Recs if you like The Death of Jane Lawrence...
no stephen king in sight
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.
what IS in a name?
books w/ full names in the title (mostly fiction)
mod-goth (modern gothic novels)
We all love gothic classics, but what is new when it comes to the gothic genre (from the last 20 years or so)?! For fans of Dracula, Jane Eyre, Frankenstein, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, etc. Please comment with suggestions to add!
Historical Horror Fantasy
Historical horror fantasy because I like to be self-indulgent :) Feel free to recommend some!
Feral and Hysterical: Works by Women
List of recommendations included in Sadie Hartmann's Feral and Hysterical: Mother Horrorโs Ultimate Reading Guide to Dark and Disturbing Fiction by Women.
Pairs with 50 States, 50 Books by Women list.
100 Gothic Classics
A list of 100 gothic classics which covers over 250 years of literature, from the high-drama castles of the 1700s to the psychological "New Gothic" of today.
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?
Mental Health and Neurodiversity in Adult SFF
Sci fi, fantasy, and science fantasy books featuring protagonists who are dealing with mental health issues, and/or are neurodiverse in some way - maybe on the autism spectrum, or having ADHD, schizophrenia, OCD, synesthesia, bipolar disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, etc. Suggestions very welcome!
Gothic and Witchy Books โบโงโห เฝเฝฒโโฑโเฝเพ หโโงโบ๐ฉธโน เฃชโงโโบ
A mix of classics & modern literature, that have to do with the witchy, gothic and horror genres โจ
But you donโt look autistic
Middle grade, YA and Adult fictional books with canon autistic main characters
Horromance to die for ๐ฉธ๐ชโค๏ธ
Horror Romance novels I think we all should read
When the Fit Check Doesnโt Lie
Books that are just as good as the cover promises. AKA: Fantastic book covers that also happen to be fantastic books! List will be added to in the future because I canโt leave well enough alone. (Suggestions welcome, leave it in the comments.)
Disability and horror
A collection of horror books about disability or horror books with disabled characters as main characters or important characters. Feel free to recommend any books
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:
โ S TIER: from "night shoot" to "old country"
โ A TIER: from "what stalks the deep" to "listen to your sister"
โ B TIER: from "the long walk" to "the gathering"
โ C TIER: from "banquet for the damned" to "model home"
โ D TIER: from "3 streets" to "my darling dreadful thing"
โ F TIER: from "basilisk" to "survivor song"
๐ถi want to hold your hand๐ถ
wave em, shake em, jazz hands-em
always accepting suggestions for books with hands on the cover
sometimes you donโt want to look up
for times when a tall mc might not be what you want, hereโs a list of short baddies ๐ what they lack in vertical height, they make up for in other areas ๐ฅต canonically shorter characters deserve their own list ๐โโ๏ธ
you know the drill, always taking suggestions!
autistic rep
canon and coded autistic characters
Autism x Horror
horror books with autistic protagonists!
it's free real estate
it's not a haunted house, it's a haunted HOME. if you enjoyed monster house as a kid or, like me, still enjoy it as an adult, here are some books about homes that aren't so cozy! feel free to give your own recs to add
Dark Academia except you are also a character
Notes in the margins are a must. โ Me, a neurotic literature degree holder
ยฉ 2025 Pagebound