Dracula. Frankenstein’s monster. The wolfman.
Why do we return to these classic villains? Is it their fashion choices? Their winning personalities? At the heart of our favorite monsters there is something that keeps us coming back to their stories year after year; generation after generation. The unbelievable becomes believable; the impossible, possible. Death is an inconvenient hiccup on the road to immortality.
The classic monster’s story survives and thrives because contemporary authors bring them back to the forefront. If these monsters have taught us anything, we all know a good monster is impossible to kill…for very long. Check out these modern takes on classic horror.
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Alex and her friends make short, scary films and they are going on the trip of a lifetime – to visit the Romanian castle that inspired Dracula! Except when they get there the castle is not the majestic palace they imagined, it’s dark and spooky and completely cut-off from the outside world. Then Alex’s friends start dying. It’s left for Alex to stop the bloodshed.
A modern homage to Dracula.
Tress Montor’s family used to be respected but, when her parents vanished driving Tress’ best friend home, that all changed. Forced to live with her grandfather at the “White Trash Zoo,” Tress decides to find out what happened, even if it means bricking her now ex-best friend into a coal chute. Tress will either end the night with the truth or revenge.
A modern remix of The Cask of Amontillado
Tounome is an invisible detective. His condition works fantastically for detective work, but does not work on his employee Yakou, who is blind and can always sense when Tounome is nearby. It’s a supernatural, office romance in the making.
A modern take on The Invisible Man.
Gabriel is a law student returning to London for the first time since a scandal with his best friend, Henry Jekyll, got them both expelled from medical school. Gabriel returns determined to reunite with his friend, but Henry acts as if they have never met. Not to mention there is a new, very charismatic man, Hyde, in Henry’s life. Something is wrong and Gabriel is going to figure out what.
A remix of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Oakvale is a village surrounded by a dark wood full of monsters. Most villagers avoid the woods, but sixteen-year-old Adele doesn’t have much choice. She and women like her are shapeshifters that protect everyone. Except in choosing to become a guardian, Adele must give up the boy she loves and break her own moral code. How much is Adele really willing to sacrifice to protect her neighbors?
A retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.
Plum is a queer biracial Chinese embryology intern abandoned by her girlfriend. Dr. Frank is a queer biracial Indonesian scientist who gave up all she loved for science. Dr. Frank’s non-binary creation is brought into the world and promptly abandoned. When Dr. Frank offers Plum a chance to assist on her next project, Plum must decide how far she is willing to go and what she is willing to risk.
A queer, gender-bent adaption of Frankenstein.
A bullying incident caught on camera forces a Georgia high school to come up with a PR gimmick to save their reputation – the high school’s first integrated prom. Maddy Washington, the biracial teen in the middle of the bullying, is convinced to accept the popular quarterback’s invitation, not knowing that this night will be one everyone wants to forget – that is, if they aren’t killed first.
A modern remix of Carrie.