Kristian Wilson Colyard grew up weird in a one-caution-light town in the Appalachian foothills. She now lives in an old textile city with her husband and their clowder of cats. She’s on Twitter @kristianwriting, and you can find more of her work online at kristianwriting.com.
Oh, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Whether you love it or hate it, this campy musical has had its Transylvanian claws around the hearts of queer kids and misfits the world over. Now, Rocky Horror is turning 50, and we’re here to look back on its enduring popularity — and give you a list of must-read books for fans of Richard O’Brien’s cult classic.
Rocky Horror began life as The Rocky Horror Show, a stage musical, which premiered at London’s Royal Court Theatre in June 1973. In it, Tim Curry originated the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter — the “sweet transvestite from transsexual Transylvania.” It was a role he would go on to reprise in the Los Angeles stage production in 1974, on Broadway in 1975, and in the film. The Rocky Horror Picture Show premiered in London in August 1975, and in the U.S. the following month. And so, a cult classic was born.
Over the last 50 years, thousands, if not millions, of people have seen Rocky Horror at midnight movie screenings, often accompanied by a shadow cast: actors who dress up as the characters and act out the film as it plays in the background. It’s been a touchstone for queer kids and other outcasts drawn to its campy, gothic style. The BBC calls it “the film that’s saved lives.” And it continues to endure today.
Below are eight books all Rocky Horror fans should read ASAP.
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Shiver With Anticcccc-ipation: Rocky Horror at 50
We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film by Tre’vell Anderson
Hailed as “a personal history of trans visibility since the beginning of moving images,” We See Each Other should be at the top of any Rocky Horror fan’s TBR. In it, Tre’vell Anderson contextualizes seminal trans films like Rocky Horror, walking readers through the history of trans representation on screen.
Absolute Pleasure: Queer Perspectives on Rocky Horror, edited by Margot Atwell
27 queer writers — including Sarah Gailey, Carmen Maria Machado, and Madeline Visaggio — came together to produce Absolute Pleasure: a collection of essays exploring Rocky Horror‘s relevance to queer communities today. Does the outdated language in “Sweet Transvestite” undermine Rocky Horror‘s contemporary appeal, or is the film still as empowering today?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Stephen Chbosky’s 2009 YA novel may well be where a generation of kids first learned of the existence of Rocky Horror. Here, Charlie and his friends gather together to form their own shadow cast for the film, which plays in the backdrop of his letters — letters that explore sex and sexuality, drugs, and growing up.
Vagabond by Tim Curry
Obviously, we have to include Vagabond on the list. Tim Curry’s long-awaited memoir traces his life from his childhood in Plymouth to today. The book takes readers behind the scenes of Curry’s most recognizable roles, including Dr. Frank-N-Furter, Pennywise the Dancing Clown, and Spamalot‘s King Arthur.
Savage Blooms by S.T. Gibson
The first book in a planned trilogy, Savage Blooms follows will-they-or-won’t-they couple, Adam and Nicola, who find themselves waylaid on a trip to Scotland and wind up at an eccentric kinkster’s manor house. Sound familiar?
The Ghosts of Gwendolyn Montgomery by Clarence A. Haynes
This campy ghost story centers on the eponymous Gwendolyn, who learns from an old friend that the veil between the worlds of the living and the dead is thinning. But as secrets from her past begin to pop up in truly grisly ways, Gwendolyn must face the skeletons in her closet before it’s too late.
Strange Bedfellows by Ariel Slamet Ries
Living on a terraformed planet in the deep reaches of space, trans dropout Oberon Afolayan isn’t having a great time. But when he wakes up with the ability to conjure dreams into reality, it seems as though his life might be turning around. Enter Kon: Oberon’s high-school crush, now his spirit guide to his newfound powers. Oberon might be falling in love with his — literal — dream boy, but Kon has secrets he isn’t sharing… ones that could derail Oberon’s life.
House of Frank by Kay Synclaire
Finally, there’s House of Frank, a cozy book with perhaps the most fitting name for this list. In it, a witch who has lost her powers searches for a way to carry out her late sister’s final wish, and winds up finding the family she didn’t know she needed. It’s warm and welcoming, and if Rocky Horror is your comfort movie, you need to read it.
Want more Rocky Horror Picture Show-adjacent content? Check out this podcast episode and this retrospective on The Worst Witch.
English (US) · 