Charmaine: Abbey have you noticed the resurgence of 80’s type horror books and movies lately?   So many new book covers have that 80’s look to them...   

Abbey: Shows like Stranger Things have definitely helped revive our interest in 80’s themed things, it seems to be everywhere nowadays. We even had an 80’s themed party program at Beaverbrook not too long ago. All I can say is...it was radical.  

Charmaine: I recently read Brian McAuley’s Curse of the Reaper which totally gave me 1980’s horror movie vibes. It was about movie star Howard Browning and his iconic character ‘The Reaper.’  The studio decides to do a remake but replaces him with former child star Trevor Mane.  Howard is not pleased, and his alter ego ‘The reaper’ decides to do something about it.  Is Howard losing his mind, or is the reaper a real presence?  This was a fun read that brought me right back to being a teenager watching the old Nightmare on Elm Street movies—full of unexpected scares, haunted figures and a cult like following of classic horror characters. 

Abbey: The cover to Sarah Beth Durst’s The Lake House gives off major retro horror vibes too, and the story is one of the most classic horror tropes in history – the blood-soaked summer camp. When three girls arrive at an off-grid summer camp (in Maine, another horror classic), they’re shocked to find the camp they were promised has been burned to the ground. There are no other survivors, no way to contact the outside world, and no supplies. A bad situation turns worse when they stumble across a body in the woods, and learn that this fire was no accident, and maybe they aren’t the only ones left at camp after all... 

Charmaine: That sounds like a great read!  I am really enjoying the resurgence of all the old horror tropes and creatures!   I have been recently bingeing all of the Rachel Harrison horror who is a master of all things horror! Werewolves, witches and more! 

Abbey: Sounds like that Renfield movie that just came out, a modern take on Dracula’s assistant managing the emotional weight of being the right-hand man to an immortal force of evil. Through therapy, new connections, and acknowledging Dracula’s narcissistic tendencies, he tries to build a new life for himself outside of finding his master new victims. I thought it was so good...just not for the squeamish. 

Charmaine:  Speaking of new victims, I just finished Rachel Harrison’s Such Sharp Teeth which is a spin on werewolves in contemporary times.  Penguin Random House (2023) describes it as “A young woman in need of a transformation finds herself in touch with the animal inside in this gripping, incisive novel from the author of Cackle and The Return.”   

When Rory returns home to help her pregnant sister for a little while she is attacked by a creature in the woods.  She survives (barely) but things are looking a little different for her now (she craves meat, and she smells....a little less than fresh). Combine this with an old high school friend who harbors a (still burning) flame and you have the perfect mix for a can’t put down novel. A real blast from the past! 

Abbey: If you’re looking for another real blast from the past that will make you do a double take at the publishing year (which is 2018, but you won’t believe me when you see it), check out the cover to Craig Davidson’s The Saturday Night Ghost Club. This book is a little different than what we normally talk about on this blog – for starters, its main characters range from 12 to 14 (though it’s still adult fiction!) and it’s more of a beautiful, emotional coming of age story rather than pure paranormal. If you’ve ever enjoyed things like Stranger Things, Stand By Me, or other 80’s themed stories featuring misfit kids on bikes, you’ll love this one.