LitQueuelitqueue

After

Hell House

Richard Matheson1971

6 of 6 directions open

More like it

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  • The town

    Bentley Little2000

    A family returns to a small Arizona town where the residents are being targeted by supernatural violence. The town's history is tied to a curse.

    Same tense register, still supernatural horror

    pace0·prose0·bleak0

Denser prose

3 more ↓

  • The Golden

    Lucius Shepard1993

    A vampire detective investigates the murder of a woman bred for her blood. The story takes place within a sprawling castle during a summit.

    tense → decadent

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

  • Ambergris

    Jeff VanderMeer2020

    This collection follows the history of a city built atop a subterranean race. It uses fake histories, journals, and detective noir.

    tense → dreamlike

    pace-1·prose+2·bleak0

  • The Unholy Consult

    R. Scott Bakker2017

    A messiah leads his armies toward a final confrontation with an ancient, soul-devouring force. The world is ending.

    tense → bleak

    pace0·prose+2·bleak+1

To recover

tense → propulsive

3 more ↓

  • This Man

    Jodi Ellen Malpas2013

    An interior designer begins an affair with a wealthy client who demands total control over her life and schedule.

    Same tense register

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

  • Ready Player One

    Ernest Cline2008

    A teenager in a dystopian future hunts for a digital easter egg inside a massive simulation. The quest relies on 1980s pop culture trivia.

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-2

  • The Sentinel

    Lee Child2020

    A drifter helps an IT manager targeted by criminals after a cyberattack. He uses physical force to protect the man and uncover a conspiracy.

    pace0·prose-1·bleak-2

Faster

3 more ↓

  • The Rising

    Brian Keene2003

    A father travels across an apocalypse where the dead are possessed by malevolent, intelligent demons. The world is ending permanently.

    tense → bleak

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak+1

  • Shattered

    Dean Koontz1973

    A man and his future stepson drive across America while being stalked by the woman's vengeful ex-husband.

    Same tense register

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak-1

  • The Executioner

    Chris Carter2010

    A Los Angeles detective hunts a serial killer who murders victims using their specific phobias. Each crime scene features a blood-scrawled number.

    Same tense register

    pace+1·prose-1·bleak0

Slower

3 more ↓

  • Ulysses

    James Joyce1914

    Three characters wander through Dublin on a single day in 1904. Each chapter uses a different literary style to mimic thoughts and sensations.

    tense → playful

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

  • Absalom, Absalom!

    William Faulkner1936

    The rise and fall of Thomas Sutpen is recounted through multiple, conflicting memories. The prose uses extremely long, complex sentences.

    tense → elegiac

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak+1

  • Either/Or

    Søren Kierkegaard1992

    A collection of papers presents two life philosophies: the aesthetic pursuit of pleasure and the ethical commitment to duty.

    tense → meditative

    pace-2·prose+2·bleak-1

Heavier

Same tense register, still supernatural horror

3 more ↓

  • House of Bone and Rain

    Gabino Iglesias2024

    Five friends in Puerto Rico seek revenge for a mother's murder during a hurricane. Their quest involves both gangsters and spirits.

    tense → bleak, still supernatural horror

    pace0·prose+1·bleak+1

  • Seed

    Ania Ahlborn2011

    A man who survived a childhood encounter with a demon sees the same entity targeting his daughter. It is a story of inescapable family curses.

    tense → bleak, still supernatural horror

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1

  • Last Days

    Adam L.G. Nevill

    A documentary filmmaker investigates the history of a 1970s cult. As he visits their former sites, he realizes he is being followed.

    pace0·prose0·bleak+1