While modern horror can be fresh and subversive, it still tends to borrow tried-and-true metaphors, images, and themes from the classics. For instance, the publication Collider recently showcased a few novels that undoubtedly changed horror forever, with a ranking of "the 10 most influential horror books of all time."
The list, published on July 25, featured beloved horror novels like 1967's Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin, The Exorcistby William Peter Blatty, published in 1971, Henry James' The Turn of the Screw from 1898, and 1818's Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. According to Collider, the "most influential horror book" ever published is Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, Dracula, which has a score of 4.03 out of 5 from 1,526,948 on Goodreads.
Bram Stoker's Relative, Dacre Stoker, Discussed the Lasting Legacy of 'Dracula' in a July 2026 Interview
Novelist and former teacherDacre Stoker, the great-grandnephew of Stoker, who died in 1912 at the age of 64, discussed the lasting legacy of Dracula in a July 2026 interview on Little Podcast of Horrors. Dacre theorized that the book remains a horrific read because it feels grounded in reality due to Stoker's decision to make it an epistolary novel.
"By writing a letter to somebody and telling them what happened, that's much more factual," said Dacre during the interview.
He also clarified that while Stoker "didn't invent" the epistolary narrator, this literary style "was relatively new."
In addition, Dacre said his great-granduncle "placed all of the action in believable places," which also made "the story seem real to attain this willful suspension of disbelief" from readers.
"That's why people get nightmares because the book seems real. And it's harder to sort of compartmentalize. 'Ah, it's just a work of fiction. No problem.' But when it seems that real, and as you're reading it, it really goes deep into your psyche that, 'My god, maybe this is real. What happens if it is real?' And so it lodges a little bit deeper, and then it rattles around in your brain when you're having a nice REM sleep, and it just kicks the heck out of you," said Dacre while recording the podcast episode.
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