 We all know horror is awesome. That is why you're at this website, right? Well, I read 60-80 horror novels every year, so please don't revoke my horror club membership for what I'm about to say: Other genres are awesome too (gasp). There, I said it. I've compiled a list, in an attempt to prove this. These are either non-horror books written by horror authors (in which case you may have missed them) OR: horror books, but written by non-horror writers (in which case you should try their other work) Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King Ok, you guys should know about this one already but I'd hate to leave it out just because uncle Steve wrote it. It is an absolutely solid piece of epic fantasy, and I still consider it one of King's best novels. King's well known love-to-hate villain, Randall Flagg, plays a significant role in the story, if that's enough to tempt you. Furthermore, Hulu is currently adapting this into a tv series, so you might want to get on this quick. Crazy Love by David Martin David Martin got the attention of horror fans in the 90's with his vampire novel Tap, Tap and the grisly serial killer novel, Lie To Me. Those are good, but Crazy Love is his masterpiece. It's an incredibly poignant love story, and if you have any heart at all (black though it may be), the final act will stick with you forever. Terminal by Brian Keene For all of Keene's success with his horror novels, (Stoker awards, World Horror Grandmaster,ec) it is this novel, basically a crime drama, that is still my favorite from him. Brian has acknowledged that it is also one of his favorites. Trust me on this one. Zombies aren't everything! Dark Matter by Blake Crouch Crouch has been publishing books for around 15 years now, but he really broke through with his Wayward Pines Trilogy (Pines, Wayward, and The Last Town). Wayward Pines is easily one of my favorite horror trilogies, and he followed that up with 2016's stellar science fiction novel, Dark Matter. Amazon lists this book as a "thriller", but I think there is enough speculative science in it to classify as science fiction, although the science is woven into the story so well that the narrative isn't slowed at all. Highly recommended. Mars One by Jonathan Maberry Fans of Jonathan Maberry's Rot and Ruin series and the Pine Deep Trilogy may have slept on this release from Maberry. This young adult book reminded me of Robert Heinlein's juveniles series, which is a pretty solid endorsement if you ask me. Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin This one actually IS a horror novel, but written by a writer that is obviously known for his fantasy work. He also wrote the horror novel, The Armageddon Rag, which did not receive as much critical acclaim. Fevre Dream has been described by Martin as "Bram Stoker meets Mark Twain." I've also heard it described as a "steampunk vampire story." Either way, I describe it as "one of the best vampire novels I've ever read." The Secret Life of Souls by Jack Ketchum and Lucky McKee Ketchum's book, Red, is beloved by fans and was adapted into film, starring Tom Sizemore and Brian Cox. However, Red isn't even Ketchum's best dog-themed novel. The Secret Life of Souls is. Essentially a family drama, it's hard to believe that the writer of this book also wrote The Girl Next Door, which is still the most disturbing novel I've ever read. Batman: The Black Mirror by Scott Snyder (graphic novel) First off, if you haven't read Scott Snyder's excellent graphic novel, Severed, please do so. It's a great example of horror comics done well. Along with Doug Moench's Red Rain, The Black Mirror is one of Batman's darkest adventures and a great model for the melding of superheroes and horror. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman To date, Gaiman hasn't written a novel/novella that I'd classify as horror, but this one probably has enough darkness in it to satisfy a horror fan. Plus, you'd be reading what I consider to be Gaiman's absolute best work to date, and it would serve as a nice gateway into dark fantasy. My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf (graphic novel) Written by a childhood friend of Jeffrey Dahmer, this graphic novel serves as a prequel to the atrocities committed by Dahmer later in life. If that isn't a captivating premise, then I don't know what else I can do. An Untamed State by Roxane Gay You won't be able to find "An Untamed State by Roxane Gay" and "horror" in the same sentence anywhere else but here. I assume this is because of Gay's history with Ivy league schools and the word "horror" being anathema with academic types. Nevertheless, here is a story about a woman that is kidnapped and brutalized in a foreign country. What's NOT horror about that?! Sharkman by Steve Alten Alten is famous for his series of Meg books. He even conviced Hollywood to make a big budget film about these same giant sharks. I'm not sure what his marketability is in the young adult science fiction arena, but I do know that Sharkman seemed to have been released with little to no fanfare in the horror community. I actually liked it more than some of the Meg books. Swamplandia! by Karen Russell Swamplandia! is a hyper-stylistic, quirky, and eccentric novel written by a woman who must have lived in a swamp at some point of her life. Russell's book isn't quite horror, but you will know why I put it on this list if you read it. Fans of Katherine Dunn's Geek Love (another "horror adjacent" piece) will probably enjoy this one too. I think they have similar sensibilities. Also, it was a Pulitzer Prize finalist and Stephen King himself said of it, "Brilliant, funny, original." So if you don't like it, it isn't just my fault. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman His Dark Materials is Pullman's epic fantasy trilogy which is comprised of Northern Lights (aka The Golden Compass), The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. If you have seen the big budget screen adaptation of The Golden Compass, try to erase it from your memory. If you haven't seen it....good. I think the screenwriters neutered Pullman's story in hopes of attracting the Pixar/Dreamworks audience. I really don't understand how His Dark Materials has been perceived as a young adult trilogy. Perhaps because it has cute animals in it? In any case, Pullman's classic is many-layered and could be described as a more grown-up verison of Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. HBO and BBC are producing a tv adaptation that looks promising. It would be very remiss of me to not mention the following three writers who I believe are THEMSELVES gateways to multiple genres: 1: Joe Lansdale. He has been described as "a genre unto himself", and I couldn't agree more. On top of that, he wrote what is unquestionably one of the greatest horror short stories ever written: The Night They Missed the Horror Show. He is the only writer that I know of that is so consistently good, that recommending a single book almost makes no sense at all. 2: Richard Matheson. We know him as the guy that wrote I Am Legend, which is probably the greatest vampire story ever told. We should also recognize him as the writer of one of the greatest time travel stories ever told: Bid Time Return (aka Somewhere in Time). While you're at it, read What Dreams May Come Too. Those two make nice companion pieces; the former is love that conquers time, and the latter is love that conquers death. 3: Clive Barker. It's crazy that one of the most influential contemporary horror writers today has a bibliography that is only around 30% horror. You heard right. The man that invented Hellraiser and Candyman has written way more fantasy novels than horror. You probably know that The Books of Blood are required reading for any serious horror fan, but you should also know that The Thief of Always (Barker's unjustly semi-obscure young adult book) is ALSO required reading. Alright folks. That should get you started. As soon as I send this to Ginger Nuts of Horror, I'm sure I will remember some selections that I've neglected to put on here. Oh well. In any case, I apologize (sorry, not sorry) for blowing up anyone's wish list, and/or TBR stacks. This isn't meant to be a comprehensive list, so feel free to send along your recommendations.  Jason Cavallaro was born 8 days before the premiere of George Romero’s DAWN OF THE DEAD premiere. Jason did not attend that premiere, because 8-day old infants aren’t supposed to travel cross country to see horror films. But….his mom should’ve at least TRIED. To make up for this oversight, he reads over 100 books every year, most of them in the horror genre. Jason Cavallaro is not an author, because that would cut into his reading time too much. Instead, it is his mission to read all the great books (so you can read them too) and the bad ones (so you don’t have to). Although horror is his favorite genre, he has been known to also read fantasy and science fiction. When not reading, he is either playing drums or talking to cats. He has a monthly column at www.horrordrive-in.com and can be followed on twitter, @pinheadspawn   Comments are closed.
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