Rec
Short-form weird, my favorite kind, blending sc-fi, dark fantasy, horror, and Kafka. Evensonās stories are a treat, I start each with a twinge of dread, not knowing if itāll be one of the nastier ones or funnier ones or more poignant ones, sometimes itās all three
Good for fans of Barker and Ligotti
Good for fans of Barker and Ligotti
Aug 1, 2024
Related Recs
Rec
Meddling Kids - Edgar Cantero: horror-comedy genre fusion, going for (as the title suggests) a grown-up Scooby Doo type thing, and does a surprisingly good job mixing that with a Lovecraftian style of horror
Universal Harvester - John Darnielle: deeply unsettling, kinda a character study, very confusing, but if you like The Mountain Goats (same John Darnielle!) it'll be hard to put down
Haunted - Chuck Palahniuk: I'll throw a trigger warning in front of this one, one of the most disturbing and disgusting things I've ever read. Combines short stories and an overarching narrative very well, but it is a tough read for sure
Skeleton Crew - Stephen King: His best short story/ novella collection, it's got "The Mist" and "The Monkey" (two of my favorites by him) and is just a great insight into his shorter-form storytelling
Universal Harvester - John Darnielle: deeply unsettling, kinda a character study, very confusing, but if you like The Mountain Goats (same John Darnielle!) it'll be hard to put down
Haunted - Chuck Palahniuk: I'll throw a trigger warning in front of this one, one of the most disturbing and disgusting things I've ever read. Combines short stories and an overarching narrative very well, but it is a tough read for sure
Skeleton Crew - Stephen King: His best short story/ novella collection, it's got "The Mist" and "The Monkey" (two of my favorites by him) and is just a great insight into his shorter-form storytelling
Jul 17, 2025
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
šthe doll's alphabet by camilla grudova - strange, fabulous, surreal short stories that play around with the grotesque, gothic and uncanny
fen by daisy johnson - short story collection set in the same setting, reads as if fables or myths
drive your plow over the bones of the dead by olga tokarczuk - less overtly weird but hypnotic, concerned with astrology, william blake and morals. eccentric and delightful and one of the very very very best books ever written
the fish by lloyd jones - oh i love this one.. told through the point of view a young boy whose sister gives birth to a fish. devastating and compelling and strange
swanfolk by kristin Ć³marsdĆ³ttir - a young spy is entranced by a group of swan women. very dreamy and whimsical but also investigating ideas of power / sanity / violence
lament for julia by susan taubes - novella + short stories, one of the best books i've ever read. the novella is disturbing and strange, told through the POV of a demon who lives inside julia's i and wickedly controls / recounts her life
agree w the pisces by melissa broder - romance with a merman that is fabulous and fun and weird
audition by pip adam - a scifi novel about prison abolishment that plays with a really unique, experimental writing style. i loved it even though i traditionally don't like scifi/fantasy
pale fire by vladimir nabokov - poem, fictional poet, forward, index; such a weird, strange, experimental, confident and unusual structure with a plot that is as equally as strange by the time you're finished
any kafka too...obviously
hope this helps, i love weird lit ā”
fen by daisy johnson - short story collection set in the same setting, reads as if fables or myths
drive your plow over the bones of the dead by olga tokarczuk - less overtly weird but hypnotic, concerned with astrology, william blake and morals. eccentric and delightful and one of the very very very best books ever written
the fish by lloyd jones - oh i love this one.. told through the point of view a young boy whose sister gives birth to a fish. devastating and compelling and strange
swanfolk by kristin Ć³marsdĆ³ttir - a young spy is entranced by a group of swan women. very dreamy and whimsical but also investigating ideas of power / sanity / violence
lament for julia by susan taubes - novella + short stories, one of the best books i've ever read. the novella is disturbing and strange, told through the POV of a demon who lives inside julia's i and wickedly controls / recounts her life
agree w the pisces by melissa broder - romance with a merman that is fabulous and fun and weird
audition by pip adam - a scifi novel about prison abolishment that plays with a really unique, experimental writing style. i loved it even though i traditionally don't like scifi/fantasy
pale fire by vladimir nabokov - poem, fictional poet, forward, index; such a weird, strange, experimental, confident and unusual structure with a plot that is as equally as strange by the time you're finished
any kafka too...obviously
hope this helps, i love weird lit ā”
Jun 1, 2024
Top Recs from @stevenmarkow
Rec
Smooth, complex, and an excellent nightcap. Worth investing in the ingredients to make at home; by the 4th you make youāll save money vs the fancy cocktail bars.
The fernet isnāt overpowering, but still present enough for fans of the taste, and it only gets better as your ice dilutes.
2oz rye whiskey 1/2oz fernet branca 1/2oz Benedictine D.O.M. 1/6th oz (a dash) of Luxardo maraschino liqueur
Stir with ice and strain over a big cube (the molds for which are $5 online and makes every drink feel fancy) or up in a chilled glass
Cheers!
The fernet isnāt overpowering, but still present enough for fans of the taste, and it only gets better as your ice dilutes.
2oz rye whiskey 1/2oz fernet branca 1/2oz Benedictine D.O.M. 1/6th oz (a dash) of Luxardo maraschino liqueur
Stir with ice and strain over a big cube (the molds for which are $5 online and makes every drink feel fancy) or up in a chilled glass
Cheers!
Sep 7, 2024
Rec
Everything on Ghost Box records evokes the weird & eerie folk horror-infused atmosphere I love. Iām also obsessed with songs that feature someone straight up talking or reading over music, so this is checking every box for me at the moment. Iām also trying to make stuff like this myself rn and finding inspiration in their catalog, so Iām shuffling through their stuff and Advisory Circle and Pye Cornet Audio et al, all wonderful.
Jul 20, 2024
Rec
They put out such great stuff 93-03. Kind of ominous spoken word over broken guitars and synths, weirdly hypnotic and beguilingly strange. One member, Graham Lambkin, has released a lot of cool solo and collab stuff since then too.
Jul 20, 2024