This blog is created in conjunction with the These Books Made Me podcast. Check out the corresponding episode, These Books Scar(r)ed Me: Spooky Special, on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you normally listen to podcasts. Or you can simply click on the link to the episode to listen.
We hope the suspense of this blog post hasn’t overwhelmed you, but we couldn’t resist a true Halloween release. When better to discuss the horror genre? As discussed in the episode, it has long been defined and moved forward by women. Early pioneers such as Ann Radcliffe and Mary Shelley helped to found and shape the genre, specifically Gothic horror; more recent trailblazers such as Anne Rice, Octavia Butler, and Carmen Maria Machado have put their own unique spin on them, and related genres, such as science fiction. The Ladies of Horror Fiction website includes a wide variety of horror stories written by women.
If any of the books mentioned in this episode pulled at the edges of your consciousness, you can probably find them at your local library:
- Fear Street (series) by R. L. Stine
- Doll Bones by Holly Black
- Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
- Stewwelpeter by Heinrich Hoffmann
- Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe
- Goosebumps (series) by R. L. Stine
- Jaws by Peter Benchley
- The Birds by Daphne du Maurier
But why stop there? Allow yourself to slip into madness by checking out some of these terrifying movies:
- Carrie (1976)
- Mr Boogedy (1986)
- Halloweentown (1998)
- Don’t Look Under the Bed (1999)
- Phantom of the Megaplex (2000)
- Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
- Halloween (2007)
- The Talented Mr. Ripley (2007)
- The Babadook (2015)
- Get Out (2017)
But wait, there’s more! You know that we couldn’t stop at the books that scar(r)ed us. Here is a non-exhaustive list of some television productions that also traumatized us as kids:
- Twin Peaks (1990–1991)
- Are You Afraid of the Dark (1990–1996)
- The X Files (1993–2018)
Our featured quiz was from Penguin and was called Which Literary Monster are You?
Writer’s Note: We’ve included links to our library catalog for our local listeners when possible. If there’s no link, it means we don’t own a copy of that item in Prince George’s County. But don’t worry! If you’re local and don’t want to purchase it, you can search for it though Marina, a free, statewide interlibrary loan system for requesting materials from other public library systems in Maryland. Items requested through Marina will be delivered to the PGCMLS branch of your choice. If it’s not available in Marina, you can request that we purchase it by sending us an email. Not in Maryland? Reach out to your local library! Chances are that they have options for you.
Throwback Halloween costume photos and a bonus, family-made Philly meme from a couple of the hosts:
