Classic Horror & Gothic Novels Worth Reading This Spooky Season
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1 month ago
Autumn spells time for some spine-tingling tales
Craving a scare this October? Get into the spirit of spooky seasons with these frightening narratives, from horror novels for Halloween to gothic classics to curl up with as autumn descends into winter.
MORE:Â Here’s How To Read More This Autumn (& 8 Books To Start With)
Horror Classics For Halloween
When we crave scary stories, we look to the classics. This is where the terrifying monsters, hideous vampires and spooky ghosts plaguing our nightmares were born, after all. But did you know that horror dates back as far as Ancient Greece, where archetypes like being raised from the dead, being tormented by spirits and occupying a haunted house built atop a grave were all born?
But for the horror we know and love today, the 19th century is a treasure trove. This is when Gothic literature really came into its own, and you’ll notice that many of our below picks have been adapted for the screen time and time again – testament to the enduring legacy of the foundations laid in this century. Be brave…
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818)
Considered the first true science fiction novel, this is a must-read for horror fans.
Penguin Classics, ÂŁ9.99
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Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897)
Another traditional terror, this time set on home shores.
Penguin Classics, ÂŁ7.99
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The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (1890)
Exploring hedonism, beauty and the cost of staying young forever, this is an unnerving must-read.
Legend Press ÂŁ8.99
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Classic Stories by Edgar Allen Poe (1809–49)
A pioneer of the mysterious (and horrific) short story, with 20+ tales gathered here.
Barnes & Noble Inc., ÂŁ20
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Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales of Horror by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–94)
An innovative thriller originally published as a ‘shilling shocker’, giving rise to psychological thrillers’ obsession with split personalities.
Penguin Classics, ÂŁ6.99
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Lot No. 249 by Arthur Conan Doyle
The mastermind behind Sherlock Holmes was also the very first writer to imbue an ancient Egyptian mummy with horrifying life.
Penguin Classics, ÂŁ0.99
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Classic Ghost Stories by Various
Find more iconic Victorian ghost stories in this collection by Penguin, including Charles Dickens, M.R. James and H.G. Wells.
Vintage, ÂŁ20
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The Turn of the Screw and Other Ghost Stories by Henry James (1843–1916)
Henry James once wrote ‘I see ghosts everywhere’ – and these stories are where he laid them. Expect visitations, premonitions, madness, grief, mystery, secrets and more.
Penguin Classics, ÂŁ9.99
BUY NOWModern Horrors Worth The Read
As we moved into the post-war period, horror writing really hit its stride, with the early 20th century writers like H.P. Lovecraft and M.R. James paving the way for more modern interpretations of the genre from the 1950s onwards. Think Thomas Harris, Richard Matheson, William Peter Blatty and, of course, Stephen King.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (1959)
Now an utterly terrifying Netflix series, this is a slow-burning psychological haunted house horror.
Penguin Classics, ÂŁ9.99
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I Am Legend by Richard Matheson (1954)
Apocalyptic novels with an infectious disease at the core? That archetype started here.
Gollancz, ÂŁ9.99
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The Woman in Black by Susan Hill (1983)
A harrowing ghost story bringing jump scares to the page.
Vintage, ÂŁ9.99
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Carrie by Stephen King (1974)
Legendary horror writer Stephen King started as he meant to go on with Carrie, a blood-soaked debut about a telekinetic teenager.
Hodder, ÂŁ10.99
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The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (2009)
Set in a dilapidated mansion in 1940s Warwickshire, this modern ghost story has earned its place beside the classics.
Virago Press, ÂŁ10.99
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The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty (1971)
The inspiration behind the terrifying 1973 film of the same name, this demonic possession novel is, perhaps worst of all, based on a true story.
Faber & Faber, ÂŁ9.99
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House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (2000)
This tome redefines the haunted house story (and the novel itself) across 700+ twisted pages.
Doubleday, ÂŁ32
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The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris (1988)
Thomas Harris’ second Hannibal Lecter novel is his most famous – and arguably the scariest. With the cannibal serial killer pitted against the FBI, the root of so many modern serial killer dramas lies here.
Arrow Books, ÂŁ9.99
BUY NOWGothic Classics For Autumn
The literary term ‘Gothic’ is occasionally used synonymously with ‘horror’, but the truth is that plenty of Gothic fiction exists that is perhaps unsettling but doesn’t instill the same fear as the texts listed above. Expect instead mysterious atmospheres of suspense, psychological tension and gloomy settings – perfect for reading throughout cosy season.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (1847)
Get ahead of Emerald Fennell’s 2026 adaptation by going direct to the source: this Yorkshire-set Gothic tells the tale of two families connected by love and hate.
Vintage Classics, ÂŁ8.99
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Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (1938)
A Gothic classic that has never been out of print and is set to be adapted into yet another film, Daphne du Maurier’s best known novel is a haunted house story, with the ghost in question the dead wife of a young woman’s new husband.
Virago Press, ÂŁ10.99
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Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (1847)
The Bronte sisters knew how to do Gothic, and Charlotte’s Jane Eyre is a perfect example of building psychological intensity across a first-person bildungsroman.
Vintage Classics, ÂŁ8.99
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Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (1817)
And for a palate cleanser, the ever-witty Jane Austen took a swipe at the growing popularity of Gothic Romanticism with this compelling dramedy.
Vintage Classics, ÂŁ8.99
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