With the upcoming release of IT: Welcome to Derry, the prequel series to Stephen King’s IT, there’s no better time to dive back into stories that carry the same mix of small-town secrets, childhood fears, and creeping dread.
King’s universe has always thrived on atmosphere, those unsettling spaces where nostalgia collides with horror, and this new show is set to rekindle that energy for a new generation. If you’re already counting down the days, here are ten books that capture the same vibe and will keep you unsettled in the best way possible.
1. Ghost Story by Peter Straub
A group of old friends in a quiet New England town shares a dark secret about a woman from their past. When they begin to die one by one, they realize the nightmare they tried to bury has returned. With themes of guilt, memory, and supernatural retribution,
Straub crafts a novel steeped in atmosphere and psychological dread. Recommended for readers who enjoy slow-burn, character-driven horror where the past is never really dead.
Why we recommend it: Straub’s classic mirrors Derry’s small-town secrets and a decades-old sin that returns to haunt everyone, with a predator that feeds on fear. Its wintry atmosphere, shifting timelines, and collective guilt echo the show’s generational curse, trading clowns for a shape-shifting revenant and slow-burn dread.
2. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
Vic McQueen discovers she can find lost things by crossing a mysterious bridge only she can access. Her path collides with Charles Manx, a child-kidnapper who feeds off souls and delivers them to his twisted world, “Christmasland.”
Themes of resilience, innocence lost, and generational trauma run throughout. Hill delivers a story heavy with dread, while also balancing a strong mother–child bond at its core. Perfect for fans of King who want a modern, high-stakes take on supernatural horror.
Why we recommend it: Hill’s New England-set horror pits a determined heroine (and endangered kids) against a near-immortal child-stealer, capturing Derry’s menace and the vulnerability of youth. Its psychic “inscapes,” long timeline, and family scars echo the show’s generational evil and slow-creeping supernatural rot.
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3. Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon
In 1960s Alabama, Cory Mackenson witnesses a horrifying crime that shatters his childhood innocence. Through his eyes, readers experience a town full of wonder, secrets, and lurking darkness.
The novel balances themes of coming-of-age, memory, and the inevitability of loss, with a Southern setting that feels both magical and threatening. Boy’s Life captures the same nostalgic dread as IT, making it perfect for those who crave stories where childhood wonder collides with adult horrors.
Why we recommend it: This lyrical coming-of-age mystery pairs childhood wonder with the creeping darkness of a small town, much like Derry’s mix of innocence and rot. Memory, myth, and community secrets intertwine as a boy confronts human evil with a whisper of the supernatural, echoing the show’s nostalgic yet unnerving tone.
4. Summer of Night by Dan Simmons
When a group of boys in Elm Haven, Illinois, stumbles upon ancient evil beneath their town, their summer turns into a fight for survival. The story explores themes of courage, friendship, and the resilience of children in the face of overwhelming terror.
Simmons vividly brings the small-town setting to life, making ordinary places feel unsafe. If you loved the Losers’ Club dynamic in IT, this book’s unrelenting dread will feel like coming home, in the scariest way possible.
Why we recommend it: A tight-knit group of kids in 1960s Elm Haven faces an ancient, shape-shifting malevolence, capturing the show’s mix of childhood camaraderie and small-town dread. The long summer arc, crumbling institutions, and cyclical evil mirror Welcome to Derry’s generational curse and escalating, slow-burning terror.
5. The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub
Twelve-year-old Jack Sawyer embarks on a desperate cross-country journey to save his dying mother. His quest leads him into “the Territories,” a parallel world full of grotesque monsters and dangerous allies. The novel examines themes of sacrifice, courage, and the razor-thin edge between imagination and reality.
King and Straub infuse every step of Jack’s journey with dread, weaving a story that’s both epic and deeply personal. A must-read for fans who love the mix of childhood adventure and supernatural menace.
Why we recommend it: A young protagonist ventures through parallel “Territories” that reveal the monstrous underside of our world, echoing Derry’s hidden layer of supernatural menace beneath everyday life. Its blend of childhood courage, psychic gifts, and universe-spanning stakes mirrors the show’s coming-of-age horror and creeping sense of a larger, connected evil.
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6. Swan Song by Robert McCammon
In a world devastated by nuclear war, scattered survivors are drawn into an apocalyptic battle between good and evil. Among them is Swan, a young girl with extraordinary gifts who symbolizes hope.
Themes of resilience, humanity, and survival dominate this sweeping narrative. Though the scope is global, the novel is charged with the same sense of dread that runs through IT.
Why we recommend it: Recommended for readers who enjoy epic, emotional horror stories with a strong moral core.
7. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Journalist Camille Preaker returns to her hometown to report on a series of brutal child murders. While investigating, she is forced to confront her own disturbing past and the toxic influence of her family.
Themes of trauma, identity, and female relationships unfold in a claustrophobic small-town setting. The dread here isn’t supernatural; it’s psychological, raw, and unforgettable. Ideal for readers who enjoy dark thrillers rooted in human monstrosity rather than creatures from the void.
Why we recommend it: While not supernatural, its small-town rot, institutional complicity, and generational abuse mirror Derry’s human monsters and the scars they leave on kids who grow up there. The return-to-hometown investigation uncovers buried crimes and inherited trauma, echoing the show’s focus on cycles of harm beneath a polite surface.
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8. Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero
A group of former teen detectives reunites years later to confront the supernatural horror they once stumbled upon. What starts as a parody of Scooby-Doo evolves into a clever, eerie mix of nostalgia and true terror.
Themes of trauma, friendship, and facing buried fears are central. With humor layered over genuine dread, this novel is perfect for fans who want a playful yet chilling twist on the “band of kids vs. evil” trope.
Why we recommend it: A former kid-detective crew reunites in their cursed lakeside town and discovers their “old case” masks something far older and nastier, capturing Derry’s blend of nostalgic camaraderie and small-town rot. Cosmic hints, unreliable memory, and humor-laced dread echo the show’s mix of coming-of-age bonds and an evil that keeps seeping back.
9. The Boy Who Drew Monsters by Keith Donohue
Ten-year-old Jack Peter has agoraphobia and rarely leaves his house, but his compulsive drawings of monsters seem to come alive. Set in a windswept Maine town, the story blurs the line between imagination and reality.
Themes of isolation, fear, and childhood vulnerability dominate the narrative. The atmosphere is saturated with dread, making it an unsettling but compelling read for fans of psychological and supernatural horror alike.
Why we recommend it: In a bleak Maine seaside town, a withdrawn boy’s sketches begin to manifest, turning childhood terrors into a threat the whole community can feel, much like Derry’s fears made flesh. Wintry isolation, unreliable perception, and fraying family bonds echo the show’s small-town rot and generational strain.
10. Memorials by Richard Chizmar
Three college students set out on a road trip through Appalachia, only to stumble upon dark rituals and an ancient evil. Themes of youthful curiosity, danger, and the pull of the unknown propel the story forward.
The setting grounds the novel in realism, while the escalating horror builds unrelenting dread. Fans of King’s slower, tension-driven storytelling will find Chizmar’s work hits the same nerve.
Why we recommend it: Set in 1983, a trio of college filmmakers crisscrosses rural Appalachia, documenting roadside memorials, only to uncover occult symbols and a pattern of deaths that locals are afraid to name, echoing Welcome to Derry’s buried histories and community denial. The documentary transcripts, small-town interviews, and slow-building dread capture that same vibe of ordinary places curdling into something predatory and generational.
The lasting power of IT, and now Welcome to Derry, isn’t just in monsters or gore. It’s in the dread that lingers, the uneasy feeling that childhood fears and small-town secrets never really disappear.
These ten books capture that same balance of innocence and terror, each in its own way. Whether through supernatural battles, psychological unraveling, or nostalgic coming-of-age tales, they promise to keep you turning pages late into the night.
