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Works of Gothic Fiction for Halloween
Did you imagine that supernatural occurrence, or is that werewolf real?
Published on October 12, 2023
The Accursed: A Novel
Joyce Carol OatesJoyce Carol Oates plops you in Princeton, New Jersey, with the elites of America’s past, to show just how devilish “the good old days” were. Those afflicted include fictionalized versions of actual historical figures, from Woodrow Wilson to Jack London. This is a long trip down a dark, twisty road.
Freshwater
Akwaeke EmeziThis powerful debut has drawn near universal praise for its brave and imaginative depiction of a young woman battling a mental illness (which is really a bunch of restless gods who possess her) that threatens to destroy her at every turn. A well-written and moving story that upends plenty of insidious assumptions.
The Diving Pool: Three Novellas
Yoko OgawaThese three novellas from Yoko Ogawa are sparse and cutting in their depiction of psychological breakdowns and everyday horrors. The particular Japanese flair for the fantastical is brilliantly executed here.
In the Lake of the Woods: A Novel
Tim O'BrienFew things are more horrifying than modern warfare, and few writers have distilled the psychological tortures of soldiers better than Tim O’Brien. The inciting incident of “In the Lake of the Woods” revolves around the disappearance of Kathy Wade, wife of disgraced almost-senator John Wade, in Minnesota, and ends up in the past, halfway around the world, in war-torn Vietnam.
Hemlock Grove: A Novel
Brian McGreevyFirst of all, who can resist the awesome cover of Brian McGreevy’s gothic novel? Inspired by the likes of “Frankenstein” and “Dracula,” McGreevy adds modern twists on the “humans are the real monsters” tropes of horror. A suspected werewolf is accused of murdering a girl. And while he is, in fact, a werewolf, he is not the killer, and so he sets out to find the real culprit in this fictional Pennsylvania town.
The Icarus Girl
Helen OyeyemiHelen Oyeyemi wrote her celebrated debut novel when she was 18 years old. It’s no wonder, then, that the author of this novel could handle these topics of bullying, being mixed-race, and what the line is between imagination and reality with such mastery and ease; after all, she was just coming of age herself.