Recs if you like The Hollow Kind...
Hauntology: Folk Horror and the Echoes of the Past
Hauntology is the philosophical concept, as quoted by Mark Fisher from his article taking a deeper look into Derrida's philosophical work, that "the present is always haunted by the ghosts of the past and the unfulfilled promises of the future." From generational trauma to dark histories to dying Old World pagan traditions, these elements persist throughout the wide genre of folk horror. These books explore deeply into the hauntings of the past and the instability of the future.
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Southern Gothic Fiction
A selection of contemporary Southern Gothic titles exploring the decay, despair, and trauma of the reconstructed American South. Come for the palpably atmospheric settings and descriptions, stay for the literary commentary on the legacy of the South's oft-romanticized past.
As a note: I did not include the most well known writers in the genre, e.g. Truman Capote, Harper Lee, William Faulkner, etc. as the list is more focused on the resurgence of Southern Gothic in contemporary literature.
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Smothering Kudzu: Horror in Appalachia
Kudzu climbs up the hills, katydids sing in the hollers, and there's something calling from the woods...
Think: whistling winds, howling coyotes, rural isolation, small towns, folklore, religious fanaticism, and ghostly voices coming from the forest
Recs welcome! π€
βοΈSome of the these books are classified as extreme horror/splatterpunk. PLEASE protect yourself, and check all trigger warnings.βοΈ
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Gab Smolders Horror Book Talk
I can't be the only one who want to remember all the books without jumping around in a video, right?
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Southern Gothic
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gab smolders 2025 (horror) book talk
what gab smolders read in 2025 as per her book talk video! horror + in tier order from most to least liked by her:
β S TIER: from "night shoot" to "old country"
β A TIER: from "what stalks the deep" to "listen to your sister"
β B TIER: from "the long walk" to "the gathering"
β C TIER: from "banquet for the damned" to "model home"
β D TIER: from "3 streets" to "my darling dreadful thing"
β F TIER: from "basilisk" to "survivor song"
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