People love a good horror story – and Inkitt has a lot to offer! Indeed, there is no shortage of horror novels and films.
However, an underutilized resource aspiring horror authors may want to consider is horror classics. And that doesn’t just mean the often-adapted characters of Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster.
Yes, Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster will always make for fun retellings, but is there anything else to chew on?
Yes. Yes, there is—four words: public domain horror stories.
What Does It Mean For a Story to Be in the Public Domain?
When a story is in the public domain, it means the copyright on the story/property has expired and effectively belongs to nobody…or everybody, depending on how you view it.
Anything in the public domain is fair game. Whether you want to “borrow” a character or reboot an entire story, you can play with these horror properties to your heart’s delight.
So, if you’re an aspiring horror author looking for inspiration, we have some suggestions for you.
Public domain horror stories
Public domain horror stories are classic horror tales that were published before 1923 (in many cases) and have now fallen out of copyright, making them freely accessible for public use, reproduction, and adaptation. These stories come from authors whose works have defined the horror genre, often creating the foundation for modern horror themes, characters, and archetypes. Because they’re in the public domain, these stories can be shared, adapted, and reimagined without restriction.
How to re-use stories from Public Domain
- Retell with a New Spin: Take the original story and add your own twist—like setting Dracula in the future or making Frankenstein’s creature a super-smart AI instead of a stitched-up monster. Change the setting, add new conflicts, or bring in new characters to make it your own.
- Explore Characters and Backstories: Dive deeper into characters who didn’t get much attention in the original. For example, tell the story from the perspective of Dracula’s brides, focus on the creature’s journey in Frankenstein, or give Dorian Gray’s painter a full backstory.
- Make a Modern Version: Bring the story into today’s world. Imagine “The Tell-Tale Heart” in a digital age, where technology feeds paranoia, or give Carmilla a fresh take by placing it in a modern setting with today’s social dynamics.
- Mix Stories or Genres: Blend elements from different classics to create something unique. Maybe Dr. Jekyll meets Frankenstein’s creature, or you could mix horror with romance or mystery for a new angle.
- Use Classic Themes: Many of these old horror stories introduced themes we still love—mad scientists, cursed objects, or the struggle between good and evil. You can use these familiar ideas but with your own characters and plot twists.
- Write a Prequel or Sequel: Imagine what happened before or after the original story. Maybe explore what life is like in the town after Dracula is defeated or go back to Frankenstein’s early days before he became obsessed with creating life.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
An iconic vision of the secret villain lurking in every human heart, this short story has been retold as a (failed) television series, a gothic musical production, and a few pop songs.
Its beauty lies in its brevity. Once you grasp the roots, you can plant them anywhere.
What could you grow in your original world, modern city, or wilderness ranger station with this potion?
The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen
This story, considered one of the scariest ever by H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King, is ripe for a modern retelling. While it didn’t personally give me chills, it did inspire Stephen King’s novella N., which certainly did. The plot centers on two aristocrats experimenting on a homeless woman’s brain, connecting her to the divine where she encounters the god Pan and gives birth to a demigod.
This demigod, a powerful woman, eventually wreaks vengeance on men like those who harmed her mother.
Ironically, the two men who caused all this are the story’s “heroes,” as they ultimately confront and destroy the demigod—resolving a crisis of their own making.
Why is This Ripe for Retelling?
- The classism in this story is so over-the-top evil it’s farcical. We’re actually meant to like the entitled aristocrats who toy with human life.
- We never get the perspectives of the female characters.
- Despite being a horror story, all the horror takes place off-screen.
- And despite the title, we only see Pan once.
But this story has potential. There are so many gaps to fill and questions to answer. Somebody, please retell this. There is an excellent retelling to be found here, especially from the perspective of one of the barely realized characters.
The King in Yellow by Robert Chambers
This collection features early American horror, sci-fi, and mythic stories connected by a mysterious play, The King in Yellow, which supposedly drives its readers insane.
Robert Chambers and his fellow writers often referenced each other’s works, building a shared world of strange mythology.
The King in Yellow also ties into H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos, especially with the ancient being Hastur, who has his own lore across different stories. This layered, interconnected world offers a deep dive into dark, surreal themes. Interestingly, The King in Yellow also inspired elements in season one of True Detective..
The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe
The quintessential gothic romance, Udolpho is all grand landscapes, family tragedies, plots over inheritance, and brooding castles.
There’s a little romance there, too, but it was first published in the late 1700s, and a heroine couldn’t conceivably fight for her rights and will unless she did so in the name of another love interest, so…
Whether you want a darker take on love or to explore the battle of wills sans any romance, the story is open to reinterpretation, updates, and twists.
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
This popular musical, known widely through Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s adaptation, is based on a much darker book that’s now in the public domain. The original story includes elements like explosives, a hallucinatory desert-like room, and a higher body count, creating a more violent and intense version than the stage production. With these vivid and intense scenes, it’s a story ripe for reimagining. Susan Kay’s Phantom has already explored one fresh take, but there’s still plenty of room for other unique adaptations.
Why It’s a Good Idea to Use This Story
Retelling this story from the public domain is a great idea because it offers aspiring writers the chance to put their own spin on an already captivating tale.
By exploring the story’s darker elements or focusing on different characters, writers can create a version that feels fresh and modern, so you will keep your readers intrigued. Plus, fans of the musical and the original book would likely be drawn to a new take that combines familiar themes with new, exciting twists.
The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray is an underappreciated classic in gothic literature. Although Dorian Gray has shown up in a few adaptations and as a side character in works like The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Penny Dreadful, he’s never truly broken through as a standalone icon. This is surprising, given that the story dives deep into themes of art, ego, and the consequences of immoral choices. Wilde’s take on these ideas is both darkly clever and compelling, making it rich material for reimagining.
Reasons to Choose This Book
This story lets you modernize its themes and make them relevant for today’s readers. Exploring Dorian’s complex character and his struggles with vanity and morality in a contemporary setting would give new insights into familiar themes.
Plus, readers are likely to be intrigued by a fresh look at a character whose story is timeless yet still feels under-explored.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Another gothic romance, it has ghosts, gloomy mansions, and a haunting atmosphere channeled directly from the Northern English Yorkshire moors in which it is set.
I hated it the first time I read it. It holds the unique distinction of being the only book to make me so angry that I hurled it across the room.
However, I confess to enjoying it much more now as an adult.
You probably had to read this in high school or college, and your mileage may have varied. Its potential for retelling is real. The themes it addresses haven’t changed: racism, classicism, and the profoundly personal barbs that hook couples together even when they marry other people. And ghosts…oh yes.
Sounds like a recipe for horror to me.
Why Horror Stories?
Public domain horror stories are special because they’re the original tales that helped create the horror genre we know today. They have the classic monsters and themes—vampires, werewolves, mad scientists—that we still love, but in their original, raw form. Retelling these stories lets you bring a fresh take to familiar, timeless ideas, exploring the same fears and moral questions in a way that speaks to today’s readers.
What’s great about adapting these old horror stories is that they have an authentic, eerie style that’s tough to find in modern horror. By reimagining them, you get to mix that classic creepiness with your own new twists, keeping the charm of the original while giving readers something surprising and fresh. It’s a perfect way to connect readers to the roots of horror while adding your own unique spin.
Get Your Scare On!
Are you ready to write something scary? Maybe you’ve played with a public domain property before. Get on it! There are so many lesser-known, public-domain horror stories to read and repurpose!
Share your ideas and tips for other writers in the comments below!
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