had a significant impact on vampire fiction and popular culture.
2. "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley: First released in 1818, "Frankenstein" tells the tale of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who conducts an experiment that creates a sentient and monstrous creature. Themes like ambition, loneliness, and the adverse effects of playing god are all explored.
3. Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" In his novella from 1886, Stevenson explores the contrasts in human character. The evil Mr. Hyde is created by Dr. Jekyll's potion, exploring questions of identity and morality.
4. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving: The Headless Horseman is a spectral creature who terrorises the small community of Sleepy Hollow in this short novel, first published in 1820. It has evolved into a classic Halloween tale.
5. Shirley Jackson's 1959 novel "The Haunting of Hill House" is a masterwork of psychological horror. It depicts a group of individuals congregating in a haunted mansion to look into paranormal activity, resulting in uncomfortable and unpleasant events.
Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" is number six. Poe was a master of suspense and Gothic horror. An unreliable and fixated narrator of the short fiction "The Tell-Tale Heart" claims to hear the heart of his murder victim beating beneath the floorboards.
Henry James' 1898 novella "The Turn of the Screw" depicts the tale of a governess who begins to believe that evil spirits are plaguing the kids in her care. The story's ambiguity has made it a psychological horror classic.
8. Sheridan Le Fanu's "Carmilla" This novella, published in 1872 and predates Bram Stoker's "Dracula," examines themes of vampire culture and female sexuality. It chronicles the romance between a young woman and a female vampire named Carmilla.
9. "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe is a chilling allegory of mortality and another of Poe's works. Amid a horrible disease, a prince is holding a masquerade party, and a mysterious guest is wearing a crimson mask.
10. Shirley Jackson, "We Have Always Lived in the Castle": Jackson's 1962 book centres on the reclusive and peculiar Blackwood family. Dark secrets abound in the narrative, which also has a menacing aura.
These are just a few of the countless creepy and terrifying tales that have been penned. Halloween is the perfect time to dig into these timeless books and discover the darker side of storytelling.
