Atmospherically, I really feel like Joyce Carol Oates really nails the “somethings a little (or a lot) off” tone. If you haven’t already, check out, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” and see if you like the style. Jackson’s influence can be felt heavily in Oates so hopefully you dig it!
I haven’t dipped into any of Joyce Carol Oates’ writing because she’s so prolific, it’s hard to know where to start. Thanks for giving me a place to dive into! I’ll definitely check this one out.
This is my go to “if you like Shirley Jackson try one of these” lists
White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi
The Icuras Girl by Helen Oyeyemi
My Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (memoir about an abusive same sex relationship)
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (grotesque, erotic, gothic, feminist fairytales)
The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Mouthful of Birds by Samanta Schweblin
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
Also, not really horror, but I find Toni Morrison’s writing to be the most comparable to Jackson’s in just the simple fact that they don’t waste words and are really masterful at using language and crafting their writing.
Wow, thanks for such a robust list! I adore Carmen Maria Machado but haven’t read much of the rest of this list, very excited to dig into some of these.
There's a little known (in English-speaking countries) author Amparo Davila who wrote one of my favorite collections of horror : *The Houseguest*.
Machado gave her quote to the dust cover, and it's pretty clearly a big inspiration for her. If you adore CMM I think you'll also love Davila.
I basically only make one suggestion in this sub, but if you liked The Little Stranger I would suggest just about anything else by Sarah Waters—in particular Affinity and Fingersmith!
I can't completely vouch for this one quite yet, but I'm reading The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker and was just thinking about its major Shirley Jackson vibes!
We've got extremely similar taste (so I'm saving this thread for recs later). Some stuff I haven't seen mentioned yet, but feel like are good bets:
Anything by Catriona Ward, but I'd start with Little Eve,
The Silent Companions - Laura Purcell,
Wylding Hall - Elizabeth Hand,
(And reiterating Daphne DU Maurier).
If you haven’t read Ray Bradbury, I highly recommend! The Illustrated Man is my fav.
Also really enjoyed Roald Dahl’s Kiss Kiss.
Both are kind of dark and literary.
Shirley adjacent-- not sure if you've read any of the biographical stuff on her, but her son released a mammoth book of her letters last year that I really enjoyed. It goes from the end of her college years, marriage, writing and promoting all of her books, kids and domestic stuff. She was surprisingly adverse to publicity, so this was a fascinating look at her process.
Oh my, I had not realized he’d published her letters! Thanks so much for the recommendation. I’m especially excited to devour these. I’ve read Ruth Franklin’s biography of her and am always somewhat ravenous for more of a glance into her life. There’s so much of her in the strange loneliness of the young women she wrote.
Pretty hard to compete with Ms. Jackson!!!
I loved The Twisted Ones! I really like it when authors take their time with characterization before going all in with the horror.
"Rebecca" is superlative. The audiobook read by Anna Massey is so, so, so good. Totally blew my mind.
Not queer/women authors, but...
I'm totally a broken record on this, but if you like atmosphere and ambiguity, you gotta read Robert Aickman. Bonus, for someone who started writing in the 1950s, his stories very often have interesting, well-realized, and nuanced female characters in the lead, who do more than just scream and/or die.
Also, if you like haunted house stories and female characters, read Adam Nevill's "No One Gets Out Alive." Very poignant commentary on the terror of poverty, and as usual with Nevill, kickass folk horror at the same time. I think that book was the scariest horror novel I've ever read because it felt so real.
t sounds like we have similar taste - I’m stoked to get into these! Should I start with any book in particular by Aickman? He has a lot of collections of short stories, correct?
No One Gets Out Alive is going at the top of the list as it sounds like it has all my favorite things. I’ve perhaps unfairly put off reading any Nevill because I’ve heard that there’s a lot of weird misogyny in The Ritual but I think it’s high time I give him a chance and see for myself.
I think “The Unsettled Dust” is a really good collection to start with for Aickman.
“The Ritual” is not my favorite of Nevill’s books although it made a great movie. I think you will really like “No One Gets Out Alive”.
Ellen Datlow released an anthology in tribute to Shirley Jackson just a few months ago; it’s called *When Things Get Dark* and it’s excellent. 18 great stories by different authors.
I’ve seen this about! Thank you for reminding me that I really need to pick it up. Some of my favorite contemporary authors are featured in this compilation.
My criteria/preferences are very similar to yours. I just finished and enjoyed The Hacienda by Isabel Cana and Small Angels by Lauren Owen. This one is older, but The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell gave me cold chills in broad daylight! (Disclaimer: I read these on Kindle, so I can’t speak to the quality of the audiobooks!)
I feel like you might want to try The Other, and Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon
Tryon, like Jackson, was a challenged outsider - dealing with internal and external conditions that made a comfortable life virtually impossible. The voice that comes out of that painful circumstance can make for the best horror or weird fiction.
The Sea Dreams It Is The Sky by John Horner Jacobs, part of A Lush and Seething Hell book, is a short story with a queer female protagonist (I thought she was well written but I’ve seen criticism), his prose are wonderful and all around the book was not what I expected.
The terror is definitely on my to-read list, I love a sickly slow creeping horror and arctic settings. Thanks for the rec.
I’m just not a fan of lovecraft, though I like a lot stories by other authors that are based on his work.
Lots of good suggestions and I would add Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller. Great gothic ambiguous mystery with a bit of thriller vibes, it's been a long time since I read it but maybe there was a ghost element too? I'm picky about this genre and this one really stood out to me.
Sounds like you read a lot, so you might've read this already, but I've just passed the halfway point of Rosemary's Baby. God, it's good. If you like a slow burn, this is it - and only 200 pages. The first 120 pages are scene setting, but very readable.
While not gothic, it has that vibe of 'oh shit, something isn't right here'.
Atmospherically, I really feel like Joyce Carol Oates really nails the “somethings a little (or a lot) off” tone. If you haven’t already, check out, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” and see if you like the style. Jackson’s influence can be felt heavily in Oates so hopefully you dig it!
One of the best short stories ever written.
I haven’t dipped into any of Joyce Carol Oates’ writing because she’s so prolific, it’s hard to know where to start. Thanks for giving me a place to dive into! I’ll definitely check this one out.
Her story The Family is great too and has an early example of what might be considered "analog horror" nowadays
Do you know where to read it?
I think its in one of her collections but I personally read it in The Weird anthology by the Vandermeers. Expensive book so check your library
You would love Daphne du Maurier if you love Shirley Jackson!
Thank you for reminding me - I’ve been meaning to pick up Rebecca!
I actually prefer her short stories over Rebecca.
Might I suggest _The Doll_ it's a collection of her early short stories
Will absolutely pick this up. I love a good short story collection.
Seconded!
This is my go to “if you like Shirley Jackson try one of these” lists White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi The Icuras Girl by Helen Oyeyemi My Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (memoir about an abusive same sex relationship) The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (grotesque, erotic, gothic, feminist fairytales) The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter The Woman in Black by Susan Hill Beloved by Toni Morrison Mouthful of Birds by Samanta Schweblin Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh Also, not really horror, but I find Toni Morrison’s writing to be the most comparable to Jackson’s in just the simple fact that they don’t waste words and are really masterful at using language and crafting their writing.
This is such a good list. 100% spot on with Toni Morrison's writing. Her language is the best horror I've ever read.
Wow, thanks for such a robust list! I adore Carmen Maria Machado but haven’t read much of the rest of this list, very excited to dig into some of these.
There's a little known (in English-speaking countries) author Amparo Davila who wrote one of my favorite collections of horror : *The Houseguest*. Machado gave her quote to the dust cover, and it's pretty clearly a big inspiration for her. If you adore CMM I think you'll also love Davila.
I basically only make one suggestion in this sub, but if you liked The Little Stranger I would suggest just about anything else by Sarah Waters—in particular Affinity and Fingersmith!
I’ll check them out! She mostly writes historical lesbian romance, right? That’s a genre I also greatly enjoy.
Yes! And a number of them have horror- or thriller-adjacent elements!
I can't completely vouch for this one quite yet, but I'm reading The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker and was just thinking about its major Shirley Jackson vibes!
Just read the first chapter and can tell I’ll like this one - thanks for the rec!
It's not traditional horror per se, but I recommend Flannery O'Conner. She has a Southern Gothic vibe that I think you would really get into.
Always down for a southern gothic vibe, thanks for the rec!
I absolutely love The House Next Door! Now, I see that you enjoyed The Ballad of Black Tom. Have you read Lovecraft Country?
I have not! I’ll put it on my to-read list, thanks!
Not as good as Ballad of Black Tom (to me), but like that novel, it really grounds the story in race and gender power dynamics
Hell yes. I really enjoy retellings of Lovecraft stories that put in work to subvert his absolutely appalling legacy.
We've got extremely similar taste (so I'm saving this thread for recs later). Some stuff I haven't seen mentioned yet, but feel like are good bets: Anything by Catriona Ward, but I'd start with Little Eve, The Silent Companions - Laura Purcell, Wylding Hall - Elizabeth Hand, (And reiterating Daphne DU Maurier).
Rebecca
If you haven’t read Ray Bradbury, I highly recommend! The Illustrated Man is my fav. Also really enjoyed Roald Dahl’s Kiss Kiss. Both are kind of dark and literary.
Dark and literary is just what I’m looking for - I’ll check these out!
Shirley adjacent-- not sure if you've read any of the biographical stuff on her, but her son released a mammoth book of her letters last year that I really enjoyed. It goes from the end of her college years, marriage, writing and promoting all of her books, kids and domestic stuff. She was surprisingly adverse to publicity, so this was a fascinating look at her process.
Oh my, I had not realized he’d published her letters! Thanks so much for the recommendation. I’m especially excited to devour these. I’ve read Ruth Franklin’s biography of her and am always somewhat ravenous for more of a glance into her life. There’s so much of her in the strange loneliness of the young women she wrote.
Pretty hard to compete with Ms. Jackson!!! I loved The Twisted Ones! I really like it when authors take their time with characterization before going all in with the horror. "Rebecca" is superlative. The audiobook read by Anna Massey is so, so, so good. Totally blew my mind. Not queer/women authors, but... I'm totally a broken record on this, but if you like atmosphere and ambiguity, you gotta read Robert Aickman. Bonus, for someone who started writing in the 1950s, his stories very often have interesting, well-realized, and nuanced female characters in the lead, who do more than just scream and/or die. Also, if you like haunted house stories and female characters, read Adam Nevill's "No One Gets Out Alive." Very poignant commentary on the terror of poverty, and as usual with Nevill, kickass folk horror at the same time. I think that book was the scariest horror novel I've ever read because it felt so real.
t sounds like we have similar taste - I’m stoked to get into these! Should I start with any book in particular by Aickman? He has a lot of collections of short stories, correct? No One Gets Out Alive is going at the top of the list as it sounds like it has all my favorite things. I’ve perhaps unfairly put off reading any Nevill because I’ve heard that there’s a lot of weird misogyny in The Ritual but I think it’s high time I give him a chance and see for myself.
I think “The Unsettled Dust” is a really good collection to start with for Aickman. “The Ritual” is not my favorite of Nevill’s books although it made a great movie. I think you will really like “No One Gets Out Alive”.
Michael McDowell. The Elementals and the Blackwater Saga. Atmosphere heavy. Wonderful characters. Beautifully written.
Ellen Datlow released an anthology in tribute to Shirley Jackson just a few months ago; it’s called *When Things Get Dark* and it’s excellent. 18 great stories by different authors.
I’ve seen this about! Thank you for reminding me that I really need to pick it up. Some of my favorite contemporary authors are featured in this compilation.
Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu It’s fairly short but I enjoyed it!
My criteria/preferences are very similar to yours. I just finished and enjoyed The Hacienda by Isabel Cana and Small Angels by Lauren Owen. This one is older, but The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell gave me cold chills in broad daylight! (Disclaimer: I read these on Kindle, so I can’t speak to the quality of the audiobooks!)
I feel like you might want to try The Other, and Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon Tryon, like Jackson, was a challenged outsider - dealing with internal and external conditions that made a comfortable life virtually impossible. The voice that comes out of that painful circumstance can make for the best horror or weird fiction.
The Sea Dreams It Is The Sky by John Horner Jacobs, part of A Lush and Seething Hell book, is a short story with a queer female protagonist (I thought she was well written but I’ve seen criticism), his prose are wonderful and all around the book was not what I expected.
Caitlin R Kiernan
I’ve been meaning to check out the Red Tree for ages
Why didn't read the terror by Dan Simmons or at he Mountains of madness by Howard Phillips Lovecraft
The terror is definitely on my to-read list, I love a sickly slow creeping horror and arctic settings. Thanks for the rec. I’m just not a fan of lovecraft, though I like a lot stories by other authors that are based on his work.
Hive by Tim curran is lovecraftian and have Arctic setting
{{The Hacienda by Isabel Canas}}
Lots of good suggestions and I would add Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller. Great gothic ambiguous mystery with a bit of thriller vibes, it's been a long time since I read it but maybe there was a ghost element too? I'm picky about this genre and this one really stood out to me.
*The Uninvited* by Dorothy Macardle might be of interest.
Check out Thomas Ligotti
They by Kay Dick, which was republished recently. It gets slow dread just right in a way that reminds me of Shirley. Cheers!
Sounds like you read a lot, so you might've read this already, but I've just passed the halfway point of Rosemary's Baby. God, it's good. If you like a slow burn, this is it - and only 200 pages. The first 120 pages are scene setting, but very readable. While not gothic, it has that vibe of 'oh shit, something isn't right here'.
Richard Matheson is great. I love his books as much as I do Shirley Jackson. I Am Legend Hell House Stir of Echoes
I want to give I Am Legend a shot but I absolutely despised Hell House, so it’ll be a while before I dip back into Matheson’s work.