When I was writing the Third Edition of the Readers' Advisory Guide to Horror, I originally had over 20 annotated choices per subgenre appearing in chapter 4-13. However, for word count sake, I had to reduce each lists to a well packaged dozen. Obviously making the cuts was hard, but I was able to include the tittles of those deleted annotations in an appendix at the end of the book with a promise that the annotations would run here on the blog.
And that promise begins today. Each list will be posted on the blog over a series of 10 weeks, every Tuesday, beginning June 1, 2021 and running through August 3, 2021. This weekly series will serve to promote the book's upcoming release in August of 2021, but I have also created an archive of all of the lists that will live here. That page is the official index of this bonus content.
In the book, my top three choices in each list are marked to denote Becky's Picks. I will also do that in these lists to give you a place to begin as you suggest. Just like the titles in the print book, every title appearing here is a great options for all public libraries. You can use these lists for collection development, displays, lists, and suggestions. Each subgenre has an essay discussing its history and appeal in the book which you can order here.
Chapter 9: Nature Gone Wild
[+] Denotes Becky’s Picks
Barlow, Toby. Sharp Teeth. 2007
Written in a free verse style where the ends of each line combine to create the illusion of literal sharp teeth, Barlow has introduced a new type of werewolf, the urban wolf. This is a gritty story of underground crime and rival packs of werewolves who can morph at will. Sharp Teeth has romance, violence, and a compellingly complex storyline.
Cutter, Nick. The Deep. 2015
A pandemic is sweeping the world, but at the bottom of the ocean, a natural cure seems to have been found, until all communication with the research vessel testing it ends. Luke, a veterinarian and brother to one of the scientists, heads underwater with a team to try to figure out what happened.Combining two nature gone wild tropes-- deep sea mysteries and a pandemic-- Cutter delivers another winner, a gory, action packed, intense, horror thrill ride, a story that may keep you out of the ocean for years to come.
Gaylord, Joshua. When We Were Animals. 2015
A coming of age story with a Horror twist as Lumen Fowler recounts for the reader her darkest secret. Every teenager in her small town “breaches” with each full moon for a year after they hit puberty, transforming into beats that run wild, obsessed with sex and violence, every teen except her that is. The novel reads as Fowler’s confession from a present where she has a different name, and at first readers are absorbed in the horrifying shapeshifting action and details, but slowly the tension shifts and the dread and unease come directly from Lumen herself, her family secrets, and her denial of her true self. A solid example of a non-werewolf shape shifting tale. Gaylord also writes Horror under the name “Alden Bell.”
+Goingback, Owl. Coyote Rage. 2019
Humans and shapeshifters go toe-to-toe as the Great Council in Galun'lati has a change in leadership and Coyote gets the opening he needs to charge into the parallel world of humans and destroy it. However, some of the shapeshifters cross over to help humanity, instigating a battle for the ages. With stellar world building, awesome action, and engaging and lyrical language, this is a thought provoking and original tale that will leave readers feeling terrified, exhausted and exhilarated upon completion. Coyote Rage won the 2019 Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel.
Golden, Christopher. Snowblind. 2014
A blizzard hits the town of Coventry, MA killing 18 people. But as the residents know, it wasn’t the storm that killed them; it was the “ice men” that blew in with the storm, stalked the residents, and whisked their bodies away. Flash forward 12 years later and it appears another storm is brewing. Told through multiple points of view that bounces back and forth between a diverse group of residents, Golden builds both characters and suspense while keeping the pace fast. A tale that moves from creepy to menacing as it explores monsters both human and supernatural.
Hill, Joe. The Fireman. 2016
A great example of how the pandemic tale has moved into Horror, as a naturally occurring fungus turns deadly due to climate change, and people who are infected with the spore begin to spontaneously combust, all over the world. Harper, a nurse, is pregnant and on the run from her homicidal husband, but a strange and unlikely superhero, the Fireman, comes to her rescue and the two go on the run encountering other survivors (both good and evil) along the way. The detailed world building and character development mean the action takes time to get going, but when it does, hold on to your fire extinguisher. Readers should expect unrelenting menace, nuanced characters, an engaging plot which seamlessly combines science and the supernatural, and a killer ending.
+Kozeniewski, Stephen. Hematophages. 2017
Space Horror, sentient lampreys and workplace satire collide as Paige, an academic researcher living on a space station, introduces readers to a future where males are extinct, corporations are now governments, and most humans live off Earth. Paige is part of a salvage team out to recover a ship lost for centuries. As they travel, the work politics and various personalities are developed, details that matter when they finally reach the ship and the terror begins in earnest, terror that springs directly from the Hematophages, creatures who attach to their human prey, suck out their insides for nourishment, and take over their brains. Told with a snarky narration, fast paced action, awesome, but gross, descriptions of the creatures as they take out the crew one by one and intensified by the claustrophobic fear of being hunted with nowhere to hide, this novel is an especially good treat for fans of classic Horror movies. The hardest part of handselling this fun pulp novel is pronouncing the author’s last name and the title; it will sell itself. Skinwrappers is the prequel.
+Marshall, Helen. The Migration. 2019
Severe repercussions of climate change on top of a strange immune system disease affecting the young, frame this bleak, first person, debut. Sophie, a high school sister and her mom and sister move to England to live with their Aunt after her sister gets sick. The Aunt teaches Sophie all about ancient plagues as the mortality rate rises. And then, the horror increases as the dead begin to stir. This is a compelling and thought provoking tale where nature, and even the body, morphs into something strange and possibly dangerous. A bridge between the zombie and nature gone wild tropes that will appeal to fans of both.
Matthews, Mark. The Hobgoblin of Little Minds. 2021
Kori loves her Dad but has also suffered because of his bi-polar disorder. Days before the last place he was seen, the shuttered Northville Psychiatric Hospital, is about to be demolished, Kori sneaks in to try to connect with his memory, but instead, deep in the tunnels, she finds the living debris of a mad scientist, what is left of her former patients. Told from multiple points of view and moving back and forth in time, a narrative choice that provides the necessary background details without sacrificing the suspenseful pacing, and allowing the reader to effortlessly fall into the story and its actors, this is a wholly original entry into the werewolf mythos. But the unease and fear is not only born of the visceral action, it is also informed by an honest discussion of the effects of mania on those who suffer from it and their families, written by an experienced mental health professional.
MacLeod, Bracken. Stranded. 2016
The crew of a boat, stranded by a storm in the Arctic, are besieged by a virulent flu-like illness. The fog is impenetrable, their navigation instruments aren’t working. After they are completely stopped by ice, the crew sees something on the horizon. Those that are still healthy, strike out across the ice, and encounter a new menace. Filled with intriguing characters, excellent marine details, an oppressive atmosphere, disturbing details, and an escalating sense of dread that builds relentlessly, this is a page turner that packs a solid emotional punch to the gut.
Nevill, Adam. The Ritual. 2011
Four friends take a trip to a Scandinavian forest to reconnect and leave the stress of their adult lives behind for a few days. But since this is a Horror novel, a wrong turn reveals an eviscerated corpse, strung up in a tree and the men are thrust into a fight for their lives against a beast who rules this section of the woods. In this Folk Horror inspired tale the menace comes directly from nature, while the harrowing dread begins with the very first, ominous line and keeps the pages turning.
Zeltserman, Dave. The Caretaker of Lorne Field. 2010
For 300 years the oldest male child in the Durkin family has been responsible for weeding Lorne Field. But these are not any weeds. They are monsters known as Aukowies, monsters, which if not weeded, will grow to their full form, leave the ground, and destroy the world. Or will they? With no one left to support or believe in him, the current, and aging, caretaker, Jack, is fighting a losing battle to save the world. This is a tightly wound and intense story in which the suspense and tension build to an unsettling conclusion.
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