Rec
Meddling Kids - Edgar Cantero: horror-comedy genre fusion, going for (as the title suggests) a grown-up Scooby Doo type thing, and does a surprisingly good job mixing that with a Lovecraftian style of horror
Universal Harvester - John Darnielle: deeply unsettling, kinda a character study, very confusing, but if you like The Mountain Goats (same John Darnielle!) it'll be hard to put down
Haunted - Chuck Palahniuk: I'll throw a trigger warning in front of this one, one of the most disturbing and disgusting things I've ever read. Combines short stories and an overarching narrative very well, but it is a tough read for sure
Skeleton Crew - Stephen King: His best short story/ novella collection, it's got "The Mist" and "The Monkey" (two of my favorites by him) and is just a great insight into his shorter-form storytelling
Universal Harvester - John Darnielle: deeply unsettling, kinda a character study, very confusing, but if you like The Mountain Goats (same John Darnielle!) it'll be hard to put down
Haunted - Chuck Palahniuk: I'll throw a trigger warning in front of this one, one of the most disturbing and disgusting things I've ever read. Combines short stories and an overarching narrative very well, but it is a tough read for sure
Skeleton Crew - Stephen King: His best short story/ novella collection, it's got "The Mist" and "The Monkey" (two of my favorites by him) and is just a great insight into his shorter-form storytelling
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5d ago
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Of course! Horror novels are great once you find the specific kind that works best for you! Happy reading!
5d ago
Related Recs
Rec
My favourite short stories tend to be creepy or magical. I think due to the necessary open-endedness of short stories, it lends itself most to mystery and magic.
Angela Carterās Bloody Chamber is a great classic creepy feminist story to start with. Carmen Maria Machadoās The Husband Stitch continued Carterās legacy Iām a HUGE Kelly Link fan, but her stuff is very strange so might not be for everyone, but my favourite of hers is probably The Specialistās hat or Skinderās Veil Shirley Jacksonās The Lottery is also a classic, and if you like creepy stories and want a good overview of writers in that genre, I recommend the collection āWhen Things Get Darkā, a collection inspired by the tone of Jacksonās work; it features Kelly link, Carmen Maria Machado, Joyce Carol Oates, and loads of contemporary short story writers. I discovered the story Tiptoe by Laird Barron through this and its possibly my favourite creepy short story, it sent full shivers down my spine in a way no other story had.
Angela Carterās Bloody Chamber is a great classic creepy feminist story to start with. Carmen Maria Machadoās The Husband Stitch continued Carterās legacy Iām a HUGE Kelly Link fan, but her stuff is very strange so might not be for everyone, but my favourite of hers is probably The Specialistās hat or Skinderās Veil Shirley Jacksonās The Lottery is also a classic, and if you like creepy stories and want a good overview of writers in that genre, I recommend the collection āWhen Things Get Darkā, a collection inspired by the tone of Jacksonās work; it features Kelly link, Carmen Maria Machado, Joyce Carol Oates, and loads of contemporary short story writers. I discovered the story Tiptoe by Laird Barron through this and its possibly my favourite creepy short story, it sent full shivers down my spine in a way no other story had.
May 22, 2024
Rec
The Doll-Maker and Other Tales of Horror, Black Dahlia and White Rose: Stories, The Corn Maiden and Other Nightmares. But my favorite which Iāve rec-ed before is Haunted: Tales of the Grotesque the titular story Haunted is so sick and twisted and I cry tears of fear every time I go back to read it (which I have multiple times). She has the most viscerally disturbing and discomfiting style and a unique ability to crawl under your skin, more so than any other horror author Iāve read and horror is not even typically her primary genre!!
Apr 20, 2024
Rec
āļøFrankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheusā The original Frankenstein story, written in 1818. Shelley started writing this when she was only 18, publishing it at 20. Itās a great, beautifully written horror story, and maybe the first novel ever in the sci-fi genre. It covered so much more ground than I was expecting it to.
Other books Iād call spooky:
The Black SpiderĀ by Jeremias Gotthelf: A spooky Swiss/German folktale novella about a haunted medieval village. Itās also old (1842) but you wouldnāt really know.
I recāed House of Leaves a little while ago, which is another, more contemporary and post-modern, horror story.
I wouldnāt call Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy primarily a scary story, but itās amazing and the final chapter is the most chilling passage of any book Iāve ever read.
I recāed House of Leaves a little while ago, which is another, more contemporary and post-modern, horror story.
I wouldnāt call Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy primarily a scary story, but itās amazing and the final chapter is the most chilling passage of any book Iāve ever read.
Sep 27, 2024
Top Recs from @haydenaugust
Rec
A website with a collection of screengrabs from nearly every movie you could think of, and you can sort by film title, director, cinematographer, year, genre, country, etc. Great for visual references for lookbooks, or just to discover a new film you might be interested in seeing!
I've attached one of my favorite stills, a great moment from Chungking Express (Dir. Wong Kar-Wai, 1994).
I've attached one of my favorite stills, a great moment from Chungking Express (Dir. Wong Kar-Wai, 1994).
Dec 30, 2024
Rec
At my local indie cinema for a projection of the new Nosferatu, infinitely grateful I have a place like this I can go to see new stuff and incredible programming!
Dec 25, 2024
Rec
Just going out and picking up any kind of used physical media (books, CDs, DVDs, cassette tapes) makes the archivist in me happy, like Iām preserving somebody elseās story/ enjoyment of something
My personal favorite thing is VHS tapes, Iāve got a decent collection (all thrifted) and theyāre usually the cheapest things offered
My personal favorite thing is VHS tapes, Iāve got a decent collection (all thrifted) and theyāre usually the cheapest things offered
Jan 3, 2025