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Free Horror Audiobooks – Classic Ghost Stories and Gothic Novels
These are full-length recordings of horror classics that are in the public domain, so you can stream every one of them free, with no account and no trial.
The list leans on the books that shaped the genre: the Gothic novels of the 1800s, the Victorian and Edwardian ghost story, and the early "weird fiction" of Arthur Machen, Robert W. Chambers and H. P. Lovecraft. If you're new to classic horror, start with The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde or The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, which are short enough to finish in a sitting. For something longer to live with for a week, Dracula works especially well as audio because the story is told through diaries and letters.
1. DraculaThe vampire novel that set the rules, told through diaries and letters that build dread chapter by chapter.
2. Frankenstein, or The Modern PrometheusMary Shelley's 1818 story of a scientist and the creature he abandons. As much tragedy as horror.
3. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (version 3)A short, tightly plotted London mystery about a respectable doctor and his violent double. Easy to finish in an evening.
4. Carmilla (Version 2)A novella about a mysterious young guest at a remote Austrian castle. It predates Dracula by a quarter century.
5. The Turn of the ScrewA governess, two children and figures that may or may not be ghosts. Famous for leaving the question open.
6. The Legend of Sleepy HollowIchabod Crane and the Headless Horseman in a short, funny and spooky American tale.
7. The Picture of Dorian GrayA portrait ages while its owner stays young. Wilde's only novel, full of sharp dialogue.
8. The Phantom of the OperaThe original 1910 novel behind the musical, set beneath the Paris Opera house.
9. Warning to the Curious and Other Ghost StoriesQuiet, precise English ghost stories from the master of the form. Best heard late at night.
10. Great Ghost StoriesTwelve classic supernatural tales by writers including Thomas Hardy and Margaret Oliphant.
11. Three Ghost StoriesDickens in a darker mood, including the eerie railway story "The Signal-Man".
12. 12 Creepy TalesA sampler of Poe's best-known horror stories, a good starting point if you've only read him at school.
13. The Great God PanAn 1890s novella about an experiment on the human mind and its consequences. A key influence on Lovecraft.
14. King in Yellow (Version 2)Linked stories about a play that drives its readers mad. The first half is the part horror fans remember.
15. The Call of CthulhuThe short story that introduced Lovecraft's best-known creation, pieced together from notes and newspaper clippings.
16. At the Mountains of MadnessAn Antarctic expedition finds traces of something far older than humanity. Lovecraft's longest major work.
Tips for listening
- Short stories first. Collections like M. R. James's or Poe's let you sample a narrator and a style in 20–40 minutes.
- Other recordings. Many of these books have several free recordings. If a voice doesn't suit you, the book page lists the other versions.
- Old language. These books were written between 1818 and the 1930s. Expect slower openings than modern horror, and attitudes of their time.
Looking for something less frightening? Try our free mystery audiobooks or browse the full horror and supernatural fiction genre.