Chloe's Not Scared

Horror books are so different from horror movies; they foreground suspense and tension in a way that visual mediums often don’t. Like other years, I’m including links to the books via the publishers websites so that you can find the book without any problems. However, I know that publishers have behaved quite badly this year (and in other years), so I encourage you to seek out these books at your local bookstores. Books make a great last minute gift, fyi. Without further ado, here are my favorite horror books of 2023!

10. Boys Weekend by Mattie Lubchansky

Link to Boys Weekend here.

Sammie, a newly-out trans person, is invited to a male friend’s bachelor party in a Vegas-like city. What’s supposed to be a raunchy time turns out to be the trip from hell. As if misgendering and microaggressions weren’t the worst part, Sammie discovers a mysterious cult staying at the same hotel. Author and artist Mattie Lubchansky convey the ridiculousness of everyday life in their comics, with an undercurrent of blunt hostility. Boys Weekend is no different, capturing both the horror of being on a terrible vacation with people you’re not really friends with anymore, and the terror of realizing that something supernatural might be afoot.

9. Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

Link to Camp Damascus here.

I’ve been a Chuck Tingle fan for a while (in that I appreciate the story of his fame, his covers, his titles, and his ethos of love), but I’m pleasantly surprised that he’s a great horror writer too! I love our autistic queer protagonist, who has grown up in a fictionalized new Christian community in Montana. This is not so much a conversion camp story as a Christian fundamentalism cult story, but there are snippets of the camp itself and its presence is ever-looming. While the story centers around teenagers and the writing is very accessibly written, the horror is surprisingly effective. Tingle usually writes surrealist smut, and I could definitely tell by his word choices that he comes from the romance genre. Camp Damascus would make a great Netflix show or film.

8. Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology

Link to Never Whistle at Night here.

My first but not last anthology on my list! Edited by authors Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr., a series of stories about different Indigenous peoples around the world, but mostly in the US and Canada. I was surprised to see a few names on the list who don’t normally write genre fiction, like Tommy Orange, Kelli Jo Ford, and Brandon Hobson. As I read on, I understood why they were included! Many of the stories centered around the true horrors of mental illness, violence, colonialism, and racism that can disproportionally affect Native communities. Plus the introduction by Stephen Graham Jones is truly the perfect way to begin. I loved many stories but my favorites were “Navajos Don’t Wear Elk Teeth” by Conley Lyons and “Snakes are Born in the Dark” by D.H. Trujillo.

7. The Militia House by John Milas

Link to The Militia House here.

I don’t read a lot of war novels, but I picked this one up because it came highly recommended by one of my favorite booksellers. Set in 2010 Afghanistan, The Militia House follows Corporal Loyette, an American who enlisted in the marines to pay tribute to his late brother. The isolation and loneliness of being stationed overseas in Kajaki is captured perfectly, leading Loyette and his buddies to alleviation boredom by exploring an abandoned (and supposedly haunted) militia house. I read both The Militia House and House of Leaves this year, and they are perfect companion pieces. This is the debut novel from Illinois author John Milas, a veteran who studied under Roxane Gay.

6. Lone Women by Victor LaValle

Take a look at Lone Women here.

Lone Women is a horror western featuring a Black woman as the lead, which is completely different from each horror and western book I’ve read before. But if that wasn’t enough, our main character Adelaide is in possession of a giant trunk with a mysterious padlock. The novel opens with her leaving her previous home in flames and heading from the West Coast to Montana. There, she procures a cabin and tries to make a life for herself. But whatever is in that trunk won’t let her let go of her past. I’ll be honest, I kept reading to figure out what was in the trunk. I loved the tension and dread of the prairie, and the characters that Adelaide met along the way were really well-developed and fun. Highly recommended for those who adore Lovecraft.

5. Don’t Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

You can find Don’t Fear the Reaper here.

The second book in Stephen Graham Jones’ much-acclaimed My Heart is a Chainsaw, Don’t Fear the Reaper is packed with as much pathos, reflection, drama, and slashy goodness as the first one. Jade returns to her small town of Proofrock, years after the Fourth of July massacre. There, she reconnects with some of her old friends and acquaintances, observing how the town is doing after the mass traumatic event (spoiler: no one is doing well). When the bodies of high school students start turning up, a serial killer is reportedly on the loose, AND a snowstorm is coming down in buckets on Friday the 13th, Jade must boost morale and fight the evil once more. If you were put off by the single-POV of Jade in Chainsaw, this one has multiple POV’s of everyone in the town, and they’ve all got the same thing on the brain: horror movies. Reaper was a near-perfect sequel. I can’t wait for the final book in the series, but I will be sad to say goodbye to Jade.

4. Maeve Fly by CJ Leede

You can find Maeve Fly slashing around the internet.

Maeve works at the happiest place on earth as one of the most popular princesses. She’s a nepo-baby (descendant of a famous Hollywood star), and she loves her hometown of Los Angeles with a passion. Yet, something is missing in her life… until she meets her best friend’s brother, a professional hockey player. This book has been compared to American Psycho, but I truly think it’s better. The little details of Maeve’s personality, like loving vintage Halloween music and classic cars, partnered with a deep love of Los Angeles makes the novel come alive. Debut author CJ Leede is– as my friend said– “a cool girl… like, we would be friends with her.” CJ, if you’re ever in Chicago, hmu. 

3. Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez

You can find Our Share of Night here.

I tried to talk myself out of reading this massive book for so long, but the cover and the premise were just too perfect to resist. Juan and his son Gaspar are two psychic mediums taking a road trip across Argentina to visit Juan’s in-laws. His wife Rosario had just suffered a gruesome and untimely death, and Juan must put things right with his father-in-law, who just so happens to be running a secret magical cult called the Order. Gaspar seems to be the heir, but at what cost? This is the first book I’ve ever read by Mariana Enriquez and I can’t wait to read her short stories. The way Enriquez uses supernatural events as a catalyst to talk about the war in Argentina is both stunning and important.

2. Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror

You can find Out There Screaming here.

This is another great cover, and another great anthology edited by the new king of horror Jordan Peele. Please believe me when I tell you that I was mesmerized by each story. Most of the stories were more creepy than scary, centering in on issues that affect the Black community. I liked every single story, and would read a full-length book by any of the authors. However, I did have some favorites. The first story of the anthology (“Reckless Eyeballing” by N.K. Jemisin) is about a police officer who has a special ability to pull people over. “Wandering Devil” by Cadwell Turnbull was also a favorite, about a man who can’t help but roam and can’t be tied down, no matter how much he wants to be. “The Other One” by Violet Allen is a ex /stalking incident gone terribly wrong, “The Rider” by Tananarive Due details a supernatural journey of two Freedom Riders, and “Dark Home” by Nnedi Okorafor follows a young woman grieving the death of her father. Honestly, I could go on!

1. Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova

I’m so delighted that my favorite book of the year is from a small publisher! Monstrilio can be found here.

Monstrilio rips your heart out and then eats it and then cares for it inside their stomach. The novel is a debut and follows a couple- Magos and Joseph- who recently lost their son Santiago to a lung condition. Magos takes a bit of his lung and nurses him into a monstrous not-quite-human entity that she names Monstrilio or M. The book is told in four points of view (the couple, M, and their friend Lena). I’m so sick of multiple POVs when it does not add anything to the plot (and unfortunately for me, this is super trendy right now), but this technique truly adds everything to Monstrilio. Monstrilio also jumps around geographically, from Mexico City to New York, with a strong sense of place in each location. I also love that the novel features a queer relationship that is not the center of the narrative, nor is it looked down upon in any way. It’s not utopia, but it refocuses the issues of the family unit on M and his development. Monstrilio is the strongest debut that I’ve read in the longest time and has become an instant favorite.

Honorable mentions: A Guest in the House, The Haunting of Alejandra, Sisters of the Lost Nation

What is your favorite 2023 horror book?