Buzz
Wishing you a delightful autumn and a spine-chilling Halloween! As the weather cools and the nights stretch longer, it’s the perfect season to dive into the eerie world of horror tales. Tired of revisiting classics like The Shining or The Haunting of Hill House? Let’s spice things up with some unconventional horror picks that will haunt your dreams and have you double-checking your home security. Here are ten unique horror novels, graphic novels, and short story collections guaranteed to thrill any horror enthusiast.
10. Horrorstör—Grady Hendrix
Imagine an IKEA store haunted by vengeful spirits determined to make your night shift a living nightmare. Sound fascinating? Then Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix is a must-read. Designed to resemble an IKEA catalog, this novel features illustrations of sinister furniture pieces perfect for your worst nightmares. Highlights include the Ingalutt (a user-friendly waterboarding tool) and the Bodavest (a full-body restraint chair guaranteed to terrify your guests).
Following the structure of a traditional haunted house tale, Horrorstör stands out by setting its horrors in the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Employees arrive each morning to find destroyed goods, yet surveillance footage shows no signs of intruders. When three staff members agree to work the night shift to uncover the culprits, they encounter a growing nightmare filled with ghostly hands, suffocating spaces, and unnervingly eerie nursery furniture.
9. The Hollow Places—T. Kingfisher
If you’re familiar with T. Kingfisher (also known as Ursula Vernon), you’ll know her work is exceptional. Recently, she’s ventured into adult horror, delivering a perfect mix of the bizarre and terrifying. In The Hollow Places, Kingfisher masterfully blends the grotesque with humor, creating a captivating story with dynamic characters and settings that grow increasingly unsettling.
The tale follows Kara (nicknamed Carrot), a recently divorced woman who finds herself without a home. She moves in with her Uncle Earl and helps run his peculiar Museum of Wonder. When her uncle is hospitalized for knee surgery, Carrot is left in charge. Things take a strange turn when she and Simon, the barista next door, discover a hidden portal to another dimension—a world teeming with doors leading to unimaginable horrors. Expect shadowy creatures, eerie bunkers, and a collection of unsettling taxidermied animals.
1. The Southern Bookclub’s Guide to Slaying Vampires—Grady Hendrix
Yes, another Grady Hendrix masterpiece! It’s hard to find another author who crafts such unique and imaginative horror stories. In The Southern Bookclub’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, Hendrix brings to life a group of characters often overlooked outside of classics like Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias: high-strung Southern women.
Before you move on, don’t overlook this book. Do you enjoy stories featuring fierce elderly women who’d stop at nothing, even biting off an ear in your own backyard? Check. Curious about being locked in an attic with a known murderer after discovering a corpse in a suitcase? Check. How about graphic dismemberment? Check, from top to bottom!
In The Southern Bookclub’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, the worst fears of these mothers turn out to be all too real. Their true crime book club becomes the central hub for exposing the new man in town—who happens to be a vampire with a sinister appetite for children. But I’ve already said too much! Dive into this book yourself to discover one of the most unconventional horror novels available today.
7. A Taste for Monsters—Matthew J. Kirby
No list would be complete without a historical horror novel, especially given the grim realities of the late 19th century, where some people’s plumbing involved buckets tossed outside. But let’s not dwell on that. Matthew Kirby’s A Taste for Monsters is set in 1888 London, where Evelyn, the protagonist, struggles to find work after a disfiguring accident in a matchstick factory. (I’ll let you research the horrors of that era on your own.) She eventually becomes the caretaker for Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man, a real historical figure known for his severe deformities.
This isn’t just a dry historical account. A Taste for Monsters earns its place in the horror genre as the ghosts of Jack the Ripper’s victims begin haunting Evelyn and the Elephant Man. With tortured spirits and the looming threat of Jack the Ripper, this novel is chilling enough to keep you awake at night, yet it’s enriched by its unique characters and setting. If you enjoy horror with a touch of true crime and historical accuracy, this is a must-read.
6. Mexican Gothic—Silvia Moreno-Garcia
“These white men are dangerous!” Pocahontas’s father was absolutely correct. If only Noemí Taboada from Mexican Gothic had realized this before venturing to her cousin’s crumbling, isolated mansion in the heart of the Mexican countryside. As they say, experience is the best teacher, and she’s unlikely to repeat that mistake.
Mexican Gothic stands out as a uniquely quirky horror novel, blending eerie yet charismatic English antagonists, the fading allure of old wealth, and a mansion that might just turn you into a living puppet. As Noemí fights to save her cousin from a mysterious illness consuming the household, she’ll find that losing her sanity might have been simpler than facing the horrifying truth.
5. Ninth House—Leigh Bardugo
We’ve all heard about the ultra-wealthy and their secret occult societies. But what if you were a nobody—a former drug addict and witness to multiple murders—suddenly thrust into this hidden world? That’s exactly what happens to Alex Stern, the protagonist of Ninth House.
This marks the beginning of Alex’s unsettling journey at Yale, where she uncovers the connections between magic, ghosts, and the mysterious disappearance of her mentor, Darlington. These elements come together to address the haunting questions that have left her scarred. You’ll enjoy uncovering why Ninth House offers such a fresh and intriguing twist on quirky horror.
4. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown—Holly Black
In The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, vampires are no longer mythical beings but recognized citizens of the United States. The government’s solution? Confine them—along with troublesome humans—to a heavily fortified city. Simple, right? Not for Tana, the protagonist, who ends up trapped in Coldtown with her irritating ex-boyfriend and a mysterious, undeniably vampiric companion.
As the plot unfolds, we encounter a host of captivating side characters and witness the grotesque extravagance of Coldtown. This unique horror novel delivers plenty of bloodshed and suspense, culminating in a chilling climax that leaves you face-to-face with a deadly creature on the final page.
3. Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies—Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Do you adore Jane Austen’s timeless romances but crave a bit more gore? Then Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith is for you. Rediscover your love for Mr. Darcy as he and Elizabeth Bennet team up to fend off hordes of zombies threatening to ruin their afternoon tea. After all, nothing sets the mood for romance like the stench of decaying flesh.
This novel isn’t just a quirky twist on a classic—it’s pure fun. Picture Lady Catherine de Bourgh commanding an army of ninjas, characters retching at the slightest disturbance, and refined young women mastering martial arts under Chinese tutors. Don’t overanalyze it; just dive into the bloody chaos of Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies!
And if you ever have some spare cash, I highly recommend watching the movie adaptation of Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies. It’s arguably one of the worst films I’ve ever seen, yet it’s an absolute joy from start to finish.
2. Fangs—Sarah Anderson
While this graphic novel might not fit the traditional horror mold, stick with me. Fangs offers charming comic snapshots of a vampire-werewolf couple navigating life together. It’s a wonderfully original concept! Plus, vampires and werewolves are iconic figures in the horror genre, maintaining their eerie allure.
Immerse yourself in the lives of Elsie the vampire and Jimmy the werewolf as they navigate the challenges of living together, figure out what’s on the menu (and what’s not), and plan their future. This graphic novel cleverly plays on vampire and werewolf tropes, blending dark humor with charm to keep you laughing from start to finish.
1. Rags & Bones: New Twists on Timeless Tales—Various Authors
If you’re a fan of modern reinterpretations of classic literature and fairy tales, Rags and Bones is a must-read. This anthology features eighteen short stories by renowned authors like Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, and Tim Pratt. Spanning horror, fantasy, and dystopian fiction, it transforms timeless tales into fresh, inventive narratives that are almost unrecognizable from their origins.
For horror enthusiasts, don’t miss “That the Machine May Progress Eternally” by Carrie Ryan and “The Sleeper and the Spindle” by Neil Gaiman. These stories reimagine E.M. Forster’s “The Machine Stops” and the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, crafting eerie and original tales that will captivate any horror fan.
