Classics are often hard to get into. They’re wordy, flowery, and maybe not to everyone’s taste. I did a degree in English Literature and it completely put me off reading classics, but now as a horror fan I can appreciate where the genre came from.
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (1890)
Entranced by an exquisite portrait, Dorian Gray exchanges his soul for eternal youth. But his friend Lord Henry Wotton influences him and he begins to lead a corrupt double life. Soon, his portrait starts to bear the weight of his decadent actions.
An Eddy on the Floor by Bernard Capes (1899)
After attending a séance at an acquaintance’s home, a man receives an unexpected job offer from another guest: resident doctor at the prison he directs. But when a prisoner begs to have his cell moved, terrified of what’s behind the next door, the young doctor starts to question his luck.
I am Legend by Richard Matheson (1954)
Robert Neville might be the last person alive…but he isn’t alone. By day, he hunts the undead through the ruins of civilization, but by night he locks himself away, barricades his home and prays tonight isn’t the night they get in.
The Vampyre by John William Polidori (1819)
Aubrey – a man of many means – is intrigued by the mysterious and enchanting Lord Ruthven. The two set off on a tour around Europe, where Aubrey learns of Lord Ruthven’s more sinister side. When the Lord is fatally injured, he makes Aubrey swear not to tell anyone of his death or crimes for a year and a day.
The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1892)
After being diagnosed with hysteria after the birth of her child, a woman is urged to rest for the summer in an old mansion. She is forbade from doing work of any kind and so spends her days journaling in the old nursery, its barred windows, scratched floor, and peeling yellow wallpaper.
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (1886)
Dr Jekyll, feeling restricted by the moral standards of society, creates a potion which allows him to change into the hedonistic yet evil Mr Hyde. He can finally be free of his oppressive morals, yet when the transformation becomes involuntary, everything begins to falls apart.
The Island of Dr Moreau by H.G. Wells (1896)
After Edward Prendick is shipwrecked, he is saved by a mysterious group. He follows them to their island, where he meets the mysterious, Dr Moreau. But, the island is not a peaceful haven, and Edward begins to uncover strange experiments and the strange creatures that lurk in the forest.
A Haunted House by Virginia Woolf (1921)
A ghostly couple wander through the house they shared in life, remembering their story. They search for the buried treasure they know is somewhere in the house.
The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat (1937)
An artist lives an secluded life in the City of Rey, where he draws idyllic scene. His only friend is his shadow, who he openly converses with. Until one day, a woman comes into his room and dies.
Ice by Anna Kavan (1967)
The world is frozen. The country has being taken over by a secret organization. Destruction is everywhere, giant ice walls have taken over the plant. The narrator and a man, known as the Warden, search for an albino girl frozen in the ice.
Goblin Market and other Poems by Christina Rossetti (1862)
Sisters, Laura and Lizzie have always been warned not to interact with the Goblin Market. But when Laura is tempted and tries their delicious fruit, Lizzie must help her sister before it is too late.
In The Abyss by H.G. Wells (1896)
Elstead invents an apparetus which allows a man to travel and observe the deep oceans. They call it the “Myers apparatus”. When Elstead is sent down, he takes a lot longer than originally planned. They pull him back up and it takes a week to talk about what he saw.
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