What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedCoraline
Henry Selick · Film · 2009
If you loved Coraline, start with Courage the Cowardly Dog (John R. Dilworth, 1999) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Coraline across media.
What hooked you in Coraline was the unsettling dread lurking just beneath everyday surfaces, daring young protagonists to confront sinister secrets.
Books on the same thread
Goosebumps
R. L. Stine · Book · 1992
Explores: Monsters, Supernatural, Fear.
Like Coraline facing skeptical parents in a new home, Amanda and Josh uncover horrifying supernatural secrets in Dark Falls while their oblivious parents dismiss their dread, capturing the same chilling childhood isolation.
Fear Street
R. L. Stine · Book · 1989
Explores: Teen Angst, Small Town Secrets, Supernatural Curse.
If Coraline captivated you with sinister forces corrupting an everyday environment, this series delivers similar tension as Shadyside teenagers confront malignant paranormal adversaries and dark curses haunting an eerie local street.
Fairy Tale
Stephen King · Book
Explores: coming of age, good versus evil, interdimensional travel.
Much like Coraline unlocking a hidden door to an alternate universe, Charlie descends underground through a shed staircase into Empis, confronting an evil lord in a rich, uncanny portal fantasy.
Welcome to Dead House
R. L. Stine · Book · 1992
Explores: Small town secrets, Relocation anxiety, Undead.
Sharing the relocation anxiety central to Coraline, this haunted story follows siblings adjusting to an unsettling house in Dark Falls, tapping directly into the fear that a new residence harbors dark secrets.
Series on the same thread
Courage the Cowardly Dog
John R. Dilworth · Series · 1999
Explores: Paranoia, Rural Isolation, Protecting Family.
Fans of Coraline will recognize the surreal dread and eerie atmosphere as Courage confronts bizarre supernatural threats in isolated Nowhere, desperately defending his quirky family from monstrous and paranormal intrusions.
Over the Garden Wall
Patrick McHale · Series · 2014
Shares a thread with Coraline: Dark Fantasy.
Echoing the darkly enchanting aesthetic of Coraline, this miniseries pulls wanderers Wirt and Greg through the Unknown, a mysterious realm where vintage dark fantasy blends with a poignant quest to return home.
Beetlejuice
Tim Burton · Series · 1989
Explores: Death Positivity, Friendship, Outsiders.
Reflecting the whimsical yet macabre dimension-hopping of Coraline, this animated series pairs outsider Lydia Deetz with ghost Beetlejuice, traversing between the mortal world and the bizarre supernatural landscape of the Neitherworld.
Another
Series · 2012
Explores: curse, isolation, dark secret.
Just as Coraline senses insidious danger behind everyday pleasantries, transfer student Kōichi navigates a chilling school mystery alongside Mei Misaki, uncovering a lethal historical curse that his terrified classmates refuse to acknowledge.
Podcasts on the same thread
CERITA LORONG
Podcast
Explores: Creepy, Scary Stories, Indonesian Folklore.
Echoing the lingering unease of Coraline investigating an avoided hallway, this podcast channels real paranormal experiences and supernatural folklore, set within a chilling office corridor that people actively avoid.
Radio Rental
Tenderfoot TV & Audacy · Podcast
Explores: Real-life Horror, Bizarre Crimes, Unexplained Phenomena.
If Coraline captivated you with strange, unsettling encounters hidden behind ordinary facades, this anthology delivers that same bizarre dread through real-life horror stories hosted within an eerie 1980s video rental shop.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Coraline the first movie made by Laika?
Yes, Coraline is the first feature film produced by the stop-motion animation studio Laika. Written and directed by Henry Selick, the 2009 dark fantasy horror film was created using stop-motion animation based on the original 2002 novella.
Where is Coraline set?
Coraline is set in Ashland, Oregon. The narrative takes place primarily at the Pink Palace Apartments, the new home where Coraline Jones moves with her parents before discovering a hidden doorway leading to an idealized alternate universe.
Is Coraline based on a book?
Coraline is based on the 2002 novella of the same name written by Neil Gaiman. Director Henry Selick wrote and directed the 2009 stop-motion animated adaptation, framing the story as a dark fantasy horror film.
Who are the main characters in Coraline?
The main characters in Coraline include Coraline Jones, her parents, her neighbor Wybie Lovat, and a black cat. The film also features alternate-world doppelgängers that reside behind a secret door inside the Pink Palace Apartments.