Recs if you like The Works of Vermin...

are you sick of being recommended stephen king when you ask for a horror novel? have you picked up a book expected to be scared, but the scariest thing about it was a woman being needlessly tormented and gaslit? have you read 4627473 books about a man in a haunted house and need something different?

if so, this list is for you :)

a masterlist of horror by anyone who isn't a straight cis white man, started in 2022 and brought to pb in 2026.

Keep tracking of PB lore one TBR train book at a time. List of books that have unexpectedly + delightfully affected our PB experience. (PB pyramid scheme name approved by our queen of clownery @ayzrules + the book that led the scheme by our pink queen @crybabybea)

Urgently seeking suggestions, any and all input is welcome! A list for men in sci-fi/fantasy who are pathetic, reminiscent of kicked dogs, described as poor little meow meows, drowning in their own emptiness, and/or generally have an intense aura of being a sad loser with no life. Having a capacity to be fixed is entirely optional. If you want to demonstrate why a man is a loser, feel free to do so at great length in the comments so that we all may further our studies in male patheticology.

SFF with worldbuilding that informs the plot, prose, characters, and underlying narrative in deeply meaningful, intentional, and complex ways, so much so that changing the world means changing the shape of the story itself. Or: worldbuilding that goes beyond simple set dressing and becomes a vehicle for the story and narrative. Always open to recs and suggestions! ❤️

books that are so changed by the end that they're entirely different books on the re-read. books best entered blind, with a twist or gradual reveal that is not just surprising, but retroactively rewrites everything you've already read – the meaning, tone, genre, or intention of every page before it.

"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man."

recs so so welcome!

Fiction of all genres that explore what it means to cannibalize the self in service of others; the invisible labor, the elusive rewards, and the smothering of all else. Books do not need to feature actual eldest daughters. Always open to suggestions!

These are books that don't rush to impress you. They simmer while the author adds in the layers. They may confuse you or bore you at first - but if you give them time to cook you'll end up with a delicious meal of a book!

Always taking recommendations! If you are recommending a series - the layers need to come together by the end of the first book (not half way through the series).

SFF featuring second worlds and storytelling that reflect and engage with hopes, anxieties, and imaginations about human activity and its influence on the environment + environmental justice. Always open to suggestions! (Note that I am using “second world” very loosely here, to mean both traditional second worlds and/or versions of Earth or parts of Earth that are so distant/strange as to be unrecognizable)

Reading suggestions for the Trans Rights Readathon! (Any year of course). Books with trans characters of any label (or any non-cis gender identity) by trans/non-cis authors. I have not read all the books in this list. Feel free to name your fave books by trans authors in the comments!

Books with obsessive and/or codependent queer relationships (relationship doesn't have to be canon but the vibes™ should be there)

Fiction reads with trans masc characters and/or by trans masc authors

See my trans Rights readathon suggestions masterlist for more trans reads! 🏳️‍⚧️

(Under construction 🏗 🚧 many more books to be added! Suggestions welcome!)

Fiction reads with non-binary characters and/or by non-binary authors

This includes gender fluid, agender, two-spirit, and any other gender identities outside of the binary labels.

See my trans Rights readathon suggestions masterlist for more trans reads! 🏳️‍⚧️

(Under construction 🏗 🚧 many more books to be added! Suggestions welcome!)

"The end is already written. Your actions are up to you, you can choose to get off this ride whenever. We both know you won't do it." Books with this vibe

(See pinned comment for book/look pairings). For those books that are lush, esoteric, perhaps a bit encrusted, convoluted, dense and/or lyrical; books that Commit To The Bit. Anything with something to say and a strong aesthetic sense that reinforces it; anything that's perhaps a bit weird and not afraid to take literary/artistic risks. Bonus if you can't figure out what it's supposed to mean 🙂‍↕️. Suggestions always welcome - feel free to give me a book to find a look for, or post a book/look pairing you came up with yourself! ❣️

cosmic, violent, nightmareish, ancient, warped, bizarre, absurd, strange, surreal

Botanical horror is great and all, but have you ever thought about all the horrors scuttling beneath the leaves?

Horror that features bugs (insects and arachnids - argue about whether shellfish should be involved in the comments) as a major antagonist.

A masterlist of standalone adult fantasy novels (no novellas).

Always looking for recs!

Clever, arresting and intentional SFF books by genre writers who really know how to play with and control language; not even necessarily immensely quotable or flowery, but wholly competent and meticulous.