Horror Stories You Can Read and Watch This Season

Tis the season for frights, freaks and ghouls. Tantalizing tales of terror. Frightening fables of misfortune. Electrifying legends of horror. ...Well, not for everyone exactly. There are many that don't take part in the traditions of Halloween, but for the lot that do, I've compiled a list of books made into movies or T.V. series - some older, some newer - that are sure to make you double check your locks at night (and if that's a little too dramatic, at least entertain you for a bit). So whether you are a searching for a terrifying book or movie (or both!), check these out.

*though some contain graphic content and parental guidance is suggested when permitting minors to read or watch (especially the DVDs that have a R rating)*

1. The Shining - Stephen King
Availability: Library - BOOK | DVD 

                      

Sorry to be so predictable. But let's be honest with each other. Stephen King is the most prolific horror/suspense author out there, so it's a genuine no-brainer that this would be here.  It's the unforgettable tale of the Torrence family alone in a secluded resort and all the supernatural happenings that take place there as the father Jack Torrence's mind starts to unfold. If you can't get enough, RPL also has the sequel that was released in 2013: Doctor Sleep.

2. Rosemary's Baby - Ira Levin

Availability: Library - BOOK & DVD

                     

Rosemary's Baby was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2014 thanks to some coercion from the Library of Congress. They found it to be historically and culturally significant. Sweet! Its conception would then spawn several woman-gives-birth-to-son-of-devil type movies that seemed 'o so popular in the 70s. It could even be said that along with The Exorcist, this movie helped propel the fad of demonic possession movies that flooded the big screen at the time (one of the most obvious movie series being The Omen (some horror buffs theorize that those two stories are interwoven)). All in all its a creepy tale. One that must be seen and read about. 

3. The Exorcist - William Blatty

Availability: Library - BOOK & DVD

                     

Blatty's book never had quite the success that his screenplay did. Though one considerably exciting thing about the adaptation is that it was written and directed by the author himself, which isn't always the case for successful adaptations. But it's left a lasting legacy on what scary / gross / horrifying really is. Despised and loved by many. It was the first horror film nominated for Best Picture despite its content. During its release, some theaters offered barf-bags (though some parts are admittedly cheesy). And it was even responsible for eliciting a message from the Zodiac Killer in 1974. The killer had been silent for many years, but this movie prompted his last letter sent to The San Francisco Chronicle, praising the movie. He called it, "...the best satirical comedy" he had ever seen. 

4. Invasion of the Body Snatchers - Jack Finney

Availability: Library - BOOK & DVD

                   

Originally published as a serialized story for Collier's Magazine, it's the tale of an alien seed race coming to earth. These aren't your typical alien race, more microbial and deadly. They make carbon copies (which only have a life span of 5 years) of human hosts while destroying the originals. Not exactly sure why these seeds do this. But they travel through space wreaking this havoc from planet to planet. This sinister story has been adapted four times in the last 60 years. And if you read the book and watch the movies, you'll notice some clear discrepancies. It has to do with the endings, which you'll just have to read to find out, or google it. 

5. I am Legend - Richard Matheson 

Availability: Library - BOOK & DVD

                      

Matheson's book release in 1954 was important landmark for the horror community. It was the first book that set up the zombie genre. Even though the antagonists are called vampires and garlic is a repellent, the disease they carry is transmitted through blood. But in their relation to the tried and true vampire motif that everyone had come to love, it didn't have much in common. George A. Romero (who you should know as one of the masters of horror ((responsible for giving us Night of the Living Dead)) credited this book as one of the main pools of inspiration for his brain-hungry monsters. It was the earliest zombie-apocalypse book to ever happen. If you want to read or see where all the sensation began, look no further than this cult masterpiece. 

6. American Psycho - Brett Easton Ellis

Availability: Library - BOOK

I remember this book coming up in my post-modern literature classes, which was surprising to me at the time.  Having little experience with Brett Ellis, I only knew about the movie, which was a classic dark-comedy about a Manhattan businessman. Upon the release of this film, some countries found the content so inappropriate that it was sold encased in shrink-wrap. We could dive into the awesome literary theory around this transgressive novel and talk about postmodernism in some attempt to look at the details of the book in a more theoretical way, but we'll save that for another day. Instead here's a little background on this book. The book was originally  dropped by Simon and Schuster for aesthetic differences. Ellis received death threats for this book and mountains of hate mail. Germany deemed it "harmful to minors." Australian legislation put a rating of R18 on it and most libraries require an age of 18 or more to check it out. Bookstores there still sell it shrink-wrapped. As you can tell, not everyone appreciates the content, but it certainly has a created a frightening legacy that makes it one of the important works of horror. Brett Ellis has commented on the serious amount of censorship his book has / continues to receive: he says, "I think it's cute...".

7. The Walking Dead - Robert Kirkman / Tony Moore
Availability: Library - BOOK & DVD

Once you know about Richard Matheson's I Am Legend, it's awesome to see how he created a theme that is still being explored to this day. It originally started out as a graphic novel series that has been adapted to a public television series. Not exactly the most frightful of stories out there, but it does keep close to the ideas like I Am Legend and Body Snatchers, human isolation and the looming end of humankind. What's not scary about that? This series has enthralled fans of the graphic novel and the show (which has engaged million of viewers continuously over the past several years). It even won the heart of another horror novelist dabbling in the zombie world. Which brings me to the next item on the list...

8. World War Z - Max Brooks

Availability: Library - BOOK AND DVD

Last on the list is Max Brook's most recent release. It manages to pull from the greats while doing something totally unique. That something is its international focus. The story is told through the accounts of people all across the globe. Unlike most zombie-apocalypse stories that have a feeling of human isolation, this one feels much bigger and more connected, exploring the whole global catastrophe by asking real survival questions. The story has been known for its political undertones and its focus on various governments and their response to the outbreak. Its got enough of a new twist on the genre to keep you hooked while having enough of the old tricks to keep it in company with Matheson and the others. All in all, a great story to sink your teeth into this Halloween season.


So there you have it folks. Eight seriously great books and movies that will chill you to the core this season - and even beyond, because it doesn't always need to be Halloween to get your scare on.  Just remember that they're all available in RPL system. So come in and check out (or get a card first if you don't have one already). It doesn't cost a dime to get scared this October when you have a RPL card.