For as long as humans have been around we’ve been fascinated by monsters. Grendel. Scylla and Charybdis. The Purple People Eater. Each one of these uncanny beings remind us that there are creatures in this world that can do us harm, and would certainly eat us if they could. Some of them might even be living right beside you – do you really think your dog could resist chowing down if you dropped dead today? Here are 10 horror novels with monsters you won’t forget, so you can forget all about the hungry critters that actually do exist.
The Ritual
The Ritual by Adam Nevill seeks to remind us of what Midsommer tried to warn us about: the Scandinavian wilderness is a dangerous place. This novel is about four college friends who evidently never saw the movie, and decide to go on a hiking trip in desolate northern Europe. After taking a “shortcut” through the woods (their first mistake) they end up trespassing on an ancient stretch woodlands that hasn’t seen outsiders in a long, long time. The reception is anything but welcoming. The woods are littered with the remnants of pagan rituals, offerings to dark deities that walked the world when primeval trees were still saplings. What happens when you don’t pay your proper respects to primordial gods? These four unfortunates are about to find out. After you’ve finished the novel, treat yourself to the movie adaption. In my opinion, it features the best designed horror movie monster ever. A giant, skeletal deer-beast with a human torso for antlers? Yes please. But also, no thanks. .
The Mist
While Stephen King’s most famous monster will forever by “It” – a primordial shapeshifter that takes the form of a creepy clown, his horror novella The Mist features a cast of creatures that are far more sinister. After a small town is covered in a supernaturally thick mist, the unfortunate populace discovers that this condensation is crawling with extraterrestrial critters. A combination of arachnid, reptile and cephalopod, these are the kind of eldritch abominations that Cthulhu has nightmares about. And worst of all? They’re hungry. As the townsfolk attempt to shelter in a supermarket, they’re picked off and devoured one by one by the creatures in the mist. The movie adaption doesn’t shy away from the gore, and actually one-ups the novel’s horror with its infamous downer ending. The book is short enough that you could watch the film right after for a depression double feature – but why would you subject yourself to that?
Let The Right One In
Let The Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist features the most ruthless, feral, and unpredictable monsters on Earth: adolescent children. Set in frigid Sweden (what is it that makes Scandinavia and horror go together like meatballs and lingonberry sauce?) the plot revolves around a bullied young boy named Oskar who makes friends with the just-moved-in neighbor girl who only comes out at night. As bloodless bodies start piling up around town, Oskar’s alarm bells should be going off with regard to his nocturnal bestie. He knows that his new friend Eli is a bloodthirsty creature of the night, he just doesn’t care. Eli herself is far from a heartless beast, she’s a sweet kid that makes him feel seen and protected. With a bloodsucking guardian angel by his side, he’ll never get bullied again. Grotesque and adorable in equal measure.
The Terror
The Terror by Dan Simmons is inspired by the real life story of the 1845 Franklin Expedition, a doomed attempt to find the Northwest Passage which would blaze trade route through the Arctic Circle. While the men aboard the HMS Terror begin their journey in high spirits, they soon begin to feel exactly what their ship’s namesake suggests after being trapped in the ice. As if subzero temperatures and dwindling food supplies weren’t bad enough, the sailors begin to suspect that they’re being stalked by something in the snow. Something big. Something terrible. Something hungry. Inspired by beings of Inuit myth, the monster of The Terror is a ravenous beast that, like the environment that created it, shows no mercy to mankind. If you’re into historical horror, chart a course for your nearest library and drop anchor on this novel posthaste.
The Shuddering
The Shuddering by Ania Ahlborn is the story of a group of friends who, like many unfortunates on this list, made the poor decision of striking out into frozen, monster haunted wilderness for the plot. After getting snowed in at a mountain cabin in Colorado, a group of friends discover that they are not alone in the woods. Something is stalking them in the snow, multiple somethings. What are they? No one can say for sure. They’re something old. Something hungry. Something intelligent enough to break into a cabin. They’re almost human, but not quite. Beady eyes. Sharp claws. Killer instincts. Red flags. If you’re looking for claustrophobic winter horror that feels like an Until Dawn playthrough, this is the novel for you .
The Ruins
There’s an old SNL skit where Christopher Walken plays a gardener who puts googly eyes on plants so he feels like he can trust them – the characters of Scott Smith’s The Ruins should have heeded his advice. While on vacation in Mexico, a group of twenty somethings stumble across desolate ruins in the jungle. After trespassing on the ancient site, they find themselves forbidden to leave by a native tribe. There’s something in the ruins that the native people fear, something that contaminates anyone who gets too close. As the trapped group slowly succumb to the elements, they begin to feel a presence in the plant life. It’s as if the thick vines that surround these ruins are aware of them, and with that awareness comes an inexplicable malevolence. After reading this novel, you won’t ever look at your houseplants the same way again. Screw googly eyes, burn them. Burn them all.
Into The Drowning Deep
Into The Drowning Deep by Mira Grant begins, like many horror novels do, with a group of people deciding to go to a place humans were never designed to go. While filming a documentary about mythological sea creatures in the Mariana Trench (why? just why?) the crew of the Atargatis disappeared without a trace. Evidently ignorant of Einstein’s definition of insanity, a new group of explorers try the same thing expecting different results. Down in the fathomless depths, they discover a creature that every sailor has told tales of: the mermaid. Well, sort of. These ruthless waterdwelling humanoids are actually all male. Like anglerfish, this species is a textbook example of deep sea sexual dimorphism – the females are much, much bigger. It’s a bloody and claustrophobic take on the stuff of which Disney princesses are made. These things don’t spend their time venting to crabs about surface world dreams, they’ve got all the food they need under the sea – humanity’s last expedition saw to that.
Devolution
The full title of this Max Brooks’ novel tells you everything you need to know – Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre. No one understands how the people of the Pacific Northwestern town of Greenloop ended up a bloody pulp, but after the journals of resident Kate Holland were discovered, we now have a clue. Following the trail of oversized footprints has led right to the culprit: Bigfoot. Or rather, multiple Bigfeet. These ape-like menaces are expert predators, but Kate’s journals capture the moment when the townsfolk made the decision to become the hunters instead of the hunted.
The Fisherman
The Fisherman by John Lagan is the story of two fisherman left reeling after the deaths of their wives – no pun intended. After hearing tales about the mythical Dutchman’s Creek in upstate New York, the two old timers seek the spot for a deeper reason than just the for the halibut. There’s a legend that the mysterious waters can return what was lost, and that they are haunted by a being of biblical proportions. An exploration of grief disguised as cosmic horror, The Fisherman chronicles a quest to hook the mightiest sea creature of all: The Leviathan. Read the prequel first, which I guess in this case is the Book of Genesis?
Those Who Went Remain There Still
Those Who Went Remain There Still by Cherie Priest is a Southern Gothic creature feature straight out of Appalachian folklore. The Manders and The Coys are two warring families whose feud is drawing to a close after the death of their elderly patriarch. Old Heaster Wharton told his descendants to visit a cave in the Kentucky mountains, which is said to contain his last testament that will put hostilities to bed. What the families don’t know is that the cave also contains a very old, very angry monster still smarting from its last encounter with humans in the late 18th century. Armed with guns, grit, and nothing to lose, these mountain folk won’t go down easy when faced with the beast – but plenty will go down all the same.
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