recommended reading Archives - Tor Nightfire

8 Surreal Books to Introduce You to Southwestern Gothic Horror

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

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December 22, 2022 Books

11 Of Our Favorite Horror Collections And Anthologies From 2022

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

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December 16, 2022 Books

In Breakable Things, Cassandra Khaw Creates a Modern Mythology

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 Read More » […]

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November 28, 2022 Books

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

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. […]

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November 4, 2022 Books

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

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

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November 3, 2022 Books

10 Slasher Novels to Send Off Summer Right

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

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September 15, 2022 Books

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

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

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August 11, 2022 Books

5 Perfect Readalikes for Your Favorite Horror Movie Subgenres

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

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June 15, 2022 Books, On Screen

Earthly Terrors: 9 International Novels of Translated Horror

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

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June 13, 2022 Books

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

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

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May 31, 2022 Books

7 Books Featuring Hauntings That Don’t Require Houses

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. […]

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May 23, 2022 Books

Silver and Steel: Six Horror Books Featuring Elderly Protagonists

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. […]

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March 29, 2022 Books

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

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. […]

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March 17, 2022 Books

Only the Lonely: 13 Classic Works of Isolation Horror

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

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March 3, 2022 Books

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

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.). […]

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January 18, 2022 Books

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

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. […]

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December 6, 2021 Books, On Screen

Scares Across America Part IV: New Mexico to South Carolina

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.). […]

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November 22, 2021 Books

10 Shorter, Sharper Stories For A Quick Hit of Horror

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

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September 30, 2021 Books

Someone’s Definitely Home: 6 Unusual Haunted House Books

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

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August 24, 2021 Books

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

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 Read More » […]

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July 20, 2021 Books

Scares Across America Part III: Massachusetts to New Jersey

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.). […]

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July 19, 2021 Books

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

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

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May 27, 2021 Books

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

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.” […]

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April 30, 2021 Books

Scares Across America Part II: Hawaii to Maryland

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.). […]

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April 28, 2021 Books

They Never Asked to Be Born: Seven Teenage Terrors

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. […]

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April 7, 2021 Books

5 New Books From Old Favorite Authors Coming This Year

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

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March 25, 2021 Books

5 Witchy Horror Books to Bewitch Your Bookshelf

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. […]

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March 18, 2021 Books

Scares Across America Part I: Alabama to Georgia

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.). […]

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March 11, 2021 Books

6 Works of Horror Memoir True Enough to Be Terrifying

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

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March 10, 2021 Books

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

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. […]

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March 4, 2021 Books

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

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. […]

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March 3, 2021 Books

Mariana Enriquez’s Stories Echo with the Shrieks of Women

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. […]

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February 24, 2021 Books

In Cynthia Pelayo’s Children of Chicago, A City’s Darkness Shines

In Children of Chicago, Cynthia Pelayo has written a horrifying true crime fairy tale grounded in Chicago’s criminal past. […]

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February 10, 2021 Books

The Route of Ice and Salt is a Vampire Classic Back From the Dead

José Luis Zárate’s queer Dracula novella, The Route of Ice and Salt, is available in English for the first time–here’s why you should read it. […]

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January 20, 2021 Books

The 10 Best Horror Poetry Collections of 2020

2020 was a bad year in many respects, but a great year for horror poetry – here are some of the best collections. […]

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January 12, 2021 Books

The Blade Between Puts A Human Face on Gods And Monsters

The Blade Between, Sam J. Miller’s relentless new novel, offers a much-needed fresh spin on the gothic, folk horror, and horror-noir genres. […]

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December 21, 2020 Books

The Best Horror of the Year Volume Twelve is a No-Skips Anthology

Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror of the Year Volume Twelve continues to deliver, with phenomenal short horror fiction from 22 talented authors. […]

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December 18, 2020 Books

Secret Santa Gives the Greatest Gifts of All: Christmas Horror and ‘80s Nostalgia

Andrew Shaffer’s Secret Santa is a delightful horror comedy set in the 80s publishing scene. […]

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December 14, 2020 Books

This Woman’s Work: 7 Works of Feminist Horror

Seven novels, anthologies, and short story collections celebrating feminist horror from women writers the world over. […]

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December 9, 2020 Books

We Hear Voices Plots an Eerie Pandemic Mystery

Evie Green’s debut novel, We Hear Voices, is an unsettling blend of mystery, social drama, creepy kids, and pandemic thriller. […]

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December 8, 2020 Books