As great as summertime outdoor activities are, sometimes you have to wait out a heatwave in your air-conditioned house. Luckily, there is plenty of excellent horror entertainment out this summer to keep you thrilled and chilled. Here’s what you can stream, see in theaters, and read this summer.

Streaming

American Horror Stories (fx, Hulu)

Not to be confused with American Horror Story, this new series debuting in July is a spinoff of the addictive horror drama. Series creator Ryan Murphy tweeted that the new show will feature sixteen one-hour episodes that will explore horror myths and legends. Each episode will tell a different story. Murphy recently confirmed four cast members, Kevin Mchale of Glee, Dyllón Burnside from Pose, Riverdale’s Charles Melton, and Nico Greetham of The Prom. He has also said that Sarah Paulson will be directing part of the series. Fans aren’t quite sure what to expect yet, but Murphy said the series will wrap up on Halloween. Hopefully, we will get a scary finale just in time for fright night. The tenth season of American Horror Story is also set to debut this fall.

Lisey’s Story (Apple TV+)

This highly anticipated adaptation of the famous Stephan King story hit Apple tv on June 4. Stephan King himself wrote the series. The story follows Lisey, a widowed woman stalked by a man obsessed with her late husband’s work. The series has received mixed reviews from fans, with some raving over the show and others feeling less than thrilled with its ending. If you’re a Stephan King fan, this is one you’ll want to check out for yourself.

Sweet Tooth (Netflix)

This one might fall more into the fantasy genre, but it’s weird enough that it might scratch your horror itch as well. Sweet Tooth takes place in a world where a strange plague led to hybrid human/animal children being born. No one is sure how this is happening or why the children are being hunted.

The show’s creators say they wanted to give it a hopeful tone and make it slightly less dark than the original comic book. We still get some suburban horror, particularly in the flashback scenes that show the world before the present “pleasant dystopia” of the story. Sweet Tooth will pull you into its strange fairytale setting and make you keep watching. It’s already available to watch and has garnered mostly positive reviews so far.

In Theaters

The Forever Purge

The fifth installment of the popular franchise debuts on July 2nd. The purge has officially ended, but some people still carry it out in secret. A young Mexican couple escaping from a drug cartel run into some of these people when they end up stranded in Texas. James DeMonaco has said that this will be the last film in the franchise, so don’t miss out on your chance to see it on the big screen.

Old

M. Night Shyamalan is at it again in this bizarre psychological thriller. Families trying to enjoy the beach find that they are suddenly aging at such a rapid rate that they might live and die in one day. It’s hard even to guess what the twist will be to this one, but morbid curiosity may draw viewers to theaters on July 23.

Don’t Breathe 2

The first Don’t Breathe movie became a fan favorite, and the sequel sounds just as original as the first one. The Blind Man, the antagonist from the first movie, becomes the protagonist when he has to hunt the kidnappers who’ve taken the orphan girl he rescued years ago. This one debuts on August 13.

Candyman

The “spiritual sequel” to the classic 90’s film will wrap up our summer of horror on August 27th. This time the baby used as bait in the first film is all grown up and coping with life as an artist in his gentrified Chicago neighborhood. When he starts to incorporate parts of the Candyman story into his work, he unwittingly unleashes the monster. The build-up for this film has been going on for years, so we hope it lives up to the hype.

Books

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke (June 1)

This novella has already received rave reviews and should be at the top of your horror reading list this summer. The story is told using online correspondence between two women in the year 2000. They meet in an innocuous way, but as the story progresses, it becomes clear that one of them is a master manipulator. This book is as disturbing in its subtlety as it is when it gives readers explicit body horror. You might want to read this one twice.

Shutter (June 15)

After her father dies, actress Betty Roux pushes everyone away and moves to New York City. When she’s offered the chance to play the leading role in an indie filmmaker’s new project, she jumps at it. The film seems to be giving her just what she needs–the chance to reinvent herself as her character while filming on a remote island. But as she gets to know the island’s caretaker, she realizes how little she knows about the filmmaker who brought her there.

Survive the Night by Riley Sager (June 29)

It’s 1991, and Charlie Jordan has caught a ride with a man who might be a serial killer. Charlie’s friend recently fell victim to the Campus Killer. Now she’s wondering if Josh, the man driving her down winding streets at night, is that killer. As the drive goes on, Charlie can’t tell if Josh really seems suspicious or if she’s letting her movie-fueled imagination run away with her. What she does know is that there’s no way out and nowhere to call for help. Can she survive the night?

Are you looking for another air-conditioned summer activity? Castle of Chaos has the best horror-themed escape rooms in town. Grab your friends and see if you can escape zombies, serial killers, and mad scientists. Win or lose; it’s an experience you’ll never forget.