Literary Fiction Books

If you savor the macabre with a side of wit, Roald Dahl's "Tales of the Unexpected" is a perfect match. Dahl's mastery in marrying the ordinary with the bizarre results in stories that are as entertaining as they are unsettling. For an exhilarating read that playfully dissects human vices and virtues, this collection is hard to beat. It's the sort of book that would have you eyeing the person next to you on the bus a tad suspiciously, all the while eagerly flipping to the next story.

Joyce Carol Oates delivers a masterclass in suspense with "Dis Mem Ber". Her ability to weave existential dread within ordinary settings will resonate with readers who enjoy diving into the darker corners of the human psyche. If you gravitate towards narratives that challenge your sense of security and perception, this collection of stories promises to satisfy that craving for unsettling yet profound literature.

"Frankenstein" is a classic novel perfect for fans of gothic horror and science fiction. Mary Shelley's masterful storytelling draws readers into the tragic story of a young scientist who creates life, only to realize the destructive nature of his ambition. This novel explores themes of friendship, love, and humanity in the face of scientific progress. It is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the darker side of human nature.

This book would be a great fit for fans of Irish folklore looking for a new medium to immerse themselves in. The Weir is a chilling play that masterfully blends the traditional ghost story with modern-day settings and characters. Readers will be hooked by the captivating plot and the richly crafted, relatable characters.

If you enjoy a blend of horror with cultural nuances, "Ghost Baby and Other Eerie Tales" will undoubtedly capture your imagination. Swee Hoon Wong brings ghostly Singaporean folklore to a chilling new life, ensuring that your foray into the supernatural is as intriguing as it is spine-tingling. Great for a late-night read, these stories will linger, much like the specters within them.

Recommended for those interested in exploring the depths of cruelty and the ways it can manifest in youth. Hill's depiction of the power of evil is haunting and thought-provoking, leaving readers with a renewed understanding of the impact of fear and isolation on children.

Geek Love is the story of the Binewskis, a carny family whose mater- and paterfamilias set out ― with the help of amphetamine, arsenic, and radioisotopes ― to breed their own exhibit of human oddities. There's Arturo the Aquaboy, who has flippers for limbs and a megalomaniac ambition worthy of Genghis Khan . . . Iphy and Elly, the lissome Siamese twins . . . albino hunchback Oly, and the outwardly normal Chick, whose mysterious gifts make him the family's most precious ― and dangerous ― asset.As the Binewskis take their act across the backwaters of the U.S., inspiring fanatical devotion and murderous revulsion; as its members conduct their own Machiavellian version of sibling rivalry, Geek Love throws its sulfurous light on our notions of the freakish and the normal, the beautiful and the ugly, the holy and the obscene. Family values will never be the same.

In a southern Illinois college town where horror is carved in flesh and corruption knows no bounds, a young English professor with a shrouded past is about to learn higher education can be murder.     No one remembers how the body of Josie Fortune was found deep inside Lues Creek Canyon twenty years ago. No one remembers how corrupt police officials framed an innocent man and handed the victim’s daughter into the state’s welfare system. No one remembers, no one but a killer left to carve out a brutal legacy of torture and murder with absolute impunity in this rural southern Illinois college town.     When Josie Darling returns to Lues State to assume a teaching position and come to terms with her mother’s murder, she takes every precaution to hide her tainted past from her colleagues. But someone close remembers, and the shadows of history close in. Threats come, intimate promises of violence written in a desperately psychotic scrawl, invading every aspect of her life. Confronted by personal and professional jeopardy at every turn, Josie must face her terror and expose the identity of her mother’s killer—a killer who is now stalking her.     “If you think you can sleuth this thing, I’m afraid you’re in over your head,” warns a local investigator, but Josie’s stake in this case is all too personal and all the more immediate as she uncovers other murders. Her list of potential suspects includes her deranged ex-husband, her outlaw stepfather and any of his rogue clan, several manipulative Englishprofessors, and a host of corrupt local lawmen.      Struggling against an unseen but ever-present enemy and with few allies to counsel her, Josie embarks on an odyssey of self-discovery. Using her well-honed research skills, the academic becomes the detective and sets out to recover her birthright. Josie transforms herself from tormented victim to relentless avenger as she takes on the intense willfulness of her namesake. But even her renewed strength of character may not help Fortune’s Darling save herself and find the elusive killer’s true identity in time, an identity heard only in the whisper of leaves.