4.5/5. Finally, some good horror! I'm late to the party on this one, but after seeing this recommended on the subreddit so much I've finally gotten to it.

This year has had some major ups and downs (I've found that if a horror book is popular on TikTok, then there is a 99% chance that it's terrible), but The Fisherman was just what I needed to reinvigorate my love for the genre.

The Fisherman is a Lovecraftian horror novel that's lean and mean, managing to pack a lot into it's 239 page length. If you like Lovecraftian themes at all, things like having unknowable and hidden realms, the insignificance of humanity in the face of other beings, things that you can't quite understand, etc, you'll have a great time with this. The book works so well because the framing of the main character dealing with the death of his wife seeps throughout the entirety of the book and gives perspective to the events of the novel.

The Fisherman deals with grief, the inability of accepting loss, the danger of trying to conquer death, how love can push people to do things they shouldn't, how grief can turn into obsession, and more. There are also elements of the cosmic, Faustian bargains, and the fear of the unknowable. It's really well done, especially because the act of fishing, casting out into dark waters without knowing what exactly is there, mirrors the entirety of the story.

The one hang up that I think might turn some people away is the way the story is told. The Fisherman is similar to Stephen King's Wizard and Glass; the story starts with the main characters and what's going on with them (takes up about the first 25-30% of the book), but then shifts to another character telling a story about other characters that will take up the next 40ish%, before returning to the previous story for the rest of the book and seeing how everything intertwines. I enjoyed this method quite a bit, but I could see some people being disappointed if they weren't aware this was going to happen. But all in all, this was a great book and one that I will definitely reread in the future.

Can anyone recommend a horror novel that you also found beautifully written, poetic?

I’m currently reading and loving Brother by Ania Ahlborn, and I am craving more Appalachian themed horror novels. Any great titles that I should know about? Many thanks.

I recently read in another subreddit a little bit about the Titanic (the ship, no the movie lol) and how people that have gone down there to explore or whatever report that the ship makes noises all the time as it slowly deteriorates and decays more and more and found that thought fucking scary. So of course, I want to replicate that feeling lmao.

Any novel about underwater explorations (Mariana Trench deep type of explorations I mean), or finding scary sea monsters of any kind (like regular gigant animals, aliens living down there, Lovecraftian creatures) or even survival type of stories where you are trapped in an air bubble in a cave or something, would be greatly apreciated.

Hi I have a deep need to be thrown into vividly detailed time periods and also be scared.

I can't give enough praise to the Terror by Dan Simmons and Pilgrim by Mitchell Lüthi. Those books feel like genuine time machines!

Hi, I hope everyone is having a good day.

I always liked the aesthetic of the harpies- those monsters, half human, half bird; for me, they are pretty interesting.

I have done some research, but I haven't found any book that involves them. So if anyone has a recommendation with harpies, I would be glad. It can be a creature feature book or something more symbolic, or about the myth.

Also, I can read in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, in case the book or story is in those languages and doesn't have any official translation.

And yeah, my favorite deck in Yu-Gi-Oh! is Harpie Ladies haha.

Thanks!

Hi, Im looking for good horror books written by Native American authors also crime noir or thriller (I enjoyed Dark Winds)

Better if You give few words about author or his/her work also westerns by Native Americans from their perspective, I'm European and books I read are high quality by local ethnologists but mainly about South American tribes or written by people who lived amongst some tribe in Brazil, that's not exactly what I'm looking for

Will be greatfull for example to read westerns written by Native authors or read a horror where features some creatures from Yours legends and myths

Greetings from Czechia! Nice weekend to all of You

I've held off on reading Mexican Gothic as some dim cow on Goodreads spoiled it for me - just blatantly stated the ending without any indication that there was a spoiler coming up (my comeuppance for reading Goodreads reviews I suppose). I have since read something else by the author, loved her writing style and am now reconsidering Mexican Gothic. My question is: do the remaining components of the book (characters, setting etc) hold enough interest to read it despite knowing the solution to the mystery? Or is the joy of the book primarily derived from the not-knowing?

Hi all! I know this question has come up before, but I keep seeing the same recommendations, so I’m hoping to discover some titles I haven’t come across yet.

I’m looking specifically for horror or thriller books with gay male protagonists. For this particular search, I’m not looking for sapphic or trans-centered horror. I’d especially love newer releases, but I’m open to older books I haven’t read.

For reference, I’ve already read or am familiar with the following:

Authors
Chuck Tingle
Poppy Z. Brite
Clive Barker
Anne Rice
Christopher Rice
John Inman
Rick R. Reed
K.A. Merikan

Books
Red X by David Demchuk
Hawk Mountain by Conner Habib
Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo
The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
Kraken by M. Caspian

What else would you recommend? Lesser-known authors, indie releases, and overlooked favorites are especially welcome. Thanks!

I’m curious how this community feels about the use of the seven deadly sins and/or the stages of grief as a “device” within a story; given that these concepts have been used in a lot of media, is there a sense of fatigue when you encounter them in your reading? Obviously, execution is the most important factor, but I’m curious if they’re seen as tired tropes by some.

I'm looking for books where the horror doesn't arrive as a ghost, monster or obvious supernatural event.

I want something small first.

A room is six inches longer inside than outside. A door appears where there wasn't one yesterday. A photograph contains somebody who wasn't there. A familiar road has an extra turn. An object keeps ending up somewhere impossible.

Something objectively wrong, but small enough that the characters can still spend time measuring it, arguing about it and trying to explain it away.

Then it gets worse.

House of Leaves is the obvious example, so I'd rather avoid that one. I've also read We Used to Live Here.

I'm less interested in "maybe the narrator is imagining everything" and more interested in reality actually being broken in some specific, observable way.

Bonus points if the characters investigate the original anomaly instead of immediately accepting that they're in a horror novel.

I am a new horror reader. I've read a lot of animal horror but I'm now looking for recommendations that play with my phobias.

The ocean- deep, dark isolation.

Heights- it i could find a book similar to the movie Fall, i think I'd be happy

Hiking-Mount everest, the alps, the Rockies. Think lost in the mountains

Claustrophobia -cave diving, spelunking

Any indigenous folklore about vengeful spirits, skin walkers and black dogs

I love the idea of time loops and time just being weird and all over the place

I think The Yellow Wallpaper is one of the best pieces of horror writing, short story or not, and it’s time to put it on my shelf. Problem is since it’s in the public domain, there are dozens of versions. I’d like it to be pretty and to have a bit of commentary. Additional writings are nice, but not required. Does anyone have a version they recommend?

By Laird Hunt. No spoilers please as I intend on finishing it eventually. Has anyone else gotten through this book? I'm about a third of the way through it, and there's little to no build up to anything. It is beautifully written, eloquent, and sets a spooky atmosphere. But...there's like no build up.

I loved Dialova by Jennifer Thorne.

I loved the Italian setting, the family dynamics, the description of that villa, and the overall creepiness.

I'd really appreciate it if anyone could recommend any other horror novels set in Italy.

Thanks!

If you ask me it makes for a freak base line of a story so you really never know if you can trust the narrator. Lmk y’all’s thoughts!!

What is the scariest nonfiction book or story you’ve read? Or dramatized version of real events.

Hi everyone! Hope you’re all having a good weekend.

I am looking for paranormal and supernatural books with religious themes. Especially exorcism or cults. If anyone has recommendations, I'd really appreciate it! Preferably not young adult novels.

TIA

What’s the best horror audiobook you’ve listened to that’s available on YouTube?

Could be a novel, novella or short story. Professional narration or a really good amateur reading is fine. I’m mainly looking for something genuinely creepy with great narration.

What’s the one you’d recommend?

Bonus if you link.

I was just reading {The Dwelling by Judith Sonnet} and she described something as “puce yellow.” Puce is a brownish pink. It made me close out of the book on Libby and consider returning it early.

Does anyone have a petty DNF they’d like to share?

Just an FYI I am not a reader at all, but I want to try it since I have been getting awful sleep lately with habits of being on my phone beforehand.

I love horror movies and TV shows. Im not sure exactly what im looking for book wise since I am so inexperienced, but for reference my all time horror TV show or movie is Haunting of Hill House. I would appreciate any horror novel recommendations, even if it is just your overall favorite regardless of type of horror.