Our Creative Writing Instructors share their favourite scary books and films designed to send shivers up your spine.
As the leaves fall and the air cools, many of us gravitate towards cozy sweaters, comfort foods, and wholesome pumpkin patch adventures. But for some of us, it’s fun to add a little thrill to the chill with a spooky tale (or several).
If that’s you, and you’re looking for an excellent story to make the tiny hairs on the back of your neck stand up, here are three seriously spooky books and film recommendations from our creative writing instructors:
1. The Vast of Night (2019)
“With stylish direction and a whip-smart script, this indie retro sci-fi thriller has more than a few eerie moments to spark the autumn imagination. – Daniel Sacco, SCS Screenwriting: Introduction and Screenwriting II instructor
2. Our Share of Night
“Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez is an epic horror about seductive occultists, Argentine history, and black magic—a beautifully written novel that might very well give you nightmares.” – Amanda Kallis, SCS The Great Escape: Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction instructor
3. The Night Country by Stewart O'Nan
“A masterpiece of literary horror, this novel is a ghost story unlike any you've ever read. Following the events of tragic car accident which killed several teenagers in a small town, a mysterious narrator leads readers through the tortured souls and broken hearts of those the dead may, or may not, have left behind.” – J. Kent Messum, SCS Blockbuster Books: Writing Genre Fiction and Tales From the Dark Side instructor.
Ready to put your own spooky (or not-so-spooky stories down on paper? Check out these expert instructors’ courses or find one in your preferred genre in the U of T SCS Creative Writing Program.