Spooky Book-to-Movie Adaptations
Perhaps it’s a sudden chill in the air after a warm afternoon hiking under a colorful canopy of leaves. Maybe it’s the way shadows stretch across the road like bony fingers stretching out to grab you as you walk up your front steps after work. Whatever the setting or vibe, autumn makes reading spooky stories and watching the film adaptations so much more delicious.
Book-to-movie adaptations offer a particularly fun way to celebrate the Halloween season. You can revisit a childhood favorite, discover a classic you somehow missed or compare a director’s vision with the world you imagined in your head while reading. And sometimes, the differences between the book and the movie are almost as fascinating as the stories themselves.
For this fall’s reading and viewing list, we’re exploring 12 adaptations that deliver supernatural suspense, haunted houses, sinister small towns, witches, mysterious creatures, and plenty of reasons to leave a light on. From Ray Bradbury’s unforgettable carnival to Stephen King’s terrifying clown, these stories are perfect companions for a crisp autumn night when the sky is pitch black and bony, cracked branches tap tap tap on your window.
Spooky Book-to-Movie Adaptations to Read and Watch
1. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury (1962)
Check out why our friends at Green Carbon 2112 love this book so much.
Some books entertain you. Others leave an impression that lasts for decades. Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes belongs firmly in the second category. The story follows two 13-year-old boys, Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade, whose lives change when a mysterious carnival arrives in their small Illinois town. Its charismatic but sinister leader, Mr. Dark, promises to fulfill the deepest desires of the townspeople. Unfortunately, his gifts come with a terrible price.
Bradbury blends dark fantasy, supernatural horror, and coming-of-age storytelling into a tale about friendship, temptation, fear, and the passage of time. The carnival is frightening, but the emotional heart of the novel lies in the relationship between the boys and Will’s father, Charles Halloway.
The result is more than a Halloween adventure. It is a haunting reminder that growing older means confronting the things we fear most.
The movie: Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
Disney’s adaptation brings Bradbury’s eerie carnival to the screen with an atmosphere that will give you goosebumps. Jonathan Pryce makes a memorable Mr. Dark, while Jason Robards gives Charles Halloway warmth and vulnerability. The film follows the novel’s central storyline, although some scenes, character details and the ending differ. Bradbury himself wrote the screenplay, which makes this adaptation especially interesting: viewers are seeing the author’s own interpretation of his work.
Behind the scenes: The production built an elaborate Victorian-style town and a sprawling carnival on the Disney studio lot. Some footage was also shot in Vermont to capture the atmosphere the story required. The project had a long road to the screen. Bradbury had originally developed the story from his earlier short fiction, and several filmmakers were associated with the project before Jack Clayton finally directed it.
If you read the book first, pay attention to the way Bradbury’s language creates the carnival’s menace. The movie has striking visuals, but the novel’s descriptions give the story an entirely different kind of magic.
2. It by Stephen King (1986)
Few horror novels have created a villain as recognizable as Pennywise the Dancing Clown. He lived in my nightmares long after I read the book. Not as the dancing clown, but as a giant spider with his clown face. It probably didn’t help that I read the book in one day and night, finishing when the sun was coming up. Now I really want to read it again this fall.
Stephen King’s It follows a group of friends who call themselves the Losers’ Club. As children growing up in Derry, Maine, they encounter a terrifying force that preys on the town’s children. Years later, the survivors must return home when the evil resurfaces. The creature often appears as Pennywise, but its ability to exploit individual fears makes it much more dangerous than an ordinary monster.
King moves between the characters’ childhoods and adult lives, exploring friendship, trauma, memory and the lasting effects of fear. Derry itself becomes an important character, a seemingly ordinary town with a disturbing history of violence and unexplained events. The novel is expansive, sometimes unsettling in unexpected ways and filled with details that a film simply cannot reproduce in full.
Adaptation one: It (1990)
This two-part television miniseries introduced an entire generation to Tim Curry’s Pennywise. Curry’s performance remains the production’s defining feature. He combines clownish charm with a deeply unsettling menace, making Pennywise frightening even when he is standing perfectly still.
The miniseries follows the novel’s childhood and adult storylines, although it compresses many characters and events. Its effects and final confrontation reflect the limitations of television production at the time. Nevertheless, the adaptation has earned a lasting place in horror history. For many viewers, Curry will always be Pennywise.
Adaptations two and three: It (2017) and It: Chapter Two (2019)
Rather than squeezing King’s enormous novel into one film, the modern adaptation divides the story into two parts. It focuses on the Losers’ Club as children, while It Chapter Two follows their adult return to Derry. Bill Skarsgård creates a very different Pennywise from Curry’s version. His performance is more physically unsettling, with exaggerated movements and an almost inhuman quality. The films also expand some characters and change certain events to suit the cinematic format. The broad emotional story remains recognizable, but the ending and several supernatural details differ from the novel.
Which version should you watch? All three have something to offer. The 1990 miniseries is a nostalgic classic, while the modern films provide more elaborate visuals and a longer exploration of the Losers’ Club and the backstory of Pennywise. For the full experience, read King’s novel first. Its scale, backstory and exploration of Derry’s dark history are difficult to capture on screen.
3. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (1995)
Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic follows Sally and Gillian Owens, sisters raised by their eccentric aunts in a Massachusetts home where witchcraft is part of everyday life. The Owens women have a complicated relationship with their family’s magical heritage. They also carry a curse: the men they love are destined to suffer.
Sally tries to build a conventional life, while Gillian embraces a more unpredictable path. However, a dangerous situation forces the sisters back together and makes them confront the consequences of their choices. Hoffman blends family drama, romance, dark humor and supernatural fantasy. The magic is important, but the novel’s emotional core is the bond between sisters and the ways family history shapes their lives.
The movie: Practical Magic (1998)
The film turns the Owens family into a colorful, eccentric household filled with spells, potions, midnight margaritas and complicated romantic entanglements. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman have an appealing chemistry as Sally and Gillian. Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest add warmth and humor as their unconventional aunts.
The adaptation changes the emphasis of Hoffman’s story, placing greater weight on the sisters’ relationship, romance and the immediate supernatural crisis. Some of the novel’s more complex character development is simplified, but the film develops a distinctive visual identity of its own. The result is a lighter, more romantic take on the source material.
Why it belongs on your list: Not every autumn movie night needs to end with nightmares. Practical Magic offers a witchy alternative to the darker horror selections, mixing supernatural danger with family loyalty and a touch of cozy magic.
4. ‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King (1975)
Stephen King’s second published novel turns an ordinary Maine town into a vampire’s hunting ground. Writer Ben Mears returns to Jerusalem’s Lot, hoping to confront memories associated with an old house. However, his homecoming coincides with the arrival of antiques dealer Richard Straker and his mysterious business partner, Kurt Barlow.
Soon, residents begin disappearing or behaving strangely. As the danger spreads, Ben and a small group of allies discover that something ancient and predatory has taken hold of their community. King combines the traditional vampire story with his talent for small-town characterization. Neighbors, shopkeepers, children and local families become part of the horror, making the threat feel disturbingly close to home.
Rather than relying solely on supernatural spectacle, the novel builds suspense through familiar places and everyday relationships.
Adaptation one: Salem’s Lot (1979)
This two-part television miniseries remains the best-known adaptation for many longtime horror fans. (Most likely because it is the first experience many of my fellow Gen Xers had with King adaptations showing up on late-night TV.) Tobe Hooper, already known for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, creates a restrained and deeply unsettling atmosphere. James Mason is especially memorable as Straker, whose polite manner makes him even more threatening.
The miniseries compresses King’s sprawling novel, but it retains the central conflict and much of the small-town dread. One of its most famous images involves a young vampire floating outside a bedroom window. The scene demonstrates how a simple visual can be more frightening than an elaborate monster effect.
Adaptation two: Salem’s Lot (2004)
This television miniseries revisits the story with a new cast, Rob Lowe plays Ben Mears, while Donald Sutherland takes on Straker. The adaptation reshapes parts of the novel and changes certain character details, but it retains the essential story of a community under siege. It is worth comparing with the 1979 version to see how television horror changed over the intervening decades.
Adaptation three: Salem’s Lot (2024)
The 2024 film condenses King’s novel into a feature-length story. Ben Mears returns to Jerusalem’s Lot and discovers that the town is falling under the influence of a vampire. The film moves more quickly than either miniseries, sacrificing some of the novel’s extensive community portrait in favor of a tighter supernatural thriller.
For readers, the most interesting comparison is how each adaptation handles the town itself. In the novel, the slow collapse of an entire community is part of the terror. In the films, the story must find ways to communicate that same sense of doom in less time.
5. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving (1820)
Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is one of America’s most enduring ghost stories. The tale follows Ichabod Crane, a superstitious schoolteacher who becomes interested in Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter of a wealthy farmer. However, Ichabod must compete with the formidable Brom Bones. The local legend of the Headless Horseman hangs over the community. One night, after attending a gathering, Ichabod encounters a terrifying rider who appears to pursue him through the darkness.
Irving’s story blends folklore, comedy, romance and supernatural suspense. Its atmospheric landscape and mysterious ending have helped make it a seasonal classic for generations.
Adaptations: Sleepy Hollow
There have been many adaptations of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow over the years. My first introduction to Washington Irving’s spooky tale came from a cartoon I watched as a kid: Disney’s 1949 animated classic, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.
The Sleepy Hollow portion of the film is narrated by Bing Crosby, who also lends his voice to several characters. It brings Irving’s story to life with colorful animation, memorable music and plenty of Halloween atmosphere. The Headless Horseman is genuinely creepy, especially during the famous nighttime chase through the woods. That version remains a nostalgic favorite for me. It is also a surprisingly faithful adaptation of Irving’s basic story, although Disney naturally adds songs, comedy and a little more personality to Ichabod and the other characters.
My favorite adaptation, though, is Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow (1999). Rather than simply recreating Irving’s short story, Burton turns it into a full-blown gothic horror mystery. Johnny Depp stars as Ichabod Crane, a superstitious New York constable sent to investigate a series of mysterious murders in Sleepy Hollow. Christina Ricci plays Katrina Van Tassel, while Christopher Walken makes a terrifying appearance as the Headless Horseman.
Burton’s version takes the basic characters and setting from Irving’s story but expands the plot considerably. It adds murder, witchcraft, family secrets and a much darker backstory for the Horseman. The result is less of a straight adaptation and more of a wonderfully atmospheric gothic reimagining. With its misty forests, twisted trees, candlelit homes, and spectacularly creepy Horseman, Burton’s Sleepy Hollow is probably the most recognizable modern adaptation of Irving’s story. Burton’s visual style makes the adaptation particularly memorable. Fog, twisted trees, dark costumes, and elaborate production design create a world that looks like a gothic illustration brought to life.
Book versus movie: Irving’s original is more playful and ambiguous than Burton’s film. The movie leans into horror and mystery, providing a more elaborate explanation for the Horseman’s appearances. Both are worth experiencing, especially if you enjoy seeing how filmmakers expand a short story into a feature-length production.
6. The Witches by Roald Dahl (1983)
Roald Dahl’s The Witches introduces readers to a secret society of witches who despise children and devise elaborate plans to eliminate them. The story follows a young boy who discovers their true identities at a hotel gathering. Unfortunately, the witches discover him, too, and use their magic to transform him into a mouse. With help from his grandmother, he attempts to stop their plan.
Dahl mixes dark humor with genuine menace. The witches are frightening precisely because they hide behind ordinary appearances, making the story a memorable exploration of childhood fears.
Want more Roald Dahl books? Check out our article: Celebrating Roald Dahl
Adaptation one: The Witches (1990)
The first major film adaptation is famous for its practical effects and Huston’s performance as the Grand High Witch.
Roeg preserves much of Dahl’s dark atmosphere. The witches’ transformations are disturbing, and the film doesn’t shy away from frightening its young audience. However, the ending differs significantly from the book. Dahl’s story leaves the boy a mouse, while the film gives him a more conventional happy ending in which he returns to human form. Dahl reportedly disliked the film’s changes, particularly its conclusion.
Adaptation two: The Witches (2020)
The 2020 version relocates the story to Alabama in 1968 and introduces a different cultural setting. Hathaway plays a flamboyant, grotesque Grand High Witch, while Spencer brings warmth and determination to the grandmother. The production uses modern visual effects to create the witches’ unusual appearances. Unlike the 1990 film, this version retains the book’s ending, leaving the boy a mouse.
The two films offer an interesting comparison. Roeg’s version is darker and more unsettling, while Zemeckis favors colorful visuals, broader comedy and a more family-oriented tone. For readers, Dahl’s original remains the best way to experience the story’s wonderfully macabre imagination.
7. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (1938)
If you love mysterious old mansions, family secrets and a little psychological suspense, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier belongs on your autumn reading list. This gothic classic has everything: a grand country estate, an unsettling housekeeper, a mysterious death and a woman whose presence seems to haunt every room.
The story follows an unnamed young woman who meets wealthy widower Maxim de Winter while working as a companion in Monte Carlo. After a whirlwind romance, they marry and return to his impressive estate, Manderley, on the coast of Cornwall. However, the new Mrs. de Winter soon discovers that her predecessor, Rebecca, still dominates the household. The housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, seems determined to keep Rebecca’s memory alive, leaving the new bride feeling like an unwelcome guest in her own home.
As secrets begin to surface, the narrator questions everything she thought she knew about her husband and the woman who came before her. Du Maurier builds suspense gradually, creating a story that is as much about jealousy, identity and manipulation as it is about mystery.
The Movie Adaptations
There have been several screen adaptations of Rebecca, but two stand out for book and movie fans. The first is Alfred Hitchcock’s celebrated 1940 film, while the second is the 2020 adaptation directed by Ben Wheatley.
Rebecca (1940) is the classic version directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The film captures the novel’s gothic mood beautifully. Its black-and-white cinematography makes Manderley feel both grand and oppressive, while Mrs. Danvers remains one of cinema’s most memorable unsettling housekeepers. The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, as well as an award for cinematography.
However, Hitchcock’s adaptation makes a significant change to the novel’s central revelation. In the book, Maxim admits that he murdered Rebecca. The 1940 film changes her death to an accident, reflecting the restrictions of Hollywood’s Production Code at the time. That alteration changes an important part of Maxim’s character and the moral complexity of the story.
Rebecca (2020) offers a more modern interpretation. This version brings color, lavish costumes and sweeping coastal scenery to the story, giving Manderley a different visual personality. The newer film follows the same basic plot, but it presents the characters and their relationships differently. It also makes different choices about the ending and the way the mystery unfolds. While the 1940 film is widely regarded as the classic adaptation, the 2020 version offers another opportunity to compare how filmmakers interpret du Maurier’s haunting story.
Rebecca is an excellent reminder that the most frightening stories do not always need ghosts or monsters. Sometimes, the most unsettling thing is a house full of secrets and the feeling that someone else’s past is controlling your future. Read the novel first, then settle in for Hitchcock’s atmospheric classic. If you have time, watch the newer adaptation, too, and see which version of Manderley stays with you longest.
8. The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson (1977)
Jay Anson’s The Amityville Horror presents itself as an account of the alleged paranormal experiences of the Lutz family, who moved into a house in Amityville, New York, after a mass murder had occurred there.
According to the book, George and Kathy Lutz and their children experienced increasingly frightening events during their brief stay. These included strange sounds, unexplained disturbances and behavior that they interpreted as evidence of a haunting.
The book became a publishing phenomenon, helping establish the modern haunted-house story as a popular form of supernatural horror.
It is important to distinguish the book’s claims from independently established facts. The alleged paranormal events have been heavily disputed, and the story has remained controversial.
Adaptation one: The Amityville Horror (1979)
The original film follows the Lutz family as they move into the house and experience increasingly disturbing events.
Brolin and Kidder give the family a believable domestic foundation, making the escalation of the haunting more unsettling. Steiger plays a priest whose attempts to intervene become part of the story’s supernatural tension. The film adapts the book’s central claims but streamlines events and heightens certain incidents for dramatic effect. Its success helped cement the haunted-house story as a major horror subgenre.
Adaptation two: The Amityville Horror (2005)
The remake updates the story with modern effects, more graphic imagery and a heightened emphasis on George Lutz’s deteriorating behavior. Reynolds gives the role a more physically intense interpretation than Brolin’s original performance. The film also expands certain violent and supernatural episodes to create a more contemporary horror experience.
Both films draw from the same book, but they differ in tone and the extent to which they emphasize psychological breakdown versus supernatural forces. For an interesting double feature, watch the original first and then compare how the remake uses modern horror techniques to tell a familiar story.
9. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (1959)
Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House is one of the most influential haunted-house novels ever written. The story follows Eleanor Vance, a lonely woman invited to participate in an investigation of a reportedly haunted mansion. She joins Dr. Montague, Theodora and Luke Sanderson, hoping to help establish whether the house contains supernatural activity.
As the investigation progresses, disturbing events begin to undermine the group’s confidence. Eleanor’s emotional vulnerability becomes increasingly important, leaving readers to question whether the house is exerting a supernatural influence or whether something more psychological is happening.
Jackson’s greatest achievement is her ambiguity. The novel never reduces its horror to a simple explanation, allowing the house to remain deeply unsettling and have main character energy.
Adaptation one: The Haunting (1963)
Wise’s adaptation is widely admired for creating fear without relying on graphic imagery. The film uses sound, shadows, camera angles and the mansion’s architecture to make the house feel alive. Its unsettling atmosphere closely reflects the psychological ambiguity of Jackson’s novel. Although the screenplay condenses the story and changes certain details, it retains the essential uncertainty surrounding Eleanor’s experiences.
For many horror fans, this is the definitive screen adaptation.
Adaptation two: The Haunting (1999)
The 1999 film takes a very different approach. It emphasizes elaborate visual effects, dramatic supernatural events and the mansion’s grotesque architecture. The story is more explicit about the house’s history, while Eleanor’s role develops into a more conventional supernatural mystery. The film retains the basic premise but departs substantially from Jackson’s psychological subtlety.
If you watch the 1963 and 1999 films back to back, the contrast is fascinating: one relies on suggestion, while the other makes the haunting much more visible.
Adaptation three: The Haunting of Hill House (2018)
Netflix’s series is a major reimagining rather than a direct adaptation. Flanagan moves the story into a family drama that follows the Crain family across different periods of their lives. The house’s influence continues long after the family leaves, and the series explores grief, trauma, addiction and complicated family relationships.
The result shares Jackson’s interest in psychological horror but builds an entirely new narrative around it. The series is especially rewarding for viewers who enjoy piecing together visual clues and discovering how seemingly minor details connect to the larger story.
10. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill (1983)
Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black is a classic modern ghost story. Arthur Kipps, a young solicitor, travels to a remote English village to settle the affairs of a deceased client. At the isolated Eel Marsh House, he begins seeing a mysterious woman dressed in black. The locals are reluctant to discuss her, but Kipps gradually discovers a history of grief and tragedy connected to the house.
Hill uses isolation, silence and suggestion to create suspense. Rather than explaining everything immediately, she allows dread to accumulate through the protagonist’s experiences.
Adaptation one: The Woman in Black (1989)
This British television film is known for its restrained approach and close attention to the novel’s atmosphere. Rawlins plays Arthur Kidd, the adaptation’s version of Kipps. The production relies on eerie locations, sound design and slow-building suspense rather than elaborate effects.
It preserves much of Hill’s traditional ghost-story structure, making it a particularly good choice for readers who appreciate the original novel’s quiet menace.
Adaptation two: The Woman in Black (2012)
The 2012 film brings a more contemporary gothic style to Hill’s story. Radcliffe plays Arthur Kipps, whose visit to Eel Marsh House becomes a terrifying struggle to understand the woman’s identity and the village’s secrets. The adaptation expands some elements of the story, adds new scenes and changes parts of the ending. It also relies more heavily on visual scares and elaborate set pieces than the 1989 version.
Both adaptations demonstrate how a ghost story can work in different ways. The earlier production emphasizes traditional television storytelling, while the later film uses cinematic scale to intensify the horror.
11. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (1898)
Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw is a psychological ghost story that has challenged readers for generations. A young governess accepts a position caring for two children at a remote English estate. Before long, she begins seeing the figures of a man and woman whom she believes are connected to the household’s past.
Her growing conviction that the children are in danger drives the story toward an increasingly disturbing conclusion. James never provides an entirely straightforward explanation for the governess’s experiences. Are the ghosts real, or is the narrator interpreting events through her own fears and obsessions?
That uncertainty makes the novella an especially rich source for filmmakers.
Adaptation one: The Innocents (1961)
Often considered one of the finest adaptations of James’s story, The Innocents preserves much of the original’s psychological ambiguity. Kerr gives a memorable performance as Miss Giddens, the governess whose certainty about the haunting becomes increasingly unsettling. The film uses shadowy interiors, atmospheric cinematography and carefully controlled sound to create a sense of unease. Capote’s contribution to the screenplay also helps deepen the psychological tension.
Although the adaptation makes changes to the novella, it retains the central question that makes James’s work so compelling: can we trust what the narrator believes she sees?
Adaptation two: The Turning (2020)
This modern adaptation relocates the story to a contemporary setting and takes a more expansive approach to the haunted-estate premise. Davis plays Kate, a governess who becomes concerned about the children in her care. As she investigates the estate’s history, the line between supernatural events and psychological distress begins to blur.
The film changes character details and narrative elements, creating a different interpretation of James’s original story. Its ambiguous approach makes it an interesting companion to The Innocents, although the two films have very different styles. For readers, James’s novella remains the best starting point. Its carefully constructed uncertainty is difficult to reproduce on screen without changing the story’s meaning.
12. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (2009)
Sarah Waters’s The Little Stranger combines a ghost story with a psychological mystery and a portrait of postwar Britain.
The novel follows Dr. Faraday, who visits Hundreds Hall, a once-grand country estate now struggling to survive. The Ayres family has lived there for generations, but the house and its inhabitants are slowly deteriorating.
As Faraday becomes involved in the family’s affairs, strange events begin to occur. The disturbances grow more troubling, and the characters struggle to determine whether the house is haunted or whether other forces are at work.
Waters uses the decaying mansion to explore class, social change, obsession and the lingering effects of the past. The novel’s power comes from its ambiguity. Faraday’s perspective shapes everything the reader sees, making it difficult to determine how much of the horror is supernatural and how much comes from the people themselves.
The movie: The Little Stranger (2018)
The film follows the central storyline of the novel, preserving its atmosphere of decline and uncertainty. Gleeson plays Faraday, whose interest in Hundreds Hall gradually becomes more personal. Wilson and Rampling portray members of the Ayres family, whose lives are increasingly affected by the house’s disturbing events. The adaptation condenses the novel’s extensive exploration of class and social change, while retaining its psychological mystery.
The film’s restrained style suits the source material. Rather than providing easy answers, it allows the audience to question the narrator’s motives and reliability. For viewers who enjoy atmospheric ghost stories with no simple explanation, The Little Stranger is a rewarding choice.
Make It a Spooky Book-to-Movie Adaptations Autumn
One of the pleasures of reading a book before watching its adaptation is discovering how differently stories can work across mediums. A novelist can spend pages exploring a character’s thoughts, building a fictional town or leaving a question unanswered. A filmmaker has different tools: performances, music, lighting, editing and the images that remain with us long after the credits roll. Sometimes an adaptation captures the spirit of the book perfectly. Other times, it takes a bold detour and creates something memorable in its own right.
Start with Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes if you want a dark fantasy filled with carnival magic and childhood fears. Turn to Stephen King if you prefer small-town nightmares and supernatural creatures. Choose Practical Magic for a lighter touch of witchcraft, or settle into the psychological unease of Shirley Jackson and Henry James.
You could even turn your autumn reading into a small challenge: read the book, watch the adaptation and decide which version you prefer. If there are multiple adaptations, compare them, too. You might discover that your favorite version isn’t the newest, the most faithful or even the one with the biggest budget.
After all, the best horror stories don’t simply frighten us. They invite us into strange worlds, introduce us to unforgettable characters and give our imaginations something to explore. So pick a book, choose a film, and pull that cozy blanket a little closer. Outside, the leaves are falling. Inside, something wicked is surely sitting on your nightstand.