Halloween may be six months away, but it's never too early for spooky season reading. Horror blends social commentary, explorations of the subconscious mind, and moral scruples with anything from haunted dolls to killer clowns. There are many upcoming inventive horror releases slated for this year. Let's start with a follow-up to a literary sensation, and then spotlight some books that have inspired some exciting recent and forthcoming page-to-screen adaptations.
In Nghi Vo's Don't Sleep With The Dead, a follow-up to The Chosen and the Beautiful, her queer reimagining of The Great Gatsby, Nick Carraway is haunted by the events of summer 1922 and an undead Jay Gatsby. Vo's version of New York City during the Jazz Age is filled with magic, ghosts, and intrigue.
Contained within Stephen King's collection of tales Skeleton Crew is "The Monkey," a short story about a man haunted by a wind-up monkey toy that brings death and calamity with each clap of its cymbals. Can Hal overcome lingering childhood guilt and dread in time to save his son from the toy? If you're someone who enjoys reading the book before the movie, check out this short story before watching the recently released film adaptation.
Adam Cesare's clown slasher, Clown in A Cornfield, is full of gore, camp, and social commentary on the generational divide. Protagonist Quinn is a Kettle Springs, MO, newcomer who joins a close-knit friend group of teens with a YouTube prank channel. When a crossbow-toting clown crashes the first party of the school year, it seems the adults in the town have taken their ire with the town youths to a new, terrifying height. A movie version debuts this spring.
Mary Shelly's Frankenstein is generally considered to be the first science-fiction novel, and this edition contains the original 1818 text. A great read for fans of classic horror/sci-fi or those just getting into the genre. Guillermo del Toro's film adaptation of the novel premieres in fall 2025.
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