Classic horror

Novels that not only define horror but also explore deep psychological and existential themes, making them timeless reads that have left a lasting impact on the genre.

Updated October 21, 2024
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
The castle of Otranto : a gothic story
Walpole, Horace 1717-1797
Ebook
The Gothic masterwork that revolutionized popular fiction When Prince Manfred of Otranto loses his son in a strange and terrifying accident, he fears that an ancient prophecy has come to pass and his family will be stripped of its castle and lands before he can produce a new...
The mysteries of Udolpho : a romance
Radcliffe, Ann Ward 1764-1823
Ebook
A Gothic Thriller With Plenty of Chills Do you believe your heart to be, indeed, so hardened, that you can look without emotion on the suffering, to which you would condemn me? -- Ann Radcliffe, The Mysteries of Udolpho The Mysteries of Udolpho by Anne Radcliffe is about Emily St Avubert. The books...
Frankenstein
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft 1797-1851
Paper Book
The fall of the house of Usher : and other tales
Poe, Edgar Allan 1809-1849
Ebook
Carmilla
Le Fanu, Joseph Sheridan 1814-1873
Ebook
The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Stevenson, Robert Louis 1850-1894
Paper Book
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a landmark in psychological fiction. The respectable doctor and his horrifying double are known even to those who have never read Robert Louis Stevenson’s short novel. This special edition, based on the original one published in...
The picture of Dorian Gray
Wilde, Oscar 1854-1900
Audiobook
The beautiful young Dorian Gray has his portrait painted by society artist Basil Hallward. Admired by all, the dazzling, wealthy, handsome young man has everything anyone could wish for – or so it appears. Oscar Wilde's novel is a masterly study of moral corruption, a tour de force of suspense...
Dracula
Stoker, Bram 1847-1912
Paper Book
'it was butcher work...the horrid screeching as the stake drove home; the plunging of writhing form, and lips of bloody foam'Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic shocker introduced Count Dracula to the world, an ancient creature bent on bringing his contagion to London, the very heart of the British Empire....
The phantom of the opera
Leroux, Gaston 1868-1927
Paper Book
The call of Cthulhu and other weird stories
Lovecraft, H. P. (Howard Phillips) 1890-1937
Audiobook
This collection includes a selection of H.P. Lovecraft's finest chilling tales. Lovecraft's most famous monster is Cthulhu, a gargantuan beast which has been lying dormant for millions of years but rises up and forces mankind to recognise its fundamental ignorance, powerlessness and insignificance....
The haunting of Hill House
Jackson, Shirley 1916-1965
Paper Book
A stunningly creepy deluxe hardcover edition with spot gloss, black sprayed edges, black-stained pages, and black endpapers.   Part of a six-volume series of the best in classic horror, selected by Academy Award-winning director of The Shape of Water Guillermo del Toro. 

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.