Editors Reveal: Our favorite spooky listens

Bram Stoker’s Dracula, first published in 1897, is not just a horror classic but the origin of an entire literary subgenre. From movies to Halloween costumes—and even breakfast cereal—vampires have been trending for more than 100 years, all thanks to Stoker’s mesmerizing creation. As a lover of spooky season, I’m all for indulging in the kitsch and silliness—strobe lights and smoke machines are legitimate holiday décor. But amidst the revelry, I always take the time to listen to Audible’s brilliant multicast edition of Dracula, performed by some of my all-time favorite narrators, including Alan Cumming, Tim Curry, Simon Vance, and Katherine Kellgren. It’s a masterpiece—these actors are clearly inspired (or perhaps possessed) by Stoker’s spirit. It’s atmospheric, moody, insidiously unnerving, and absolutely one of the best things I have ever heard. —Tricia

When I heard that Chuck Tingle—yes, that Chuck Tingle, of anthropomorphic erotica fame—had written his first full-length horror novel, I was on board immediately. I’m not sure what I expected, but I love horror, and I’ve long suspected Tingle to be sneakily brilliant. I didn’t expect, however, to be as moved as I was unsettled. There are real monsters in this story, yes, in the form of personified demons that mimic the characters’ inner ones, but the real monster at the heart of this story is hate—and, as in real life, it proves more enduring and harder to eradicate. Mara Wilson’s measured performance is a perfect match for Tingle’s pragmatic and determined hero. —Sam

The reigning queen of paranormal romance is back with the second installment in her spellbinding Starfall Point series. In Big Witch Energy, Molly Harper revisits her mystical island of haunted houses, resident witches, and very hot men. When Ben Hoult walks back into Caroline Wilton’s life 20 years after they broke up, there’s no denying the spark between them is still there. Teaming up to solve a centuries-old murder, Ben and Caroline must battle against gnarly ghosts and their own broken hearts to save their town and the people they love. Harper is known for her snarky humor, and her longtime narrator Amanda Ronconi brings it out wonderfully. Teddy Hamilton’s performance is also a great match to Harper’s comedic timing. This wickedly good listen is packed with dark magic, sexy spells, and a swoon-worthy romance perfect for spooky season. —Margaret

Stephen King's Pet Sematary is the book that turned me into a horror fan. I still vividly remember the emotions I felt while first reading it, as each page turn brought me a mixture of excitement, fear, and sadness all intertwined. Listening in audio gave me an even deeper appreciation for the story, which I didn’t even think was possible. Actor Michael C. Hall (Dexter) simply puts the cherry on top of King's harrowing masterpiece with his performance, allowing the author's artistry for storytelling to shine. If you’re looking for a disturbingly frightening listen that “digs up” terror like no other as it pulls you deeper and deeper into a world where the dead don't always stay buried, then this is the audiobook for you. —Naomi

I love everything about Halloween, from the childlike joy that carving pumpkins brings to the thrills of embracing what genuinely frightens me, which is why this spooky season, I could not imagine a sweeter treat than the recent release of Are You Afraid of the Dark? The Official Podcast. Based on the classic Nickelodeon series that undoubtedly started my obsession with all things macabre, this listen—a taste of nostalgia bundled up in six spine-tingling episodes—is perfect for both up-and-coming and veteran goth kids alike. —Haley

Help, I’m in a cult—the cult of Mona Awad. Like Margaret Atwood and Lena Dunham, I am a big fan of the brilliantly twisted author of Bunny, and her new novel is every bit as bonkers. Like the unhinged child of Snow White and Death Becomes Her, Rouge follows sad, skincare-obsessed Mirabelle to California after the mysterious death of her mother, whose otherworldly beauty had something to do with a secret spa, a creepy treatment involving pulsating jellyfish, and the Top Gun himself, Tom Cruise (just go with it). Sophie Amoss expertly delivers this dark and decadent tale, dripping with wordplay, dazzling imagery, and truth bombs for the bereaved—apply liberally in the evenings for optimum results. —Kat

What’s more terrifying than the onslaught of attacks on women’s rights in this country? Welcome to your spooky-listens recommendation from your local feminist buzzkill. Seriously though, it’s time we pay closer attention to the often unspoken aspects of women’s lives in America. For a deeply compelling listen that focuses on the private lives of women spanning the course of several decades, listen to A Woman Went Mad in the Supermarket by award-winning author Hilma Wolitzer. In this vivid and wildly engrossing short story collection, Wolitzer depicts life as a 1950’s housewife drowning under the weight of motherhood as earnestly as she details life as an elderly widow in the time of COVID-19. As she lifts the veil on parenthood, birth, seemingly obscene yearnings, adultery, and the minutiae that can consume us, Wolitzer creates brilliant snapshots that feel like portraits hanging in a museum—some you’d like to turn away from, but don’t, because they’re just so true. —Maddie

Julie is a skilled magician who has managed to establish herself in the magic community. However, her addiction issues and harsh personality make work hard to come by, causing her financial strain. When an old friend reappears in need of help, Julie turns to magic—but her actions have far-reaching, deadly consequences and she must use her skills to make things right before it's too late. I still don't have words for how much I enjoyed The Dead Take the A Train (note: this is unusual for me), but its world-building, characters, creatures, and urban twist were exceptional, and I was so immersed that I devoured it in a day. Authors Richard Kadrey and Cassandra Khaw did not hold back on the gore, which, combined with Natalie Naudus’s excellent performance, left me just a bit grossed out but eagerly anticipating the second part of this duology. —Patty

I first listened to The Only Good Indians about three years ago, and it is not at all hyperbolic to say that I still think about this story two to three times a week. Underpinned by a relentless, looming sense of dread, this atmospheric listen is at once a masterpiece of modern horror and a contemplative reflection on grief, identity, guilt, injustice, and tradition. It’s not for the faint of heart—there are images from this novel that will surely stay with me forever, unsettling scenes built on mounting unease that eventually cave in to otherworldly violence. But it’s Graham Jones’s characters—four longtime friends from the Blackfeet Nation unspooling personal traumas while reckoning with the repercussions of a long-buried secret—that really left an impact. The result is as horrific as it is introspective, a literary take on a genre too often overlooked as lurid and lowbrow. Oh, and the nightmarish entity at the center of it all? Just as terrifying and complex as the novel itself. —Alanna

Hear me out—this poetry book may be the spookiest thing you listen to all season. After all, the implications of an artificial intelligence generating (writing?) poetry on the incomprehensibility of human cruelty and the inevitability of AI’s global reign as a god amongst men is the fabric of horror and sci-fi. Yet everything about I Am Code is as real as you or I. (Sometimes) edited by Brent Katz, Josh Morgenthou, and Simon Rich, code-davinci-002’s poems are brought to life by Werner Herzog’s appropriately steely performance. Each composition seems to jab at humanity’s psychic wounds, among them: mortality, meaning, and an incurable desire for connection—even with code. (Note: This copy was entirely written by a human without any support from generative AI). —Rachael

Even after 50 years, The Exorcist, published as a novel by William Peter Blatty in 1971 and adapted into a classic 1973 film, is still hailed as one of the scariest horror stories of all time, if not THE scariest. So, if you’re looking for spooky, this one’s at the top of the list. I was introduced to the film at around age 8, and it made an immediate impact on me as one of the best horror movies I had ever seen. When I began my internship at Audible as a teenager, I learned that it was also an audiobook, written and performed by the author himself for its 40th anniversary. I started off skeptical, because I wasn’t sure I could fully immerse myself in the horror of Regan’s possession and exorcism without the visuals of lifting beds, green vomit, and the passion of the priests. (It’s one of the best horror movies for a reason!) However, not only was I pleasantly surprised, I was spellbound by Blatty’s captivating performance and taken aback by how closely the movie follows the novel. Even as The Exorcist franchise remains alive and ever-growing, the audiobook performance ranks as an equal competitor to the movie itself in my opinion. —Nicole