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Quick answer: If you loved Dracula, read Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Carmilla, The Vampyre and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, then Interview with the Vampire, 'Salem's Lot, The Historian and Rebecca. All are gothic horror and vampire classics.
Bram Stoker's 1897 novel is told through letters, diaries and newspaper clippings, as Jonathan Harker, Mina Murray and Van Helsing face the vampire Count Dracula. It is the best-known vampire novel. The books below offer similar gothic horror and vampire fiction, old and new.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde | Robert Louis Stevenson | Adult | gothic horror |
| The Picture of Dorian Gray | Oscar Wilde | Adult | gothic fable |
| The Turn of the Screw | Henry James | Adult | ghost story |
| The Historian | Elizabeth Kostova | Adult | modern gothic |
| Rebecca | Daphne du Maurier | Adult | gothic romance |
| Frankenstein | Mary Shelley | Adult | science gone wrong |
| Carmilla | J. Sheridan Le Fanu | Adult | early vampire fiction |
| The Vampyre | John Polidori | Adult | the first vampire tale |
| Interview with the Vampire | Anne Rice | Adult | gothic vampires |
| 'Salem's Lot | Stephen King | Adult | small-town horror |
| I Am Legend | Richard Matheson | Adult | last man on earth |
| The Haunting of Hill House | Shirley Jackson | Adult | haunted houses |
| Rosemary's Baby | Ira Levin | Adult | readers who like psychological horror |
| Mexican Gothic | Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Adult | haunted house |
| Hell House | Richard Matheson | Adult | more Matheson |
1. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
A lawyer investigates a strange link between a doctor and a violent man. Short and chilling.
Best for: gothic horror.
2. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
A young man's portrait ages while he stays young. Witty and dark.
Best for: gothic fable.
3. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
A governess believes her charges are haunted. Ambiguous and eerie.
Best for: ghost story.
4. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
A young woman searches for the truth about Dracula. Slow, rich and atmospheric.
Best for: modern gothic.
5. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
A new wife is haunted by her husband's first wife at Manderley. Moody and gripping.
Best for: gothic romance.
6. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
A scientist builds a living creature and regrets it. The classic about ambition and responsibility.
Best for: science gone wrong.
7. Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
A young woman befriends a mysterious girl, who may be a vampire. Short and moody.
Best for: early vampire fiction.
8. The Vampyre by John Polidori
A mysterious lord preys on society. Short and historic.
Best for: the first vampire tale.
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. 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King
Vampires invade a small Maine town. Scary and atmospheric.
Best for: small-town horror.
11. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
Robert Neville is the last human among vampire-like infected. Short and bleak.
Best for: last man on earth.
12. 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.
13. Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
Rosemary suspects her neighbors want her baby for a dark purpose. Short and paranoid.
Best for: readers who like psychological horror.
14. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A young woman visits a decaying mansion in the Mexican countryside. Eerie and atmospheric.
Best for: haunted house.
15. Hell House by Richard Matheson
A physicist and three others spend a week in the most haunted house in the world. Matheson mixes science and the supernatural again, with real chills.
Best for: more Matheson.
How to Choose
For classic gothic read Frankenstein, Carmilla and Jekyll and Hyde. For vampires choose Interview with the Vampire, 'Salem's Lot or I Am Legend. For atmosphere pick The Historian, Rebecca or The Haunting of Hill House. Dracula is epistolary, so the audiobook full-cast version is popular. Stoker based Dracula partly on Eastern European folklore, and his Count was inspired by tales of Vlad the Impaler, though the connection is debated. The novel has inspired hundreds of films.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dracula about?
A group of friends try to stop the vampire Count Dracula.
Who wrote it?
Bram Stoker.
When was it published?
1897.
Is it scary?
It is atmospheric more than gory.
Is it hard to read?
The language is Victorian but easy to follow.
Why is it told in letters?
The form creates a sense of realism.
Is it based on a real person?
The Count draws loosely on Vlad the Impaler and folklore.
What should I read next?
Try Frankenstein or Carmilla.
Which book here is best for modern gothic?
Try The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, which suits readers looking for modern gothic.
Which book here is best for early vampire fiction?
Try Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, which suits readers looking for early vampire fiction.
Which book here is best for small-town horror?
Try 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King, which suits readers looking for small-town horror.
Which book here is best for readers who like psychological horror?
Try Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin, which suits readers looking for readers who like psychological horror.
Which book here is best for gothic fable?
Try The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, which suits readers looking for gothic fable.