Book Review: The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones ‘The Only Good Indians’ by Stephen Graham Jones was released in 2020. It is one of his more recent works of fiction. The book is Own Voices, and follows a group of men who killed a group of elk in the lead-up to Thanksgiving tenContinueContinue reading
Tag Archives: horrorfiction
Book Review: Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw ‘Nothing But Blackened Teeth’ by Cassandra Khaw was released in 2021. It is a short story which follows a group of friends who have trespassed on a haunted mansion in Japan to look for ghosts. The story follows Cat and her friends, who decided that theyContinueContinue reading
‘A Dowry Of Blood’ by S. T. Gibson was released in 2021. It was her third book. The novel is vaguely epistolary, a long, poetic love letter to the late Count Dracula, written after his untimely demise. It explored the complex feelings of Count Dracula’s first bride, Constanta, from her first death and rebirth into vampirism in Romania, and how her immortal life was, living under his thumb.
Book Review: Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke ‘Sour Candy’ by Kealan Patrick Burke was released in 2015. It is a short supernatural horror novella. It follows Phil Pendleton, who, after being faced by a bedraggled woman and her screaming child in the candy aisle of ‘Walmart’, was rear-ended by the very same woman, withContinueContinue reading
‘The Mist’ is one of Stephen King’s novellas, first published 1980. This short story delves into a more eldritch take on horror, whilst also delving into what makes a monster. It looks at one of my favourite areas of niche media; ones that delve into the possibilities of deep, horrific, government orchestrated creations being inadvertently unleashed, and the horrible atrocities that could commence.
Book Review: Guillotine by Delilah S. Dawson ‘Guillotine’ by Delilah S. Dawson was published in 2024. It is a short story that explores the super-rich and exclusivity of it through grotesque and visceral horror. The horror in this book was harrowing and intimate in a variety of ways and was incredibly interesting to look into.ContinueContinue reading
Book Review: Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power Version 1.0.0 ‘Burn Our Bodies Down’ by Rory Power was published in YEAR. It is a YA horror novel which depicts generational trauma as a creature that is festering underground. This book follows Margot, a seventeen-year-old girl who lives with her single mother, estranged from theContinueContinue reading
Book Review: The Lamb by Lucy Rose ‘The Lamb’ by Lucy Rose was published in 2025. It is Rose’s debut novel and explores the idea of love through the lens of cannibalism thematically. This book can be rather grotesque, and while, in my opinion, this gruesome description could have been used more consistently throughout theContinueContinue reading
Book Review: Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White ‘Hell Followed With Us’ by Andrew Joseph White was released in 2022. It was his debut novel and it took the world by storm, telling a compelling, visceral story about trauma, anguish, repression, religion, and queerness. The story follows Benji, a trans man who hasContinueContinue reading
Book Review: I Feed Her To The Beast And The Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea Version 1.0.0 ‘I Feed Her To The Beast And The Beast Is Me’ by Jamison Shea was released in 2023. It was a heartbreaking, powerful story about institutionalised racism, ambition and determination. The story follows seventeen-year-old Laure, a ballerinaContinueContinue reading
Book Review: The Changing Man by Tomi Oyemakinde ‘The Changing Man’ was released in 2023, it was author, Tomi Oyemakinde’s debut novel and explores the truth behind an urban legend, and the importance of having friends to support you through hard times. The story follows Ife, who has been at her new prestigious boarding schoolContinueContinue reading
Book Review: You Aren’t Supposed To Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron ‘You’re Not Supposed To Die Tonight’ by Kalynn Bayron is a YA thriller that has a strong slasher motif. It was released in 2023, and is Bayron’s sixth novel. The story follows seventeen-year-old Charity, who has been working at an immersive theatre experience calledContinueContinue reading
Book Review: The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw ‘The Salt Grows Heavy’ by Cassandra Khaw was released in 2023. It is a unique blend of horror and dark fantasy, exploring darker themes through supernatural entities and grotesque violence. There are two main characters, neither of whom are named, The Plague Doctor and The Mermaid,ContinueContinue reading
‘Tender Is The Flesh’ by Augustina Bazterrica was originally published in Spanish in 2017. Pushkin Press released an English translated edition, with a translation provided by Sarah Moses in 2020.
‘Gallant’ by V.E. Schwab was released in 2022 and is a fascinating, gothic novel that leaves you reeling, mulling over those same repeated phrases, images, and the sheer scope of meanings they may have. I read it in a day, and couldn’t put it down!
Book Review: White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson ‘White Smoke’ by Tiffany D. Jackson was released in 2021, and tells the story of Marigold and her family, who move cross-country to move into a new home as part of a competition, where artists could apply to move to a town in the process of beingContinueContinue reading
‘The Shining’ is arguably one of the most iconic titles by horror writer, Stephen King. I had initially been apprehensive of reading it, having seen the scene with the twin girls in blue dresses a long time ago, and its uncanniness chilled me to the core.
‘House Of Hunger’ by Alexis Henderson was released in 2022. It is a horror novel that dabbles in the idea of vampirism without explicitly stating that the nobility in question in the North’s bloodlust relates to vampirism. Although the idea of bloodletting for medicinal purposes can be traced back to Galen and Humourism back in Ancient Rome, the idea of drinking blood, without mentioning the other three humours, black bile, urine, and phlegm being let or consumed heavily implies the need for blood to be consumed for nutritional value instead, since the Countess Lisavet consumes it in tea, wine, and straight from the source.
Book Review: Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison ‘Such Sharp Teeth’ by Rachel Harrison was published in 2022. It was her fourth novel. This is a piece of powerful, feminist literature within the horror genre. It is a moving, emotional story of bodily autonomy, trauma. The book follows sisters, Aurora or Rory as she’s betterContinueContinue reading
‘Carrie’ is one of Stephen King’s most iconic works. It was released in 1974 and since, as modern pop-culture has latched onto it, even people who haven’t read or seen ‘Carrie’, know what happened to her. Or, at least to an extent.
Imogen L. Smiley 