American Horror Stories returned for season 2 on July 21st and brought more anthology horror stories back for fans. The spinoff of Ryan Murphy's popular American Horror Story anthology series takes a little different slant on the material. While the original franchise was season-long horror stories, American Horror Stories has a new tale in every episode.
This format is as old as TV itself. At one time, shows like The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, Tales from the Crypt, and The Outer Limits ruled the airwaves, and the shows had such a massive fanbase that they were turned into movies, comics, novels, and more. Now, American Horror Stories continues the tradition with scary stories meant to terrify audiences of all ages.
Castle Rock (2018)
Streaming Now On Hulu
If there is one person that deserves the title of the Master of Horror, it is Stephen King. The author has released some of the most successful and terrifying novels and short stories in horror fiction history. In 2018, Hulu brought the world the series Castle Rock, taking place in the world of Stephen King's stories.
The series is a little more like American Horror Story in that it is a new story every season and not every episode. However, the horror elements that come from different King stories, often dropped into each episode, are something fans of American Horror Stories should love as well.
The Haunting of… (2018)
Streaming Now On Netflix
In 2018, Netflix brought the Mike Flanagan horror series The Haunting of Hill House to the streaming service, and it was an immediate hit. Based on the novel by Shirley Jackson, it was one of the better-haunted house stories to hit as a TV show or movie.
Netflix was ready for more and Flanagan followed up with The Haunting of Bly Manor, based on stories by Henry James. There are rumors more are coming, and this is a great show for fans of American Horror Stories who love old-school horror.
Lovecraft Country (2020)
Streaming Now On HBO Max
HBO's Lovecraft Country is a seriess based on the novel by Matt Ruff that fans of American Horror Stories should immediately fall in love with. The series was set in the segregated United States of the 1950s with a young Black man driving through the south looking for his missing father.
The show took the Lovecraftian horror stories and integrated much of those legends into the story of a man in the south trying to find his way through the racial hatred of Jim Crow America. The idea of taking real-life horrors and mixing in monsters makes this fit right in with shows like American Horror Stories.
Masters Of Horror (2005)
Streaming Now On Roku, Vudu, and Tubi
One show that has strong similarities to American Horror Stories is the 2005 anthology series Masters of Horror. Both shows have a new horror tale every week, and each of them has some big names behind them. In the case of Masters of Horror, horror genre icons joined on to direct each episode.
Directors involved in this series included John Carpenter, Larry Cohen, Don Coscarelli, Guillermo del Toro, Tobe Hooper, Joe Dante, Stuart, Gordon, and more.
The Twilight Zone (1959)
Streaming Now On Paramount+
The iconic The Twilight Zone is the anthology horror series that started it all. While many of the episodes took on a more sci-fi flavor, there was enough horror mixed in to make it a standout not only in its era but as an iconic piece of horror history. Rod Sterling wrote over 90 episodes and hosted the show.
If it wasn't for The Twilight Zone, shows like American Horror Stories wouldn't exist. Standout episodes include "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" and "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet."
Black Mirror (2011)
Streaming Now On Netflix
Fans of American Horror Stories who love the format and episode styles, but want something a little more techy and sci-fi slanted, should look to Netflix. That is where viewers in America will find Black Mirror. The series started in the U.K. but hit amazing highs on Netflix.
The difference between the two shows is that Black Mirror is a show that finds horror in modern technology, something that The Twilight Zone specialized in decades before.
Lore (2017)
Streaming Now On Prime Video
Amazon's Lore is a series that was based on a podcast of the same name. The podcast spent each episode discussing folklore, legends, and mysterious events from history. The show followed a similar format, with each episode featuring a horror story based on folklore and legends.
Unlike American Horror Stories, which is completely fictional, Lore is set up like a documentary, where Robert Patrick, Holland Roden, and Colm Feore tell the hotter stories and their origins, mixing in documentary footage and cinematic scenes.
Monsterland (2020)
Streaming Now On Hulu
Monsterland is another anthology horror series from Hulu. It is set up like American Horror Stories, with each episode dealing with a different horror story, and sometimes tying together in small ways. While American Horror Stories was based on its parent TV show, Monsterland was based on the short story collection North American Lake Monsters.
Both shows also pushed the limits, bringing some terrible and horrifying stories to the small screen. Monsterland only lasted for one season.
The X-Files (1993)
Streaming Now On Hulu
The legendary The X-Files was two shows in one, and one of the most successful sci-fi series in television history. The series had a long-running alien invasion storyline that set up the mythos of the overarching plot. However, there was a lot of fun to be had along the way.
Some of the best installments were Monster of the Week episodes, where Mulder and Scully headed into a town to investigate mysterious cases and end up battling monsters of all sorts. Fans of American Horror Stories will find a lot to love in the X-Files creature feature episodes.
Room 104 (2017)
Streaming Now On HBO Max
Room 104 was an HBO series that was set up with an interesting premise. Every episode took place in the same motel room, which eventually had a story of its own showing why the room was clearly cursed. Not every episode was a horror story, but all had a fantastical element to them.
Created by the Duplass Brothers, each episode had people go into the room, usually bringing their own dark secrets, and found the room dishing out its own brand of karma. From horror and fantasy episodes to musicals and twisted love stories, this show had it all.