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Reading horror is such a primal form of escapism, tapping into our deepest fears and our deliciously disturbing desires. Years ago, horror was always denigrated on the back shelves, those worn-out paperbacks with pulpy covers hiding all the merit within. Over time, we’ve gotten a little better at recognizing just how worthy horror is, but the narratives have been solidly associated with straight, middle-aged white men.
The Need For Queer Horror Voices
As we fight for inclusivity in our society, we’ve begun to crave diverse voices and stories. Queer horror authors are integral to this process and the genre can be especially rewarding for marginalized peoples of all kinds. It’s pure escapism, and an excellent way to experience the trials and tribulations of life in a vicarious and safe manner. Especially when the outside world can already be so horrific.
This is by no means an expansive list, but if you’re looking to broaden your bookshelves, celebrate Pride, and get a little spooky, look no further. For the purposes of this list, there’s some speculative fiction thrown in for good measure. After all, the subjectivity of horror leads us to lots of different places…
1. Clive Barker
You can’t talk about queer horror without busting out one of the big guns, and that’s Clive Barker. His work has inspired a large percentage of horror contemporaries on the page and on-screen, including the iconic Hellraiser and Candyman franchises.
If you’ve never delved into Barker before, it’s always safe to start with his Books of Blood. Volume five contains the short story “The Forbidden,” which birthed the Candyman myth. If you want something a little less brutal with a little more fantasy, try The Thief of Always or Books of Abarat, both of which are acceptable for young adult readers.
2. Billy Martin (known professionally as Poppy Z. Brite)
In all of us there lives a goth teenager who just wants to listen to The Cure all day and talk about vampires. It’s a fact, and if you were lucky enough to discover Poppy Z. Brite in those formative years, your life was never the same. Even reading Brite as an adult is a gift, touching those nostalgic parts like a delicious bruise. His work is not only written by someone who is queer, but the work itself contains a multitude of bisexual and gay characters.
Be forewarned, however, that these novels aren’t for the faint of heart, and if brutality and sexuality are sensitive to you, you’d best stay out of the kitchen. It’s best to start with a short story collection like Wormwood, though full-length novels like Exquisite Corpse and Lost Souls are a must.
3. Carmen Maria Machado
Words cannot express the incomparable talent of Carmen Maria Machado, who is at the forefront of contemporary queer horror authors. If you’ve never been exposed to them, it’s best to start with Her Body and Other Parties, paying particular attention to the short story “The Husband Stitch.”
Machado’s horror is cerebral and speculative, but it also bridges the gap between fiction and nonfiction. Her latest novel, In the Dream House, is a horrific memoir of domestic violence, made all the more poignant by the amount of silence surrounding queer domestic violence. Machado also introduced and annotated a re-release of Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla, a pillar of queer horror and one of the earliest Victorian vampire novels, notable for its lesbian undertones.
Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant
Do you love man-eating mermaids, zombies, and homicidal parasites? Of course, you do, everyone does. That’s why you should read Mira Grant. But if you’re looking for something a little more fantasy-driven or speculative, I’d suggest Seanan McGuire. One and the same, but with two separate bodies of dark work deserving of merit and praise. McGuire/Grant also has a way of writing marginalized people that doesn’t feel pandering. Each character, despite their disabilities, sexuality, etc., feels like a fully realized human being rather than an experiment in inclusivity or tokenism.
For Grant newbies, the Into the Drowning Deep series consists of a novel and novella that puts mermaids back at the top of the food chain in a way that feels horrific and scientific, and for McGuire’s work try the Hugo and Nebula award-winning Wayward Children series.
Daniel M. Lavery
If you enjoy your speculative horror with a dash of whimsy, do yourself a favor and read Lavery’s short story collection The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror, which puts a dark spin on classic fairy tales while offering up commentary on a variety of social issues.
Although Lavery isn’t specific to the horror genre, their macabre spin on cultural classics is a worthy read. “Some of Us Had Been Threatening Our Friend Mr. Toad” was a standout favorite of mine.
KM Szpara
Whether up-and-coming author KM Szpara will be strictly defined as horror, speculative, or otherwise remains to be seen, but their debut novel Docile may be a good indication. With the chilling tagline “There is no consent under capitalism,” it’s apparent they have some deep, dark things to say about the world around them, fictional or not.
Aaron Dries
It seems you can’t discuss new horror authors, especially in the “bookstagram” community, without bringing up Aaron Dries. Like Grant/McGuire, Dries succeeds in writing characters who come off as meaningful and organic. His work isn’t for the fainthearted, and is firmly entrenched in the horror genre. You can’t go wrong with A Place for Sinners, though may I suggest The Fallen Boys as a close second.
As an aside, I wouldn’t have known about Aaron Dries if it weren’t for the incredible team at Nightworms, who curate horror packages each month that are chock full of incredible authors, of all types, and fun merchandise too! It’s imperative that we continue to celebrate the vast and diverse voices in horror, and companies that support that are equally important. Plus, they’re female-owned to boot!
Who’s Next?
The genre of horror is ever-growing, and with that, we’re seeing a lot of diverse voices. Once again, this isn’t a definitive list, and it’s my hope that this list will only grow as new queer voices of horror emerge. Let’s continue to broaden our bookshelves and expand our horizons. No matter how scary it is.
