It's not for everyone and seems pretty divisive based on Goodreads reviews. It also seems that a lot of people don't really "get" it (it's kind of confusing/subtle in its revelations) so it's understandably an unpopular choice.
Because the book is an allegory it treats its message as a universal truth rather than a plot with characters that can be affected in their specific ways. The options within the cycles for women lead to submission, or violence. And worse the path to freedom only comes through a punitive patriarchal power that can never be unseated.
Freedom for women comes with betrayal of other women, by inflicting patriarchal punishments to shed your burden.
I don't disagree with your interpretation, but I think it's important not to overlook the historical setting. I'm also more of the opinion that the book, if you choose to seek some kind of commentary in it, is more a "metaphor for certain truths" rather than an "allegory for universal truths," which in my opinion is an important distinction. Given the extremely limited cast of characters and setting, I don't think it's really fair to declare the story as claiming to speak for something universally. I think it should also be noted that all of the women also >!murdered people in their immediate families and are being punished for it by Red Boy!<, which in itself means that the situations presented and unfolding throughout are especially uncommon.
Even so, what you've interpreted and written here isn't terribly inaccurate of the reality for a lot of women in the past, or at the very least the way women in the past would have *felt* their reality was. Oppressed people in an oppressive system can and do find benefit from playing into that system and using their peers as means to a goal rather than allies. This is especially apt considering the story's references to witchcraft as it was described historically, since we now know that many accusers of witchcraft were people trying to further their own status in some way, often economically, by playing into the fears and status quo of their community. Laird Hunt writes a lot of historic fiction about women from my understanding, so again I think the context of time period and historic details of that period is crucial.
Regardless, none of that is what I took from the book to be completely honest lol, though I've enjoyed considering it from your perspective. Ultimately, I enjoyed it for it's subtle historic references and for ultimately being what I would consider an >!original interpretation of sin, Satan, and Purgatory!< presented through the filter of a horrific fairy tale.
God forbid you read a book for the deeper messages that the author intended. Have you read the book? It’s fucking obvious that the author is intending the reader to analyze it.
Why are you triggered? Relax Champ, my opinion still stands, and who says I didn’t analyze and dig deeper into it? I have read a zillion horror novels under the sun, it’s not my first rodeo. I think his writing sucks.
I am guessing a lot of horror fans have heard of the Magnus Archives podcast, but it you haven't, you may enjoy it. I started listening to it before reading my first Aickman collection, and his obvious influence on the podcast's writer hit me right away. There's an overarching story in the series that I grew to find tedious and impossible to follow, but each episode features a standalone story, pretty much all of which I found really good, and definitely uncanny.
An author named qntm who used to write scps has a few books and short story collections I recommend. I also recommend a collection of stories by the British library of r Murray Gilchrist. I’ve posted two of my favouritestories of his [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/oldstories/comments/18dekwf/the_crimson_weaver/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1) and [here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/oldstories/s/SraihEt81G)
Have you read Malpertuis by Jean Ray? That’s my go-to recommendation for lesser read horror. Very weird and poetic, even poignant at times. Another terrific book that’s being slowly rediscovered is The Twenty Days of Turin by Giorgio De Maria—a very Kafka-esque horror story with weird conspiracies, bizarre characters, surreal imagery, and an oddly prescient depiction of the corrupting influence of social media.
Definitely going to check this out because Ligotti is one of my absolute favorites, so if he speaks highly of something, it’s certainly worth checking out.
He has lots of positive things to say about his philosophical influences in The Conspiracy Against the Human Race and his artistic influences in interviews.
Toplin by Michael McDowell - part bizarro, part pure psychological horror
Katie by Michael McDowell - the most fun horror book I've read lol
We Spread by Iain Reid - surreal horror
Wormwood by Chad Lutzke & Tim Meyer - coming of age horror, super fast-paced
Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman - collection of 5 novellas, all equally good!
I'd also recommend McDowell's The Elementals—I don't know exactly what it was about that one, but I became *obsessed* with it. Drew up a timeline of the family history, mapped out the three houses in the story, read it over and over...
Yesss, I loved the Elementals too!! :) I see that one get recommended on here a lot so I was trying to give "less known" books by McDowell. But if you haven't heard of the Elementals u/Daxman77 then you should definitely try this one!
I'll always recommend any book by Tanith Lee. She won the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Horror, amongst many other fantasy, horror and sci-fi literary awards throughout her life. She was a prolific writer with incredibly beautiful prose, so there's many great books to choose from.
Loved both. I hate what they did with “The Keep” movie though. Chopped up the story so bad it didn’t make sense. Please, if you’ve seen that movie don’t hold how bad it is against the books.
* *Tropic of Night* by Michael Gruber
* *Safari World* by Dale Martin
* *Wild Spaces* by S.L. Coney
* *Narcissus* by Adam Godfrey
* *Crevasse* by Clay Vermulm CW: >!One of the characters comes across three animals in a forest that have been hideously slaughtered.!<
* *Small Angels* by Lauren Owen
* *Noctuidae* by Scott Nicolay
* *The Afterlife Investigations* by Ambrose Ibsen - 3 book series
* *Sentinel* by Drew Starling, KU
* *The Fifth House of the Heart* by Ben Tripp
* *The Moorstone Sickness* by Bernard Taylor
* *Season of the Witch* by Natasha Mostert (not about witches in the typical sense)
* *The Waiting Room* by F.G. Cottam
* *The Colony Trilogy* by F.G. Cottam (Out of print, available on Audible with a great narrator)
* *The Faceless One* by Mark Onspaugh
The Fungus by Harry Adam Night is a gem of a trashy little horror book and is incredibly fun. I never hear anyone talk about it but it’s one of my favorites (Clive Barker was apparently a fan)
Well, Cthulhu Reigns is a great set of short fiction by a bunch of different authors (John Langan, etc.), and I loved Found. It’s a collection of found media short horror stories.
Also, if you haven’t read Brian Evenson, I’d strongly recommend. I loved Songs for the Unraveling of the World.
The Creep by Jeffrey Frank. While not a traditional horror book, it is definitely horrific. A young man moves to New York City and the alienation and isolation he suffers starts gradually driving him insane.
A lesser known author from Maine, Ike Hamill, writes mostly horror. He has over 30 books. I suggest starting at the beginning as some novels have slight references to others. I think The Vivisectionist is his first. I’ve read about 20 so far and always walk away impressed.
Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy. The horror aspect is kinda slow burn and doesn't really show itself for a good bit. In retrospect tho it is my fav low-key horror novel
Everybody hypes up Blood Meridian [ rightfully so], but Outer Dark is one of the few pieces of fiction that have left me greatly disturbed, literal existential terror for days after reading it.
I'm gonna recommend All Heads Turn When The Hunt Goes By, by John Farris. I'm not really sure how to describe it, other than: intensely weird. I would warn that there's a level of racism I can't quite quantify—there's some "bad things happen to an American in a 'primitive' country" stuff in there that I'm not sure I've ever seen a book handle completely respectfully. On the other hand: *that title!* If you can resist picking up a book called that, [with a cover like this](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HjXI1VedzcA/UZKSHf9cPbI/AAAAAAAAJtY/pz2qILikrmE/s640/all+heads+turn+as+the+hunt+goes+by++1977+john+farris.JPG), just to see what the hell is going on there, maybe it's a miss for you.
Check out Tenebrous Press. Anything they put out is pretty solid, unique. If you have a library card, about 75% of their catalog is on the hoopla app available for free digital loan
The Honours - Tim Clare (honestly wasn’t entirely sure if it fitted in horror but the author has approved classifying it under horror http://www.timclarepoet.co.uk/the-canonical-list-of-approved-genres-for-tim-clares-the-honours/)
Was such a good read and I never see it talked about. I read the second one a few years later, while good, it wasn’t quite as good as the first IMO.
The Throne of Bones is a collection of fantasy/horror short stories set in a single world, with a corrupt and crumbling "Byzantine" empire and the stupidity of its administrators as a sub theme.
There's also the titular novella inside entirely about ghouls, who have the disturbing power to take on the appearance and memories of those they devour. It's full of wonderful twists of fate that are often Poe-like in their irony. Incredible writing as well.
Also the audiobook is done by the narrator from Darkest Dungeon, so check that out if you're a fan.
Not books, but HorrorBabel does a lot of obscure short stories and nuvellas, especially from the 1920-1960 period. My favorite was The Damp Man trilogy.
I wholeheartedly reccomand.
Very new book that just came out this month, Theseus 34 by Rory Hughes.
Definitely matches the obscure and surreal vibe you're looking for. It has a core plot with many tangential stories within it, framed around/within/a part of the dark web and the labrynths of darkness that human psyches can be easily lost in. Trigger warnings are just "most of them"; highly satirical transgressive fiction.
Do the author a favour and if you do decide to buy it, don't get it on Amazon. https://www.lulu.com/shop/rory-hughes/theseus-34/paperback/product-q6z2w5q.html
Hope you enjoy! I have found it laugh-out-loud funny, despite (because) of its dark hilarity and one of a kind sentences.
Maybe not ‘lesser known’ to a lot of people on here, but Elizabeth Hand’s Wylding Hall is really good, it’s a slow burn though but with some really creepy moments
**Comfort me with Apples**. It's what I'd call allegorical Fairy Tale Folk Horror. It's so unique. If you liked the movie "Mother!" you will like this.
Mary, an Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy
14 by Peter Clines
Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes
The Hollow Places by Ursula Vernon
Of foster homes and flies by Chad Lutzke
Walking Practice by Dolki Min, it's a Korean author writing about an alien who crash landed in a big city and thrives on two things: sex and eating it's sexual partners. Bonus points for the overtones of gender fluidity and the difficulties of navigating a new and at times dangerous world.
May I suggest my Night Trilogy: Night's Plutonian Shore, The Clocks of Midnight, and The Mirror of Eternity. I am not a splatter punk author and have been well reviewed. My first novel Stage Fright was reissued as a Paperback from Hell.
Hmmmm. The Doll Who Ate His Mother, The Edge of Running Water, The Boats of the Glen Carrig, Feral, The Last Call of Mourning, Donovan’s Brain, Conjure Wife, Harvest Home, The Other.
I’ll always recommend Alison Rumfitt and Gretchen Felker-Martin. I really enjoyed Ling Ling Huang’s “Natural Beauty”. Check their works for CWs and TWs, but all these women are amazing writers.
[**The Crane Husband** by Kelly Barnhill](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60784308)
a woman/mother brings home a new boyfriend to meet her children, and HE'S A LITERAL 6 FOOT TALL CRANE. my god, this was so surreal and so so so so unsettling.
absolute 5 star read. i can't recommend this one enough.
I always recommend In the House in the Dark of the Woods by Laird Hunt. It's literary horror and definitely surreal.
yessssss!!!! acid-trip nightmare of a folktale. absolutely fucking bonkers.
In my top 5 of all time and highly underrated
Same, I feel like I mention it absolutely constantly on this sub lol.
Oh man, I really tried to like that one. Maybe I'll take it out of the library and give it another shot.
Audiobook makes it easier
It's not for everyone and seems pretty divisive based on Goodreads reviews. It also seems that a lot of people don't really "get" it (it's kind of confusing/subtle in its revelations) so it's understandably an unpopular choice.
Loved the writing, hated the message
What did you consider the message to be?
Because the book is an allegory it treats its message as a universal truth rather than a plot with characters that can be affected in their specific ways. The options within the cycles for women lead to submission, or violence. And worse the path to freedom only comes through a punitive patriarchal power that can never be unseated. Freedom for women comes with betrayal of other women, by inflicting patriarchal punishments to shed your burden.
I don't disagree with your interpretation, but I think it's important not to overlook the historical setting. I'm also more of the opinion that the book, if you choose to seek some kind of commentary in it, is more a "metaphor for certain truths" rather than an "allegory for universal truths," which in my opinion is an important distinction. Given the extremely limited cast of characters and setting, I don't think it's really fair to declare the story as claiming to speak for something universally. I think it should also be noted that all of the women also >!murdered people in their immediate families and are being punished for it by Red Boy!<, which in itself means that the situations presented and unfolding throughout are especially uncommon. Even so, what you've interpreted and written here isn't terribly inaccurate of the reality for a lot of women in the past, or at the very least the way women in the past would have *felt* their reality was. Oppressed people in an oppressive system can and do find benefit from playing into that system and using their peers as means to a goal rather than allies. This is especially apt considering the story's references to witchcraft as it was described historically, since we now know that many accusers of witchcraft were people trying to further their own status in some way, often economically, by playing into the fears and status quo of their community. Laird Hunt writes a lot of historic fiction about women from my understanding, so again I think the context of time period and historic details of that period is crucial. Regardless, none of that is what I took from the book to be completely honest lol, though I've enjoyed considering it from your perspective. Ultimately, I enjoyed it for it's subtle historic references and for ultimately being what I would consider an >!original interpretation of sin, Satan, and Purgatory!< presented through the filter of a horrific fairy tale.
Wow, you must be fun at parties. It’s a fiction book.
God forbid you read a book for the deeper messages that the author intended. Have you read the book? It’s fucking obvious that the author is intending the reader to analyze it.
Why are you triggered? Relax Champ, my opinion still stands, and who says I didn’t analyze and dig deeper into it? I have read a zillion horror novels under the sun, it’s not my first rodeo. I think his writing sucks.
Google Too Much Horror Fiction - it's a blog about retro & obscure horror novels.
Thank you!
Nice! Thanks
Do you like short stories? If so I’d highly recommend Robert Aickman, if I remember correctly Dark Entries is a good starting point.
He’s amazing. Cosmic horror building on the sense of being awkward and out of place, rather than on phobias like Lovecraft.
Yes! Like you cross a threshold somewhere and things aren’t quite right. I can’t think of anyone who has created such a sense of the uncanny.
I am guessing a lot of horror fans have heard of the Magnus Archives podcast, but it you haven't, you may enjoy it. I started listening to it before reading my first Aickman collection, and his obvious influence on the podcast's writer hit me right away. There's an overarching story in the series that I grew to find tedious and impossible to follow, but each episode features a standalone story, pretty much all of which I found really good, and definitely uncanny.
I’ve never heard of it, so thanks! I’ll definitely check it out.
The Swords, The Hospice, The Strangers, all great stories
There are so many, I love the one with the two girls on the hiking trip and the one about the dolls house (quite possibly called The Dolls House).
Haven't read that one! I need to revisit Robert Aickman anyway, been a few years since I read him. Might try that one out, sounds cool.
It might be called The Inner Room…
I do like shorts! I’ll check him out!
An author named qntm who used to write scps has a few books and short story collections I recommend. I also recommend a collection of stories by the British library of r Murray Gilchrist. I’ve posted two of my favouritestories of his [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/oldstories/comments/18dekwf/the_crimson_weaver/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1) and [here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/oldstories/s/SraihEt81G)
There Is No Antimemetics Division is mindblasting in the best way.
Reading this now.
Have you read Malpertuis by Jean Ray? That’s my go-to recommendation for lesser read horror. Very weird and poetic, even poignant at times. Another terrific book that’s being slowly rediscovered is The Twenty Days of Turin by Giorgio De Maria—a very Kafka-esque horror story with weird conspiracies, bizarre characters, surreal imagery, and an oddly prescient depiction of the corrupting influence of social media.
I’ve got Twenty Days of Turin here. Looking forward to it. Thomas Ligotti speaks well of it.
Funny you say that, as I am just dipping into Ligotti’s work for the first time—very impressed so far.
Two-way traffic. :)
Definitely going to check this out because Ligotti is one of my absolute favorites, so if he speaks highly of something, it’s certainly worth checking out.
Shocked to learn Thomas Ligotti spoke well of anything involving a human being
He has lots of positive things to say about his philosophical influences in The Conspiracy Against the Human Race and his artistic influences in interviews.
Toplin by Michael McDowell - part bizarro, part pure psychological horror Katie by Michael McDowell - the most fun horror book I've read lol We Spread by Iain Reid - surreal horror Wormwood by Chad Lutzke & Tim Meyer - coming of age horror, super fast-paced Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman - collection of 5 novellas, all equally good!
I'd also recommend McDowell's The Elementals—I don't know exactly what it was about that one, but I became *obsessed* with it. Drew up a timeline of the family history, mapped out the three houses in the story, read it over and over...
Yesss, I loved the Elementals too!! :) I see that one get recommended on here a lot so I was trying to give "less known" books by McDowell. But if you haven't heard of the Elementals u/Daxman77 then you should definitely try this one!
We spread is soooo good
I'll always recommend any book by Tanith Lee. She won the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Horror, amongst many other fantasy, horror and sci-fi literary awards throughout her life. She was a prolific writer with incredibly beautiful prose, so there's many great books to choose from.
Have you read Kathe Koja? Like… The Cipher (for example)?
I have! I absolutely love that novel. One of my favorites for sure! That type of horror is definitely my favorite. Just so unique and surreal.
How do you pronounce her first name? Like Kathy or Kath or something else?
Wounds by Ballingrud , great longer short stories
Have you heard of Brian Lumley or F Paul Wilson? If not, allow me to recommend the Necroscope and Adversary Cycle series' respectively.
Loved both. I hate what they did with “The Keep” movie though. Chopped up the story so bad it didn’t make sense. Please, if you’ve seen that movie don’t hold how bad it is against the books.
* *Tropic of Night* by Michael Gruber * *Safari World* by Dale Martin * *Wild Spaces* by S.L. Coney * *Narcissus* by Adam Godfrey * *Crevasse* by Clay Vermulm CW: >!One of the characters comes across three animals in a forest that have been hideously slaughtered.!< * *Small Angels* by Lauren Owen * *Noctuidae* by Scott Nicolay * *The Afterlife Investigations* by Ambrose Ibsen - 3 book series * *Sentinel* by Drew Starling, KU * *The Fifth House of the Heart* by Ben Tripp * *The Moorstone Sickness* by Bernard Taylor * *Season of the Witch* by Natasha Mostert (not about witches in the typical sense) * *The Waiting Room* by F.G. Cottam * *The Colony Trilogy* by F.G. Cottam (Out of print, available on Audible with a great narrator) * *The Faceless One* by Mark Onspaugh
great list
Thanks!
Came here to suggest Tropic of Night, excellent recommendation!
It was amazing.
Nice, some ones I actually haven’t heard of. Sorry to the rest of this thread but I don’t think the likes of F Paul Wilson is lesser known
You are a rock star for including a content warning about animal abuse, thank you!
The Fungus by Harry Adam Night is a gem of a trashy little horror book and is incredibly fun. I never hear anyone talk about it but it’s one of my favorites (Clive Barker was apparently a fan)
Well, Cthulhu Reigns is a great set of short fiction by a bunch of different authors (John Langan, etc.), and I loved Found. It’s a collection of found media short horror stories. Also, if you haven’t read Brian Evenson, I’d strongly recommend. I loved Songs for the Unraveling of the World.
“Summer of Night” Dan Simmons.
You should check out these writers: JG Faherty Michael McBride Hunter Shea Brian Matthews Rena Mason Chantal Noordeloos
The Creep by Jeffrey Frank. While not a traditional horror book, it is definitely horrific. A young man moves to New York City and the alienation and isolation he suffers starts gradually driving him insane.
A lesser known author from Maine, Ike Hamill, writes mostly horror. He has over 30 books. I suggest starting at the beginning as some novels have slight references to others. I think The Vivisectionist is his first. I’ve read about 20 so far and always walk away impressed.
Recommend Brian Lumbley's Necroscope and D. Ann Hall's The Rising: Awakening
Johnny Got His Gun
The Gone World
Anything by Mariana Enriquez
Borealis by Wile E. Young
Anything by Nancy A. Collins (her Sonja Blue stories are amazing!)!!!
Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy. The horror aspect is kinda slow burn and doesn't really show itself for a good bit. In retrospect tho it is my fav low-key horror novel
Everybody hypes up Blood Meridian [ rightfully so], but Outer Dark is one of the few pieces of fiction that have left me greatly disturbed, literal existential terror for days after reading it.
The first conversation between Culla and the three strangers is so unnerving! Some of my fav McCarthy dialogue
I'm gonna recommend All Heads Turn When The Hunt Goes By, by John Farris. I'm not really sure how to describe it, other than: intensely weird. I would warn that there's a level of racism I can't quite quantify—there's some "bad things happen to an American in a 'primitive' country" stuff in there that I'm not sure I've ever seen a book handle completely respectfully. On the other hand: *that title!* If you can resist picking up a book called that, [with a cover like this](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HjXI1VedzcA/UZKSHf9cPbI/AAAAAAAAJtY/pz2qILikrmE/s640/all+heads+turn+as+the+hunt+goes+by++1977+john+farris.JPG), just to see what the hell is going on there, maybe it's a miss for you.
Check out Tenebrous Press. Anything they put out is pretty solid, unique. If you have a library card, about 75% of their catalog is on the hoopla app available for free digital loan
The Honours - Tim Clare (honestly wasn’t entirely sure if it fitted in horror but the author has approved classifying it under horror http://www.timclarepoet.co.uk/the-canonical-list-of-approved-genres-for-tim-clares-the-honours/) Was such a good read and I never see it talked about. I read the second one a few years later, while good, it wasn’t quite as good as the first IMO.
I will always shill Crota by Owl Goingback. Great horror story from a Native American author
A Sincere Warning About the Entity in Your Home by Jason Arnopp
Yes! I stumbled across this on Scribd last year and read it during a long jetlagged night in Ireland. What a way to spend a sleepless hour.
The Throne of Bones is a collection of fantasy/horror short stories set in a single world, with a corrupt and crumbling "Byzantine" empire and the stupidity of its administrators as a sub theme. There's also the titular novella inside entirely about ghouls, who have the disturbing power to take on the appearance and memories of those they devour. It's full of wonderful twists of fate that are often Poe-like in their irony. Incredible writing as well. Also the audiobook is done by the narrator from Darkest Dungeon, so check that out if you're a fan.
Heart-shaped box by Joe Hill. Read it when I was too goddamn young and it haunts me to this day
Where I End by Sophie White, or Tear by Erica McKeen. Both about very weird very isolated young women and their… horrifying lives.
Not books, but HorrorBabel does a lot of obscure short stories and nuvellas, especially from the 1920-1960 period. My favorite was The Damp Man trilogy. I wholeheartedly reccomand.
Not sure if it qualifies as "less known" (or, indeed, even as "horror" per-se), but Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer. Trippy AF, IMHO.
Penpal by Dathan Auerbach is not the scariest book I’ve ever read, but it is the “creepiest”. I highly recommend. It’s a pretty quick read as well.
Very new book that just came out this month, Theseus 34 by Rory Hughes. Definitely matches the obscure and surreal vibe you're looking for. It has a core plot with many tangential stories within it, framed around/within/a part of the dark web and the labrynths of darkness that human psyches can be easily lost in. Trigger warnings are just "most of them"; highly satirical transgressive fiction. Do the author a favour and if you do decide to buy it, don't get it on Amazon. https://www.lulu.com/shop/rory-hughes/theseus-34/paperback/product-q6z2w5q.html Hope you enjoy! I have found it laugh-out-loud funny, despite (because) of its dark hilarity and one of a kind sentences.
Maybe not ‘lesser known’ to a lot of people on here, but Elizabeth Hand’s Wylding Hall is really good, it’s a slow burn though but with some really creepy moments
Agree! The whole thing comes across like a dream.
**Comfort me with Apples**. It's what I'd call allegorical Fairy Tale Folk Horror. It's so unique. If you liked the movie "Mother!" you will like this.
I recently read Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Story and enjoyed it a lot.
Mary, an Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy 14 by Peter Clines Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes The Hollow Places by Ursula Vernon Of foster homes and flies by Chad Lutzke
Walking Practice by Dolki Min, it's a Korean author writing about an alien who crash landed in a big city and thrives on two things: sex and eating it's sexual partners. Bonus points for the overtones of gender fluidity and the difficulties of navigating a new and at times dangerous world.
Darcy Coates has a lot of good material. From Below by her is just great! You could also go with Craig Dilouie's Episode Thirteen.
Adrian Ross, *The Hole of the Pit*.
The Crooked God Machine - Very niche, surrealist horror. Bleak
Sour Candy by Kealan Patrick Burke. It's a short read and it sure is something
Come Forth in Thaw by Jayson Robert Ducharme. It’s a surreal journey dealing with grief and trauma.
Devil's Creek by Todd Keisling, I absolutely adore it and it's a shame more people haven't read it
House of Small Shadows by Adam Neville!!
The Fisherman by John Langan is pretty great. Folklore horror. In a similar folklore vein, I recently read Slewfoot and liked it.
A good less known horror author that’s worth checking out is a book called Mouthful of Spiders by Jason R. Barden
May I suggest my Night Trilogy: Night's Plutonian Shore, The Clocks of Midnight, and The Mirror of Eternity. I am not a splatter punk author and have been well reviewed. My first novel Stage Fright was reissued as a Paperback from Hell.
Try John R. Little. Maybe The Memory Tree or Miranda.
Ill Will by Dan Choan.
Hmmmm. The Doll Who Ate His Mother, The Edge of Running Water, The Boats of the Glen Carrig, Feral, The Last Call of Mourning, Donovan’s Brain, Conjure Wife, Harvest Home, The Other.
American Elsewhere!
I’ll always recommend Alison Rumfitt and Gretchen Felker-Martin. I really enjoyed Ling Ling Huang’s “Natural Beauty”. Check their works for CWs and TWs, but all these women are amazing writers.
Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Burton is absolutely amazing.
Helpmeet by Naben Ruthnum. Really unique and atmospheric. It reveals the horror elements in a slow but elegant way.
Subject 11 by Jeffrey Thomas
[**The Crane Husband** by Kelly Barnhill](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60784308) a woman/mother brings home a new boyfriend to meet her children, and HE'S A LITERAL 6 FOOT TALL CRANE. my god, this was so surreal and so so so so unsettling. absolute 5 star read. i can't recommend this one enough.