Heart of darkness

It's spooky season. The sun is losing its sway. The darkness is winning. Thank goodness.

Sometimes, connecting means activism. Sometimes, connecting means sharing what I like. This is one of those times.

Why "The Revolutionary's Bookshelf"? Because expanding your worldview can be as simple as picking up a new read. Because thinking for yourself is a revolutionary act, even in the best of times. Because reading has absolutely, positively changed my life over the years, and I think it can do the same for you.

Anyway: My spouse has a new project (check it out here). And the other day he asked if I had horror book recs. And I took stock for a second and realized that A LOT of my books are horror-adjacent, if not outright. So, since it's samhain season (what a musical word, samhain ... listen!) I'll bite. (See what I did there?)

I'm a gothic girl. As in Gothic. As in Romantic. As in beauty in the ugliness. As in death is part of life. As in an unexamined life is not worth living. As in it's darkness that more often reveals the truth. (You want a philosophical dialogue on that topic? You probably don't know what you're getting yourself into.)

So it should really be no surprise that I like my fiction dark. And my nonfiction, for that matter.

Before I get too deep, let me just drop this list. (And I've collected them on Bookshop.org too if you're looking to buy. But I highly recommend checking your local library!)

Horror classics

Frankenstein; Or, The Modren Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

I mean. If you have not read this, you don't even know. One of the best books in the history of books. A cautionary tale for the ages. Infinitely applicable because it tunnels straight to the heart of the worst of us. We shall not be redeemed.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

The count that launched a thousand tales. It's a great example of an epistolary novel, told through letters, diary entries, news articles, and other ephemera. Let yourself be swept away! I must also say that my fave podcasters Brea and Mallory over at Reading Glasses highly recommend "Dracula Daily" and one of these days I'm going to follow along. Maybe today. And one of these years I will find myself in the midst of the mist at the Bram Stoker Festival in Dublin, Ireland.

Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

You think you know. And you probably do. But it's a classic for a reason, and you won't regret picking it up.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

In the classic tradition of the holiday ghost story, Dickens may have no true peer. Somebody needs to do a Carol Daily. Hmmm ....

The Tales of Edgar Allen Poe

Not a novel. Yes, I know. But no one does macabre like ol' E-dot-Poe. I can't leave him out. This dude's distillations of his own insights into the universe and the human condition ... they're just the foundation. And the floorboards. And the walls. And the spirits trapped within ...

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

Shudder. This book will creep you out. You should read it. Let it crawl through your brain. Let it make you question everything you think you know.

Recreations / retellings / extensions 

The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White

First, read Frankenstein. It's at the top of this list. Why haven't you read it yet? COME ON. OK. Once you've done that, maybe give yourself some time and space to really let it sink into your bones. And then, turn it on its head by reading this fantastic recreation. I really think Mary Shelley would've approved.

Anno Dracula by Kim Newman

Yes, there are a thousand vampire tales. But this is a great one. A survey (in the academic sense). It's a world you will enjoy.

Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi

This is not a feel-good story. But I mean, good horror stories afflict the comfortable. And this one is no exception. Definitely worth a read. And a think.

Dark Fantasy that leans Horror

Book of Night by Holly Black

A nice little mystery. Full of weirdos. And I mean that in the best way.

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

One of my favorite authors. And this is a great story. Monsters? Check. Existential dread? Check. So horror-adjacent it is. (But I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention that her Broken Earth trilogy is a must-read. Not horror though.)

The Between Earth and Sky trilogy (Black Sun / Fevered Star / Mirrored Heavens) by Rebecca Roanhorse

Beautiful story, told brilliantly. Spectacular characters. A world I didn't want to leave. A challenging story I didn't want to end. A masterful telling that allows me to stay as long as I want. The hope that comes from choosing love, whatever form that takes. And yes, monsters.

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson

Another of my favorite authors. Extinction event. Humanity's moment of truth. Nothing scarier than staring at yourself in the mirror, when there's no one left to blame and nowhere left to go.

Imajica by Clive Barker

I'm not sure this one belongs. It is by a horror master, but if that's the expectation you bring to it, you may be disappointed. Nonetheless, some of the most startlingly beautiful prose I have ever read. For my fellow Gothics and Romantics, let this smother you with its beauty and its strangeness. You will never forget it.

Literary Fiction that leans Horror

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Some may say there's not enough action to qualify as horror. But they'd have missed the internal terror and torture and tension of this classic tale. If you're bored, I promise you are missing something. Try again. Put on Jane's shoes.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Some have said it's the "greatest novel of the century". I don't know that I'd go that far. But it is inspired by one of the greatest (Jane Eyre, see above). Very much more sensational. If you're into that sort of thing.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradburry

Another one that will take your breath away with its beauty and strangeness. A classic for a reason. I debated putting it into the "Horror Classics" section. But I talked myself out of it. "Was the author alive in the 19th Century or before?" I said, unreasonably. "No? Then it can't be a true Classic."

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

A really nice one. On-trend with its pop-mycology (yes, I mentioned that before). But also a timeworn tale of entrapment in the eldritch sense.

The Plague by Albert Camus

It's been quite a while. I think I need to circle back. But it's got existential dread and monsters ... er ... people who are monstrous. And a plague. Obviously. And now that we've all lived through one, I'm betting it's more on-point than ever.

Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Another of my favorite authors. And it feels like now is the time to revisit his works. If you don't know why, please look him up. And read this. And then ask yourself what the next right thing is. And then connect with other humans and make a damned move, will you?

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

A short story. Not a novel. But madness. Must-read. Now more than ever. Heed its warnings. Or it could be you next.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Cosmic monster. Existential crisis. Super powers. Mystical beings. Relevant now more than ever. (And a breath-taking, sob-inducing climax of the story. That single shouted line. IYKYK.) You think it's a kids' book. But you should read it. Trust me.

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus

I can't decide whether this is fantasy or sci-fi, and it may not quite fit into literary fiction either, but: Shockingly good book. Immensely powerful. Grotesquely amazingly breathtakingly beautiful. Perspective-shifting, life-affirming. Read. This. Book.

Modern Horror

The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw

Gore. Monsters. Weird. Lots of people love it. Maybe you will too. I'm a tough audience. It's fine.

Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge: A Novel of Magic and Mixology by Paul Krueger

A fun little romp through the unseen world all around us. Spirits AND spirits. Oddly, not available on Bookshop, so I'm linking to its Storygraph page. I picked this one up on impulse from a display of books with green covers at my local library. I enjoyed it. Great bit of strangeness that might just pull you out of a book slump. Or at least it did me.

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

This I loved. But I had someone ask "weren't you disturbed by the violence?" And I guess ... but that's why it belongs on this list. If you are enjoying Cinemadrome (you did check that out at the beginning of this post, didn't you?) then you may enjoy this book. Don't say I didn't warn you.

The Devourers by Indra Das

A YA werewolf tale. A nice little snack.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

I mean, I don't know why this is necessary. But I read it, so I guess that's that. If you are NOT an Austen-phile, you may love this. Or you may hate it. I'm not sure who the target audience is. But zombies. So.

The Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer

Don't @ me. (Do people still say that?) IT'S ABOUT VAMPIRES. IT'S HORROR. And actually I know it's practically about child brides and has all kinds of other ugh but HEAR ME OUT. Bella's story arc is really, really beautiful. Her weaknesses become her strengths. And she uses that to save her chosen family. I hope I have not spoiled it for you. VAMPIRES.

Circe by Madeline Miller

One of the most famous monsters of all time. Took on Odysseus for goodness' sake. I have to admit I am dwelling in this world, not wanting to finish the book because I don't want to leave. But if you're looking for a way into the monster's mind, this may be for you.

Horror-adjacent Non-Fiction

The Lady From the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick by Mallory O'Meara

Yes, the Mallory of Reading Glasses fame. (You do remember I mentioned that like 10 minutes ago, right?) This is just really a great, great book. There's a word for these biographies that escapes me just now. Part memoir, part mystery, part history, part current events. All patriarchy-busting. Give Milicent her flowers. And Mallory too.

Have you read any of these?

Do you have recs to add? Discuss with your people. #ReadingRevolution