Rec
Iāve posted about it before but it helped to bring about the gothic revival and occult epic horror sensation of the 70s. Very atmospheric and engrossing and its references to classic gothic literature can serve as a good jumping-off point for further reading. a group of old men who experienced something awful in their youth meet once a month to exchange ghost storiesā¦ a young acclaimed horror novelist arrives and the evil force they had battled before reemerges and overtakes their small New England town.
would also recommend The Turn of the Screw a novella by Henry Jamesā¦
would also recommend The Turn of the Screw a novella by Henry Jamesā¦
Jun 14, 2024
Related Recs
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
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.
Rec
Iāve loved a good weird, creepy, and/or magical story ever since I first read The Bloody Chamber. Hereās a few I recommend:
Stranger things happen - Kelly link white cat, black dog - Kelly Link her Body and Other Parties - Carmen Maria Machado The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories - Angela Carter the Dangers of Smoking in Bed - Mariana EnrĆquez When Things get dark - Edited by Ellen Datlow The Frangipani Hotel - Violet Kupersmith
Stranger things happen - Kelly link white cat, black dog - Kelly Link her Body and Other Parties - Carmen Maria Machado The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories - Angela Carter the Dangers of Smoking in Bed - Mariana EnrĆquez When Things get dark - Edited by Ellen Datlow The Frangipani Hotel - Violet Kupersmith
Top Recs from @taterhole
Rec
It lends a reflective and wistful tone to written communications imoā¦
Jul 10, 2025
Rec
My dad teases me about how when I was a little kid, my favorite thing to do when I was on the landline phone with somebodyābe it a relative or one of my best friendsāwas to breathlessly describe the things that were in my bedroom so that they could have a mental picture of everything I loved and chose to surround myself with, and where I sat at that moment in time. Perfectly Imperfect reminds me of that so thanks for always listening and for sharing with me too š
Feb 23, 2025
May 28, 2025