Horror Classics Reimagined
February 9, 2024
Did you love Netflix’s The Fall of the House of Usher and want to find more reimagined classic horror and suspense stories? Well move over Mike Flanagan– here’s a list of ten novels that put a new spin on classic tales that will be sure to give you a new perspective on old favorites.
The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson
Patricia Highsmith’s 1950 novel Strangers on a Train, adapted for film by Alfred Hitchcock, is reimagined for modern times. If you are a fan of Gone Girl and Girl on a Train, you’ll enjoy this twisty story of what happens when two seemingly strangers meet and devise a plan to murder.
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
Award winning author Kingfisher offers a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Fall of House of Usher” in this 2022 novel. Unlike Netflix’s adaptation, What Moves the Dead offers a dark look at Madeline and Roderick Usher as they are consumed by the nature surrounding their estate in the countryside of Ruritania.
Horseman: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow by Christina Henry
Set 20 years after Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” short story, Henry’s protagonists are 14-year-old boys questioning if the stories they heard about Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman are town myths or reality. This read is for you if you have ever wondered what happened to Sleepy Hollow after Ichabod Crane disappears.
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White
The Frankenstein family adopts Elizabeth to be a companion for their explosive son, Victor. If you have ever wanted more from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein universe or questioned the origin story of the man who would go on to make the Creature, look no further than this gripping story from the perspective of a young girl trying to survive.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Calling H.G. Well fans! Here’s a fresh modern take on the 1896 The Island of Doctor Moreau that explores colonialism, feminism, and patriarchal themes as Carlota, Dr. Moreau’s daughter, is used in experimentations. Her courtship and engagement to Montgomery leads to a series of events that reveal dark secrets and deadly consequences.
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
For fans of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House or The Amityville Horror universe, this novel follows Maggie, the daughter of a popular haunted house memoirist, as she navigates her perils and ghosts in the same house of her childhood. Her disbelief regarding past events starts to get challenged by supernatural encounters.
TEN by Gretchen McNeil
If you don’t mind dipping a toe in YA, TEN gives you a modern, fresh look at Agatha Christie’s classic And Then There Were None. Ten teenagers expect an enjoyable weekend on an island but are terrified as each one begins to die one by one. If you love a proper suspense whodunit, you’ll enjoy this call back to one of Christie’s most beloved tales.
Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
Blurring the lines between classic and classic reimagined, this powerhouse Stephen King book from 1975 is often noted to be heavily influenced by Dracula. One of King’s earlier works and often considered one of his best, you can see how he adapted early vampire stories into this modern classic about a writer returning to his small town and finding danger along the way.
Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente
This novella by Valente follows Sophia’s seemingly idyllic life and marriage. Based on the French gothic folktale “Bluebeard” about a husband with a secret, locked room and what lies on the other side, Comfort Me with Apples is a fun, short horror reimagining.
The Man He Never Was by James L. Rubart
A new take on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Man He Never Was follows Torren Daniels as he reunites with his wife and kids after eight months. His personality is completely altered. He’s no longer filled with rage and eradicate behavior, but no one can explain the radical change. Torren begins remembering details and questions if he can truly escape all the different aspects of his psyche.