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Dark Shadows often used classic stories with Gothic themes. The series modified this material freely, giving the familiar stories unusual twists. The following is a list of novels, short stories and films that influenced the various storylines and its characters.

Frankenstein (1818)

  • Author: Mary Shelley
  • Type: Novel
  • Genre: Gothic, Horror, Romance, Science Fiction
  • Notes: The 'Adam and Eve' storyline: Adam. Julia's attempt to reunite the head and body of Judah Zachary; episodes 1134-1137.

The Spider and the Fly (1829)

  • Author: Mary Howitt
  • Type: Poem
  • Genre: Cautionary Tale
  • Notes: Quentin quotes from this poem "Come into my parlor said the spider to the fly"; episode 714

Ligeia (1838)

Nicholas Nickleby (1838/39)

  • Author: Charles Dickens
  • Type: Novel
  • Genre: Social Criticism
  • Notes: Worthington Hall and Trask's running of it is based on Dotherboys; during the '1897' storyline.

William Wilson (1839)

  • Author: Edgar Allan Poe
  • Type: Short Story
  • Genre: Horror
  • Notes: Worthington Hall is partly based on the severe, unnamed school; during the '1897' storyline.

The Tell-Tale Heart (1843)

  • Author: Edgar Allan Poe
  • Type: Short Story
  • Genre: Horror
  • Notes: The heartbeat that tortures Quentin; episode 710.

The Pit and the Pendulum (1843)

  • Author: Edgar Allan Poe
  • Type: Short Story
  • Genre: Horror
  • Notes: Aristede's torture of Quentin Collins; episodes 795-796.

The Premature Burial (1844)

  • Author: Edgar Allan Poe
  • Type: Short Story
  • Genre: Horror
  • Notes: Elizabeth's changes to her will; episode 577.

The Count of Monte Cristo (1844)

  • Author: Alexandre Dumas with Auguste Maquet
  • Type: Novel
  • Genre: Adventure
  • Notes: Burke Devlin reads this book in episode 38; Carolyn comments that the book is about a man returning to his home town to wreak revenge, which Elizabeth, Roger, Sam and Bill all suspect to be Burke's true motivation for returning to Collinsport.

Queen Margot (1845)

  • Author: Alexandre Dumas
  • Type: Novel
  • Genre: Historical fiction
  • Notes: Gregory Trask and Evan Hanley's drugging/hypnotism of Tim Shaw using a potion on the pages of a book in episode 762 is reminiscent of a similar scheme to poison a character using a book in this novel.

The Cask of Amontillado (1846)

  • Author: Edgar Allan Poe
  • Type: Short Story
  • Genre: Horror
  • Notes: The deaths of Reverend Trask and Gregory Trask are based on the death of Fortunato.

Jane Eyre (1847)

  • Author: Charlotte Brontë
  • Type: Novel
  • Genre: Gothic, Horror
  • Notes: The character of Victoria Winters and her role in the series. The following characters from the '1897' storyline were also inspired by the story:

Wuthering Heights (1847)

The Scarlet Letter (1850)

  • Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • Type: Novel
  • Genre: Romance
  • Notes: Hester Prynne

Dover Beach (1851)

  • Author: Matthew Arnold
  • Type: Poem
  • Genre: Romance
  • Notes: Roger Collins quotes the last stanza from the poem, episode 464.

Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852)

  • Author: Harriet Beecher Stowe
  • Type: Novel
  • Genre: Anti-slavery
  • Notes: A reference is made to Simon Legree, the villain; episode 730.

A Tale of Two Cities (1859)

  • Author: Charles Dickens
  • Type: Novel
  • Genre: Social Criticism
  • Notes: Danielle Rogét is based on the character of Madame Defarge.

The Return of the Native (1878)

  • Author: Thomas Hardy
  • Type: Novel
  • Genre: Tragedy
  • Notes: The '1841 in Parallel Time' storyline.

Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886)

She (1887)

  • Author: Henry Rider Haggard
  • Type: Novel
  • Genre: Gothic, Romance, Fantasy
  • Notes: The 'Phoenix' storyline, in 1966 and in 1897.

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890)

  • Author: Oscar Wilde
  • Type: Novel
  • Genre: Gothic
  • Notes: Angelique's portrait during the 'Adam and Eve' storyline, as well as the 1897 storyline. Characters inspired by the story:
  • Dan Curtis produced a television adaptation of the novel in 1973, which starred John Karlen

Dracula (1897)

  • Author: Bram Stoker
  • Type: Novel
  • Genre: Gothic, Horror
  • Notes: The introduction of vampire Barnabas Collins to the series.
  • Dan Curtis produced and directed a television adaptation of the novel in 1974

The Turn of the Screw (1898)

The Monkey's Paw (1902)

  • Author: W. W. Jacobs
  • Type: Short Story
  • Genre: Horror
  • Notes: The 'Hand of Petofi' storyline.

The Sense of the Past (1917)

  • Author: Henry James
  • Type: Novel
  • Genre: Time Travel, Comedy of Manners
  • Notes: The love story of Peter Bradford/Jeff Clark and Victoria Winters over the centuries.

The Call of Cthulhu (1928)

  • Author: H. P. Lovecraft
  • Type: Short Story
  • Genre: Horror, Science Fiction
  • Notes: The 'Leviathan' storyline.

The Werewolf of Paris (1933)

  • Author: Guy Endore
  • Type: Novel
  • Genre: Horror
  • Notes: Chris Jenning's and Quentin Collins' lycanthropy.

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

  • Author: William Hurlbut
  • Type: Film
  • Genre: Horror
  • Notes: The 'Adam and Eve' storyline.

Rebecca (1938)

The Wolf Man (1941)

  • Author: Curt Siodmak
  • Type: Film
  • Genre: Horror
  • Notes: Chris Jennings's and Quentin Collins' lycanthropy.

The Lottery (1948)

  • Author: Shirley Jackson
  • Type: Short Story
  • Genre: Mystery, Horror
  • Notes: The '1841 in Parallel Time' storyline.

The Crucible (1952)

  • Author: Arthur Miller
  • Type: Play
  • Genre: Tragedy
  • Notes: Victoria Winters' witchcraft trial; during the '1795' storyline.

The Body Snatchers (1955)

  • Author: Jack Finney
  • Type: Novel
  • Genre: Science Fiction
  • Notes: The 'Leviathan' storyline.

I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958)

  • Author: Louis Vittes
  • Type: Film
  • Genre: Science Fiction
  • Notes: The 'Leviathan' storyline, particularly Jeb Hawkes' marriage to Carolyn Stoddard.

The Thing That Couldn't Die (1958)

  • Author: David Duncan
  • Type: Film
  • Genre: Horror
  • Notes: 'The Head of Judah Zachary' storyline.

The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)

  • Author: Roger Corman (Director)
  • Type: Film
  • Genre: Horror
  • Notes: Stylistic influence on series as a whole.

Rosemary's Baby (1967)

  • Author: Ira Levin
  • Type: Novel
  • Genre: Horror
  • Notes: The 'Leviathan' storyline, particularly the Leviathan child.

Mythology & Legend

  • Phoenix: The story of Laura Collins in the 1966 and 1897 storylines.
  • Faust: The story of Charles Delaware Tate.
  • Pygmalion: Amanda Harris was partly based on Galatea.
  • Orpheus & Eurydice: Quentin and Amanda Harris' journey through the hellish realm, episodes 932-934.
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