Modern Horror Authors Bibliography
All of the novels listed here focus on a monster, be it a human serial killer, an ancient spirit in the guise of man, or a supernatural being in some kind of grotesque form. You can find all of them on the shelves here at the Berwyn Public Library.
One Safe Place by Ramsey Campbell CAM
Suzanne Travis gets a job at an English university teaching a course on violence in film and relocates her husband, Don, a bookseller, and twelve-year-old son, Marshall, from Florida to Manchester. However, the Travises are soon caught up in a deadly feud with the maniacal Fancy family. A widening circle of brutality soon surrounds the family and threatens their safety.
The Church of Dead Girls by Stephen Dobyns DOB
In a slightly different take on the traditional serial killer fare, Dobyns concentrates his attention on how a small town reacts to a series of murders within their tight knit community. Suspicion and fear overcome this small, upstate, New York town as the residents look to discover the monster living amongst them.
My Soul To Keep by Tanarive Due DUE
A 500 year old African immortal man is living in modern times as David, a jazz scholar in a middle class family. He has had many lives and loves throughout his long life, but his current situation as husband to Jessica and father to young Kira is extremely satisfying. However, David's original family of immortals asks him to sever all ties with Jessica and Kira in order to save their kind.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman GAI
Richard Mayhew is your average young Londoner, until he stops to help a young homeless girl he finds on the street. His one moment of selflessness leads Richard into "London Below," a dark and magical parallel city under the familiar streets of his hometown. But before he can return to the world above, Richard must battle monsters and henchmen, visit with a fallen angel, and find his own inner strength. Neverwhere is a dark fantasy masterpiece.
Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris HAR
Before the award winning movie, Harris won a Bram Stoker for this chilling tale. Clarice Starling is sent to the jail cell of the evil Hannibal Lecture to get his help in catching a serial killer. Harris' superb writing takes the reader deep into the mind of a maniac. Red Dragon (1981) and Hannibal (1999) bookend this thriller to complete the trilogy
Carrie by Stephen King KIN
In King's first novel, Carrie White does not fit in anywhere—not at home or at school, but when she discovers her own telekinetic powers, she begins to use them to extract revenge.
Phantoms by Dean Koontz KOO
Dr. Jennifer Paige returns home to Snowfield, CA with her newly orphaned little sister, only to find that everyone in the resort town has died of mysterious causes or disappeared completely. Jennifer and a group of diverse survivors band together to fight who, or what, is responsible.
The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe MCC
Francie Brady has a tough life. He is a Catholic teenager living in near poverty in Northern Ireland. His dad drinks too much and his mom is suicidal. McCabe chronicles Brady's life as he is engulfed by hatred. The reader then stands by helplessly and watches Brady turn into a ruthless serial killer. This book is both lyrical and gruesome.
Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates OAT
Zombie tells the story of convicted sex offender turned serial killer Quentin P., in diary form. Oates convincingly puts the reader into the mind of a maniac as he strives to create the perfect "zombie," a young man he can lobotomize to be his slave. Since this work is in diary form, drawings and changes in font are employed throughout. A chilling study into the darkest corners of humanity.
The Relic by Douglas Preston YA/PB/PRE
Days before the opening of a new exhibit on "Superstitions" at the New York Museum of Natural History, someone, or something, is committing brutal murders inside the museum. What is worse is that they appear to be the work of a Amazonian God whose history and relics are scheduled to become part of the exhibit. Can a band of museum workers stop this monster before it kills again?
Servant of the Bones by Anne Rice RIC
In ancient circa 600 B.C. Babylon, Azriel, a devote follower of the Hebrew prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, is sacrificed to become Servant of the Bones, so that his people may return to Jerusalem. Condemned to an immortal life as spirit forced to do the evil bidding of his master, Azriel's sacrifice for the good of his people has turned him into a monster against his will. He recounts his tale to Jonathan in an attempt to redeem himself and put an end to his master's evil reign.
Black Lightning by John Saul SAU
At the execution of notorious serial killer, Richard Kraven, the husband of journalist Anne Jeffords suffers a near fatal heart attack. Anne, who worked tirelessly to help convict Kraven, can now concentrate on helping her husband recover. However, a new serial killer surfaces who curiously uses many of Kraven's techniques, and this maniac begins entering Anne's home and leaving her notes. But who could be using killing methods only the dead Kraven could know about, and why is Anne's husband acting so strangely?
The Forbidden Zone by Whitley Strieber STR
In this stated homage to Lovecraft, insect-esque monsters swarm a mountain town. Brian and Loi Kelly are the first to notice something is wrong. Brian is a physicist trying to forget his past which includes a dead wife and child. Loi is his new pregnant wife. With the help of local reporter, will they be able to save their town from these awful insects that mesmerize and then devour their prey? Strieber includes plenty of gore here.
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