Daniel de Lorne, author of the paranormal Bonds of Blood series, dropped by the blog to tell us about his top 13 spooky books, movies and TV shows to celebrate the Halloween season with…
I’m a scaredy-cat, no doubt about it, but despite knowing this I’m still drawn to the dark side (must be all those bad boys…) and occasionally delve into terrifying stories that are sure to keep me from sleeping ever again.
With Halloween upon us, here are my 13 favourite spooky books, movies and TV shows, offering up a mix of the bloody, the scary and the musical.
Scream
Something about the self-referential style of the Scream franchise made this easier for me to watch and not run screaming. So many quotable lines and a master class in horror… Beware the blood.
Interview with the Vampire
I devoured Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles (still do whenever a new one comes out). The earlier novels, like Interview with the Vampire and The Queen of the Damned, are the richest of the lot. (And if we’re talking movies, I was totally there for Brad and Tom in the movie adaptation but not so much Antonio whose character was meant to be a 16-year-old Russian redhead…)
American Horror Story
I admit I’ve only seen Haunted House and Asylum all the way through and chickened out midway through Coven (I promise I’ll go back to it) but AHS kept me on the edge of my seat with my face buried behind a cushion.
Rocky Horror Picture Show
I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen this movie. A cult classic and surprisingly subversive for its era, beware the remake and go straight to the source. It’s just a jump to the left…
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irvine
This short story still packs a punch with its incredibly creepy tale of the Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane. The Johnny Depp version’s also great and the Disney version definitely had an impact on me as a kid.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
OK, it’s not exactly spooky but Buffy brought everything including the creepy. Everyone remember the Gentlemen? Creepiest. Episode. Ever. Most annoying? Whenever Dawn said anything.
True Blood
Taking the vampires out into the open—but still not into sunlight—True Blood revealed more about the prejudices of humans than the monstrosity of vampires. And that was truly scary. They made up for it with plenty of bare shots of Jason and Eric.
Little Shop of Horrors
Another musical making light of the dark things in life…like visiting the dentist. Giant alien ‘plant’ Audrey Two suddenly brings Seymour everything his heart could desire…but he has to pay for it with blood.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.
Controversial opinion but I don’t find Wuthering Heights romantic in the slightest but it’s a great gothic story and full of the kind of evil manipulation you’d expect from a really good horror (or family drama).
Scream Queens
High camp with Jamie Lee Curtis and Nick Jonas. Full of plenty of horror movie clichés but more fun than frightening.
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Creepy as hell. I read this one night when I was home alone and regretted it. Ten people are drawn to an island off the coast of England and stranded there for a few days. Guests start dying and those left alive hunt for the killer before they’re next.
Teen Wolf
The MTV reboot of the 1980s Michael J Fox movie is packed full of good-looking high school students and a seemingly endless number of werewolves and other things that go bump in the night. The URST between Stiles and Derek was almost too much.
Lucifer
Low on the spooky but high on the eternal battle of good versus evil, Lucifer follows the Devil’s new life as a club owner and ‘civilian consultant’ to the LAPD. The mythical elements are definitely more interesting than the police procedural side of things but it’s a light-hearted romp with the Angel of Light.
Daniel De Lorne
Ruin. Romance. Redemption. That’s the magic trifecta Daniel de Lorne promises readers of his books. Whether it’s irresistible vampires, paranormal paramours, or hot everyday men, Daniel’s books go for the heart. And the stomach. And the spleen (just for good measure).
In his other life, Daniel is a professional writer and researcher in Perth, Australia, with a love of history and nature. All of which makes for great story fodder. And when he’s not working, he and his husband explore as much of this amazing world as they can, from the ruins of Welsh abbeys to trekking famous routes and swimming with whales.
To get to the real heart of the matter, visit Daniel’s website.
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