In 1977, Stephen King published one of his most popular books to date, The Shining, and those who have long been seeking another similar story will likely love these ten horror novels. These days, The Shining often brings to mind the 1980 film starring Jack Nicholson and directed by Stanley Kubrick. Nicholson’s performance paired with stunning visuals and shocking scares have made the film absolutely legendary. Yet, Jack Torrance’s tale really began three years earlier, on the page. The Shining follows Torrance, his wife, and their son as they move to the Overlook Hotel for a haunted, bloody winter.
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There are a few key themes that are pivotal when finding companions to The Shining. First and foremost, similar books will likely include a descent into madness for a male character. Jack’s slow transformation into a crazed killer is the core of The Shining. On top of that, good follow-ups may also be set in eerie yet beautiful houses that are haunted by dangerous spirits, just like The Overlook Hotel. Though the following books vary in terms of plot, they all share the above details, and more, with The Shining.
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Episode Thirteen: Craig Dilouie
A Paranormal Investigator Couple Explore A Legendary Mansion
A good place to start when reading books like The Shining is Craig Dilouie’s Episode Thirteen. This 2023 book centers on Matt and Claire Kirklin, a married couple who are TV paranormal investigators. For their newest episode, they travel to the Paranormal Research Foundation, a run-down mansion where horrifying experiments were once held. Through tapes, journals, and correspondence, readers see how this investigation turns into an absolute nightmare.
Episode Thirteen is on the heftier side, at 433 pages, but it may be one of the quickest reads on this list. Its epistolary style makes it so that readers can fly through the story, eager to collect more hints about what happens to Matt and Claire. Episode Thirteen is also an interesting read because it brings technology and modernity that wasn’t available in The Shining. In this way, the book offers an updated look at King’s classic story.
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American Psycho: Bret Easton Ellis
A 1980s Yuppie Turns To Violence
There is no doubt that The Shining is a horror classic, and as it turns out, other horror classics can make for the ideal follow-ups. One such book is American Psycho. Published in 1991, the novel follows Patrick Bateman, a young, handsome, and charming Wall Street worker who hides a psychopathic personality beneath his perfect exterior. Eventually, Bateman’s desire for perfection and power lead him to commit heinous crimes that are symbolic of America’s rising capitalistic mindset.
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American Psycho is a gruesome and troubling read, but a hugely important one. Easton not only shocks readers with Bateman’s actions, but also makes a statement about where America is headed. If anything, American Psycho is even more important to read nowadays than it was upon its initial publication. Significance aside, though, American Psycho parallels The Shining in its ability to carry out an intriguing and horrifying character study.
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A Head Full Of Ghosts: Paul Tremblay
A Woman Reflects On The Horrors Of Her Sister’s Exorcism
Another novel that showcases a journey into madness is A Head Full of Ghosts. In this novel, the Barrett family are in dire straits when their 14-year-old daughter begins showing signs of acute schizophrenia that cannot be cured. As their lives become increasingly terrifying, the Barretts seek an exorcism for their daughter that devolves into a seedy reality TV show. Years later, the youngest Barrett daughter agrees to be interviewed about what really happened to her sister.
There are many layers to A Head Full of Ghosts and each one is worth perusing. Like The Shining, this novel is centered on a character’s mental and physical transformation, but readers also get different lenses through which to view the situation differently. Additionally, Marjorie’s younger sister is almost like Danny Torrance, whose age prevents her from seeing the truth of the situation, but also gives her a unique perspective that may be more genuine. Overall, A Head Full of Ghosts questions mental health, urban legend, and memory.
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Charnel House: Graham Masterton
A Man Suspects His House Is Alive
The Shining obviously had a massive impact on horror literature after its release, and one novel that came out of that was 1978’s Charnel House. Seymour Willis is convinced that his house is alive; he can see the walls breathing and hears a heartbeat from within. Eventually, he convinces others to investigate, leading them to discover that ancient spirits may be at play, and they have a craving for blood.
Charnel House is an essential haunted house story. Willis’ home may not be the Overlook Hotel, but the two buildings undoubtedly share DNA. Just like the Overlook, the titular Charnel House is run by the supernatural, and it is the characters’ jobs to figure out what these spirits want and why. Ultimately, this possession could easily end in disaster, leaving readers with the same feelings they likely had at the end of Jack’s story.
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Pet Sematary: Stephen King
A Man Messes With Life & Death
Considering how many books Stephen King has written over the years, it should be no surprise that some of his own novels are strong companions to what he has already written. A particular title that comes to mind when thinking about The Shining is Pet Sematary. This 1983 novel focuses on Louis Creed, who moves his family into a beautiful home in rural Maine. Behind the house, Creed discovers a cemetery for pets that reverses death. When tragedy strikes, Creed makes a terrifying decision.
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Just like Jack Torrance, Louis Creed wants the best for his family, but his own human weaknesses lead him down a dark path of the supernatural.
Pet Sematary differs from The Shining in many ways, but strangely, their themes are closely aligned. Just like Jack Torrance, Louis Creed wants the best for his family, but his own human weaknesses lead him down a dark path of the supernatural. Audiences are forced to sit back and watch as these families are torn apart by things beyond the grave. Ultimately, Pet Sematary is a haunting story of loss and love gone wrong.
5
The Haunting Of Hill House: Shirley Jackson
Four Individuals Seek The Supernatural In A Haunted House
Just like The Shining, another horror classic that may be better known for its on-screen adaptation is The Haunting of Hill House. Originally written by Shirley Jackson in 1959, this novel follows an occult scholar, his assistant, a woman who has seen ghosts before, and an heir as they venture into Hill House searching for paranormal phenomena. Meanwhile, the house has other plans for them.
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The Haunting of Hill House is quite a bit different from its Mike Flanagan Netflix adaptation, but that should not deter new readers. Jackson is a legend in literature, and Hill House is one of her most lauded works. It is worth reading all on its own. However, in relation to The Shining, The Haunting of Hill House is a solid pick because it depicts a building with a life of its own and characters who are completely at the house’s whim. It is just as eerie and meaningful.
4
Maynard’s House: Herman Raucher
A War Veteran Inherits A Haunted Home
The book on this list that is most King-esque without being written by King himself is Maynard’s House by Herman Raucher. In this 1980 novel, a young Vietnam War veteran inherits an idyllic cabin in the woods of Maine after his brother-in-arms is killed in action. The vet moves into the house, awed by the natural landscape, even in the bleak winter. However, his viewpoint changes when a strange force inside the house begins making itself known. Before he can escape, a blizzard hits.
The Shining was the third novel that Stephen King ever published.
Maynard’s House is right up King lovers’ alley. Its Maine setting and trauma-filled backstory are ideal for those who adore King’s writings. In terms of The Shining, it is also perfect because it showcases a man’s journey into the unknown, and his fight against a supernatural force. Plus, unlike some of the other books on this list, Maynard’s House captures the desolate frozenness of winter, which is part of what makes The Shining so terrifying.
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House Of Leaves: Mark Z. Danielewski
A Family Moves In A Dangerous Home
One of the most unique books on this list by far is Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves. It tells the story of a young family who moves into a new home on Ash Tree Lane. Soon enough, the parents begin to discover that their house is somehow bigger on the inside than it seems on the outside. Then, when their children wander off, they hear their voices telling of a mysterious creature whose arrival seems imminent.
House of Leaves has a clear narrative at its core, but the story is not told in a straightforward way. The book demands that the reader become an active participant, as the text moves around the pages in unexpected ways. Ultimately, this deception gives the story an even better chance of sending a chill down audiences’ spines, as they don’t know what to expect next. However, formatting aside, House of Leaves is a mysterious haunted house story that follows the same lines of insanity and family as The Shining does.
2
Burnt Offerings: Robert Marasco
A Young Couple Rent A Mansion For The Summer
A horror novel that actually inspired King to write The Shining is 1973’s Burnt Offerings. The novel is centered on the Rolfes, a young couple who are given the chance to escape New York for the summer by renting an isolated mansion. The only catch is that they must prepare meals for Mrs. Allardyce, an elderly woman living behind a carved door deep within the house. It doesn’t take long before the Rolfes realize that something very wrong is happening within their vacation home.
Based on the premise alone, it is clear how Burnt Offerings led to The Shining. Both novels focus on couples far away from home who are faced with terrifying situations. In some ways, Burnt Offerings comes across as even scarier due to its strange antagonist in Mrs. Allardyce. Regardless, Burnt Offerings is the ideal book to read after The Shining, as readers can see how one novel influenced the other.
1
Doctor Sleep: Stephen King
King’s Sequel To The Shining
Finally, the most obvious book to read after The Shining is Doctor Sleep. Published in 2013, this novel is King’s direct sequel. It follows Dan Torrance, now an adult, who has found some semblance of peace in a small New Hampshire town, where he works at a nursing home and uses his shining to assist those about to die. Yet, when he discovers Abra Stone, a young girl with the strongest shining he’s ever seen, he is moved to protect her at all costs, especially in the face of the True Knot cult, who target kids with the shining.
A Doctor Sleep movie adaptation was released in 2019. It was directed by Mike Flanagan, who created Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House. Notably, Flangan has worked on other King adaptations such as Gerald’s Game and The Life of Chuck.
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The connections between Doctor Sleep and The Shining are obvious. The two books exist in the same world and follow the same characters through Dan. In this sequel, audiences get a chance to see the world of The Shining expanded. More is revealed about the shining and its role in society. Ultimately, this is a redemption story as much as it is a horror tale, and anyone who loves The Shining should definitely check out this second installment.
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8.6/10
Release Date
June 13, 1980
Runtime
146 minutes
Director
Stanley Kubrick
Writers
Diane Johnson, Stanley Kubrick
Cast
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Danny Lloyd
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Shelley Duvall
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Category: Entertainment