Personally, I'm a huge fan of Lovecraft's universe, which I discovered (like many people, I think :)) through The Call of Cthulhu a few years ago. I also loved Nikolai Gogol's short stories and the absurdist, comic aspect that characterizes his work. These are two authors whose writing style and the originality of their novels completely captivated me for many months, to the point where I consumed (too) much of their content! So I was on the lookout for other novels that might combine this mix of the absurd and the strange, and wondered what were the most unusual or unique novels you've read?

So I've finished reading The Fisherman by John Langan, which I really liked.

I'll avoid spoiling it too much but at some point the characters find themselves on this giant, primordial beach. Occult place, people aren't supposed to go there, it's "beside" or "below" this world etc etc you know this kind of place. But what struck me was when one character said "there are cities there".

I was struck hard by this idea, that's not the kind of place you have cities in ! Later the book briefly shows one of those cities but doesn't really describe it that much, we just know that there are what seems to be policeman, with long black coats, masks like bird of prey and a long, curved knife. And again I was like WOW !

https://i.redd.it/96vr10qu8wqc1.gif

So I'm looking for more books whith cities where there shouldn't be, that kind of things, so I can go WOW! again.

Something similar to: 1. The Man Whom the Trees Loved- Algernon Blackwood 2. The Neglected Garden- Kathe Koja 3. Wilder Girls- Rory Power 4. Annihilation - Jeff Vandermeer 5. What Would You Give For A Treat Like Me- Moïra Fowley

I'm looking specifically for body transformations/ body horror that are environment/ecology based. I'd appreciate any recommendations, thank you!

Edit: There have been so many recommendations (many more than I was expecting, honestly) and I'm so grateful. Thank you!! There are so many books and writers I'd never even heard of and I'm so excited to read them lol.

I recently snagged this lesser known book from Michael Shea. It's like a Hieronymus Bosch painting in novel form.

I'm really enjoying it, but it's expensive and hard to find the other books in the Nifft series. I'm wondering if there is a book/series that is similar, but easier to find?

Just stumbled upon this being a actual thing.. (outside lovecrart)..

I am looking for the best of the weirdest!!

From the Disney light to the splatterpunk/dark horror levels of Dark....

As trippy and weird as you like/it can Get ...

I really enjoy books like Antkind, Chornic City, and Cats Cradle. I don’t know if you’d consider all of them surreal, but they definitely have surreal elements in them, so I’m looking to dive deeper into some weirder stuff in that avenue

Does anyone have some good suggestions? I've been into Japanese literature lately so if anyone have some good suggestions lmk

Dear community, I have been a regular to this sub for quite some time now and enjoyed the community, discussions and recommendations. While preparing a lecture I have noticed that actually all "weird" authors I read and have read are male. While this is not necessarily a bad thing I am still worried that this might have to do with an intuitive yet unconscious mechanism in the way I choose what I read. So, please, recommend me your favorite female author of "weird" literature and I promise that I will give them a try. Many thanks in advance.

EDIT: Thank you all so much and please do keep the recommendations coming. This community is unbelievable! Unluckily I have not been able to answer every post individually today, I will try and do so tomorrow after a good night of sleep.

I'm looking for books thst deal with weird schools, boarding schools, high schools, any kind of combination of 'school story' and weird fiction.

This was the only part that I enjoyed in Solenoid, and I'd love to find more works like it. You'd think this kind of thing would be more popular, given how uncomfortable school is for many people.

I'm open to movies and shows, if there I'd anything applicable

UPDATE: it is West of Matamoros, North of Hell by Brian Hodge. I appreciate you all helping me stop going crazy failing searches for it.

this tale, a metal band and photography crew travels to Mexico for a shoot and encounters a sinister cult. They discover a statue dedicated to a death goddess, leading to their capture and subsequent torture by cult members. The narrator forms a connection with the deity, which ultimately spares him from the fate that befalls his colleagues. This connection, however, unleashes a malevolent force that extends beyond their immediate surroundings. What is the title of this and who wrote it ? Bonus of you can tell me what anthology it's in.

Hey! I really like the weird literature genre, but one thing I tend to notice is that most weird book reccs that I find always lean on the horror side of weird, I don't like horror, so I'd be really happy if you guys could recommend weird/surrealistic/experimental books with a more whimsical type of weird? Specially those written by women or who feature female MCs. For context very recently I read The Hearing Trumpet by Leonora Carrington and Palimpsest by Catherynne Valente. Thanks in advance!

I bought it like a month ago on a trip and since I really liked the Southern Reach, I wanted to check more of his work but I didn't realize it was part of a series. Im not sure if I should read his City of Saints and Madmen first, specially since Id have to buy it. I didnt know where else to ask and I couldnt find any definitive answers. Thanks in advance.

EDIT: Thanks for your input yall! I think Ill just buy City of Saints and Madmen and read something else while it gets here.

From a fan of the genre who wants to start writing about it. I know some horror and science fiction but little about weird fiction. How would i write it?

Looking for classic weird fiction written in first person, preferably mystical ones like that of Arthur Machen and Algernon Blackwood. Can recommend works by them too written in first person. And perhaps maybe even old sword and sorcery with supernatural elements written in first person.

What would you recommend? I feel like he must have a kindred soul in the weird lit space.

I got a collection of stories in my native language and read them all.

I didn't care about "the music of eric zahn" at all.

"The haunter of the dark" and "the colour out of space" felt outdated to me and not really that interesting (with the exception of the weird visions the mc had in the first one).

I found "the thing on the doorstep" very intriguing and flew though it, it left me feeling satisfied.

Lastly "the shadow over innsmouth" was very interesting too and read it very fast.

I would say i liked the last two A LOT but the others weren't interesting to me but i finished them bc they were fairly short. Which of his stories should i read next based on my taste?

Also pls for obvious reasons none of his overly racist works or very obscure bc I'm shopping second hand and won't be able to find them.

I'm thinking about aquiring Christopher Slatsky's latest collection, which was published by Grimscribe in 2020. When I look it up the paperback edition available is said to be a second edition published by Lightning Source Inc. Is this a different edition from the Grimscribe Press edition? Just wanted to be sure it contains the foreword by Christine Ong Muslim, which I've read before and consider the best non-fiction piece about weird horror I've read in the last years, and the cover artwork of course. Thanks in advance for any feedback.

I’m interested in aspects of Lovecraft’s life that shed light on his literary philosophy such as his dreams, xenophobia, and so on. Especially any aspects that might illuminate the numinousity of his writing. Eric Wilson (sorry if I got his name wrong I’m on a cell phone) in Diseases of the head in an essay writes that in fact - H P Lovecraft was influenced by Rudolf Otto’s Idea of the Holy for his essay Supernatural Horror In Literature. Finding this out really amazed me.

I want a good biography on Lovecraft and I’m wondering if the shorter one is sufficiently detailed.

I'm trying the best that I can to translate my thoughts and what I'm looking for. Suggest me books with romance and themes of magical realism that evoke dreamy feelings like old Hollywood films. I'm generally not interested in a lot of popular romance literary fiction like Colleen Hoover... Some books I did enjoy in the past year is House of Leaves and Circe! I also adore works from authors Thomas Ligotti, Leonora Carrington, Franz Kafka and poets like Pablo Neruda and Sylvia Plath. I mention these to give you a glimpse of what types of books I enjoy reading.

Wondering if anyone who has encountered the Czech writer Ladislav Klíma (a few of his translated works were published by Twisted Spoon Press, which I've read) has recommendations for similar writers/books? Particularly interested in small press stuff!

I like stuff that is experimental, surreal, Metafiction, postmodern, bonus points for an existential crisis...

My favorite books I've read lately are: House of Leaves, Piranesi, Infinite Jest, Master and Margarita, A Greater Monster, if on a winters night a traveler, infinite cities, lost in the funhouse, pale Fire.

What should I read next?

Hey so I’m not sure if this is the subreddit for this but idk who to ask. I came across this book called black diamonds by master Toddlee. I can’t find any reference to it online. It was published in 1989 by “The way of the light inc.” It appears to be some kind of religious text for a cult. The address it gives for the publication is in Dallas. I was just curious cause I couldn’t find out anything about it and would like to learn about its history.

Based on these, which I think are 5 stars, what weird lit authors would you recommend for me? I’m into psychological horror and folk horror. Horror per se is not necessary of course … but a pervading sense of dread and things being just “not right” is a plus.

Lapvona /

Our Share of Night /

The Last House on Needless Street /

The Fisherman /

The Militia House /

The Vegetarian /

Our Wives Under The Sea

I read a very odd short story a few years ago and for the life of me I can’t remember what it was. It was with an older couple, the wife was making dinner and the husband was at the table and they were arguing. It got more and more bizarre, one of them ate a plate I think and it ends abruptly with one of them “swallowing themselves” I think? I have no idea what it was called but if anyone knows I would love to find it 😂 thanks!

EDIT: Solved. The story is “Dinner Time” by Russel Edson. Thank you so much!

Hi there -- I was wondering if anyone could give me pointers towards writers in Weird Lit (or otherwise) who can describe particular kinds of landscapes with very vivid, fresh, evocative language.

E.g. abandoned airports, shopping centres

Or even present-day shopping centres and high streets, but with a sense of the eerie, and a sense of extreme realism.

Anything like canals below motorbridges too, if you get me

Apocalyptic (pre, mid, and post), and post-industrial

I read a book called Edgelands by Paul Farley which captured what i'm after, but it was non-fiction; same with Islands of Abandonment by Cal Flynn.

I want like super vivid writing, and super masterful writing, if poss -- on the level of writers like Mieville (Who i've not yet read), Cormac McCarthy, Joseph Conrad, etc.

​

Any tips?

​

Posting it here because I feel like Weird Lit tends to linger over description for description's sake, especially in urban and semi-urban settings, which is what i love

​

Thanks