There's a horror book for every reader. But many times, the choices that horror lovers are offered are stereotypical: Vampires, zombies, and monsters.
Horror readers have nuanced taste. So, NoveList has combed the dark depths of the catacombs to bring you some rarer combinations that will scare your readers during this spooky season, or any time of the year. Because let’s face it… horror lovers read scary books year-round!
This list covers a range of ages, genres, and formats to terrify and delight.
Offbeat historical horror
Offbeat may not be a word that you typically associate with historical horror. But bizarre humor, unique personalities, and unconventional stories can work devilishly well when combined with a nice gothic atmosphere or a growing sense of unnamed dread hidden under stuffy Victorian norms. These four have a variety of settings and periods but are united in their oddity.
- A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny
- The Curse of Jacob Tracy by Holly Messinger
- Zombies of Byzantium by Sean Munger
- Anno Dracula by Johnny Alucard and Kim Newman
Whimsical horror
Something sadly missing from most horror is a good sense of whimsy. Not so here. Though usually reserved for fantasy fiction and fairy tales, these spooky tales can be fanciful and playful with the best of them. Come be charmed by a cursed circus or find delight in Cthulhu. You probably won’t regret it.
- Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero
- The Influence by Bentley Little
- By a Charm & a Curse by Jaime Questell
- Once Upon a Zombie by Billy Phillips
Witty apocalyptic comics
Sure you can fight off zombies, but can you do it with inventive language and cunning wit? These comics have both the substance and style to get you through the end of the world. Learn how to turn a phrase while surviving the end times, it just might save your life. How very droll.
- The Last Halloween. Book 1: Children by Abby Howard
- The End of the World by Don Hertzfeldt
- Solid State Tank Girl by Alan Martin
Upbeat horror
Is having your blood drained or your brain eaten really that bad? How about some gory service with a smile? Take a walk on the sunny side of the cemetery. These books are lighthearted and optimistic but with the horrible monsters you love. Put on your rose-tinted glasses and get spooky with it.
- The Devil and Winnie Flynn by Micol Ostow
- Brains: A Zombie Memoir by Robin Becker
- Zombies & Calculus by Colin Adams
Funny apocalyptic fiction
Who doesn’t find the end of the world a little humorous? Laugh in the face of danger and your own mortality. It’s not like you have a train to catch. They stopped running after the nuclear disaster.
We’re not even talking darkly humorous; we’re talking straight up laugh out loud comedy. So go get a drink that looks suspiciously like acid rain and prepare for a spit-take.
- In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
- Mood Swings by Frankie Barnet
- The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl by Melissa Keil
- Starseed R/Evolution: The Awakening by Dr. RIchard Horowitz
Christie Burwell is a Data Analyst/Taxonomist for NoveList. She is currently reading Butter by Asako Yuzuki. Her favorite oddball appeal combo is gossipy psychological suspense.
