After years avoiding the paranormal-TV trend, Showtime finally enters beast mode with Penny Dreadful, a series that raises classic literary monsters from their public domain graves to terrorize Victorian London. Get ready for the scares in Sunday’s premiere with a little background reading (and watching).

Varney the Vampire; or, The Feast of Blood (1845-1847)



"Penny dreadfuls" were serialized adventure and horror stories sold in 19-century England—like this one, which set the standard for vampire fiction back when Bram Stoker was still in diapers.

Where to read: The collection of penny dreadfuls is available online through Project Gutenberg.

House of Frankenstein (1944)

The peak of Universal’s "Golden Age of Horror," starring the Bolt-Necked One, Count Dracula, the Wolfman, and other creepy-campy creatures. The original monster crossover.

Where to watch: The film can be easily found online, but Universal has also packaged it in a DVD double feature with Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. Find it here.

League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (1999-)



The movie was a fright, so hit the books instead: Alan Moore’s acclaimed comic series reimagined a lineup of Victorian-era literary icons (from Dr. Jekyll to The Invisible Man) as heroes defending the British Empire.

Where to read: It’s available in bookstores and in e-book form, but you can preview the first issue online.

El Orfanato (The Orphanage) (2007)

Juan Antonio Bayona, who directed Penny Dreadful’s first two episodes, also helmed this chilling Spanish-language film, about a woman who returns to her childhood orphanage.

Where to watch: Amazon.

The Prestige (2006)

Christopher Nolan’s psychological thriller doesn’t have a roster of literary monsters, but its dueling-magicians story set in 19th century London strikes a similar sinister tone.

Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon.

Sanctuary (2008 – 2012)

Where do mutants and monsters go in the modern world? Syfy’s take on the mashup formula—about a scientist protecting "Abnormals"—featured Bigfoot, Nikola Tesla, and John Druitt.

Where to watch: Syfy has since taken down full episodes, but Google Play has the series available for streaming.

Skyfall (2012)

Penny Dreadful creator John Logan proved his chops in adapting classics with this James Bond installment that taught Ian Fleming’s old spy some new tricks.

Where to watch: Netflix, YouTube, Amazon.