Horror TV has come a long way over the last few decades, with many recent titles highlighting just how successful the medium can be. With its jump scares and monster reveals, the genre lends itself well to a theatrical experience. However, hits like The Haunting of Hill House, From, The Last of Us, and even Stranger Things are proving that long-form storytelling comes with benefits — namely, time to flesh out the lore, build intrigue, and get us to care about the characters.
Given how well the genre can work on television, particularly when it's taken seriously, it'd be great to see more modern horror books making their way to the small screen. Adaptations of Stephen King's works are alive and well, and some popular titles have been picked up for streaming. There are so many more worthy of adaptations, though, and these 11 would make great prestige TV.
1. The Troop by Nick Cutter
If any modern horror book is cinematic enough to turn into a prestige TV show, it's The Troop by Nick Cutter. Hollywood has clearly picked up on the 2014 novel's potential, as James Wan's production company, Atomic Monster, snagged the rights to it in 2019. Unfortunately, Cutter told Variety that progress has been slow. And even if the adaptation overcomes this challenge, it will be made into a movie.
There's potential in a feature film, but I suspect The Troop would work better as a miniseries. The story, which follows a group of scouts on a camping trip gone horribly awry, lends itself to a lengthier, more in-depth rendering. For one, its complex characters and Machiavellian themes would be easier to unpack with a greater runtime. The book's many gory, gruesome moments would also be overwhelming in one sitting. Spreading them over a handful of episodes would help build tension and make them more memorable.
2. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
An adaptation of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic was in development at Hulu, but it has since been axed — and given what a great horror series it would make, that's a real shame. Another studio or streamer should snatch up the rights to the 2020 novel, which would make a great miniseries.
Mexican Gothic follows Noemí on a journey to the Mexican countryside, where her cousin is living with her husband and his family. Her cousin's correspondence warns that her life is in danger, but it's not until Noemí arrives that she truly believes something is wrong. A haunted house story that highlights the dangers of sexism and racism, Mexican Gothic demonstrates how corrosive both can be. Needless to say, it feels like a powerful and necessary addition to the current horror landscape.
3. House Of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves is such an iconic horror novel, it's a wonder it hasn't already been turned into a TV show. Perhaps it's because the book's formatting would be difficult to get across on-screen. However, any director who figures out how to bring this layered story to life will have a critically acclaimed hit on their hands. Not only would the book's many fans tune in, but its bizarre and unique structure would help it stand out among other offerings.
House of Leaves may center on a mysterious house, but the story embraces psychological horror over the physical kind. Adapted carefully, this could work to its benefit, creating a trippy and gripping series that constantly keeps viewers on their toes. With any luck, a studio or streamer will see the potential in that and go for it.
4. Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle
Bury Your Gays gets a bit campy at times, but Chuck Tingle's award-winning 2024 novel is still an ideal choice for a TV adaptation. As its title suggests, the book takes on Hollywood's troubling "bury your gays" trope, which sees LGBTQ+ characters facing tragic fates with more frequency than straight ones (and often as a result of their sexuality). With shows continuing to fail these characters in the 21st century, an adaptation of Tingle's story could prove a refreshing step in the right direction.
The 2024 book follows Hollywood scriptwriter Misha, who refuses to rewrite his LGBTQ+ characters' happy ending at the request of studio executives. He then finds himself haunted by his own horror creations, thanks to AI technology that's feels like an astute warning for a modern-day audience. With the book's commentary, Bury Your Gays has a lot of potential to spark important discussions. It's also action-packed and entertaining, elements that make it an even more obvious pick for TV.
5. Don't Let the Forest In by CG Drews
CG Drews' Don't Let the Forest In is aimed at a young adult audience, but it's a horror book that will appeal to readers of all ages — and the same would be true of a TV adaptation. Centered on Andrew and Thomas, two boys in boarding school, Don't Let the Forest In sees Thomas' monstrous drawings coming to life. The visual opportunities of that premise are reason enough to bring it to the screen. However, the codependency between its leads would be equally interesting to explore over a TV season.
Don't Let the Forest In also has key twists that would make a TV show memorable if done well; viewers would likely be discussing them long after the credits roll. The novel has important things to say about mental illness and grief, and its ambiguous ending would be incredible as a TV finale.
6. You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron
You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight is an entertaining slasher at its core, but its cultish themes and powerful epilogue are easy to envision in a prestige horror series. The story is set at a summer camp, where the teen employees are tasked with scaring visitors. Placing a horror tale at a scream park is a brilliant setup, as it takes a while for the characters to discover what audiences already know: they're in very real danger.
This isn't the only strength of Kalynn Bayron's 2023 novel, which boasts bloody action and a supernatural conspiracy. The latter could be expanded upon further in the source material, and a TV show offers a chance to elaborate on the lore there. Additionally, You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight features a very diverse cast, and it subverts horror tropes in a way that fans of Netflix's Fear Street movies would likely respect. Adapting it would be a wise choice on multiple fronts.
7. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
Stephen Graham Jones' books are staples of modern horror, and The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is rightly getting a lot of attention following its March 2025 release. Blending horror with historical fiction, the book chronicles one Native American man's (ahem, vampire's) quest for revenge against the people who inflicted so much suffering on the Blackfeet Nation.
Given its unflinching approach to the horrors faced by Indigenous people (it's a good read for Indigenous People's Day), The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is an important read. A TV show could bring its story and themes to an even wider audience at a time when that's sorely needed. The action and vampire lore would add to the appeal, ensuring that an adaptation balances its commentary with plenty of thrills. Adapted well, it would be a TV masterpiece.
8. King Sorrow by Joe Hill
Having hit shelves in October 2025, King Sorrow is the newest horror book on this list — but given its length (it clocks in at 800+ pages) and fantasy elements, it's one of the best candidates for a TV show. The concept would no doubt appeal to both fantasy and horror fans, taking them on a wild ride that starts at Rackham College. It's there that a desperate group of friends decides to summon a dragon, a choice they come to regret after experiencing the costs firsthand.
The dark academia components of King Sorrow would make for a gorgeous backdrop, and the magical aspects of the story demand to be unraveled in a long-form adaptation. The focus on multiple characters would also benefit from a TV show, which would have time to fully flesh out their personalities. Given how new King Sorrow is (and that it's written by Joe Hill), it's very possible Hollywood will indeed pick up on its potential in the near future. Fingers crossed.
9. Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
P. Djèlí Clark's Ring Shout is one of the shorter stories on this list, but it doesn't fail to leave an impact. An alternate take on history, Ring Shout sees its main character, Maryse Boudreaux, taking on the Ku Klux Klan in the early 20th century. It unpacks the deep-seated racism and hatred the group is known for while taking its depiction of them a step further: in this supernatural narrative, they're literally demons.
The topics covered in Ring Shout are as relevant as ever, and the alternate-history element would make for interesting TV. Those are just a couple of reasons Clark's novel deserves to become a show. One was reportedly in development at Skydance TV, too, but it's unclear how much progress has been made since Deadline reported it in 2020.
10. Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix
If you think a haunted furniture store like IKEA sounds like the perfect setting for a scary story, you need to read Grady Hendrix's Horrorstör — and you'd probably appreciate it even more adapted for the screen. To be fair, a movie from New Republic Pictures is supposed to be in the works, but there's been little in the way of news since Deadline announced it in 2020. And despite the book's shorter length, I think it would make a far more compelling TV series.
While Horrorstör's premise is one of the best I've come across in years, the book could easily spend more time fleshing out the lore behind the mysterious setting, as well as its ending. An adaptation could surpass the source material if it chooses to dig into these things, and a TV show runtime allows for that. The many areas of the store also lend themselves to multiple episodes, and the book's inclusion of visuals emphasize how cinematic the story could be.
11. We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
One of the best horror books of 2024, Marcus Kliewer's We Used to Live Here can only be described as mind-boggling. There are plenty of Reddit threads dedicated to unpacking its universe-hopping story, and it's no wonder that Netflix plans to adapt it (via Deadline). The choice to go with a movie format is questionable, though, especially since We Used to Live Here could have become the next big mystery-box show. (On Netflix, that would also mean overcoming its all-at-once release schedule, but that's another conversation...)
Kliewer's novel kicks off with a sapphic couple renovating a newly purchased house. Things go off the rails when a family shows up at their door. The father asks to look around, as he grew up there — and Eve's reality takes a turn for the worst when she agrees to let them in. We Used to Live Here is twisty and perplexing, and its many mysteries make it ideal for TV. If made into a series, every episode would end on a strange cliffhanger, with its mind-bending questions consistently drawing viewers back for answers after days spent theorizing.