| Ring Shout by P. Djèlí ClarkThe premise: In 1920s Macon, Georgia, sorcerer D.W. Griffith's film The Birth of a Nation has unleashed an army of racist demonic monsters known as Ku Kluxes.
Starring: a trio of battle-hardened Black women ready to protect their town from the cosmic horrors lying in wait: sword-wielding Maryse; sharpshooter Sadie; and World War I veteran Chef.
Who it's for: This gruesome and darkly humorous alternate history will appeal to fans of Black-authored stories that interrogate the racist tropes of H.P. Lovecraft's fiction, like Victor LaValle's The Ballad of Black Tom. |
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The Only Good Indians
by Stephen Graham Jones
Ten years ago: A quartet of 20-something Blackfeet men embarked on an ill-fated elk hunting trip on tribal lands meant only for the elders' use.
Now: Still processing their lingering feelings of guilt and shame all these years later, one by one the men find themselves at the mercy of a vengeful entity that stalks their every move.
What sets it apart: This incisive own voices novel explores themes of cultural identity and intergenerational trauma while offering plenty of eerie supernatural scares.
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| Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth; illustrated by Sara LautmanThen: In early 20th-century Massachusetts, a series of mysterious deaths at a girls' boarding school are linked to the provocative (and real) 1902 queer memoir The Story of Mary MacLane.
Now: On the set of a high-profile horror film about the incident, creepy phenomena begin plaguing the cast and crew.
Read it for: a sardonic metafictional storyline that blurs the lines between past and present; evocative black-and-white illustrations that capture the novel's eerie gothic tone. |
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Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre
by Max Brooks
What it's about: After a volcanic eruption at Mt. Rainier leaves them stranded, the clueless denizens of a remote eco-community square off against displaced Sasquatches hungry for their next meal.
Why you might like it: Much like his bestselling debut World War Z, Max Brooks' gruesome latest is written as a firsthand account, featuring diary entries, interviews, transcripts, and the author's own research.
Movie buzz: Bigfoot fans, rejoice! A film adaptation is in the works.
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Malorie
by Josh Malerman
What it is: the tense sequel to Josh Malerman's bestselling Bird Box.
What happens: Twelve years after Malorie and her children made their daring escape from the mysterious creatures who drive humans mad upon sight, she discovers that her parents might still be alive. Should she risk her family's lives to find them?
Who it's for: Bird Box fans and newcomers alike will flock to this follow-up whose post-apocalyptic world-building and thoughtful characterization make it suitable as both a sequel and a standalone.
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| The Loop by Jeremy Robert JohnsonWhat it is: a fast-paced techno-thriller set in the small Oregon town of Turner Falls, where a biotech company loses control of an experiment with devastating potential fallout for the town and the entire human race.
For fans of: apocalyptic stories that combine elements of horror with social satire, such as Wanderers by Chuck Wendig or Mira Grant's Newsflesh series.
Reviewers say: "unputdownable" (Publishers Weekly); "heart-pounding and deeply unsettling" (Booklist). |
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Sleep Donation
by Karen Russell
Combatting a deadly insomnia epidemic as a top recruiter at Slumber Corps, Trish questions her employers’ motives when she encounters her world’s first universal sleep donor and a mysterious insomniac whose nightmares threaten critical sleep supplies.
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Clown in a Cornfield
by Adam Cesare
Resolving to keep her head down through graduation when a factory closing divides the adults and kids in her small community, Quinn is caught in a dispute between tradition and progress before a homicidal corporate mascot begins targeting teens.
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Books You Might Have Missed
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| Stake by Kevin J. AndersonVampire slayer...or serial killer? Bosnian War vet turned vampire hunter David Grundy captures the attention of strait-laced detective Todd Carrow, who believes the man is actually killing humans. Meanwhile, freelance journalist Alexis Tarada believes Grundy is the real deal.
Who it's for: Readers who prefer their vampire stories with less bite will enjoy this witty mystery/horror hybrid told from multiple perspectives.
Want a taste? "The only way to stop a bad guy with fangs, is a good guy with a stake." |
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| Final Cuts: New Tales of Hollywood Horror and Other Spectacles by Ellen Datlow (editor)What it is: a collection of 18 short stories exploring the sinister side of the film and TV industry.
Featuring: original tales from genre heavyweights Josh Malerman, Kelley Armstrong, Stephen Graham Jones, Garth Nix, and more; new stories from up-and-comers including Cassandra Khaw and A.C. Wise.
Don't miss: Gemma Files' epistolary "Cut Frame," which uses interview transcripts and emails to investigate the fate of a 1950s B-movie actress. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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