Photo by Sarina Sandwell
Visit the Engagement Collection located on the east side of the Second Floor North Reading Room to view some spine-chilling reads just in time for Halloween!
We hope to frighten you with the many Halloween related resources available to you through the NYU Libraries. Proceed if you dare . . . !
Photos by Weiwei Lin
This Halloween sees the release of a new film adaptation of one of the many treasures held in the NYU Special Collections - Mary Shelley's classic Gothic thriller, Frankenstein, or; The Modern Prometheus., The new version directed by Guillermo del Toro is just the latest version of the original novel, first published in 1818, when Shelley was only 20. The NYU copy is unusual in that the three volumes have been bound together by the original owner into one volume, making it easier for the reader to curl up with on a dark and stormy night... Inspired by an evening of sharing terrifying ghost stories with Lord Byron, John Polidori and her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley on the banks of Lake Geneva in 1816 - an event that also inspired another classic horror story, Polidori's The Vampyre - the novel catapulted Mary to infamy. Since its first appearance, the story has been adapted into other media - first in the theatre as early as 1823, and then in the movies, including the iconic 1931 James Whale-directed Frankenstein, starring Boris Karloff, as well as its the classic spinoff, The Bride of Frankenstein. NYU Special Collections also includes the first American edition, published in 1833, the 1845 single volume, and a 1932 illustrated edition, but all of these versions speak to the enduring legacy of a story produced from the imagination of a young woman over two hundred years ago that continues to scare, inspire and intrigue.
Photo Caption: Cover image of Stephen King's novel, Carrie and a second image of a bookshelf filled with King's books Photos courtesy of Weiwei Lin
Just one of the many treasures you will find at NYU Special Collections. Stephen King is one of the most iconic authors in horror literature, with more than 60 novels - many of which have become genre classics. His debut novel Carrie, published in 1974, launched his path to success. The story of a bullied teenage girl who takes revenge on her peers through telekinesis was often thought to be too violent and explicit by schools and libraries, leading to frequent bans. It (1986) was adapted into a two part film series released in 2017 and 2019, and became the highest-grossing horror franchise of all time. Despite the disturbing scenes and criticism for its violence, the adaptation was loved by a new generation, further solidifying Stephen King’s influence on modern horror cinema. It: Welcome to Derry, new series that serves as a prequel to the films, premieres on HBO Max on October 26, 2025. The Shining and Pet Sematary movie adaptations also gained both critical and general audience’s attention. The psychological horror of the novels was considered deeply unsettling - so much that Stephen King himself hesitated to publish Pet Cemetery. Interestingly, while the film adaptations of King’s works are widely celebrated, many of the novels themselves were banned and challenged in the US. Stephen King is one of the most frequently banned authors in the country - an ironic testament to how his stories continue to provoke, disturb and intrigue readers decades after their release.
Text by Alina Buskarova
Here are links to some interesting resources beyond NYU . . .