Oct. 27, 2026
Contact: Janese Heavin, heavinj@missouri.edu
Whether you're revisiting a Gothic classic or discovering a contemporary horror novel, there's something about Halloween that makes a scary story even more appealing.
Sheri-Marie Harrison, an English professor at the University of Missouri’s College of Arts and Science, has a few recommendations for readers looking to embrace the season.
Gothic fiction does more than send chills down our spines. It’s long served as a way for writers and readers to explore the social, political and cultural anxieties of their times, Harrison said.
And despite centuries of change, many of those underlying fears remain surprisingly familiar.
"I think we are scared by the same things," she said. "The stories change, but our basic fears about safety, control and the unknown remain remarkably consistent."
This Halloween, Harrison shares five books that illustrate how Gothic storytelling has evolved — and why readers keep coming back for more.
1. “Frankenstein” (1818) by Mary Shelley
The scare: When science creates a monster
Forget the green creature with bolts in his neck. Mary Shelley's original story follows a scientist who brings a creature to life and then recoils from what he created.
Published during an era of scientific and medical experimentation, “Frankenstein” explores unsettling questions about who controls the human body — even after death — and what happens when scientific ambition goes too far.
"Monsters aren't frightening simply because of what they look like or what they do," Harrison said. "We're also fascinated by how they came to exist and what they reveal about the world that created them."
2. “Dracula” (1897) by Bram Stoker
The scare: A stranger with a deadly secret
Before vampires became romantic leads, Count Dracula was a terrifying figure who could cross borders, infiltrate communities and drain the life from his victims.
Stoker's novel helped popularize many of the vampire conventions readers recognize today, from supernatural powers and ominous castles to mysterious villains lurking in the shadows.
Dracula also reflected fears about outsiders and a changing society, Harrison said, showing how Gothic writers could transform the anxieties of their time into enduring monsters.
3. “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” (1962) by Shirley Jackson
The scare: A family with something to hide
A mysterious family tragedy. An isolated house. Two sisters living apart from a community that views them with suspicion.
Jackson builds suspense through seemingly ordinary events: a family dinner, an unexpected visitor, a conversation that feels just a little off. As readers begin questioning what really happened to the Blackwood family, even the most familiar surroundings become unsettling.
“Supernatural monsters aren’t necessary to create a deeply disturbing story,” Harrison said. “Sometimes what’s truly scary is in the mundane and familiar.”
4. “Our Share of Night” (2019) by Mariana Enriquez
The scare: A terrifying inheritance
A father and son. A powerful secret society. A supernatural force that promises wealth and influence at a horrifying price.
Mariana Enriquez combines familiar Gothic elements with a sprawling story about family, power and secrets that refuse to stay buried.
"If I had to choose one Gothic novel that brings everything together, it would be ‘Our Share of Night,’" Harrison said. "It takes the supernatural elements we associate with traditional Gothic stories and uses them to explore the horrors of the world we live in."
The novel also illustrates one of Gothic fiction’s most enduring traditions: The past doesn’t always stay there.
5. “Natural Beauty” (2023) by Ling Ling Huang
The scare: When beauty comes at a terrifying price
What could possibly go wrong with a few luxury beauty products?
Quite a bit, as it turns out.
In Ling Ling Huang's contemporary body-horror novel, a young woman begins working at an exclusive wellness store where beauty treatments promise extraordinary results. But as she becomes increasingly immersed in the company's products and practices, something sinister emerges.
"That's one of the fascinating things about contemporary horror," Harrison said. "It takes something we recognize from everyday life and gradually makes us question it."
In Huang’s novel, even the promise of looking and feeling better becomes something to fear.
Why we love being scared
Whether the threat is a supernatural creature, a family secret or an ordinary experience gone horribly wrong, Harrison said horror allows readers to confront frightening possibilities within the boundaries of a story.
Paradoxically, that experience can be comforting.
"There's something reassuring about the familiar patterns of horror," she said. "We know there will be mysteries to solve, dangers to confront and, sometimes, monsters to defeat."
After all, there’s something satisfying about a good scare, especially when you know you can close the book.
