Releasing on March 26th 2024, Dead Girls Walking is a shocking, spine-chilling YA horror slasher about a girl searching for her dead mother’s body at the summer camp that was once her serial killer father’s home—perfect for fans of Friday the 13th and White Smoke.

Reading Devolution by Max Brooks immediately after reading Near the Bone by Christina Henry entirely by accident, without really knowing what either book was about when I read them, was one of the best weeks I’ve ever had in my life. To everybody who hasn’t lived it, it may seem like it’s an obvious choice–two wintry Big Foot creature features by well-established authors, what’s not to like?

But it goes deeper than that. Two years ago, I was looking for fun time horror specifically. I blasted it out on twitter, and lucky me NYT Bestselling author of Blood Debts Terry J. Benton-Walker recommended I read Devolution by Max Brooks. Personalized recommendation by The Moment?

Me being me, immediately I did not read it (#wastehistime2022andbeyond).

I’ve got this chronic condition where I ask you what book I should read and then I ignore that suggestion for as long as I can.

However, one year later, I had this intense reading streak.

I was reading books left and right! I think that I was finally returning to that monster that I once was, that little girl that pulled into the Bladensburg Library parking lot and had the librarians closing the shutters and hitting the panic button. I ripped through 10 books in two weeks, and couldn’t get enough. And because I’d developed a catastrophic TBR from years of NOT reading, I knew just what to read each time. One of those books was…

Near the Bone by Christina Henry. I really wanted to get into Christina Henry’s recent releases, and I chose a great one to start on. Immediately, this book FUCKS. Intrigue, fear, characters you can get behind and tension that had me at the edge of my seat. It was one of the best reading experiences I’d had so far, and I was on a roll.

Five stars, easy.

I wanted to keep riding that high, and as luck would have it I had been avoiding my recommendation from The Moment. It almost seemed too perfect that Devolution by Max Brooks fit the vibe I was riding, a whole year later. At least by the cover, which had me “hmm”-ing about how it just might be my next read.

It was a coincidence that changed me.

I love novels with letters and excerpts and journal entries, I love a Bad Bitch at the helm, and I was fresh off a book hangover with Near the Bone so it felt like I’d given myself another puff of the stuff. This was life.

I started to wonder what other books would evoke this feeling. An aftershock of story, like if addiction was strictly for absolute dorks. There’s no turning back from that experience.

And now that I’m addicted, I’ve made it my life’s mission to convert others.

So, thank you for accepting my invitation to this introductory dinner. I know we haven’t talked since high school, but I’m different now and I think you can be different, too. Let me take you through the menu of horror double features that pair so well together you’ll add them to your charcuterie board.

Let’s dig in.

NEAR THE BONE BY CHRISTINA HENRY & DEVOLUTION BY MAX BROOKS

NATURE FUCKS BUT GIRLS GET IT DONE

Bigfoot. Women. Snow. That’s what this double feature is made of. While you can see the resemblance just from the pitches (adult horror Bigfoot creature features, duh), there are also thematic consistencies that really make the experience feel full and satisfying when you finish. Compassion between strangers, which you often find in survival stories. Strength in womanhood, not to be confused with Girls Can Do Anything. There’s also one of my favorite themes: these big dumb animals are not fucking around.

The only thing I’m not sure of at this moment is if order matters here – is it better to read the stress of Mattie’s life early in Near the Bone so that you can feel the release of Kate’s growth in Devolution afterward? Or feel the dread of Devolution ratchet up from one book to the next, like a frog in a gumbo pot?

Either way, choose this double feature on a day when you’re stir-crazy from a blizzard and need a thrill to get through the slog.

THE SCOURGE BETWEEN THE STARS BY NESS BROWN & DEAD SILENCE BY S.A. BARNES

YOU ARE NOT ALONE AND NOT IN A MICHAEL JACKSON WAY

This is another pair of books you can see relate in their pitches – two space horrors about something going wrong on an isolated ship. However, once again, it’s the themes that carry throughout that make this much more enjoyable. Leadership and meeting expectations, even when you don’t want to and protagonists that feel fear but tell that fear to kiss their ass.

I would recommend Scourge Between the Stars first. It’s a little bit denser than Dead Silence, much more rooted in Sci-Fi – but it’s shorter. It’s like an umami-bomb appetizer that balances out Dead Silence‘s horror-focused romp.

When you want nothing more than to relax underneath the stars with your definitely-charged Kindle and a campfire, this is the exact perfect pair for you.

BAD WITCH BURNING BY JESSICA LEWIS & DELICIOUS MONSTERS BY LISELLE SAMBURY

BAD BITCHES HAVE BAD DAYS TOO

Peace and love makes the world go round, but summa these bitches out here need to be put in their place. Bad Witch Burning and Delicious Monsters are both about teenaged Black girls with a lot to be mad about. And as the president of A Hateful Bitch fanclub, them my girls and I’mma stick beside them.

Curl up with some fucking revenge after your enemies spark your rage. Sometimes the bad guys are the shit that should get blown up, and these two books are not sorry about it.

I would read Delicious Monsters first with this one, as it’s a very slow start that ramps up to three-hundred whereas Bad Witch Burning slams its foot on the gas and keeps it there like it’s an unofficial sequel to Speed (Speed VI: Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems).

WHEN THE RECKONING COMES BY LATANYA MCQUEEN & RING SHOUT BY P. DJÈLÍ CLARK

BLAXPLOITATION BUT MAKE IT SPLATTERPUNK-LITE

Okay, I don’t like calling these two “splatterpunk-lite” because they’re both metal as fuck gore-fests, but I don’t want any genre purists to hate me for invoking the name of splatterpunk in vain. These two stories are toted around as Southern gothic, Southern horror, Southern etc., and I feel like those descriptors – while accurate – do not even begin to address where the story takes you.

Calling When the Reckoning Comes “Southern Gothic” is like saying Nightmare on Elm Street is Magical Realism.

“…okay,” Nene Leakes says.

Even though When the Reckoning Comes is a novel versus Ring Shout‘s novella, I think it should be read first. It’s just a taste of lore before you truly jump off the cliff into the deep end of Ring Shout. Both books toe the gore line harder than a lot of present-day horror (traditionally published, let’s be clear – indie and self-published horror has never met a disembowelment they didn’t want to include), and are the perfect duo to read for any of my people who were scheduled to work on Juneteenth.

THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD BY TIFFANY D. JACKSON & THE HONEYS BY RYAN LA SALA

HORROR FOR THE GIRLS THAT AREN’T GIRL’S GIRLS

Horror is no stranger to femme friendships, but rarely does genre fiction deeply engage with it. The idea that saying the wrong or right thing, being the wrong or right person, is a tightrope to walk even in the midst of the unspeakable happening around you. Themes of anger, acceptance are explored from intersectional lens while still delivering on the creepy, gory, and outrageous.

While these two are very alike, and almost obvious, this recommendation is specifically for their audiobooks. Listening to The Weight of Blood‘s full cast first, then ending on the atmospheric sounds of The Honeys is the perfect way to spend a cinematic Saturday – at 3x speed because we’re all gonna die someday. You get to feel the rage of Jackson’s Carrie-toned ending and then dive headfirst into the quiet rage of The Honey‘s opener.

Only the girl’s girls know that girls getting mad is a beautiful thing to witness.

YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DIE TONIGHT BY KALYNN BAYRON & DEAD GIRLS WALKING BY SAMI ELLIS with THE BLACKENING PLAYING IN THE DISTANCE

HORROR LOVING UNSERIOUSNESS FOR BLACK HORROR LOVERS

I have to end on myself – it’s, like, contractual (editor’s note: it is not). And while it’s hard for me to see myself objectively, I read a LOT of Black horror. There are quite a few of them I thought matched Dead Girls Walking‘s energy – one of glee in the gore and delight in the death.

There’s No Way I’d Die First, for example, is an exhilarating take on a horror lovers’ weekend gone wrong story. The Taking of Jake Livingston may be beautiful (and thus def not like me lmao), but it weaves themes of otherness with horror so intentionally much like Temple’s story in Dead Girls Walking.

If I just chose by theme, I’d never choose right.

So I went with tone.

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight is witty, full of banter and teeming with heightened tense scenarios, gleefully horrific set-pieces, and splashy scenes of gore you can FEEL a smile behind. Both YA Horror novels are more than horror stories – they are horror odes, explicitly inspired by pioneers of the genre while also injecting a much needed dose of Black culture, Black conversations, and just plain stannage.

These books are written for a Brenda and a Preacher.

It’s for anyone who remembers the moment Bone Thugs N’ Harmony started playing in Fear Street 1666. For the ones who watched The Blackening and got exactly what they wanted. For any Black readers that finish a scene and go—“That was a good kill.” And I think, when read back-to-back, You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight and Dead Girls Walking absolutely serve Mo’ Murder beat drop.

(author’s note: I, Sami Ellis, was in fact the editor that said it was not contractual to end on myself. I am sorry for the deception.)

The post Horror Book Double Features appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

HBO Max’s new series The Last of Us has been just as big of a smash hit as the 2013 game it’s adapted from. If you’re a fan of the TV show, the game, or you’re just interested in dark, post-apocalyptic stories, here are ten reading recommendations to check out!

Blindness by José Saramago

Like The Last of Us, José Saramago’s 1995 novel Blindness focuses on how the spread of a new disease can break down society and severely alter the way that humans live and interact with one another. In Blindness, a mass epidemic of blindness begins spreading through a city, affecting nearly everyone. If you’re intrigued by the “found family” relationship between Joel and Ellie in The Last of Us, then Blindness is a great book to check out: it follows a group of people who band together and create their own family unit to help navigate their way through the devastation caused by the epidemic.

The Passage by Justin Cronin

The Passage by Justin Cronin is a post-apocalyptic novel from 2010 that focuses on a world that has been infested with vampires (contrary to The Last of Us’s zombies). There are a lot of similarities between The Passage and The Last of Us, most notably their respective focus on a downtrodden, haunted man protecting a young, orphaned girl who may or may not hold the secret to saving the world.

The Children of Men by P.D. James

The Children of Men by P.D. James presents another take on the “disastrous change to human health greatly alters society” story. In this case, humanity becomes infertile. As in The Last of Us, The Children of Men focuses on a main character (Julian) who finds himself reluctantly working with the one person who may be able to save humanity. If Joel is your favourite The Last of Us character and you admire his story arc, then Julian’s tale in The Children of Men may be a great follow up to read.

The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

If Ellie is your favourite character from The Last of Us, or you enjoy stories about intelligent children overcoming incredible hardships, then The Girl with All the Gifts is the book for you. M.R. Carey’s 2014 novel follows Melanie, a smart and witty young girl making her way through the zombie apocalypse. Melanie has many similarities to Ellie, and both The Last of Us and The Girl with All the Gifts explore the resilience of children in unimaginably difficult times.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Emily St. John Mandel’s beloved 2014 novel Station Eleven is a great read for those who love the dystopian world of The Last of Us but are looking for something a little more hopeful. While Station Eleven is set in a world decimated by a flu-like virus and hardships abound, there is a sense of hopefulness to be found in this novel, especially through its main characters, a troupe of traveling performers.

World War Z by Max Brooks

If your favourite part of The Last of Us is the examination of human behaviour in a world that’s been flipped upside down, then World War Z is the book for you. Max Brooks’s 2006 horror novel provides a unique perspective on the oft-used zombie trope. Presented as an official chronicle of a fictitious zombie apocalypse, World War Z is told mostly through survivor testimonies and gives a very realistic look at how such an event would impact humanity.

Zone One by Colson Whitehead

The Last of Us is set in a world trying to rebuild after the devastation of a zombie apocalypse. Colson Whitehead’s 2011 novel Zone One follows a similar storyline. If you’re interested in the psychological aspects of the aftermath of great devastation, the struggle for humans to adjust to a brand new world, and the mental anguish that comes with witnessing such devastation, then Zone One is a great follow up to read.

The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell

One of the most interesting aspects of The Last of Us is getting to witness a world torn apart through the eyes of a child who can’t remember a time before the devastation. Alden Bell’s underrated 2010 novel The Reapers Are the Angels also explores this concept. A young girl named Temple must navigate her way through a terrifying world in the hopes of finally finding a sense of peace.

Feed by Mira Grant

Let’s face it: along with zombie apocalypses, there’s usually some sort of corruption. Black market dealings (as in The Last of Us), people profiting off of the devastation, and–as portrayed in Mira Grant’s popular 2010 novel Feed–shady practices that led to the disastrous outbreak. Check out Feed if you want to read about people desperate to see the dark secrets of desolation come to light.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Road is for people who like to feel sad. There is not a lot of hope to be found in Cormac McCarthy’s 2006 post-apocalyptic novel about a man and his son making their way through a ravaged America. If you were drawn to The Last of Us because you’re intrigued by stories of ruin and privation and how people survive under these conditions, then The Road is the book for you.

Have you read any books that gave you The Last of Us vibes? Let us know!

The post 10 Post-Apocalyptic Books for Fans of ‘The Last of Us’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Devolution is the product of the research and interviews of the narrator, at the request of Frank McCoy Jr., whose sister the events revolve around. The narrator also interviews Senior Ranger Josephine Schell, who describes the events from the official perspective of the investigative and rescue teams.

The events start slowly through the diary entries of Kate Holland, as she and her husband move away from civilisation to a green community, Greenloop, that promises all the comforts of living in a city without the inconvenience and stress. The residents receive their groceries via drone delivery and are connected to the internet and the power grid, with back-up biogas generators and solar panels. The eruption of Mt. Rainier explodes all of that by cutting the residents off from the power grid and the single road that is their only means of escape. Without access and communication, their little community begins to slowly unravel. Add the mystery of the terrifying remnants of blood, bone, and tissue, and the little community desperately devolves to fighting for survival.

Kate Holland’s character seemed to be that of the typical executive trying to escape from the usual stressors: the journal itself was written to be sent to her therapist and quickly became a coping mechanism as things escalated around her. And they do escalate quickly. Her character evolves steadily and her observations add insight and dimension to the other characters’ behaviours and motives. The side characters each had their own distinct personalities and motivations which worked to better show Kate’s evolution. Their increasingly erratic behaviour reflected the bizarre circumstances in which they found themselves. The reader will quickly find themselves taking a preference to certain characters, and frustrated at others.

While Devolution seems to have had a slow start, it was simply setting the scene for rapid change in both environment and character. The lines of conflict are as clear as the sometimes graphic descriptions of action-packed scenes. The descriptions aren’t gratuitous, however, and serve to remind the reader of the extraordinary circumstances. The interspersed interviews with Kate’s brother and the Senior Ranger only serve to reinforce the oddity of the residents’ situation. There is no confusion that whatever happens to the the little community of Greenloop is not normal. If you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller that isn’t afraid of taking risks with characters and events in an unconventional format then Devolution is definitely one for your TBR!

Devolution is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.

Will you be picking up Devolution? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

The #1 bestselling author of World War Z takes on the Bigfoot legend with a tale that blurs the lines between human and beast–and asks what we are capable of in the face of the unimaginable.

As the ash and chaos from Mount Rainier’s eruption swirled and finally settled, the story of the Greenloop massacre has passed unnoticed, unexamined . . . until now.

But the journals of resident Kate Holland, recovered from the town’s bloody wreckage, capture a tale too harrowing–and too earth-shattering in its implications–to be forgotten.

In these pages, Max Brooks brings Kate’s extraordinary account to light for the first time, faithfully reproducing her words alongside his own extensive investigations into the massacre and the legendary beasts behind it.

Kate’s is a tale of unexpected strength and resilience, of humanity’s defiance in the face of a terrible predator’s gaze, and inevitably, of savagery and death.

Yet it is also far more than that.

Because if what Kate Holland saw in those days is real, then we must accept the impossible. We must accept that the creature known as Bigfoot walks among us–and that it is a beast of terrible strength and ferocity.

Part survival narrative, part bloody horror tale, part scientific journey into the boundaries between truth and fiction, this is a Bigfoot story as only Max Brooks could chronicle it–and like none you’ve ever read before.

The post Review: Devolution by Max Brooks appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Peace Talks by Jim Butcher
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Harry Dresden is back and ready for action, in the new entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files series. When the Supernatural nations of the world meet up to negotiate an end to ongoing hostilities, Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, joins the White Council’s security team to make sure the talks stay civil. But can he succeed, when dark political manipulations threaten the very existence of Chicago–and all he holds dear?

The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty
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The final chapter in the bestselling, critically acclaimed Daevabad Trilogy, in which a con-woman and an idealistic djinn prince join forces to save a magical kingdom from a devastating civil war.

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The #1 bestselling author of World War Z takes on the Bigfoot legend with a tale that blurs the lines between human and beast–and asks what we are capable of in the face of the unimaginable.

Afterland by Lauren Beukes
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Children of Men meets The Handmaid’s Tale in this “bowstring-taut, visceral, and incredibly timely” thriller about how far a mother will go to protect her son from a hostile world transformed by the absence of men.

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
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A young woman living in a rigid, puritanical society discovers dark powers within herself in this stunning, feminist fantasy debut.

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini
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This epic novel follows Kira Navárez, who, during a routine survey mission on an uncolonized planet, finds an alien relic that thrusts her into the wonders and the nightmares of first contact. Epic space battles for the fate of humanity take her to the farthest reaches of the galaxy and, in the process, transform not only her, but the entire course of history.

Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Harrow the Ninth, the sequel to the sensational, USA today best-selling novel Gideon the Ninth, turns a galaxy inside out as one necromancer struggles to survive the wreckage of herself aboard the Emperor’s haunted space station.

Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis
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The alternate history first contact adventure Axiom’s End is an extraordinary debut from Hugo finalist and video essayist Lindsay Ellis.

Blue Ticket by Sophie Mackintosh
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From the author of the Man Booker Prize longlisted novel The Water Cure comes another mesmerizing, refracted vision of our society In a world where women can’t have it all, don’t underestimate the relief of a decision being taken away from you.

The Mother Code by Carole Stivers
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In a future that could be our own, The Mother Code explores what truly makes us human–and the tenuous nature of the boundaries between us and the machines we create.

Will you be picking up any of these books? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Summer 2020’s Most Anticipated SFF Books, According To Goodreads Members appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

This months sees books featuring Robin Hood’s children, unfamiliar planets, a novel inspired by West African folklore, an alternate 1880’s London, an d much more!

The Ghosts of Sherwood by Carrie Vaughn
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Carrie Vaughn’s The Ghosts of Sherwood revisits the Robin Hood legend with a story of the famed archer’s children.

Sisters of Sword and Song by Rebecca Ross
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From the author of The Queen’s Rising comes a thrilling YA stand-alone fantasy about the unbreakable bond between sisters. Perfect for fans of Ember in the Ashes, Sky in the Deep, and Court of Fives.

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The #1 bestselling author of World War Z takes on the Bigfoot legend with a tale that blurs the lines between human and beast–and asks what we are capable of in the face of the unimaginable.

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown
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The first in an fantasy duology inspired by West African folklore in which a grieving crown princess and a desperate refugee find themselves on a collision course to murder each other despite their growing attraction.

The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho
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Zen Cho returns with a found family wuxia fantasy that combines the vibrancy of old school martial arts movies with characters drawn from the margins of history.

Interlibrary Loan by Gene Wolfe
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Interlibrary Loan is the brilliant follow-up to A Borrowed Man: the final work of fiction from multi-award winner and national literary treasure Gene Wolfe.

The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Caruso
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The Obsidian Tower begins a bold new epic fantasy trilogy in which the broken magic of one woman will either save an entire continent-or completely destroy it.

The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison
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Katherine Addison, author of The Goblin Emperor, returns with The Angel of the Crows, a fantasy novel of alternate 1880s London, where killers stalk the night and the ultimate power is naming.

Red Noise by John P Murphy
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Caught up in a space station turf war between gangs and corrupt law, a lone asteroid miner decides to take them all down.

Goddess in the Machine by Lora Beth Johnson
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Andra wakes up from a cryogenic sleep 1,000 years later than she was supposed to, forcing her to team up with an exiled prince to navigate an unfamiliar planet in this smart, thrilling sci-fi adventure, perfect for fans of Renegades and Aurora Rising.

The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The final chapter in the bestselling, critically acclaimed Daevabad Trilogy, in which a con-woman and an idealistic djinn prince join forces to save a magical kingdom from a devastating civil war.

The Unconquered City by K. A. Doore
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The final volume in K. A. Doore’s critically-acclaimed assassin fantasy series, praised by Publishers Weekly as “a hit with fans of Sarah J. Maas and George R.R. Martin”.

Will you be picking up any of these releases? Tell us in the comments below!

The post June 2020 Book Releases: Fantasy + Sci-Fi appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Get ready all you diehard horror fans out there because 2020 is going to be a big year! With new work from iconic award winning authors including Stephen King and Paul Tremblay as well as some much awaited sequels for books such as Birdbox, we are in for a serious treat. Weather it’s a dark February night or a beachy summer holiday, there’s a creepy classic for every occasion!

Historical Haunts:
The Deep by Alma Katsu (March 10th 2020)

Set aboard the Titanic in 1912, Katsu perfectly amalgamates historical fiction and spine-tingling horror to tell the infamous story of the sinking ship with a ghostly twist. What really caused the Titanic to sink? Were supernatural elements at play, and is history about to repeat itself? Can Annie, a survivor of the Titanic and nurse aboard the Britannica, figure out the terrifying mystery and fight her own demons? Katsu, an extensive researcher, has seamlessly woven true personal accounts and stories with her own brand of creeping, sinister horror leaving the reader to wonder what is real and what isn’t. Katsu offers an extremely immersive experience, true to the time period in each of her novels and The Deep appears to be no different. It seems we can continue to expect great things from Alma Katsu as she continues carving our her own unique genre of Historical-Horror-Fiction.

Scary Short Stories:
If it Bleeds by Stephen King (May 5th 2020)

The King of horror returns… yet again! This time with an anthology of short stories. Encompassing four creepy novellas, the book’s main focus is providing a sequel to King’s bestselling The Outsiders, following Detective Holly Gibney as she becomes involved in a mysterious and sinister case. The story also revisits other characters from the Outsiders, entwining them in the encryptic events. Barely any details have been released apart from the cover and a small blurb but we can be sure to be in for a spooky treat if the rest of King’s work is anything to go on!

Unnerving Urban Legends:
Devolution by Max Brooks (May 12th 2020)

Max Brooks proved his ability to scare the living daylights out of us all with his hyper-realistic zombie novel World War Z and he is at it again with his new book Devolution: A First-Hand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre. Brooks examines the world’s preparedness for disaster and leads us to question how ready we all are. Through a series of journal entries, Brooks tells the horrifying story of Bigfoot and the massacre of a town. Cleverly weaving storytelling and fiction with science and truth, Brooks again creates a believable tale of survival and gore which will leave us all shaking in out boots wondering who and what really lives among us.

Petrifying Pandemics:
Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay (July 7th 2020)

Bram Stoker award winner Paul Tremblay is back with another trademark violent and terrifying novel, Survivor Song. With global pandemic currently at the forefront of everyone minds, Survivor Song is sure to shake you to it’s core with it’s depiction of a rabies-like virus infecting everyone in sight and turning them into ferocious monsters. Hospitals are overwhelmed and society is breaking down. So what happens when you are alone, pregnant and infected? Follow Natalie’s treacherous race against time to get to the hospital and save herself and her baby, helped by friend and doctor Romola Rams. Will she make it in time? Or will she be lost to the virus? This one is a must read for all you horror/sci-fi fans and pandemic enthusiasts out there!

Supernatural Spooks:
The Boatman’s Daughter by Andy Davidson (February 11th 2020)

Davidson brings us the ghostly, atmospheric story of Miranda Crabtree encompassing all things dark including death, witches, smuggling, sacrifice and madness. Miranda Crabtree has spent her life ferrying contraband for a crazy preacher since her father died when she was a child. But things are changing and the darkness is closing in. The preacher is asking the unthinkable and Miranda has a secret. She doesn’t only have herself to think about but she must also protect the secret child hidden by a witch deep in the forest. Miranda must embark upon a journey of horror, temptation, fear and violence to save those who are defenceless. Told from the swampy depths of the Bayou, this book will weigh heavy on your shoulders, bringing into focus the murkiest depths of human nature.

Haunted Houses:
The Sundown Hotel by Simone St James (February 18th 2020)

All motels have their sordid secrets, but the creepy and oppressive Sundown Motel has more than most and Viv Delaney, the night clerk, is determined to bring them all to light. Carrying out her own amateur investigation, Viv discovers a supernatural presence is taking hold of the Sundown Motel while on the outside in the small town, women are inexplicably being murdered, could this be linked? Just as Viv gets a lead, she vanishes into thin air! Fast forward thirty-two years and Carly, Viv’s niece, decides to pick up the investigation where she left off and finds herself on a dangerous and sinister journey. Will she make it out alive? St James writes with such an atmospheric and immersive style, you will be on the edge of your seats waiting for answers until the very last page!

Ominous Indies:
Touch the Night by Max Booth III (2020)

When two twelve year old boys are abducted in the night by something not quite human, it is up to their mothers Mary and Ottessa to get to the bottom of the menacing happenings. Exploring police corruption, small town secrets and black magic culminating in a ritual performed by a crazed family, Touch the Night packs a powerful horror punch that will leave you shaking in your boots long after you’ve turned the final page. Very little information has been released so far but we are sure to be in for a big fright with comparisons to Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Stranger Things.

Sinister Sequels:
Malorie by Josh Malerman (May 19th 2020)

Malerman is back again with a thrilling sequel to his bestselling and Netflix-adapted Birdbox. Following on from Birdbox, Malorie focuses on the protagonist of the same name as she tackles the crazy and dangerous world around her. Malerman offers us the opportunity to get to know Malorie Haynes better in this continuation of her survival story as she fights the malevolent entities that threaten earth. If you have read Birbox and are wondering what happens to Boy and Girl, be warned that Malorie does not explore this avenue, it’s sole focus is Malorie’s story. For you Netflix enthusiasts out there, you’ll be pleased to know that Malorie has been picked up for a film adaptation later in the year.. So if you haven’t watched or read Birdbox yet, what are you doing?

Frightening Fairytales:
Looking Glass by Christina Henry (April 21st 2020)

Henry returns with the third dark instalment of her twisted, disturbing take on the classic Alice in Wonderland. We continue to follow the main characters of Alice, Hatcher and Elizabeth through four short stories full of secrets, monsters, magic and blood. Taking inspiration from the Lewis Carroll classic, Henry twists and distorts the details, mixing horror and fantasy to create a brutal new fairytale universe. But will everyone survive the chaos?  Are you ready to jump down the rabbit hole and find out?

Vicious Vampires:
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix (April 7th 2020)

Take one southern, suburban true-crime book club comprised of bored housewives and add one attractive but deadly male vampire and what do you get? A fast paced, supernatural, girl power thriller! Patricia, an underappreciated and fed-up stay at home mum looks forward to escaping into the world of true crime at book club every week. When a handsome but shady man moves into he area and children begin to go missing, Patricia’s mind races with the possibility of becoming an amateur detective and catching a murderer. But she gets more than she bargained for when she is thrust into the dark and foreboding world of vampires. With vibrant characters, gore and violence, this is nothing like the soppy vampire romances you’re used to, it’s pure savage so buckle up for the ride!

What 2020 horror releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

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Get ready to escape 2020 with its upcoming fantasy and sci-fi book releases! While there’s many, many exciting new books being released this year, we’ve picked a few titles that are releasing between January and June this year!

There’s plenty of favourites authors releasing new books, including Sarah J. Maas, Mark Lawrence, Veronica Roth, Max Brooks, Sarah Gailey, Yoon Ha Lee, and Tamsyn Muir, along with debut authors releasing their first novels!

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below if you are looking forward to any of them!

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Rather than definitively ranking the colossal amount of awesome horror literature out there, a job I can’t do as I love it all, we are going to delve into each horror sub-genre and take a closer look at a range of creepy, terrifying, gory and chilling novels. There will be something for every horror fan from the detectives of true crime enthusiasts to the doomsday preparers. Grab your vampire hunting stakes and Ouija boards and prepare to strap yourself in for a rollercoaster ride through exorcisms, alien possession, cannibalism, monsters, and haunted houses. This journey is not for the faint hearted… you have been warned!

Serial Killer Shockers

Silence Of The Lambs by Thomas Harris

Pure unadulterated horror in its rawest form, the Hannibal Lecter books are not for the faint hearted. Incorporating murder, violence, cannibalism, sexual violence, and abuse, this book should come with a trigger warning in capital letters. The novels tell the story, not in chronological order, of psychologist turned cannibalistic serial-killer Hannibal Lecter’s twisted childhood, crimes and consultancy to homicide detectives. If you want to understand a serial killer, ask a serial killer right?

Harris cleverly creates a force of sinister manipulation in Lecter keeping us wondering who’s side he is on and waiting for his seemingly inevitable escape. The graphic descriptions of terrible and violent crimes leave the reader feeling slightly queasy. Meanwhile Harris opens up the door to harrowing pasts and darkest secrets of the other characters using Lecter’s heightened perceptive skills, manipulation and persuasion creating a multi-layered, three dimensional cast. It’s not for everyone, but if you think you can stomach it, buckle up for a crazy, crime filled ride!

Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi

Have you always wanted to know what motivates a serial killer? Why people join cults? How people are brainwashed? Well this is the book for you! Vincent Bugliosi, a prosecution attorney on the case, provides an inside look at the bone-chilling Tate–LaBianca murders instigated by the infamous Charles Manson and his indoctrinated followers.

Following an initial, gruesome murder scene, Bugliosi takes us systematically, through the following investigations, trials, and backstory of the Spahn Ranch cult headed by the enigmatic, influential and cold-blooded Charles Manson. Bugliosi leaves out no detail, using actual court transcripts and often repeating information to ensure the reader can follow the complicated proceedings with more ease. It’s a long one so set aside plenty of reading time as you’ll quickly find that the devil is in the detail, painting an all-encompassing picture, transporting you back in time to Mason’s childhood, cult-life, the murders and the subsequent trails. You almost forget when reading that this isn’t a work of creative fiction, it really did happen, inviting you to question: are any of us really safe?

Science Fiction Madness

Dreamcatcher by Stephen King

King talks about writing Dreamcatcher under the influence of powerful painkillers after an accident and it’s a mind-bending, journey incorporating psychic powers, aliens, government cover-ups, and possession. The sort of thing that surely can only been dreamt up under the influence!

When school-friends Henry, Beaver, Jonsey, and Pete noticed ‘Duddits’, a disabled child being bullied, the boys intervened, intertwining their lives and showing them ‘the line’, Duddits’ telepathic power. The line is a compass guiding the group through life, drawing them away from danger and towards lost things. Present day, the boys still meet up every year to go hunting in the snowy forest, cut off from civilisation… Cue the cabin in the woods style gore-fest! A UFO has crashed in the forest and the military are racing against time to contain the incident, but they don’t have the full story. It’s up to the group of friends to save the world, an action inexplicably linked to Duddits and his special powers.

For those of you fascinated by the recent Area 51 raid pranks, this is a must-read! What have the authorities been hiding? Peel back the proverbial curtain and find out what extra-terrestrial horror awaits!

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

Written as a collection of interviews, news articles, personal accounts, and scientific data collated by a journalist, Brooks convinces the reader that World War Z was a real-life global catastrophe. Written in the post-apocalyptic wake, World War Z examines the effects of a worldwide pandemic and response from global leaders, health organisations and pharmaceutical companies cashing in on the chaos.

The corruption revealed throughout governments, world leaders and at times the medical profession provides a commentary on contemporary issues surrounding conflict, peace, safety and ethical practise which is extremely thought provoking and before you can check yourself leads you to wonder: could a corrupt government lead to a zombie war?

Brooks cleverly weaves personal accounts showing war as a microcosm, devastating families juxtaposed against the worldwide effects using government press releases and interviews. This makes for a read which at times tugs on your heart strings, terrifies you to your core and causes you to scratch your head and strategise with the world leaders about what to do next!

Creepy Classics

Dracula by Bram Stoker

A gothic setting, a tyrannical villain and damsels in distress, Dracula is the epitome of classic horror. Drawing the reader in with detailed panoramic descriptions of beautiful scenery, we are taken into Dracula’s foreboding castle and into the world of the vampire.

When Jonathan Harker sets out to Transylvania to close a real estate deal with Count Dracula, he is warned by villagers along the way to turn back. Despite this, Jonathan chooses to continue on and finds himself embroiled in wolf attacks, vampire assaults, murder, monster hunts, and blood. Meanwhile, Harker’s wife Mina and her friend Lucy are caught up in vampire dealings of their own leading to further macabre events.

Stoker paints a picture of how unprepared England is for Dracula’s attacks due to its propensity for modern science which doesn’t allow for believing in vampires. Warning readers not to overlook supernatural occurrences science can’t explain. Like Van Helsing, we must take into account both superstition and science. If you like eerie, spooky, otherworldly horror then Dracula is the one for you!

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

When Robert Walton set out on his voyage to the North Pole, little did he expect to come across Victor Frankenstein, a near frozen man with an incredible story. Once nursed back to health, Frankenstein tells his secret, scary, and shameful story. Following a happy childhood, Frankenstein studies anatomy and chemistry discovering his ability of animation and embarking on his biggest project yet, to create a human being. Frankenstein makes the monster from a collection of human body parts before bringing it to life and running in fear. What follows is a twisted tale of murder, shame, betrayal, guilt and ethical questions.

Shelley writes a dark and ominous text exploring the implications of too much knowledge. Text and language also play a huge role in the novel with the story told through letters with nods to notebooks, inscriptions and journals. The monster even learns to speak and read from the villagers allowing Frankenstein and thus the reader to understand the complex emotions felt by the creature adding another layer to the story. If you like chewing over problems of ethics and philosophy with a side order of grisly horror, then this is the novel for you!

Psychological Frights

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

Schizophrenia or supernatural possession? This was the question plaguing the Barrett family when 15-year-old Marjorie began acting erratically and medicine wasn’t helping. Merry, Marjorie’s sister, chronicles the horrific events that took place in the Bennett house when the family decided an exorcism was the only way to help Marjorie. To ease their financial strain, the family agreed to have a reality TV show enter their home and film the events leading Merry to question is Marjorie really possessed?

The book explores the dark theme of reality TV exploitation while raising the age old question of science versus religion. Full of harrowing scenes and creepy imagery, the book has an overall feeling of paranoia and madness, making for a sinister and terrifying read. Open if you dare and travel down the psychological rabbit-hole into the ghost filled head of Marjorie Barrett.

Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Would you go for a summer holiday in a haunted house? That is exactly what Eleanor, Theodora, and Luke do following an invitation from Dr Montague who is investigating the supernatural occurrences at Hill House. The group are tasked with living in the house for the summer, noting unearthly experiences.

Although dark and foreboding with a chequered past, Hill House is uninviting but apparently not haunted. However, malevolent events begin slowly unfolding leaving us to wonder what is the work of spirits and what may be the work of the group of ragtag inhabitants. The house comes to life, ensnaring its victims, particularly drawing in fragile, vulnerable Eleanor who is infatuated with the house. Will Hill House ever let her go?

For those that have watched the hit Netflix series, you’ll find that the show takes a lot of creative licence, further developing key themes from the book to stretch over a whole series. The novel is more compact with traditional haunted house tropes but still packs a frightening punch, made even more impactful by the shock ending. Come inside Hill House if you dare!

Supernatural Scares

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

When a malevolent child abductor and a psychic teenager cross paths, both of their lives are changed forever. Charles Manx, a famed child abductor has been kidnapping children in his Rolls-Royce Wraith, which can traverse worlds and taking them to the supernatural vampire amusement park of Christmasland. When psychic Vic takes the ‘Shorter Way bridge’, her telepathic link, to Manx’s house following an argument with her mother, she had no idea what horrors awaited there.

Fast forward to Vic’s adult life, where she lives as the only known escapee of Manx, but he is not finished with Vic yet. Although imprisoned, after Vic’s almost abduction, Manx has escaped using paranormal means, convincing everyone he is dead and when he takes Vic’s son, no one believes it. It is up to Vic to rescue Wayne and destroy Christmasland for good.

Hill cleverly incorporates the real-life threat of child abduction which send a shiver down the spine of most along with supernatural elements such as psychics and vampires. This makes for a bone-chilling scare you won’t be able to shake long after the last page.

The Hunger by Alma Katsu

Alma Katsu showcases her amazing ability to make horrific historical tragedies even more terrifying by introducing supernatural entities within her take on the Donner Party disaster, The Hunger. In 1846, the 90 members of the pioneer Donner Party setting out on the Oregon trail from Missouri to California, could not have foreseen the horror that lay in wait.

Katsu’s writing builds suspense from the outset, having the reader believe something is stalking the party, causing disappearances and deaths. Although a true story of conflict, betrayal, illness, exposure and starvation, Katsu explores the events under a supernatural lens adding another layer of horror to the already tragic accounts. Did the Donner Party succumb to exposure or is there another sinister explanation for their bad luck?

This novel seamlessly marries history and horror incorporating barbaric tribes, ghosts, demons, and witchcraft without a second of disconnection from the gripping politics and relationships of the group. The variation of traditional storytelling and the use of correspondence, to inform the reader of the character and setting backgrounds, reveals the twine that links all party members to one another and the dread, death and destruction awaiting them all.

Heinous Horror Adaptations

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

Turned into a hit Netflix movie, Bird Box will leave you on the edge of your seat, both the book and movie. Malorie and her two children live in an abandoned house in a post-apocalyptic ruin. Most people are dead, and something is out there. Something that wants to get them and if they look at it directly, it will turn them into homicidal, suicidal maniacs. Malorie and her children need to escape and run to safety but a perilous journey lies ahead and you’re on it with them!

Written with a sense of urgency that will keep you turning pages, Bird Box will have you looking over your shoulder with paranoia and panic, thinking am I being followed too? Due to the fact the protagonist spends much of the time blindfolded or trying to avoid seeing the malevolent forces, you will become maddeningly frustrated at your own consequent blindness. keeping you reading desperately in the hope you will get to see the monster. But can you handle it? Or will it send you mad too?

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

You’ve probably heard of the cult movie The Exorcist, but did you know it was based on a bestselling book? Noted as one of the most controversial books of the time, The Exorcist tells the story of 11 year old Regan’s experience with demonic possession and her subsequent exorcism. It’s hard not to compare the novel to the film due to its notoriety but where the book far excels is in the stomach-churning; repulsive descriptions of acts carried out by the possessed Regan and the shocking and horrifying dialogue from the demon inside. Making those infamous scenes from the movie (I won’t give it away!) even more disturbing and unsettling.

Inspired by real life events, if you don’t value a good night’s sleep all that much then this is the book for you. It will have you up long into the night jumping at shadows and cowering under the duvet.

Do you have any horror recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

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