Many of us, young and old, are obsessed with the new season of Stranger Things on Netflix, and as we wait for the second part to drop in July, here are some spooky sci-fi and horror titles that will transport imaginations to an alternate universe not unlike the Upside Down.

Mars Awakens by H.M. Waugh

Raised in rival colonies on Mars, each long ago abandoned by Earth, Dee and Holt have been brought up to hate even the idea of each other.

But when a mysterious object crash-lands on a far-flung plain, they are both sent to investigate and their fates intertwine. Together they must battle epic storms and deadly bio-clouds while unpicking the web of lies they have been told about their planet. Will their bond be strong enough to withstand the arrival of a mysterious invader that threatens to end life on Mars forever?

A brilliant sci-fi for readers age 10 and up.

Thornhill by Pam Smy

As she unpacks, Ella is irresistibly drawn to the big old house that she can see out of her window. Surrounded by overgrown gardens, barbed wire fences and ‘keep out’ signs, it looks derelict. But that night, a light goes on in one of the windows. And the next day she sees a girl in the grounds. The house has a story to tell. She is sure of it.

Enter Thornhill, Institute for Children, and discover the dark secrets that lie within. But once inside, will you ever leave? This is a scary illustrated story about a haunted house.

Suitable for ages 12 and up.

Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve

In this brilliantly imagined creation, the world of the Traction Era, mobile cities fight for survival in a post apocalyptic future. Young apprentice Tom Natsworthy and the murderous Hester Shaw are flung from the fast moving city of London into heart stopping adventures in the wastelands of the Great Hunting Ground.

Houses and cities that change places, young people thrown randomly into locations to fend for themselves. This first book in a four-book series is Stranger Things set in the future.

A thrilling read for ages 11 and up.

Don’t Turn out the Lights edited by Jonathan Mayberry

Flesh-hungry ogres. Brains full of spiders. Haunted houses you can’t escape. This collection of 35 terrifying stories from the Horror Writers Association has it all, including ghastly illustrations from Iris Compiet that will absolutely chill readers to the bone.

So turn off your lamps, click on your flashlights, and prepare - if you dare - to be utterly spooked!

Suitable for horror lovers aged 10 and up.

Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall

Once a year, a road appears in the forest. And at the end of it, the ghost of Lucy Gallows beckons. Lucy’s game isn’t for the faint of heart. If you win, you escape with your life. But if you lose…

Sara’s sister disappeared one year ago and only Sara knows where she is. Becca went to find the ghost of Lucy Gallows and is trapped on her road. When Sara and her skeptical friends meet in the forest to search for Becca, the mysterious road unfurls before them. But every mistake summons new horrors. Vengeful spirits and broken, angry creatures are waiting, and no one is safe.

A horror story for ages 14 and up.