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positively--speculative · 7 months

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🧛🏽‍♀️🧟‍♀️👹Horror Movies for Beginners🦇💀👻

Disclaimer: This is something I'm doing for fun and because I've had people in the past ask me for suggestions for people who are interested in horror but are too scared to get into it. I'll be adding more to this list as I think of more.

Tips: For one thing, I would suggest checking doesthedogdie.com before watching any horror movie. It's a great source for triggers ahead of time. The people who contribute to it can be very helpful too, as they sometimes provide timestamps as to where in the movie the triggers take place so you can skip over them.

I would also suggest horror comedies, as they provide humor to lessen the blow of the scary stuff.

Spooky Movies for Beginners

Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II, Ghostbusters (2016)

Yes, I am including 2016. No, I am not ashamed to like that version. No, I will not be taking criticism. I did not include Afterlife because I have not seen it yet. That aside, I do recommend the Ghostbusters movies listed. The movies contain a balance of horror and comedy and cool science-fiction tech. They're fun, but not too scary for beginners.

Haunted Mansion (2003)

Most of the "scares" in this movie aren't really scary. If you've been to Disneyland and can ride through the attraction with no problems, you can probably get through this movie. It's geared more towards families, so if you have kids, they'll probably enjoy watching it with you. However, there is an anti-Romani slur used repeatedly throughout the movie. Also, proceed with caution if you have a fear of spiders.

Coraline (2009)

This movie is animated but contains a lot of creepy imagery. Some kids might get creeped out by it. If you like "rabbit hole" type movies that involve stumbling upon hidden and treacherous worlds, you'll probably like it. Henry Selick, the dude who made Nightmare Before Christmas, is responsible for this film adaptation.

Wendell and Wild (2022)

Another animated movie from Henry Selick with Jordan Peele. Two mischievous demons cause havoc. Peele and Kegan-Michael Key play the demons. Oh, and it's a middle finger to private prisons and the school-to-prison pipeline, so there's that. If you're too afraid to watch Get Out, Us, or Nope, but want to experience the horror magic Peele, you will probably enjoy this one.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

I'm hesitant to put this one on the list because this one does contain disturbing imagery that can be too much for a beginner. But this is a really solid movie even if the ending has already been spoiled for you. How scary the ghosts are really isn't what this movie is all about--the themes of grief and healing are really what it's about.

Gremlins (1984) and Gremlins II: A New Batch (1990)

When I was a kid, my parents thought they could scare me into behaving by saying the gremlins from these movies were going to get me. But I loved the gremlins because they were fun and I wanted to be their friends lol. If you like practical effects, you'll probably like this movie. I don't think these movies would be scary for most adults, but kids might be a little iffy with the gremlins--but Gizmo is adorable and might be able to balance out the scariness. However, there is some...questionable Asian representation typical of 80's movies. Proceed with caution.

Warm Bodies (2013)

This movie was released when the Twilight craze was at its height and I remember being shit-talk about that, but this movie is worth watching. Yes, it is about a zombie falling in love with a living human, but it really is adorable (in my opinion) and the movie is overall clever and fun. I will say that there are some parts that might be a little too much for beginners. The "bonies" might be a little too scary. However, the "scary" parts are very brief and they are not the center of the story.

To be continued...

#horror recs #horror recommendations #horror for beginners #warm bodies #germlins #gremlins ii: an new batch #wendell and wild #jordan peele #henry selick #coraline #the haunted mansion (2003)#ghostbusters

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thebonnevillegamepodcast · 11 months

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It's pride month! We wanted to put together a list of queer horror films you can dive into this month.

We know our leads, Minty, Laura, and Ingrid will be watching plenty of gay scares this month.

The Bonneville Game also has plenty of queer characters to get to know!

#audiodrama #podcast #horror comedy #fiction podcast #audiodramas #horror #comedy #horror movies #horror recs #horror films #horror movie #80s horror #classic horror #lgbtq #pride month #pride month movies #lgbtq horror

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howtowhumpyourhiccup · 9 months

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You ever just... watch a horror and it actually leaves you with this sickening pit of fear in your stomach?

Would you like to?

Because then I highly recommend Vintage Eight's analog horror 'Children Under The House' over on YouTube. It's honestly a masterpiece of horror built entirely on sound, a single good voice actor, the written word, scary images depicted through a child's drawings, and a really good story.

I watch a lot of horror stuff, but it's not often that something gets to me like this one did.

And if anybody wants to know if it had a happy ending or not before you want to check it out:

It does. :) The ending was very satisfying.

#horror #horror recs #analog horror #vintage eight #children under the house

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neon-green-reagent · 30 days

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50 Underrated Horror Films: Part 4

What in absolute hell. We made it to part 4? Well, here we go then! Oh, also, links to the other parts: One : Two : Three

Undead : Starting off with an absolute banger. This is an Australian zombie apocalypse film. If you're familiar with Ozploitation cinema, then you know how nutso it can get, and this is a perfect example of just that. The action sequences are wild crowd pleasers, and the plot twists until it nearly breaks off.

Werewolf in a Girl's Dormitory : I realize that sounds like porn. Just stay with me. It's a giallo! With a werewolf! For me, this was like finding the holy grail. Best of both worlds, truly. With... not the best looking werewolf, but this is an older movie, so cut it a little slack. It turns into a fun mystery with that special Italian flavor to it.

The Outwaters : Everyone was talking about Skinamarink. No one was talking about this. It has a similar conceit. To make a horror film that defies the idea of plot. It starts like your average found footage, then becomes a drug trip straight to the depths. It really does feel like witnessing a cosmic horror story where the horrors are, indeed, impossible to describe.

Tomie : This is the first of me cheating and actually recommending way more than one film. The Tomie film franchise is a series of loose adaptations of Junji Ito's manga of the same name, and there are nine at the moment. They get wild and weird, and they explore parts of Tomie that even the manga doesn't cover. Female monster! You need these in your life.

Murdercise : Low budget silliness trying to be throwback 80s and mostly just being hilarious and noticeably cheap. I love that. It's stupid and seems like the kind of movie that was a blast to make. I definitely felt like I was laughing with them and not at them, which made it feel really charming. A great one for a dumb movie night.

Zombie Death House : Zombies in jail! Directed by John Saxon who strangely didn't case himself in the lead like some vanity project. Rather he plays a character I have dubbed "Colonel Herbert West" if that sounds at all appealing. I mean, it clearly was to me.

Dead Birds : There aren't a ton of horror films that crossover with westerns, so this is a rare gem. A bunch of outlaws take refuge in a deeply disturbed location, and things get super dark.

Satan's Princess : A neo-noir detective story with supernatural evil at its core. Imagine if Angel Heart was dumber and way cheaper looking. With Robert Forster giving a really fun performance and an ending that had me laughing out loud.

Werewolf Bitches from Outer Space : Do you love Troma movies? Do you wish they were worse? Do I have the film for you! With scenes that were clearly filmed without permits. Random bystanders interfering with the production. Terrible werewolf masks. And pizza sex? It's a laugh riot.

Butterfly Kisses : A genuinely upsetting found footage movie that understands exactly how to use the urban legend format. There's a beastie out there that, if you stare at it, it will imprint on you like a baby duck. Then if you blink, it gets a little closer. Try to imagine how long you can go without blinking.

To Die For : Wanna watch a really shitty, late 80s Dracula? Here you go! It's dumber than a box of rocks. No one's motivations make any sense. Dracula seems like kind of a jerk despite being a romantic figure. But most of the actors are hotties and know the silly movie they're in, so it comes out fun in the end. Oh, and no one can agree when it came out. But rest assured I don't mean the one with Nicole Kidman.

Home for the Holidays : Made for TV Christmas slasher! Starring Sally Field. With a whole lot of family drama, which makes it feel authentically connected to the holiday. Merry Christmas! It's March. Ahem.

Welcome to Hell : Heavy metal horror strikes again. This time, a black metal band impregnates and kidnaps a groupie for their dark ritual. She escapes, but they're hot on her trail. The ending is nothing short of a religious experience. WINK.

Isolation : If Alien took place on a farm. With mutant cow fetuses. I swear, there is science that makes some sense of that. And it's not a comedy, I swear! It's actually very nasty with some wonderful body horror.

Dr. Crippen : Based on a real crime of passion and clearly cashing in on the Psycho craze. It's a strange one to recommend, because it's based on a true event, and the movie leans pretty hard in the bad doctor's favor. But it's worth it if you're a fan of Donald Pleasence. He gets to be his strange, little self and also be the star for once.

Tamara : What a mid-2000s romp this is. A good girl gets treated like garbage and goes bad in a witchy-demon-spell kinda way. Jenna Dewan as Tamara is perfect in every way. Gives me the gay.

Dark Harvest : Don't be like "oh, I've heard of that, didn't that just come out last year?" Yep, and everyone ignored it. When it was pretty fucking great. Set in a cursed town that openly sacrifices their kids to a fantastic monster by the name of Sawtooth Jack. His head is full of candy. Like. Go watch it.

Night Screams : Regional 80s slasher where a guy dies getting his face grilled. I'm pretty sure that shouldn't have killed him. And there are like three killers by the end? Did it before Scream, just saying. Enjoy the vibes on this one.

The Third Saturday in October Part Five and Part One : Speaking of slashers. These low budget gems came out last year, and there was a cute, little gimmick to it. You're supposed to watch five, then one. It simulates growing up pre-internet. You walk into the video store, and all they have is part five. You decide to rent it, even though you've never seen the first one. Then a week later, you find one. This really worked for me. Gave me nostalgic feelings. Please, if you watch them, try it this way.

The Vampire Doll : What if Japan made a Hammer film? Well, here it is. With one of my favorite tropes: a super cute couple investigates the horrors!

Night Feeder : Genuinely the best shot-on-video horror film I've ever seen. It actually fooled me. I thought I was watching a bad VHS rip, but no, this was not shot on film. It's stylish, clearly better than you'd expect, weird, dark, and has a really bad rock band in it.

Older Gods : Low budget and full of heart and also Lovecraftian horrors. If you're reading this and care, to me it felt as if someone wrote an original story around Azathoth. Which is cool, because no one ever uses him in anything. Also, if you're like, "so what does that mean?" It means that reality is up for debate in this one.

Cheerleader Camp : One of those that people clamor for when you talk about movies that still need a proper physical media release. I see why. It's extremely fun with its tongue lodged in its cheek. It uses every slasher trope and laughs hysterically while doing so.

Below : I love my underwater horror, and this delivers wonderfully. Haunted submarine, dude. But honestly, that wasn't the scariest part. The plot was cool, and I enjoyed the mystery, yeah yeah. But more to the point, everything that can go wrong... does. Imagine being trapped at the bottom of the ocean in a giant, metal coffin. BRR!

The Werewolf and the Yeti : How many werewolf movies are on this list? Uh, shut up. As I was saying, this is great. Paul Naschy brings a massively enjoyable werewolf flick our way again. With all his swashbuckling charm. By the time the yeti shows up, so much awesome shit had happened that I forgot he was supposed to fight a yeti. I mean...

Subspecies : And how many vampire movies are on this list? SHUT UP I SAID. Anyway. Another where I mean the whole series. All of them. Radu, the main villain, is a joy. Michelle's story arc is super dramatic and full of that Interview with the Vampire angst. Special mention to the second film, which goes all out with the gore effects.

The Hills Run Red : A horror movie about horror movies. A lost film has gained a cult following, and a bunch of dumb college kids decide to track it down. You can guess how that goes. William Sadler steals the entire movie when he shows up. Babyface also has iconic slasher energy.

Abby : This one's underrated because the filmmakers got sued by the guys that made The Exorcist and lost. This is essentially the black version of The Exorcist, and it's so good that I'm depressed we'll never get a great release of it. Carol Speed is amazing as Abby. William Marshall, Blacula himself, is in it. Track this down and get mad about it with me.

The Appointment : What the hell is this. Even I'm not sure. Edward Woodward crashes his car. I mean, I don't know what else to say about it. The film ramps up the tension and dread until a ridiculously Rube Goldberg thing happens, and you have to experience it.

Frostbiter : Another of those movies made with ten cents and a lot of gumption. A bunch of people wanted to make Evil Dead II, and so they did that. They even put an Evil Dead II poster in the cabin they filmed in, so that you wouldn't even wonder about what inspired it. Also, special mention to the chili song.

Hell's Highway : Have you ever seen a movie that was really cheap and goofy, but you could see EXACTLY how it would've looked if they'd just had the money? This is that movie. Every special effect fails. Everything's so awkward and odd. But you can tell what they MEANT for it to be. So bad it's good and then some.

Dance of the Damned : Vampire. Sorry. So this one is about a vampire who wishes he could stop living eternally, because it sucks to live that long and be so alone. He finds a sex worker who is also feeling like she wishes things would just end, and they share their pain with each other. Way better than it has any right to be, mullet and all.

The Werewolf of Washington : Werewolf. I really am sorry. Dean Stockwell plays a truly adorable werewolf. And nothing about it is meant to be taken seriously at all. Gives An American Werewolf in London a run for its money in the goober department.

The Curse of Kazuo Umezu : From the man who brought you The Drifting Classroom comes... this! It's a pair of strange tales. One about a vampire, fuck, I'm sorry. And one about a haunted house that even the narrator can't figure out what's going on. Horror anime!

Lo : A young man has recently lost his love. She was dragged to hell. That old chestnut. So he summons a demon named Lo to try to get her back. With a twist that'll make you go, wait, I thought this was a comedy?

The Spider Labyrinth : This one recently got a really nice release, and I'm so glad, because it's bonkers. A young fella is sent to Budapest to find a lost professor. Instead he finds a cult. Uh oh.

End of the Line : Apocalypse horror that turns your brain inside out just a bit. A religious cult has decided it's the end of the world, and they start executing innocents so they'll "go to heaven." Are they brainwashed or is the world actually ending? You decide!

Off Balance AKA Phantom of Death : Just barely a Phantom of the Opera riff. A pianist discovers he has a rare genetic disorder that threatens to cut his career short. Also, he's kinda losing it. Starring Michael York, Donald Pleasence, Edwige Fenech, directed by Ruggero Deodato, oh my GOD!

The Lure : Killer mermaids. Well, sirens. Kind of a mix. It's also a musical. And about how awful the entertainment industry is for young women. It's also super gory, and they eat people. Truly little else out there is like this.

Redneck Zombies : What do you want me to say? It's a Troma film. It's called... that. I'm pointing. I'm pointing at the title. That's the movie. Just... Right? Yeah?

The Killer Reserved Nine Seats : Another of those gialli that is really just And Then There Were None. But the nice part is that Italy likes to get more sexual, violent, and fucking awful than Agatha Christie ever dreamed. This one also takes place in an old theater, so the vibes are choice.

Mary Reilly : I always include at least one entry in these lists that begs the question, "how did this become underrated?" And obscure, that too. When it's a Jekyll and Hyde retelling with an emphasis on the gothic and lush, starring Julia Roberts and John Malkovich? By the way, I heard people hated it because of Roberts' terrible Irish accent. Damn, dude, I've heard way worse, fake accents than that. Anyway, this is fantastic. Watch it.

The Forest : One of those slashers where I thought I understood what I was getting into, but I did not. There's a man living in the woods who went postal on his cheating wife one day. The ghosts of his family are also haunting the woods. And he's a cannibal who feeds a guy his own girlfriend. I need other people to watch this so that I can be assured it was real.

Autopsy (2008) : I put a year, because there are around 800 horror films with that title. To further narrow it down, it's the one where Robert Patrick plays basically Herbert West fused with Mr. Freeze, and Jenette Goldstein is his nurse, and they chase a bunch of college kids around for science. Kind of a pitch black comedy with torture porn aspects, and I loved it.

Glorious : A guy gets trapped in a public restroom, which is horrifying enough. Then a cosmic horror god starts talking to him from a bathroom stall. He gives him the assignment of helping to stop the end of the world. The god is J.K. Simmons, and the whole thing is a delightful bottle movie.

Nightmare Detective : From the director that brought you Tetsuo: The Iron Man... Do I have your attention? Comes the Japanese Nightmare on Elm Street! That's oversimplifying, but that is my elevator pitch. It involves all sorts of dream powers and psychic battles that will blow your socks off.

House of Lost Souls : Directed by Umberto Lenzi, which means it feels as doobery as Ghosthouse. It's about a hotel desperate to decapitate you, and it has the silliest dialogue and acting known to man. Special mention to psychic powers being cited as a "rational explanation."

The Cleansing Hour : A priest who livestreams fake exorcisms has to rumble with a real demon. Super fun character piece where a conman has to look his sins dead in the eye. Truly obsessed with this one. Also, super fun demon effects. With Kyle Gallner, everyone's favorite scream king.

Deathrow Gameshow : What if Airplane was super violent? Or The Running Man was a dumb comedy? This hits the sweetest spot, where the humor is idiotic and the violence is cartoonishly nasty. This will speak to the sort of person, like myself, who wants their comedy to be indigestible for most audience goers.

Double Blind : This is a very recent release. A diverse group take part in a double blind drug test. Things go so extremely bad. I won't give anything away, because part of the fun is the unfolding chaos.

I can't believe I managed to do that again. Enjoy! I hope you find some new favorites from this list.

#horror #horror films #80s horror #horror movies #horror recs #horror recommendations

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sanityshorror · 6 months

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The average age of a published author is 40. I'm extremely proud of myself and humbled to be a published author at 25, not only in digital, but now physical🥹💖 thank you to everyone who enjoys my work and supports me. I'm beyond humbled by the insanely high sales numbers of The Man with the Scarred Neck and a 90%+ positive reader reception, as a first time published author (and a splatterpunk author, at that!) 🥹💖 I never imagined I would come so far, so fast and so young... I couldn't have done it without y'all, and there are not words to express my gratitude and thanks💖

The digital edition is available to purchase in my pinned post!

#horror #splatterpunk #horror books #horror recs #horror review #horror recommendations #horror novel #extreme horror #Killian Lynch #julius doherty #julius the dressmaker #the man with the scarred neck #sanityshorror

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snoopybutch · 8 months

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I LOVE vampire and werewolf media! Do you have any uncommon suggestions I can check out? (Movies, shows, books, etc?) 🖤

Ok some of these might not be uncommon but more so less talked abt by fans? So pls don’t hate meee lol. First is Joseph Sheridan le Fanu’s Carmilla, a classic for a reason and very easy to find as a pdf online!!! Byzantium is a great vampire movie, for anime recs there’s Blood+ (super fun monster designs!), Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (fantastic gorgeous animation and perfect if you like tragic romance), Shiki (manga is great too!) 30 Days of Night is a great not very talked abt vampire movie, the Strain is an interesting gory vampire show I haven’t really seen ppl talk abt. Daybreakers and Afflicted 2013 are some movies i haven’t really seen talked abt. On the popular suggestions topic my faves are the first and second ‘Underworld’s and ‘Blade’s. Super fun special effects, awesome outfits, awesome fight choreography etc etc!! Then we have Van Helsing. Is it a great movie with good acting? No. Is it fun as hell? Yes!!!! From Demons to Dracula: The Creation of the Modern Vampire Myth, by Matthew Beresford is an interesting vamp lore book I’m looking into.

For werewolf recs I’m embarrassingly topical, Ginger Snaps, An American Werewolf in London and a rec I actually haven’t seen but the designs just look absolutely fantastic, Dog Soldiers. A kinda silly rec is Red Riding Hood with Amanda Seyfried (the wolf by fever ray is so fun omg). The Book of Werewolves by Sabine Baring-Gould is a book I’m thinking of buying :3 Some werewolf movies I haven’t seen but am thinking abt are The Company of Wolves, Cursed, The Wolfman (2010), Bad Moon, Wolf (1994), Brotherhood of the Wolf, Werewolves Within, The Howling (1981), When Animals Dream and Trick’r Treat!!

I’m so so sorry this took so long I got really excited and kept lookin up media lol

#diarmuid makes a post #daily life of diarmuid #vampire #vampire media #werewolf media #werewolf #lycanthropy #vampirism #horror recs #media recs #anonymous

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sn00d-band · 3 months

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Horror recommend

Superb

No spoilers

#horror films #horror movies #horror recs #horror

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himbohargreeves · 4 months

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River’s Top Ten of 2023

These aren’t in any particular order because it would take me too long to try and rank them. Honorary mention to Misery, The Tommyknockers, and the various short story collections I read which aren’t on the list because I don’t think Stephen King needs me to sell his books for him, but Misery was easily my favourite book of the year <3

1) The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

Hidden across England and Scotland live six old Book Eater families. The last of their lines, they exist on the fringes of society and subsist on a diet of stories and legends. Children are rare and their numbers have dwindled, so when Devon Fairweather’s second child is born a dreaded Mind Eater – a perversion of her own kind, who consumes not stories but the minds and souls of humans – she flees before he can be turned into a weapon for the family… or worse. Living among humans and finding prey for her son, Devon seeks a cure for his hunger. But time is running out – for her family want her back, and with every soul her son consumes he loses a little more of himself…

My rating:

Woah it's vampires but with books! The world-building in this is so gorgeous and such an original creature design. I just wish it was a little longer as the ending felt a bit abrupt.

4.75 ⭐️

2) The Collector by Laura Kat Young

Sorrow is inefficient. It’s also inescapable. Lieutenant Dev Singh dutifully spends his days recording the memories of people who, struck with incurable depression, will soon have their minds erased in order to be more productive members of society. At night though, hidden in the dark, Dev remembers and writes in his secret journal the special moments shared with him--the small laugh of a toddler, the stillness of a late afternoon. The first flutter of love. But when the Bureau finds out he's been recounting the memories–and that the depression is in him, too– he’s sent to a sanitarium to heal. After all, the Bureau knows what’s best for you.

One of the best dystopias I've read for a while because of how believable the whole thing felt. Main character is really easy to root for and so real (love the way his toes are always cracking when he's trying to sneak around. me too brother.) The ending was a little bamboozling but I kind of like that.

My rating: 4.5 ⭐️

3) The House at Phantom Park by Graham Masterton

St Philomena's military hospital has been abandoned for over three years. Now Lilian Chesterfield is in charge of developing it into a luxury-housing complex. But as soon as she and her colleagues start work in the mansion, they hear screaming from wards full of empty beds and see faces peering at them from the mullioned windows. Lilian doesn't believe in the supernatural. But just when she's put her mind at rest by scouring the mansion from top to bottom, a warning arrives. The hospital is haunted. And it is haunted by something a thousand times more terrifying than ghosts...

I read a few books by this author but this was easily my favourite. A really unique take on the haunted hospital trope and the gore was splendid.

My rating: 4.25 ⭐️

4) Inkmistress by Audrey Coulthurst

Asra is a demigod with a dangerous gift: the ability to dictate the future by writing with her blood. To keep her power secret, she leads a quiet life as a healer on a remote mountain, content to help the people in her care and spend time with Ina, the mortal girl she loves. But Asra's peaceful life is upended when bandits threaten Ina's village and the king does nothing to help. Desperate to protect her people, Ina begs Asra for assistance in finding her manifest--the animal she'll be able to change into as her rite of passage to adulthood. Asra uses her blood magic to help Ina, but her spell goes horribly wrong and the bandits destroy the village, killing Ina's family. Unaware that Asra is at fault, Ina swears revenge on the king and takes a savage dragon as her manifest. To stop her, Asra must embark on a journey across the kingdom, becoming a player in lethal games of power among assassins, gods, and even the king himself.

Beatiful. Outstanding. Showstopping. I have no notes. I read Of Fire and Stars last year and really enjoyed it but this was even better. Every single character is compelling, the world is written beautifully, the romance hit me where I live. I cried about five times while reading.

My rating: 5 ⭐️

5) Juniper and Thorn by Ava Reid

Marlinchen and her two sisters live with their wizard father in a city shifting from magic to industry. As Oblya's last true witches, she and her sisters are little more than a tourist trap as they treat their clients with archaic remedies and beguile them with nostalgic charm. Marlinchen spends her days divining secrets in exchange for rubles and trying to placate her tyrannical, xenophobic father, who keeps his daughters sequestered from the outside world. But at night, Marlinchen and her sisters sneak out to enjoy the city's amenities and revel in its thrills, particularly the recently established ballet theater, where Marlinchen meets a dancer who quickly captures her heart. As Marlinchen's late-night trysts grow more fervent and frequent, so does the threat of her father's rage and magic. And while Oblya flourishes with culture and bustles with enterprise, a monster lurks in its midst, borne of intolerance and resentment and suffused with old-world power. Caught between history and progress and blood and desire, Marlinchen must draw upon her own magic to keep her city safe and find her place within it.

This book is STUNNING. I don't even have anything else to add. There are some heavy topics so might be wise to seek out a trigger list before reading but I highly recommend.

My rating: 5 ⭐️

6) Leech by Hiron Ennes

In an isolated chateau, as far north as north goes, the baron’s doctor has died. The Interprovincial Medical Institute sends out a replacement. But when the new physician investigates the cause of death, which appears to be suicide, there’s a mystery to solve. It seems the good doctor was hosting a parasite. Yet this should have been impossible, as the physician was already possessed – by the Institute. The Institute is here to help humanity, to cure and to cut, to cradle and protect the species from the horrors their ancestors unleashed. For hundreds of years, it has taken root in young minds and shaped them into doctors, replacing every human practitioner of medicine. But now there’s competition. For in the baron’s cold castle, already a pit of secrets and lies, the parasite is spreading...

The imagery in this book is so vividly well-written and horrible (pos) and I really hope the author writes more of this world in the future because there was so much more I want to explore. The evolution of the main character is so good and has you constantly switching between rooting for and against them.

My rating: 4.5 ⭐️

7) The Lighthouse Witches by CJ Cooke

A deserted lighthouse Upon the cliffs of a remote Scottish island stands a lighthouse. Strange and terrible events have happened here. It started with a witch hunt. Now, centuries later, islanders are vanishing. A lost family Liv Stay and her children don’t believe in witches or curses. But within months of arriving on the island, her daughter Luna is the only one of them left. An impossible child Twenty years later, Luna’s missing sister turns up out of the blue. She is exactly the girl Luna remembers. Same face. Same smile. Same age. Faced with the impossible, it’s up to Luna to find out what really happened at the lighthouse all those years ago.

A really fun and creative take on changelings and a great story that kept me guessing right up to the end reveal! The character/timeline switches work really well, but I feel like the character povs being written in different tenses a bit jarring at times without adding much.

My rating: 4.5 ⭐️

8) Night Train by David Quantick

A woman wakes up, frightened and alone - with no idea where she is. She's in a room but it's shaking and jumping like it's alive. Stumbling through a door, she realizes she is in a train carriage. A carriage full of the dead. This is the Night Train. A bizarre ride on a terrifying locomotive, heading somewhere into the endless night. How did the woman get here? Who is she? And who are the dead? As she struggles to reach the front of the train, through strange and horrifying creatures with stranger stories, each step takes her closer to finding out the train's hideous secret. Next stop: unknown.

Very surreal with some great and creative gore elements. What does it all mean in the end? Couldn't really tell you, but man I had a great time reading it!

My rating: 4.75 ⭐️

9) Tender is the Flesh by Augusta Bazterrica (translated by Sarah Moses)

Marcos is in the business of slaughtering humans - only no one calls them that. He works with numbers, consignments, processing. One day, he's given a specimen of the finest quality. He leaves her tied up in an outhouse, a problem to be disposed of later. But she haunts Marcos. Her trembling body, and watchful gaze, seem to understand. And soon, he becomes tortured by what has been lost - and what might still be saved...

Another really great dystopia though maybe a little less believable, and at times maybe going a bit too literal with the commentary on the meat industry but man. That fucking ending. My jaw hit the floor and I had to spend ten minutes staring at a blank wall afterward to recover.

My rating: 4.75 ⭐️

10) What Moves The Dead by T Kingfisher

When Alex Easton, a retired soldier, receives word that their childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying, they race to the ancestral home of the Ushers in the remote countryside of Ruritania. What they find there is a nightmare of fungal growths and possessed wildlife, surrounding a dark, pulsing lake. Madeline sleepwalks and speaks in strange voices at night, and her brother Roderick is consumed with a mysterious malady of the nerves. Aided by a redoubtable British mycologist and a baffled American doctor, Alex must unravel the secret of the House of Usher before it consumes them all.

Fall of the House of Usher is one of my favourite stories and this is easily the best take on it I've ever read. Really lovely imagery and just a great, creative spin on a classic. And there are mushrooms!

My rating: 4.75 ⭐️

#read list #book recommendations #book reccs #book review #horror #horror recs #river reads #fun new tag for us

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