Scream Again: 6 Horror Retellings of Well-Known Stories

Retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe.

I have recommended this book over and over again, both here at Book Riot and at Wild Geese Bookshop, where I work. It is a perfect, eerie, unsettling, bite-sized horror story to wade into. This is great for seasoned horror fans and those who are testing the horror waters.

When retired soldier Alex Easton (my beloved horror protagonist who deserves a nap) hears that their childhood friend, Madeline Usher, is dying, they race to her home. What they discover is sporror—think spore and horror— at its most shocking. There is a wild fungus, eerie lights in the lake, and Madeline is sleepwalking at night. There is a scene in this book where Alex and other characters were freaking out over a discovery that had me legit freaking out with them. Did I throw the book? Yes, yes I did.

Retelling of H.P. Lovecraft’s notoriously racist story “The Horror at Red Hook.”

Victor LaValle is one of the best writers of the century, hands down. His works have been adapted to the screen. His novel, The Devil in Silver, will be airing as a miniseries on AMC later this year.

This year marks the ten-year anniversary of the novella, The Ballad of Black Tom, a retelling of H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Horror at Red Hook.” Lovecraft’s tales were often racist, reflecting Lovecraft’s own prejudices, but LaValle takes Lovecraft’s story and molds into this stunning, dark, magical tale. It follows Charles Thomas Tester, a hustler who tries to keep a roof over his father’s head and food on the table. Charles knows how powerful magic can be, and when he’s sent to deliver a magical tome to a sorceress, a journey full of sorcery and things better left buried begins.

This novella has sorcery and LaValle’s signature wit and commentary. You don’t want to miss this.

Retelling of the fairy tale “The Little Mermaid” by Charles Perrault.

Pelayo is a masterful storyteller, and Forgotten Sisters is no exception. It follows two sisters who live in a historic Chicago house on the Chicago River. Ignoring the house’s haunting sounds, courtesy of a historic, tragic past, one of the sisters, Anna, runs a podcast of ghostly tales surrounding Chicago’s history. After she captures the attention of a male listener, and a relationship develops, her sister Jennie becomes more fearful. More people are going missing, bodies float by on the river, and then detectives are on their doorstep. Who is responsible for the missing people? What of the sisters’ past has come back to haunt them? 

As someone who grew up in a northwest suburb of Chicago and then lived in Lakeview for six years, Pelayo’s roots, extensive research, and exploration of Chicago history are exquisite.

Retelling of the fairy tale “Bluebeard” by Charles Perrault. 

I love a good Bluebeard retelling. No matter how many iterations I read, I always come back for more. Maybe it’s because I want to see the story retold with the women in power, or at least taking power back after a tragic beginning. Hache Pueyo’s But Not Too Bold is a wholly original retelling of this age-old bloody classic.

This story follows Anatema, an enormous humanoid spider, and the Lady of the Capricious House. She has a taste for laudanum and human brides. Anatema also ate her old keeper of the keys, and now the keeper’s protégée has come to take her place. Dália must find a way to survive in this new position, but she didn’t count on one important thing: Anatema cannot resist a new human bride.

Retelling of Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie.

Aiden Thomas’s young adult books are full of mystery and magic. Lost in the Never Woods is a dark fantasy tale, which makes for a great step into horror for those looking to explore the genre.

Five years prior, Wendy and her brothers were lost in the woods, and the circumstances of their disappearance still haunt her. Now that children are starting to go missing again, people look to Wendy for answers. Peter, a boy she thought lived only in stories, says that she must act, or the children will meet the same fate as her brothers.

Retelling of The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

I never saw this retelling coming, but wow, am I interested. This one is for fans of slashers, such as Clown in a Cornfield and Slasher Summer. Sharpen your knives, and dive into this deliriously entertaining slasher tale.

It’s 1994, and Dorothy Noroît’s life is perfect. She’s pregnant, she has a devoted boyfriend, a home, and a steady job. Then on October 2nd, everything changes.

Twenty-four years later, the city of Montreal is now being terrorized by an extremist group called The Winged Monkeys. Men are being brutally murdered, and the detectives on the case are racing to find the killer as the body count rises. This is a brutal and disturbing novel, and if you’re a Wizard of Oz fan, there will be plenty of easter eggs to satisfy your Oz appetite.