Since its release in 2016, Netflix’s original series Stranger Things has claimed both horror and sci-fi lovers' hearts with its supernatural shenanigans and charming cast of characters. With its deft use of tropes established by master storytellers like Stephen King and Steven Spielberg, this series was almost mathematically guaranteed to have mass appeal. If you’re anything like me, binging a new season can lead to a sense of withdrawal and a need for new content to fill that upside down-sized hole. So if you’re biding your time until the Stranger Things: Volume 2 release on July 1, pluck up some courage, switch your bike into high gear, and scroll down—if you dare.
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Any fan of Stranger Things should notice the parallels here right away. Stephen King’s It is a small-town supernatural horror story starring a group of kids that self-style as “The Losers Club.” In both works, there's a major plot arc involving a missing little boy, a setup that provides limitless opportunities for action, drama, and romance. No wonder it is so ripe for emulation! In a series chock-full of homages, It’s influence looms the largest, and the Steven Weber-narrated audiobook is legendary.
As another proud member of the “80s throwback” club, My Best Friend’s Exorcism will definitely light up the same parts of your brain that Stranger Things does. This title stars two best friends dealing with classic high school problems: friendship drama, navigating the popularity ladder, and demonic possession. With an equal dose of horror, heart, and humor, this crowd-pleaser from horror master Grady Hendrix really has everything.
On the topic of homage, few titles do it better than Stephen Graham Jones’s My Heart Is a Chainsaw. This small-town horror title features a main character who is obsessed with slasher films, and much of the story is informed through this perspective. Convinced that there's a masked murderer on the loose, Jade is constantly making sense of her increasingly dire circumstances with references to famous slasher icons like Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, and Leatherface—and narrator Cara Gee delivers a pitch-perfect performance. This title is a guaranteed creep-fest, so beware!
I couldn’t help but include another Stephen King classic on this list. The third story in this classic collection of novellas is an ensemble adventure featuring four best friends on a mission to find a rumored dead body in the woods. “The Body” focuses less on supernatural horror elements, but what it lacks in creepy clowns, it more than makes up for with strong characters, coming-of-age friendship dynamics, and that beautifully nostalgic sense of summertime magic.
If you’re looking for a Stranger Things experience, why not go straight to the source? This collection of shorts features Eleven, Dustin, Max, Lucas, and co. handling a fresh set of supernatural mysteries! From mutant creatures at the bottom of Lover’s Lake to a creepy teddy bear, Hawkins Horrors is sure to tickle your Stranger Things nerve. With no setup required for longtime fans, this listen jumps straight into the good stuff.
The collective members of our team have recommended 14 so many times that it feels like a prerequisite course to becoming an Audible Editor. For Sci-Fi/Fantasy Editor Sam, it was revelatory: “The combination of Peter Clines’s compulsive, creepy mystery and Ray Porter’s pitch-perfect performance of an ensemble of quirky characters (his specialty) provided my 'aha' moment as a listener—the realization that an audiobook could not only be a great book in the traditional sense, but an amazing immersive performance that can rival the best TV series or movie.”
Small town, creepy occurrences. If you’ve made it this far down the list, you know the deal, right? Except this time, our main characters are monsters themselves! Gil’s All Fright Diner is set in the small town of Loretta, and this seemingly innocent place has no lack of supernatural scares. The eponymous diner is facing a threat that requires a little bit of unholy intervention, and our heroes Duke (a werewolf) and Earl (a vampire) are willing to deliver in spades. This title is both funny and genuinely creepy, so any fan of a little bit of tongue-in-cheek horror should be in for a great time.
