After years avoiding the paranormal-TV trend, Showtime finally enters beast mode with Penny Dreadful, a series that raises classic literary monsters from their public domain graves to terrorize Victorian London. Get ready for the scares in Sunday’s premiere with a little background reading (and watching).
"Penny dreadfuls" were serialized adventure and horror stories sold in 19-century England—like this one, which set the standard for vampire fiction back when Bram Stoker was still in diapers.
Where to read: The collection of penny dreadfuls is available online through Project Gutenberg.
The peak of Universal’s "Golden Age of Horror," starring the Bolt-Necked One, Count Dracula, the Wolfman, and other creepy-campy creatures. The original monster crossover.
Where to watch: The film can be easily found online, but Universal has also packaged it in a DVD double feature with Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. Find it here.
The movie was a fright, so hit the books instead: Alan Moore’s acclaimed comic series reimagined a lineup of Victorian-era literary icons (from Dr. Jekyll to The Invisible Man) as heroes defending the British Empire.
Where to read: It’s available in bookstores and in e-book form, but you can preview the first issue online.
Juan Antonio Bayona, who directed Penny Dreadful’s first two episodes, also helmed this chilling Spanish-language film, about a woman who returns to her childhood orphanage.
Where to watch: Amazon.
Christopher Nolan’s psychological thriller doesn’t have a roster of literary monsters, but its dueling-magicians story set in 19th century London strikes a similar sinister tone.
Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon.
Where do mutants and monsters go in the modern world? Syfy’s take on the mashup formula—about a scientist protecting "Abnormals"—featured Bigfoot, Nikola Tesla, and John Druitt.
Where to watch: Syfy has since taken down full episodes, but Google Play has the series available for streaming.
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