Horror Lit - Books Reviews, News and Discussions

The best horror books of 2024 according to the Esquire (April 10)

• The House of Last Resort by Peter Straub
• This Wretched Valley by Lyndsey Kiefer
• Among the Living by Adam Nevill
• In the Valley of the Headless Men by Hernán Díaz
• The Haunting of Velkwood by Michael David Kiste
• Mouth by Paul Tremblay
• King Nyx by Christopher Golden
• The Angel of Indian Lake by Graham Joyce
• The Black Girl Survives in This One edited by Rion Amilcar Scott and Rebecca Roanhorse
• Bless Your Heart by Alyssa Maxwell
• Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by John LaRocca
• Diavola by Livia Llewellyn
• The Underhistory by Tessa Warren
• Incidents Around the House by Riley Sager (forthcoming

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/16605709

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle is a novella that reimagines H.P. Lovecraft's "The Horror at Red Hook" from the perspective of an African-American protagonist, Charles Thomas Tester, in 1920s Harlem. The story follows Tommy, a street hustler who navigates the city's racial tensions and occult circles while dealing with his own struggles and the looming threat of a catastrophic event.

People move to New York looking for magic and nothing will convince them it isn’t there.

Charles Thomas Tester hustles to put food on the table, keep the roof over his father’s head, from Harlem to Flushing Meadows to Red Hook. He knows what magic a suit can cast, the invisibility a guitar case can provide, and the curse written on his skin that attracts the eye of wealthy white folks and their cops. But when he delivers an occult tome to a reclusive sorceress in the heart of Queens, Tom opens a door to a deeper realm of magic, and earns the attention of things best left sleeping.

A storm that might swallow the world is building in Brooklyn. Will Black Tom live to see it break?”

Reviews

goodreads | bookjockeyalex.com | efsunland.com

Interview with Victor LaValle - article

The Ballad of Black Tom: A Love Letter to Eldritch Horror - video review

https://howlsociety.com/2023/11/12/6-horror-books-with-modern-takes-on-lovecraft/

His mythos has provided fertile, suspiciously luminescent ground for modern authors to use, reinterpret, and subvert.

titles:

• The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
• Providence by Alan Moore
• Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys
• Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff
• Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark
• Dreams from the Witch House: Female Voices of Lovecraftian Horror edited by Lynne Jamnek

The Sleep Experiment by Jeremy Bates is a novel that explores themes of human experimentation, ethics, and the consequences of playing with the fundamental human need for sleep.

The story begins with Dr. Wallis, a charismatic and wealthy professor, who is determined to recreate the Soviet sleep experiment of the 1950s. He hires two students, Penny Park and Guru Rampal, to assist him in the experiment. The two test subjects, Sharon and Chad, are kept awake for 21 days using a stimulant gas in a soon-to-be demolished building on campus. As the experiment progresses, the subjects begin to experience physical and mental deterioration, and the situation becomes increasingly chaotic.

Reviews

errantdreams.com | goodreads | hellnotes.com

Q&A with Jeremy Bates, Author of THE SLEEP EXPERIMENT

Inspired by the original creepypasta

https://bookriot.com/2023-stoker-award-winners-for-best-horror-and-dark-fantasy/

The Bram Stoker Award is a prestigious literary award presented annually by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) to recognize "superior achievement" in dark fantasy and horror writing.

Here are the 2023 Stoker Award Winners

• Superior Achievement in a Novel: The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
• Superior Achievement in a First Novel: The Daughters of Block Island by Christa Carmen
• Superior Achievement in a Middle Grade Novel: The Nighthouse Keeper by Lora Senf
• Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel: She Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran
• Superior Achievement in Long Fiction: Linghun by Ai Jiang
• Superior Achievement in Short Fiction: “Quondam” by Cindy O’Quinn
• Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection: Blood from the Air by Gemma Files
• Superior Achievement in an Anthology: Out There Screaming edited by Jordan Peele & John Joseph Adams
• Superior Achievement in Long Nonfiction: 101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered by Sadie Hartmann
• Superior Achievement in Short Nonfiction: “Becoming Ungovernable: Latah, Amok, and Disorder in Indonesia” by Nadia Bulkin (Unquiet Spirits: Essays by Asian Women in Horror)
• Superior Achievement in Poetry: On the Subject of Blackberries by Stephanie M. Wytovich
• Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel: Carmilla: The First Vampire by Amy Chu, art by Soo Lee
• Superior Achievement in a Screenplay: Godzilla Minus One

https://bookriot.com/new-horror-books-may-2024/

New Horror Books: May You Be Scared This May? Yes, You May

• The Z Word by Lindsay King-Miller
• The Supernatural Files of CJ Delaney by Carol Williams
• Ghostroots by ‘Pemi Aguda
• The House that Horror Built by Christina Henry
• Tales from Cabin 23: The Boo Hag Flex by Justina Ireland
• It Waits in the Forest by Sarah Dass
• Woodworm by Layla Martínez
• My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen
• You Like it Darker by Stephen King
• Flawless Girls by Anna-Marie McLemore

All the new horror books coming in 2024, featuring an array of slashers, ghosts, vampires, cults, monsters both human and otherwise, and all manner of nebulous eldritch terrors.

LINK

By Kenny Kimberly Published Apr 29, 2024

Since the Night of the Living Dead, zombies have captured the imagination of readers, film lovers, and everyone in between. Horror novels in particular frequently feature these sorts of monsters, with causes varying between the heat of the moon, supernatural curses, necromancy, and modern-day viruses. With such a varied genre, there's always something for every reader.

But how can you find a zombie horror novel that cuts through the chaff? And what constitutes a zombie in the first place, given that the idea of them is so varied? If you're looking for some horror novels that feature zombies as a primary force, this is the list for you. Here are our suggestions for some of the best horror novels that feature zombies.

cross-posted from: https://social.horrorhub.club/users/stina_marie/statuses/112321667483824853

My #bookreview is brief/won't spoil, to spread good, great, & spectacular #horror #books far & wide.

The family trauma that pervades THE DAY OF THE DOOR is horrifying enough, but coupled with the intensely creepy events that occur, this story encapsulates "HORROR" in a masterful, terrifying way. Laurel Hightower has written a beautifully dark story about the Things that haunt our hearts. (Ghoulish Books)

#book #review #bookstodon @bookstodon #mothersuspiriareview @horror@a.gup.pe @horrorbooks@a.gup.pe

Teatro Grottesco (Italian for Theatre of the Grotesque) is a collection of short stories by American horror author Thomas Ligotti. This is his fifth collection, containing tales written throughout his career. The book was first published in 2006.

• Purity - A boy moves to a new neighborhood with his disturbed family and learns of his father's strange "principles".

• The Town Manager - A small town descends into absurd insanity when a new "town manager" arrives.

• Sideshow, and Other Stories - A struggling author meets an older, wiser author and reads his strange works.

• The Clown Puppet - A man experiences consistent "visits" from a supernatural marionette.

• The Red Tower - The narrator tells of the history of a horrific factory.

• My Case for Retributive Action - A new employee uncovers a strange conspiracy at his office.

• Our Temporary Supervisor - In a small factory, a new, uncanny supervisor is sent by corporate.

• In a Foreign Town, In a Foreign Land - Various tales are told of the strange town from across the border.

• Teatro Grottesco - Various members of the local art community discuss the arrival of the deranged "teatro".

• Gas Station Carnivals - An ill man discusses strange memories with an odd acquaintance.

• The Bungalow House - A librarian discovers an audiotape art-piece and becomes obsessed with meeting its creator.

• Severini - A man with many creative friends is pushed to meet the eccentric Severini.

• The Shadow, the Darkness - Many people are brought to the strange town of Crampton for reasons unknown.

Thomas Ligotti is a contemporary American horror author and reclusive literary cult figure. His writings, while unique in style, have been noted as major continuations of several literary genres—most prominently Lovecraftian horror—and have overall been described as works of "philosophical horror", often written as philosophical novels with a "darker" undertone which is similar to gothic fiction. The Washington Post called him "the best kept secret in contemporary horror fiction"; another critic declared "It's a skilled writer indeed who can suggest a horror so shocking that one is grateful it was kept offstage."

books |

newyorker article - The horror of the unreal

Thomas Ligotti’s Uncanny Horror and the Future of Holocaust Fiction

Once there were four Lasco siblings banded together against a world that failed to protect them. But on a hellish night that marked the end of their childhood, eldest brother Shawn died violently after being dragged behind closed doors. Though the official finding was accidental death, Nathan Lasco knows better, and has never forgiven their mother, Stella. Now two decades later, Stella promises to finally reveal the truth of what happened on The Day of the Door. Accompanied by a paranormal investigative team, the Lasco family comes together one final time, but no one is prepared for the revelations waiting for them on the third floor.

goodreads | Author website | book review

"The Day of the Door by Laurel Hightower is a sparking crucible of family strife from its brutal opening scene to its shocking end. Three adult children, whose lives have been shattered by the trauma of their brother's death, finally get to confront the person responsible: their mother Stella. But that isn't the whole story, is it? The Day of the Door is a propulsive, often terrifying read that diced my nerve endings. Take a deep breath before you dive in because Hightower always holds you under." - Chris Panatier, author of The Redemption of Morgan Bright and The Phlebotomist

The Ruins is a 2006 horror novel by American author Scott Smith, set on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

Trapped in the Mexican jungle, a group of friends stumble upon a creeping horror unlike anything they could ever imagine. Two young couples are on a lazy Mexican vacation–sun-drenched days, drunken nights, making friends with fellow tourists. When the brother of one of those friends disappears, they decide to venture into the jungle to look for him. What started out as a fun day-trip slowly spirals into a nightmare when they find an ancient ruins site . . . and the terrifying presence that lurks there.

Goodreads | BookBrowse | Article review | January Magazine

The story is also been adapted in the 2008 film The Ruins directed by Carter Smith. That goes without saying, the book is way better.

This Wretched Valley by Jenny Kiefer is a gripping survival horror novel that follows the story of four climbers who venture into the Kentucky wilderness to explore an untouched cliff face. The novel takes a dark turn when seven months later, three bodies are discovered in various states of decay, with one climber, Dylan, still missing. The plot unfolds with a mix of suspense, violence, and psychological exploration as the characters face dire situations in the isolated and unsettling forest setting. Despite the gruesome discoveries and warnings from locals, the climbers press on, leading to a chilling and mysterious narrative that keeps readers on edge. Jenny Kiefer's debut novel has been praised for its atmospheric writing, character development, and ability to immerse readers in a tale that blurs the lines between reality and horror

goodreads | npr - Interview article | libraryjournal - article

Extract

What baffled them was the skeleton. The other bodies were weird, but they couldn’t figure out the fucking skeleton. Just bones, no soft tissue: Not one scrap of skin left. No sinews, no rotting brain, no nothing. The bones were arranged together, each one of the two hundred six in its place, a kneecap hidden by new fall leaves. Had the group resorted to cannibalism? It was one of the early guesses. But even that did not seem to fit. The bones wouldn’t be so clean, arranged perfectly, as if they belonged to a knocked - over classroom display, sans bolts. There were no scorch marks, no scratches or other signs of instruments, and surely any form of cannibalism that left such a pristine skeleton behind would have required at the very least a blade to peel the flesh. And besides, the group had been experienced hikers. (...)

>

David H. Keller (full name David Henry Keller; December 23, 1880 – July 13, 1966) was a writer for pulp magazines in the mid-twentieth century known for his science fiction, fantasy and horror stories. He was also a licensed psychiatrist who served with the U.S. Army Medical Corps during World Wars I and II and also served as the Assistant Superintendent of the Louisiana State Mental Hospital at Pineville for a time. In 1929, Keller was first published as a writer of speculative fiction in Hugo Gernsback’s Science Wonder Stories, where his fiction proved noteworthy for its high quality and intelligent mindset. His background as a psychiatrist often informed his writing, as it does with this story, “The Thing in the Cellar,” a classic story of something lurking in the darkness. We’re delighted to feature this story as part of our 12 Days of Monsters. - The Editors

The Thing in the Cellar- text

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/6788275

The novel’s central character, Holly Gibney, a middle-aged private investigator, has featured in other recent crime fiction by King. As well as forming part of crime-solving teams in the Mr. Mercedes trilogy (2014-2016) and The Outsider (2018), she appears in the first novella of the collection If It Bleeds (2020) – a story which, according to King in an Author’s Note appended to Holly, presents in miniature the plot of this substantial new volume.

Weird Tales is an American fantasy and horror fiction pulp magazine founded by J. C. Henneberger and J. M. Lansinger in late 1922. The first issue, dated March 1923, appeared on newsstands February 18.[1] The first editor, Edwin Baird, printed early work by H. P. Lovecraft, Seabury Quinn, and Clark Ashton Smith

For example: Weird Tales v28 n04 [1936-11]

386 • Witch-House • [Jules de Grandin] • novelette by Seabury Quinn

495 • Pickman's Model • (1927) • shortstory by H. P. Lovecraft

LINK - October is for Horror Fans! Here are 8 Scarily Good New Releases

• Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror, edited by Jordan Peele and John Joseph Adams
• A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand
• The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey
• Frost Bite by Angela Sylvaine
• Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt
• Christmas and Other Horrors: An Anthology of Solstice Horror, edited by Ellen Datlow
• Nestlings by Nat Cassidy
• The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

First, I just want to say I am in no affiliated with Horrorsmith Publishing, any of their authors, or any other authors in general. I'm not even an author myself. This is not a paid advertisement. But of the mods still feel it doesn't belong, I understand. I just wanted to give a heads up.

Recently I guess Anazon had some sort of Stuff Your Kindle Event. They had a ton of free books people could claim. I missed it, but it sounds like it was largely romance novels, and a few other things hidden in there. And it was also mostly unknown authors, so it's one of those things where no one is sure how much is even worth reading.

However, there wasn't much horror, so Horrorsmith Publishing is hosting their own event, and encouraging others to join. It's gonna take place on Halloween, and it sounds like there will be a ton of free books. Maybe they will just be on sale. Unfortunately details are sparse. Hopefully more will come out. But even if it is just a sale, I'll likely take advantage of it and support some smaller authors.

Also, it was being weird with me trying to post a link, but you can just go to spookyourkindle.com I personally just have a tab open so I don't forget or anything.

I listened to the audiobook on Libby and found I could only during the day. It didn’t help much since this was very much daytime horror. Small town, animal farm like horror, pig revenge. Highly recommend.

The Ritual by Adam Nevill

When four old University friends set off into the Scandinavian wilderness of the Arctic Circle, they aim to briefly escape the problems of their lives and reconnect with one another. But when Luke, the only man still single and living a precarious existence, finds he has little left in common with his well-heeled friends, tensions rise. With limited experience between them, a shortcut meant to ease their hike turns into a nightmare scenario that could cost them their lives. Lost, hungry, and surrounded by forest untouched for millennia, Luke figures things couldn't possibly get any worse. But then they stumble across an old habitation. Ancient artifacts decorate the walls and there are bones scattered upon the dry floors. The residue of old rites and pagan sacrifice for something that still exists in the forest. Something responsible for the bestial presence that follows their every step. As the four friends stagger in the direction of salvation, they learn that death doesn't come easy among these ancient trees.

book-review

The story is also been adapted in the 2017 film The Ritual directed by David Bruckner. But i personally find the novel way more terrifying.

House of Leaves by ~~Mark Z. Danielewski~~ | ~~Johnny Truant~~ | Zampanò

One man’s discovery that his new family home is larger on the inside than the outside, by one inch. When a mysterious doorway appears, leading to a maze of smooth, ash-grey walls, Will Navidson – the house’s owner, a Pulitzer prize-winning photojournalist – goes in to investigate. The Navidson Record, his film of these explorations, becomes the intense focus of a blind man called Zampanò, who writes about the footage with lengthy, academic precision. When Zampanò is found dead in his apartment, troubled tattoo artist Johnny Truant discovers his notes and inherits the fixation. As Truant becomes increasingly obsessed with the story, so too does the reader.

'House of Leaves' is a terrifying masterpiece

'House of Leaves changed my life': the cult novel at 20

Review & articles

Review list

Goodreads - A spread of great cosmic horror books, including both short fiction collections and anthologies and novels/novellas. Focus particularly on contemporary stories and settings.

Welcome to this week's Weekly Thread! This time around, our topic is:

What Books Live Up to the Hype?

Whether you heard about it from BookTok, a trusted friend, or a Buzzfeed listicle, what book lived up to or even surpassed the hype surround it?

For me, it would have to be Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman. Reddit was crazy about this book, so I gave it a try and absolutely loved it. I now have a Medieval Horror itch that I keep trying to scratch.

What about you?

For me it’s hard to say for sure, because my scariest book wasn’t meant as horror, but Communion by Whitley Streiber is definitely responsible for the most sleepless hours.

My favourite horror story (more like a series of stories) to come out of r/nosleep. I feel it deserves Its place here. I specially love the protagonist, she's a well written competent and brave woman that is also just a human confronting the supernatural. Greatly recommended.