Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus— The original Frankenstein story, written in 1818. Shelley started writing this when she was only 18, publishing it at 20. It’s a great, beautifully written horror story, and maybe the first novel ever in the sci-fi genre. It covered so much more ground than I was expecting it to.
Other books I’d call spooky:
The Black Spider by Jeremias Gotthelf: A spooky Swiss/German folktale novella about a haunted medieval village. It’s also old (1842) but you wouldn’t really know.
I rec’ed House of Leaves a little while ago, which is another, more contemporary and post-modern, horror story.
I wouldn’t call Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy primarily a scary story, but it’s amazing and the final chapter is the most chilling passage of any book I’ve ever read.
Sep 27, 2024
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it's scary, sad, intense, thought provoking and the basis for sooooo many stories today. even though it was written mad long ago it's still very readable. also super different than the mainstream representations of frankenstein so even if you think you "know" the story, you probably don't.
Jun 6, 2024
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there’s so many classics I could’ve chosen as my favorite since I enjoyed reading them since I was a kid. The Penguin Classics were great and usually free on Kindle. this one is special to me because it’s what got me into gothic literature and the goth subculture in general (romantic goth being my favorite). it was interesting to see just how different the book is to the modern interpretation of it. most of them aren’t accurate (surprise, surprise). I can’t wait for Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein movie coming out this year in November on Netflix. I hope it doesn’t disappoint. some other classics I’ve read includes Dracula, Carmilla, Interview With The Vampire, and The Invisible Man. I’ve also really gotten into the Universal Monsters franchise. I’m glad I get to share all of this at least somewhat with my roommates, but more in depth with my cousin who’s fascinated by all of it as well.
4d ago
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I’ve posted about it before but it helped to bring about the gothic revival and occult epic horror sensation of the 70s. Very atmospheric and engrossing and its references to classic gothic literature can serve as a good jumping-off point for further reading. a group of old men who experienced something awful in their youth meet once a month to exchange ghost stories… a young acclaimed horror novelist arrives and the evil force they had battled before reemerges and overtakes their small New England town.
would also recommend The Turn of the Screw a novella by Henry James…
Jun 14, 2024
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