Shirley Jackson Books To Read After You Finish Hulu’s Shirley

The new film Shirley is a (mostly) fictionalized portrayal of author Shirley Jackson’s (played by Elisabeth Moss) home life, which is infused by bits of storytelling inspired by her very own novels. In the movie, Jackson’s husband Stanley Hyman (Michael Stuhlbarg), a literary critic, invites a young couple to live with them and help take care of the house, as well as Jackson, who is in a deep depression and having trouble writing. While this setup isn’t the most ideal for Rose (Odessa Young) and Fred (Logan Lerman), or Jackson, who seems to loathe being around other people, the two couples end up finding a dreadful kind of harmony. 

Shirley, which is streaming on Hulu starting June 5, might just inspire you to read some of Jackson’s novels. Even if you read The Haunting of Hill House after bingeing the Netflix adaptation, there are still plenty more titles to get through. Jackson, who was known for her creepy tales and gorgeous, smart prose, published six novels and seven short story collections (some of which were published posthumously). 

Ready to get spooked? Here are six of the best ones.