What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedScary Stories to Tell in the Dark
André Øvredal · Film · 2019
If you loved Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, start with Are You Afraid of the Dark? (D.J. MacHale, 1992) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark across media.
If Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark hooked you, it is because you crave stories where small-town secrets manifest as inescapable, supernatural curses.
Books on the same thread
Ghost Story
Peter Straub · Book · 1979
Shares 2 threads with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: Small Town Secrets, Supernatural Horror.
Like Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, this novel explores how past transgressions and long-buried secrets eventually return to haunt the present, forcing characters to face their guilt.
Welcome to Dead House
R. L. Stine · Book · 1992
Shares a thread with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: Small town secrets.
This story mirrors the unsettling house exploration found in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, trapping young protagonists in a strange town where their parents refuse to listen.
Fear Street
R. L. Stine · Book · 1989
Shares 2 threads with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: Small Town Secrets, Teen Horror.
This series captures the same atmosphere of teen-centered dread found in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, where a Halloween-adjacent setting leads to a deadly, inescapable supernatural curse.
Fairy Tale
Stephen King · Book
Shares a thread with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: coming of age.
Similar to the coming-of-age journey in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, this narrative follows a young protagonist discovering a world where ancient, dark forces demand consequences.
Series on the same thread
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
D.J. MacHale · Series · 1992
Shares a thread with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: Coming of Age.
This anthology series shares the campfire-story roots of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, focusing on how a group of friends bonds while confronting terrifying, mysterious supernatural entities.
IT: Welcome to Derry
Andy Muschietti · Series · 2025
Shares 2 threads with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: Small Town Secrets, Period Horror.
Just as in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, a group of friends uncovers a long-buried ancient evil that terrorizes their town, forcing them to confront their fears.
Stranger Things
Ross Duffer · Series · 2016
Shares 2 threads with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: Small Town Secrets, Supernatural Horror.
This series reflects the small-town mystery of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, where a tight-knit group of friends must contend with supernatural threats hiding in their neighborhood.
American Horror Story
Ryan Murphy · Series · 2011
Shares a thread with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: Supernatural Horror.
Much like the haunted house premise in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, this series uses specific, cursed locations to explore how past traumas and dark histories impact characters.
Podcasts on the same thread
Skull Tales
Podcast
Explores: Haunted locations, Supernatural encounters, Eerie settings.
If you enjoyed the eerie, episodic nature of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, these tales of haunted locations and supernatural encounters will provide a familiar, spine-tingling thrill.
Lore
Aaron Mahnke · Podcast · 2026
Shares a thread with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: Folklore.
This podcast explores the tragic histories and folklore that provide the foundation for stories like Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, grounding supernatural dread in real-world settings.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark set in a modern time period?
No, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark takes place in 1968. The story is set in Mill Valley, Pennsylvania, on Halloween night, centering on a group of friends who explore a haunted house belonging to the Bellows family.
What triggers the events in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark?
The events in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark are triggered after Stella and her friends play a joke on a school bully and decide to sneak into a haunted house that once belonged to the powerful Bellows family, unleashing dark forces.
Who are the central characters in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark?
The central characters in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark are Stella and her friends. They find themselves unable to control the dark forces they unleash after entering the former Bellows family property on Halloween night in 1968.
Where does Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark take place?
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is set in the town of Mill Valley, Pennsylvania. The plot unfolds on Halloween night in 1968 when the main characters enter a supposedly haunted house that was once owned by the Bellows family.