The Most Terrifying Horror Books Inspired by Real Events

Horror has always had a special place in readers’ hearts, especially millennials who grew up with it. From classic collections like Dark Room to Fear Street, we’ve been hooked on horror since we could hold a book. 

Best Horror Books Based on True Stories

• The Hidden People by Alison Littlewood

The belief in changelings—fairy children swapped for human ones—was widespread in medieval Europe. This myth provided a convenient explanation for diseases and disabilities that afflicted children, which were not well understood at the time. In certain instances, even adults were suspected of being changelings. 

One infamous case involved Bridget Cleary, who was killed in 1895 by a group that included her suspicious husband. In The Hidden People, a man discovers his cousin has been burned alive by her husband under the suspicion of being a changeling. As he investigates, he begins to suspect there’s more to the story than mere superstition.

• The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

Published in 1971, William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist is inspired by the alleged possession of Roland Doe, an only child who grew up in Maryland. Introduced to the Ouija board by his Aunt Harriet, Doe is believed to have become possessed after her death in 1949. Mysterious noises and levitating objects marked the beginning of his ordeal, followed by drastic personality changes. 

Despite failed exorcisms by the Lutheran Church, the Catholic Church took over, performing over thirty exorcisms documented by Father Raymond Bishop. Though the authenticity is debated, nine priests and 39 witnesses affirmed it as a genuine possession. Blatty’s book, based on Father Bishop’s diary and newspaper reports, remains a gripping tale of supernatural events.

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• Let’s Play White by Chesya Burke

Step into Harlem during the Prohibition era with our latest anthology of short horror and dark fantasy tales. Among these chilling narratives, I Make People Do Bad Things stands out, featuring the infamous Madame Saint-Clair, affectionately known as Queenie. 

This story dives into the noir world of early 20th-century Harlem, where Queenie rules as a powerful mob boss. While this short story leans more toward noir than pure horror, the entire collection seamlessly weaves horror elements throughout. Prepare for a gripping read that immerses you in the dark, atmospheric streets of Harlem, where danger and intrigue lurk around every corner.

• The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson

A family moves into a haunted house and encounters swarming flies, sickening odors, and a red-eyed pig—details conveniently omitted by the real estate agent. What set this blockbuster apart from other horror stories was its claim of being “A True Story”. Whether true or not, the millions of copies sold have elevated it to the status of a lasting myth.

• Black Fire by Hernan Rodriguez

In this gripping horror graphic novel, Rodriguez immerses us in the Napoleonic Wars. After a failed attempt to defeat the Russian army, a unit in retreat is ambushed by the Cossacks. Two survivors escape to an abandoned Slavic town, and the Cossacks fear to enter. The men soon discover why—they encounter Czernobog, a terrifying Slavic demon far more formidable than the warriors they fled. 

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• Jaws by Peter Benchley

On July 1, 1916, 25-year-old Charles Vansant was fatally attacked by a shark in Beach Haven, New Jersey. Just days later, on July 6, Charles Bruder met the same fate in Spring Lake, sparking public hysteria. On July 12, eleven-year-old Lester Stillwell was killed by a shark in Matawan Creek, followed by Watson Fisher, who attempted to save him. Joseph Dunn survived an attack nearby, thanks to quick-thinking friends. On July 14, fishermen caught a ten-foot, 300-pound great white shark, reportedly containing fifteen pounds of human remains. These attacks inspired Peter Benchley’s novel Jaws, which later became a blockbuster film, amplifying public fear and fascination with sharks.

• Audrey Rose by Frank De Felitta

Frank De Felitta’s 1975 novel Audrey Rose tells the story of a man who believes his daughter’s soul, lost in a car accident, now inhabits a young girl named Ivy. Inspired by events in De Felitta’s own family, the tale began when his six-year-old son displayed unexpected musical talent without any prior instruction. 

Seeking answers, De Felitta consulted Los Angeles occultist Barbara Ryan, who suggested his son was experiencing “incarnation leak”—manifesting memories from past lives. This led De Felitta to immerse himself in the works of Edgar Cayce and Hindu reincarnation texts, culminating in the creation of Audrey Rose.

• Perfume by Patrick Süskind

In the early- to mid-1800s, a Spanish serial killer known as the Wolfman murdered women and children to extract their body fat and make soap. Some believe that Süskind’s novel, about a perfumer’s apprentice obsessed with the scent of virginal young girls, is based on this horrific true story. Süskind takes the narrative even further, granting the scents his killer collects with extraordinary powers.

• See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt

Step back to 1892, the scene of one of America’s most infamous cases. An ax, a girl named Lizzie, and the gruesome murders of her father and stepmother. This gripping retelling dives into the Borden household’s chaos from four unique perspectives, including Lizzie’s own unreliable narration. Was she truly the murderer, or is there more to the story? Enter the Borden house and uncover the truth for yourself.

• The Hunger by Alma Katsu

The Donner Party’s story is notorious—a group of settlers trapped in a brutal Sierra Nevada winter, leading to desperate acts of cannibalism. In The Hunger,  the horror is external, but Katsu‘s twist in her retelling is far more psychological. She places the terror within the minds and bodies of her characters, bringing a chilling and intimate depth to their ordeal.

• Coyote Songs by Gabino Iglesias

This novel explores life on the U.S.-Mexico border through the stories of six characters, each offering a unique perspective on the Southwestern experience. Among them is a child who becomes cold-blooded after witnessing his father’s murder, a young woman whose performance art evolves into a deadly game, and a mother who fears her unborn child may possess sinister qualities. Together, their narratives weave a haunting tale of shared struggles and dark transformations.

• There is No Lovely End by Patty Templeton

Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester Rifle fortune, lived a life haunted by the spirits of those killed by the family’s rifles. Guided by a medium who informed her of a curse on her family, Sarah embarked on a bizarre quest to appease the restless souls. This led to the creation of the infamous Winchester House, a sprawling mansion filled with architectural oddities designed to confuse and trap the spirits. This retelling dives into Sarah’s eerie encounters and the mysteries surrounding the construction of her endlessly fascinating home.

• The Shining by Stephen King

When Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining debuted, Stephen King had plenty to say—and none of it was positive. King opposed the adaptation of his book, which tells the story of a family isolated in a remote hotel where the father, Jack Torrence, descends into madness.

King’s inspiration came from a real-life stay at a Colorado hotel with his wife, Tabitha, where they were the only guests as it closed for winter. One night, after a solitary dinner, King dreamt of his young son being chased through the hotel’s corridors by a fire hose. Waking in a sweat, King lit a cigarette and began writing The Shining.

• Dracula by Bram Stoker

Many know Bram Stoker’s Dracula was inspired by Vlad III, a fifteenth-century Hungarian prince. Nicknamed “Dracula” as the son of Vlad II Dracul, he later earned the sinister title “Vlad the Impaler”. Born in 1431, Vlad was educated for the throne, which he briefly held after his father and brothers were killed. After an Ottoman invasion forced him into hiding, Vlad returned to find his kingdom in ruins. He vowed revenge through executions by impalement, making him infamous for his brutal temper and ruthless punishment methods.

• The Terror by Dan Simmons

Dan Simmons uniquely blends history with horror, creating chilling narratives that twist real events into darker tales. His most acclaimed work, The Terror, exemplifies this approach. 

It recounts a doomed Arctic expedition in the 1840s, plagued by disease, starvation, and death, as they seek the Northwest Passage. Simmons adds a layer of supernatural horror, introducing an unseen terror stalking the crew across the ice. The Terror‘s gripping storyline was so well-received that it was adapted into a popular TV series.

Conclusion

Horror literature has a rich history of drawing inspiration from real-life events and people, adding new layers of terror and intrigue to their stories. From ghostly hauntings to gruesome murders and mysterious curses, the genre continues to captivate readers with its ability to blur the lines between fact and fiction. As long as there are mysteries and unsolved crimes in the world, horror authors will have a wealth of material to draw upon for their next bone-chilling tale. So the next time you’re reading a scary story, remember that it may have been inspired by something far more terrifying than mere imagination.