Horror is one of the most popular dramas across all mediums, from gaming and shows to movies and literature. While it's an interesting genre, it's difficult to find a way to get into horror literature. Where do you start, and what sort of sub-genre should you focus on? Cosmic horror, supernatural horror, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Lovecraftian horror - it's all so much!

There's no reason to overthink where you're going to start. For us, we prefer going back to the classics and working our way up to more modern pieces. That way, you can get a more thorough view of the evolution of the genre and how it was iterated on as the years move on. Here's a brief starting list to get you started on your journey in horror literature.

We'll do our best to avoid spoilers, but if you're sensitive to them, we suggest not scrolling past the product boxes and just taking the recommendations!

You've heard of this novel, and the chances are high that you've read or watched something heavily inspired by Dracula - or even listened to the Rob Zombie song. Bram Stoker's Dracula is often lauded as the origin of the vampire myth. Though this isn't an accurate claim, Dracula is certainly responsible for how popular vampires would eventually become.

Dracula follows the story not just of the titular vampire, but of a group of vampire hunters who look to stop him. This novel is full of intrigue, supernatural mischief, and intense battle scenes. By reading this novel, you'll begin to spot some of its countless influences on more modern tellings of the monsters, from garlic vulnerabilities to the need to be welcomed into a home. That said, there are some depictions in this novel that haven't aged fantastically, particularly how it treats women as damsels in distress. Still, as far as canon literature goes, this remains one of the greatest.

Mary Shelley is often lauded as the Mother of Modern History, as well as being the goth we all wishꦬ we could be. Written on a bet between her and her fellow authors and friends, Frankenstein is undoubtedly one of the most influential novels not just in horror, but in American literature as a whole. After reading this, you get to be the person who pushes their glasses up and tells everyone that Frankenstein was the doctor and not the monster! Woo!

Frankenstein follows the story of Victor Frankenstein, a depressed college student obsessed with the idea of creating life. Eventually reaching his goal, Frankenstein finds that he isn't ready to deal with the consequences of his actions, suddenly faced with a shockingly handsome and exceptionally well-spoken zombie on his hands. If you only read one novel from this list, make sure this is it!

Stephen King is one of the most well-known names in modern literature. From genre-defining horror novels to some of the most beautiful supernatural stories, King's placed literally dozens of horror novels for you to leaf through. Because of this, it's difficult to pick just one to recommend. Christine, It, Carrie, the list goes on and on. We've chosen Pet Sematary for now as a great entry-level horror novel for his catalog.

Pet Sematary takes place in a sleepy town in Maine where locals have recommended the main character and his family avoid going too deep into the forest. Naturally, these warnings are ignored as the family buries their deceased cat in the grounds of the Pet Sematary, leading to a suite of twists and horrific turns. We'll keep low on the spoilers, but this is a must-read for lovers of supernatural horror and cats.

H.P. Lovecraft is a somewhat controversial figure among readers who went far enough to explore the history of the author. While there are certainly some concerns to be had there, Lovecraft's influence on the modern horror scene cannot be overlooked. These stories became so prolific that they've spawned Lovecraftian and Cosmic horror, two intertwined genres that are still 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:among the most popular today.

One thing some newcomers may not know is that most of Lovecraft's novels are short stories or novellas, with very few full-length pieces released by the author. Lovecraft's catalog is best experienced through anthologies and collections because of this mixture of formats and lengths. We've chosen this collection as a great way to get to know the author's pieces, as it contains some of the most important and impactful of Lovecraft's publications.

Some stories to look out for include:

• At the Mountains of Madness
• Call of Cthulhu
• The Color Out of Space
• The Dunwich Horror
• The Shadow Over Innsmouth

You'll often hear people calling Dracula the first vampire novel. While that novel certainly is responsible for much of the genre's popularity as the years have gone on, Dracula is far from the first vampire novel. Predating it by about 26 years is Sheridan LeFanu's novella, Carmilla. If you've ever wondered why nearly every vampire IP has a character named Carmilla in it, here's why! Looking at you, Castlevania.

Carmilla follows the story of a young woman being stalked by an obsessive vampire, the titular villain herself. The story follows along as Carmilla attempts to draw this woman under her influence, desperate to have her both as a companion and a follower. We'll leave the spoilers there!

That said, one of the most prominent things about this novel is its strong feature of LGBT themes. There's a definite theme of sexual and romantic attraction between the two female leads, which was somewhat anathema for the time this novella was written. Often lauded as an early example of queer literature, no demographic wouldn't adore this hauntingly beautiful story.

Anyone alive in the late 2000s to the early and mid-2010s remembers the sudden and inexplicable surge in zombie franchises. Movies, games, novels, music, and even fashion all became inundated with zombie themes and iconography. One of the most important franchises to come out of this strange zombie zeitgeist was Max Brooks' World War Z.

You will likely recognize this book from the Bdrd Pitt𓃲 World War Z movie that came out around the same time, but the book is radically different from the film. The book instead takes the form of an anthology of short stories rather than ♉the single, focused storyline of the movie, which makes it a more versatile choice for my fans.

If you're not ready to commit to an entire novel in the horror franchise, we highly recommend picking up this collection. You can instead read through some of its amazing short stories and enjoy shorter fiction so that you aren't tied down to an entire lengthy novel. This is also the most modern piece in our collection.

FAQ

Is Horror Still A Popular Genre?

Not only is horror still a popular genre, but it's also become one of the most popular genres 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:across any medium. Film in particular has enjoyed a massive resurgence of interest and beautiful pieces in the genre. Literature has enjoyed a resurgence as well, partially from horror films and shows like Stephen King's It or The Haunting of Hill House driving fans to see the book versions.

What Is The Age Limit For Horror Novels?

Horror novels don't usually have a strict age limit on them. However, many of them carry more adult themes or have more intense visuals and symbology to elicit a fear response from readers. We wouldn't recommend most modern horror for fans younger than about 13, but many of the older pieces are less scary by today's standards. Still, set the limit you feel most comfortable on.

Should I Read The Book If I've Seen The Movie?

That goes on a case-by-case basis! We find that enjoying an adaptation in all available forms can illicit a more interesting discussion aroun♌d the piece. Others may not be deeply related, such as the aforementioned forms of World War Z having little to do with each other.