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Quick answer: If you loved Carmilla, read Bram Stoker's Dracula, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, The Turn of the Screw and Edgar Allan Poe. All are classic gothic horror about monsters, secrets and the uncanny.
Sheridan Le Fanu's 1872 novella tells of Laura, a young woman in an isolated Austrian castle who befriends Carmilla, a mysterious girl who is a vampire. It predates Dracula by 25 years and is eerie, sensual and influential. The books below offer similar classic horror and modern vampire fiction.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Vampyre | John Polidori | Adult | the first vampire tale |
| Dracula | Bram Stoker | Adult | gothic terror |
| Frankenstein | Mary Shelley | Adult | science gone wrong |
| The Turn of the Screw | Henry James | Adult | psychological ghosts |
| The Great God Pan | Arthur Machen | Adult | Victorian weird |
| The Willows | Algernon Blackwood | Adult | nature horror |
| The Yellow Wallpaper | Charlotte Perkins Gilman | Adult | psychological horror |
| The Picture of Dorian Gray | Oscar Wilde | Adult | hidden selves |
| Interview with the Vampire | Anne Rice | Adult | gothic vampires |
| The Haunting of Hill House | Shirley Jackson | Adult | haunted houses |
| The Woman in Black | Susan Hill | Adult | ghost story |
| Ghost Stories of an Antiquary | M. R. James | Adult | antiquarian ghosts |
| The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe | Edgar Allan Poe | Adult | gothic ancestor |
| 'Salem's Lot | Stephen King | Adult | small-town horror |
| The Historian | Elizabeth Kostova | Adult | history lovers |
1. The Vampyre by John Polidori
A mysterious lord preys on society. Short and historic.
Best for: the first vampire tale.
2. Dracula by Bram Stoker
The original vampire novel told through letters and diaries. Atmospheric and tense.
Best for: gothic terror.
3. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
A scientist builds a living creature and regrets it. The classic about ambition and responsibility.
Best for: science gone wrong.
4. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
A governess believes her young charges are haunted. Ambiguous and eerie.
Best for: psychological ghosts.
5. The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen
A scientific experiment unleashes horrors. Short and unsettling.
Best for: Victorian weird.
6. The Willows by Algernon Blackwood
Two travellers sense a presence in a remote Danube marsh. A classic of quiet dread.
Best for: nature horror.
7. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
A woman confined to a room becomes obsessed with the wallpaper. Short and haunting.
Best for: psychological horror.
8. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
A man stays young while his portrait ages. Witty and decadent.
Best for: hidden selves.
9. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
A vampire tells his life story to a reporter. Lush and moody, a classic that shaped the genre.
Best for: gothic vampires.
10. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
A woman joins a paranormal experiment in a house that seems to want her. Elegant and creepy.
Best for: haunted houses.
11. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
A young solicitor visits an isolated house haunted by a ghost. Short and chilling.
Best for: ghost story.
12. Ghost Stories of an Antiquary by M. R. James
Scholarly men meet vengeful spirits. Understated and scary.
Best for: antiquarian ghosts.
13. The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe
Poe's tales of obsession, madness and death. The source of much modern horror.
Best for: gothic ancestor.
14. 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King
Vampires invade a small Maine town. Scary and atmospheric.
Best for: small-town horror.
15. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
A slow, scholarly hunt for Dracula across Europe, told through letters and memories. Atmospheric and long.
Best for: history lovers.
How to Choose
For more vampire roots read The Vampyre and Dracula. For classic gothic choose Frankenstein, The Great God Pan or The Willows. For psychological hauntings pick The Turn of the Screw or The Yellow Wallpaper. For modern vampires try Interview with the Vampire, 'Salem's Lot or The Historian. Carmilla is short, so it makes an ideal first gothic classic. Carmilla is in the public domain and was published first in a magazine, and its lesbian undertones have made it a favourite of modern readers and the basis for web series and films.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Carmilla about?
A young woman befriends a mysterious girl who is a vampire.
Who wrote it?
Sheridan Le Fanu.
When was it published?
1871-72 in a magazine, and as a book in 1872.
Is it earlier than Dracula?
Yes, by 25 years.
Is it scary?
It is eerie rather than gory.
Is it long?
It is a short novella.
Is it free to read?
Yes, it is in the public domain.
What should I read next?
Try Dracula or The Turn of the Screw.
Which book here is best for psychological ghosts?
Try The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, which suits readers looking for psychological ghosts.
Which book here is best for psychological horror?
Try The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, which suits readers looking for psychological horror.
Which book here is best for haunted houses?
Try The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, which suits readers looking for haunted houses.
Which book here is best for gothic ancestor?
Try The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe, which suits readers looking for gothic ancestor.
Which book here is best for gothic terror?
Try Dracula by Bram Stoker, which suits readers looking for gothic terror.