A Gift Guide for Horror Lovers

Welcome back to Scare Me! a weekly horror newsletter. Today, I’ve put together a gift guide for horror lovers, window shoppers, and inspiration seekers!

If you love gifting as much as I do, it’s the most wonderful time of the year! Every winter, I look forward to finding treasures for my partner and our friends—the more hyper-specific to their interests, the better.

For me, a great gift strikes a balance between usefulness, thoughtfulness, and whimsy. I like to hunt down things my loved ones can use and enjoy, but that they might not indulge in on their own.

I love physical media, so my gift-giving tends to focus there. But this list also includes a few horror trinkets that I have personally enjoyed this year, as well as some ideas for hunting down as-seen-onscreen clothing and accessories.

Before we dive in, I want to acknowledge that for many, budgets are very tight this year. While there are a few luxurious items on my list ($50-75 range), I tried to focus on items that are under $25 and in some cases under $10. I also have zero qualms about giving or receiving secondhand items (as long as they’re in good condition, cleaned thoroughly, and nicely wrapped).

For my window shoppers, I hope that this list offers up some fun eye candy!

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Miniature VHS Trinkets and Jewelry

The tiniest trinket on my list is this VHS keychain! At less than $5, these are a fun addition or a perfectly thoughtful gift all on their own. I have a miniature Hellraiser VHS on my keys that’s held up beautifully through months of wear-and-tear in my bag. This shop also sells VHS charms as earrings and magnets.

This shop has so many options that the full list is broken up across multiple listings. Check here and here to browse all the movies on offer! There are also charms for PS2 games, including Resident Evil and Silent Hill.

As-Seen-Onscreen Fashion

It’s hard to find a show with more delicious fashion than Twin Peaks—but it’s surprisingly easy to find affordable pieces that are similar to the show’s costuming. I’m a Lynch fan living in the Pacific Northwest, so that’s my pick for as-seen-onscreen clothing and accessories. But the same general tips apply for any movie or show: Google Image Search your favorite outfits, browse fan blogs for insights into the costuming, and use Boolean search tactics to thrift identical or similar pieces.

In my experience, vintage sweaters and ties are abundant on eBay (and potentially in thrift stores, depending on where you live). Twin Peaks’ original run aired from 1990 through 1991, but some of the brands worn on the show were vintage even at the time of filming.

On the Twin Peaks Blog, longtime fan Steven Miller has an excellent rundown of Ben Horne’s tie collection. (Miller’s entire blog is wonderful!) Thin pinstriped shirts, double breasted suit jackets, and bold polka dot ties define Horne’s style.

A red and gray dotted design caught my eye, and I almost immediately found a similar Burberry silk tie on eBay for $22. Once I had identified a brand, I redid the search with just “Burberry + 1990s + silk tie.” There were dozens of options in similar styles, colors, and patterns:

For sweater collectors, Twin Peaks actors were frequently costumed in contemporary pieces from brands like United Colors of Benetton. But some were dressed in older styles. Audrey Horne’s feminine silhouettes are built from pieces like the tree-patterned cardigan she wears while drinking coffee with Coop, created by a brand called Minklam by Darlene in the early ‘60s. You can still find this brand on vintage shops, like this butter yellow, Peter Pan collar cardigan from the ‘50s:

Lucy Moran has arguably the most extensive and quirkiest sweater collection in Twin Peaks—again, Steven Miller comes through with a detailed blog post documenting them all. I recommend searching for Lizsport or Lizwear by Liz Claiborne—I have this one!

These tend to be cotton blends and pretty affordable. For example, this deep V-neck sweater has a chunky knit, argyle details, and is only $21 ‘n change. You’d pay 3-5x more at a fast fashion store, easy. Once you’ve chosen a sweater, your friend will be a perm and a frilly collar away from embodying everyone’s favorite police station receptionist.

Offbeat and Collectible Horror Fiction

If you’re going to gift a novel, I recommend choosing something so off-the-wall that your friends would never think to look for it.

Check out the Bram Stoker Awards archive and find a nominee from a significant year, like a birthday or anniversary! (The records go back to 1987.) If your friend likes a certain monster, look for the zaniest old mass market paperback you can find! (Search something like “vampires + paperback book + 1970s”.) Look for a collection of ghost stories about the place your lucky recipient lives! (Almost every US state has a handful of “completely true” ghost stories—like this one I thrifted recently, which includes stories about the town where I currently live.)

As long as you’re not looking at a special edition, I promise you’ll be able to find gems in the $5-15 range (before shipping).

There’s also an entire subgenre of holiday-themed horror that’s come to my attention through the newsletter. Subscriber L.A. Birchon kindly sent me Slay Ride, in which a stranded commuter encounters a maelstrom of violence in the snowbound town of Little Slaughter. On Instagram, author Michael D. A. Clarke generously sent me The Very Naughty List, about a Santa who unleashes his fury on his evil mall coworkers after being framed for harassment. Both of these were described to me as sitting at the intersection of scary and bonkers, which is my favorite place to be!

If you’re willing to shell out a bit more, A24 offers gorgeous, photo-studded script books for several horror titles, including Hereditary, Midsommar, Ex Machina, The Witch, and The Lighthouse. ($60 each.)

Horror Magazines

Something Old: What’s better than receiving a vintage copy of Fangoria? Might I suggest: Receiving every issue of Fangoria ever released. If you back the beloved horror magazine’s current Kickstarter, that’s exactly what you’ll get.

The compendium promises a beautifully bound hardcover that traces the magazine’s history documenting and influencing the genre, while the digital archive allows you to search past issues. When you check out, you can even add on a reprint of Issue #1!

Something New: As a longtime indie magazine collector, it’s hard to put into words how much I adore Phantasmag. From the original artwork to historical deep dives, the magazine is devoted to chronicling queer horror and outsider voices. You can get a peek behind the scenes with co-creators Lana Thorn and Alex Secilmis in the Scare Me! archive.

But it’s Phantasmag’s interviews—with horror movie insiders like Hellraiser designer Jane Wildgoose, Hannibal showrunner Bryan Fuller, and Frankenstein costume designer Kate Hawley—that truly set the magazine apart. If you pre-order Issue 004, you’ll also get to read my interview with Lucy Rose, bestselling author of The Lamb. There are four beautiful covers to choose from, allowing you to customize the gift to your recipient’s taste.

Nonfiction Books About Horror

Horror is a deeply personal genre—one person’s fun romp could easily be someone else’s triggering nightmare. Plus, it can be hard to know what’s already on a voracious reader’s shelves. That can make it tough to feel confident gifting books, even when you know someone well.

That’s why I recommend looking for nonfiction titles. My friend Sam gifted me Grady Hendrix’s Paperbacks From Hell a few years ago, which I’d admired for ages but hadn’t bought. It lives permanently on my nightstand, easily accessible for late night leafing.

A few other nonfiction titles that are either on my shelves or that have caught my eye include:

• Feral and Hysterical by Sadie Hartmann: Do you have a friend who’s always looking for diverse, women-centered horror? Mother Horror has you covered. From classics to deep cuts to indie picks, Sadie Hartmann has curated thoughtful lists that suit every mood and reader.

• Horror for Weenies by Emily C. Hughes: The perfect book for anxious but horror-curious moviegoers, Hughes offers a funny, friendly, gore- and jump scare-free look at the most influential horror movies of the past 60 years.

• Scream With Me by Eleanor Johnson: Horror is political, and Johnson’s analysis illuminates how the genre intersects with feminist thought. With analysis of Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist, and other classics, Johnson explores the decades-long fight for bodily autonomy, freedom from domestic violence, and reproductive rights.

• Catching the Big Fish by David Lynch: Part memoir and part guide, Lynch offers advice and insights into how Transcendental Meditation transformed his creative process. I’ve also heard great things about the audiobook!

• Why I Love Horror by Becky Siegel Spratford: A tireless advocate for horror literature, librarian Becky Siegel Spratford recently edited this anthology of personal essays from contemporary authors including Tananarive Due, Rachel Harrison, Stephen Graham Jones, and more.

• It Came From the Closet by Joe Vallese: Beautiful, funny, heartbreaking, and moving, this essay collection captures queer writers’ reflections on horror movies. Joe was also one of the very first people who agreed to an interview for this newsletter, so this book has an extra-special place in my heart always.

Criterion Collection

I know it’s a basic recommendation, but Criterion DVDs and Blu-rays really are a great gift. Not only are they beautifully restored, but they’re also full of interesting special features like interviews, commentary tracks, and documentaries. I recently picked up a secondhand DVD set of Solaris, which includes interviews with the cast and crew as well as newly translated subtitles.

Criterion allows you to sort by genre, and choosing horror will turn up 81 movies by directors including George Romero (Night of the Living Dead) and the Davids Lynch (Fire Walk With Me, Eraserhead) and Cronenberg (Videodrome, The Brood). There’s also an extensive selection of international classics like Cure, House, Funny Games, Eyes Without a Face, and Cronos.

But horror contains multitudes, so I recommend also checking adjacent genres like crime, science fiction, and thriller for additional options.

Most Criterion DVDs cost around $30, but you can definitely find secondhand copies in perfectly playable condition for $8-10 on eBay. If you’re purchasing more than one, keep an eye out for sellers who offer bundle discounts.

Up Next: Making Horror Media With Journalist Bee Delores

Next week, I’m excited to share a conversation with prolific horror journalist Bee Delores, who is also the creator of the beloved horror newsletter Horrorverse. Bee shared Horrorverse’s origin story, along with a feast of recommendations.

After that, it’ll be Thanksgiving here in the US! I’ll be off work for a week, so we’ll keep things light with a look at some of the winter horror stories I’m hoping to cozy up with.

Scare Me! is a free weekly horror newsletter published every Thursday morning. It’s written by Michelle Delgado, featuring original illustrations by Sam Pugh. You can find the archive of past issues here. If you were sent this by a friend, subscribe to receive more spooky interviews, essays—and maybe even a ghost story or two.