Our first contact with literature is usually through fairy tales read at the foot of the bed by parents or grandparents. More than fables, these stories serve the purpose of cautionary tales, to educate children about the dangers of the…
Our first contact with literature is usually through fairy tales read at the foot of the bed by parents or grandparents. More than fables, these stories serve the purpose of cautionary tales, to educate children about the dangers of the…
Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s 2001 novel La Sombra del Viento, or The Shadow of the Wind in English, was love at first sight for me. Zafón tells the story of a boy who finds a rare work of an obscure writer…
Unlike the ghosts and dark gothic castles that used to scare our great-great-grandparents, science going wrong is one of the cornerstones of modern horror. An experiment with devastating consequences, the creation of a monster that defies the laws of nature,…
Vampires were already part of mythology, folklore, and literature before the publication of Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1897. But it was the impact of this classic that immortalized the sharp-toothed, blood-drinking creatures in popular culture. Since then, they have appeared…
If you like a good scare, Halloween is the best time of the year to get goosebumps reading horror books. There are plenty of authors and titles, and this list tries to balance some immortal classics with new talents. Because…
The Stand is Stephen King’s post-apocalyptic story about the scattered survivors of a deadly, engineered plague. King’s a master at worldbuilding and character work, and those skills are on full display in this novel of good versus evil. It fundamentally…
Technology has turned us all into involuntary voyeurs. There are surveillance cameras everywhere, reality shows, overexposure on social media… It’s hard not to take a peek at other people’s lives from time to time. This may explain the success of…
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski is a book that defies easy categorization. It’s a horror novel, yes, but also a love story, a work of ergodic literature (fiction that requires navigating text in ways that go beyond simply…
Secret codes, mysterious sects, brutal murders, and enigmas hidden in ancient monuments and works of art. Ring a bell? Published in 2003, Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code quickly became not only a bestseller but a worldwide phenomenon. Brown didn’t…
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides brought a modern edge to old-school mystery in the spirit of Agatha Christie. One of the reasons for its success is the way Michaelides wears his love for Christie and other classic mystery writers…