recommended reading Archives

8 Surreal Books to Introduce You to Southwestern Gothic Horror - 438

An eight-book primer to the haunting genre of southwestern gothic horror, a roadmap to the strange, sinister places of the west. […]

December 22, 2022 Books

Photo by jana müller on Unsplash

11 Of Our Favorite Horror Collections And Anthologies From 2022

Posted on December 16, 2022 (January 5, 2024) by Sam Reader

2022 was an incredible year for horror short fiction–here are nine of the year’s best anthologies and single-author collections. […]

December 16, 2022 Books

In Breakable Things, Cassandra Khaw Creates a Modern Mythology

Posted on November 28, 2022 (January 3, 2024) by Sam Reader

Breakable Things, the new short story collection by Cassandra Khaw, is a book of modern myths–not in the sense that it updates older tales for the modern day, but in […]

November 28, 2022 Books

The Haunting of Camp Winter Falcon is Full of Sharp Teeth and Sharper Truths

Posted on November 4, 2022 (January 3, 2024) by Sam Reader

The Haunting of Camp Winter Falcon, a surreal cosmic horror story about an experimental treatment program for traumatized vets, is the most disturbing thing Jonathan Raab has written – and the best. […]

November 4, 2022 Books

Photo by david Griffiths on Unsplash

Short, Not Sweet: Five of the Creepiest Themed Anthologies of 2022

Posted on November 3, 2022 (January 5, 2024) by Gwendolyn Kiste

From classic monsters to horrifying colors, here are five of the best themed horror anthologies of 2022. […]

November 3, 2022 Books

Photo by Kyle Johnson on Unsplash

10 Slasher Novels to Send Off Summer Right

Posted on September 15, 2022 (January 5, 2024) by Sam Reader

Ten slasher novels both old and new, well-known and obscure, to keep your spine tingling all the way through spooky season. […]

September 15, 2022 Books

Photo by Gurvan Rolland from Pexels

Beneath the Ground and Under the Skin: Three Contemporary Novels That Reimagine the Gothic

Posted on August 11, 2022 (January 5, 2024) by Constance Cochran

How three contemporary novels–Mexican Gothic, Abigale Hall, and Leech–build new structures on traditional Gothic foundations. […]

August 11, 2022 Books

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

5 Perfect Readalikes for Your Favorite Horror Movie Subgenres

Posted on June 15, 2022 (January 4, 2024) by Nina Nesseth

Nightmare Fuel author Nina Nesseth suggests five novels to pair perfectly with five subgenres of horror movie, from The Bay to American Psycho. […]

June 15, 2022 Books, On Screen

Photo by Maria Stewart

Earthly Terrors: 9 International Novels of Translated Horror

Posted on June 13, 2022 (January 5, 2024) by Sam Reader

A starter selection of nine amazing horror novels from around the world and recently translated into English to start you off right. […]

June 13, 2022 Books

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

Bethany C. Morrow’s Thriller Cherish Farrah Gets Behind the Mask of Race and Class

Posted on May 31, 2022 (January 4, 2024) by Gabino Iglesias

Bethany C. Morrow’s thrilling novel of race and social status is a cerebral, gripping narrative of a very dark friendship. […]

May 31, 2022 Books

Photo by Nathan Wright on Unsplash

7 Books Featuring Hauntings That Don’t Require Houses

Posted on May 23, 2022 (January 5, 2024) by Sam Reader

Haunted houses tend to get all the glory, but any structure (or even object) can hold a spirit. These seven hauntings take us beyond the home. […]

May 23, 2022 Books

Photo by Danie Franco on Unsplash

Silver and Steel: Six Horror Books Featuring Elderly Protagonists

Posted on March 29, 2022 (January 5, 2024) by Sam Reader

Horror loves to focus on younger characters, but don’t discount the elderly–here are six books featuring older protagonists who’re more than capable of holding their own. […]

March 29, 2022 Books

Hellmouth Miniature from the Hours of Catherine of Cleves, Morgan Library & Museum | MS M.945, f. 107r

7 Medieval Horror Books For When You Need A Break From Elden Ring

Posted on March 17, 2022 (January 5, 2024) by Sam Reader

From the Plague to the Crusades, here are seven tales of medieval horror and dark fantasy for when you need a break after that thirtieth loss to the Serpent King. […]

March 17, 2022 Books

Photo by Todd Trapani on Unsplash

Only the Lonely: 13 Classic Works of Isolation Horror

Posted on March 3, 2022 (January 5, 2024) by Christopher Golden

Road of Bones author Christopher Golden picks 13 essential works of isolation horror, from foundational frights to modern terrors. […]

March 3, 2022 Books

Photo by Hans Isaacson on Unsplash

Scares Across America Part V: South Dakota to Washington D.C.

Posted on January 18, 2022 (January 4, 2024) by Nicole Hill

Travel across America with the fifth and final installation of our compendium of horror books set in every state of the union (plus Puerto Rico & Washington, D.C.). […]

January 18, 2022 Books

Photo by Nina Mercado on Unsplash

The Gift of Fear: 2021’s Best Gifts for Horror Fans

Posted on December 6, 2021 (January 4, 2024) by Emily Hughes

If you need the perfect gift for the horror reader in your life, these 30+ 2021 horror books will guarantee you champion gift-giver status. […]

December 6, 2021 Books, On Screen

Photo by Timo Wielink on Unsplash

Scares Across America Part IV: New Mexico to South Carolina

Posted on November 22, 2021 (January 3, 2024) by Nicole Hill

Travel across America with the fourth installation of our compendium of horror books set in every state of the union (plus Puerto Rico & Washington, D.C.). […]

November 22, 2021 Books

Photo by Michael Jasmund on Unsplash

10 Shorter, Sharper Stories For A Quick Hit of Horror

Posted on September 30, 2021 (January 5, 2024) by Sam Reader

Ten super-short horror stories to scare the shorts off you in four pages or less. […]

September 30, 2021 Books

Photo by Issy Bailey on Unsplash

Someone’s Definitely Home: 6 Unusual Haunted House Books

Posted on August 24, 2021 (January 5, 2024) by Nicole Hill

Six horror stories that defy all expectations about what a haunted house book should be. […]

August 24, 2021 Books

The Book of Accidents Cements Chuck Wendig’s Status as a Master of Horror

Posted on July 20, 2021 (January 3, 2024) by Sadie Hartmann

This book has two fucking prologues. Two. You may just want to stand back a few feet from this review, because it might get a little cussy and I tend […]

July 20, 2021 Books

Photo by Antonio Quagliata from Pexels

Scares Across America Part III: Massachusetts to New Jersey

Posted on July 19, 2021 (January 4, 2024) by Nicole Hill

Travel across America with the third installation of our compendium of horror books set in every state of the union (plus Puerto Rico & Washington, D.C.). […]

July 19, 2021 Books

Photo by David von Diemar on Unsplash

Real-Life Horror: 5 Fictional Horror Books Based on True Crime Stories

Posted on May 27, 2021 (January 5, 2024) by Gwendolyn Kiste

Five works of horror fiction inspired by terrifying true stories of crime, murder, and tragedy, from David Koresh to Lizzie Borden and beyond. […]

May 27, 2021 Books

Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels

Jobs From Hell: Five Works Of Horror About The Horror Of Work

Posted on April 30, 2021 (January 5, 2024) by Carrie Laben

Five horror books about jobs that just might kill you. Labor is entitled to all it produces, but sometimes, labor might say “nah, I’m good.” […]

April 30, 2021 Books

Photo by Patrik Felker from Pexels

Scares Across America Part II: Hawaii to Maryland

Posted on April 28, 2021 (January 4, 2024) by Nicole Hill

Travel across America with the second installation of our compendium of horror books set in every state of the union (plus Puerto Rico & Washington, D.C.). […]

April 28, 2021 Books

Photo by Heorhii Heorhiichuk from Pexels

They Never Asked to Be Born: Seven Teenage Terrors

Posted on April 7, 2021 (January 5, 2024) by Sam Reader

It’s hard being a teenager at the best of times, but at the worst, it’s downright horrifying. These seven books capture what a nightmare adolescence can be. […]

April 7, 2021 Books

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

5 New Books From Old Favorite Authors Coming This Year

Posted on March 25, 2021 (January 5, 2024) by Sam Reader

Yearning for new books from your favorite authors? Here are five books hitting shelves this year from Stephen King, Ramsey Campbell, and more. […]

March 25, 2021 Books

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

5 Witchy Horror Books to Bewitch Your Bookshelf

Posted on March 18, 2021 (January 5, 2024) by Gwendolyn Kiste

Whether you’re a good witch or a bad witch, these five witchy horror books will leave you with only one conundrum: witch one to read next. […]

March 18, 2021 Books

Scares Across America Part I: Alabama to Georgia

Posted on March 11, 2021 (January 4, 2024) by Nicole Hill

Travel across America with the first part in our our compendium of horror books set in every state of the union (plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.). […]

March 11, 2021 Books

6 Works of Horror Memoir True Enough to Be Terrifying

Posted on March 10, 2021 (January 5, 2024) by Sam Reader

These six books look at the ways in which horror influences and is influenced by our culture, our history, and ourselves. […]

March 10, 2021 Books

Photo by Zoltan Tasi on Unsplash

She Frightened Me With Science: 6 Sci-Fi Horror Novels

Posted on March 4, 2021 (January 9, 2024) by Sam Reader

Science fiction is so often optimistic, but these six sci-fi horror novels explore the genre’s darker side, from deep space to Arctic wastes and beyond. […]

March 4, 2021 Books

Death Valley, CA | Photo by Meriç Dağlı on Unsplash

Faith, Trauma, and Memory in The Children of Red Peak

Posted on March 3, 2021 (January 4, 2024) by Tonia Ransom

Craig DiLouie’s newest novel, The Children of Red Peak, is a cult horror story that digs deep into grief, survivor’s guilt, and the need for answers. […]

March 3, 2021 Books

Cover detail, The Dangers of Smoking in Bed

Mariana Enriquez’s Stories Echo with the Shrieks of Women

Posted on February 24, 2021 (January 4, 2024) by Nicole Hill

In her short stories, Mariana Enriquez acts as a doula for the grotesque and ghoulish, ushering into the world visions of horrors enacted upon and by women. […]

February 24, 2021 Books