Stories to Make Franz Kafka Proud

With this in mind, a kafkaesque story is often one which examines and criticises normativity, what is typically expected of us both professionally and socially, and the dynamics of behaviour in our day-to-day lives. They are stories that satirise work, etiquette, and even family dynamics. This is what you’ll find here, in these novels.

The following novels all have something of the kafkaesque to them. Some might be comedies, others horror. Some are straightforward; others are surreal and feverish in their presentation. There is a real diversity here, but all of these books wear their kafkaesque themes proudly and in novel, original ways.

The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Unconsoled is the longest novel by Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro, and calling the book a “fever dream” feels almost unavoidable. The Unconsoled is a masterful work of kafkaesque surrealism which follows concert pianist Ryder, who has just arrived in an unnamed city to play a concert, and from the very moment he enters his hotel, the world becomes an unknowable place.

In the novel’s first chapter, Ryder meets Gustav, a bellhop who begins a pages-long monologue about the nature of his work. From here, Ryder heads to a cinema to watch a late-night viewing of 2001: A Space Odyssey while two men play chess. The next day, he meets with a woman who talks to Ryder about her child, and Ryder steadily realises this is his wife and the child is also his own. And so the rabbit hole continues to deepen.

The Unconsoled is a work of impossible strangeness that owes so much to Franz Kafka in its dreamlike quality, its circular and disjointed narrative, and the ways in which its protagonist is lost and disorientated at every turn, unable to obtain simple answers to simple questions.

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

Translated from the Korean by Deborah Smith

One of the most successful and beloved Korean novels in translation, Han Kang’s The Vegetarian is separated into three parts and begins with Yeong-hye, a woman whose life is upturned in frightening and unimaginable ways after she makes the decision to stop eating meat. Each story follows a member of her family who is shocked by her decision and begins to treat her differently.

Our first narrator, Yeong-hye’s husband, explains that he married her because she was as ordinary as he is, and that she would guarantee a simple, peaceful, well-behaved life. But when she throws away all the meat in their fridge and goes vegetarian, he is disturbed and shocked. He attempts to persuade her to change back, and even invites her father around, who attempts to physically force her to eat meat.

The Vegetarian explores the concept of conformity, and what happens when someone—especially a woman—makes even a small, autonomous decision to change something in a novel and unpopular way. For many, this novel is shocking and disturbing, and it’s one that Kafka would surely have adored.

Authority by Jeff Vandermeer

Authority, the second book in sci-fi author Jeff Vandermeer’s Southern Reach series, is set in the Southern Reach itself—a strange agency which exists to monitor a mysterious stretch of coastline called Area X, which exists inside a gradually expanding bubble. Area X affects any human who enters in dangerous and unpredictable ways (as were explored in the first novel, Annihilation). And in this novel, our protagonist is desperately trying to understand Area X.

That protagonist is John Rodriguez, the Southern Reach’s new director. He prefers, ironically, to go by the name Control, and was given this role by his mother. Periodically, Control reports his findings to someone called The Voice over the phone, and he spends much of his time interviewing people who have returned from expeditions to Area X, as well as searching through reports, findings, logs, photos, and videos.

At times, Authority feels like a dizzyingly circular novel, as Control makes little progress; he is waylaid, distracted, manipulated, and confused at every turn. He wants to do his job but the very agency itself seems to be guiding his hand or stopping him entirely. Control is trapped in an unclear role in a kafkaesque system with no clear direction, and all the while he has a mysterious, possibly alien, and definitely dangerous phenomenon to solve.

City of Ash and Red by Hye-young Pyun

Translated from the Korean by Sora Kim-Russell

This phenomenal Korean novel is perhaps the truest successor to Kafka’s works you’ll ever read. The book’s protagonist is a nameless rat catcher who has been sent by his company to work in a new city. That city has been devastated by sickness and its streets are overflowing with garbage.

Upon arriving, our protagonist is unable to find his prime company contact, and nobody is able to help. Shortly after, his luggage is lost, he is told to quarantine, and he soon gets a call from his friend who breaks the news to him that this friend has married his ex-wife. Not long after, the ex-wife is found dead in our protagonist’s apartment, and he is natural the murder’s prime suspect.

As is the case in Kafka’s The Trial and Ishiguro’s The Unconsoled, Pyun’s protagonist wishes to find answers, to straighten up his understanding, and to explain himself. But at every turn, nobody will listen to him. In fact, they display more than just ignorance; they are indifferent to his problems. This is a Korean kafkaesque masterpiece.

Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke

Several People Are Typing is a brilliantly strange and inventive work of sci-fi horror comedy with its roots deep in the kafkaesque philosophy. The entire book is presented as a series of conversations via Slack. Our protagonist, Gerald, works at a company which uses Slack for its work-related chats, and Gerald begins one day by informing his team that he is trapped inside Slack. His consciousness has somehow been uploaded into the app itself.

Naturally, nobody believes Gerald. He gets his colleagues’ attention repeatedly, in various work and casual Slack channels, asks them for help, and they laugh it off as a prank. Eventually, Gerald asks a colleague who lives close-by to go and see for himself—to go and check on Gerald’s body. And all the while, we get to know the various people of Gerald’s office as they express themselves through Slack.

In kafkaesque fashion, Gerald is expected to continue his work regardless. And he is even praised for a rise in productivity because he can do nothing but work, since he is trapped in his company’s Slack account. He sends messages and files reports for lack of anything else to do. Nobody takes his situation seriously but they all praise his increase in productivity.

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

Translated from the Japanese by Ginny Tapley Takemori

Sayaka Murata is one of the finest Japanese authors writing today, and Convenience Store Woman put her on the map. This novel follows an autistic-coded protagonist who has worked at the same convenience store for almost twenty years, never asking for anything else out of life. But that doesn’t sit right with her colleagues or her family, who often ask her when she will get a career and a husband and a mortgage—all the things we are expected to do.

But Keiko is content. The world is a strange and confusing place; she has never been able to fully understand how people behave or the unwritten rules of society that they dutifully follow. She doesn’t judge others and she is exhausted by their judgement of her. The modern world expects certain performances from us (college, career, marriage, family etc) and Keiko has found a way to survive outside of all that.

And for this, Keiko is endlessly worried over and looked at with suspicion. When in reality, as we learn from select flashbacks, she has always struggled to navigate everyday life. Convenience Store Woman echoes Kafka’s criticism of bureaucratic rule-following and the nonsense laws of life, bringing them into the twenty-first century Japanese society.

Managing and Other Lies by Willow Heath

Managing and Other Lies is a collection of queer horror stories, and its titular tale Managing is a deeply kafkaesque gothic tale set in a labyrinthine house at the edge of an English village. Every day, our nameless protagonist—who has been hired to clean and tidy this strange house—writes about their progress in a journal. As the days go on, they soon learn that they aren’t as alone as they first thought.

A man has barged his way into the house; he refuses to explain his presence and insists that our protagonist is doing a terrible job tending to the garden. Soon after, our protagonist meets a woman who lives in a room upstairs. She seduces our protagonist and offers them the happiness they seek in exchange for various small sacrifices. These sacrifices are bits and pieces of their own body; beginning with a skin tag, then a fingernail, and on it goes.

Our nameless protagonist is battling with dysphoria, berated by the misogynistic and bullish man, and encouraged to make painful sacrifices by a woman who seduces and gaslights them. In order to be happy with who they are, they are forced to fight, perform, and put themself through pain and discomfort, all because the men and women of society expect them to. Being trans is wonderful; it is only the expectations of society that makes it hard.

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The Factory by Hiroko Oyamada

Translated from the Japanese by David Boyd

In one of the most on-the-nose kafkaesque novels ever written, a factory spreads itself impossibly large, and we follow three protagonists who work there. The factory makes all kinds of consumable products, and also behaves like a town with places to live, eat, relax, and play.

In the world of The Factory, there is no separation of work and life; they are now one and the same. People live, work, and die at and for the factory. Nobody can recognise where work ends and every other aspect of life begins. All anyone knows is the factory.

In this novel, Japanese author Hiroko Oyamada takes Kafka’s themes and blows them up impossibly large, painting them on a billboard for every reader to see.

The Ruined Map by Kobo Abe

Translated from the Japanese by E. Dale Saunders

Kobo Abe could accurately be called the Kafka of Japan. Many Japanese authors explore the kafkaesque in their writing, but none with such dedication and surrealism as Kobo Abe. And while many of his books are worthwhile reads, The Ruined Map is the perfect introduction to his works, due to its more clear and direct narrative.

The Ruined Map begins with a detective who has been hired by a woman to find her missing husband. What at first seems like a simple detective story gradually gives way to something more surreal and dreamlike, in a very similar vein to David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. The detectives obsession over minor details that lead nowhere, and the circular, empty answers given by his interviewees (the wife included), scream Kafka.

This is a book that asks us if we can ever truly know one another. The titular ruined map is both the city of Tokyo and the mental map we each have, populated by the people we meet and come to know. This is a novel fantastically reminiscent of Kafka’s stories.

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

In Julia Armfield’s queer gothic horror, we follow a couple whose lives have been irreversibly changed by a mission to the bottom of the sea that went horribly wrong. Leah’s trip should have been a short one, but something went wrong and she was stuck down there for a long time. As we follow her story, we learn what she encountered and how she was changed by it.

But the bulk of the narrative is her wife Miri’s story, which takes places after Leah has returned. Leah is no longer communicating properly, and enjoys little more than sitting in a full bathtub day in, day out. Leah gradually grows sick as her skin falls away and she vomits salty water. Miri is powerless to help her, and doesn’t understand how something like this could have happened.

Miri grieves the loss of her wife and her marriage, all while her wife is still technically present. She has so many questions but cannot get answers. Our Wives Under the Sea is a different kind of kafkaesque, examining the bureaucracy of our social and romantic lives, as well as that of loss itself.

As for defining a novella, that depends on who you ask. Typically, a novella is any piece of fiction that’s shorter than 200 pages (though some argue for 150 pages), but not so brief as to be considered a short story. Here, we’re going off general consensus.

These are your must-read novellas, separated neatly into different styles and genres. Here, you’ll find a hefty selection of classics, as well as many modern novellas separated out by genre. And so many of these masterful short books come from all around the world.

Classic Novellas

So many of your favourite classic stories and novels often actually fall into the definition of a novella, and this can even take some readers by surprise. These classic novellas have changed the landscape of literature for the better; they’re stories we talk about every day, and they continue to impact readers on the deepest levels.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

George Orwell’s allegorical novella, often taught in high schools all around the English-speaking world, is one of the most popular, beloved, and well-respected novellas ever written. Retelling the story of the Russian Revolution and the Stalinist era that followed, Animal Farm is a fantastic piece of dark satire so brilliantly told.

Orwell famously argued that language and stories should be simple, appealing to the broadest possible audience, and Animal Farm is an excellent example of this. A fable for children and a satirical allegory for adults, the novella appeals to so many, so perfectly.

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The Trial by Franz Kafka

Franz Kafka saw little success in his life, but after his death his works came to define an entirely new genre of fiction: the kafkaesque. The Trial is a novella that tells the story of Joseph K, a man arrested for a crime he is unaware of, who finds himself tossed by the waves of the legal system.

K has no idea what he did, and nobody will tell him. We watch as the system intimidates and confuses him, and he is moved from place to place, all the while desperate to understand his own situation. The Trial is a darkly funny, sombre, frustrating read that bites at bureaucracy in inventive and evocative ways.

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We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson remains the queen of the American gothic, famous for her horror novels and short stories — the best of which is We Have Always Lived in the Castle, a gothic novella about a secluded family on the edge of town. The family is shunned by everyone, and has a lot of secrets to keep hidden.

We follow the family’s youngest daughter, Merricat, who lives with her sister and uncle. Her parents and brother died from poisoning several years ago, and now Merricat uses what she believes to be magical wards to protect what’s left. A chilling and cold piece of gothic fiction and a wonderful classic novella.

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The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

One of the most famous and revered American stories ever written, The Great Gatsby is a true classic of the 20th century. A novella that tells the story of a lonely man who hosts lavish parties that he himself never attends, all with the hope of luring out the woman he has loved for so many years.

The Great Gatsby is written with captivating clarity and lyricism, and it presents the reader with a unique perspective on the great American dream. Gatsby himself is an alluring and haunting figure, and Fitzgerald’s novella has become one of the great American classics.

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Silas Marner by George Eliot

George Eliot was a pioneer of realism in 18th century literature; an approach to fiction that set her apart from the likes of Dickens and the Brontës. Silas Marner is a novella that tells the story of a weaver who has settled in a quiet village after dark events came to pass.

Accused of stealing from the congregation in his Northern hometown, and likely framed by a friend, Silas is shunned, loses his love, and retreats to the Midlands to live out his life in seclusion, but things don’t go the way he hoped. Silas Marner is a powerful Victorian novella that cemented George Eliot as one of the great writers of her time.

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The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

This gothic novella, like Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Picture of Dorian Gray, is a gothic tale that has left an enormous legacy. Everyone knows the tale of Jekyll and Hyde, whether they’ve read Stevenson’s novella or not: the story of the scientist who transforms into his beastly and dangerous alter-ego.

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a well-loved story by a well-loved author, and its ongoing prevalence in popular culture shows what a powerful and original story it was. The tale of a meek and respectable doctor transforming into a cruel and dastardly monster is one that continues to resonate with readers to this day.

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A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

One of the most cherished stories that Charles Dickens ever told, A Christmas Carol has since become larger than Dickens ever was, with people knowing the story whether they’re familiar with Dickens himself or not. Adapted to the screen many times, A Christmas Carol is, at this point, a fairy tale that every child has enjoyed.

The story of a miserly old capitalist who strangles the joy from his workers, only to be visited by the regretful ghost of his former business partner, and then frightened into changing his ways by visions of the past, present, and future. It’s a terrifying tale, but also a warming and hopeful one that resonates with readers across the world.

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The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Alongside Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Henry James’ classic novella The Turn of the Screw made an icon of the governess: the intelligent young woman who works as a teacher to the children of a wealthy and large country home full of ghosts and secrets. In the case of this novella, that home is Bly Manor.

Our nameless governess is charged with the care of two children who live with their uncle after the deaths of their parents. While working at Bly, the governess starts to see ghostly figures, and also learns about two people who once worked and died there; now, their ghosts are seemingly influencing the children. It’s a chilling tale and a classic gothic novella.

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Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

James Baldwin was an American author, playwright, and civil rights activist who escaped to Paris. There, he wrote the much-loved novella Giovanni’s Room. The story of a bisexual American man living in Paris and the love affair that unfolds between himself and a bartender named Giovanni.

Giovanni will soon be executed, and our protagonist David narrates the story of their love affair, which took place while David’s girlfriend is in Spain. This is a tale of isolation, gender roles and expectations, and queer expression in the 1950s. An empathetic and vitally important piece of queer fiction.

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Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Steinbeck was one of the great American authors, and his novella Of Mice and Men remains as thematically prevalent as it ever did. Frequently taught in schools, the novella tells the story of two men — George and Lenny — who work on a farmstead to raise enough money to eventually free themselves from the cycle of capitalism.

George, like so many men, is following the American dream. He will have land of his own, and the simple giant Lenny will help him get there. But the cycle of capitalism is harder to break away from than George thinks, and tragedy awaits them both. Of Mice and Men is a powerful tale, vitally relevant, and beautiful in its simplicity. An amazing novella.

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The Stranger by Albert Camus

Albert Camus was a French philosopher known for presenting his philosophical arguments as fiction. The first and most famous of his works was the novella The Stranger, which tells the tale of a man living in French Algeria who kills another man shortly after the death and funeral of his own mother.

In the novella’s first half, we learn about Mersault’s life leading up to the funeral, and the subsequent murder. In the second half, we watch the fallout of these events. The Stranger is a piece of absurdist fiction that explores the theme of isolation in unusual ways (as Camus was known to do), and it remains an impactful novella to this day.

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Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata

Translated from the Japanese by Edward G. Seidensticker

Japanese author and Nobel Prize winner Yasunari Kawabata wrote many beautiful tales, often characterised by their emphasis on beauty. Aesthetics, in the form of both human and natural beauty, were intrinsic to his storytelling and his plots, and that can best be seen in his classic novella Snow Country.

This Japanese novella takes place in a remote hot spring town, where our Tokyoite protagonist, Shimamura, falls in love with a local geisha who works at the town’s onsen. Though geisha are forbidden to show affection for their clients, she too falls in love, and we watch their love affair unfold. A stunning short masterpiece by one of the greats.

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A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

Anthony Burgess supposedly wrote A Clockwork Orange over the course of just a few days, and the resulting novella has gone on to become a revered story, adapted into one of the most famous and respected films of all time.

This piece of dystopian satire follows a psychopathic young man named Alex, who spends his days as part of a violent gang, but is later captured and subject to torturous reformation methods by the authorities. A haunting, harrowing story. Surreal and strange, difficult to read, but ultimately powerful and impactful.

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The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

The Old Man and the Sea is regarded by many readers as Hemingway’s masterpiece. A vital piece of American fiction, and a wonderfully short piece of fiction. This novella presents the reader with exactly what the title promises.

Our old fisherman hasn’t caught a single fish in more than eighty days, but one morning he sets out and hooks an enormous marlin, which he cannot reel in and so holds onto for more than a day and a night, slowly developing great respect and admiration for the fish as the hours tick away. This is a true American classic and one of the great novellas of its time.

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Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

Jean Rhys’ novella Wide Sargasso Sea is a prequel to Charlotte Brontë’s gothic romance novel Jane Eyre. Using what was hinted at in Brontë’s novel as a framework, Rhys presents us with a powerful and literary feminist novel about English colonialism.

Our protagonist is Brontë’s famous madwoman in the attic, a Creole woman named Antoinette. We follow her life leading to her marriage to the cruel Mr Rochester, who removes her to England and famously locks her away in his attic. Rhys’ novella humanises her, gives her a story, and has become a feminist classic novella.

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Modern & Literary Novellas

From Argentina to Japan, so many of the best stories of the past several years have come in the form of novellas; short books that can be enjoyed again and again by readers who cherish what they have to offer. These modern — and often literary — novellas are all must-read stories for fans of the artform.

At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop

Translated from the French by Anna Moschovakis

Winner of the International Booker Prize, French author David Diop’s incredible war novella is set in the trenches of World War I, where we follow a Senegalese soldier who faces death, disease, and prejudice from his fellow soldiers.

When he loses his fellow Senegalese brother-in-arms, he feels alone and isolated, and so dedicates himself to the fight, despite all that is against him. This is a harrowing tale of war on the front lines, as well as the prejudice and dangers that faced Senegalese soldiers made to fight by the French government. A haunting, incredible novella.

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Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

Translated from the Japanese by Ginny Tapley Takemori

Convenience Store Woman is a transfixing, thought-provoking Japanese novella about a woman who has worked at the same convenience store for more than a decade. Her life is predictable, simple, and stable. And so, she is content. But her family worries about her. They want her to climb that ladder, and also eventually get married and have kids.

Our protagonist has found a way to survive and feel comfortable in a strange, capitalistic, traditionalist world that she doesn’t understand or feel part of, but this only serves to confuse those around her. Sayaka Murata’s novella is a profound piece of Japanese fiction. A masterpiece of modern literature.

Buy a copy of Convenience Store Woman here!

Brickmakers by Selva Almada

Translated from the Spanish by Annie McDermott

Selva Almada is a genius of feminist literary fiction. Hailing from Argentina, she has written some of the best novels of the modern day. Brickmakers is a novella about cycles of abuse, especially within the context of masculinity.

Starting at the end, with two boys having killed each other in a fight, they are bleeding out on the ground and we trace their personal histories back to the source of this feud. Inherited hatred, masculine pride, and class divides paint a picture of patriarchy in its darkest most honest form. A true masterpiece of a novella.

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Foster by Claire Keegan

Irish author Claire Keegan is a master of short fiction, and Foster is a perfect example. This is a novella about a young girl whose mother is about to go into labour. Our girl is taken, by her father, to stay with a family in a nearby town for the summer.

There, she is welcomed in with open arms by a loving couple and shown a different way of living and loving as part of a family unit. This is a touching tale of growth and experience through the eyes of a child. A stunning work of literary fiction and one of the best modern novellas you’ll ever read.

Buy a copy of Foster here!

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

Following on from Foster, Claire Keegan once again wowed the literary world with Small Things Like These. This novella is set during the week leading up to Christmas. Our protagonist is a middle-aged man, married with children, and working as the manager of a lumber mill.

His small community are god-fearing church-going hypocrites, and as the novella progresses we watch him steadily come face-to-face with those hypocrisies. This is a novel that daringly exposes the darkness and corruption of organised religion in the modern day. An incredible novella and a masterpiece of literary fiction.

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Walking Practice by Dolki Min

Translated from the Korean by Victoria Caudle

A fantastically strange and imaginative Korean novella, Walking Practice tells the story of an alien creature that crash-landed on Earth and spends their days hunting and eating the most delicious thing on this planet: us.

The best way for them to do this is to shapeshift into a man or woman and use dating apps to lure out their prey. The novel explores gender roles in a multitude of ways, as our alien switches genders and plays different roles to get what they want. It’s a fascinating exploration of gender expectations in the modern world.

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The Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto

Translated from the Japanese by Asa Yoneda

Banana Yoshimoto is one of the most beloved Japanese authors of today, and The Premonition is an elegantly simple novella about a teenager with a happy ordinary life and a family who love her. But she also enjoys sneaking out of the house to stretch her legs. One place she likes to go is the home of her hedonistic aunt.

But one day, while visiting her aunt, gaps in her memory become clear, and she starts to uncover a truth about her childhood and her family that had long been kept from her. This reframes her ideas of love, trust, and family bonds. A truly wonderful modern from a talented Japanese author.

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Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio

From the author of the celebrated If We Were Villains (one of my personal favourite novels) comes Graveyard Shift, a gothic novella that clocks in at a mere 108 pages and takes places over a single night. Graveyard Shift follows a group of insomniacs and night shift workers who often meet for a smoke at a local graveyard. Our first protagonist is editor of the university newspaper, and others include a cab driver, a hotel receptionist, and a bartender.

One night, while at the graveyard, they notice a freshly-dug hole. But this graveyard is old; nobody has been interred there in a century. So, who dug this hole and why? Over the course of this night, our misfit gang of protagonists will hunt for answers and uncover a conspiracy along the way. This is dark academia that actually explores the darkness of academia in a creeping, claustrophobic way.

The novella is the perfect medium for this kind of story as well, since it can be enjoyed in a single setting. Reading this will take as long as watching a horror movie, and you will feel just as much edge-of-your-seat tension as the plot thickens and the strangeness amps up.

Paradise Rot by Jenny Hval

Translated from the Norwegian by Marjam Idriss

Jenny Hval is an internationally famous Norwegian singer-songwriter, and she has also written some fantastic short novels. Her novella Paradise Rot is a wonderfully gothic piece of strange fiction about a university student who moves to a new city in a new country for her studies.

When she arrives, she moves in with a local woman. They live together in a converted brewery where the walls between them are more like office cubicles in an open-plan space. Privacy is an illusion, and the space itself becomes a character in its own right. This is a wonderfully unsettling tale and a brilliant work of modern gothic fiction.

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Boulder by Eva Baltasar

Translated from the Catalan by Julia Sanchez

Boulder is a work of sapphic literary fiction from Catalan author Eva Baltasar. Our nameless protagonist works as a cook on a merchant ship which is off the coast of Chile when she meets and falls deeply in love with a woman named Samsa. Her addiction to this woman leads her to move with Samsa to Reykjavik.

Their relationship quickly becomes strained, however, when Samsa declares that she wants a child, and our protagonist doesn’t. Their lives are moving at different paces and in different ways, causing a painful rift between them. This is a stellar and visceral sapphic novella that everyone should read.

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The Swallowed Man by Edward Carey

Edward Carey rose to prominence with his incredible historical novel Little, about the life of the girl who would eventually grow up to become Madame Tussauds. His novella The Swallowed Man retells the tale of Pinnocchio, focussing on the experiences of Geppetto after being swallowed by the whale.

We spend time in the whale with Geppetto as he explores his surroundings, finds a shipwreck, and reads the captain’s journal. And we also journey back through his memories to the creation of Pinnocchio in a stunningly human and empathetic tale. A beautiful little novella from a master of the craft.

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Ms Ice Sandwich by Mieko Kawakami

Translated from the Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai

Mieko Kawakami is one of the great feminist Japanese writers of today, and her novella Ms Ice Sandwich is a sweet, soulful, uplifting tale. Our protagonist is a teenage boy facing several personal struggles, especially with his at-home family relationships.

However, he has become entranced by a girl who works at his local grocery store; a girl whom he called Ms Ice Sandwich. He admires her, feels as though he is in love with her, and even looks up to her as someone cool, aloof, and unique. It’s a charming tale that will comfort anyone who reads it.

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Finger Bone by Hiroki Takahashi

Translated from the Japanese by Takami Nieda

Hiroki Takahashi’s war novella, Finger Bone, places us in the life of a nameless soldier stationed in the jungle of Papua New Guinea. He befriends his fellow soldiers while healing at a war hospital where men are being treated for wounds and sickness, but their lives could be stripped from them at any moment (and they often are).

This is a visceral yet poetic novella about the realities and the uncomfortable truths of war. Like the poetry of Wilfred Owen, this is bleak and honest, painting a raw picture of warfare from the frontlines. An incredible work of short fiction.

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Hex by Jenni Fagan

This is a unique and original novella from a fantastic voice in Scottish literature. Protagonist Iris has found a way to travel back in time several centuries, and there she spends the night in the prison cell of a woman who will be hanged at dawn for witchcraft.

This woman is Gellis Duncan, and she tells Iris the story of how she got here. Iris tells Gellis that the women of today are still treated unfairly, and true equality has still not been reached. The two bond over this painful truth and we learn about the very real North Berwick Witch Trials of 16th century Scotland.

Buy a copy of Hex here!

For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy On My Little Pain by Victoria MacKenzie

A stunning piece of literary historical fiction, For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy On My Little Pain tells the story of two women of English history, both of whom claimed to hear the word of God: Julian of Norwich and a lesser-known woman named Margery.

Julian hid herself away and took to life as an anchoress, giving out advice to strangers who sought it. Margery, however, stood in the town square and cried about the words she heard. The two women will eventually meet, and this meeting will eventually change the course of history.

Buy a copy of For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy On My Little Pain here!

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

Translated from the Korean by Deborah Smith

Han Kang’s novella, translated with splendour by Tilted Axis Press founder Deborah Smith, won the International Booker Prize in 2017. The Vegetarian tells the story of a woman who decides to become a vegetarian when she is plagued by unsettling and upsetting dreams of animal slaughter.

We see the fallout of this decision from the perspectives of various family members across three parts: her husband, her brother-in-law, and her sister. Each one places her at the centre and has a different attitude towards Yeong-hye and her behaviour. This is a radical, powerful Korean novella that should be read by everyone.

Buy a copy of The Vegetarian here!

Mild Vertigo by Mieko Kanai

Translated from the Japanese by Polly Barton

Japanese author Mieko Kanai’s literary novella is a dense and poetic story about nothing much at all. Our narrator-protagonist is a Tokyo housewife with children and a husband to look after, and we spend time in both her life and her mind as she goes about her daily routine.

What makes this novella so captivating is its structure and delivery, as the realism of the tale is offset by the ways in which we fluidly weave in and out of thoughts, memories, actions, and conversations and lines between them all are blurred in an engaging and fascinating way, all translated amazingly by Polly Barton.

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Mammoth by Eva Baltasar

Translated from the Catalan by Julia Sanchez

Eva Baltasar is a remarkable artist who is able to weave sapphic and feminine themes into stories that explore belonging, hedonism, indecision, and the feeling—whether it be good or bad—of being untethered. Across just one hundred pages, Mammoth accomplishes all of this with harsh, electrifying prose that is translated with staggering force by Julia Sanchez.

Mammoth follows a young lesbian who, as the novella opens, wishes desperately to be pregnant. She works as a researcher at a university and, at a party, attempts to seduce a man who might give her the one thing she wants. When this fails, she quits her job and wanders, almost nomadically, from place to place and job to job, eventually arriving at a rural farm.

This is a story of anxiety. Our protagonist is young, brash, unsure of herself, and seems to be living through a persistent crisis. She knows herself to an extent but experiments with herself and the world in order to better understand both, and harm is often the result. She might often be dark, unlikable, and pitiable, but she is also relatable in one way or another.

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

Winner of the Booker Prize 2024, Orbital is a novella that traces a single day aboard the International Space Station. Six astronauts orbit the world sixteen times, seeing a new sunrise and sunset every ninety minutes. And in that time, they bond, share memories, discuss God and philosophy, marvel at the beauty of our world, and take stock of our place in the universe.

While it is light on plot and events, Harvey’s focus with Orbital is on musing over the big questions: life, death, love, faith; all those heady questions, all while watching the world spin under your feet. The main subject of the novella is relationships: those between neighbours, family members, nations, and even the relationships between us and our home planet, and between Earth and the rest of the universe.

All of this is written with sharp and poetic prose. While it all feels almost eerily apolitical, avoiding any kind of commitment to one idea or another, it remains introspective, thoughtful, and hopeful. And that, in itself, is something that can be appreciated.

Horror Novellas

Many of the best horror stories of all time take advantage of brevity. Short stories and novellas are uniquely equipped to deliver a terrifying, spine-chilling scare and then simply end, leaving the reader feeling cold but alive. These horror novellas are powerful, frightening things that you will absolutely adore. Not for the faint of heart, of course.

The Black Spider by Jeremias Gotthelf

Translated from the German by Susan Bernofsky

This all-but-forgotten classic of gothic horror is a work of strangeness and brilliance. The Black Spider begins with a Swiss family hosting a celebration in their valley home, when the elder patriarch begins telling the story of something dreadful that happened there in the middle ages.

That story involves a village of serfs toiling away to serve a cruel lord in his castle. One day, at the point of starvation, they are visited by a stranger who tempts them with magic that will save them, in exchange for the next child to be born. From here, the village descends into unimaginable horror and tragedy, making for a truly spectacular gothic horror novella.

Buy a copy of The Black Spider here!

Come Closer by Sara Gran

Reminiscent of Rosemary’s Baby, Sara Gran’s horror novella Come Closer is an eerie and unsettling experience. Our protagonist, Amanda, is starting to lose her grip on what is real and what is sane as strange things occur around her. Noises in her apartment, odd and violent dreams, and accusations of things she hasn’t done.

Amanda’s world is turning upside down, and she desperately needs to understand why. There is a voice in her head that’s taking control and telling her to do things she’d never do. She is losing control and it frightens her. This is a whole new kind of terror, and a brilliant short horror novel.

Buy a copy of Come Closer here!

What Moves The Dead by T. Kingfisher

This is T. Kingfisher’s bold and brilliant retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s iconic short story The Fall of the House of Usher. While that tale is an untouchable classic, Kingfisher took it and created something entirely fresh and unique, adding more detail and dynamism to the story.

What was once a twisted and hopeless tale now features more body horror, more strangeness and grotesquerie. Mysteries are answered but the answers are wonderfully unpleasant. This is a fantastically dark, twisted, and exciting horror novella.

Buy a copy of What Moves the Dead here!

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

The Salt Grows Heavy is a monstrously strange and bleak horror novella. Our protagonist is a mermaid who, as the story opens, is watching her newborn children feast on the body of their dead father — a cruel patriarch who cut out his wife’s tongue. From here, she leaves on a journey into the woods with a charismatic plague doctor.

In this strange new place, they meet a gang of boys who hunt and kill each other, only to be resurrected by their cultish masters, and so a kind of battle ensues between our heroes and these lords. A wonderfully grotesque and gory tale of body horror and twisted people.

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You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood by Eric LaRocca

You’ve Lost a Lot of Blood is a book within a book. We begin with a man named Martyr Black, who is a self-professed serial killer. We read transcripts, diaries, and poetry from him, as well as a novella that he wrote. And that novella takes up the bulk of this strange and wonderful book.

The novella tells the tale of a young woman who has been recruited by a reclusive and enigmatic video games developer. She lives at his remote mansion with her little brother, but her boss is injured and recovering. She is strapped there and being ordered around by her boss’ sister. It’s a claustrophobic, gothic, and unnerving horror novella.

Buy a copy of You’ve Lost A Lot of Blood here!

Queen of Teeth by Hailey Piper

Queen of Teeth is a gross and fantastic piece of short horror fiction about a young lesbian woman who wakes up after a one-night-stand with the sheets soaked in blood. What she first thinks is her period turns out to actually be a set of teeth growing at the entrance to her hoo-ha.

The people to blame are part of a pharmaceutical company that treated Yaya when she was still in her mother’s womb, and now, decades later, she is transforming and a voice in her head is getting louder. This is a twisted, dark tale and a brilliant horror novella.

Buy a copy of Queen of Teeth here!

Sci-Fi Novellas

Science fiction is a genre known for its thematic exploration of various politics and big ideas, and having that distilled down into a short, easily re-readable book provides such obvious benefits. It’s so easy to chew on and get all the benefits from a clever sci-fi story if it’s a novella: something short and re-readable. That goes for all of these brilliant books.

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

H.G. Wells was one of the great godfathers of science fiction, and The Time Machine remains one of his most well-loved books. It tells the story of a man who travels far into the future; so far, in fact, that humanity has branched into two evolutionary chains.

In this future are the pristine and childlike eloi and the monstrous underground-dwelling morlocks, who feed and then eat the eloi. The Time Machine was one of the earliest sci-fi stories and remains a classic novella to this day.

Buy a copy of The Time Machine here!

To Be Taught If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

American author Becky Chambers is the queen of modern sci-fi, and her short novella To Be Taught If Fortunate is a masterful work of hard science fiction. In a near-future socialist Earth, a grass-roots global space agency has been established, and a group of astronauts has been sent on a mission to another solar system.

While there, this team explores the planets and moons, learn, scan, and study. They come across unexpected obstacles and overcome them together. This is a hopeful work of sci-fi that paints a positive picture of our future.

Buy a copy of To Be Taught If Fortunate here!

This is How You Lost the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

These two fantastic authors worked together to pen a masterful work of short science fiction. Two soldiers fight for opposing armies in a war that spans both space and time, but they are both becoming disenchanted by the war, and in that loss of faith love can bloom.

Our soldiers leave taunting, teasing notes for the other to find, and slowly their letters become declarations of love as they journey from a future battlefield full of mechs back to Shakespeare’s London and Plato’s Greece. An incredible work of science fiction romance.

Buy a copy of This is How You Lose the Time War here!

Pluralities by Avi Silver

Pluralities is a queer work of short science fiction; a dual narrative about two very different people. One is a young person who works at a mall and is steadily coming to terms with their gender identity, and also happens to have the power of foresight. The other is a prince who has fled his home planet and all the responsibilities that go with it.

The two never meet, but they are connected by something greater. We watch our earthling form an intense relationship with a trans man and we see the prince’s AI ship gradually fall in love with him. This is a fun and unique work of short science fiction. A fantastic sci-fi novella.

Buy a copy of Pluralities here!

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

All Systems Red is the first novella in a sci-fi series called The Murderbot Diaries. This story is set in a future world where corporations control much of space and the planets in it. While exploring, teams of humans are assigned a “murderbot” to keep them safe.

We follow a team whose own murderbot has managed to hack its own systems and become self-aware. Now, it wishes to better understand itself, its purpose, and its relationship to humanity. A fantastic sci-fi novella.

Buy a copy of All Systems Red here!

Fantasy Novellas

Fantasy is a genre famous for its size and scale. Fantasy novels are so often not only large in stature but also part of long, ongoing series. There are entire worlds full of people, histories, traditions, religions, politics, and more. But condensing all of that down neatly into a novella is its own kind of beauty, as these authors demonstrate.

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

Thornhedge is a modern fairy tale story by the incredible T. Kingfisher. Blending Shakespearean fairies with elements of Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel, this is the tale of a girl who was stolen by fairies, raised as one, and then given the responsibility of guarding a tower surrounded by thorns.

She has guarded this tower for a long time, and watched as knights try and fail to access it. But one day, she befriends a himbo knight with good intentions, and she tells him her story. The two bond, and we slowly learn about our fairy and about what is actually in the tower. A wonderful fantasy novella from a legendary author.

Buy a copy of Thornhedge here!

The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss

Fantasy fans will know the name Patrick Rothfuss, author of the widely celebrated The Name of the Wind and its sequel. But Rothfuss also wrote The Slow Regard of Silent Things, a fantasy novella which takes place in the world of The Kingkiller Chronicles.

This short novel follows Auri, a character introduced in Rothfuss’ first novel, and the adventures she goes on in a hidden labyrinth nestled beneath the university in which The Name of the Wind is predominantly set. This is a great novella that expands the lore of this world brilliantly.

Buy a copy of The Slow Regard of Silent Things here!

South Korean literature is among the most beloved in the world, and immersing yourself in some fantastic Korean books is sure to enrich your travel experience.

South Korea is one of the most popular countries to visit, move to, and work in right now. A lot of that is down to K-pop and K-dramas, but there is such an amazing wealth of beautiful literature and a long and fascinating history beyond all of that.

Korean Books to Read Before You Visit South Korea

This list of fiction and non-fiction books about Korea is designed to introduce readers to South Korea from a variety of perspectives.

It includes books on Korean history and the Korean war, culture, and literature. Some of the books are written by Korean authors, while others are written by those who have lived in or studied in South Korea.

Let’s jump in.

Korea: A New History of South and North by Victor Cha and Ramon Pacheco Pardo

In one of the newer books about Korean history, authors Victor Cha and Ramon Pacheco Pardo draw on decades of research to explore the complex story of this divided nation. They examine Korea’s unique common history, as well as the sharp differences between North and South that have emerged since the Cold War division.

The book also sheds light on the evolving identities of the two Koreas, and the prospects for unification. It is an essential read for anyone who wants to understand Korea’s past, present, and what possibilities there are in the future.

Buy a copy of Korea: A New History of South and North

Human Acts by Han Kang

Translated by Deborah Smith

Han Kang made waves in the world of literature a few years back when her novel The Vegetarian was awarded the Booker International Prize 2016 (also translated by Deborah Smith). Her book, Human Acts, however, is arguably a more raw and political story.

Human Acts sheds light on the criminally lesser-known political suppression of South Korea that lasted until the Gwangju Uprising of 1980.

From multiple perspectives, including that of the ghost of a boy killed during the uprising, we get to see the turmoil, tears, and bloodshed that led to the vibrant and prosperous nation we have today.

Read More: If you’re looking for Korean short stories then check out the Yeoyu series.

Buy a copy of Human Acts here.

At Dusk by Hwang Sok-yong

Translated by Sora Kim-Russell

One of South Korea’s most prestigious novelists brought us this work in translation recently, in 2018.

It tells two stories: that of a rags-to-riches architect looking back on his life and childhood in a kind of Citizen Kane way, and that of a young woman struggling to forge herself a career in theatre.

At Dusk is a fantastic mirror held up to the disparate classes, artists, and businessmen of Korea today, and it’s a real tear-jerker to boot. Read our review of At Dusk right here.

Buy a copy of At Dusk

Our Korean Kitchen

Written by married couple Jordan Bourke and Jejina Pyo. Bourke is a renowned chef and, working together with his wife and her cultural expertise, they have welded together a fun and engaging cookbook that teaches us all the ins and outs of Korean home cooking.

Our Korean Kitchen is easy to follow and the tantalising pictures are a wonderful motivation, we had great success with the kimchi recipe! Before you head to Korea, it’s good to know what to expect, food-wise.

Maybe even cook some for yourself. You’re certain to fall in love with Korean food, so best to get a head-start. Here are six of the recipes from the book for free.

Buy a copy of Our Korean Kitchen

Read More: 12 Best Korean Cookbooks Available Now

A History of Korea by Kyung Moon Hwang

If you want an introduction to Korean history before you visit South Korea, this is the best book to pick up. A History of Korea concisely covers every major change and event that has led Korea to where it is today. It avoids being dry by favouring brevity and clarity.

Everything you need to know about Korean history can be found and enjoyed here, covering a whopping 1.5 millennia of Korean history (both North and South).

Important themes that define Korean culture are explored with detail and enthusiasm, giving you not only a lesson in Korean history but an insight into Korean social and political behaviour. A really enlightening read and an essential book to read before you visit South Korea.

Buy a copy of History of Korea

The New Koreans by Michael Breen

Written by a man who has spent many years living in and studying the world of South Korea. The New Koreans is a fascinating exploration of the economics, history, and politics of Korea today.

The country is now rich and prosperous. It builds some of the best tech money can buy. And it has the biggest pop music industry. How did it get here? Read this book to find out.

The New Koreans by Michael Breen

Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park

translated by Anton Hur

Love in the Big City is a queer Korean love story. It is a tale of hedonism and friendship; a book about looking at life from all angles: with love and hate and anger and fear in our eyes.

Translated elegantly and beautifully by Anton Hur, Love in the Big City considers how we live our lives when time is ticking, when there is fun to be had and things to be seen; when there are things to fear and people who want to hurt us.

Love in the Big City paints a raw and honest but ultimately kind picture of love and life in the modern day, and for that, it is one of the finest modern Korean novels.

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The Korean War by Max Hastings

I don’t know about you but the Korean War was not covered at all when I was in school. Hastings’ book is not an easy read, but it is an essential one for anyone who wants to understand the Korean War and its impact on the world.

His writing is clear and concise, and he does an excellent job of explaining the complex military and political issues that were at stake. We found a traumatic, bloody, and captivating story of civil unrest, political divides, and Western interference.

The Korean War by Max Hastings will teach you everything you need to know about the story of the Korean War. Everyone should know more about what divided the North and South and the lasting legacy of that decision.

Buy a copy of The Korea War

Read More: Here are some useful travel articles to check out before you visit South Korea.

The Court Dancer by Kyung-sook Shin

Translated by Anton Hur

Based on a true story — set in the final years of 19^th century Korea as China, Russia, and Japan are threatening the nation trapped between them — The Court Dancer is being described as a love story first and foremost: the romantic tale of a man and a woman from two different worlds, colliding in a moment of beauty.

This is the tale of a woman born without a family, adopted into the courts of the Joseon Dynasty, romanced by a French diplomat, whisked away across the waves to foreign shores, and all the while trying to find the time to understand who she is, what she is, and what she wants out of a life that has never really been hers.

If you want to understand pre-Korean War history and see what European globalisation looks like from an Eastern perspective, this book will prove illuminating.

Visiting Korea’s beautiful palaces after reading this book is a real treat. Read our review of The Court Dancer right here or learn more about Anton Hur.

Buy a copy of The Court Dancer

Hello, South Korea: Meet the Country Behind Hallyu

In a sea of books about Korean culture, this one is an easily accessible and colourful exploration of the country and culture that has captivated the world. From its rich history and unique customs to its vibrant pop culture and global exports, this book has something to offer everyone.

Go beyond the surface of Hallyu and discover the real Korea. Learn about the country’s long and fascinating history, from its days as the Hermit Kingdom to its modern-day status as a global powerhouse. Meet the people who have shaped the country and its culture, from the incredible haenyeo divers of Jeju Island to the K-pop stars who have taken the world by storm.

Of course, no book about Korea would be complete without a discussion of its food and fashion. From the diverse varieties of kimchi to the popular glass skin beauty trend, you’ll learn all about the culinary and fashion delights that Korea has to offer.

Buy a copy of Hello, South Korea

Read More: Best Korean Snacks and Where to Buy Them

Drifting House by Krys Lee

Written by a woman born in Seoul but raised in the US, this is a gripping and desperately sorrowful collection of short stories which shine a light on the darker side of Korean society over the past hundred years.

Drifting House looks at the salarymen of Seoul, the starving children of North Korea, and the alienated immigrants attempting to settle in the US.

It is Korea and Koreans as viewed from every angle, and a truly wondrous book that teaches us empathy, history, politics, and humanity. An absolute must-read.

Buy a copy of Drifting House

Flowers of Fire by Hawon Jung

Flowers of Fire is a must-read for anyone interested in feminism, gender equality, and the #MeToo movement. Jung, the former Seoul correspondent for the AFP, draws on her on-the-ground reporting and interviews with many women who became activists and leaders to tell the story of the South Korean #MeToo movement.

The book highlights the courage and resilience of South Korean women in the face of threats, defamation lawsuits, and a criminal justice system that often sides with abusers. Jung’s writing is both informative and inspiring, and she does an excellent job of explaining the complex issues at stake.

Flowers of Fire is an essential read for anyone who wants to understand the #MeToo movement in South Korea and its impact on the global conversation about feminism and gender equality.

Buy a copy of Flowers of Fire

Read More: Thinking of taking a trip to Japan or China? Here’s what to read before you go

Many of these are works in translation, especially from Japan and Korea — countries with a great literary history, and a focus on the literary aspect of their fiction. Before we talk about the best literary fiction books for you to read, let’s define the term “literary fiction” for those new to the concept.

What is Literary Fiction?

Generally speaking, literary fiction is fiction with a focus on themes and form. Stories and novels that are about something very specific. Authors of literary novels use stories to explore a theme or idea that they are curious about, or that they wish to teach their readers about.

This often means that a literary novel will have one defining theme. Examples include: religion, love, growth, loss, family, tradition, power, change, prejudice. All of the themes listed here will be found in the literary fiction books below.

For this reason, literary novels are often political. They might be about feminism, racism, religious persecution, conservatism, class, money, or war.

The themes of literary novels are often embodied by their characters. Protagonists might exist to exemplify the themes which the author wishes to explore. For this reason, literary fiction books are often grounded in reality, set in the modern day, and lacking in fantastical elements. Relatability is often key.

This isn’t always the case, however, and one popular genre of fiction that often crosses into the literary is sci-fi, a genre whose books are so often about a specific theme or concept. Literary fiction is also often about form. Rather than being a simple past-tense, third-person narrative, the story might be epistolary or experimental in its form.

This might also mean a lack of punctuation, a nameless protagonist, an unspecified setting or time, a lack of chapter markers, run-on sentences. These choices of context and form are made with the express purpose of more clearly and eloquently presenting the themes and ideas of the novel.

Fantasy is a genre that rarely blends with the literary, because the purpose of fantasy is escapism, world-building, and sparking imagination. This is not to say that fantasy fiction is never literary, but it is rarer to find specifically literary fantasy books.

For this reason, adult fiction is sometimes divided into two broad camps: literary fiction and genre fiction. This isn’t always accurate or fair but dividing lines and labels have their uses. It might help to think about it this way: if you were to start writing a story, would you begin by imagining the world and the story, or would you focus on something you wish to teach the reader?

If your focus is on telling an exciting story in an exciting setting, you’ll probably come out with a thriller, a fantasy book, or a horror novel. If your focus is on encouraging the reader to think about a specific theme or topic, your novel would likely be considered literary.

Essential Literary Fiction Books

Here are some of the best literary fiction books ever written, from authors around the world who have used literature to explore vital political and social themes.

You’ll find great feminist texts, books exploring class and race dynamics, queer narratives, books about specific political themes, anti-war novels, and so much more. You’ll also find more intimate literary novels about family dynamics, personal growth, and self-discovery.

All of these literary fiction books have something to teach the reader, and all have been carefully and beautifully crafted by mastermind authors of literary fiction.

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Japanese-British author Kazuo Ishiguro is one of the most prominent authors of literary fiction. What’s interesting about Ishiguro is that his novels lean into different genres in playful ways. He has written sci-fi, mystery, historical fiction, and fantasy, but all are primarily literary.

His novels are about people, first and foremost. About the fallibility of people; about regret; about loss; about change or the lack thereof. Ishiguro’s magnum opus, The Remains of the Day, is a literary novel that explores tradition, conservatism, and time’s effect on people.

The Remains of the Day begins with our protagonist and narrator, a butler named Stevens, setting out on a road trip. Stevens has worked at Darlington Hall for decades, and his new employer, a nouveau riche American, happily encourages him to take a well-deserved vacation.

Stevens plans to reunite with Darlington Hall’s former housekeeper, a woman for whom he clearly had deep feelings. Stevens, however, has always been married to his job. He is a rigid, unmovable, conservative traditionalist with a particular attitude towards life, work, and class.

He is a man stuck in the past, corrupted and dismantled by his politics, his attitude towards life, and his inability to move forward as time itself does. As such, Stevens is now, in his twilight years, learning of his own regret, seeing the wood for the trees, and wondering if it’s possible to face these facts. One of the great literary fiction books from the master of literary fiction himself, Kazuo Ishiguro.

Buy a copy of The Remains of the Day here!

1984 by George Orwell

Quite often, the best literary fiction books are the same books we studied in high school English, and there’s a reason for that. In high school, we study books that have particular themes to dig deep into, as a means of learning critical thinking and analysis skills. And this is why so many of us studied Goerge Orwell’s dystopian masterpiece 1984.

A warning against the willingness of corrupt politicians to hoard power and wealth, and to control the populace via misinformation and media language, 1984 is a perfect novel.

This is a novel that teaches readers to look for the warning signs of fascism as it rises. The world of 1984 is an England ruled by oligarchs who invade the privacy of all residents with cameras and microphones, and who change the news to suit their needs.

Our protagonist, Winston, seeks to resist the corrupting, brainwashing tactics of Big Brother and the UK government. One of the most powerful books of the 20th century and one of the finest literary fiction books you’ll ever read, 1984 is a staggering achievement from a visionary writer.

Buy a copy of 1984 here!

The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante

Translated from the Italian by Ann Goldstein

Elena Ferrante is one of the most beloved Italian authors of all time; a literary author whose works explore feminism, class, and family dynamics in fresh and deeply clever ways. The Lying Life of Adults follows Giovanna, a girl from a wealthy family that all live in a house which sits high up, overlooking the poorer, working class people below.

Her father came from rags to riches, and now works as a professor. His wife, Giovanna’s mother, is also a well-educated woman and they are all kind and compassionate on the surface. When her father, in an unthinkingly cruel act of sexism, compares his daughter’s looks to those of his awful, ugly sister, Giovanna is distraught.

To understand why her aunt is so hated, Giovanna visits her and gets to know her. From here, she is torn between the truths that her parents tell, and those her aunt tells. This is a novel about patriarchy and sexism, and about modern-day class divides and privilege. An incredible piece of literary fiction.

Buy a copy of The Lying Life of Adults here!

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Upon its release, The Vanishing Half saw an incredible amount of critical praise, all of which was wholly deserved. A novel of immense hype matched only by its scope of content and theme. The Vanishing Half tells two parallel stories of twin sisters who grow up to be very different women.

Born into a Black community in the deep south, twin sisters Stella and Desiree leave town at the age of sixteen. After spending a little time in New Orleans, one moves to DC and “becomes” Black, while the other ends up in the white suburbs of California and “becomes” white.

In a deeply literary way, The Vanishing Half examines what it means to perform Blackness and whiteness in a societal and cultural sense, beyond just skin colour. The Vanishing Half chronicles the choices and life events of these sisters, as well as those of their children as we move through the second half of the 20th Century.

It considers the relationships between place, race, and class, as well as how our relationships are defined by these seemingly immovable things. Spanning decades, this is a multi-generational novel that makes clear the visible yet ignored racial, political, and class divides of modern America. A masterpiece of Black American fiction and one of the best modern literary fiction books you’ll ever read.

Buy a copy of The Vanishing Half here!

Tokyo Ueno Station by Yu Miri

Translated from the Japanese by Morgan Giles

Yu Miri was born in Japan to Korean parents, and as such is a South Korean citizen and occasional recipient of racist bias and abuse in Japan. Despite this, she has had a phenomenally successful career in Japan as both a playwright and a writer of prose.

Although born in Yokohama, Japan’s second largest city, she now lives in a small town in Fukushima, close to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant which suffered a meltdown following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami which claimed thousands of lives.

Her novel Tokyo Ueno Station is a boldly raw and angry literary novel about class disparity and social injustice. Kazu, Tokyo Ueno Station‘s protagonist, was born in the same year as Japan’s emperor, and both men’s sons were born on the same day.

While the emperor was born into the height of privilege, Kazu was born in rural Fukushima, a place that would later be ravaged by destruction in 2011. While the emperor’s son would go on to lead a healthy life, Kazu’s son’s life would be cut short, and Kazu himself would live out his final days as one of the many homeless barely surviving in a village of tents in Tokyo’s Ueno Park.

A socialist novel about the unfairness of social standings and class divides. A novel that asks the reader to ponder just how fair it is that the time, place, and financial situation we happen to be randomly born into determines everything we will become.

Buy a copy of Tokyo Ueno Station here!

The Trial by Franz Kafka

Only a handful of authors lay claim to an entire genre, and Franz Kafka is one of those few. The Kafkaesque genre is defined by the specific themes and writing style that Kafka created. Sadly, he was entirely unknown in his day and died in misery and obscurity at a young age.

Kafka’s literary novels and short stories focus on the ways in which post-industrial European society undermines, confuses, and disempowers working men. His stories repeatedly examine the methods and tactics of law, bureaucracy, and social rules which render ordinary working class people frightened and impotent.

The finest example of this is his novel The Trial, which tells the story of a man named Josef K, who is one day very suddenly arrested. Josef has done nothing wrong, to his knowledge, and is not told what his crime is supposed to have been.

He is imprisoned, then freed, told to await instructions and further information, and failed over and over again by an absurd system. There is a bleak and dark humour to The Trial, as our man fails to ever understand what is happening to him, and nonsensical events continue to pile on top of one another.

Kafka is one of my own personal obsessions, and he has inspired so many great books and films over the past hundred years. The Trial remains a masterpiece that helped to forge an entire genre; one of the very best literary fiction books ever written.

Buy a copy of The Trial here!

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Emily St. John Mandel has proven herself a modern master of blending genre fiction with lofty literary concepts. With The Glass Hotel, she created a compelling literary thriller. With Sea of Tranquility, she continued the tradition of blending the literary with incredible sci-fi storytelling.

But before those books, she provided readers with Station Eleven, a celebrated piece of literary fiction that turns the post-apocalypse on its head. Rather than this being another novel about human survival, and returning us to our base, animal selves, Station Eleven is a novel about holding onto human art and culture.

This is a pandemic novel about a group of travelling troubadours; a theatre troupe who roam North America bringing Shakespeare to those of us who are left.

Station Eleven celebrates the things worth holding onto: the art that humans created, and the culture which inspired, and was in turn inspired by that art. A beautiful and hopeful piece of literary fiction that encourages the reader to consider the importance of the art we create, and how it changes us.

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The Wind that Lays Waste by Selva Almada

Translated from the Spanish by Chris Andrews

Selva Almada is one of Argentina’s greatest living writers, and The Wind that Lays Waste is a powerful piece of literary fiction that viciously explores patriarchy, masculinity, and religion.

With The Wind That Lays Waste, Selva Almada has crafted a story with a setting and pace reminiscent of Waiting for Godot, and biting, cutting, rhythmic dialogue that keeps the momentum strong from page one to its almighty conclusion.

This novella takes place at the home and workshop of a mechanic — a quiet, withheld, level, and masculine man named Gringo Brauer — out in the rugged countryside of Argentina. When the nomadic evangelist Reverend Pearson breaks down, he seeks the help of Brauer to fix his car and offer them somewhere to stay for a day or so.

These two men each have a ward, and their wards are drawn by the words of the other man, while the two men — one a preacher and the other an atheist — butt heads time and again. Beyond simply being a book about religious narratives, it’s also a book about masculinity, as these two men move towards self-destruction due to their unshakeable bullheadedness.

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Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

A generation-defining science fiction novel and one of the best pieces of American fiction to come out of the 20th century, Butler’s Kindred is a true literary masterpiece. Written by Black American author Octavia E. Butler, Kindred is considered by many to be her magnum opus, a piece of incredible literary science fiction.

Originally published in 1979 and set in 1976, Kindred follows a Black writer named Dana and her white husband Kevin as they find themselves inexplicably tethered through time to a plantation in the year 1815. When the novel begins, Dana and Kevin are unpacking after moving to a new house in California, when she finds herself teleported back 150 years to a plantation in Maryland and the sight of a drowning red-headed boy.

Dana saves the boy from drowning and immediately finds herself facing down the barrel of a white man’s gun, before being yanked back through time to her present in 1976. As it transpires, the drowning boy is Rufus, an ancestor of Dana’s who will father a child with one of his family’s slaves, and Dana is now caught in a loop: any time Rufus’ life is threatened, she is pulled back to save him.

Kindred is a literary sci-fi novel about cruelty and compassion, about the importance of education and empathy. A true masterpiece of the 20th century by one of the US’s most important literary voices, Kindred is a perfect blend of sci-fi concepts and literary political/social themes.

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Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo

Translated from the Korean by Jamie Chang

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 can be understood as the novelisation of the lived experiences of every ordinary Korean woman for the past forty-plus years.

Our protagonist is not one woman, but is rather a representation of the ordinary and expected experiences of your average woman in modern-day South Korea. The novel traces the life of a woman from early childhood to marriage and, eventually, motherhood.

Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 is a book that brings to light the everyday misogyny, sexism, ignorance, aggression, bias, and abuse (both active and passive) that women in South Korea (and, of course, the world over) suffer and do their best to survive in this modern world.

It is not a story with a view to entertaining us. It is a book that enlightens, and encourages anger in, its readers. A fantastic piece of feminist literary fiction. Kim Jiyoung is not a character to form a bond with. She is every abuse victim. She is every woman who has encountered sexism at home, at school, in the workplace, and on the street, and who perhaps never even realised it.

There is feminist rage stitched into every line of this incredible Korean book; a must-read that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the best literary fiction books.

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James by Percival Everett

James is a work of remarkable strength and spirit by one of the great American authors of today. The novel is a retelling of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, told from the perspective of Jim, the escaped slave who accompanies Huck on his travels. James will likely stand as a timeless work of Black American fiction; a touching and poetic work of historical fiction that reminds us of the US’s rancid history.

Early in the novel, we see James teaching the younger slave children—including his own daughter—how to speak in a way that will keep them safe; not only the words and accents they should us, but also the tactics of their speech. It’s a moving scene that guides the tone of the rest of the novel, as James, while on the run, must use his wisdom and his savvy to outsmart the white men he meets, while also appearing dumb and useless.

James is a wholly different kind of adventure story that is not without its moments of humour, joy, and excitement—not to mention strangeness—but ultimately it is a tale of survival in a world of human ownership, dominance, and abuse. From the moment this novel was published, James became one of the great literary heroes of American fiction.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh

My Year of Rest and Relaxation is a curiously unknowable book; one which is very much up for interpretation with regards to its themes and morals. Many of the best literary novels offer no ambiguity at all, making their statements clear and their themes deep but also definitively opaque. Moshfegh is one of the other kind; an author whose works are more fluid and curious.

This novel tells the story of a young, wealthy woman who has graduated from Columbia. Her parents, having both died, left her an inheritance which provided her with a comfortable apartment in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Having left a good job behind, and with plenty of money to sustain her, she has decided to put herself into a kind of forced hibernation; a drug-addled coma that will work as a year-long reset on her life.

She has a therapist who is, for all intents and purposes, mad. He prescribes her a hefty cocktail of medication: anti-depressants, tranquillisers, mood stabilisers, and more. With that in mind, this is a novel that cynically reveals the absurdity of the American pharmaceutical industry and its liberal approach to over-prescribing expensive medications.

This is also a feminist book that examines the traumas which women are subjected to at the hands of objectifying and abusive boyfriends, as well as by their parents in many different fashions. However, this is also a hedonistic and cathartic novel that says to us: there is no right or wrong way to live a life. You can do as you please; you are beholden to nobody unless you choose to be.

Regardless of her wealth and privilege, our protagonist is choosing to throw a year (and maybe more) away. That is her choice, her right, her freedom. This novel is a rebellion against society rules and expectations. A rich, attractive woman in the prime of her life is choosing to sleep through her “best years” and refuse the role that society has laid out for her.

My Year of Rest and Relaxation is a remarkable literary novel. One of the finest pieces of literary fiction we have.

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I’m A Fan by Sheena Patel

Sheena Patel’s debut novel is a dense piece of literary fiction that spans only 200 pages, and yet provides enough material and inspiration for entire essays to be written about it. The novel’s protagonist is a British woman of Indian descent who lives in London. She has a job and a boyfriend, but you learn next to nothing about them. Instead, her life is defined by two people with whom she is obsessed.

The first is a married man whom she is secretly sleeping with and wishes to be in a real relationship with. The other is an American social media influencer whom the married man is also sleeping with when he’s on business trips in her neck of the woods.

This influencer is a child of nepotism, and our protagonist has formed an intense, unhealthy parasocial relationship with her.

I’m A Fan serves as a diary of our protagonist’s thoughts and feelings about this woman, about the man she wants to be with, and about broader topics concerning capitalism, colonialism, nepotism, privilege, fame, feminism, immigration, and even more.

Her obsession with this woman leads to a critical obsession with influencer culture and how vapid and shallow it is; led by white people who pretend to be altruistic for attention. It’s a book full of unlikeable but undeniably relatable people who all represent different dark aspects of modern life.

I’m a Fan is cynical and incredibly eye-opening, peeling back the layers of the social aspects of modern life, both in person and online. An almost revelatory piece of critical literary fiction that must be read.

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Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Chain-Gang All-Stars is to prisoner justice what The Handmaid’s Tale (below) is to women’s autonomy. A literary novel that explores the racial injustice and capitalistic corruption of the American carceral system. Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah’s debut novel is set in an America which has turned its prison system into a televised gladiator arena, and its prisoners into fighters who are encouraged to engage in blood sport.

While there is a broad cast of characters, our main protagonists are two Black women who are both teammates and lovers. They have been fighting for years and are close to earning their freedom. In this world there is high freedom and low freedom, with low freedom simply means dying in battle.

Chain-Gang All-Stars also features footnotes which relay facts and statistics about the American prison system, as well as about the police force. These footnotes reveal details about systemic racism, homophobia, and transphobia, and even reminds us of prisoners who died due to unjust circumstances involving the police or the prisons.

Chain-Gang All-Stars will stand shoulder-to-shoulder alongside other great dystopian novels like 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and the aforementioned The Handmaid’s Tale. An essential novel amongst the best literary fiction books.

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The Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto

Translated from the Japanese by Asa Yoneda

Banana Yoshimoto is a cherished and revered Japanese author. Her literary books have been bestsellers across Japan and the rest of the world for decades, and they often tackle the themes of love and death in unique ways. Yoshimoto has told stories of love over and over, whether that love be romantic, familial, or something almost indescribable. And she does all of that here with The Premonition.

This is a short piece of literary fiction — a 110-page novella — that tells the story of Yayoi, a teenage girl who, as far as she is aware, has lived a comfortable life with her parents and brother in modern-day Tokyo. Yayoi also has a free-spirited and aloof young aunt named Yukino, who lives alone and works as a music teacher. Occasionally, Yayoi enjoys sneaking out of the house to visit her aunt and spend time with her.

During one visit, revelations hit Yayoi about her childhood, her family, and those pronounced holes in her memory. These reveals will twist her understanding of herself and her relationships in complicated ways. This is a wonderful piece of literary fiction about how unreliable our own memories can be, and how different kinds of love can manifest.

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Shy by Max Porter

Max Porter is a modern legend of literary fiction books; a leading example of how to writer literary fiction perfectly. He demonstrated this with his debut Grief is the Thing with Feathers. He continued that trend with poise and humour in Lanny, then with intense surrealism in The Death of Francis Bacon. But Shy might be his most complete, succinct, and perfect novel.

Shy tells the story of a teenage boy, the titular Shy, who begins the book by walking away from the “school for troubled boys” which he has been lodging at for a while now. As Shy wanders down the street in the dead of night, we are invited into his mind. We see his thoughts, memories, opinions, and internal conflicts all swirling around together.

This is a dreamscape of a novel that, like so many great literary books, plays with form and language and structure in order to express its themes and tone and emotions. We learn Shy’s backstory out of order as random memories surface and then vanish again. We learn what he thinks and feels, his justifications for certain behaviours and actions. We learn who he is from his perspective.

This is an exploration of how thoughts work, of how we see ourselves, of how our minds operate. It’s engaging, alluring, and thought-provoking, just like all the very best literary fiction books are.

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My Heavenly Favourite by Lucas Rijneveld

Translated from the Dutch by Michele Hutchison

The author of The Discomfort of Evening returns with another striking, unsettling work of literary fiction told from the perspective of a rural vet who develops an immediate and all-encompassing obsession with a farmer’s daughter. The novel is told from the nameless vet’s perspective, and he speaks as though addressing the girl as he watches, admires and spends time with her.

My Heavenly Favourite is written as a feverishly intense stream of consciousness; every chapter is a single paragraph and often a single sentence. The lines between what he experiences and what he imagines blur and fade. But despite the intensity of his voice, she remains centre-stage: her unanchored imagination, her delusional view of the world, and her dysphoria are all given a voice. They dance with his obsession in a chilling yet hypnotic way.

This is a novel of exquisite prose; it is lit on fire from page one and that fire only spreads through the characters and events of the novel. And all of this is translated so magically by Michele Hutchison, who demonstrates a true talent for literary translation and expression. What a work of madness and jarring, discomfiting beauty.

Boy Parts by Eliza Clark

Eliza Clark’s phenomenal debut novel is a sweat-soaked literary fever dream about one talented young woman’s self-destructive tendencies, and just how far she is willing to go in order to fully ruin herself. Protagonist Irina is a twenty-eight-year-old Geordie who works at a pub half the time, and spends the rest of her waking hours picking up men to photograph in explicit ways for her ever-growing portfolio.

In her downtime, she watches bleak arthouse and horror movies and treats her few friends like crap. She isn’t like other girls, and she is on a path to burnout. Something from her past is troubling her; her mind and memories are fractured. But her fame is also growing; her art is getting her recognised and giving her opportunities. And there may even be a young man who cares for her. But does any of that matter?

Boy Parts is raw, wretched, and brilliant. A discomfiting, sometimes hilarious, often upsetting and unsettling literary novel but a powerful voice.

North Woods by Daniel Mason

Daniel Mason’s North Woods is a literary novel that traces the story of a New England home built in the earliest moments of colonialist settlement in what soon became known as the USA. We move through a collection of interconnected stories that gradually takes us through time until we reach the present day.

We begin by following a young couple in love; two Puritan runaways who make a home in this wooden cabin. Later, a settler woman escapes capture and flees to this cabin, where the woman of the runaway pair is now elderly. Soon after, we follow an English soldier who suddenly drops his rifle and instead builds an apple orchard on this land, and once he is gone we follow the lives of his twin daughters.

Gradually, we are watching the United States grow and change, all from the perspective of a single plot of land, the house that sits on it, and the many people who have called it home. These stories are presented partially as traditional prose, and other times as epistolary journals, letters, articles, and more.

North Woods is a staggering piece of historical literary fiction that traces the life of a nation, presented as the life of a home. An incredible feat of fiction writing.

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The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Donna Tartt’s debut novel The Secret History is, for many of us, the definitive dark academia novel. The Secret History is a twisted yet grounded tale that, on the surface, is about cults and murder but, beneath it all, is an exploration of class privilege, youthful arrogance, and ordinary evils.

A fantastic example of how to write compelling, enigmatic characters, a twisting-turning narrative, and a collection of important socio-political themes. The Secret History follows Richard Papen, newly enrolled at a college in Vermont. Richard is originally from a small California town, poor and uninteresting, but talented at Greek.

He quickly falls into a small class of hideously pompous and dysfunctional students who consider themselves to be their school’s elite. Slowly, this class reveals itself to be a mindless, murderous cult, projected forward by hedonism, carelessness, and arrogance.

The Secret History is a masterpiece, glued together by the internal social politics of its characters, their strained and toxic relationships, dangerous behaviours, and unpredictability.

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The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Much like Orwell’s 1984, The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian novel that exists as a warning against where certain political, religious, and economic roads might lead us. Dystopian fiction like this works simply and elegantly as literary fiction, with its themes presented through allegories that are clear and impactful.

Published in 1985, The Handmaid’s Tale is a bleak look into a possible American future; a time in which women have been reduced to nothing but their anatomy and reproductive abilities. After fertility rates dropped to the point that they threatened human extinction, the US government decided to take the few men who were still fertile and give them power.

They then took fertile women and turned them into sex slaves living in the big houses now owned by the newly powerful fertile men and their faithful but infertile wives. Now known as Gilead, the US is a military dictatorship controlled by traditional Biblical ideals which strip women of all rights and privileges.

It’s a bleak literary novel, but, like 1984, remains one of the most important and influential works of the 20th century, a landmark work of feminist fiction, and one of the very best literary fiction books you’ll ever read.

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Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami

Translated from the Japanese by Sam Bett & David Boyd

Breasts and Eggs is one of the best Japanese books of the 21st century, and an absolute masterpiece of feminist literary fiction. Breasts and Eggs follows the story of Nastsuko, an Osaka-born writer living in Tokyo who has spent her adult life trying to see her works get published.

The first half of this two-book novel focuses on a short visit by Natsuko’s more extroverted sister and that sister’s daughter. The daughter has fallen mute and her mother is in Tokyo for breast implants. We see the world from the perspectives of all three women, and they each have differing attitudes to womanhood and its place in society.

In the book’s second story, Natsuko has made it as an author but now dreams of being a mother, though she has no real wish for a partner to share her life with. Both stories explore how womanhood is defined and how women can find happiness, contentment, and strength in a patriarchal modern world.

This is very much a piece of hefty literary fiction about what womanhood is, what it can be, and what we are told it should be by patriarchy and tradition. Breasts and Eggs is a groundbreaking piece of feminist Japanese fiction, and a stellar work of literary fiction.

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To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

To Kill A Mockingbird is one of the great American classics. Heralded the world over as a masterpiece, studied in schools, and a novel that stands the test of time. To Kill A Mockingbird, which has been adapted to the screen and the stage with enormous success, remains a true masterpiece of American literary fiction.

The story is told by a young girl, Jean Louise Finch, lovingly nicknamed “Scout” by her father, the iconic literary character Atticus Finch. Atticus is a widower, and raises Scout and her brother Jem alone, while working as a lawyer. While we follow the local neighbourhood antics of Scout and Jem, the main crux of the novel is Atticus being appointed as legal defender in a case of sexual assault.

A Black man named Tom has been accused of raping a young white woman, and Atticus, whose Black live-in cook has helped him raise his children, has accepted the role of Tom’s defense attourney. We see all of this play out from Scout’s young and naive perspective, and the novel explores American race relations in the South in many different ways: social, legal, and historical.

A great work of literary fiction about the relationship between the American legacy and the racism that is stitched into it.

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Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

Yaa Gyasi’s second novel is a short, tightly-woven literary novel that moves seamlessly from its protagonist’s childhood to her present-day life.

Transcendent Kingdom tells the story of Gifty, a girl born to Ghanian parents in the American south. She is their second child, and their first, Nana, was a sports prodigy — first in soccer, then basketball. Nana, however, succumbed to drug addiction and died of a heroin overdose.

Today, Gifty is a budding neurobiologist at Stanford University, studying the brain’s relationship to addiction; inspired by her brother’s life and death, as well as her mother’s relationship to God and the church. Transcendent Kingdom is an intimate family saga that explores the effects of migration, capitalism, and the promise of freedom in America.

It pits science and religion against one another. It examines the effects of addiction and depression on the mind and the family. It does so much so well; a perfect literary novel.

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A Little Luck by Claudia Piñeiro

Translated from the Spanish by Frances Riddle

A Little Luck is one of the most moving tearjerkers you’ll ever read. A beautiful piece of literary fiction from one of Argentina’s greatest living authors. Our protagonist, Mary, is originally from Buenos Aires, but has spent the past twenty years living in Boston, MA.

Mary’s American husband, Robert, has recently passed away, and now she must return to Argentina for a business trip. This will be her first time returning, and she is deeply afraid. We don’t know why she left but her fear of returning — the weight of her anxiety — tells us that she ran away from something and has continued to run for two decades since.

As we continue to read, we learn more about Mary, who she was, what her life in Argentina looked like, and, eventually, what she has been running from. A Little Luck is a powerful, poignant novel about motherhood, duty, and what we believe selflessness to be. There is grief, claustrophobia, and anxiety choking this novel, but there is also hope and beauty here, too.

A remarkable feat of literary fiction from a master storyteller and one of the best Argentinian novels of recent years.

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Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Like 1984 and The Handmaid’s Tale, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian tale that serves as a warning against the refusal and destruction of knowledge and stories. In a version of the USA where all books have been banned, we follow a fireman — someone who burns all remaining traces of literature — as he becomes disenchanted with his work.

After giving into temptation and taking a book from a home full of books which he has been ordered to burn, protagonist Guy Montag eventually switches allegiances and vows to preserve the written word and the knowledge it contains.

Inspired by the ways in which fascist regimes burn books, remove academics from positions of authority, and limit the spread of knowledge and information, Fahrenheit 451 carries a powerful and timeless message of warning. One of the most important American novels ever written, Ray Btadbury’s dystopian masterpiece stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the other great dystopian literary fiction books.

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Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck was one of the great American writers, and his short masterpiece Of Mice and Men remains a flawless literary novel about the curse of the “American Dream”. Of Mice and Men follows two men — the sharp and savvy George, and the simple giant Lenny — who have been moving from farm to farm looking for work.

George wishes to free himself from the cycle of labour by saving enough money to eventually build a self-sustaining home and plot of land to call his own. However, this is the dream of countless men, and capitalism’s methods of entrapment guarantee that breaking from this cycle is almost impossible for most men.

But George is different; he has Lenny by his side to help him make more money and work harder than most men ever could. Of Mice and Men is an American tragedy; a savvy literary novel that keenly exposes the lies of the American Dream, and of the cycles of Western capitalism.

A true American masterpiece of literary fiction that works to expose the obvious lies and flaws within the modern capitalist system.

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Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

Translated from the Japanese by Ginny Tapley Takemori

Keiko Furukura is thirty-six and has worked part-time in the same convenience store for eighteen years. She has seen eight managers — whom she refers to only by their numbers — and more co-workers than she could ever count. She is entirely content with her life, and has never asked for anything more; not a better job, more money, nor even a partner to share her life with.

She is a cog in the convenience store machine, as much a part of the furniture as the fluorescent bulbs and door jingles. As a result, this cog has never managed to fit the greater machine we call ‘modern life’. As Keiko is told in the novel, society is all about following a set path: part-time work leads to a career. Relationships lead to marriage and children and a mortgage.

But what happens if you’re content with what you have? No partner, no friends, no career path. Keiko is comfortable and happy, and that confuses everyone around her. Convenience Store Woman is a novel of rebellion, starring a character who isn’t trying to rebel at all; only to live her life in peace and simplicity.

A thought-provoking literary novel about the invisible rules of society that we all become trapped by, and what rebellion might look like. Sayaka Murata is a Japanese writer of revelatory fiction that frightens and challenges; a true visionary of literary fiction.

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Foster by Claire Keegan

Quietly beautiful and poignant; tragic yet hopeful. Foster is a small, perfectly-contained work of literary mastery from beloved Irish author Claire Keegan. This novella, set in the early 1980s, is told from the perspective of a young girl who has been taken by her father to stay with a married couple for the summer while her mother gives birth.

At first, our girl feels like an outsider and is nervous of what is expected of her. But over time, she learns to see home as something warmer, welcoming. A place of food and care and comfort. The couple — the Kinsellas — treat her with so much love and attention. They clothe her and take her into town; they take her to mass and they talk with her, laugh with her.

She comes to see this place and these people as home, but there is something unspoken that lies under the surface. Something she will eventually discover and have to understand. Foster is crafted with such care and composition, where every word carries weight and means something. Keegan is a sculptor of language and story, and that shines so clearly here in Foster. One of the great literary fiction books.

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Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

Small Things Like These is a tiny miracle. A beautiful piece of literary fiction bound so tight, packed with many simple truths — some painful — that it is fit to burst. At its heart, this is a novel about the everyday acts of goodness performed by honest people versus the twisted, monstrous, ironically sinful behaviour of organised religion.

The sins of the church are only made worse by the collective silence of a complicit community who turn their noses up to beggars as they march themselves to Mass. It’s the run up to Christmas, 1985, and our protagonist is Bill Furlong, a simple man with a wife and five daughters. Bill spends these days delivering coal and wood to local homes and buying presents for his girls with his wife.

As this short novel progresses, we learn about Bill’s childhood; about how his mother had him young, how she claimed not to know who his father was, and how they were both saved by the kindly woman for whom Bill’s mother worked.

We spend a satisfying chunk of the novel in Bill’s childhood memories, while also learning about his work, his family, and his community. In these days leading up to Christmas, Bill begins to butt heads with the church. He finds the courage of kindness to stand up to their lies and their sins, in spite of the collective silence of his small community.

Small Things Like These is a powerful novel in a small package; a novel that shows how kindness is instinctive and infectious, and is not taught by the church.

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Penance by Eliza Clark

Penance is a remarkable subversion of the thriller; a meta-fiction presented as a piece of true crime nonfiction written by a man named Alec Z. Carelli. Carelli is a journalist-turned-crime writer, and after being embroiled in controversy, suffering the loss of his daughter to suicide, and his previous two books flopping, he decides to write about a tragic, infamous case of child murder.

That murder took place on the night of the 2016 Brexit referendum, in the fictional seaside town of Crow-on-Sea in North Yorkshire. Three teenage girls, who all attended the same high school, tortured their classmate — Joan Wilson — inside a beach chalet, before dousing her in petrol and setting her alight.

Penance is fiction presented as investigative journalism, written in a mostly epistolary style: a collection of interviews, accounts, transcripts, and blog and social media posts. The novel opens with a detailed account of the evening of the murder, before then spending the rest of its time telling the stories of the three murderers.

Penance is a remarkable piece of crime fiction. A book that brilliantly captures the myriad experiences of British teenagers, both at home and at school. It explores the effects that pop culture has on us, that the Internet has on us; the often dizzying divide between our online and offline worlds and experiences.

It also cynically investigates the concept of true crime writing and the effects that it has, both on narratives and broader culture and, more specifically, on the lives of those involved. Penance is a novel like no other; its epistolary style and savvy examination of the effects of true crime make it one of the most unique and impressive literary fiction books of recent years.

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Private Rites by Julia Armfield

Following the enormous success of her debut novel, Our Wives Under the Sea, Julia Armfield’s Private Rites is a more subtle and literary affair, yet one that is also far larger in scope. This is an apocalypse novel set in a Britain that has been flooded by rising sea levels and endless rainfall. Yet, unlike many apocalypse stories, this one depicts a slow, almost dull collapse, and there is something so chilling and bleak in that.

Capitalism remains; people still commute and work their day jobs, only they must do so with difficulty. Everything is too expensive now, and travel is almost impossible. Our protagonists are three sisters from a King Lear-inspired family. Their father—an architect who designed homes that can adapt to the changing climate—has died, and that death forces these near-estranged sisters back together.

Family drama meets apocalyptic tale, Private Rites is a deeply bleak tale that settles into your bones. Written with heft and poetic consideration, it is a novel that will surely be studied in the future.

Normal People by Sally Rooney

Irish author Sally Rooney’s second novel, Normal People, became an overnight literary sensation upon its publication. Called a modern day Jane Austen by some readers and critics, Rooney is a writer exploring the ebb and flow of modern-day relationships within the context of capitalism and class.

Normal People follows two teenagers, Connell and Marianne, who develop a fraught kind of romance over the course of the novel. While at school, Connell is popular and admired, and Marianne is meek and unassuming, outside of school Connell is a working class lad and Marianne comes from privilege.

Both are well-read and intelligent, and end up attending university together, where they shift and change and struggle in different ways. Normal People is a literary romance novel about class divides, social struggles, and the rapid ways in which we grow, learn, and change as individuals and within our relationships.

Buy a copy of Normal People here!

Second Place by Rachel Cusk

Rachel Cusk’s Second Place is a stunning literary exploration of one woman’s place in her own world, reminiscent of the style and tone of Virginia Woolf. Our protagonist, M, once fell in love with the paintings of a man known only as L. Years later, M lives with her husband Tony on a remote and marshy patch of English coastland.

Now that their daughter is at university in Germany, and they have a “second place” on their land where guests can stay, M and Tony invite this great painter to stay with them and paint the local landscape. M second-guesses her life, comes to see herself as something else. Or rather, she examines herself closely for the first time and doesn’t love what she sees.

For much of the novel, we come to know M through her opinions of others, through her examination of the world around her; but we learn almost nothing about M herself. Second Place has us considering what a person is made up of; how we define ourselves, fit into the world, find our place in it, take up space in it, especially as women.

Second Place is one of the more subtly feminist literary novels you’re likely to read, but it is all the more impactful and beautiful for that subtlety.

Buy a copy of Second Place here!

Violets by Kyung-sook Shin

Translated from the Korean by Anton Hur

Kyung-sook Shin is one of South Korea’s most beloved and revered authors, and Violets is a subtle work of feminist literary fiction. This novel is a story about female friendships in the modern day, and about the insidious, quiet, eerie, near-invisible ways in which men subtly abuse women on a daily basis.

Violets begins with its protagonist, San, as a young girl in 1970. San was born and raised in a small rural village and, growing up, was a lonely social outsider. In the book’s first chapter, San shares a moment of tender intimacy with her best friend. For San, this is an awakening. For her friend, it is frightening and wrong.

As an adult in Seoul, San takes a job as a florist. There she develops a sweet friendship with her coworker, who soon moves in with her. But San also learns about the power and violence of men. She comes to see how men violate the spaces and bodies of women on a daily basis, in a way that seems almost invisible. With their voices and motions and posture, men invade women’s worlds without a thought.

Violets is a smart feminist literary novel that has the power to reshape how we all see the social dynamics at play between men and women. The physical and verbal weapons softly used by men to scare, suppress, and intimidate the women in their lives. Violets is a piece of literary fiction that leaves a mark, but also provides readers with a tender and beautiful narrative.

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Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut was a genius of postmodern 20th century literature, and his experiences as a World War II veteran and survivor inspired his 1969 magnum opus, Slaughterhouse-Five. The novel tells the story of Billy Pilgrim, who saw the same traumas of war that Vonnegut saw, but was also abducted by aliens and put in a zoo on the planet Tralfamadore.

Slaughterhouse-Five is an anti-war literary science fiction novel that utilises absurdism, time travel, and alien abduction to make its point. It is a deeply moral and philosophical literary novel, detailing the effects of war on the human psyche. It asks big questions related to purpose, life, and death.

There is nothing quite like Slaughterhouse-Five, one of the great anti-war novels and a true masterpiece of American literary fiction.

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Sinking Bell by Bojan Louis

Written by Diné Native American poet, writer, and teacher Bojan Louis, Sinking Bell is a short collection of eight literary stories which explore and expose the raw and difficult lives of Navajo people in the modern day. All of these stories are set in and around the town of Flagstaff, Arizona, and the tell the stories of labourers, addicts, artists, wanderers, and even ghosts.

One story centres around a relapsed addict who attends a writing workshop and becomes enamoured with a white woman whose prose is undeniably electric. Another follows a labourer who is, in Of Mice and Men fashion, looking for a way to break free of the capitalistic cycle that has ensnared him. One follows the tragic life of a boy whose parents separated, leaving him desperate for money and willing to do whatever he has to for it.

These are discomforting and honest tales about people struggling to keep themselves and their families together, moving in and out of poverty, and facing racism at every turn. They are powerful, unflinching stories of truth and reality that will affect you on the deepest level.

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Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Flowers for Algernon is a perfect example of how literary themes and form can be used within the context of science fiction, blending the two splendidly. The novel for which Daniel Keyes is best remembered is a true masterpiece of science fiction, using the genre to explore themes of value, intelligence, and human rights.

Our protagonist, Charlie, is an “intellectually disabled” man in his thirties who works in a bakery. Charlie is soon made a test subject for intellectual development. The first test subject was the titular Algernon, a mouse who underwent experimental surgery with impressive results, and Charlie will be the first human test subject.

As the novel — written in an epistolary style as Charlie’s diary — progresses, we see his intelligence grow, and with it his observations, his relationships, and his vocabulary. Charlie’s development from a man of lower-than-average intelligence to one of genius status leads us to question the ways in which we treat one another based on our intelligence.

This is a sci-fi novel with valuable themes to consider, and the ways in which Keyes explores those themes also tug viciously at the reader’s heartstrings. A remarkable masterpiece of the genre, Flowers for Algernon is one of the best sci-fi novels ever written, and likewise one of the greatest literary fiction books of all time.

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What I’d Rather Not Think About by Jente Posthuma

Translated by Sarah Timmer Harvey

What I’d Rather Not Think About is a beautiful but harsh and difficult piece of literary fiction from an incredible Dutch author, told from the perspective of one half of a pair of twins. Our nameless narrator was born 45 minutes after her twin brother, and the two of them have been inseparable ever since. Growing up as best friends, they both moved to Amsterdam when they turned eighteen.

After her brother came out as gay, the twins remained close, sharing dinners with partners and living close to each other. They had dreams of moving to New York before they hit thirty, which never materialised, and when they were thirty-five, our narrator’s brother took his own life.

This Dutch literary novel, presented as a series of tiny vignettes, digs into a life shared, and considers how a life can be lived when it feels as though half of you has died. Told out of order, as a collection of thoughts and memories, and with a minimalistic form and style, this is a raw literary novel that confronts death without apology.

At turns warming, funny, and heartbreaking, What I’d Rather Not Think About takes us on a journey across the emotional spectrum as we are faced with death, loss, separation, and isolation.

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Bellies by Nicola Dinan

Bellies, the debut novel from London-based transgender author Nicola Dinan is at once a story of love and an inversion of love, presenting readers with a complex tale of evolving queer relationships in the modern day. When the novel begins, Ming and Tom are two boys at university together. Tom is newly out, and Ming has dreams of being a playwright.

They hook up and soon fall in love, spending the rest of their uni years growing ever closer. But when they start living together after graduation, Ming begins to change in ways that scare and confuse Tom. These changes build and create a harsh tension, until Ming at last comes out as a trans woman, and from here the love between them will be tested.

Told from both characters’ perspectives, Bellies is an intimate tale of growth, self-discovery, and understanding. Feelings of confusion, betrayal, and hurt must be unpacked and confronted. This is a novel led by emotion, as these characters grow into themselves, face themselves, and find the strength to better understand each other.

Tender and raw, Bellies speaks to the heart of modern queer culture and queer romances. A necessary piece of transgender literature by an amazing, fresh new trans author.

Much like Sally Rooney’s Normal People, Bellies demonstrates how contemporary culture and queerness have pushed literary fiction to grow, seamlessly blending affecting themes with an emotional tale of love, friendship, and self-discovery.

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No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

Translated from the Japanese by Donald Keene

Inspired by the author’s own life events, relationships, and his unique way of seeing the world around him, No Longer Human is a heartbreaking masterpiece of Japanese fiction. Our protagonist, a stand-in for Dazai himself, sees ordinary society as something impossible to navigate.

He paints horrifying pictures, eventually turns to drink, and becomes entirely self-destructive and abusive once he reaches adulthood.

This is a novel about a desperately sad person, ill equipped for even surviving daily life. He doesn’t understand people and people don’t understand him. He is selfish, gross, and unlikeable. But at his core, he is desperately sad and doomed to die.

No Longer Human is a meditation on life and death which begs the question: if we cannot fit in, are we doomed to die? A true literary fiction masterpiece.

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In Ascension by Martin MacInnes

In Ascension is a literary sci-fi masterpiece that has the potential to change the way you think and feel about the world around you, about what we are, where we came from, and where we might go. In the novel’s first part, Leigh, a Dutch biologist, joins an expedition to the north Atlantic ocean, to explore a deep sea vent that might house lifeforms we’ve never glimpsed before.

The life in this undersea vent, untouched for billions of years, has the potential to behave like a time capsule, taking us back to the earliest forms of life on this planet. What Leigh discovers in the vent takes her to the Mojave Desert, to a job working with a NASA-like space agency that is using a newly-discovered form of fuel to send people to the furthest reaches of our solar system and beyond.

The questions that In Ascension poses, and the incredible discoveries made, ask the reader to deeply consider that old cliche: we are all made of star stuff. In Ascension is a modern sci-fi novel that takes us from the most inaccessible parts of the deepest darkest ocean to the furthest point in our solar system.

And, as we explore these places old and new, big and small, we ask ourselves what we are, where we came from, where we will go, and how it is ultimately all the same. We are all star stuff.

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Babel by R.F. Kuang

R.F. Kuang’s Babel is a dense piece of historical fiction, an urban fantasy novel, and one of the best dark academia books you’ll ever read. A perfect example of how literary fiction and genre fiction can not only co-exist but also go hand-in-hand in both form and function.

Set in an alternative Oxford of 1836, Babel follows a boy named Robin who was born and raised in Guangdong, China.

When disease leaves Robin without a family, a rich and educated British man sweeps him away to London, educates and raises him, and sends him off to Oxford. There, he studies translation within the walls of Oxford’s tallest building, Babel.

Babel is the beating heart of not only Oxford University, but the entire British empire, the place where precious silver bars are infused with magic, created through the study and manipulation of language.

Robin’s life at Oxford is made more complicated by the illegal actions of a radical group who aim to disrupt and dismantle the British Empire’s silver industry from the inside. As he learns more about the Empire’s international crimes and evils, Robin becomes interested and works with Hermes as their inside man, helping them take small jabs at Babel and its silver-smithing industry.

Babel is an anti-imperialist novel about the ways in which the spread of one nation’s economic and cultural power has laid waste to the rest of the world. It is not subtle; it is undeniably angry, and that anger is justified and brilliantly well-expressed in this incredible piece of literary fiction that blends multiple genres together masterfully.

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Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi

Translated from the Japanese by David Boyd & Lucy North

Diary of a Void is a biting, sarcastic, witty, and dark literary novel about the ways in which society’s treatment of women depends on their situation and what gives them value.

Our protagonist, Shibata, is a twenty-something office worker who, by virtue of being the only woman in her office, is treated like a dog’s body who must fetch coffee for the men. Driven to breaking point, she one day lies and says she can’t do this anymore because she’s pregnant (which she isn’t).

Committed to this new lie, Shibata starts noticing her life improve. Men treat her with more kindness; she is given permission to gain weight and look after herself.

In reality, nobody wants her to look after herself, but rather the baby. This novel reminds us that society sees cis women as vessels for carrying the future, rather than part of the present. A bleak and angry, but sometimes funny feminist piece of literary fiction from Japan.

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Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

This is a literary novel for the digital age; a novel about how people live and work and love now, in a world of entertainment and capitalism. Taking place through the boom of the video games industry in the 1990s, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow follows two friends-turned-colleagues, Sam and Sadie.

They first met in an LA hospital as kids, bonded over video games, fell out, and later reunited in Boston. One is at MIT, the other at Harvard. And the novel tracks their lives as they begin to design and develop video games together, first as budding indie creators, and later as successful owners of their own company.

This is a commercial and literary novel about the complexities of our relationships, and about the waves that life moves through. The murkiness of love, sex, work, and friendship, and how these different kinds of relationships evolve, break down, and build back up again.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a wonderful piece of contemporary literary fiction that reflects how our lives and our loves behave in the modern day.

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Magma by Thora Hjörleifsdóttir

Translated from the Icelandic by Meg Matich

Magma is the debut novel by Icelandic poet Thora Hjörleifsdóttir: a 200-page feminist literary novel written in small vignettes which record the life of a young woman named Lilja. Lilja has entered into a new relationship with a quietly toxic and emotionally manipulative man who remains unnamed, and who becomes something of a gothic monster as the book progresses.

Her partner represents not only the toxic and gaslighting men of the world, but all toxic friends and partners that we have suffered with throughout our lives, regardless of gender or sexuality. Each tiny chapter of Magma jumps forward a little, recording a new moment or stage in their relationship, as Lilja becomes unable to leave, feeling strangely attached to him and convinced that she is in love.

All the while, he controls her, gaslights her, and builds a shell of paranoia around her until she feels cocooned, trapped, lost, and dependent. It’s dark, difficult, and too familiar for many of us. Magma is a mesmerising work of feminist literary fiction that warns us all against the power and tactics used by toxic people to remove our autonomy and grind us down.

Buy a copy of Magma here!

Death Valley by Melissa Broder

Melissa Broder’s third novel is the most intimate, confessional and literary novel she has ever written. Death Valley tells the story of a protagonist who feels very much like an author surrogate. She is an author, forty-one years old, and struggling to handle the limbo state her father is currently in.

Sick and in hospital, he is close to death but we have no idea if and when he will die. Her mother is being a nuisance and she herself feels like a nuisance to her father. She also has a husband back home who has been struggling with a unique illness for almost a decade.

Using the excuse of needing to do research for her new novel — one which sounds suspiciously similar to the very thing we are reading — she heads out into the California desert to get away and clear her head. She hikes the trails and begins to experience feverish and surreal things.

The imagery and themes explored here are myriad, and very much up for interpretation, but this is a very personal novel that is clearly wrangling with the idea of a person having a role to play when it comes to the death of a loved one.

A departure from her previous works, Death Valley is a deeply raw story, through which Broder has exposed her insecurities, doubts, and self-hatred. An excellent work of literary fiction.

Buy a copy of Death Valley here!

The Grip of It by Jac Jemc

It’s common for literary fiction to blend with genres like sci-fi and dystopia, but far less so when it comes to horror. Though there’s no reason for this, literary horror is a rarity. The Grip of It, however, shows why literary horror should be a far more popular thing. This is a modern-day haunted house story written with weight and beauty. Its language shifts between evocative and enigmatic.

We follow Julie and James, a married couple who decide to leave the city and buy their first house in the countryside. They are spurred to leave by James’ gambling addiction; looking to widen the gap between him and temptation. Once settled into their house at the end of a road and the edge of a forest, Julie and James begin to forget the name of the estate agent they worked with, and which one of them did the research and viewings for the property.

They also hear strange and conflicting stories about the house and its previous residents from new friends and colleagues in town. Soon enough, the house itself begins to haunt them. Rooms appear and disappear; noises start and stop without a source; gaps, holes, and pillars are discovered but have no purpose.

And then there’s their elderly and reclusive neighbour who watches everything they do and never leaves his home. The Grip of It shifts perspective back and forth between Julie and James, with both of their narratives written in the first person and present tense, creating an immediacy and inertia to the novel’s pacing.

And with the chapters averaging 3-4 pages each, the momentum of this literary horror novel is intense, making for a fantastic page-turner.

Buy a copy of The Grip of It here!

Mrs. S by K. Patrick

Set in an old-fashioned boarding school, Mrs. S tells the story of a nameless Australian who has moved to England for work. There, she meets the headmaster’s wife, the titular Mrs. S, and begins a journey of growing obsession. Our protagonist is unsure of herself. She wears a binder and enjoys being seen as masculine, but she doesn’t have the language to express how she feels or what she wants for herself.

She identifies as a lesbian and begins to see Mrs. S as more than an object of obsession — perhaps this beautiful, charming woman might be able to guide our protagonist to her true self, to unlock something in her. Mrs. S has a very specific and rare style of presentation: run-on sentences and paragraphs that don’t differentiate between narration and dialogue.

Experimental form and style like what we see in this novel is part-and-parcel of literary fiction, as is a lack of character names, but these elements don’t work for all readers. Characters are named for their jobs and no proper nouns are used. The all-female school’s student body is described as a faceless mass which K. Patrick simply refers to as The Girls.

This makes the characters and setting feel as though they are floating in a vacuum, outside of time and space. This is a nowhere place in which our protagonist is trapped, trying to understand herself and what she wants. Her obsession with Mrs. S grows. She is lustful, jealous, curious, and eager to know this woman better, despite not knowing herself at all. Mrs. S is an answer, a distraction, a muse, so many things to her.

There are few literary fiction books as captivating, intimate, claustrophobic, and sensual as Mrs. S; a true modern masterpiece of queer fiction.

Buy a copy of Mrs. S here!

Finger Bone by Hiroki Takahashi

Translated from the Japanese by Takami Nieda

Finger Bone is one of those rare novels that transcends its genre; a masterpiece of Japanese war fiction that encourages us to wrestle with that age-old question: where is the good in warfare? It’s 1942, and our nameless protagonist is a young, Japanese soldier in Papua New Guinea. As this short novel progresses, we watch him make and lose friends, connect with frightened locals, and shrug off injury and illness.

Taking place half in a field hospital and half in the thick of the jungle, Finger Bone is beautifully, harshly reminiscent of the poems of Wilfred Owen. A raw tale about the darkest, bleakest aspects of warfare. This is about innocent men suffering fatal wounds, struggling to overcome malaria, forging bonds, and watching those bonds get severed without warning.

At no point are politics discussed in real detail, and that’s what makes us ponder the grand purpose of war. All we see here are men suffering, and trying to keep their spirits high, as well as those of their friends and comrades. Few war novels have such a raw, powerful, painful effect on the reader as Finger Bone does, and it does so in such a short space of time. Read it in one sitting, and it’ll change you forever.

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The Delivery by Margarita García Robayo

Colombian-born, Argentina-based author Margarita García Robayo has written several celebrated novel, including the excellent Holiday Heart, and The Delivery is perhaps her finest achievement.

A deeply thoughtful, borderline surreal piece of literary fiction, The Delivery presents us with a nameless narrator-protagonist who was born in Caribbean, lives in Buenos Aires, and is hoping to relocated yet again to the Netherlands.

She regularly talks with her sister, who remained living at home with their mother and has very little of interest to discuss, but she does occasionally send our protagonist frequent care packages. When the novel begins, she has sent over an enormous crate, which our protagonist doesn’t even want to deal with. Before she has a chance to get rid of it, however, it opens itself up and inside is her mother.

From this strange and disarming moment, the novel takes on a subtly surreal sheen, as our protagonist goes on with her daily life as a freelance writer, and her mother lives there like a ghost, bringing up or reframing memories from the past.

The Delivery is a wonderful piece of literary fiction that calls into question the role of family, and that of memory. It asks us to wrangle with our own human needs for space, for distance, for a world of our own, and the things that we must separate ourselves from in order to achieve what we think we need or want.

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Many of the great novels that we call modern classic books today were written in the 20th century. And beyond that, into our 21st century, there have been many novels published that are already being considered modern classic books, and rightly so.

If you’re interested in the greatest classic books of old, from literature’s earliest beginnings in Greece and Japan to the classic novels of the 19th and early 20th centuries, you can find them right here. What you’ll find below are many of the best modern classic books, written between 1950 and today. And, since today is always moving forwards, expect this list to grow often. So, be sure to check back regularly!

While you’ll find many familiar and beloved classics from Europe and the US, you’ll also find many incredible works of 20th and 21st century Chinese, Japanese, and Korean fiction, as well as Latin American masterpieces. Here are the best modern classic books for you to read right now, from the second half of the 20th century to right now.

Note: This list has been divided into the best modern classic books of the 20th century’s second half, and the best modern classic books of the 21st century.

The Best Modern Classic Books (20th Century)

Published between 1950 and 1999, these modern classic books defined genres, created modernist writing styles, and popularised the concept of literary fiction. These are modern classic books that defined their time, reflected their politics, and have been inspiring readers and writers for decades.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Much like with 1984 (above), here’s little left to say about The Handmaid’s Tale that hasn’t already been said. Published in 1985, The Handmaid’s Tale is a bleak look into the USA’s future; a time in which women have been reduced to nothing but their anatomy and reproductive abilities.

After fertility rates dropped to the point that they threatened human extinction, the US government decided to take the few men who were still fertile and give them power.

They then took fertile women and turned them into sex slaves living in the big houses now owned by the newly powerful fertile men and their faithful but infertile wives.

Now known as Gilead, the US is a military dictatorship controlled by traditional Biblical ideals which strip women of all rights and privileges.

It’s a bleak novel, but, like 1984, remains one of the most important and influential works of the 20th century, a landmark work of feminist fiction, and one of the very best modern classic books you’ll ever read.

Buy a copy of The Handmaid’s Tale here!

Red Sorghum by Mo Yan

Translated from the Chinese by Howard Goldblatt

Mo Yan is a fascinating writer with an incredible career. Winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature back in 2012, his pen name translates to ‘Don’t Speak’, which was inspired by a repeated warning from his parents about the dangers of speaking out.

Red Sorghum is not only Mo Yan’s most famous novel but also one of the most successful and beloved Chinese novels of the past hundred years.

Similar to Jung Chang’s historical biography Wild Swans, this Chinese novel spans three generations and begins during the Japanese invasion of China in the 1930s, the most famous incident of which was the Rape of Nanjing.

China saw so many political crimes and social tragedies throughout the 20th century, both from without and within, and Mo Yan found the strength to capture that in his works.

Mo Yan is one of the great Chinese writers of the 20th century, and Red Sorghum is one of the very best modern classic books to have come out of China.

Buy a copy of Red Sorghum here!

Kindred by Octavia Butler

A generation-defining science fiction novel and one of the best pieces of American fiction to come out of the 20th century, Butler’s Kindred is a true masterpiece.

Written by Black American author Octavia E. Butler, Kindred is considered by many to be her magnum opus, a piece of incredible literary science fiction.

Originally published in 1979 and set in 1976, Kindred follows a Black writer named Dana and her white husband Kevin as they find themselves inexplicably tethered through time to a plantation in the year 1815.

When the novel begins, Dana and Kevin are unpacking after moving to a new house in California, when she finds herself teleported back 150 years to a plantation in Maryland and the sight of a drowning red-headed boy.

Dana saves the boy from drowning and immediately finds herself facing down the barrel of a white man’s gun, before being yanked back through time to her present in 1976.

As it transpires, the drowning boy is Rufus, an ancestor of Dana’s who will father a child with one of his family’s slaves, and Dana is now caught in a loop: any time Rufus’ life is threatened, she is pulled back to save him.

Similarly, if she is put in harm’s way while in the past, she is sent back to 1976. On her third journey back to 1815, her husband is dragged back with her.

Being a Black woman married to a white man, Dana is assumed a slave, and Kevin her owner. Kindred is a sci-fi novel about cruelty and compassion, about the importance of education and empathy.

A true literary masterpiece of the 20th century by one of the US’s most important literary voices, Kindred is one of the most important and best modern classic books.

Buy a copy of Kindred here!

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of all time. Her novels set a standard for American fiction that is hard to match.

Beloved, one of her most celebrated books, was written in 1987 and set in 1873, after the end of the American Civil War.

Our protagonists are former slave Sethe and her teenage daughter Denver. Their home is haunted by a ghost which they believe to be that of Sethe’s own eldest daughter.

When a former slave from the same plantation on which Sethe once worked, a man named Paul D, turns up at their home, he drives the ghost away.

Paul D then invites the mother and daughter to a carnival, and when they return home, a young woman named Beloved is waiting for them on their front porch.

Beloved is a story of slavery, of its traumas and the ways in which it defines a person, their family, and their community. It is a classic of American fiction, a true masterpiece, and one of the very best modern classic books of the 20th century.

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The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy of fantasy novels is the most important and influential work in the fantasy genre. With these books, Tolkien took what he began with his children’s novel The Hobbit and turned it into an entire world — a world with its own deep history, lore, and languages.

In fact, in many ways these books are a showcase in building an entire, fully realised fictional landscape. The scope of Tolkien’s Middle Earth is unmatched in fiction even to this day.

This is also the series that took aspects of European folklore and mythologies and turned them into staples of the genre.

Races like elves and dwarves; settings like mines and mountains; multiple language systems; wizards; royal lineages; armies of light and darkness. All of this began with Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings.

If you love what the fantasy genre has given you — if you love its themes and settings and tropes — these books are where it all began.

The Lord of the Rings is the greatest achievement of the fantasy genre, and of world-building and epic storytelling.

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Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin

Translated from the Chinese by Bonnie Huie

Qiu Miaojin’s Notes of a Crocodile is a few things: it is one of the quintessential Taiwanese novels of the twentieth century; it is also one of the most prominent and powerful lesbian novels of the past few decades.

Separated into a series of notebooks, Notes of a Crocodile tracks the university years of a queer Taiwanese student who goes by the name Lazi.

Lazi is tormented by her love for a woman in the year above; their relationship is tumultuous and aggressive. She also spends time in queer circles populated by other emotionally unhealthy young people.

This is a visceral tale of personal hatred and acceptance, of love and lust and danger. Reminiscent of Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human, this Taiwanese novel rips you apart unapologetically.

Buy a copy of Notes of a Crocodile here!

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

Ursula Le Guin was a 20th century author who did so much for the science fiction and fantasy genres.

She was an incredible writer of great moral integrity. She loved art, and felt strongly about giving voices to the voiceless.

There aren’t many authors as revered for their works in both the science fiction and fantasy genres, but Le Guin was truly special in this regard (and many others).

Ursula Le Guin’s sci-fi masterpiece The Left Hand of Darkness is a vital piece of feminist science fiction literature.

The Left Hand of Darkness  follows protagonist Genly Ai, an envoy from Earth who travels to a strange world called Gethen. Ai hopes that Gethen will join the confederation of planets, which her home planet of Earth is a part of.

Our protagonist, however, quickly becomes shaken and surprised by the fact that Gethen’s population are “ambisexual”, which means they have no fixed gender.

This concept exemplifies the novel’s core theme of exploring ideas surrounding sex and gender, and how we allow them to affect modern society’s social and political laws.

Ai has arrived on a planet entirely unburdened by the societal segregation of gendered groups, a world of Le Guin’s own imagination.

The Left Hand of Darkness has touched many readers on a deep emotional level, as it asks questions about the impact of gendered society and how gender divides work to isolate us as groups and as individuals.

It’s also, quite simply, an exceptional piece of science fiction; a blend of Star Treke-sque space opera and speculative, philosophical sci-fi. Amongst science fiction novels, this is one of the true masterpieces of its century, and one of the best modern classic books of its time.

Buy a copy of The Left Hand of Darkness here!

Endless Night by Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie was, and always will be, queen of the murder mystery novel. Her books are true classics of the genre, heralded as the best crime novels ever written.

One of Christie’s later works, Endless Night, is also one of her few standalone novels — that means no Poirot or Miss Marple to be seen.

Written in 1967, Endless Night is a gothic-inspired mystery thriller, and one of the best novels Christie ever wrote.

The book takes place in a small English village, in which a young chauffeur named Mike meets a wealthy American heiress named Ellie, and the two quickly fall in love.

They buy a house in this village, one which the locals insist is cursed, and employ a famous architect to restore and renovate it to their liking.

The house’s curse begins to show itself, as do strange and suspect supporting characters, including Ellie’s long-time companion Greta.

Endless Night is a claustrophobic gothic mystery novel, one of the Queen of Crime’s finest works, and one of the best modern classic books of the second half of the 20th century.

Buy a copy of Endless Night here!

Dune by Frank Herbert

There are sci-fi novels, and then there’s Dune. An enormous space opera full of intricate and political world-building, Dune is a thematically dense creature that explores enormous social and political concepts.

These concepts stretch from those of power and autonomy all the way to tackling the toxic tropes and habits of narratives and storytelling.

Dune is daunting in its size and scope, both in terms of the galactic world it presents us with, and also the themes it aims to explore and tackle.

Set in a far-distant future, the world of Dune harkens back to mediaeval Europe, in which noble houses control certain areas of space. Our protagonist, Paul Atreides, is the son of one such noble house, and that house has just been given stewardship of the planet Arrakis.

Arrakis is a desert planet rich in something called “spice”, a drug that is vital for so many aspects of life in this world. But Arrakis is also a dangerous and almost inhospitable place.

The novel takes us on a journey across the planet, as we learn about complex political games, subterfuge, manipulation, and Shakespearean backstabbing.

Few science fiction novels are as detailed, well-plotted, well-considered, and well-formed as Frank Herbert’s Dune. The pinnacle of 20th century epic sci-fi and one of the best modern classic books of the past several decades.

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We Have Always Live in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Like the UK’s Daphne du Maurier, the US’s Shirley Jackson was a pioneer of 20th century gothic literature.

Famously reclusive, Jackson wrote several beloved short stories and novels, the finest of which is her gothic masterpiece We Have Always Lived in the Castle.

An inversion of the tropes of the gothic in many clever ways, We Have Always Lived in the Castle follows the youngest sister of an isolated family at the edge of town.

Merricat lives with her sister and uncle; shunned by the townsfolk and hidden away in their big house, Merricat has set up superstitious tokens as wards around their property.

Her sister Constance never leaves the property, and their uncle Julian is confined to a wheelchair as he obsessively writes his memoirs.

The rest of the family died by arsenic poisoning, and now Merricat is the only one who ever leaves the house to go shopping, but she is not welcomed by the locals.

This is a masterpiece of tension and unease; a mesmerising gothic novel that drips with paranoia and upset. Few gothic novels hit as hard, yet as subtly, as We Have Always Lived in the Castle; one of the very best modern classic books.

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Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut was an unmistakable genius of postmodern 20th century literature.

Before becoming a writer, Vonnegut served in World War II, was captured during the Battle of the Bulge, and survived the bombing of Dresden by hiding in the meat locker of a slaughterhouse. It was these experiences that inspired Vonnegut’s 1969 magnum opus, Slaughterhouse-Five.

The novel tells the story of American man Billy Pilgrim, who saw the same traumas of war that Vonnegut saw, but was also abducted by aliens and put in a zoo on the planet Tralfamadore. Slaughterhouse-Five is an anti-war science fiction novel.

It is deeply moral and philosophical, detailing the effects of war on the human psyche. It asks big questions related to purpose, life, and death.

There is nothing quite like Slaughterhouse-Five, one of the great anti-war novels and a true masterpiece of 20th century fiction.

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To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

When asked to name an American classic, most readers would quickly turn to Harper Lee’s masterpiece To Kill A Mockingbird. And they’d be right to do so.

To Kill A Mockingbird, which has been adapted to the screen and the stage with enormous success, remains a true masterpiece of American fiction.

The story is told by a young girl, Jean Louise Finch, lovingly nicknamed Scout by her father, the iconic literary character Atticus Finch. Atticus is a widower, and raises Scout and her brother Jem alone, while working as a lawyer.

While we follow the local neighbourhood antics of Scout and Jem, the main crux of the novel is Atticus being appointed as legal defender in a case of sexual assault.

A Black man named Tom has been accused of raping a young white woman, and Atticus, whose Black live-in cook has helped him raise his children, has accepted the role of Tom’s defense attourney.

We see all of this play out from Scout’s young and naive perspective, and the novel explores American race relations in the South in many different ways: social, legal, and historical.

Few, if any, American novels have had the legacy of Harper Lee’s classic, making To Kill A Mockingbird one of the best modern classic books in history.

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Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Like 1984 and The Handmaid’s Tale, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian tale that serves as a warning against the refusal and destruction of knowledge and stories.

In a version of the USA where all books have been banned, we follow a fireman — someone who burns all remaining traces of literature — as he becomes disenchanted with his work.

After giving into temptation and taking a book from a home full of books which he has been ordered to burn, protagonist Guy Montag eventually switches allegiances and vows to preserve the written word and the knowledge it contains.

Inspired by the ways in which fascist regimes burn books, remove academics from positions of authority, and limit the spread of knowledge and information, Fahrenheit 451 is a powerful warning.

One of the most important American novels of the 20th century, Ray Btadbury’s dystopian masterpiece stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the other best modern classic books of its age.

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The Bell by Iris Murdoch

Irish-British novelist Iris Murdoch wrote many compelling and beautiful books, the most celebrated of which is arguably The Sea, the Sea, which won her the Booker Prize.

However, the one which holds a special place in my heart is The Bell, a captivating novel about a small religious community in rural England.

Our protagonist is Dora, an unhappily married woman who has travelled with her husband to Imber Court, which sits beside a lake.

On the other side of the lake is Imber Abbey, a convent which is home to Benedictine nuns. There is a legend attached to the abbey which explains why the abbey’s bell tower has no bell.

The story goes that a 12th century nun broke her vows and fell in love, which cause the bell to escape its tower and sink to the bottom of the lake.

This is a beautiful novel about secrecy, purity, and belief that stands the test of time and remains one of Iris Murdoch’s finest works.

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A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

Like many of the best modern classic books of the 20th century, A Clockwork Orange is often overshadowed by its (admittedly astonishing) film adaptation by Stanley Kubrick, starring Malcolm McDowell.

But Burgess’ original novel has a unique flavour all its own. A surreal black comedy set in a strange dystopian world that could be anywhere in Europe.

Legend goes that Burgess wrote this novel in just three weeks; whether that’s true or not, what we have is a remarkable work of satirical fiction.

A Clockwork Orange is set in a future dystopia where violent criminal gangs of youths have the run of the city, and they speak in a kind of slang dialect that Burgess himself created for the novel.

Our psychopathic protagonist and gang leader, Alex, narrates the story and gleefully tells us of his love for classical music, as well as for unjust and unjustifiable acts of violence.

A Clockwork Orange is a bleak novel; often called sadistic, but undeniably original, inventive, and beloved. A real modern classic of 20th century fiction.

Side note: I have a vivid memory of picking this book up in a school staff room while training as a teacher, and reading it during my free classes. A haunting by escapist experience.

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The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

Translated from the Russian by Richard Pevear

Published in 1967, The Master and the Margarita is a Russian novel that was written gradually over years during Stalin’s regime as leader of the Soviet Union, and Bulgakov didn’t live to see it published. The Soviet Union was officially secular, and this novel set out to challenge the Union’s attitude towards religion with a visit from the Christian devil, embodied by a professor called Woland.

The Master and the Margarita is a darkly satirical novel that deeply criticises the Soviet Union from within, exposing the hypocrisy and greed of its leaders.

And this is only the first half, with the novel’s second part taking place in the Jerusalem of Pontius Pilate and his trial of Jesus Christ. Dark, daring, satirical, and savvy, The Master and the Margarita stands entirely alone as a stunning and radical work of fiction, and one of the best modern classic books of its time.

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Poor Things by Alasdair Gray

Written by 20th century Scotland’s greatest author, Alasdair Gray, Poor Things is at once an homage to the gothic legacy of Victorian fiction and a pseudo-feminist satire of the genre. On its surface, Poor Things is a creature stitched together by Lolita, Flowers for Algernon, and, appropriately, Frankenstein. But there is much beneath the surface of this great Scottish novel.

Poor Things is framed as a true account written by a 19th-century doctor named Archie McCandless — a book lost to time, rediscovered, and then edited back together by Gray himself. It also features a letter by McCandless’ wife which refutes everything narrated to the reader in the story proper.

That story is about McCandless befriending a monstrous-looking surgeon at medical school, and being privy to the fact that this surgeon, Baxter, had recovered the dead body of a pregnant woman, replaced the woman’s brain with that of her unborn child, and revived her. When McCandless falls in love with Bella, a darkly comedic journey across Europe ensues. This is a wildly strange and funny gothic parody.

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The Shining by Stephen King

Stephen King will forever be known as the master of American horror, having penned some of the most revered and best-selling novels of the 20th and 21st centuries. Choosing a novel to represent his enormous library of works is impossible, but The Shining is certainly one of his finest, and most widely-read. And let’s not forget Kubrick’s iconic 1980 film adaptation.

The Shining begins with our protagonist, an unemployed recovering alcoholic, finding employment as a caretaker at the remote and imposing Overlook Hotel over the deserted winter period. The now iconic protagonist Jack Torrance drags his wife and son along for company, but they aren’t the only guests at the hotel. There are guests here who don’t want the family to ever leave.

A legendary horror story about isolation and psychosis, The Shining perfectly balances is creeping dread with an upsetting combination of psychology and pure, supernatural terror. Of all the fantastic horror novels of the 20th century, this one stands out as one of the smartest, most original, and most beloved by fans of the genre, and of King’s work. A true modern classic novel.

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The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Written when she was only 29 years old, Donna Tartt’s debut novel The Secret History is, for many of us, the definitive dark academia novel. The Secret History is a twisted yet grounded tale that, on the surface, is about cults and murder but, beneath it all, is an exploration of class privilege, youthful arrogance, and ordinary evils.

The Secret History follows Richard Papen, newly enrolled at a college in Vermont. Richard is originally from a small California town, poor and uninteresting, but talented at Greek.

He quickly falls into a small class of hideously pompous and dysfunctional students who consider themselves to be their school’s elite. Slowly, this class reveals itself to be a mindless, murderous cult, projected forward by hedonism, carelessness, and arrogance.

The Secret History is a masterpiece, glued together by the internal social politics of its characters, their strained and toxic relationships, dangerous behaviours, and unpredictability.

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Chronicle of a Blood Merchant by Yu Hua

Translated from the Chinese by Andrew Jones

Yu Hua is one of the most prominent and daring Chinese authors of the past several decades. Crafting stories through a satirical, critical lens as he does, writing for Yu Hua is a dangerous and defiant act.

In his book China in Ten Words, Yu discusses how lax slander and libel laws in China mean his words can be co-opted and manipulated with terrifying ease.

Yu’s novel Chronicle of a Blood Merchant tells a heart-wrenching tale of a man simply trying to survive during Mao’s Cultural Revolution, a period of Chinese history where a famine led to the deaths of countless millions.

Our protagonist relies on selling his own blood to the local blood chief in order to find the money to support his family.

This becomes increasingly dangerous and is further complicated by the shame that comes from learning that one of his children is not actually his own blood.

This is a moving and desperate Chinese novel that captures a life and a moment in time where simply living a life was at its most difficult.

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The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis, a dear friend of beloved fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien (above), was a born-again Christian who penned some of the most cherished children’s books of all time. This series, The Chronicles of Narnia, began with its most famous book The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

(Although, if readers were to pick up a new collection of the series now, they’d find the sixth book, The Magician’s Nephew, placed first in the series. This is because, chronologically, it is the first in the story, serving as a prequel to the other six books).

The story follows four children who are evacuated during World War II and relocated to a large country house.

There, via a portal in a wardrobe, the children visit the magical land of Narnia, and embark on a series of fantastical journeys.

Widely known to be a biblical allegory, with the titular lion Aslan being a stand-in for Jesus, The Chronicles of Narnia has been a classic series of children’s books for decades.

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Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

The novel for which Daniel Keyes is best remembered is a true masterpiece of science fiction, using the genre to explore themes of value, intelligence, and human rights.

Our protagonist, Charlie, is an “intellectually disabled” man in his thirties who works in a bakery. Charlie is soon made a test subject for intellectual development.

The first test subject was the titular Algernon, a mouse who underwent experimental surgery with impressive results, and Charlie will be the first human test subject.

As the novel, written as a diary from Charlie’s perspective, progresses, we see his intelligence grow, and with it his observations, his relationships, and even his grammar.

Charlie’s development from a man of lower-than-average intelligence to one of genius status leads us to question the ways in which we treat one another based on our intelligence.

This is a sci-fi novel with valuable themes to consider, and the ways in which Keyes explores those themes also tug viciously at the reader’s heartstrings.

A remarkable masterpiece of the genre, Flowers for Algernon is one of the best sci-fi novels ever written, and as such one of the best modern classic books of its time.

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The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Currently the only work featuring a lesbian relationship written by a woman to win a Pulitzer, this epistolary novel is a true classic that spans twenty years of protagonist Celie’s life. 

It’s a beautifully written and important novel that can be difficult to read at times due to its bleak subject matter.

While explicitly a lesbian novel The Color Purple also tackles race, class, gender, sexual assault, domestic abuse, and religion.

Told through a series of letters to ‘God’ (and later her sister Nettie in Africa), Celie is fourteen at the beginning of the novel and is being abused by her father. She is desperately trying to protect her sister from the same fate. 

Later we are privy to the events of Celie’s abusive forced marriage to ‘Mister’ and also her developing relationship with Shug, Mister’s mistress, who shows her love and intimacy for the first time.

The Color Purple is an American masterpiece, an incredible piece of queer Black fiction, and one of the very best modern classic books.

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Lord of the Flies by William Golding

It’s good to be critical of Lord of the Flies — a novel so often lauded for its depiction of a world without societal structures.

This is because we often forget that Golding’s novel is fiction, and when a real-life Lord of the Flies event actually occurred, it didn’t resemble the book at all.

That event was discussed in the phenomenal history book Humankind by Rutger Bregman, and it highlights dark and depressing cynicism of Golding’s novel.

All of that aside, however, Lord of the Flies does remain a fantastic work of fiction in its own right. As a former teacher, I always thoroughly enjoyed teaching the novel. Teenagers are often so rapt by it.

Lord of the Flies is set during World War II, when a group of English schoolboys are stranded on a deserted island after their plane goes down.

The boys quickly descend into tribalist behaviour, begin to believe in and worship a beast that lives on a hill, and eventually turn to violence against one another.

It’s an excellent novel, and certainly one of the best modern classic books of its era; but it’s also important to remember that Golding was overly cynical when it comes to human behaviour, and it is just a novel.

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The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The only novel by celebrated American poet Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar is a modern classic of feminist fiction.

The Bell Jar is a semi-autobiographical novel inspired by Plath’s own life and her descent into the throes of mental illness.

The novel follows the life of college graduate Esther who lands an internship at a women’s magazine in New York City. Disenchanted and hollowed out, Esther feels little joy and only increasing disorientation and suffocation.

The Bell Jar a novel that explores the role of a woman in 20th century society, and the titular bell jar is a symbol of suffocation, both from a feminist angle and one of mental illness.

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Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Published in 1961, Catch-22 is a satirical anti-war novel set between the years of 1942 and 1944. Our protagonist is John Yossarian, an American captain of the 256th US Army Air Squadron.

Moving freely and out of chronological order, Catch-22 mostly follows the events of Yossarian’s life during World War 2, primarily set on the Mediterranean island of Pianosa.

Inarguably one of the great American novels of the 20th century, Catch-22 has had an impact that is hard to measure.

Satirising the absurdity of warfare and the lives of military soldiers on the battlefield, Catch-22 is the quintessential American war novel and one of the best modern classic books of its time.

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The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

Revered American author wrote many bestselling books, and his own life has almost become mythology at this point.

But the most famous and frequently discussed Hemingway story will always be The Old Man and the Sea, a short and quiet novella published in 1952.

This classic American novella tells the story of an old and unlucky fisherman named Santiago, and opens with his former trainee helping him get ready for yet another fishing trip out at sea.

Much of the story depicts the old man’s persistent physical struggle with reeling in a large fish he has hooked; a struggle that lasts through the night.

The Old Man and the Sea was heralded and celebrated by critics of the time as Hemingway’s masterpiece; his finest work.

Since then, the story has continued to have a lasting legacy, and now stands as one of the best modern classic books of the American canon.

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Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Lolita has always been a fascinating novel; a work of aesthetic and literary beauty, written in some of the most stunning and vivid prose you’re ever likely to read.

However, the novel has repeatedly been marred by venomous criticism for its depictions of a dark, taboo, and arguably evil subject matter.

That clash of beauty and disgust is remarkable in its own right, and the discussions that Lolita encourages amongst its readers and critics are also lively and worthwhile.

The novel presents us with a famous example of the unreliable narrator: a professor who becomes obsessed with an underage girl whom he kidnaps and sexually abuses, calling her Lolita.

Few novels have ever been written in such illustrious and breathtaking prose, and have dared to explore such subject matter so brazenly and with such complexity.

Lolita is like no other novel that exists, and remains one of the most daringly unique and best modern classic books of all time.

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A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

A curious classic of modern American literature, A Confederacy of Dunces is a fantastic dark comedy that is a favourite of many readers.

Our protagonist is a loser who would describe himself as anything but. He considers himself a scholar and the smartest person in the room.

Ignatius J. Reilly is thirty and lives with his mother. Over the course of the novel, we see him get into various dreadful social and professional situations that are exacerbated by his inflated ego.

There is a perpetual air of sadness surrounding this novel, however. Its author never lived to see its publication.

After several failed attempts to see his work published, Toole ended his own life, only to be posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize a decade after his death.

Decades after the novel’s publication, A Confederacy of Dunces stands tall amongst many of the best modern classic books to come out of the United States in the 20th century.

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The Best Modern Classic Books (21st Century)

The 21st century has already seen some of the best novels of all time, which is a truly incredible statement to make. We are living in a golden age of fiction writing, and it’s glorious.

Of course, we have to be careful when labelling a book a “modern classic”, because we may well be wrong. The book might not stand the test of time. Because of this, the modern classic books you’ll find here have all been critically acclaimed, won awards, been adapted to film, and are already beloved by countless readers. Enjoy!

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Never Let Me Go is Ishiguro’s masterpiece. His magnum opus. And Ishiguro himself also happens to by my favourite author.

Never Let Me Go is a science fiction novel set in the modern day. It’s a novel with a central mystery that, if you’ve never had it revealed to you, should absolutely not be spoiled.

Our narrator is Kathy, a woman who works as a carer. Who or what she cares for isn’t clear. Kathy spends much of the novel reminiscing about her childhood at a secretive English boarding school called Halisham.

We become familiar with her old friends and quietly unnerved by the elephant in the room, even though we don’t know the name of the elephant or why it’s there. As the story unfolds and secrets are revealed, tragedy sets in.

Never Let Me Go is a truly astonishing work of literary magic. One of the great works of literary fiction and science fiction. One of the best modern classics of our time.

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Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Wolf Hall manages to be many things. For many readers, it is the defining book of the historical fiction genre. For others, it’s not only one of the best modern classic books, but one of the best books ever published.

Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and its direct sequel, Bring Up the Bodies, both won the Booker Prize, while the final book of the trilogy, The Mirror and the Light, was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize.

The Guardian newspaper called Wolf Hall the best novel of the 21st Century (so far), and we certainly agree that it deserves to be high on that list.

Wolf Hall is, undeniably, a masterpiece of historical fiction, and general fiction. It’s dense and its language can be challenging, but it is beautiful, clever, and enthralling.

Telling the fictionalised biography of the legendary English politician Thomas Cromwell, Wolf Hall throws readers into the fraught and frightening world of Henry VIII’s court.

We watch Cromwell rise from being the abused son of a blacksmith to the man at Henry VIII’s ear; the man with the real power in England.

Mantel paints Cromwell as a more sympathetic character than history has done, and uses that altered perspective to tell one of the most engaging historical novels ever penned.

Few novels have made as much of an impact on their respective genres as Wolf Hall has; unquestionably one of the best modern classic books.

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The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante

Translated from the Italian by Ann Goldstein

Elena Ferrante is one of the most beloved Italian authors of all time; a literary author whose works explore feminism, class, and family dynamics in fresh and deeply clever ways.

The Lying Life of Adults follows Giovanna, a girl from a wealthy family that all live in a house which sits high up, overlooking the poorer, working class people below.

Her father came from rags to riches, and now works as a professor. His wife, Giovanna’s mother, is also a well-educated woman and they are all kind and compassionate on the surface.

When her father, in an unthinkingly cruel act of sexism, compares his daughter’s looks to those of his awful, ugly sister, Giovanna is distraught.

To understand why her aunt is so hated, Giovanna visits her and gets to know her. From here, she is torn between the truths that her parents tell, and those her aunt tells.

This is a novel about patriarchy and sexism, and about modern-day class divides and privilege. An incredible piece of fiction that stands tall as one of the best modern classic books.

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Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Emily St. John Mandel has proven herself a modern master of blending genre fiction with lofty literary concepts, and for this she has written many of the best modern classic books we have.

With The Glass Hotel, she created a compelling literary thriller. With Sea of Tranquility, she continued the tradition of blending the literary with incredible sci-fi storytelling.

But before those books, she gave us Station Eleven, a celebrated piece of literary fiction that turns the post-apocalypse on its head.

Rather than this being another novel about human survival, and returning us to our base, animal selves, Station Eleven is a novel about holding onto human art and culture.

This is a pandemic novel about a group of travelling troubadours; a theatre troupe who roam North America bringing Shakespeare to those of us who are left.

Station Eleven celebrates the things worth holding onto: the art that humans created, and the culture which inspired, and was in turn inspired by that art.

A beautiful and hopeful piece of fiction that encourages the reader to consider the importance of the art we create, and how it changes us, and one of the best modern classic books on the shelves.

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Normal People by Sally Rooney

Irish author Sally Rooney’s second novel, Normal People, became an overnight literary sensation upon its publication, and it remains beloved by countless readers. This novel turned her into a star of the publishing world.

Called a modern day Jane Austen by many readers, Rooney is a writer exploring the ebb and flow of modern-day relationships within the context of capitalism and outmoded class systems.

Normal People follows two teenagers, Connell and Marianne, who develop a fraught kind of romance over the course of the novel.

While at school, Connell is popular and admired, and Marianne is meek and unassuming, outside of school Connell is a working class lad and Marianne comes from privilege. Both are well-read and intelligent, and end up attending university together, where they shift and change and struggle in different ways.

Normal People is a literary romance novel about class divides, social struggles, and the rapid ways in which we grow, learn, and change as individuals and within our relationships.

Easily one of the most beloved and cherished novels of the 21st century so far, Normal People is unquestionably one of the best modern classic books we have.

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Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami

Translated from the Japanese by Sam Bett & David Boyd

Breasts and Eggs is one of the best Japanese books of the 21st century, and an absolute masterpiece of feminist literary fiction.

Breasts and Eggs follows the story of Nastsuko, an Osaka-born writer living in Tokyo who has spent her adult life trying to see her works get published.

The first half of this two-book novel focuses on a short visit by Natsuko’s more extroverted sister and that sister’s daughter. The daughter has fallen mute and her mother is in Tokyo for breast implants. We see the world from the perspectives of all three women, and they each have differing attitudes to womanhood and its place in society.

In the book’s second story, Natsuko has made it as an author but now dreams of being a mother, though she has no real wish for a partner to share her life with.

Both stories explore how womanhood is defined and how women can find happiness, contentment, and strength in a patriarchal modern world.

This is very much a piece of hefty literary fiction about what womanhood is, what it can be, and what we are told it should be by patriarchy and tradition.

Breasts and Eggs is a groundbreaking piece of feminist Japanese fiction, and one of the very best modern classic books. A must-read for readers the world over.

Buy a copy of Breasts and Eggs here!

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo

Translated from the Korean by Jamie Chang

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 can be understood as the novelisation of the lived experiences of every ordinary Korean woman for the past forty-plus years.

Our protagonist is not one woman, but is rather a representation of the ordinary and expected experiences of your average woman in modern-day South Korea. The novel traces the life of a woman from early childhood to marriage and, eventually, motherhood.

Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 is a book that brings to light the everyday misogyny, sexism, ignorance, aggression, bias, and abuse (both active and passive) that women in South Korea (and, of course, the world over) suffer and do their best to survive in this modern world.

It is not a story with a view to entertaining us. It is a book that enlightens, and encourages anger in, its readers. A fantastic piece of feminist literary fiction.

Kim Jiyoung is not a character to form a bond with. She is every abuse victim. She is every woman who has encountered sexism at home, at school, in the workplace, and on the street, and who perhaps never even realised it.

There is feminist rage stitched into every line of this incredible Korean book; a must-read that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the best modern classic books of the past several decades.

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The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Upon its release, The Vanishing Half saw an incredible amount of critical praise, all of which was wholly deserved, and immediately cemented it as a true modern classic of American literature.

A novel of immense hype matched only by its scope of content and theme. The Vanishing Half tells two parallel stories of twin sisters who grow up to be very different women. Born into a Black community in the deep south, twin sisters Stella and Desiree leave town at the age of sixteen.

After spending a little time in New Orleans, one moves to DC and “becomes” Black, while the other ends up in the white suburbs of California and “becomes” white.

In a deeply literary way, The Vanishing Half examines what it means to perform Blackness and whiteness in a societal and cultural sense, beyond just skin colour.

The Vanishing Half chronicles the choices and life events of these sisters, as well as those of their children as we move through the second half of the 20th Century.

It considers the relationships between place, race, and class, as well as how our relationships are defined by these seemingly immovable things. Spanning decades, this is a multi-generational novel that makes clear the visible yet ignored racial, political, and class divides of modern America.

A masterpiece of Black American fiction and one of the best modern classic books you’ll ever read.

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Tokyo Ueno Station by Yu Miri

Translated from the Japanese by Morgan Giles

Yu Miri was born in Japan to Korean parents, and as such is a South Korean citizen and occasional recipient of racist bias and abuse in Japan. Despite this, she has had a phenomenally successful career in Japan as both a playwright and a writer of prose.

Although born in Yokohama, Japan’s second largest city, she now lives in a small town in Fukushima, close to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant which suffered a meltdown following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami which claimed thousands of lives.

Her novel Tokyo Ueno Station is a boldly raw and angry literary novel about class disparity and social injustice. Kazu, Tokyo Ueno Station‘s protagonist, was born in the same year as Japan’s emperor, and both men’s sons were born on the same day.

While the emperor was born into the height of privilege, Kazu was born in rural Fukushima, a place that would later be ravaged by destruction in 2011.

While the emperor’s son would go on to lead a healthy life, Kazu’s son’s life would be cut short, and Kazu himself would live out his final days as one of the many homeless barely surviving in a village of tents in Tokyo’s Ueno Park.

A socialist novel about the unfairness of social standings and class divides, and one of the most outstanding modern classic books to read right now.

A novel that asks the reader to ponder just how fair it is that the time, place, and financial situation we happen to be randomly born into determines everything we will become.

Buy a copy of Tokyo Ueno Station here!

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr 

Carnegie Medal and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel All The Light We Cannot See has become one of the giants of American literature in the 21st Century, making it one of the best modern classic books we have.

Set against the backdrop of war-ravaged France, All The Light We Cannot See tells the story of Marie-Laure, a blind French woman and the path that leads her to the orphaned Werner, a member of the Hitler Youth.

The glue that holds this WW2 novel together is its lovable cast of characters, including Marie-Laure’s father, a miniaturist and keeper-of-keys at the Museum of Natural History.

The relationship between him and his daughter is a deeply moving one, as is the story of young Werner, who witnesses the effects of Nazism from the inside, and from a young age.

All The Light We Cannot See is, inarguably, one of the most powerful, moving, and satisfying American novels of this century so far, and one of the best books on World War 2, without question.

Buy a copy of All The Light We Cannot See here!

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko is a sincerely beloved novel; an epic family saga that takes the reader on a soulful journey through early 20th century Korea and Japan, and which has quickly become a true modern classic of literature.

Four generations of a Korean family take us through their lives in the midst of the tragic and tumultuous annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire.

Today in post-empire Japan, many zainichi Koreans continue to live, descended from those Koreans who were forced to move to Japan in the years leading up to World War II.

This fact gives Pachinko a sense of weight; its characters and events, what they went through, the tragedies they experienced, it all continues to reverberate into the modern day.

We begin with Sunja, a young and poor Korean who is pulled mercilessly in different directions by the actions and choices of men.

As we read, we travel from rural, coastal Korea to both the highest and lowest parts of Japanese society. Pachinko is an incredible family saga and one of the best modern classic books of our time.

Buy a copy of Pachinko here!

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Colson Whitehead’s masterpiece The Underground Railroad won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the Arthur C. Clarke Award.

This is an amazing piece of American historical fiction that reimagines the titular Underground Railroad as an actual underground network of train lines.

We follow Cora, a slave in the 19th century American South, who escapes her Georgia plantation with the help of fellow slave Caesar.

The pair hunt for the Underground Railroad and encounter both friends and enemies along the way. They commit desperate deeds to ensure their survival.

This is an incredible work of American fiction that has since cemented Colson Whitehead as one of the great American writers of the 21st century, and this one of the best modern classic books, period.

Buy a copy of The Underground Railroad here!

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Sarah Waters has made a name for herself as an author of queer historical romance novels, mostly set in or near the 19th Century. And the beefy Fingersmith is, by far, her most popular and finest work.

Serving as the inspiration for Korean film director Park Chan-wook’s masterpiece The Handmaiden, Fingersmith is a work of absolute beauty. One of the most iconic historical novels in existence.

The titular fingersmith is a London thief named Sue; an orphan and a survivor raised to steal from the rich. When her enigmatic associate, known to everyone as Gentleman, comes to her with a job, she gladly accepts.

The job takes Sue to a country estate, wherein she must play the role of maid to a naive young heiress while Gentleman slowly begins to court her for a fortune that he will eventually split with Sue.

Unfortunately, Sue begins to fall in love with the rich heiress, and what follows is an incredible series of impossible-to-predict twists and turns.

Fingersmith is one of the most gorgeously-written historical novels ever published. Poetic prose dances on the page. And it is a celebration of raw, queer love, to boot. A masterpiece amongst modern classic novels.

Buy a copy of Fingersmith here!

The Wind That Lays Waste by Selva Almada

Translated from the Spanish by Chris Andrews

Argentinian author Selva Almada has written several great works of feminist literature, and The Wind That Lays Waste is her finest achievement.

Set in the rugged wilds of the Argentinian countryside, this novella presents us with a travelling preacher and his daughter, whose car breaks down and is fixed by a lonely roadside mechanic and his apprentice.

While the car is being fixed, the preacher and his daughter stay with the mechanic, and the two men begin to discuss religion, with the mechanic being an immovable atheist and the preacher being, well, a preacher.

In a style and setup reminiscent of Waiting for Godot, the isolated story escalated gradually, with the younger characters each intrigued by the other’s perspective and way of living.

This is the story of bullheaded men coming to blows over their beliefs, as the rest of us watch on and the world falls away around them. An incredible piece of Argentinian fiction and one of the best modern classics you’ll ever read.

Buy a copy of The Wind That Lays Waste here!

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Across his celebrated career as a writer of novels, children’s books, comics, and screenplays, Neil Gaiman has reshaped the world of fiction writing more than once. And American Gods remains his finest work. A true masterpiece amongst modern classic books.

American Gods follows Shadow, a man newly released from prison at the same time that his wife is murdered. Recruited by a man known as Wednesday, Shadow takes an odd road trip across the US, seeing all the stranger sights along the way.

Dripping with a rich and detailed atmosphere, this novel provides readers with a journey that absorbs them completely. You live Shadow’s journey wholly and completely, and what a thrill ride it is.

American Gods also has a truly masterful central concept. Gods need people to invent them, worship them, and dedicate their lives to them. Without people, gods disappear.

So, what happened when Europeans moved to the New World? Some brought their gods with them while others got abandoned. There are also new gods; new things to worship: TV and internet and microwaves. There is a war brewing between the old gods and the new, and Shadow is caught in the middle.

This is a fascinating and gripping premise that makes for a perfect novel. American Gods is Neil Gaiman’s best work, and one of the great modern classic novels.

Buy a copy of American Gods here!

Human Acts by Han Kang

Translated from the Korean by Deborah Smith

Han Kang, the legendary Korean author, was celebrated the world over for her daring and subversive novel The Vegetarian, which won the International Booker Prize in 2017. Her subsequent novels The White Book and Greek Lessons have also stolen our hearts.

But it’s her experimental and bleak novel Human Acts, set amidst the Gwangju Uprising of May 1980, that presents her work at its most brazen and difficult.

The Gwangju Uprising was a moment of intense political change, as the people of South Korea rose up against their government’s military dictatorship.

Our protagonist is the dead boy Kang Dong-ho, and this short novel takes us from 1980 to the present day via the people who knew him and the lives they have led.

Feverish and strange, but also raw and heart-wrenching, Human Acts stands alone amongst other best modern classics of this century.

Buy a copy of Human Acts here!

The Broken Earth Series by N.K. Jemisin

This staggering trilogy of epic fantasy books by American author N.K. Jemisin represents a vital and necessary turning point in fantasy fiction.

These fantasy novels, narratively and conceptually, are unlike anything that exists in the realms of fantasy and science fiction literature. Their breadth and scope is exceptional.

For proof of the impact these books had upon their release, every single book in the trilogy took home the Hugo Award for Best Novel in its respective year, making it the only trilogy to ever accomplish this.

The first novel in this trilogy of best fantasy books, The Fifth Season, follows three separate protagonists, all living in slightly different times on a massive continent called the Stillness.

Essun is a middle-aged mother who sets out on a journey of revenge after she comes home to find that her husband has killed their son and taken their daughter away.

Essun herself is secretly able to manipulate the earth itself; this is a skill that a small percentage of people — known as orogenes — possess.

The second protagonist is Damaya, a young orogene whose parents have organised to be removed from their home and put into the hands of an organisation — known as the Fulcrum — that can train and weaponise her.

And the third protagonist, Syenite, is a member of the Fulcrum who has been sent out on a mission with the world’s most powerful orogene.

The worldbuilding and character writing of this phenomenal trilogy is what sets it so far apart from all other fantasy books, making them some of the best fantasy books ever written.

At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, nothing else in the world of fantasy has managed to marry intimate character moulding with political and social allegories and ingenious worldbuilding quite like the Broken Earth trilogy.

For these reasons, The Fifth Season is easily one of the biggest and best modern classic books we have; a book that has reshaped the entire landscape of fantasy fiction.

Buy the trilogy here!

Flights by Olga Tokarczuk

Translated from the Polish by Jennifer Croft

Olga Tokarczuk is a Nobel Prize-winning Polish author, and writer of some of the best modern classic books of this (or any) century. A true genius and an unparalleled visionary writer.

Her novel, Flights, catapulted her into the public eye of the English-speaking world when it was published by indie press Fitzcarraldo Editions in 2018.

Flights is both a fictional travelogue that philosophically muses on time, movement, and inertia, and an historical examination of life and the human body.

This is a book that blends history and philosophy, fact and fiction, memory and essay. Much of it is spent in stories of migration, of nomadism, of wandering.

Other stories take us back through time to strange occurrences, such as the story of how Chopin’s heart was transported after his death. There is nothing in the world like Flights, like the writings of Olga Tokarczuk.

Buy a copy of Flights here!

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

When Oliver Marks is released from a decade of prison (for a murder he may not have even committed), he is immediately greeted by the detective who got him convicted.

Now, the detective wants Marks’ truth from ten years back. Marks is one of seven college students deeply entrenched in a love of The Bard.

They are a small society of Shakespeare fanatics who live and breathe his works. They are also darkly obsessed with one another, shutting out the rest of the world.

When emotions run this high, however, it only takes a small glitch to throw their dynamic into catastrophe and, eventually, even death.

The experience of reading If We Were Orphans will undeniably be enhanced for anyone with their own love for the works of Shakespeare. It’s not required, but it certainly helps.

A Shakespeare-inspired murder-mystery dark academia novel that has so quickly defined itself as one of the best modern classic books we have.

Buy a copy of If We Were Villains here!

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

Written by one of the most talented and insightful literary authors of today and published in 2022, Small Things Like These is a modern classic that will go down in history as one of the great novels of our time.

At its heart, this is a novel about the everyday acts of goodness performed by honest people versus the twisted, monstrous, ironically sinful behaviour of organised religion.

It’s 1985 and we follow our protagonist, father of five Bill Furlough, and he works and visits his neighbours and goes shopping in the days leading up to Christmas.

As we get to know his family and his community, we are also shown glimpses of Bill’s childhood, and how his single mother was saved from a difficult life by the simple acts of kindness by those around her.

Bill has seen kindness, and is proof that it is infectious. Against the grain of his community, who are complicit in the sins of the church, he does what is right and considers it his moral duty as a living human. As he does so, he exposes the harmful, damaging actions of the church.

Small but powerful, this literary Irish novel is a work of magic, and one of the best modern classic books of our time.

Buy a copy of Small Things Like These here!

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

George Saunders is celebrated for his craft as a writer of short stories, but his debut novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, immediately struck a chord with readers and went on to win the Booker Prize.

A bizarre and charming piece of historical fiction which I have read multiple times, Lincoln in the Bardo follows the son of Abraham Lincoln, William, as he is caught in a space between life and death.

This space, the titular bardo, is part of buddhist belief, and here is used by Saunders to explore the grief of Lincoln, and as a means of flexing the author’s craft as a storyteller.

As we follow young William, we meet other ghosts caught in the bardo whom he befriends, and we also see glimpses of the world of the living, and how Honest Abe is coping with the loss of his son.

This is a beautiful and delightfully unique piece of contemporary fiction that is unlike anything else you’ll ever read. Surreal but not off-putting, this is one you’ll never forget, and one that stands strong amongst the best modern classic books of this century.

Buy a copy of Lincoln in the Bardo here!

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Where thrillers are concerned, Gone Girl might be the most famous, successful, and celebrated novel of this century so far. This is a book that has redefined the thriller genre. What The Fifth Season (above) did for fantasy, Gone Girl has done for thrillers. A truly exceptional modern classic novel.

The fame this novel saw was hugely bolstered by the massive success of David Fincher’s excellent film adaptation; perfectly paced, with an immaculate tone and incredible performances.

Fincher really knows how to direct a thriller, and you couldn’t find a better pairing than his directorial eye and Flynn’s original story.

Gone Girl focusses around the disappearance of Amy Dunn, a woman who vanished on her fifth wedding anniversary.

All eyes are on her husband, Nick. Public consensus is that he was involved in her disappearance, but how? What role did he play? Where is she? Is she even alive?

This is a novel of two halves, with an enormous midpoint twist separating it into two distinct narratives.

In the first half, we follow a pretty standard investigation, with public interest in the case gaining steady momentum, and Nick in the spotlight. But that twist changes and refocusses everything we thought we knew.

Few thrillers nail their execution and pacing as well as Gone Girl does, making it a real masterpiece of the genre, and one of the best modern classic books you’ll ever read.

Buy a copy of Gone Girl here!

But, of course, the UK has a particular affinity for historical fiction, so many of the novels you’ll find on this extensive list are British. This is a celebration of historical fiction, showcasing the breadth and scope of the genre; how creative its authors are and what they can do with our rich histories.

Must-Read Historical Novels

You’ll find here novels that explore periods as well-trodden as the two World Wars, and ones as rich as China’s Ming Dynasty. Through these historical fiction books, you’ll meet Henry VIII, William Shakespeare, Madame Tussauds, Abraham Lincoln, and so many more.

You’ll spend time in a French asylum, on the wide plains of Argentina, and the battlefields of Ancient Greece. These are some of the best historical fiction books you’ll ever read; books that will take you across so much of this world’s rich, vibrant, and tumultuous history.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Wolf Hall manages to be many things. For many readers, it is the defining book of the historical fiction genre, at least in the UK.

Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and its direct sequel, Bring Up the Bodies, both won the Booker Prize, while the final book of the trilogy, The Mirror and the Light, was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize. The Guardian newspaper called Wolf Hall the best novel of the 21st Century (so far).

Wolf Hall is, undeniably, a masterpiece of historical fiction. It’s dense and its language can be challenging, but it is beautiful, clever, and enthralling. Telling the fictionalised biography of the legendary English politician Thomas Cromwell, Wolf Hall throws readers into the fraught and frightening world of Henry VIII’s court.

Mantel paints Cromwell as a more sympathetic character than history has done, and uses that altered perspective to tell one of the most engaging historical novels ever penned. Few novels have made as much of an impact on their respective genres as Wolf Hall has; unquestionably one of the best historical fiction books of all time.

Buy a copy of Wolf Hall here!

Little by Edward Carey

Edward Carey is a true talent, and his books are a gift to contemporary literature. Little, a fictionalised biography of Madam Tussauds, is his finest work.

Little follows the life of Marie Grosholtz, from her birth in Alsace, France in 1761, through her adolescence and deep into her adulthood. We follow Marie, nicknamed Little, as she loses her father, and soon after her mother, before spending most of her life as the ward, student, and apprentice of an eccentric anatomist.

Dr. Curtis teaches Marie everything there is to know about human anatomy, and the two travel through much of central and western Europe before eventually settling in Paris. As Little progresses, we experience the French Revolution and see the deepest innards of the Palace of Versailles, all through the eyes of the woman who would become Madame Tussauds.

Both an intimate and subtly gothic novel and a wildly epic biography, Little is one of the very best historical fiction books ever written.

Buy a copy of Little here!

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet, which won the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2020, is a fictionalised retelling of the life of Agnes Hathaway, wife of William Shakespeare, as well as the tragically short life of their son Hamnet, whose death inspired the creation of the play Hamlet.

Gorgeously crafted, Hamnet shifts between the wider biography of Agnes as she meets and marries The Bard, and shorter chapters that detail the final days of Hamnet’s life. There are supernatural whispers throughout; the framing and pacing jolts and twists unapologetically; Shakespeare himself is never given a name, with the prose remaining firmly on the other people in his life.

Hamnet is a personal favourite novel of mine, especially within the genre of historical fiction. It does so much so well. Expertly plotted, gorgeously written, with dynamic and tragic characterisation. A must-read historical fiction book.

Buy a copy of Hamnet here!

Love and Fury by Samantha Silva

Like Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet, Samantha Silva’s Love and Fury is a historical novel that shines a light on a woman often overshadowed by someone close to them who found greater fame. In this case, that person is pioneer feminist and mother of Mary Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft.

Often simply contextualised as the Frankenstein author’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft is also credited as being one of the Western world’s first feminist writers, having famously penned A Vindication on the Rights of Woman.

Beyond that, however, little is ever said about Mary Wollstonecraft. As Love and Fury demonstrates, however, she had an incredible life of her own. Wollstonecraft spent most of that life educating — and fighting for the education of — young British women at a time when women’s education was seen as pointless at best by the men in power.

Love and Fury is a historical novel that shows the true strength of Mary Wollstonecraft’s life and deeds beyond the book she is most famous for.

Buy a copy of Love and Fury here!

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Written by my own personal favourite author, Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day is a historical novel about regret and human malleability. The Remains of the Day begins with our protagonist and narrator, a butler named Stevens, setting out on a road trip across England.

Stevens has worked at Darlington Hall for many years and his new employer, a nouveau riche American, happily encourages him to take a vacation while he himself is away in the US on business. Stevens plans to reunite with Darlington Hall’s former housekeeper, a woman whom he clearly had deep feelings for.

Stevens, however, has always been married to his job. He is a rigid, unmovable traditionalist with a particular attitude towards life, work, and class; one that he deems right and proper. This stern and conservative outlook has cost Stevens so much potential joy, and now he has a chance to right those wrongs.

This is a truly elegant and beautiful literary masterpiece, and a must-read piece of historical fiction.

Buy a copy of The Remains of the Day here!

An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro

Before he wrote The Remains of the Day, Ishiguro focussed his attention on the country of his birth, and wrote the heart-wrenching historical novel An Artist of the Floating World. This novel takes us to a time shortly after the end of World War II and the fall of the Japanese Empire, and its story follows the life and memories of an aged and once-renowned ukiyo-e painter named Ono.

Ono has had a long and revered career as an ukiyo-e artist but, when war began brewing, he strayed from the teachings of his master and turned his hand to making propaganda posters. With the war over, Ono and his works are now a symbol of embarrassment. His family, neighbours, and old friends look at him with shame.

An Artist of the Floating World is a masterpiece, not only in its setting and its themes of shame, political corruption, and time’s ability to change us. An Artist of the Floating World presents a challenge of perspective and sympathy rarely explored so well in literature. This Ishiguro novel is another masterpiece of literary fiction and historical fiction.

Buy a copy of An Artist of the Floating World here!

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

All The Light We Cannot See, which won the Carnegie Medal and Pulitzer Prize, has become one of the giants of modern American literature. Set against the backdrop of war-ravaged France, All The Light We Cannot See tells the story of Marie-Laure, a blind French woman, and the path that leads her to the orphaned Werner, a member of the Hitler Youth.

The glue that holds this historical novel together is its lovable cast of characters, including Marie-Laure’s father, a miniaturist and keeper-of-keys at the Museum of Natural History. The relationship between him and his daughter is a deeply moving one, as is the story of young Werner, who witnesses the effects of Nazism from the inside, and from a young age.

All The Light We Cannot See is one of the most powerful, moving, and satisfying American novels of this century, and one of the best historical fiction books we have.

Buy a copy of All the Light We Cannot See here!

Babel by R.F. Kuang

Babel is one of the most raw, powerful, politically aggressive, and savvy historical novels you’ll ever read; one that also mixes in dark academia and a sprinkle of urban fantasy. Set in Oxford, 1836, Babel tells the story of a boy from Canton (Guangdong) China who narrowly escapes dying of cholera with the rest of his family as he is whisked away by a rich and powerful white man.

This man is Professor Lovell, an English academia who brings Robin to London, teaches him Greek and Latin, encourages his studies in translation, and then sends him off to Oxford University.

There, Robin is enrolled in the Royal Institute of Translation, housed in the tallest tower in Oxford, the titular Babel. Robin is also recruited into the ranks of a radical political group known as Hermes, who seek to disrupt the British Empire and its economic powers in order to free its annexed and strangled nations.

Babel is a masterpiece of historical fiction that tackles the monstrous, inhuman actions of the British Empire head-on. It’s a novel with teeth and claws, and an absolute must-read.

Buy a copy of Babel here!

Perfume by Patrick Süskind

Translated from the German by John E. Woods

What begins with one of the most alluring opening lines soon spirals into a gorgeously twisted tale of death and strangeness, written and translated with staggering beauty. Perfume tells the tale of the 18th century French orphan Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, who slipped from his mother while she worked at a fish market and then promptly died. And while his beginnings are bleak, he soon grows into an unusual kind of monster.

Grenouille has the uncanny ability to identify smells from miles away. His nose is unnaturally attuned, and he will eventually kill for the smells he desires most. We watch him grow up, become apprentice to a perfumer in Paris, and eventually leave when he grows tired of other people. But the smells of certain women drive him to commit terrible crimes in this blend of historical fiction and poetic fantasy.

Perfume is a grotesque novel about the intersection between death and obsession, as well as the corruption of power and dominance. An unsavoury yet addictive work that proves to be an entirely compulsive read.

Clytemnestra by Costanza Casati

While we at Books and Bao love ourselves some Greek Mythology, and there are many great retellings of the Greek classics out there right now, this is about historical fiction. And one of the best of these historical novels set within Ancient Greece is Costanza Casati’s Clytemnestra.

This is a dark, angry, intimate, epic that follows the life of the titular Clytemnestra, a Spartan princess who is known for being the wife and murderer of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae.

Clytemnestra begins with our protagonist’s youth, growing up alongside her sister Helen, falling in love with a decent man, and eventually having his son. But we know that, eventually, she will be married to the bloodthirsty tyrant king Agamemnon; her sister Helen will marry his brother and be stolen to Troy by Paris, thus beginning the Trojan War.

This masterpiece of historical fiction covers all of this and so much more, sparing none of the tragedy that befalls our protagonist. A tense, angry feminist masterpiece of a novel, Clytemnestra is a must-read; one of the most essential historical fiction books on the shelves right now.

Buy a copy of Clytemnestra here!

Read More: The Best History Books Ever Written

Nettleblack by Nat Reeve

Nettleblack is the debut novel by non-binary British author Nat Reeve; a laugh-out-loud funny and delightfully charming novel in so many surprising ways. Taking influence from Shakespeare, Dickens, and Agatha Christie, and also reminiscent of the settings found in the film Hot Fuzz and the show Schitt’s Creek, Nettleblack is an absolute delight.

Nettleblack is set in the late 19th Century and tells the story of Henry Nettleblack, youngest daughter of a family who made their fortune developing a medicinal tincture. When Henry’s eldest sister wishes to marry her off into the gentry, she runs away from home, and an absurd twist of fate lands her in the ranks of a quirky, odd local vigilante group who call themselves the Dallyangle Division.

There, she meets and works clumsily alongside a host of eccentric characters with names that would make Dickens jealous and personalities lifted from Shakespeare’s finest comedies. One of these characters is Pip Property, a wonderful dandy of a non-binary character.

Nettleblack warms and entertains in equal measure; it is a celebration of strangeness and difference. It congratulates those of us who don’t fit the status quo and gives us a wonderful world to escape to.

Buy a copy of Nettleblack here!

In Memoriam by Alice Winn

Alice Winn’s debut novel feels, in its tone and execution, like a time capsule. The feeling of public schoolboy life, the forbidden love between two young men on the verge of adulthood, and the cruel, cold, uncaring nature of life in the trenches of the Great War — all of it is brought to life through thoughtful language that dances between unrelenting, unapologetic viscerality and witty, friendly banter.

This is the story of Gaunt and Ellwood, upper-class lads in their teens, arrogant and charming, each madly and secretly in love with the other. When Gaunt’s German mother persuades him to enlist in order to stop the rumours that their family are spies, Ellwood follows him into the trenches. What follows is a romance that blossoms in the unlikeliest of places.

In Memoriam is a war novel that is as kind as it is unkind, written with gusto and humour. The love and friendship on display is comforting, and the exposure of war and trench life is exactly as harrowing and discomfiting as it should be. A powerful piece of historical war fiction.

Buy a copy of In Memoriam here!

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Kiran Milwood Hargrave is one of the most exciting and beloved authors of the UK today. Having written several celebrated YA novels, The Mercies was her first novel for adults, and it made waves upon its publication.

Inspired by true events, The Mercies is set in 1617 Norway — specifically the island of Vardo. The book begins with a freak winter storm taking the lives of every man from the island community — all were fishermen, and all were tragically at sea when the storm suddenly hit.

Vardo is now an island of women. Soon enough, a man of God arrives from Scotland to “take control”. He has brought with him his wife, a woman inspired when she finds a community devoid of men. The Mercies is written with astonishing prose. A truly gorgeous novel, from beginning to end. It is the perfect length, expertly paced, utterly flawless in its writing and atmosphere.

Buy a copy of The Mercies here!

The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Kiran Milwood Hargraves’ follow-up to The Mercies was the riveting and strange The Dance Tree: a historical novel about patriarchy, superstition, and oppression.

Set in 16th Century Strasbourg, The Dance Tree follows Lisbet, a young woman who has been struggling to carry a child to term. She is pregnant again, and desperately praying that this one will last. Her husband’s sister was sentenced to seven years of penance for a sin nobody will mention, and she is set to return during this blisteringly hot summer.

Amongst these big changes, the town has also been taken by a strange “disease” as women walk into the town square and start to dance. They dance for days until collapsing, and then dance some more. Kiran Millwood Hargrave continues to prove herself an author of some of the very best historical fiction books coming out of the UK right now.

Buy a copy of The Dance Tree here!

The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins

The Confessions of Frannie Langton  is one of the most impactful historical novels of recent years; all the more impressive considering it is a debut novel. Sara Collins is a Black British writer and ex-lawyer who also penned the screenplay for the TV adaptation of her novel.

The Confessions of Frannie Langton begins with our protagonist on trial for murder. It’s 1826, she was born and educated on the plantations of Jamaica, and she has since worked as a maid for the wealthy Benham family in London. Mrs Benham, a woman Frannie dearly loved, is dead, and it’s Frannie who stands to hang for the murder. But did she do it? And if so, why?

A truly mind-bending tale of race, class, empire, love, queerness, and so much more. A true modern classic amongst the very best historical fiction books.

Buy a copy of The Confessions of Frannie Langton here!

The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

Laura Shepherd-Robinson has made a deserved name for herself writing historical thrillers, but The Square of Sevens is a larger beast than that. While still a novel led by mystery and intrigue, it is less of a thriller and more of an historical drama set in the Bath and London of the 1730s and ’40s.

Our protagonist is a girl named Red, who grew up travelling the roads of England with her father, performing cartomancy using the pseudo-mythical art known as the square of sevens. She never knew her mother, and early in the novel her father dies, but not before urging a kindly and wealthy man to take his daughter in.

This man, Antrobus, raises Red as “Rachel” in a life of comfort, until her life becomes unravelled when she turns sixteen. As she searches for the truth about her parents — specifically who her mother might have been — Red is soon forced to flee to London.

There, she uses her skills to survive and follow a trail that will hopefully lead her to the truth of her family, and so much more. The Square of Sevens is a lengthy and dense historical mystery novel full of intrigue, delivering constant twists and turns that keep the reader on their toes.

Buy a copy of The Square of Sevens here!

Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens

Lucky Red is a sapphic historical novel set in the American Wild West of the late 19th century. Our protagonist, Bridget, is a beautiful young redhead whose childhood was plagued with bad luck, to say the least. Bridget was raised by her dumb and useless father, who sold their house for next to nothing. Then, out on the dusty road together, the father and daughter take shelter where he is bitten and killed by a rattlesnake.

Alone, Bridget wanders until she reaches the frontier town of Dodge, Kansas. There, her luck changes as she is taken in by the good and kind women of the Buffalo Queen brothel, where she works and finds a community. She takes to sex work easily, enjoys the gift of food and shelter, and builds a solid bond with the other women at the Queen. And soon enough, she comes to realise that, while men are her work, women are what she loves and craves.

Lucky Red is an exciting historical novel about sex, lust, love, and the bonds between women in small communities where the world is a dangerous, difficult place.

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Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko is a sincerely beloved novel; an epic family saga that takes the reader on a soulful journey through early 20th century Korea and Japan. Four generations of a Korean family take us through their lives in the midst of the tragic and tumultuous annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire.

Today in post-empire Japan, many zainichi Koreans continue to live, descended from those Koreans who were forced to move to Japan in the years leading up to World War II.

We begin with Sunja, a young and poor Korean who is pulled mercilessly in different directions by the actions and choices of men. As we read, we travel from rural, coastal Korea to both the highest and lowest parts of Japanese society. Pachinko is an incredible family saga and one of the best historical fiction books of all time.

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Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid

Lady Macbeth is Ava Reid’s feminist reimagining of both Shakespeare’s iconic character and the events of the play itself. Reid’s Lady M, Roscille, is a young French princess who has been sent by her father to marry the Thane of Glammis. There, she is met with brutality—both in the desolate landscape and in the men who roam the halls of Macbeth’s castle. Young and savvy, she must find a way to survive amongst all this hopelessness.

Roscille is believed to be witch-kissed, cursed to doom any man who lays eyes on her; and so she is constantly veiled and behaves in a reserved manner. But she is also savvy, and she will use her intelligence to do more than just survive. She will come to understand and tame this blood-soaked landscape and the murderous men who wage wars on it.

Roscille is a far cry from Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth. Rather than being the power-hungry puppetmaster, poking and prodding at her cowardly husband, she is a woman out of her depth who must learn to bend this place and its men to her will. Calling this a feminist retelling is a little misleading, since Lady M has always been a beacon of feminine strength. Instead, Roscille is simply a different kind of heroine; one a little more true to history, perhaps.

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers, and rightly so. Her novels set a standard for fiction that is hard to match.

Beloved, one of her most celebrated books, was written in 1987 and set in 1873, after the end of the American Civil War. Our protagonists are former slave Sethe and her teenage daughter Denver. Their home is haunted by a ghost which they believe to be that of Sethe’s own eldest daughter.

When a former slave from the same plantation on which Sethe once worked, a man named Paul D, turns up at their home, he drives the ghost away. Paul D then invites the mother and daughter to a carnival, and when they return home, a young woman named Beloved is waiting for them on their front porch.

Beloved is a story of slavery, of its traumas and the ways in which it defines a person, their family, and their community. It is a classic of American fiction, a true masterpiece, and one of the very best historical fiction books.

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Finger Bone by Hiroki Takahashi

Translated from the Japanese by Takami Nieda

Novels about World War II are a dime a dozen. Some are excellent; some are forgettable and even offensive (looking at you, John Boyne, you terrible, terrible writer). Finger Bone is one of those rare novels that transcends its genre. This is a masterpiece of Japanese war fiction that encourages us to wrestle with that age-old question: where is the good in war?

Our protagonist is a young, nameless Japanese soldier in Papua New Guinea. As this short novel progresses, we watch him make and lose friends, connect with frightened locals, and survive injury and illness.

Taking place partly in a field hospital and partly in the thick of the jungle, Finger Bone is wonderfully reminiscent of the poems of Wilfred Owen. A raw tale about the darkest, bleakest moments of warfare. This is about innocent men suffering fatal wounds, struggling to overcome malaria, forging bonds, and watching those bonds get cut in the blink of an eye.

Few war novels have such a raw, powerful, painful effect on the reader as Finger Bone does, and it does so in such a short space of time. Read it in one sitting, and it’ll change you forever.

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For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on My Little Pain by Victoria MacKenzie

Easily one of the most raw, beautiful, and poetic historical fiction books you’ll ever read, For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on My Little Pain is a true triumph of feminist literature. This 160-page novel tells the story of two medieval women who existed at the same time, both of whom wrote two valuable texts that were almost lost to time — one of which was the first known book written in English by a woman.

Julian saw a series of visions of Christ at a young age. This, and the loss of so many loved ones to disease, led her to become an anchoress, locked away in a church cell for decades. In this holy and revered, but dismal and oppressive role, Julian hears the stories and confessions of those who visit her window.

Margery, a younger woman, has also seen visions of Christ, and even takes to the street to share them with the public. This behaviour is risky, and makes her a villain to friends and strangers alike. A truly beautiful piece of feminist historical fiction, this novel is one-of-a-kind and a must-read, whether you’re a fan of historical fiction books or not.

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Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill

For their debut novel, Scottish author decided to write a spiritual sequel to Frankenstein. That kind of choice takes guts to make, but C.E. McGill proved they could do it.

Set in the 1850s, at a time of scientific change and advancement in Europe, Our Hideous Progeny follows Victor Frankenstein’s great niece, Mary. She and her husband are desperate to make names for themselves in the world of science — specifically geology and palaeontology.

At a time when the newly-discovered fossils of prehistoric creatures have taken the world by storm, for a woman to discover that her great uncle, mad though he may have been, might have been able to reanimate a dead thing and conquer death, is a very exciting thing to learn.

Mary and her husband Henry also have their own marital issues. She lost a newborn child and he has been secretly gambling away their money instead of dealing with his grief. Then there’s the subtly growing friendship, and potentially romantic bond, between Mary and her husband’s younger sister.

Our Hideous Progeny is a novel that juggles so much — speculative science, gothic themes and atmosphere, whispers and backstabbing, betrayal and hope and, perhaps most importantly, dinosaurs.

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At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop

Translated from the French by Anna Moschovakis

At Night All Blood is Black, which won the International Booker Prize in 2021, is a heartrending historical novel by Senegalese-French author David Diop. This World War I novel tells the story of Alfa, a Senegalese man stationed in the French trenches.

When the novel opens, Alfa is cradling the dying body of his friend Mademba, whose body has been torn open. From here, At Night All Blood is Black uses the backdrop of trench warfare to explore the relevant themes of racism, humanity, and masculinity.

This is a story of binaries: the in-group and out-group; us vs. them; Black and white; hero and coward. This is a French historical novel that explores the toxic side of male camaraderie and how racism continues to live and thrive even while staring death in the face.

While you do need a steeled mind and a strong stomach to read it, At Night All Blood is Black is certainly one of the best historical fiction books of recent years.

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The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

Jessie Burton’s debut novel, The Miniaturist, remains her most beloved and successful novel; a piece of historical fiction that propelled her into the realm of admired and respected contemporary British authors. Set in Amsterdam, 1686, at the height of the Dutch East India Company’s power, The Miniaturist follows Nella, the young wife of the successful merchant trader Johannes Brandt.

As a wedding gift, Brandt presents Nella with a detailed and beautiful miniature copy of their home, which she is invited to decorate and add to by visiting an enigmatic local miniaturist who will provide what she needs.

The Brandt home is one of secrets and paranoia. Johannes’ sister Marin also lives there, and she is a particularly venomous and closed-off woman whom Nella is fearful of. As revelations come to light and Nella begins to understand her husband and his family better, her world begins to shift and fall off its axis.

The Miniaturist is an exciting, exhilarating read, defined by its twists and revelations. One of the most successful historical novels of this century, and for good reason.

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Ithaca by Claire North

Renowned author of science fiction novels Claire North (pseudonym of Catherine Webb) turned her attention to Greek history and mythology to bring us a feminist retelling with Penelope, wife of Odysseus, at its heart. Odysseus has been absent for eighteen years. He sailed with an army to fight in the Trojan War, and while other leaders and warriors returned, he never has. And so, the suitors have come knocking.

As she sits and weaves a funeral shroud, Penelope is inundated with suitors looking to marry her and take Odysseus’ place on the throne of Ithaca. Her son, Telemachus — who never knew his father — insists that Odysseus will return, and raiders are threatening the delicate peace of Penelope’s kingdom.

The story of Ithaca is told by the goddess Hera, and she provides us with a host of colourful, mostly female, characters, fleshing out the world of Ithaca and the life of Penelope. Ithaca is an excellent piece of Greek mythology retold with a feminist twist, and one of the best historical fiction books of recent years.

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The Bewitching by Jill Dawson

Written by renowned author Jill Dawson, The Bewitching is a literary historical novel based on real events which took place in the Cambridgeshire village of Warboys in the late 1500s.

After village local Alice Samuel visits her new neighbours, the Throckmortons, she is inexplicably accused of witchcraft by their daughter Jane, who has recently been suffering from fits. Though her accusation is strange and baseless, it planets a seed, and the family begin to wonder if Alice has in fact somehow cursed Jane and other members of the Throckmorton family.

We watch their suspicions grow through the eyes of their faithful maid, Martha, while also occasionally turning to Alice to better understand her life, her husband, and the village itself. This is a beautiful literary novel about paranoia, suspicion, patriarchy, and power; one of the smartest and best historical fiction books of recent years.

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The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Historical fiction, by its definition, can take us almost anywhere in time, but many often focus on more recent centuries.

Ken Follett’s colossal historical epic, The Pillars of the Earth, takes us all the way back to 12th century Britain. Its sequels jump forward in time until we reach the Elizabethan period. Despite its setting, the town of Kingsbridge, being fictional, many of the novel’s other elements are factual and delightfully detailed.

This is a novel that follows the building of a cathedral in the aforementioned town, and is set against a civil war known as the Anarchy, which was fought between England and Normandy. The war lasted for fifteen years and serves as the backdrop for this novel, with many historical events, such as the infamous sinking of the White Ship, being captured in this novel.

Much like Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall, this is a novel that dramatises the politics and people of a time in British history that is so far from us today, it almost feels like legend. An incredible epic, and one of the most beloved and successful historical fiction books to have ever come out of the UK.

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The Manningtree Witches by A.K. Blakemore

The Manningtree Witches, one of my own personal favourite novels, begins in 1643, in a place almost devoid of men, after so many went off to fight in the English Civil War. We follow Rebecca West and her bitter mother Beldam West, as they come face-to-face with the Witchfinder General.

This is a novel which reveals the blackest hearts of men and the true power and reason behind the witch hunts of Europe and America. But The Manningtree Witches is also a novel about family ties and female friendships; about the power of community bonds in the face of oppression.

We follow a battle between the powerful and the vulnerable, the men and the women, the suspicious and the suspect, the strong and the weak. The Manningtree Witches is a beautiful short novel about patriarchy, written with wit and strength and stunning language that evokes the time period perfectly. One of the most poetically beautiful and best historical novels you’ll ever read.

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The Glutton by A.K. Blakemore

A.K. Blakemore’s second historical novel continues her immaculate trend of injecting poetry into prose, and writing tales of tragedy and hardship with so much beauty and elegance.

The Glutton is based on the real-life story of Tarare, a young Frenchman born near Lyon in the year 1772. When the novel begins, Tarare is in his late twenties and on his deathbed, telling his tale to a nun who believes him an offence; an abomination, but who is curious enough to listen and learn about The Bottomless Man.

Tarare is said to have been a scrawny man with an unslakable hunger; a man who gained fame by publicly eating live animals, household objects, and possibly even a human child. All of this hearsay is injected into the novel, and we read on as Tarare is born, raised, leaves home, and wanders headlong into the French revolution.

The Glutton is a stunningly written tale full of gruesome events, visceral language, and unforgivable acts. But it’s also a politically-charged tale of class and poverty. This is the unbelievable tale of a young man growing up, being beaten and abandoned, finding a family, and witnessing a revolution. Easily one of the best historical fiction books of recent years.

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The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai

For fans of Pachinko (above), The Mountains Sing is a sweeping family saga set against the tumultuous and disastrous backdrop of change and war in 20th century Vietnam. Here, we follow the Tran family across decades of political shifts, beginning with their relocation from their own rural farm to the city of Hanoi during the rise of Communism.

This leads to the beginnings of the Vietnam War, which tears the Tran family apart as some of the men travel to Ho Chi Minh to bear arms and fight. Nguyen Phan Que Mai herself has discussed the difficulties of writing this novel in English, and the pride she felt in writing something so comprehensive.

She has mentioned how the family’s matriarch is the grandmother she had always wished for, and how this novel was born from her own experiences living through the Vietnam War. A wonderfully personal tale, but also one that takes us across generations and landscapes, painting a vivid and uncomfortably real image of 20th century Vietnam.

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The Adventures of China Iron by Gabriela Cabezon Camara

Translated from the Spanish by Fiona Mackintosh and Iona Macintyre

Another favourite of mine, The Adventures of China Iron is a unique kind of historical novel; one that prioritises queer joy in the face of patriarchy. Set against the wild and rugged landscape of 19th century Argentina, this is the story of a young woman, after all hope has left her, finding love and adventure in spite of the odds.

The titular China Iron was abused. She married and sired the child of a singer who left her. She gave that child up. Now, she is alone on the road, with nothing to her name.

As her true story gets underway, China is picked up on the road by a Scottish woman named Liz, who is looking to make her fortune in this new and mysterious land. Soon after their journey begins, China begins to crave Liz. She is a woman who feels a great deal – she lusts and yearns; she wants to love and be loved.

The Adventures of China Iron is a proudly queer and feminist book that, rather than getting angry, laughs in the face of the rigid, conservative, patriarchal status quo.A wonderful adventure across a picturesque landscape, a tale of queer and feminist liberation, and one of the best historical fiction books you’ll ever read.

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The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff

Lauren Groff’s intensely emotive and visceral novel about a nameless English girl taken across the ocean to the New World, only to continue her life of servitude and confront both deathly cold and famine, before escaping into the wilderness, is one of the most immersive historical novels you’re ever likely to read.

This is a transportive novel that is light on plot. Instead, it simply places us in the mind of a girl in the 17th century who has fled her colonialist settlement in the dark of night. We follow her as she battles the cold and her own hunger, as she marvels at the natural world, and as she muses on her relationship to her land, her people, and her faith.

Through flashbacks, we learn about her life in London, the people she served, and what happened to cause her to flee. Groff’s language stuns and immerses; it is harsh and poetic. This is a truly immersive and transportive tale of survival, fear, grief, and god. A difficult read but a sincerely stunning one.

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The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper

When we think of Pompeii, most of us think of its destruction by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, but here in The Wolf Den, Elodie Harper presents us with the Pompeii that was. The Wolf Den tells the story of a brothel and a woman named Amara, sold after the death of her beloved father. This is a story of one woman’s survival; Amara uses her own wits, wiles, and strengths to live against the odds.

The Wolf Den is a staggeringly successful piece of historical fiction that explores the unique strengths of a woman, rather than painting her as strong by the archetypal male standards and frameworks.

This is a book that puts the spotlight on sex workers, reminding us of their strengths, their tenacity, their fight. It’s also a novel about friendship, as Amara makes friends for different purposes, as cynical means of survival and also as bonds to keep herself and others alive and proud. The beginning of an epic trilogy, The Wolf Den is one of the most refreshingly unique and spirited historical fiction books out there.

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The Court Dancer by Kyung-sook Shin

Translated from the Korean by Anton Hur

Based on a true story — set in the final years of 19th century Korea as China, Russia, and Japan are threatening the nation trapped between them — The Court Dancer is a love story. This is the romantic tale of a man and a woman from two different worlds, colliding in a moment of beauty.

And while that is true, this is also the tale of a woman born without a family, adopted into the courts of the Joseon Dynasty, romanced by a French diplomat, and whisked away across the waves to foreign shores. All the while, she is trying to find the time to understand who she is, what she is, and what she wants out of a life that has never really been hers.

Written by one of South Korea’s most beloved and celebrated authors, The Court Dancer is a story about the commodification of cultures, their art, and even their own people. It is about the ways in which colonists and powerful men wilfully forget the humanity of those they treat like toys and property.

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Mary and the Birth of Frankenstein

Translated from the Dutch by Laura Watkinson

Mary and the Birth of Frankenstein is a dedication to the life and the genius of Mary Shelley by Dutch author Anne Eekhout, set across two different summers during the teenage years of the Frankenstein author’s life. The first of these summers is 1812, when Mary was only fourteen. The second is 1816, the infamous summer spent at Lake Geneva with her husband and their friend Lord Byron.

That summer of 1816 led to the creation of Frankenstein, as the group challenged one another to write horror stories and read them by the fire. We spend time with Mary as she deals with the loss of her first-born child and the fear that her newborn son William might share the same fate.

The summer of 1812 was spent in Dundee, where Mary bonded with a grief-stricken girl of her own age. The two became fast friends, and that friendship eventually blossomed into something far more romantic and intense. We read about this summer in a series of journal entries from the young Mary herself.

Mary and the Birth of Frankenstein is a gorgeous piece of gothic historical fiction about a young woman dealing with loss, learning about herself, falling in love, and so much more, all before she ever wrote her masterpiece.

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The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk

Translated from the Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones

Set in 1913, Nobel Prize-winner Olga Tokarczuk’s brilliantly feminist tale of historical horror, The Empusium, follows a young Polish man named Wojnicz, who is suffering with tuberculosis and so has arrived at a treatment centre up in the mountains of Germany. During his stay, he talks with the other men, many of whom often enjoy discussing how women are inferior in both body and mind.

But early in the novel, the wife of the centre’s owner is found dead, presumably by suicide. Her death leads to a series of strange events, and compounds the conversations being had by the men there. These men also imbibe a strange concoction that does strange things to their minds. The story becomes more unhinged as the absence of women is felt so strongly. Another work of genius by Tokarczuk.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Written by Australian author Markus Zusak, The Book Thief is his most successful and celebrated novel. If you haven’t read this novel, you might have seen its very good film adaptation, starring the charismatic Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson. Narrated by Death itself, The Book Thief follows the life of a young German girl named Liesel.

Similar to Hans Fallada’s Alone in Berlin, this is a novel about ordinary German civilians looking on helplessly as their country becomes corrupted by the spread of fascism. The novel begins with Liesel losing her brother and being adopted by a kindly couple: Hans and Rosa, before befriending a local boy named Rudy.

The book’s name comes from Liesel’s small act of rebellion as she saves a book from a bonfire as the Nazis engage in their infamous book-burning. This is a dense and engrossing novel full of heart; a strikingly human piece of historical fiction.

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The Corset by Laura Purcell

Laura Purcell is an incredible British author who brings so much life to the genres of gothic, horror, and historical fiction, and The Corset remains her sharpest work. A dual narrative split between a young wannabe scientist from a middle-class family and an incarcerated girl who believes she has magically murdered several people, The Corset is a dizzying and exquisite historical novel.

The narrative of this book shifts back and forth between the interviews and life events of one woman, and the biographical flashbacks of the other, as she explains how she ended up in prison with the label of “murderess”. The question of whether or not anything supernatural at all is going on is such an alluring one. The Corset is a true page-turner and one of the best historical fiction books of today.

Enticing, mysterious, enigmatic, and engrossing, The Corset is a novel that encompasses many different genres, and it does so with flourish and expertise.

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The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell

Laura Purcell has been writing excellent gothic, horror, and historical novels for a while, but her fifth foray into the genre — The Whispering Muse — might be her masterpiece. Set in a West End theatre during the 19th century, The Whispering Muse follows a young woman named Jenny who has been hired as the dresser for the theatre’s lead actress.

But Jenny has been hired under the condition that she keep a close eye on Lilith, whom the wife of the theatre’s owner believes cannot be trusted. As she gets closer to both the owner’s wife and the talented actress Lilith, Jenny finds that her loyalties are torn.

Making things more difficult is the rumour that Lilith is in possession of a cursed item, and has made a deal with tragic muse Melpomene in order to secure success as an actress. The Whispering Muse is a daring and dark novel, even amongst other great gothic novels. It plays with the reader and the characters in ways only a gothic novel can.

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The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Colson Whitehead’s masterpiece The Underground Railroad won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the Arthur C. Clarke Award. This is an amazing piece of American historical fiction that reimagines the titular Underground Railroad as an actual underground network of train lines.

We follow Cora, a slave in the 19th century American South, who escapes her Georgia plantation with the help of fellow slave Caesar. The pair hunt for the Underground Railroad and encounter both friends and enemies along the way. They commit desperate deeds to ensure their survival.

This is an incredible work of American historical fiction that has since cemented Colson Whitehead as one of the great American writers of the 21st century.

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Regeneration by Pat Barker

Arguably best known for her feminist retelling of the Trojan War, The Silence of the Girls (below), Pat Barker also penned an illuminating trilogy of books about World War 2: the Regeneration trilogy. Written in the early 1990s, this trilogy of historical novels consists of Regeneration, The Eye in the Door, and The Ghost Road.

Inspired by the lived experiences of her own grandfather, a World War I soldier, Regeneration explores the effects of war on the minds of those soldiers that live through it. Regeneration also features fictionalised versions of real-life WWI poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Own.

Set in Craiglockhart War Hospital in Edinburgh, this is an anti-war novel that follows psychiatrist Dr. W.H.R. Rivers, as well as the aforementioned Sassoon and Owen, as soldiers in the hospital are being treated for PTSD (what we once called shell shock). Regeneration and its sequels remain some of the best historical fiction books of all time.

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The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

Pat Barker’s harsh but illuminating feminist historical novel retells the story of Homer’s classic The Iliad from the perspectives of ordinary people, rather than heroes. The Silence of the Girls retells the story of the Trojan War from the perspective of Briseis — queen turned captive turned prize for Achilles as one of many spoils of the war.

Pat Barker has a knack for taking eras and stories that typically focus on the masculine and the heroic, and putting the focus instead on the tragedy of it all. She did it with Regeneration and World War I (above), and she’s done it again with The Silence of the Girls.

This is one of the most powerful classic retellings you’re ever likely to read; a novel that highlights the darkest, most desperate, most deplorable acts of warfare. A feminist piece of historical fiction of the highest calibre.

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The Leviathan by Rosie Andrews

Set in 1643, during the English Civil War, The Leviathan is a creeping, gothic piece of historical fiction that will have you gripping the pages like the wheel of an out-of-control car.

Our narrator protagonist, Thomas Treadwater, is a young man who has returned from the war to his father’s rural farm. His younger sister is rather out of sorts because she believes that their new servant has been seducing and manipulating their ageing father.

On occasion, chapters shift forward to Thomas as an old man, married and comfortable, but haunted by something in his house. Something which he must periodically feed and watch over.

The Leviathan is Laura Purcell meets Stuart Turton with a glorious and delightful campness and atmosphere reminiscent of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. One of the most fun and thrilling historical novels you will ever get your hands on, and one that you’ll definitely tear through at pace.

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Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

To consider that American author Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing is a debut novel is simply mind-blowing. This is an extraordinary debut work of fiction, the kind you so rarely see. Homegoing is an enormous epic novel which spans continents and decades, generations of lives and the entire history of the United States.

Homegoing begins with two sisters, and the threads which lead on from their lives. These are lives that they had next to no control over, and yet shaped not only what they would become, but what the generations that followed would be. From Ghana to the US, this incredible novel by an extraordinary Black writer is one-of-a-kind, and a real masterpiece of American historical fiction.

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Briefly, A Delicious Life by Nell Stevens

Nell Stevens’ debut novel, Briefly, A Delicious Life, is one of the most sensual, sexy, and satisfying historical novels you’re ever likely to read. Similar to Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet (above), this novel places a celebrated male artist at the centre but focuses its attention instead on those sorely overlooked people who surrounded him.

Here, that artist is Chopin, who has contracted consumption and has come to Mallorca for rest and recovery. With him is French author George Sand, with whom Chopin has been having a love affair. Our narrator, however, is the ghost of a young girl who died five hundred years earlier, haunts their new home, and quickly becomes smitten with the beautiful George Sand.

She haunts the Charterhouse and admires Sand from the shadows, digging into her memories and learning more about her — the masculine clothes she wears and the male name she has adopted. Briefly, A Delicious Life is a beautiful historical novel that revels in pleasure: sexual desire, feminine sensuality, delicious food, beautiful scenery.

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The North Water by Ian McGuire

The often overlooked The North Water is a brutal piece of historical fiction; a must-read for fans of Jack London’s novel The Sea Wolf. Set aboard a British whaling vessel called the Volunteer, this is a simple novel about brutality, depravity, and the ways in which the harshness of nature and humanity can be hard to tell apart.

Aboard this ship, disgraced and broke ex-army surgeon Patrick Sumner must face the inhuman terror of harpooner Henry Drax, a brute who delights in bloodshed. The North Water isn’t for everyone; echoing the brutal tone and style of Cormac McCarthy, this is a novel of intensity and aggression. A one-of-a-kind historical novel.

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The Key in the Lock by Beth Underdown

The Key in the Lock is an exciting and relatively unique piece of historical fiction, in that it is a drama which doubles as a compelling murder mystery story.

The Key in the Lock is a narrative that is split chronologically. We follow both the adult Ivy, who lost her son in the Great War, and the child Ivy of the late Victorian period, emotionally scarred by a dreadful fire. The mystery of the novel surrounds the fire itself, the boy who died in that fire, and the reasons behind it.

As a child, Ivy was the daughter of the village doctor. When the fire broke out, she and her father were called to the big house, and became tangled in the web of lies surrounding the cause of the blaze.

As an adult, Ivy has not only lost her son, but her husband is also incredibly sick, and as we flit back to the past we see how she and her husband’s relationship initially began. The Key in the Lock is a shining example of both historical British fiction and the legacy genre of murder mystery novels.

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Atonement by Ian McEwan

Not only is Atonement the greatest literary achievement of Ian McEwan’s career, it also received a staggering and beautiful film adaptation from director Joe Wright. Wright is known for his adaptations of literary works, which also include Pride and Prejudice and Anna Karenina, but his talents shone brightest with Atonement.

McEwan’s historical novel moves from pre-war England, into World War II, and ending in 1999. Our narrator-protagonist is Briony, who is writing the novel at age 77. We spend time in her pre-war childhood and learn about her relationships, the lies she tells, and the mistakes she must live with.

We also watch her grow up through World War II, and see how the actions of her childhood continue to reverberate throughout her life, and the lives of those around her. An intimate, sensitive, and provocative novel, Atonement remains one of the very best historical fiction books ever written.

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The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

The Pull of the Stars made a huge splash upon its release, rightly so, and is now unquestionably Emma Donoghue’s most successful novel. The Canada-based Irish author penned a story of love in a time of war and disease. Set in a Dublin hospital during World War I, as the Spanish Flu slowly ravages the British Isles, Julia Power is a nurse who must help young mothers and comfort those stricken by this strange new illness.

Over the course of just three days, Nurse Power meets two women — one on the lam and the other a new volunteer — and their stories tangle together into a kind of melody that sings louder and louder as The Pull of the Stars progresses. A unique book amongst war-based narratives, this is a claustrophobic and intimate tale that ranks highly amongst even the very best historical fiction books.

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Haven by Emma Donoghue

Following the massive success of The Pull of the Stars (above), Donoghue dug even further back in time to the 7th century. Haven is a historical novel that tells the story of the founding of Skellig Michael, an isolated island off the coast of Ireland. Today, Skellig Michael is perhaps best known for its use in The Last Jedi as the place where Luke Skywalker retreated into hiding.

In the 7th century, however — as Donoghue tells it in Haven — the island was discovered by a priest and two monks after the priest experienced a prophetic dream. Haven is the story of that dream and the subsequent journey the three men undertook. A beautiful tale of faith and discovery, Haven is a truly unique novel amongst the best historical fiction books.

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North Woods by Daniel Mason

North Woods is a literary piece of historical fiction that traces the life of the United States via the history of a single home and the many people who occupy it over the course of four centuries.

We begin with a runaway couple of Puritans who make a home for themselves in a New England log cabin. Soon enough, the husband is gone and the wife, now elderly, helps a woman and her child escape capture. Jumping forward several decades, the house becomes the home and livelihood of an English soldier who swaps his rifle for a shovel and grows a successful apple orchard.

After this, we follow his daughters, then the lonely life of a lovelorn painter, and so it goes until we reach the present day. And many of these interconnected stories of lives lived are written in an epistolary style: journals, letters, reports, newspaper clippings, and more. A stunning work of literary historical fiction.

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The Revolt by Clara Dupont-Monod

Translated from the French by Ruth Diver

French historical novel The Revolt retells the story of the 12th century queen of France and England, the legendary Eleanor of Aquitaine. This short novel covers the majority of her life, and injects the narrative with themes and an atmosphere reminiscent of Mantel’s Wolf Hall and Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

But what makes The Revolt so smart in its telling is the novel’s narrative perspective. The Revolt is told to us by Richard Lionheart, son of Eleanor. This tight and pacey medieval epic begins with Richard painting a vivid picture of his mother: her opportunistic mind and her venomous words.

Eleanor of Aquitaine is married to Henry Plantagenet, king of England, and she has just decided to gather three of her sons and start a revolt against her own husband, their father. The Revolt is one of the very best historical novels. It succeeds at everything that makes a novel great.

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo follows the story of Monique Grant, an unknown magazine reporter chosen by reclusive Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo to write her biography.

As Monique delves into Evelyn’s glamorous and scandalous life, she uncovers tales of ambition, friendship, and forbidden love spanning from the 1950s to the 1980s.  As the two women form a connection, it becomes apparent that their lives intersect in tragic and irreversible ways.

This captivating historical novel takes readers on a journey through the glamour and depravity of old Hollywood, exploring the harsh realities of fame and the struggle of confronting the truth, no matter the cost. This is an American historical novel that really took the world by storm upon its release, and for good reason. It remains a captivating tale and a must-read.

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The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld

Interweaving three narratives, set in three time periods, The Bass Rock is a gothic historical novel about family, duty, mental health, and patriarchal oppression.

Our first thread takes place in the modern day, with Viv — a grieving woman with a lot of trauma and an attachment to alcohol — having been tasked with clearing out her family home in Scotland. The home was once inhabited by her grandmother, Ruth.

In her own narrative — set in the aftermath of World War II — Ruth is married to a widower, is playing stepmother to his two sons, and is also grieving the recent loss of her brother. Our third narrative thread carries the reader back to the 18th century, with a woman named Sarah having been accused of witchcraft by her local village, and running for her life with the help of a vicar and his son.

The unravelling of these threads leads to a haunting, twisted, gothic narrative about oppression, toxic masculinity, vulnerability, and abuse. The Bass Rock is dark, unsettling, and tied together with incredible writing and plotting. An exquisite piece of historical fiction.

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The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks

One of those rare novels that blends multiple genres with a seamless kind of grace, The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands is a dark, horror-tinged work of fantastical historical fiction. The novel is set entirely (or more-or-less entirely) aboard the Trans-Siberian Express at the end of the nineteenth century. But in this alternate history, Siberia is a dangerous and strange land in which monsters dwell and an illness can warp the minds of unsuspecting people.

Our protagonists are a Russian woman with ties to the train company, a young Chinese orphan who knows nothing but the train, and a disgraced English naturalist. As they journey from Beijing to Moscow, the three encounter dangers and mysteries, and we learn more and more about the train itself and the dangers that lay beyond it, out in that so-called “wasteland”.

Claustrophobic and foggy, The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands is a tantalising work of fantastical, gothic, alternative history. It keeps mystery at its core in order to make itself a real page-turner, but it is also full of heart, as we come to know and attach ourselves to these three likeable protagonists.

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Canadian author Margaret Atwood made a name for herself with her 1985 novel The Handmaid’s Tale, a modern classic that will live on forever. She has also proven herself adept at writing speculative science fiction, as well as historical fiction. Alias Grace, winner of Canada’s Giller Prize and shortlisted for the Booker Prize, is a fictionalised account of the real-life murders of Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper Nancy Montgomery in 1843.

Through retelling and fictionalising this story, Atwood created the character of Dr. Simon Jordan, who interviews our protagonist, Grace Marks, who has been convicted and imprisoned for the murders. The interview takes us through Grace’s life as Jordan searches for proof that Grace is not a criminal, but rather a hysteric.

While it isn’t her most famous novel, Alias Grace remains a beloved piece of fiction from Atwood and one of the most well-loved and best historical fiction books.

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Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman

Set during the Georgian period of UK history, Pandora is a somewhat fresh take on the genre of British historical novels, merging UK history with Greek mythology.

Our protagonist, the titular Pandora (who goes by Dora), is a young aspiring jewellery artist who lives with her oppressive uncle in an antiques shop once owned by Dora’s parents. Helen and Elijah were accomplished and respected antiquarians, but they died at a dig in Greece when Dora was a child.

Since then, her uncle has reduced the reputation of their shop to tatters by swindling their clientele with cheap tat, much to Dora’s deep disgrace and ire.

Dora’s uncle, however, has recently obtained an important find: a Greek jar (or pithos). Dora is curious about what he is up to, and is also in desperate need of inspiration for her art if she wants to find success as a jewellery designer. These two curiosities lead her to enlist the help of Edward Lawrence, an aspiring antiquarian. Together, they will learn the origins of this jar and what her uncle plans to do with it.

An exciting mystery that blends Greek history, art, and mythology with the Georgian period to wonderful effect. An essential British historical novel.

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The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

Written by celebrated Canadian author Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient is a multi-award-winning novel that also inspired a multi-award-winning film adaptation. Set during the Italian Campaign of World War II, The English Patient remains one of the most influential pieces of wartime historical fiction. The titular English patient is an assumed Englishman burned beyond recognition.

The story of The English Patient moves between our patient’s pre-burn memories and the current events set in an Italian monastery, in which he is being looked after by a Canadian nurse named Hana. Universally celebrated and dearly beloved, The English Patient is essential reading and one of the very best historical fiction books ever written.

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She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

She Who Became The Sun is a genderqueer retelling of the origin story of one of China’s most iconic historical figures: Zhu Yuanzhang, founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and a fantastic piece of Chinese historical fiction.

Set in 14th century China, She Who Became The Sun takes the story of Zhu Yuanzhang — the legendary tale of a peasant-turned-monk-turned-rebel-leader-turned-emperor — and transmutes it into a beautiful fantasy-inspired genderqueer epic.

In its first chapter, She Who Became The Sun shows us a peasant family on the brink of starvation. Though a fortune teller has told the father that his son will find greatness, the father and son are soon killed, and all that’s left is the fateless daughter.

This daughter takes the name Zhu Chongba, the name of her brother, disguises herself as a man, seeks refuge at a monastery, and from there rises up through the ranks of a rebel army as they gain power against the Mongols who currently occupy China. There are few historical novels as epic in scale and scope as this one, and the fact that it is a beautiful genderqueer story makes it all the more exciting and tantalising.

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Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Sarah Waters has made a name for herself as an author of queer historical romance novels, mostly set in or near the 19th Century. And the beefy Fingersmith is, by far, her most popular work. Serving as the inspiration for Korean film director Park Chan-wook’s masterpiece The Handmaiden, Fingersmith is a work of absolute beauty. One of the most iconic historical novels in existence.

The titular fingersmith is a London thief named Sue; an orphan and a survivor raised to steal from the rich. When her enigmatic associate, known to everyone as Gentleman, comes to her with a job, she gladly accepts. The job takes Sue to a country estate, wherein she must play the role of maid to a naive young heiress while Gentleman slowly begins to court her for a fortune that he will eventually split with Sue.

Unfortunately, Sue begins to fall in love with the rich heiress, and what follows is an incredible series of impossible-to-predict twists and turns. Fingersmith is one of the most gorgeously-written historical novels ever published. Poetic prose dances on the page. And it is a celebration of raw, queer love, to boot.

Buy a copy of Fingersmith here!

Human Acts by Han Kang

Translated from the Korean by Deborah Smith

Legendary Korean author was celebrated the world over for her daring and subversive novel The Vegetarian, which won the International Booker Prize in 2017. But it’s her experimental and bleak novel Human Acts, set amidst the Gwangju Uprising of May 1980, that presents her work at its most brazen and difficult.

The Gwangju Uprising was a moment of intense political change, as the people of South Korea rose up against their government’s military dictatorship. Our protagonist is the dead boy Kang Dong-ho, and this short novel takes us from 1980 to the present day via the people who knew him and the lives they have led.

Feverish and strange, but also raw and heart-wrenching, Human Acts stands alone amongst other best historical fiction books as something truly monumental and rewarding.

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Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

George Saunders is celebrated for his craft as a writer of short stories, but his debut novel, Lincoln in the Bardo, immediately struck a chord with readers and went on to win the Booker Prize. A bizarre and charming piece of historical fiction which I have read multiple times, Lincoln in the Bardo follows the son of Abraham Lincoln, William, as he is caught in a space between life and death.

This space, the titular bardo, is part of buddhist belief, and here is used by Saunders to explore the grief of Lincoln, and as a means of flexing the author’s craft as a storyteller. As we follow young William, we meet other ghosts caught in the bardo whom he befriends, and we also see glimpses of the world of the living, and how Honest Abe is coping with the loss of his son.

This is a beautiful and delightfully unique piece of historical fiction unlike anything else you’ll ever read. Surreal but not off-putting, this is one you’ll never forget.

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Sistersong by Lucy Holland

Upon its release, Sistersong was a very welcome surprise addition to the modern library of historical novels: a medieval novel with sprinklings of magic. Inspired by an English folktale from the era in which it’s set, Sistersong tells the tale of three siblings, all children of King Cador. Britain is divided and the Saxons are at the gate.

What sets Sistersong even further apart as a historical novel is the fact that one of the king’s three children — our three protagonists — is a transgender man. Queer people of all kinds, including my own fellow trans people, have always existed, and that should be proudly celebrated and explored through historical fiction.

Sistersong is a thrilling, political, dynamic tale of family, sisterhood, and war. A real treat amongst the very best historical fiction books.

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Outlawed by Anna North

Outlawed is an outstanding and joyous piece of American historical fiction. Set in the often romanticised and exhaustingly masculine world of the Wild West, Outlawed is a novel that tells the story of an outlaw gang of women, led by a non-binary character known only as The Kid.

Similar to The Adventures of China Iron (above), this is a queer feminist historical novel that celebrates women and non-binary people. This historical novel t emphasises joy and freedom rather than decrying the sexist state of the world.

Outlawed follows the story of Ada, daughter of a midwife who fails to get pregnant herself. Soon, she is ostracised and sent to a convent, from which she escapes, only to fall in with the Hole in the Wall gang. Ada’s story is tragic and uplifting in equal measure, with the gang itself being a true inspiration to readers looking for some fun and adventure in the best historical fiction books.

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Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

It’s challenging to make a novel as fun to read as it is hard-hitting and powerful, but Esi Edugyan has pulled it off with aplomb with her historical novel Washington Black. Washington Black is as much an adventure novel as it is a piece of historical fiction, telling the tale of a young slave boy on a sugar plantation. The titular Washington Black is owned by one brother and freed by the other.

The second brother, an inventor, takes Black as his assistant as he builds a flying machine that will free them from their plantation island. From there, the journey is fraught with perils and Washington Black must face a dangerous world alone, learning and growing along the way.

Washington Black is the perfect example of how to tell a hard-hitting story about slavery from the perspective of a young Black boy, all without sacrificing the thrill of adventure and the fun of the journey. 

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The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal

Elizabeth Macneal has become a modern legend of historical fiction, and that all began with The Doll Factory. Set in 1850s London, this historical novel follows Iris, an aspiring young painter who is asked to model for Louis Frost, on the condition that he also becomes her art tutor. Iris has also, however, become a source of obsession for the collector Silas. And it’s here that the story darkens as his obsession grows.

The Doll Factory was a breakout hit that propelled author and potter Elizabeth Macneal into literary stardom in the world of historical novels, and rightly so.

Buy a copy of The Doll Factory here!

Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal

Elizabeth Macneal’s second novel, Circus of Wonders, is very appropriately titled. What you see is what you get here.

Beginning in an English seaside village in 1866, Circus of Wonders starts with Nell, a young woman with a body covered in unsightly birthmarks. The locals ostracise her; Nell’s family patronise her. But, one day, the circus comes to town. And with it comes hope. Perhaps. Nell’s father sells her to Jasper Jupiter’s circus, but after a brief period of anger and upset, Nell comes to realise that she is happier here than anywhere else she’s ever been.

Circus of Wonders splits its narrative between Nell, Jasper, and Jasper’s brother Toby. It chronicles the circus’ rise to fame, mostly thanks to the fame that Nell quickly finds. Gorgeously written and full of vibrant, diverse characters, Circus of Wonders is a real highlight of the historical fiction genre.

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Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

Set in a plague-infested Edinburgh of the 1800s, Anatomy asks the question: What if Frankenstein was a love story? That question may be enough to reel in a crowd of readers; it was certainly enough for me, at least.

Our protagonist, Hazel, is the daughter of a wealthy family, and she has aspirations of becoming a physician. Similar to Frankenstein himself, she and her mother known death too well, and Hazel hopes to somehow conquer it. But she lives in a man’s world, and becoming a doctor isn’t easy.

Soon enough, Hazel meets Jack, a resurrection man. He spends his nights digging up bodies to sell to science, and Hazel offers to pay Jack to bring bodies to the makeshift lab she has set up in the basement of her family’s castle. From the novel’s subtitle, we know that Hazel and Jack will eventually fall in love. And there is also a wonderfully gothic, possibly supernatural villain for them to eventually go up against.

Anatomy is a true love letter to gothic fiction, and a wonderfully imaginative piece of historical fiction. Part gothic, part romance, all fun. And its sequel, Immortality, continues Hazel’s story, moving her to London and into the royal court. There, she will meet real historical figures like Lord Byron and uncover a strange society of secret individuals.

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The Foundling by Stacey Halls

Another modern legend of historical fiction, Stacey Halls made an immediate name for herself with her debut historical novel The Familiars. But it’s her second novel, The Foundling, that really cemented her legacy in the world of historical fiction books.

The Foundling begins in 1750s London, with a young girl named Bess giving up her newborn daughter to the infamous Foundling Hospital, promising to return for her when she has the money and the stability.

Several years pass by and, when Bess finally lives up to her promise, she learns that her daughter has already been retrieved from the hospital. What follows is a quiet, subtle tug-o-war between Bess and a rich, reclusive Londoner. Easily Halls’ most accomplished and beautifully-written historical novel, The Foundling is both touching and thrilling in equal measure.

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Mrs. England by Stacey Halls

Quickly following The Foundling is Stacey Halls’ third novel, Mrs England. The titular Mrs England is a rich Yorkshire woman who lives with her husband at a rural estate. Our protagonist, however, is a nurse from Birmingham who has trained and worked in London.

Unable to move abroad for work due to family responsibilities, Nurse May takes up a job caring for the four children of the England family. But Mrs England is an enigmatic source of great suspicion. This is a book that twists and turns as paranoia closes in like a fog. Both a delightfully original piece of historical fiction and a beautiful, dynamic homage to the gothic greats (most notably, Charlotte Bronte).

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The Office of Gardens and Ponds by Dider Decoin

Translated from the French by Euan Cameron

The story goes that it took legendary French author Didier Decoin fourteen years to write and perfect this most wonderful of historical novels.

Set during the Heian Period of 12th Century Japan, at a time when Kyoto – the former capital – was known as Heian Kyo, Miyuki is a fisherman’s wife. Her husband, Katsuro, is twice her age and the greatest carp-catcher in their hometown of Shimae.

After catching a batch of fine koi, Katsuro drowns. Beyond being their town’s fisherman, Katsuro was also given the job of carrying twenty koi to the capital, where they would be used by the emperor as sacred decoration in the Imperial Palace’s ponds.

Now that Katsuro is dead, his grief-stricken widow, Miyuki, must take up the task and make the month-long journey, on foot, to the capital, carrying the finest koi. What begins as a strange and exciting journey across the Japanese landscape soon becomes a fierce novel about the commodification of the poor by the rich.

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Now She Is Witch by Kirsty Logan

Set in an unspecific medieval time and place, Kirsty Logan’s Now She Is Witch is a revenge tragedy about witchcraft, patriarchy, and religious persecution. Lux is a young woman who has returned home from a sanctuary where she was being punished for some crime or misdemeanour, but she finds her home ruined and her mother killed.

Lux and her mother were cunning women who existed at the edges of society, useful to but not trusted by regular people. Now, those people have accused them of witchcraft and she has nothing left keeping her in what remains of her home.

She soon meets Else, an enigmatic young woman who is on her way to a stronghold in the north; there, she will take revenge on the local lord by killing him. Lux decides to accompany Else, given her lack of anything else to do. This is the story of women, shunned and accused and abused by the patriarchy, taking revenge on the religious and powerful men who oppress, hunt, and kill them.

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Silence by Shusaku Endo

Translated from the Japanese by William Johnston

Shusaku Endo was a Japanese Roman Catholic — a rare thing in Japan — who wrote this beautiful piece of Japanese historical fiction about faith and religious discrimination in Japan. 

Silence was also later adapted to the big screen by the legendary Martin Scorsese. Silence is set during the Shimabara Rebellion of the 17th century. It tells the story of several religious European men in Japan who were all based on real historical figures. Our protagonist is Sebastiao Rodriguez, a Portuguese priest who has come to Japan to help the Christian population who have been forced underground.

It’s a moving tale of Japanese historical fiction that builds in intensity and does a great job of staying dynamic as its writing style shifts from journals to letters to traditional narration. A beautiful piece of Japanese historical fiction that fans of the genre need to read.

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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

Adapted into a film of the same name starring Lily James, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a truly charming piece of historical fiction. Written in an epistolary style as a series of letters sent back and forth between characters, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society follows the story of Juliet Ashton.

Ashton is an author who, after the end of World War II, receives a letter from a man named Dawsey Adams, a member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which served as a cover for islanders breaking curfew during the German occupation of Guernsey.

One of the most charming pieces of WWII historical fiction, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a very charming and worthwhile read.

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The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

Translated from the Italian by William Weaver

Umberto Eco was a legend of Italian literature, beloved the world over for his fiction and his nonfiction writing. Eco wrote many incredible works of fiction, history, and political philosophy during his life, and his wisdom continues to live on. The Name of the Rose, originally published in 1980, remains Eco’s most famous work; a novel set in the medieval Italy of 1327.

A wildly clever, almost metafictional piece of historical fiction, The Name of the Rose asks readers to ponder scripture, power, and the power of literature itself. This novel is dense, placing us in a medieval abbey and asking us to familiarise ourselves with the customs and behaviours of that time and place.

On the face of it, this is a medieval mystery novel, a piece of detective fiction, but beneath all of that are intense discussions about theology. Intense but rewarding, The Name of the Rose is a classic of the historical fiction genre.

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My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

Historical fiction and horror don’t hold hands as often as you might expect. They’re both surprisingly prudish in that respect. However, American horror author Grady Hendrix got a jump on the ’80s nostalgia trend of recent years, writing a horror novel set in the 1980s that also very much feels as though it was written in 1985.

Here, Hendrix is tackling the trope of high school drama, smartly setting it in a decade when that trope was all the rage in fiction, especially movies.

Our protagonists are two best friends who (as part of a larger group of four girls), met in a clumsy way at age ten and have been mostly inseparable ever since. One night, the four of them decide to try hallucinogenic drugs and one girl, Gretchen, goes missing for the entire night. When Abby finds her best friend, she isn’t behaving right; she’s changed.

Something terrible happened to Gretchen during those few hours, and she is now constantly reliving the horrors of it while also losing control of herself, shifting, becoming unfamiliar, and even manipulating those around her. My Best Friend’s Exorcism is a frantic, dynamic, satisfying historical novel that pays homage to its era and escalates to a frightening crescendo. American ’80s nostalgia and horror done right.

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The Animals at Lockwood Manor by Jane Healey

It’s 1939 and World War II has begun. In a bid to protect the rare and valuable taxidermies of London’s Natural History Museum, 30-year-old protagonist Hetty Cartwright has been tasked with moving the animals to a rural estate where they should be safer. That estate is the titular Lockwood Manor, run by Major Lockwood and his daughter Lucy.

Lucy’s mother and grandmother were lost at once in a tragic accident, and Lucy herself is a fraught and frail thing; her father is boisterous and mean-spirited. This is a novel that crawls along slowly and purposefully, dropping breadcrumbs and feeding the mystery. Ghosts and curses are whispered about; flashbacks to Lucy’s childhood answer some questions while presenting new ones.

Hetty must contend with patriarchy, bureaucracy, and her own unavoidable magnetism towards Lucy as she becomes increasingly confused and made vulnerable by the things that go bump in the night.

Buy a copy of The Animals at Lockwood Manor here!

Cunning Women by Elizabeth Lee

Set at a period of British history when William Shakespeare was alive, King James had written a book on black magic and witchcraft, and superstition controlled the fears and actions of men, Cunning Women is a feminist tale as well as a story of forbidden love.

One of the most exciting historical fiction books of recent years, Cunning Women is set in a small village with an even smaller, broken hamlet at its edge. This dead hamlet is home to a family of cunning women who use their knowledge of herbs and the land to aid and cure the very people who fear and hate them.

The eldest daughter of this family meets and begins to fall in love with a boy from the richest family in the village. Meanwhile, her brother causes trouble and stirs up the ire of the local folk. Love, lust, hate, rage, and fear all slowly collapse into one another in this fantastic piece of British historical fiction.

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The Mad Women’s Ball by Victoria Mas

Translated from the French by Frank Wynne

Set in 1885 Paris, The Mad Women’s Ball is one of the most hyped French novels of recent years, translated expertly by the legendary Frank Wynne.

This is a short piece of feminist historical fiction inspired by the treatment of women by the European patriarchy for the past several centuries. Our first protagonist is a nurse named Geneviève who works at the Salpêtrière asylum in Paris. Geneviève is a devout believer in the science practised by Dr Charcot, who runs the asylum and is progressing psychology and psychotherapy with the hopes of healing the troubled minds of the women who enter his asylum.

Our second protagonist is Eugénie, the young daughter of a bourgeois and conservative Parisian man. Eugénie is a bold, brash feminist who has no interest in marriage and traditional gender roles. She wants to live her own life by her own rules. Her father does not like this; nor does he like the fact that she can see and hear ghosts.

Eugénie is taken to the Salpêtrière asylum by her father and brother after she convinces her grandmother that she can see the ghost of her grandfather. She proves it, too, but her father cares not whether it is true or false. Either way, she belongs in an asylum.

The Mad Women’s Ball traces only a few weeks of the lives of Geneviève and Eugénie, leading up to the titular Mad Women’s Ball, in which the patients of the Salpêtrière asylum will dance and perform for the delight of Paris’ foul gentry.

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Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver

In the world of historical novels, one can never have too many books set in lonely old houses, filled with echoes, shadows, and unhappy women. Wakenhyrst is another such gothic book, set in the marshy Fenlands of Suffolk. Wakenhyrst is an Edwardian gothic historical novel. It begins with its protagonist, Maud, as an old isolated woman.

Newspaper clippings report on the strange goings-on at the house when she was a girl, and this leads us back into her childhood and the strange occurrences she experienced. This historical novel is gothic in the extreme: Maud is raised motherless by an oppressive father; her father finds a painted medieval devil in the local graveyard; whispers abound concerning the house and the family.

Buy a copy of Wakenhyrst here!

The Lost Ones by Anita Frank

As is clear from the works of Laura Purcell (above), many of the best historical novels are gothic, horror, or supernatural in their setting. This is further proven by the success of Anita Frank’s The Lost Ones. Set after the events of World War I, The Lost Ones follows the story of Stella, an ex-nurse who lost her lover to the war. Now, she is living with her sister Madeleine on Madeleine’s impressive but daunting country estate.

Madeleine, however, is being haunted by the sounds of a child, and Stella begins to hear them, too. The mystery of who the child is (or was), and what they want, propels the mystery of this historical fiction gem forward at an incredible pace.

The Lost Ones is a historical novel of big themes; it tackles war, loss, trauma, responsibility, deception, and a lot more. It’s also a loudly feminist text, and all the stronger for it.

Buy a copy of The Lost Ones here!

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden

The Secrets of Hartwood Hall is a love-letter to Victorian literature; specifically the great gothic novels of that time period. This is a book of atmosphere, of place and space, of secrets, of paranoia and suspicion and memories. Our protagonist, Margaret Lennox, is not yet thirty but has already and recently been widowed. Now, she is returning to her previous work as a governess.

Her new place of work is the secluded Hartwood Hall, and her employer a paranoid and secretive woman named Mrs Eversham. As Margaret teaches and bonds with Mrs Eversham’s son, Louis, she becomes intrigued by her employer’s strange behaviour and the secrets of this lonely house; the reasons why locals don’t talk about it or ever see Mrs Eversham.

Margaret also develops an interest in the gardener, Paul, a village man who has a lot of love for the house and for Louis. And the more she becomes tied up in this world, the more secrets appear, and the more Margaret becomes wrapped up in them. Secrets abound in Hartwood Hall, a fantastic piece of historical fiction.

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The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel

A delightful piece of commercial WWII historical fiction, The Book of Lost Names is one of the best historical fiction books for readers looking for something light and easy but with real emotional weight. The Book of Lost Names follows Eva, a Jewish Parisian and daughter of two Polish immigrants. As the Nazis tear through Paris, Eva’s father is abducted but she and her mother escape to a small town in the shadow of the Alps.

The titular book of lost names is one that Eva creates as she forges the papers of French Jews for them to be ferried to safety across the border and into Switzerland. This is a historical novel about love and family, about safety and vulnerability, about the long-reaching effects of war and fascism.

Buy a copy of The Book of Lost Names here!

Horror is a genre like no other, and the best horror novels are the ones which frighten us in ways that others can’t, or fail to do. Horror is also a genre that can be as mindlessly grotesque, or as smartly political and allegorical, as the author chooses.

Many of the best horror novels of all time are ones that blend genres together, mixing horror with the gothic, thriller, and science fiction genres. Here, you’ll find all of that and so much more. We’ll cover the best horror novels from the far-reaches of the genre, right up to the present day. These are the best horror novels ever written, both classic and contemporary.

Must-Read Classic Horror Novels

Horror stories have existed for as long as there have been stories, with so many tales of folklore — from Europe to Japan — focussing on the monstrous and the supernatural. Here, we are focussing on the best horror novels published before the 21st Century, beginning with the early years of gothic horror.

If you wish to journey back through the history of horror literature and discover the scariest stories ever written, these are the best horror novels from the genre’s past.

Note: Some of the classic horror stories in this part of the article are short stories, rather than full novels. They have still been included because their authors were more known for short stories than for they were full novels, and they are equally important works within the horror genre.

Read More: Essential Modern Horror Novels (Not by Stephen King)

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Frankenstein is nothing short of a miracle. The origin point of science fiction, the pinnacle of gothic fiction, and a turning point for horror stories. Written by a teenage Mary Shelley, after she fell in love with renowned poet Percy Shelley and spent many nights by the fireside, sharing tales with him and Lord Byron.

This is a novel about death and abandonment. An arrogant young man cannot let go of the loss he feels when his mother passes, and so he studies science in order to conquer death itself. In secret, he searches graveyards and digs up parts of people, stitching them together into something new, into which he eventually sparks fresh life.

Upon seeing his monstrous creation, Victor Frankenstein flees, leaving the confused but intelligent creature to wander alone, frightened but eager to learn. As the creature observes people, is feared and chased away, it becomes bitter and vows revenge on its “father” for abandoning it.

Shelley’s wanton use of deliciously vibrant and gothic language leads to some truly thrilling moments of terror and fright, as the monster stalks and torments its creator. A masterpiece of the gothic, of science fiction, and one of the very best horror novels ever written; it remains perfect to this day.

Buy a copy of Frankenstein here!

The Black Spider by Jeremias Gotthelf

Translated from the German by Susan Bernofsky

Originally published in 1842, The Black Spider is the most celebrated work of Swiss author Jeremias Gotthelf. A 100-page gothic horror novella with bleak, dark religious themes. Like many other gothic works of its time, The Black Spider begins with a framing device: a community in an idyllic Swiss valley are celebrating the baptism of a newborn babe.

During the celebrations, an elderly man — who has lived in the same house in the valley all his life — is caught staring ominously at a particularly old and blackened wooden post in his home. Encouraged by the revellers around him to tell the story of the house, he gives in and begins the story proper: a tale set in the valley’s medieval period. A tale of an evil lord, his knights, and the peasants who suffer under him.

The lord’s serfs have been forced to build the lord’s castle, while their own crops suffer. And just when they think they are free to till their own soil, he gives them one last task: plant a courtyard of trees. The peasants are then tempted by the aid of a mysterious hunter, dressed all in green, who offers to help them in exchange for the valley’s next newborn child — a child which must not have been baptised.

From here, The Black Spider goes to some wild, strange, and frightening places. It’s easy to see how this novella might have inspired many of the great horror writers that appear further down this list. The Black Spider, one of the best horror novels of its age, is a dark and twisted tale with a clear message from the author: be a good God-fearing Christian, or else.

Buy a copy of The Black Spider here!

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Bram Stoker’s Dracula is another iconic starting point for horror fiction. Vampires have been a staple of Halloween thrills for decades, and that trend started here, with Dracula. While Stoker’s gothic horror masterpiece wasn’t the original vampire story, or even the first vampire novel, it is certainly the most well-known and celebrated, to this day.

This is the novel that turned the vampire into a larger-than-life hunter of humans, drinker of blood, a monster to be fought and defeated. An epistolary horror novel soaked in dread and shrouded by fear and anxiety, Dracula is a novel all about fear of the other, fear of the unknown, and feeling vulnerable and frightened.

This is the novel that firmly established the rules of vampire lore in popular culture, even down to their aesthetics and behaviour. It’s rare that one incredible novel can have such a marked impact — not only on the genres of gothic, horror, and vampire tales, but also on modern fiction in general.

Beyond all of that, Dracula remains one of the best horror novels to this day. Dense, dynamic, fuelled by panic and claustrophobia. With Dracula, Stoker explored fear of the “other”, of the outsider, of the stranger, of those who are different from us, and how that fear manifests.

Buy a copy of Dracula here!

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

While this is, in fact, a short story, rather than a full novel, there is no way to write a list of the best horror novels ever and not include the works of gothic legend Edgar Allan Poe. And Poe’s best works were his short stories (his poetry is far from top-notch, in this writer’s opinion — except for The Raven, of course). Those stories include the iconic The Fall of the House of Usher, The Black Cat, and what many consider his finest horror story, The Tell-Tale Heart.

This 1843 short story can be read in its entirety over at The Poe Museum, and it tells the story of a nameless narrator who has killed the old man they live with. The spent nights plotting the murder, and then dismembered the body and hid its pieces under the floorboards.

But their nervousness and anxiety soon manifest as a heartbeat that they can hear beneath the boards, thumping louder and louder. Eventually this drives them to the brink of madness before they finally confess, tearing up the floorboards to reveal the body.

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At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft

To this day, cosmic horror is an ever-expanding realm that continues to be explored by imaginative creators within the mediums of prose, comics, TV, film, and video games. Without Lovecraft, we likely wouldn’t have the works of Stephen King and Neil Gaiman, Batman comics as they currently exist, and so many of the best horror and sci-fi books and movies.

At the Mountains of Madness is a Lovecraft tale that is as beloved as it is epic in scope. This horror novella is set in Antarctica, and follows a geologist named Dyer as he and a team of researchers discover a lost ancient city under the continent.

Dyer’s first-person account is a warning to anyone who might be tempted to do as he did, that they should not go to Antarctica (which, incidentally, was always a fascinating place and topic for Lovecraft himself). The city they discover is millions of years old and built by the extraterrestrial Old Ones (a staple of Lovecraft’s stories), who also built strange artificial lifeforms.

This, like so many other Lovecraftian tales, evokes just as much awe, curiosity, and excitement in the reader as it does fear, dread, and confusion. It’s a special kind of horror that makes us feel dwarfed, insignificant, and invisible. And it’s for his visions of cosmic horror that Lovecraft remains one of the best horror writers of all time.

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The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

This gothic horror story is set primarily in a country house called Bly (the story served as the inspiration for Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Bly Manor Netflix series).

Bly is the home of a rich man who has been charged with caring for his niece and nephew following the tragic deaths of their parents. The nephew, Miles, is sent to a boarding school which he is eventually expelled from, while the niece is left at Bly to be cared for by our governess protagonist.

After starting her job at Bly, the governess begins to see a pair of ghostly figures in the house, and learns that they may be the ghosts of two former employees. The Turn of the Screw is a wonderfully enigmatic and alluring gothic ghost story for the ages; one of the most captivating and best horror novels of all time. This is also the horror story that cemented the governess as an iconic trope of gothic horror.

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Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu

While we can trace vampire mythology back centuries, and its origins are fascinating and captivating, Sheridan Le Fanu’s gothic horror novel Carmilla remains one of the earliest works of vampire fiction in literature. In fact, while many think of Dracula (above) as the progenitor of vampire literature — and who could blame them? — Carmilla was actually published two decades prior to Stoker’s masterpiece, and likely even inspired it.

The vampire is an inherently queer-coded thing, as are so many other aspects of gothic fiction, but Carmilla is far more confidently explicit in this regard, and that makes it stand out as a unique piece of classic horror fiction. This is an early horror novel that established, long before anyone was willing to discuss it, the fact that horror and queerness are inherently linked.

Sheridan Le Fanu also originated the concept of the “occult detective” (footsteps followed by the likes of DC Comics’ John Constantine) in the character of Dr. Hesselius. Any fan of vampire lore and mythology and classic horror fiction owes it to themself to read Carmilla — the original vampire novel.

Buy a copy of Carmilla here!

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson remains an inspiring icon of the gothic and horror genres. We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a gothic masterpiece—as is its 2018 film adaptation starring Taissa Farmiga. And with The Haunting of Hill House, which itself has been adapted to both film and TV, Jackson proved herself as much of a horror queen as she was a gothic one.

In this iconic horror novel, we follow two men (one of whom is the heir to Hill House) and two women as they spend several days and nights together in this haunted place. One of the men is a paranormal investigator, eager to prove the existence of ghosts, and as the novel goes on, secrets get revealed, history is unveiled, and things go bump in the night.

But the haunting that happens in Hill House is deeper than it first seems. While the house is certainly haunted by the aforementioned bumps in the night and ghostly apparitions, it’s the way in which the house seeps into the mind of Eleanor, our protagonist, that really unveils the true haunting nature of Hill House.

This is a haunted house novel through and through, one of the most important books of the genre; a novel that has inspired countless writers and will continue to do so. Nobody writes like Jackson did.

Buy a copy of The Haunting of Hill House here!

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

It was with the publication of this 1954 novel that the concept of the vampire began to shift and change in exciting and terrifying ways. I Am Legend also defined the presentation of plague and apocalypse in modern fiction, with a disease that has wiped out untold numbers and turned the rest of us into vampires.

One man survives, boarded up in his Los Angeles home. And over the course of the novel, he, the last human in a society of vampires, becomes the titular legend. This is a clever inversion of vampire mythology. In a world where every surviving person is now a vampire, the one human is, himself, the vampire; the legend; the hunter, the beast.

Not only is I Am Legend an inversion of the vampire mythology and a defining moment in pandemic fiction, it’s also a claustrophobic horror story about vulnerability and survival. One man must continue to survive, but to what end? What is he waiting and hoping for? That existential dread adds so much weight to this already phenomenal horror novel.

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Hell House by Richard Matheson

Richard Matheson’s Hell House feels like a perfect distillation of the haunted house concept. Four people—two psychic mediums (one of whom barely survived his last visit to the titular Hell House as a teenager) and a scientist/skeptic (along with his wife, who insisted on tagging along)—will spend a week in the former home of a rich sadist in order to prove or disprove the existence of ghosts once and for all.

Hell House is located in rural Maine and its former owner, Emeric Belasco, was a wealthy and psychopathic man who hosted hordes of sadomasochistic people to engage in lengthy parties where the most debauched and evil acts were not only permitted, but encouraged by their host. Now, the house is said to be the most haunted place in the world; a site of murder and suicide. Mysteries hang in every corner of every room in this enormous home.

What will our four investigators find here? How will it affect them? Will they survive? Will they turn on one another? If they do survive, what will be left of them, and will it all have been worth it? To find that out, take a trip to Hell House.

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Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury is best-known for his dark, dystopian 1953 novel Fahrenheit 451, a poignant and timely book about the burning of knowledge and literature. But he also wrote some incredible stories within the sci-fi, fantasy, and horror genres, including The Martian Chronicles and the iconic Something Wicked This Way Comes.

This is a kind of urban fantasy novel centred around two teenage boys and their experience with a travelling carnival that visits their small town in the American Midwest. The carnival’s leader, Mr Dark, is an enigmatic creature who allows the secret desires of the townspeople to come true, but is secretly leeching off their lifeforce.

This is one of those horror novels that can only be described by a very specific word, and the word here is sinister. The tone, motivations, and events of Something Wicked This Way Comes are all incredibly sinister, and it remains one of the best horror novels ever written.

Buy a copy here!

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

The Woman in Black follows a young lawyer named Kipps, who has been tasked with settling the estate of a reclusive old woman who died alone in her isolated home. That home, Eel Marsh House, sits at the edge of the rural coastal town of Crythin Gifford, and Kipps must journey there to attend the woman’s funeral and then spend time at her home as he sorts through her things.

However, the house stands at the end of a causeway, and the rising tide periodically cuts it off from access to the mainland, stranding Kipps there overnight. Locals are reluctant to talk about the house, given the superstitious belief that it is haunted by a ghostly woman in black, and any sighting of her precedes the death of a child.

While there, Kipps encounters the ghost, as well as other strange supernatural occurrences that reveal the history of the house and the identity of the woman in black. One of the most masterfully written horror novels of all time, The Woman in Black is the perfect haunted house story.

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The Rats by James Herbert

James Herbert was a legend of British horror fiction, beloved by other authors of the genre, including Stephen King and Neil Gaiman. Herbert wrote in an almost pulp style, his books packing an aggressive punch and getting straight to the action. Intensity and fear were what drove his fiction.

That intensity can be seen most clearly in his debut novel, The Rats, which many still consider his finest work. Herbert’s horror in its rawest form. The premise, as the title suggests, is simple: London is being overrun by rats — small black ones and impossibly giant ones — that are attacking, and even killing people.

First, the rats attack and kill unassuming drunks and homeless people, then small children and pets. Soon, they are swarming tube stations and schools; injuring, killing, and spreading disease. This book is pure nightmare fuel for anyone with a phobia of rats, but remains almost as chilling and skin-crawling for people like myself who, ordinarily, don’t give rats much thought.

Horror plays on our fears, but also our vulnerabilities, and that’s what The Rats does so hauntingly well: it makes us feel vulnerable. And that’s where true terror lies, which is why The Rats remains one of the best horror novels of all time.

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Pet Sematary by Stephen King

It is impossible to talk about the best horror novels ever and not pay particular attention to the works of Stephen King. While he has written fantasy novels and thrillers, he is best known and loved for his horror novels, and one of his best is Pet Sematary, a novel that has seen two film adaptations.

A family moves to a small Maine town with a strange secret. The woods behind the Creed family’s new home hides a burial ground which can bring the dead back to life. But those dead things do not come back the same. They are changed. They are wrong.

If you know the novel, you know the line, “Sometimes dead is better”. It sums up the novel’s tone and themes simply and eloquently. This is, without a doubt, one of the scariest novels King ever wrote, making it one of the best horror novels ever by that token.

That said, it’s also a potential tear-jerker. The idea that we can raise our pets and loved ones when they die is something many people wish for. However, this masterpiece of a horror novel shows us why sometimes, well, dead is better. A fantastic horror novel and the ultimate take on the monkey’s paw mythology.

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IT by Stephen King

IT is a colossal novel; the longest on this list and a true epic. Not only is IT a monumental horror novel; it is also a coming-of-age novel and a real piece of americanna.

We begin with a  group of young misfit kids — the Losers Club — who are being terrorised by a demonic clown who calls himself Pennywise. Pennywise hibernates for twenty-seven years, and when he rises he feeds on human fear. We also simultaneously experience the Losers Club as adults, forced to return to the town after another twenty-seven years to confront Pennywise again.

This is a novel that really wears its themes on its sleeve. There is no subtext here. This is a book about childhood fears, growing up, and puberty. Despite its controversial ending, which King has repeatedly defended, IT remains a real horror epic that spans years and presents us with fear in almost all its forms. An homage to fear itself, IT is creative and exhilerating; one of the best horror novels you’ll ever read.

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The Shining by Stephen King

An unemployed recovering alcoholic finds employment as a caretaker at the remote and imposing Overlook Hotel over the deserted winter period. The iconic protagonist Jack Torrance drags his wife and son along for company, but they aren’t the only guests at the hotel. There are guests here who don’t want the family to ever leave.

A legendary horror story about isolation and psychosis, The Shining perfectly balances is creeping dread with an upsetting combination of psychology and pure, supernatural terror.

It’s likely you’ve seen Kubrick’s beloved movie adaptation of The Shining, but the novel is a different beast. And in fact, King famously disliked Kubrick’s film. This titlating fact should be enough to entice horror fans to read the novel, even if you’ve already seen the movie. It remains one of his finest horror novels to date.

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‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

Stephen King wrote so many of the best horror novels ever. This is undeniable. But choosing the very best of the best is a tall order. ‘Salem’s Lot, however, is certainly up there at the top.

A writer returns to his hometown to finish writing his newest book in peace and quiet. That’s how this begins. However, a mysterious stranger named Kurt Barlow has recently moved into town and people are quick to notice that he is never seen when the sun is up.

‘Salem’s Lot was one of King’s earliest novels and it shows, for better and for worse. The book is languorously written, echoing the stalking menace of Barlow as he steadily corrupts the townspeople. 

A very fun twist on the vampire mythology, ‘Salem’s Lot reminds modern readers of the haunting and fearsome power of the vampire, a deadly stalker of the night. And, in case you are interested, King has also written several short stories which connect to ‘Salem’s Lot and all of them are excellent reads, arguably even surpassing the original novel.

Buy a copy of ‘Salem’s Lot here!

Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin

Overshadowed by Roman Polanski’s film adaptation, starring Mia Farrow, Ira Levin’s original novel Rosemary’s Baby remains a haunting and terrifying piece of horror fiction. In fact, this was the best-selling horror novel of the 1960s, and many consider it heavily responsible for the explosion in popularity of horror fiction in the decades that followed.

The titular Rosemary is married to a struggling actor, and the two have just moved into a New York City apartment in a building with a nasty history. Their neighbours, an odd elderly couple, welcome them to the building and Rosemary’s husband Guy takes a particular liking to them.

When Guy’s career starts looking up, he tells Rosemary — who has wanted to start a family for a while — that he finally feels ready. Rosemary suffers a nightmare in which she is sexually attacked by a monster, and she wakes up with claw marks on her skin and soon learns that she is pregnant. But the pregnancy causes her to become sick and weak.

Rosemary’s Baby is folk horror for the 20th century; a novel about bodily autonomy and individual freedoms; about oppression and control. Chilling and frightening on many levels, Rosemary’s Baby remains one of the most iconic and best horror novels of its time.

Buy a copy of Rosemary’s Baby here!

The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker

Horror fans will immediately be familiar with the iconic 1987 horror film Hellraiser, written and directed by English filmmaker Clive Barker. But Barker started out by writing novels and short stories, and his own Hellraiser film is based on a horror novella he wrote titled The Hellbound Heart.

Before The Hellbound Heart, Barker had written one full-length novel, and his novel writing career continued as he also wrote and directed various movies. The Hellbound Heart is a must-read horror story for fans of ‘80s horror, especially the iconic Hellraiser, for obvious reasons.

The novella begins with Frank, a criminal who has devoted his life to pursuing every kind of personal pleasure, no matter the cost to others. Frank chases a rumour that eventually leads him to a puzzle box which, once solved, opens a rift to a realm of sadomasochistic pleasure; home to a people called Cenobites.

The Cenobites are aesthetically disturbing things that have been warped by their own desires and behaviours. The Hellbound Heart is an iconic piece of pulp horror that is a must-read for horror fans who enjoy the more absurd roads that horror often goes down.

Buy a copy of The Hellbound Heart here!

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

Nobody, since Bram Stoker himself, has written vampires the way Anne Rice did. She single-handedly did so much for the vampire as part of modern mythology and fiction. Interview with the Vampire was Rice’s debut novel, and remains the most iconic and beloved thing she ever wrote. A piece of American gothic horror through and through.

Beginning on a Louisiana plantation in the late 18th century, before moving to New Orleans, Interview with the Vampire traces the life of a vampire who struggles with his own existence. Louis, a plantation owner, was turned by his sire, Lestat, but the two have very different approaches to their condition and their roles as vampires in the human world.

The book’s fame reached new heights with the release of its film adaptation in 1994, directed by Neil Jordan and featuring a star-studded cast that includes Tom Cruise and Brad Pit as protagonists Lestat and Louis. Anne Rice remains a shining example of how to write vampires and make them complex, sexy, and still terrifying creatures.

Buy a copy here!

Ghost Story by Peter Straub

Bram Stoker Award-winner Peter Straub was a legend of American horror. Although he collaborated with Stephen King, he was often overshadowed by his contemporaries. Straub’s most fondly-remembered and well-loved novel was the simply and eloquently named Ghost Story.

This was the novel that saw Straub enter the mainstream, and like many great horror novels of its time, it was given the big screen adaptation treatment.

Ghost Story follows a group of four elderly men who have been good friends for fifty years, and have had a tradition of gathering together and telling stories. However, until recently, their group had had five members, but the fifth member was found dead in a bedroom during a party, looking as though he had been frightened to death.

From this moment, the other four men are plagued by nightmares and their investigations lead them to darkness and more death. An iconic and much-beloved book, Ghost Story remains one of the best horror novels of the 20th century.

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The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

Thomas Harris’ second Hannibal Lecter book (a sequel to Red Dragon) has become an iconic household names amongst thriller and horror novels. This is largely thanks to the phenomenal success of Jonathan Demme’s Oscar-winning film adaptation of the same name, starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins.

That film remains one of the finest book-to-screen adaptations in history, as well as one of the best crime/thriller/horror movies ever made. But Harris’ original novel shines thanks to the author’s writing, and the inspiration he took from real-life cases of monstrous American serial killers from the ’60s to the ’80s.

This is the novel that made both the iconic heroine, Special Agent Clarice Starling, and the iconic villain Hannibal Lecter household names, and Starling actually has far more wit and courage in the novel to boot. Fans of the film owe it to themselves to read Harris’ novel, and readers who have never seen it but are desperate for a blend of crime, thriller, and horror are in for a real treat.

Buy a copy of The Silence of the Lambs here!

The Taking by Dean Koontz

Speaking personally, despite not having read any Dean Koontz for many years, the author played an integral part in getting me hooked on fiction as a teenager. And Koontz’s novel The Taking remains my most enjoyable reading experience of all of his books. An eerie and discomfiting novel overflowing with dread atmosphere.

The Taking is an alien invasion novel of biblical proportions, which begins with a freak storm and rain that smells like semen. Our protagonists are a couple who are desperate to survive the creeping fog, extraterrestrial visitors, and abductions.

This novel is full of chilling moments, like witnesses abductees either screaming and crying or smiling and laughing as they are lifted into the sky. The book’s end revelation is one that will stay with you, and makes The Taking one of the most underrated but best horror novels you’ll ever read.

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Watchers by Dean Koontz

Perhaps Dean Koontz’s most beloved and well-regarded novel, especially amongst fans, Watchers is a horror novel that has stood the test of time. This is a novel about shady government facilities, secretive scientific testing, and mysteries that the novels characters and its are desperate to uncover.

Our protagonist is a man named Travis, who is one day wandering a canyon near to his home. There, he meets an intelligent dog whom he names Einstein. Einstein has escaped from a government lab which was running strange tests on him, and Travis helps the dog avoid death at the hands of another escapee: a dangerous creature dubbed the Outsider.

Travis, Einstein, and a woman named Nora whom they soon meet must evade and survive both the Outsider and government agents as they uncover the truth of what is going on. One of Koontz’s classic horror novels, Watchers is a fantastic time for horror fans.

Buy a copy of Watchers here!

Essential Contemporary Horror Novels

Horror is arguably more popular than ever before, with horror cinema having gone through several exciting trends and shifts over recent years. As for horror literature, authors from all walks of life are bringing their own cultural and social influences to the genre, meaning that horror novels are seeing such wonderful diversity.

There’s never been a better time to get into horror fiction than right now, with not only all the classics at your fingertips, but with so many incredible fresh horror authors changing the genre in new and thrilling ways. Here are the best horror novels written this century so far, from authors who are experimenting with horror and changing it forever.

Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk

American writer Chuck Palahniuk is perhaps best known for writing Fight Club, a novel often dwarfed by David Fincher’s excellent film adaptation. But Palahniuk also wrote one of the most unique horror novels you’ll ever come across; something with an overall plot that also works as a collection of terrifying tales.

Haunted follows a group of writers who are lured to a retreat, and are then locked inside an abandoned theatre and challenged to write a masterpiece. The short stories that follow, separated by chapters that focus on the main narrative, are often intensely harrowing.

The first of these stories, in fact, has become infamous amongst horror fans for being one of the most unsettling and disturbing tales of modern horror. Hopefully, this is enough to pique your curiosity and take a dip into the strange narrative that is Haunted, one of the most underappreciated but best horror novels of our time.

Buy a copy of Haunted here!

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

Joe Hill might be the son of horror legend Stephen King, but he has also proven himself to be a fearsome force of horror in his own right. His novels Horns and NOS4A2, as well as his award-winning comic book Locke & Key, have all been adapted for film and TV.

However, his debut full-length novel Heart-Shaped Box remains his most spooky and chilling story to date. Our protagonist is the retired rock star Judas Coyne, a man who has built an eclectic collection of morbid fascinations.

But he is taken by surprise when a woman reaches out to him offering to sell him an actual ghost; a temptation which Coyne cannot pass up. The ghost, the seller claims, is that of her father, and it possesses a suit which she sends to Coyne in a heart-shaped box.

After receiving the box, Coyne is soon haunted by the ghost, which proves to be angry and hostile. There must be a reason for this hostility, and for why Coyne was sent this ghost. And he needs to find out quickly, before it’s too late. Heart-Shaped Box is a thrilling horror story by one of the best authors in the business. An unmissable American horror novel.

Buy a copy of Heart-Shaped Box here!

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

This is a vampire novel like no other, lifting its name from the iconic 1922 film Nosferatu. We begin in Massachusetts, 1986, with protagonist Victoria as a young girl. Vic soon discovers that riding her bike across a covered bridge transports her to a lost thing, whatever that thing might be.

One of her journeys takes her to a library where she meets a woman with the power to predict future events using Scrabble tiles. She warns Victoria about the book’s villain: a vampiric kidnapper of children called Charlie Manx, who drives a Rolls Royce and takes stolen children to a place called Christmasland.

Eventually we will arrive in the present day, with Vic as an adult who will eventually need to face the predatory and evil Manx head-on. NOS4A2 is a fantastic novel that places its author on even footing with his father. Joe Hill is a force to be reckoned with and this is one of the best horror novels of a generation.

Buy a copy of NOS4A2 here!

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

An extraordinary work of fiction that reportedly took Due a decade to write, The Reformatory is set in Jim Crow Florida, 1950. Our protagonists are brother and sister Robert and Gloria Stephens. Robert is twelve, his mother is dead and his father chased out of country — and state — leaving his older sister to take care of him, and of herself.

When Robert defends his sister and kicks a white boy, he is sent without trial to spend six months at The Gracetown School for Boys, a hellish place where Black boys work the fields like slaves, are whipped and punished, and are often haunted by the ghosts of boys who have died there. And there are a lot of ghosts at the Reformatory.

We spend Gloria’s chapters watching her do everything in her power to get her brother out, as well as learning more about their family, their town, and the world of Jim Crow Florida. Robert’s chapters take us through the trials and tortures of life at the Reformatory, lorded over by an inhumanly cruel warden who treats the boys as his property and holds many dark secrets of his own. This is a true horror masterpiece that is about so much more than horror.

Buy a copy of The Reformatory here!

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

Translated from the Spanish by Sarah Moses

With Tender is the Flesh, Argentinian author Agustina Bazterrica presents us with a haunting vision of the future, inspired by the hidden aspects of our monstrous present.

Protagonist Tejo works at a slaughterhouse which deals exclusively in human meat. A disease supposedly tainted, and mostly wiped out, most non-human animals, and so came a period known as the Transition. This heralded a future time in which human meat production has become an accepted and necessary norm across the entire planet.

The humans that are bred for slaughter are not considered people, and are simply if awkwardly referred to as ‘heads’. The novels allegory becomes clear when we see the conditions in which these humans are kept; conditions which perfectly mirror those in which cattle are kept today.

Tender is the Flesh asks readers to consider how modern-day battery farming, and meat and dairy production, treats non-human animals. The conditions in which they are kept; the ways in which they are raised, tortured, abused, and ultimately killed.

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The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher

With The Twiseted Ones, Kingfisher has created a piece of folk horror that adds to the always enticing sub-genre of haunted house horror novels. In The Twisted Ones, the house is not haunted from within, but rather vulnerable to something that exists just a little ways outside.

Our protagonist Melissa — Mouse to her friends — has been asked by her eighty-year-old father to clean out and tidy up the home of her recently deceased grandmother. Mouse’s grandmother, who lived to be 101 years old, was a cruel woman who delighted in nastiness for the sake of it. She was also an intense hoarder.

While sorting, Mouse stumbles upon a journal kept by her step-grandfather. This sweet old Welshman died years before his bitter wife did, and his journal reveals just how twisted and cruel she was. But it also reveals that the man was unhinged; he rambles on about twisted creatures and sleeping in the woods nearby.

Mouse’s step-grandfather stayed married to this hateful woman because she somehow kept the monsters at bay, scaring away the things that go bump in the night. Those things are real, they are twisted, and they might be coming for Mouse next.

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The Boatman’s Daughter by Andy Davidson

Set in the bayou of Arkansas, The Boatman’s Daughter follows Miranda, a young woman who ferries drugs and contraband up and down the river for a monstrous priest and the corrupt local sheriff.

Ten years ago, Miranda watched her father disappear on a frightful stormy night. He had been tasked with bringing to local witch to the priest and act as midwife as his wife went through labour. The priest’s wife died, and the child was deformed, born with webbed hands and scaly skin. The priest believes he killed the newborn boy, but he has secretly lived with Miranda and the witch ever since.

Now, Miranda is ready to leave the bayou behind and take the boy with her, but she is wrangled into one last job in order to collect the money she’ll need to start a new life.

The Boatman’s Daughter is a dark, strange, claustrophobic novel full of corrupt powerful men who have been morphed into monsters. The southern gothic tone and setting blend beautifully with the poetic prose, making this a horror novel dripping with tension and strangeness.

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Whisper by Chang Yu-ko

Translated from the Mandarin by Roddy Flagg

Whisper is a Taiwanese folk horror novel set in the modern day, inspired by the darker side of Japanese and Chinese mythology. The inspiration doesn’t end with mythology, however; Whisper is also a political novel that explores the rough historical relationship between the nations of Taiwan and Japan.

Whisper’s protagonist is a drunken waste of space; a taxi driver who has all but given up on, well, everything. He and his wife are being haunted by a ghost, and that ghost succeeds in killing his wife in the very first chapter (in a visceral and very discomfiting way).

The ghost itself first manifests as the muttering voice of a Japanese girl, coming through the radio of an abandoned taxi, and its presence repeatedly leads to disaster. Whisper takes us on a journey across both space and time, to many different locations as our protagonist continues to be chased by this haunting presence.

This is one of the best horror novels ever because it gives the reader everything that a horror novel should. There’s creeping dread, body horror, twisted imagery, vivid dreams, and paranoid hauntings, as well as dense and intriguing political and historical themes to consider.

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How to Sell A Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

How to Sell A Haunted House smartly blends comedy, terror, and family drama together, creating something relatable and engaging on several levels. Our protagonist is a single mother named Louise, who is touching forty and living in San Francisco.

She learns from her brother, who lives in their South Carolina home town, that their parents have tragically and suddenly died in a car accident. Leaving her daughter in the hands of her ex, Louise returns home to organise the funeral, the wills, and to sell the home she grew up in, but the house has other plans.

At its heart, this is a tale of grief and familial bonds, as well as the inescapable traumas that families generously provide us with, to one degree or another. Smart, witty, and a brilliant reflection of sibling rivalries — both as children and as adults — this novel feels like the next step in American horror.

Fans of ghosts, demons, and hauntings will not be left disappointed, but neither will readers who love getting hooked on addictive family drama. Grady Hendrix has quickly become a big name in Amnerican horror, and for very good reason. How to Sell A Haunted House is not only his best work, but one of the best horror novels of the modern day.

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Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez

Translated from the Spanish by Megan McDowell

Written by legendary Argentinian author Mariana Enriquez, Our Share of Night is a political, cosmic horror masterpiece. This 700-page epic horror novel blends eldritch horror with americanna and dark academia to create something savvy, intensely political, and satisfyingly allegorical.

We begin in early 1980s Argentina, during a period of military dictatorship. Juan is a medium for a powerful global cult known as the Order. Now that his son, Gaspar, is showing signs of the same power his father poseeses, Juan is on the road trying to find a way to keep Gaspar away from the Order, and to give his son a better life than he was able to have.

The Order offers sacrifices to a cosmic entity known as the Darkness, and in exchange is able to maintain power and wealth, as well as eventually reach immortality.

This is a horror novel about the abuse of power, about the rich manipulating the poor and the vulnerable, about the evils of colonialism and corruption. This is a true horror masterpiece that wears its influences on its sleeve while also being so much greater than the sum of its parts. One of the best horror novels you’ll ever read.

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Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca

Everything the Darkness Eats is a modern horror novel like no other, and one which stretches LaRocca’s themes, tone, and style to their limits. Set in a small Connecticut town, we are thrown from character to character as people start to go missing — most of them elderly and disconnected.

Our main protagonists are Ghost, a man who lost his pregnant wife after a car accident, and who is haunted and tormented by a strange spirit that has attached itself to him. And Malik, a gay cop whose home and safety are being threatened when he and his husband are on the receiving end of a series of homophobic attacks.

These two narrative strands, occurring within the same place and time, are seemingly unrelated, until they eventually meet and overlap. And at the centre of it all is an enigmatic but charming old man named Heart Crowley, whose reclusive and strange behaviour threatens the entire town.

Everything the Darkness Eats is an eldritch horror story that seamlessly blends themes both topical and universal; mixing the very real threats and tragedies of homophobia and loss with the timeless fear of the unknown and the impossible.

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The Whistling by Rebecca Netley

Set on an isolated island off the rugged coast of Scotland in the 19th century, The Whistling stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the other chilling gothic ghost stories of its genre. Rebecca Netley’s novel follows Elspeth, a nanny hired to care for a mute nine-year-old girl who has already seen so much tragedy.

Mary’s mother has died, her last nanny left for the US, and her twin brother William perished in a harrowing accident. Now she can no longer speak, but Elspeth is keen to bond with her and stave off Mary’s sorrow and loneliness.

Unfortunately, the large house on the isolated rock hides sinister secrets, and ghostly sounds are keeping Elspeth up at night. The Whistling is a classic gothic ghost story with a layered story that delivers twist after turn in constant and quick succession.

Every short chapter is an atmospheric rise that leads to a sudden jolt of spine-chilling fear or a twisted revelation that leaves the reader stunned. A fantastic ghost story that sits comfortably amongst the best horror novels of recent years.

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A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

The ideal horror novel for fans of possession narratives, A Head Full of Ghosts begins with a young woman returning to her childhood home. She is accompanied by an author who wishes to hear, and then write, Merry’s infamous family’s story.

Merry recounts to the author, and to us, the story of how her older sister began to change when they were younger. Her sister started showing signs of schizophrenia, before the family eventually became the subject of a cult reality TV show called The Possession.

Multiple perspectives and narrative keep this creeping horror novel moving at a breakneck pace, and the events of this story are spine-tingling. This is a modern American horror story through and through, even down to its iconic rural New England setting. One of the best horror novels of our time, and one that cemented Paul Tremblay as a master of modern dread.

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Come Closer by Sara Gran

At 165 pages, Come Closer packs a lot of strain and pain into a relatively short horror novel, and this means that every word matters; every page is tense and taut, clinging and cloying and claustrophobic. An easy sell for fans of Rosemary’s Baby (above) and Ari Aster’s horror masterpiece Hereditary, this is a modern American novel about demonic possession.

Our protagonist, Amanda, starts to show signs of possession out of the blue. The first one is funny: a report she leaves on her boss’ desk isn’t a report at all; instead, it’s a graphic insult which she doesn’t remember writing. Next, a strange sound starts tormenting her: a tapping within the walls of her apartment which her husband insists only occurs when she is home.

The signs get stranger and more unnerving as the story progresses, and Amanda starts to do her own research and seek answers. But whatever’s happening to her is starting to negatively affect her marriage. Amanda is changing, blacking out, losing control of herself, and she wonders what happens during those blackouts. She is having nightmares, and fears what she’s doing without even knowing it. She’s becoming dangerous.

Come Closer is a fantastic modern horror novel that echoes many of the classic horror stories of the 20th century. A perfect short horror novel, and a must-read for fans of claustrophobic terror and tales of possession.

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Maggie’s Grave by David Sodergren

Imagine what you might get if you threw the movies Paranorman and Hot Fuzz into a blender with an unhealthy heaping of blood and guts, then whizzed it all up without the lid on, splattering every inch of the walls with entrails. That’s David Sodergren’s Maggie’s Grave. But it’s even more than that. It’s also a book about forgotten people in empty places, and about the cruelty of men towards women.

Inspired by the existence of a real grave that marks the death of a witch named Maggie Wall, Sodergren’s grotesque horror novel is set in an all-but-abandoned town in the Scottish Highlands. At the top of a hill outside this town are the broken remains of an isolated cottage and the grave of the innocent and pregnant woman who was murdered there by men who accused her of witchcraft and ripped the baby from her.

Today, the town has a population of forty, and four of them are teenagers who have nothing better to do than drink, fool around, and go bowling. One of these kids has just had a baby, which unwittingly kicks off the events of the novel. Maggie will soon escape her grave and wreak havoc on the town. All she wants is her baby, and she will spill so much blood to get what she wants.

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The Terror by Dan Simmons

Dan Simmons is known for writing experimental and genre-pushing novels within the realms of science fiction, horror, and thrillers, including the phenomenal Hyperion, one of this writer’s favourite sci-fi novels. His hefty 2007 The Terror, which has also seen a successful TV adaptation, is a piece of historical horror fiction set during an arctic expedition.

Here, Simmons utilises the legendary ship HMS Erebus, as well as the HMS Terror, for which the novel is named. The search for the Northwest Passage, and the crew being hunted across the arctic by an unknown monster, are both obvious references to Shelley’s Frankenstein.

But while he enjoys incorporating the works of other writers, and aspects of real history, into his novels, Simmons is unmatched when it comes to his imagination. Toeing that difficult line between horror and thriller, The Terror is an exhausting and hair-raising epic about dangers that are human, natural, and something else entirely.

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Tell Me I’m Worthless by Alison Rumfitt

Tell Me I’m Worthless is a British horror novel by an incredible transgender author, published by a small indie press, and it jas single-handedly shaken up the world of literature, both within and outside of the horror genre. This is a boldly aggressive political horror novel that holds a mirror up to the twisted and politically corrupt state of present-day Britain.

Our protagonists are a pair of young women who were friends at university, but now are very different people. The schism between them was created the night they and a third friend visited at a haunted house known as Albion (get it?). Something terrible happened at that house, our protagonists blame each other for it. They each claim the other sexually assaulted them in this haunted house.

Now, one of them is a young trans woman haunted by ghosts that represent the twisted state of modern-day Britain. The other is a transphobe who campaigns against the human rights of trans people. The house itself, is also a character in its own right, and we learn a lot about its dark and twisted history as the novel progresses.

Tell Me I’m Worthless is an angry and punk horror novel about transgender rights on a horribly transphobic island. It’s also an imaginative and bold piece of horror fiction. One of the best horror novels of the twenty-first century.

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Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt

Brainwyrms follows Frankie, a twenty-eight-year-old trans woman living in the UK. In the novel’s first chapter, Frankie is at a kink party, and there we learn about her kink obsession with being impregnated. At the party, Frankie meets the young non-binary Vanya, who has a dark and twisted kink of their own.

In the second chapter, we learn that Frankie survived a terror attack: a middle-aged woman bombed the gender identity clinic in which Frankie worked, and the blast killed one of her colleagues. As the novel progresses, the titular brainworms come into the light, as we meet unsubtle stand-ins for certain transphobic public figures and journalists, and we learn that they have all been infected with some kind of parasite.

The horror of this novel comes in two forms: exploring the darkest possible endgame of transphobia in UK social politics, and the more blunt and visceral body horror of parasitic infection. This is a raw and disgusting novel that requires every trigger warning you can think of. Brace yourself for multiple forms of assault and abuse, as well as vivid depictions of disease and infection.

Brutally, unapologetically upsetting and unsettling, this is another incredible piece of queer horror from Alison Rumfitt, one of the modern queens of the genre; an author writing some of the best horror novels of our time.

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Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi

Speaking plainly, Boys in the Valley is the most twisted, terrifying, no-holds-barred, unhinged horror novel that I have ever read. And that, of course, is a good thing.

In Pennsylvania at the turn of the 20th century, Peter lives at an orphanage, after watching his father kill his mother, and then himself. Most of the priests are cruel, twisted men, but their sadistic behaviour is the lesser of the evils this book offers up to us.

Unbeknownst to the orphanage’s residents, a local cult has been torturing, sacrificing, and drinking the blood of their victims. One night, the local sheriff knocks on the door of the orphanage and explains to the head priest that he has killed every member of this cult, except for one. That cult member dies inside the orphanage that night, and his death unleashes all manner of hell in the form of possession, torment, torture, and murder.

The events of this incredible horror novel are gruesome, bloody, upsetting, and wild. From cover to cover, this is a gnarly and riotous book full of blood and death. Boys in the Valley is one of the best horror novels of this century, without question.

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My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

With My Heart is a Chainsaw, Stephen Graham Jones has created a smart and subversive homage to the slasher sub-genre of horror movies. With Jones being a Blackfoot Native American, this horror novel is also something that shines a bright spotlight on the legacy of American brutality against his people.

Our protagonist, Jade, is a young Idaho native, struggling to graduate from high school; her father is abusive, she has zero friends, and she has an obsessive knowledge of slasher films. Jade is a walking caricature of angsty teenage life; she quotes horror films, wears heaps of eyeliner, and has accepted her position as her school’s — and even her community’s — odd outcast girl.

If you like your modern horror books to be smart, literary affairs with dense topical themes; books that play on the horror genre; books that move at a swift click, then this is exactly what you’re looking for. With My Heart is a Chainsaw, Stephen Graham Jones has penned one of the best horror novels of our time; an homage to slashers and so much more.

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Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A. Snyder

With Sister, Maiden, Monster, Bram Stoker Award-winning American author Lucy A. Snyder has crafted an upsetting, stomach-churning body horror novel about mutation, transformation, and disease. Framed in three interconnected parts, Sister, Maiden, Monster is a pandemic novel set in the near future. An aggressive virus has suddenly started spreading across several major global cities all at once.

Those who catch but survive the virus are then designated Type One, Two, or Three depending on the long-term damage done to their bodies. Our first protagonist, Erin, is an office worker with a long-term boyfriend. After getting sick on the night of their engagement, and eventually recovering, she is designated Type Three.

As the virus spreads, the novels eldritch elements begins to appear. It becomes clear that this virus has been spread by design, that this is an apocalypse novel, and that the eldritch gods are real. Erin soon falls into a lesbian relationship with a Type Two, and the pair enjoy eating the parts of each other they need. And when her story is done, we move to the other protagonists and watch the world steadily fall apart.

Sister, Maiden, Monster is a disgusting, sickening, hard-to-read horror novel that embraces queerness and shifts from disease, cannibalism, and death to Lovecraftian cult horror. Easily one of the most revolting but best horror novels of recent years.

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The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Perhaps Grady Hendrix’s most socially conscious novel, The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires is a book that honours the allegorical strength of the vampire mythology. Much like how Stoker’s Dracula has been read as a metaphor for immigration, queerness, and promiscuity, Hendrix presents us with a terrifying vampiric predator in the form of James Harris: a man who sets his sights on the most vulnerable in society.

Our protagonist, Patricia, is a comfortable middle-class white housewife, as are the other women in her book club. But when James moves to town following the death of his aunt, trouble follows, and Patricia is in the middle of it. Her mother-in-law remembers James from decades ago; children from a poor Black neighbourhood begin to go missing or turn up dead and the police ignore it.

Patricia desperately wants to unearth the truth and expose James as the predatory monster that he is, but with money and charm, the lone vampire is worming his way into her suburban community and forming close ties with the men who call the shots. This is a blistering horror story that places the vampire back into the role of deadly stalker, with a well-executed focus on class and racial disparity.

The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig

The Book of Accidents focusses on a three-person family who have moved from Philadelphia into the family father’s childhood home, following the death of his own father. This home is out in the sticks of rural Pennsylvania, and Nate has had reservations about moving into a home that, for him, only means trauma and bad memories.

However, he chokes all that down and does this for the good of his family, specifically his tender son, Oliver. Nate’s late father was abusive and callous, and Nate — a former cop — takes joy in seeing his father die.

Oliver is a sweet, and empathetic teenager. We watch him make friends with the local nerds at his school, and eventually meet a far rougher punk kid who tempts Oliver down a dark road. It doesn’t take long before strange things start happening in and around the house: images and noises that all point to a typical haunting; this story, however, is far from typical.

The Book of Accidents is a modern horror novel that tests family ties, that explores inherited trauma and cycles of abuse, and also blends the genres of horror and science fiction together in exciting, strange, and unexpected ways.

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The Hole by by Pyun Hye-young

Translated from the Korean by Sora Kim-Russell

Not only is The Hole one of the most underrated horror novels you’ll ever read, it is also perhaps this writer’s favourite Korean novel. The Hole is a masterpiece of unsettling, nail-biting terror. A celebration of the fear found in stillness, quietude, and uncertainty.

The Hole opens with a car crash. Our protagonist is fully paralysed, and his wife is dead. His wife’s mother is the only person available to take him in and care for him, but she also blames him for the death of her daughter. We must read on helplessly as our protagonist is trapped in his own mind, unable to move or fend for himself. All the while his mother-in-law digs an enormous hole in the garden.

She is cruel to him, passive-aggressive in her language and behaviour, and when he is left alone he watches as she continues to dig the hole. Terror has never been done so well, not by Stephen King or any other horror author. This is tension like you’ve never felt it.

Reminiscent of Misery in its claustrophobia and minimalism, and carrying the same kind of tension as Austrian horror movie Goodnight, Mommy. If you’re looking for the very best of Korean horror, you owe it to yourself to read Pyun Hye-young’s The Hole. A horror masterpiece.

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Brother by Ania Ahlborn

Echoing classic horror movies like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Wrong Turn, and The Hills Have Eyes, Polish-American author Ania Ahlborn’s Brother flips the cannibalistic hillbilly trope on its head by seeing this monstrous world from the inside. Our protagonist, Michael, is the adopted son of a people-hunting family who live in an isolated farmhouse where they conduct their horrors.

Michael hates this life, but it’s also all he knows. As we get to know him, we also become intimately familiar with his sensitive, music-loving sister, his psychopathic brother, and his murderous mother. But when Michael meets a local girl who works at a record store in town, suddenly life seems full of possibilities he had never once imagined before. But how can he escape such a blood-soaked day-to-day life?

Brother is a chilling, claustrophobic, sometimes hopeful horror novel for fans of the genre who love when familiar tropes and settings are twisted into something fresh and bold.

Buy a copy of Brother here!

Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay

Paul Tremblay’s most strange and nightmarish novel, Horror Movie, is a story told in two halves: as the story (though perhaps confessions is a better word) of a nameless protagonist who once starred in a grassroots horror movie that was never screened, and as the screenplay of that movie—something which, after thirty years, has become a cult sensation and the subject of endless online speculation after several scenes were posted to YouTube.

The leaking of those scenes has eventually led to the demand for a reboot, and our narrator—as the sole surviving member of the cast and crew—has been brought to LA in order to talk with producers and a director about that reboot. As the talks advance, we read more and more of the screenplay and learn about how it was written and shot back in 1993.

Our protagonist played The Thin Kid, who was both the film’s victim and villain, and his story will slowly reveal what happened to everyone else, why the movie never saw the light of day, and what happened in his life after Horror Movie was completed but never released. This novel is a psychologically stressful experience and a true feat of terror from Tremblay.

Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson

At two hundred pages exactly, Delilah S. Dawson’s Bloom is a masterful spiral from budding sapphic romance into complete dread and unhinged terror. The novel begins in a wholesome setting—a small-town farmer’s market—with a protagonist who has dumped her cheating ex, has taken a new job, and suddenly finds herself enchanted by a young woman selling cupcakes and soap at a market stall.

Ro is a literary scholar, an assistant professor, and an author. She has a promising career ahead of her, and we watch hopefully as she falls deep into her first sapphic relationship. But Ash is closed-off, changeable, and secretive. She lives in an isolated farmhouse where she makes soap, bakes, and cooks. She has rooms that are off-limits, and rules that Ro mustn’t break. The paranoia seeps in gradually and is drawn out masterfully.

The dread of this novel is a creeping, living thing. We know that there is something wrong with Ash—that she has a deep, dark secret. We guess at what it might be, and maybe we’re right, but even if we are, the way that this novel ends will still leave any reader feeling unsettled and queasy. A wonderful blend of romance and gothic terror that culminates in something so brilliantly horrid.

All the White Spaces by Ally Wilkes

Reminiscent of Dan Simmons’ The Terror (above) and sections of Frankenstein (also above), All the White Spaces is a chilling and immersive tale of exploration and survival in the white wastes of Antarctica. This is also an historical novel, set so close to the end of the Great War, the poppies had barely begun to bloom.

Our protagonist is Jonathan, a young trans man who never saw the front lines, but did lose two brothers to the war. All three had grown up reading about the exploits of arctic explorers, and coming to terms with the fact that his brothers would never get to set sail, Jonathan sneaks aboard a British vessel headed for Antarctica. Things go dreadfully wrong, almost from the outset, and eventually the crew find themselves stranded.

On the journey to Antarctica, Jonathan begins to see ghostly visions of his dead brothers, and when they find themselves isolated in the barren spaces of Antarctica, those visions only get worse. Something evil is tempting him, luring him out, and its not only affecting Jonathan. All the White Spaces is a fantastic work of historical horror fiction set in the most lonely, desolate, and deadly part of the world.

Buy a copy of All the White Spaces here!

All Hallows by Christopher Golden

Christopher Golden is one of the great authors of American horror, as well as of comics and dark fantasy fiction, and All Hallows is him showing great deference to the Halloween season, while also tugging on our nostalgia strings. Set across a single Halloween night in suburban Massachusetts during the 1980s, All Hallows paints a picture of Americana upended and distorted.

We follow a cast of characters who all live on a single street, and are all busy this All Hallows Eve. The Barbosa family are constructing their traditional Haunted Woods attraction (their last ever) while the Sweeney family is being upended by lies and deceit on the part of an unfaithful husband and father. Amidst all of this, we have house parties and trick-or-treaters going door-to-door.

But some of those kids are strangers; anonymous children in creepy outfits whom nobody else recognises. Some of them are scared and confused, and they whisper about a Cunning Man coming to claim them. Death is on their heels — is ready to swoop into this suburban world and upend everything. People will die tonight, and it will be bloody.

Buy a copy of All Hallows here!

Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison

Black Sheep is a horror novel for all us creepy kids with daddy issues. The story is told by its protagonist, Vesper, a twenty-three-year-old woman living in New York City and working as a waitress. Hours before her eighteenth birthday, Vesper left her family home and the religious cult she was raised in. Now, six years later, after getting fired from her awful job, she receives a wedding invitation that lures her back home.

The happy couple are Vesper’s cousin and her own former teenage sweetheart. When she arrives, she is surprised by the shock on everyone’s faces. If nobody expected her, who invited her? It certainly wasn’t her mother, Constance—a famous scream queen who has been killing and dying in the best and worst horror movies for decades.

Something sinister is going on in the Hell’s Gate community; something even more sinister than the usual devil-worship and lamb slaughter. And Vesper knows that she is at the centre of it, whatever it is. But what will she learn as she is drawn back into this strange, dark, and terrifying world?

Buy a copy of Black Sheep here!

The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell

The Silent Companions is easily one of the best horror novels of this century so far; a haunted house novel of unique and exciting proportions. Exceptionally gothic, very reminiscent of Susan Hill and Shirley Jackson, and yet wholly its own beast, The Silent Companions is gothic fiction, historical fiction, and horror all smooshed nicely together.

Our protagonist, Elsie, is pregnant, but her husband is already dead. And so she moves into his family’s country estate, where she feels isolated and lonely, with only her late husband’s cousin to call friend. The thing that haunts this novel is what makes it unique; something we’ve never seen before in the haunted house subgenre of horror fiction.

This is the novel that broke Laura Purcell into the world of horror with a deafening scream, and it remains one of the most adored and best horror novel of recent years.

Buy a copy of The Silent Companions here!

HEX by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

Translated from the Dutch by Nancy Forest-Flier

HEX is a work of modern horror genius; a contemporary Dutch horror novel set in upstate New York’s Hudson Valley (where I lived for a while). The novel’s intriguing premise is this: the isolated town of Black Spring has a secret that it has managed to keep hidden from outsiders for centuries: the ghost of a witch roams their streets.

The witch was once Katherine van Wyler, killed in the town in the 17th century. Since then, with eyes and mouth sewn shut, her ghost has openly wandered the town and haunted its residents, even within their own homes. The residents are used to her, although tragedy has befallen them a few times in the past when she has gotten too close to someone, convincing them to take their own lives.

But now, in an. age of YouTube and social media, a teenager named Tyler has banded together a group of friends to perform a few experiments on the witch’s ghost and film them. These experiments, along with the dark behaviour of another long-term resident, are going to change things for the worse in Black Spring, unleashing something horrible and deadly.

Written and translated brilliantly, this is a fantastic modern horror novel about persecution and responsibility, taking horror in strange new directions. A must-read.

Buy a copy of HEX here!

Strega by Johanne Lykke Holm

Translated from the Swedish by Saskia Vogel

Strega is a Swedish feminist novel that blends horror with the gothic. Beautifully translated, it begins with haunting language and ramps up to haunting events: real, imagined, or both. Our protagonist, Rafa, is at the intersection between girlhood and adulthood, and she is spending a season working at a remote hotel in the mountains, beside a lake and small town: the titular Strega.

For the novel’s first half, Rafa befriends the other eight girls, particularly one girl named Alba. The nine of them learn their roles, bond, learn the hotel and its staff, and wait for the guests to arrive. Weeks go by and there are still no guests. The town and hotel take on personalities of their own, and paranoia starts to grow. At the novel’s midpoint, however, a large number of guests arrive and the hotel becomes a party.

It is during this short and festive period that one of our girls goes missing, presumed dead, and her death brings with it the haunting and sobering realisation of what the world offers women: fear. While Strega‘s first half offers a surreal kind of paranoia — dizzying and off-kilter — this halfway gear-shift brings the terror to the surface.

Specific moments and passages in the novel’s second half will turn your blood cold and have you looking over your shoulder. It has an incredible power to instil the reader with an intense sense of nervousness. Strega is a powerful gothic horror novel that reminds us of the power of men, of capitalism, of isolation, of rules and regulations, to instil fear and paranoia into women.

Buy a copy of Strega here!

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

Julia Armfield’s Our Wives Under the Sea is a visceral gothic horror novel. This is a dual-narrative story which follows a lesbian couple, one of whom is sent on an expedition in a submarine to the bottom of the sea. While the expedition should last a few weeks, she and the crew are stranded there for six months.

Her narrative is a claustrophobic and tense one, with a Lovecraftian fear of the unknown knocking at the walls of the submarine with every page turn. When she finally returns, however, she is no longer herself, and her wife must make peace with the fact that the woman she loved is gone, replaced by something else.

Our Wives Under the Sea is a gothic horror novel about how we grieve, and the fact that we can grieve altogether wrong. It’s also an exercise in body horror, luxuriating in the twisted, unnatural, and impossible ways that our bodies can change and betray us.

This is a claustrophobic story, set in a cramped submarine and an equally cramped apartment, with the unknown and the terrifying always within arm’s reach. A real showcase of how horror can be made unusual again, and how the gothic can be brought to the present day. A masterpiece of a horror novel.

Buy a copy here!

The Watchers by A.M. Shine

Irish author A.M. Shine’s debut novel, The Watchers, is a gothic horror fed by claustrophobia and paranoia. Protagonist Mina has found her way to the edge of a forrest where cars break down and electronics don’t work. Once inside, she is chased to a bunker where a woman named Madeline tells her she’ll be safe as long as she never goes out at night. There are things in the forest that will hunt and kill her.

Madeline and Mina share the bunker with Ciara and Daniel; each of them has been trapped there for a different amount of time, but none seem to know why the bunker is there, why the forest behaves the way it does, and most importantly: what these monstrous watchers are, exactly.

What do they want? Where did they come from? And what do they even look like? These questions will be answered, but will Mina and the others live long enough to discover them for themselves?

Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin

Manhunt is a curious piece of horror fiction. It is gross, gory, uncomfortable, visceral, shocking, and punk as all hell. This is a viscerally disgusting novel, full of gratuitously over-the-top blood, body horror, abuse, and torture. Manhunt is also a plainly angry book. It is a post-apocalyptic narrative that follows a pair of trans women who have survived a plague that specifically targets testosterone.

This disease turns anyone with high levels of testosterone into horny, mindless zombie-like beasts, which means most cis women, and some trans women and men, were saved. Our protagonists must fight and hunt and scavenge to survive, while also facing down another threat: TERFs.

There is a cult of dangerous transphobes who hunt and lynch any trans women they come across, choosing to hate trans people more than they value their own lives. Manhunt is a horror novel about the mindless, sexual, and physical aggression of men towards women (cis or trans), and about the potential violent endgame of transphobia.

The visceral nature of Manhunt cannot be overstated. This is a book of such violent and bloody imagery that many readers may not be able to stomach it. Horror fans should have no problem with it, and what they’ll find is one of the most daring and thrilling horror novels ever written.

Buy a copy of Manhunt here!

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling

If you love your classic sci-fi horror — movies of isolation and claustrophobia like Alien and Event Horizon — you’ll eat this novel up. The Luminous Dead is set on a future world being mined for precious ore by large corporations. To survey the caves and tunnels beneath the surface, cavers are sent down in teams or in isolation. Gyre is a lone caver who is being paid well to explore a deep cave all alone for several weeks.

The entire novel is spent in this cave network, as Gyre’s only point of contact is the disembodies voice on the other end of the radio. Em is a controlling, cold, and secretive woman who can manipulate Gyre’s suit like a puppet. As the story moves forward and the terror rises, Gyre must break down Em’s walls and form a bond in order to stay safe and feel in control. Em knows a lot more than she’s letting on.

This is a true tale of claustrophobia and terror. Danger surrounds Gyre on all sides, and there is much to learn and grapple with. Those dangers may be real or imagined, and telling those apart will become increasingly difficult. This is not a horror novel for the claustrophobic.

Buy a copy of The Luminous Dead here!

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

Cassandra Khaw’s horror novella The Salt Grows Heavy is a dismal, dark, twisted, nightmarish piece of fiction. The story opens with our protagonist — a mermaid whose husband cut out her tongue and fed it to her — watching her newborn children eat the dead body of their father.

She is the beckoned away by a plague doctor, and the two journey away from their homeland and through a strange forest where new evils await them. There, they meet a band of boys who hunt and kill one another. They are then resurrected by their creators and masters: three saints whom our protagonists swear to destroy.

The Salt Grows Heavy offers an oppressive environment that is brought to live viscerally and with great discomfort by an author of intense, vivid imagination. This is a gruesome, squeamish, frightful horror story unlike anything you’ve ever read before.

Buy a copy of The Salt Grows Heavy here!

The Night House by Jo Nesbø

Jo Nesbø is a Norwegian author known for his critically acclaimed Harry Hole series of crime novels, as well as a modernised reimagining of Shakespeare‘s Macbeth, but The Night House is Nesbø taking on the horror genre. And it is a fascinating novel. Divided into three parts, with Part One taking up the first two thirds of the novel, The Night House presents itself as a very mid and uninspired YA horror novel, until everything changes.

The Night House begins with Richard, a fourteen-year-old boy whose parents tragically died, and so he moved out of the big city and now lives with his kindly aunt and uncle in a rural Twin Peaks-esque town. There, he finds himself to be a social outcast; a punk kid who is bullied at school, and that treatment embitters him to those around him. He treats his handful of friends horribly.

And in the book’s first chapter, Richard watches his friend Tom get eaten alive by a telephone in an old-fashioned phone booth. This gory incident is connected to the abandoned house at the heart of the nearby forest, and the infamous local figure who once lived there and supposedly ended up at the local asylum.

What transpires is a paint-by-numbers horror novel that is entirely upended at the two-thirds mark, when everything goes insane and the terror amps up impressively. So, when you read this, expect mundanity for a while until the world turns upside down and one of the best horror novels of recent years properly reveals itself.

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Horseman by Christina Henry

Horseman is Henry’s take on Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the classic American story of a small Dutch settlement in New England which is haunted and threatened by a ghostly headless horseman. As soon as you begin reading Horseman, it becomes obvious that this is more of a sequel than a reimagining, with key characters from Irving’s short story now decades older.

Our protagonist is the grandchild of Katrina Van Tassel and Brom Van Brunt. His name is Ben, and though he was born a girl and his grandmother repeatedly tells him to act more like one, Ben is a boy. The novels first chapter throws us into a bloody and bleak discovery: the body of a child in the woods, its head and hands missing. Has the headless horseman returned? Brom insists that’s impossible.

But more deaths are coming, and this situation seems far more complex than the return of the horseman. There’s more at play here. Horseman is a wonderful horror mystery that plays with folk conventions and traditions, and reignites a classic tale for a new audience.

The inclusion of a trans-masculine protagonist is also icing on the cake, making the fourteen-year-old Ben a more dynamic, exciting, fiery, and interesting character in his own right. Christina Henry has written some of the best horror novels of the 21st century, and Horseman is among them.

Buy a copy of Horseman here!

Heads Will Roll by Josh Winning

The transition of slashers from screen to page has picked up steam over the past few years, with most slasher novels being fuelled by nostalgia, references, and deconstructions of the subgenre, as seen in Grady Hendrix’s The Final Girl Support Group and Stephen Graham Jones’ My Heart is a Chainsaw. And Heads Will Roll is peppered with those same notes of adoration for the genre, but it’s also very much concerned with telling its own story.

Like Friday the 13th, Sleepaway Camp, and a hundred others before it, Heads Will Roll is a summer camp slasher—this time in novel form, though a novel written by a film critic. Cleverly, this is a very contemporary novel that explores the trappings of fame and the toxic avenues of “cancel culture”. Our protagonist was riding high in LA, playing the titular role in a hugely successful Netflix sitcom called We Love Willow, until she wasn’t.

After being cancelled for a tweet, the details of which we don’t learn about for a long time, she heads off to a summer camp for people wanting to get away from technology. There, she hears a campfire story about a girl who was beheaded, and now her ghost knocks on cabin doors looking for her head. Cue the slasher as campers start going missing one by one, and we even see their deaths play out from their own intimate perspectives.

Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare

For something that’s been given the “YA horror” label, Clown in a Cornfield is a wild, Stephen King-esque work of grittiness and gore. From its title to its death scenes, this is a gut punch of a novel. Clown in a Cornfield opens with a tragic death that sets the tone, before jumping a year into the future and beginning the story proper with a teenager and her father moving from Philadelphia to a nowhere rural town surrounded by corn.

The town’s unofficial mascot is a clown known as Frendo, and soon enough Frendo will begin to stalk our protagonist and her new friends. Before that, however, we are introduced to a group of misfits and ne’er-do-wells who are bored and used to causing chaos in this little town just to feel something. Quinn has falling into this group but is also savvy enough to be wary of them.

This is a novel about old versus new, about generational divides, about rural life, and about brutality, blood, and violence. It’s a book that feels like an early Stephen King novel brought into the twenty-first century.

The Best Thrillers of All Time

The thriller genre remains one of the most popular genres in literature, thanks to its constant ability to adapt, shift, and change. Here, you’ll find a mix of thrillers, crime novels, and mysteries, both new and old. Some you’ll know and love; others you may never have heard of.

Either way, this is the cream of the crop. Celebrated authors and rising stars of the genre are all here in this selection of the very best thriller books. From Agatha Christie to Gillian Flynn, and so many fantastic thriller writers in-between, here are your essential thrillers.

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward

The Last House on Needless Street is a real triumph of the genre; a novel which takes the tropes and trappings of thriller books and blends them with horror and mystery in such a savvy way. And let’s not forget the intense gothic influence (something which often goes unrecognised and underappreciated amongst many thriller novels).

Our main protagonist is an isolated and lonely man named Ted, who was a prime suspect when a girl disappeared from the nearby lakeside a decade ago. Since he was cleared of all suspicion, Ted has led a solitary life with his cat, and the occasional visit from his daughter.

We never meet the girl’s mother, and so Ted’s odd relationship with her is our first red flag — as is the odd but unique choice to have Ted’s cat be a point-of-view character in some chapters. Claustrophobic and drained of light and colour, The Last House on Needless Street is a mystery thriller that plays with our expectations over and over again.

This is a slippery novel; difficult to get a firm grasp on. It bleeds terror and has the reader feel as though they’re losing their grip on reality. A masterpiece amongst modern thrillers, and one of the very best thriller books you’ll ever read.

Buy a copy of The Last House on Needless Street here!

Endless Night by Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie was, and always will be, queen of the murder mystery novel. And while her books are often considered “cosy mystery novels”, a few are far too dark for that title. One of those is Endless Night, one of Christie’s few standalone novels — that means no Poirot or Marple to be seen.

Endless Night is another gothic-inspired mystery thriller, and one of the best novels Christie ever wrote. The novel takes place in a small English village, in which a young chauffeur named Mike meets a wealthy American heiress named Ellie, and the two quickly fall in love.

They buy a house in this village, one which the locals insist is cursed, and employ a famous architect to restore and renovate it to their liking. The house’s curse begins to show itself, as do strange and suspect supporting characters, including Ellie’s long-time companion Greta.

Endless Night is a claustrophobic gothic mystery novel, one of the best novels Christie ever wrote, and one of the best thriller books of the 20th Century.

Buy a copy of Endless Night here!

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Another dark Christie novel that is far more thriller than cosy mystery, and also the book that is considered by countless fans to be Christie’s magnum opus: And Then There Were None. Once again, this is a standalone Christie novel, set on an isolated island off the coast of Devon. Our protagonists have all been drawn there by a letter.

When they arrive, a recorded voice is played, claiming that each of them has committed a murder. From here, the guests begin to die one by one, and so a game of survival and escape begins, all the while their enemy and captor is unknown.

Short and swift, moving at a brisk pace, And Then There Were None is one of the most exciting thriller books you’ll ever read. An exciting, bloody, and stressful read; this novel is the definition of a page-turner. You’ll be tearing through the pages to see who survives, who set them up, and why.

Buy a copy here!

Beast in the Shadows by Edogawa Ranpo

Translated from the Japanese by Ian Hughes

Written by one of the great Japanese legends of the mystery thriller genre (known in Japan as honkaku), Beast in the Shaodws is a hundred-page thriller from the early 20th century. Our narrator-protagonist is an author of crime novels, and one day he befriends a woman after a chance meeting at a Tokyo museum. They exchange letters and, eventually, she reveals that she is being stalked.

In her youth, she had a brief tryst with a boy who revealed himself to be too intense and strange, and so she broke it off. He spent time stalking her home but, once she married a successful businessman, her stalker gave up. Years later, he has begun stalking her again. He watches her home and sends her threatening letters. She also reveals that her stalker is also a writer of crime fiction; an author whom our protagonist hates.

And so our crime writer, entangled in this intense cat-and-mouse game, is drawn to solving the mystery and keeping his new friend safe — partly because of his love for crime and mystery, and partly because he fancies her. Given the brevity of this Japanese thriller, revelations come fast and they hit hard. This is a swift tale that can be enjoyed in an afternoon, but won’t soon be forgotten.

For a book from a century ago, it is impressive how metatextual Beast in the Shaodws is, with a protagonist who isn’t a sleuth himself, but rather someone who writes fanciful fiction about sleuths. Very clever and wildly immersive.

Buy a copy of Beast in the Shadows here!

Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang

Rebecca F. Kuang has, under the name R.F. Kuang, quickly become one of the most talked-about authors of the fantasy genre. With Yellowface, she turns her talents to the thriller genre with an impeccable social satire. Yellowface follows the life of white American author June Heyward, who witnessed her friend (and far more successful author) Athena Liu die, drunkenly choking on a pancake.

Before she left the apartment, June took the first draft of a manuscript that Athena hoped would be her magnum opus, but that nobody but the two of them knew about. When she finished and polishes the novel, June submits it and becomes an overnight sensation, just as she’d always dreamed. But her cultural appropriation and plagiarism will come back to haunt her.

As she is tormented and harassed on social media, and accusations start coming out that she allegedly stole the novel from Liu — which is true, but she must, of course, deny it — her life is turned upside down. This is a scathing satire about the ugly, racist side of the publishing industry; how diversity is just a tactic and a tool for making money.

It’s also an indictment of social media and it’s ability to twist our minds and turn us mad through threats of exposure and “cancelling”. But most of all, this is a thriller about white privilege, entitlement, and the stealing and rewriting of non-white narratives. Yellowface, for all these reasons, is one of the best thriller books of recent years.

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Penance by Eliza Clark

Penance, Eliza Clark’s second novel, is a remarkable subversion of the thriller; a kind of meta-fiction presented as a piece of true crime nonfiction, written by a man named Alec Z. Carelli. Carelli is a journalist-turned-crime writer, and after being embroiled in controversy, suffering the loss of his daughter to suicide, and his previous two books flopping, he decides to write about a tragic, infamous case of child murder.

That murder took place on the night of the 2016 Brexit referendum, in the fictional seaside town of Crow-on-Sea in North Yorkshire. Three teenage girls, who all attended the same high school, tortured their classmate — Joan Wilson — inside a beach chalet, before dousing her in petrol and setting her alight.

Penance is fiction presented as investigative journalism, written in a mostly epistolary style: a collection of interviews, accounts, transcripts, and blog and social media posts. The novel opens with a detailed account of the evening of the murder, before then spending the rest of its time telling the stories of the three murderers.

Penance is a remarkable piece of crime fiction. A book that brilliantly captures the myriad experiences of British teenagers, both at home and at school. It explores the effects that pop culture has on us, that the Internet has on us; the often dizzying divide between our online and offline worlds and experiences.

It also cynically investigates the concept of true crime writing and the effects that it has, both on narratives and broader culture and, more specifically, on the lives of those involved. Penance is a novel like no other; one of the few thriller books that subverts the concept of the thriller, of the crime novel entirely.

Buy a copy of Penance here!

The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

With The Cabin at the End of the World, renowned American horror writer Paul Tremblay blends the horror and thriller genres together flawlessly, creating something familiar yet wholly unique. The story begins with a married couple and their adopted daughter, relaxing at a cabin in rural Massachusetts.

While the girl is playing outside, a strange and enormous man who has taken a long walk to their property explains to her that he needs to be let inside. In fact, he has three more “friends” who are on their way, and these four strangers need our protagonists’ help to stop the world from ending.

This is a terrifying and suspenseful horror-thriller, set across a single day and in a single location, which explores themes of faith, cult behaviour, and prejudice. How much of what they say can be believed? Do they have ulterior motives? Who are they, and how did they all come together? How dangerous are they?

These are only some of the questions readers will be asking themselves over and over as they rip through one of the best thriller books of recent years.

Side note: M. Night Shyamalan adapted Tremblay’s novel into the Hollywood thriller Knock At the Cabin, but we haven’t seen the film so we can’t compare them.

Buy a copy of The Cabin at the End of the World here!

Read More: The Best Horror Novels Ever Written

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

As thriller books go, Gone Girl might be the most famous, successful, and celebrated novel of this century so far. That fame was hugely bolstered by the massive success of David Fincher’s excellent film adaptation; perfectly paced, with an immaculate tone and incredible performances.

Fincher really knows how to direct a thriller (Se7en, in my eyes, remains his masterpiece), and you couldn’t find a better pairing than his directorial eye and Flynn’s original story. Gone Girl focusses around the disappearance of Amy Dunn, a woman who vanished on her fifth wedding anniversary.

All eyes are on her husband, Nick. Public consensus is that he was involved in her disappearance, but how? What role did he play? Where is she? Is she even alive? This is a novel of two halves, with an enormous midpoint twist separating it into two distinct narratives.

In the first half, we follow a pretty standard investigation, with public interest in the case gaining steady momentum, and Nick in the spotlight. But that twist changes and refocusses everything we thought we knew. Few thriller books nail their execution and pacing as well as Gone Girl does, making it a real masterpiece of the genre.

Buy a copy of Gone Girl here!

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

From the publication of his debut novel, British crime novelist Stuart Turton has been upending the mystery and thriller genres over and over again. His books move the goalposts and shift how we think of the genre’s rules, tropes, and settings. Never has this tearing-up-the-rulebook approach been more true than with The Last Murder at the End of the World—a novel that is every bit a deep and imposing post-apocalyptic piece of sci-fi as it is a crime thriller.

Set on a Greek island occupied by the last 125 people left on Earth, The Last Murder at the End of the World offers readers a window into a complex world of mystery and suspense. Our protagonists are the villagers and their scientist caretakers/elders; they have lived here ever since a strange and deadly fog enveloped the world and the head scientist found a way to build a barrier that keeps this fog forever at bay.

But a murder will soon shake the island; it will bring down that barrier and start a ticking clock which will lead to the fog finishing off what’s left of humankind. This is a thrilling mystery in the traditional sense—as a marvellous and twisted whodunnit—but it’s also a sci-fi mystery full of dense world-building, interpersonal relationships, secrets to uncover, history to learn, and even more besides. This is a true accomplishment the likes of which we rarely see in the crime and thriller genres.

Out by Natsuo Kirino

Translated from the Japanese by Stephen Snyder

Out is a celebrated masterpiece of Japanese literature, and one of the gnarliest thriller books you’ll ever read. Natsuo Kirino is one of the best Japanese authors of the day, and her translator, Stephen Snyder, is at the top of his game here. Out follows the stories of four women who work at a bento box factory in Tokyo.

When one of these women finally snaps and murders her husband by strangling him with his own belt, all while their children sleep in the next room, she enlists the help of her colleagues to cut up and hide the body. Thus begins a race against time, the authorities, and even the yakuza to avoid detection and get away with murder.

This is a complex and angry feminist Japanese thriller, a revenge tragedy against patriarchal oppression, and one of the best Japanese novels of the past few decades. It’s a dense book of 600 pages, and an intricate book that follows multiple threads, several of which lead us down to the criminal underbelly of Tokyo. Out is a must-read Japanese thriller; a gritty and frightening novel about death, liberation, and desperation.

Buy a copy of Out here!

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

The Other Black Girl has been called “The Devil Wears Prada meets Get Out” and this is a surprisingly accurate comparison for this fresh and unique literary thriller. Set in a competitive and renowned Manhattan publishing house, The Other Black Girl is a mystery with themes of race, class, microaggression, and chess-like tactics.

Nella is a Black twenty-something woman from Connecticut, raised amongst white people and now working as the only Black person in her company. One day, Wagner hires Hazel, another Black girl. Hazel is from Harlem, wears impressive dreadlocks, and has just moved from Boston.

Shortly after Nella and Hazel get to know each other, Nella finds a note left on her desk which simply reads: “Leave Wagner Now”. Hazel is the obvious culprit, but far from the only potential one. What plays out from here is something of an intimate literary thriller that spirals further and further down, as The Devil Wears Prada indeed morphs into Get Out.

However, despite being reminiscent of both, The Other Black Girl is also its own beast. a furious, vicious page-turner of a thriller; terrifying and addictive. There are few novels out there that simultaneously have both this much bite and this much thematic nuance. One of the most ambitious thriller books you’ll ever read.

Buy a copy of The Other Black Girl here!

The Plotters by Un-su Kim

Translated from the Korean by Sora Kim-Russell

The Plotters is a Korean novel that both blends and defies genres. While it is mainly a thriller, it also tantalisingly brings in other influences while also denying influence altogether. Our protagonist is an assassin named Reseng, who operates out of an old library in Seoul, raised by and now working for a man simply known as Old Raccoon.

While it’s common knowledge that North Korea has been under a dictatorship since the Korean War, many don’t know that South Korea had one, too, until the mid-1980s. This is the setting for The Plotters; as South Korea shifts from military dictatorship to democracy, a power struggle between its underground assassins emerges.

This is a political thriller with a subtle commentary on the nature of democracy, capitalism, martial law, and fascism. This is a mystery of betrayal and control within a guild of assassins in what is now one of the richest and most prosperous cities in the world. A fantastically unique and strange novel that stands tall amongst the best thriller books of its time.

Buy a copy of The Plotters here!

Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater

Alice Slater’s debut novel, much like the later films in the Scream horror movie franchise, is an almost metafictional thriller about people caught up in the obsession with true crime and serial killers that is our current zeitgeist. We follow two protagonists who both work in an East London bookshop: Roach’s narrative is written in the past tense; Laura’s in the present tense.

Roach (first name Brogan) is a young woman who considers herself edgy and alternative; obsessed with true crime podcasts, Netflix shows, and nonfiction. She’s a metalhead and a grimy social outcast. Laura, on the other hand, is a bubbly and sociable bookworm, daughter of a wealthy father, but someone with a dark past which Roach seems to sense. And it’s that dark history which leads Roach to obsess over Laura.

That obsession is the escalating force of this novel. First, Roach tries to bond with Laura by reading her poetry and connecting over shared interests. When that doesn’t work, things get tense and frightening. As we flit back and forth between perspectives, with an early hint implying that Laura is not long for this world, we find ourselves frantically flipping the pages.

This is also a savvy and literary novel that pokes and prods at our modern obsession with true crime, while also making assertive and feminist arguments against its perverse nature.

Slater’s characters and dialogue carry this novel. She understands these subcultures of bookworms and death-obsessed nerds extremely well. And when Roach’s boyfriend Sam enters the scene, you’ll cringe at just how horridly true to real life he is. An incredibly moreish novel and one of the best thriller books of the past few years.

Buy a copy of Death of a Bookseller here!

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

A former spy extraordinaire and master of forensic pathology codenamed Pilgrim has retired. He served his country and government with honour, wrote a book, and now wants a simple life. But we don’t always get what we want.

A serial killer is on the loose and Pilgrim is asked to come out of retirement to solve a case that sickens him. The killer has made their crime scene unsolvable, by using tactics that come directly from Pilgrim’s book. On the other side of the world, a young man discovers the road to extremism when his father is executed by corrupt overlords.

He takes the name ‘Saracen’ and vows to make those responsible pay for their crimes, vowing to do whatever it takes. What Pilgrim doesn’t yet know is that these seemingly unrelated events could be linked and could end humanity as we know it.

Though it may not sound like the most original concept for a novel, especially a spy thriller, it’s Hayes’ writing that separates I Am Pilgrim from even the very best thriller books out there. Reminiscent of genre masters like John Le Carré, Robert Ludlum, and Tom Clancy, Hayes weaves an intricate tale of revenge and high stakes.

Some may be put off by the tropes (American hero and Middle Eastern villain being the most egregious), and it is unlikely to convince those who are adamantly uninterested in the genre. That said, if you do have a curiosity about spy thrillers, I Am Pilgrim may just be the pinnacle of its craft.

(This entry was submitted by Adam Cook. Read Adams other work here.)

Buy a copy of I Am Pilgrim here!

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

This brilliant page-turner of a young adult thriller is the perfect weekend read for any crime fiction fanatic. Set in a small English town, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is part-prose and part-epistolary, mixing transcripts, diaries, text messages, and more into the narrative. It follows Pippa, an A-grade student on track for Cambridge University, who has decided to focus on a local murder case for her extra-curricular A-level assignment.

This case involved a teenage girl named Andie, who went missing five years ago and was presumed dead when her boyfriend, Sal, confessed to the murder via text message and then took his own life. Pippa believes that Sal is innocent, and she recruit’s his younger brother Ravi to assist her in proving it.

Their search leads to a tangled web of intrigue across their school and town, as they interview and dig up uncomfortable truths about friends, neighbours, and teachers. So many threads to follow, so much intrigue to get wrapped in. A wonderfully addictive young adult thriller.

Buy a copy of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder here!

Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine

Anna was a child actress who spent much of her life struggling to make it big, until starring in a surprise indie hit predicts her an Oscar nomination. But wanting that fame and success pales in comparison to wanting a child. She is almost forty, and she and her husband have been going through IVF treatment. Just when things start looking up, strange things start to happen to and around Anna.

She is sure that she is being stalked, that she is in danger. She is becoming paranoid; or is she? One day, after successfully getting pregnant, she experiences strange cramps and is given an ultrasound at the hospital. A few minutes later, the doctor comes in to conduct the ultrasound. When she tells him it was already done, she must face the realisation that the woman who did the ultrasound was not a member of hospital staff. So, who was she?

Delicate Condition is Rosemary’s Baby for the twenty-first century; a dark and twisted thriller with elements of body horror that will have a profound effect both on those who fear pregnancy and those who have been through it. This is a book of constant twists and turns; of elevating stress levels and strained paranoia. A true thrillride.

Prophet by Helen Macdonald & Sin Blaché

Prophet is a dizzying and exciting blend of thriller and science fiction, co-written by Sin Blaché and H is for Hawk author Helen Macdonald. The punch-happy, casually alcoholic, former British MI6 agent Sunil Rao and the workaholic American military agent Adam Rubenstein have been assigned a peculiar case to solve.

In a remote English field, an American diner has suddenly materialised. Stepping inside reveals that the place feels fake; wrong; like it was cobbled together by vague ideas of what a classic American diner might feel like. Nearby, a fifty-year old soldier from a local airbase seems to have built a bonfire and set himself alight on it. These things are connected.

Rao is chaotic and unpredictable, but he has the unique skill of being a human polygraph test, being able to tell truth from lie and real things from fake. Only he can untangle this strange web, while Adam keeps him upright. Between Rao and Adam’s chapters, we are presented with snippets of a life. A nameless boy is abused by his militant father and finds comfort in the support of his aunt. But what does this boy have to do with anything?

Twists and turns come hard and fast as everything gradually falls into place in one of the strangest blends of sci-fi and thriller you’re ever likely to read. Prophet is one of the most engaging, experimental, and best thriller books to have been published in recent years.

Buy a copy of Prophet here!

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

It’s hard to deny the way in which Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl reinvigorated the thriller books genre, and The Girl on the Train very much rode that success. Once again, a solid film adaptation — directed by Tate Taylor and starring the sensational Emily Blunt — really helped make Hawkins’ novel a runaway success story.

One key difference between the novel and film, however, is that Hawkins is a British author and the novel is set in England, while the film is set in New York. This is a novel of three different perspectives, though the titular girl on the train, Rachel, is our key protagonist.

Rachel has descended into alcoholism after her marriage fell apart, and her mental state deteriorated even further when her ex-husband married and had a daughter with a new woman, Anna. From her daily commute, Rachel is able to watch her husband in his happy new marriage as her train passes by the window to their home.

But she also develops a kind of parasocial relationship with her husband’s neighbours, watching their lives unfold as she cruises past their window twice a day. One day, she sees the wife of this neighbour couple kissing a different man, and then learns that she has disappeared.

Rachel is questioned by the police after having woken up, bloody and disorientated, alcohol muddying her memories. This is a twisty and disorientating novel, one of the most exhilarating thriller books on the shelves right now.

Buy a copy of The Girl on the Train here!

Cutting Teeth by Chandler Baker

Cutting Teeth is a savvy thriller that subverts the tropes of the murder mystery in some clever ways, while also being a thoughtful and sometimes funny commentary on modern-day motherhood. Our protagonists are three mothers, all of whom live in the same neighbourhood and have preschool-age children who attend the local Little Academy.

We learn about these women — Rhea, Mary Beth, and Darby — quickly and intimately. One has a suspect and useless husband; one hates what pregnancy and birth has done to her body; one is a vegan hippie mother. As soon as the novel begins, these mothers’ children are part of a strange viral outbreak at their preschool that has given them all the taste for human blood, and thus the urge to bite. A lot.

Soon enough, the smiley, educated, but enigmatic preschool teacher Miss Ollie turns up dead. Suicide is considered, then more likely murder, and the kiddies turn from witnesses to suspects. While this is an excitingly unusual thriller with an enticing mystery at its heart, Cutting Teeth also, and arguably more interestingly, explores the societal and self-realised pressures and expectations of motherhood.

Each of these women is at once likeable and unlikeable, a good and a bad parent, each for myriad reasons, and the ways in which they react to this vampiric behaviour and the suspicion of their children is excellent. Captivating and satisfying, Cutting Teeth is a wonderfully modern thriller that explores the pressures, pretences, and price of parenthood.

Buy a copy of Cutting Teeth here!

The Book of the Most Precious Substance by Sara Gran

Sara Gran doesn’t write like other girls. It’s easy to imagine her confidently pointing at a shelf of books in a library and declaring, “I don’t play by your rules!” And this daring attitude has brought her a lot of success, especially with her refreshingly strange horror possession novel Come Closer, which has fantastic Rosemary’s Baby vibes.

With The Book of the Most Precious Substance, Gran turned her attention to the thriller genre and created a wholly unique erotic thriller that certainly won’t be for everyone. Lily was, briefly, a successful author. This success led her to fall in love with an equally successful writer named Abel. But after Abel lost his mind and motor skills to early-onset dementia, Lily needed to find new work.

Together they live in upstate New York with a live-in carer for Abel, and Lily plies her trade as a rare books dealer in NYC. When the novel opens, Lily hears whispers of a rare, 500-year-old occult text, of which only a handful of copies remain, locked away in private collections around the world.

Buyers are willing to pay up to $1,000,000 for this book of dark sex magic, and this sends Lily on a globetrotting quest to find it, all the while people connected to this text seem to be dying suddenly and unexpectedly. Lily hopes to sell this book and make a fortune, but she also wonders if its magic might work, and might help reverse her husband’s condition.

Erotic but far from sensual, The Book of the Most Precious Substance is a strangely compelling thriller novel that urges the reader on as we see where this journey might end. Conceptually bizarre, at turns both bleak and funny, and often coated in sex juices, this is one of the more unique thrillers you’re ever likely to read.

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The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

The Maidens is a novel that teeters on the edge between three different genres: mystery, thriller, and dark academia, all of which work together so elegantly here.

Mariana was once a student at Cambridge University. Now a therapist, she gets a call from her niece Zoe, who herself is a Cambridge student. Zoe’s friend was a member of a secret society of all-female students known as The Maidens, and now she’s dead.

Caught up in her niece’s plight, and driven by an empathetic need to help, Mariana places her sights on the university’s professor of Greek Tragedy: Edward Fosca. He did it, she is sure of it. And soon another body will be found.

The setting of Cambridge University, one of the most prestigious and beautiful universities on Earth, really helps make this feel like an evocative and aesthetic thriller novel. The Cambridge setting adds both weight and character to the gothic mystery of this tale, but what also helps is the compelling and building mystery at the heart of The Maidens.

In many ways this is a murder mystery that uses the dark academia setting and tropes to enhance its plot and atmosphere with staggering results. The twists and turns, the ways in which characters tease and rage at each other; this is an edge-of-your-seat thriller amongst the very best modern thriller books.

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Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

Here’s another modern thriller that garnered a lot of excitement and chatter, and for very good reason. This is the kind of thriller that elicits gasp after gasp from its readers. Our protagonist, Jen, is waiting for her teenage son Todd to come home. He’s late, it’s after midnight, and when he eventually appears outside, Jen watches Todd kill someone.

The police arrive, Todd is in possession of the knife, has the victim’s blood on his clothes, and his own mother saw it happen. But this isn’t where it ends. In fact, from this moment, Jen goes to sleep and wakes up a day earlier. Every single night she goes to sleep and wakes up a day earlier, rather than later, as time steadily moves backwards and she is given a chance to follow this thread back to its beginning.

A dizzying thriller that plays with time in fun new ways. Mixing time travel and thrillers is nothing new, but the way that McAllister does it is fresh and addictive. Wrong Place Wrong Time is one of the most exciting modern thriller books you could read right now.

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The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

Any fan of horror cinema will be familiar with the “final girl” trope: the one young woman left alive at the end of a slasher movie. She’s usually a sweet, innocent virgin. The trope has become an important element of the slasher formula, but also a key ingredient when creating “meta horror”, which at this point is also an exhausted genre of its own.

The Final Girl Support Group is a novel that blends meta horror with the thriller genre. It leans hard on the final girl trope in a fresh and clever way, and the result is something truly exciting, messy, fun, and clever.

The titular final girl support group is a collection of middle-aged women who all survived real slasher stories in the ’80s and now meet on a regular basis; their meeting chaired by a famous psychiatrist. But when the novel begins, one of these final girls doesn’t show up, and we soon learn that she’s dead. A recent slasher incident has also created its first final girl in decades.

So begins a slasher about slashers: the story of someone killing off final girls. This is a love letter to the genre while being an exciting and eccentric thriller in its own right. The Final Girl Support Group begins with a fun concept and quickly morphs into a chilling adventure that places it amongst the very best thriller books.

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My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Upon its publication, My Sister, the Serial Killer was quickly lauded for its freshness and ingenuity within a genre that leans on tropes and formulas. Winning awards across the US and the UK, this is a novel that really had people sitting up, paying attention, and throwing praise in its direction. All for good reason.

Published in 2018, My Sister, the Serial Killer was written by Nigerian-British author Oyinkan Braithwaite, and was her debut novel. And what a debut it is. Our protagonist, Korede, has gotten into the unfortunate routine of helping her younger sister clean up her messes after she inevitably murders her boyfriend (something she has now done three times).

The two cover their tracks and behave naturally, to keep the attention off Ayoola and keep her from being arrested and convicted. But now, Korede has fallen for a man who has, in turn, fallen for Ayoola, and Korede is sure that he will be her next victim. So, Korede has some hard choices to make. This is an enticing page-turner, and one of the best thriller books you’ll ever read.

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Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs

Ink Blood Sister Scribe is one third thriller, one third urban fantasy, and one third dark academia. This blending of genres makes for something wonderfully original and intensely exciting to read. Set in the modern day, but full of old and dangerous magic, this is a wonderful mystery thriller about isolation and secrecy.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe begins with two estranged half-sisters in their twenties. The oldest, Esther, has been moving from place to place every year, and right now she’s on a research base in Antarctica. Her father warned her to move every November and keep moving for twenty-four hours before stopping somewhere new. If she doesn’t, she would die just as her mother had.

Joanna, the youngest sister, has been locked away in her Vermont home for years, in a house full of magical books. When the novel begins, her father Abe has had every drop of blood drained by a spell book and dies on their lawn. Soon enough, a third protagonist is introduced: Nicholas, a young English nobleman who has been raised in a similarly isolated world of magical books. A library hidden in plain sight.

With their father suddenly dead and Esther sensing danger breathing down her neck in the most remote place on Earth, our sisters must search for the truth. There is so much to uncover, so much to learn. This is both a chase and a hunt, and the sisters learn what happened to their father and what is after them. A bold blend of genres and a wonderful mystery story, this is one of the best thriller books of the past few years.

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The Maid by Nita Prose

Written by Canadian author Nita Prose (whose name is as suited to her profession as her beloved protagonist’s is to hers), The Maid is a claustrophobic mystery thriller set within the confines of a fancy hotel. Our protagonist, Molly, is the star of the show here. An autistic-coded character (whose neurodivergence is never explicitly spelled out), Molly is sweet, charming, honest, and wholly good.

In The Maid‘s opening chapters, Molly performs a routine cleaning of the room of a regular guest, only to find him dead on the bed. Was it murder? Most likely. But why? How? And whodunnit? While Molly’s lovable personality and demeanour makes The Maid a borderline-cozy murder mystery novel, the grittiness and cruelty that lies beneath the surface makes this a harsher thriller than it first appears.

Dealing with buried trauma, prejudice towards the neurodivergent, abuse of immigrants, and drug trafficking all being themes and elements of this novel, The Maid is a thriller that hits particularly hard in places. Casting an female autistic-coded character (if a slightly too stereotypical one) as the novel’s protagonist adds a real freshness to this novel, as does her innocent job.

There are no sleuths here, and only one detective — who is callous, cruel, and generally dreadful at her job. And so this is a novel that pits good people against those who are abusive and corrupting. A satisfying mystery novel and one of the more unique and original thriller books of recent years.

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The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex

The Lamplighters begins in 1972, with three lighthouse keepers all going missing at once, with the setup being evocative of classic locked room mystery novels. Locked room mysteries are a staple of the murder mystery genre, especially within the honkaku genre of Japanese mystery novels, but Stonex does something very different here.

Twenty years later, in the ‘90s, an author of crime novels wants to turn this infamous disappearance into a novel. In order to do that, he interviews the wives and girlfriends of the vanished men, and we are flies on the wall during those interviews.

From here, the novel methodically flits back and forth between the days and weeks leading up to the mystery, and the interviews with their partners in the ‘90s. In both time periods, we gradually become very intimate with these characters; we learn their habits and behaviours, and we begin to speculate on the mystery.

It’s a thrilling tale, told in a freshly unconventional way, and one that will certainly stay with you. The Lamplighters is a bold new entry into the genre of mystery thriller books.

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The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Lucy Foley turned plenty of heads with her debut thriller The Hunting Party, and her follow-up novel The Guest List  cemented her as a new queen of the mystery thriller genre. The Guest List is wonderfully reminiscent of the works of Agatha Christie, but with an added sprinkle of modern grittiness.

Set on an isolated island off the Irish coast, The Guest List follows a murder at a wedding party. But not just any wedding party; the groom, Will, is a rising star in the world of television and the bride, Jules, is a successful magazine editor.

These are fancy people; it’s a fancy party. But the shadow of death looms large and loud nonetheless. With multiple perspectives and a slow-burn narrative, we have plenty of time to get to know these people, their relationships, and their clashing opinions.

Tense and exciting, this is as much a character drama as it is a murder-mystery, and all of that leads to an intoxicating thriller of a novel.

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My Annihilation by Fuminori Nakamura

Translated from the Japanese by Sam Bett

The terrorof Fuminori Nakamura’s My Annihilation is the clever way in which the author sits the reader down right next to his protagonist. You’re beside him; you’re in his head; you watch everything he does. You feel his anger, his confusion, his malice. Everything. And it’s all quite frightening. The thrills are intense.

My Annihilation begins with an anonymous man who is planning to steal another man’s identity. He read’s that man’s journals and learns about his youth. Those journals take you on a journey deep into the callous mind of a dangerous youth. Then our anonymous protagonist is captured, called the same name he was reading earlier, and is taken to a facility.

From here, identities blur together and you, the reader, have no choice but to hold on tight and white-knuckle the choppy, dizzying journey through one of the best thriller books of recent years. There are puzzles within puzzles to attempt to solve here, and you’ll probably fail. You’re in the dark, and you must just read on and on and on. This is an anxiety-inducing thriller that’s not for the feint of heart.

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How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie

Here is another one of those thrillers that had every kind of reader sitting up and paying attention, likely in part because of its delightfully cheeky title. Reminiscent of Emerald Fennell’s daring 2020 film Promising Young Woman, How to Kill Your Family is an angry thriller about class disparity, selfishness, and cruelty.

Our protagonist is a young woman who was raised by a poor, single French woman in London. Grace’s mother was knocked up by a philandering playboy billionaire who cast her aside and refused to even look in her or their daughter’s direction.

After the death of her mother, Grace decides to head out on a killing spree, murdering the members of her father’s rich family one by one, and we get to sit back and watch. The mystery is revealed in the prologue, however. The novel’s framing device: Grace is in prison, writing her memoir.

Here, she tells us that she actually got away with all of these murders, and was locked up for the only murder she didn’t commit. There’s our hook; there’s our mystery. From here, we read on and laugh as the sardonic and murderous Grace goes out on the hunt. This is a wonderfully funny, grim, and satisfying book that stands out amongst the very best modern thriller books.

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A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers

Chelsea G. Summers’ A Certain Hunger, like American Psycho before it, is a kind of inversion of the thriller, by which I mean that this alluring piece of fiction places the reader, uncomfortably, by the side of a killer. Dorothy is a cannibal and a food critic. When the novel begins, we watch her seduce a man at a hotel and then kill him. In chapter two, we see that she is now in prison for life.

From there, we read her life story. We are impressed by her career successes — Dorothy is a prolific and successful food writer with two books under her belt. But she also loves killing and eating people. Men, specifically. Men come into her life and offer her something (usually love, sex, or a job), but by this point they are not long for this world.

We stand by while Dorothy kills these men in creative and gruesome ways, before selecting a part of them to cook, prepare, and devour in a very Hannibal Lecter fashion. While this could be described as a feminist novel, in which a woman takes revenge on the men who have wronged her, and on the patriarchy in general, it’s also just a delectable, disgusting fantasy thriller.

The best thriller books are ones that twist the genre and offer a new angle, and A Certain Hunger does just that. Written with a creative flair and a dark sense of humour, this is a must-read thriller.

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11/22/63 by Stephen King

Stephen King is best-known for his horror novels; he is, after all, known as the king of horror. But he has also written some incredible fantasy novels and thriller books. One of those excellent Stephen King thrillers is 11/22/63.

An English teacher is shown a wormhole that leads to the late 1950s. A friend convinces him to use his time in the past to stop the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Jake finds that the past may be changed for the better but the future may not react so positively to this shift.

11/22/63 is one of King’s few massive modern success stories; it’s also one of his rare creations with no tangible horror to speak of. There is threat and suspense, naturally, but this novel is far more a science fiction thriller than anything horror-related.

A massive boon to the book is the relationship between Jake and his love interest, Sadie. Both bring incredible warmth to a novel which rather than just being a tense thriller, becomes a romantic sensation too.

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Misery by Stephen King

One of King’s most celebrated and beloved novels, Misery, is far more commonly categorised as horror, but it is absolutely also a thriller, and a sensational one at that. (Rob Reiner’s 1990 film adaption, for which the sensational Cathy Bates won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for best actress, is also a must-watch movie.)

Misery follows an author of historical romance novels named Paul, who crashes his car in a snow storm and is rescued by Annie, who happens to be a big fan of Paul’s novels. However, Annie isn’t happy about Paul killing off his series’ protagonist in its final novel, and his hopes to move on from that series altogether.

Trapping the injured Paul in her home, Annie forces him to burn his new manuscript and write a new novel in which the protagonist returns to life. Taking place entirely in the claustrophobic home of a mentally unstable woman, Misery is a nail-biting thriller; we constantly fear for Paul’s safety, and wonder what Annie will do next.

Unpredictable, psychotic, and physically aggressive, Annie Wilkes is one of the horror and thriller genres’ most memorable villains.

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The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

Mandel is an author of several modern masterpieces — a true visionary who elevates genre fiction to new heights, and has proven herself to be a master of several different literary writing styles. With The Glass Hotel, Mandel takes the tropes of the thriller genre and imbues them into a literary novel about doubt, grief, and regret.

We begin with Paul, a young man who made some bad decisions, but has ended up working at a remote hotel on Canada’s west coast; a hotel owned by a wealthy New Yorker named Alkaitis.

Paul loses his job after he’s blamed for leaving threatening graffiti on the glass wall of the hotel lobby, and from here we follow the narrative of his sister, Vincent, who also worked at the hotel but is scooped up by Alkaitis as his arm candy.

The graffiti and what become of Paul remain mysteries that prick at the back of your mind as you read, and you also know early on that it is Vincent’s fate to disappear from the deck of a ship years later. How will we get to that moment? What leads Vincent to be on that ship? Is she killed? Does she die voluntarily, given how we also know that Alkaitis’ empire comes crumbling down when it is exposed as a Ponzi scheme.

Across The Glass Hotel, perspectives shift frequently, from Paul to Vincent to Alkaitis, and more. We also move through time, from the ’90s to the present day, and back again. All the while, questions emerge, mysteries are solved, sympathies shift, and revelations come to light.

The Glass Hotel is a very different kind of thriller; a literary mystery novel that demonstrates Mandel at the height of her craft.

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Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

Stillhouse Lake is a bloody thriller that wastes no time in getting to the action. It doesn’t tease or tantalise; it goes straight for the jugular. The excitement of the novel’s opening chapter isn’t just to get you hooked; either. Stillhouse Lake doesn’t let up from there; it builds and only gets louder.

Our hero, whose birth name is Gina but who is forced to rename herself as Gwen for her own protection, was at one time a typical suburban American housewife. But when her husband’s secret — that he is, in fact, a serial killer — comes to light and he is convicted, she takes her children and heads out on the road.

Eventually, she settles in the idyllic titular Stillhouse Lake, but is being hounded by online trolls and stalkers who believe that Gwen isn’t as innocent as she insists on being. To make matters worse, a dead body soon appears in the lake. Gwen isn’t yet done with running from murder. Stillhouse Lake is a white-knuckle mystery novel, and a champion even amongst the very best thriller books.

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The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larson

Translated from the Swedish by Reg Keeland

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is one of those very rare thriller books that had everyone sitting up and paying attention, whether they were fans of the genre or not. Its original Swedish title literally translates to Men Who Hate Women, which is wonderfully suitable and arguably far more evocative, too.

Then there were the adaptations. In Sweden, all three novels in the Millennium trilogy were adapted to the big screen, and Hollywood also adapted the first book as well. Just like with Gone Girl, legendary thriller director David Fincher made a worthy adaptation of the source material, this time starring Daniel Craig.

Allegedly, the story of this novel was inspired by a tragic event that happened in Larson’s own youth, but this is doubted by some people. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a gritty thriller that follows a middle-aged journalist who has been hired to uncover the truth of a wealthy girl’s disappearance forty years prior. This novel turned so many heads, transforming countless readers into fans of thriller books for the rest of their lives.

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A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

The debut novel by rising star of the thriller genre, Stacy Willingham’s A Flicker in the Dark has made a real lasting impression on fans of the genre. A must-read for fans of Catriona Ward and Gillian Flynn, A Flicker in the Dark follows Chloe, a psychologist who is engaged and finally allows herself to feel happy and content.

That is until a string of local disappearances dredge up memories of her own traumatic childhood. As a girl, Chloe’s father was convicted as a serial killer after six girls went missing in their local area. Now, twenty years later, something shockingly similar is unfolding around her.

This is a thriller that feels at once entirely new and entirely respectful of the genre’s conventions; a modern classic amongst thriller books.

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American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

Another legendary literary thriller, American Psycho is a smart and engaging, if delightfully unhinged, novel about consumerism and corporate culture in capitalist America. Made infinitely more famous by Mary Harron’s 2000 film adaptation of the same name, a film that really skyrocketed Christian Bale’s career, American Psycho is a classic of the genre.

What makes this one such a classic, beyond its clever themes and tongue-in-cheek tone, is its first-person narrative. A postmodernist thriller, American Psycho puts the reader in the shoes of Patrick Batemen, investment banker by day and serial killer by night.

Set in the ‘80s, at the height of American capitalist and consumerist culture, American Psycho is a brash critique of the world of middle class New York. An absolute stunner, and one of the absolute must-read thriller books of its time.

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The Pharmacist by Rachelle Atalla

Set after an apocalyptic event, the events of The Pharmacist take place entirely within the stifling, claustrophobic, metallic world of an underground bunker. Our titular pharmacist is Wolfe, a woman who spends her days dispensing medication to those who need it. But the bunker’s leader, ND, has taken an interest in Wolfe and is using her to spy and report on people, as well as provide him with medication without question.

We watch on with bated breath as ND becomes more and more questionable in his decisions and behaviour, and as Wolfe is forced to contend with larger and larger dilemmas. The people around her need her help; she is feeling isolated, closed in, and threatened; and this tiny underground community is becoming more and more volatile. Their society, what little of it there is, is coming apart at the seams.

This is a terrific dystopian thriller that leans heavy on the claustrophobia. At times, it almost feels hard to breath — this speaks to the immersion of The Pharmacist and the gently rising stakes for both Wolfe and the people she calls friends.

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The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

While Thomas Harris’ 1988 novel is, in fact, a sequel (to Red Dragon) it is easily his most famous and celebrated novel. This is, at least in part, thanks to the success of Jonathan Demme’s Oscar-winning film adaptation, starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins.

This is the novel that made both the iconic heroine, Special Agent Clarice Starling, and the iconic villain Hannibal Lecter household names. Lecter is the definitive cannibal in fiction; to this day, when people think of cannibalism, they picture Hopkins grinning behind his muzzle. That’s the power of Harris’ Silence of the Lambs, one of the great thriller books of all time.

Buy a copy here!

The Snowman by Jo Nesbø

Translated from the Norwegian by Don Bartlett

Mystery thrillers are the bread and butter of modern Norwegian literature, and Jo Nesbø is the most successful thriller author to have ever come out of Norway. Not only that, but his novel The Snowman (the seventh in his Harry Hole series) is easily his most famous and celebrated work, having been adapted to the big screen in 2017 by director Tomas Alfredson.

The film, starring such big names as Val Kilmer, J.K. Simmons, and Michael Fassbender (as Harry Hole) likely turned a lot of crime movie fans into Nesbø readers. This Harry Hole mystery thriller begins with the disappearance of a woman in Oslo. A boy named Jonas wakes up to find that his mother has vanished.

Strangely, a snowman now stands in their yard wearing Jonas’ mother’s scarf. And she is not the only woman to go missing on the first day of snow that year. If you enjoy the grittier police drama side of thriller books, rather than the cosy, Agatha Christie-esque murder mystery end of the spectrum, you need to check out Jo Nesbø and The Snowman.

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The Distant Echo by Val McDermid

It’s 4 am, and St. Andrews School is blanketed in mid-December snow when Alex and his three friends are heading home from a party. Suddenly, they discover a girl’s body.

More than two decades later, Rosie Duff’s cold case is reopened. When two members of the suspected quartet are killed under suspicious circumstances, Alex knows he must uncover the true killer of Rosie before he’s the next one in trouble.

Award-winning author Val McDermid, one of the absolute treasures of modern thriller books, is sure to captivate you with this novel that just can’t be put down. 

Buy a copy of The Distant Echo here!

If you’re looking for the best Korean novels in English translation, this list of ten is the perfect place to start. Many of the Korean authors (and translators) mentioned here have entire libraries available for you to explore once you’ve exhausted this list.

You can also subscribe to the Korean Literature Now Magazine and browse their website to keep with the latest news, poetry, fiction, and articles.

A note on names: In Korea, family names come first, and publishers of Korean novels in translation seem to often disagree over whether or not to flip them for English language readers. Some do, some don’t. You get used to it.

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo

Translated by Jamie Chang

Approaching a book like Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 is an enormous undertaking; something that should be done with real consideration. The novel has sold over a million copies in its native South Korea, has been adapted into a successful Korean film, and has been a huge spark for the fires of the #metoo movement in South Korea.

Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 is a novel that has achieved so much, done so much good, and is now finally available to English-speaking readers. Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 can be seen as the novelisation of the lived experiences of every ordinary Korean woman for the past forty years. It traces the life of a single woman from early childhood to marriage and motherhood.

The book begins with her being given an appointment with a psychiatrist in 2016 after she has developed a disturbing condition wherein she impersonates the voices of, and embodies the personalities of, the women in her life both alive and dead.

This condition is what initially introduces us to her character, and it is a very clear statement to the reader that Kim Jiyoung speaks for every ordinary woman of 20^th and 21^st Century South Korea. Everything you may have heard about Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 being an impactful and important piece of feminist fiction is true.

It is a book that brings to light the everyday misogyny, sexism, ignorance, aggression, bias, and abuse (both active and passive) that women in South Korea (and, of course, the world over) suffer and do their best to survive in this modern world.

To really get the most out of Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, one of the most powerful Korean novels, it’s important to first understand the novel’s purpose.

It is not a story with a view to entertaining us. It is a book that enlightens, and encourages anger in, its readers. Kim Jiyoung is not an individual. She is not a character to form a bond with. She is every abuse victim. She is every woman who has encountered sexism at home, at school, in the workplace, and on the street, and who perhaps never even realised it.

Buy a copy here!

Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park

Translated by Anton Hur

Love in the Big City is a queer Korean love story. It is a tale of hedonism and friendship; a book about looking at life from all angles: with love and hate and anger and fear in our eyes.

Divided into four acts, Love in the Big City begins with Young at university, living his best life with close friend Jaehee. The two of them live together, party hard, sleep around, and look out for one another. But, eventually, Jaehee wants to get married and grow up.

This Korean novel’s second act explores Young’s relationship to his mother, now and in the past, and the third act sees him chasing love, finding it, being let down by it, and finding it again.

Translated elegantly and beautifully by Anton Hur, Love in the Big City considers how we live our lives when time is ticking, when there is fun to be had and things to be seen; when there are things to fear and people who want to hurt us.

This is also a novel full of charming details. Young and Jaehee, in their early days, look out for one another. He keeps her stocked with Marlboro cigarettes and she keeps the fridge full of fruits (blueberries are his favourites). Those details aren’t all positive — the novel doesn’t shy away from moments of pain and fear and difficulty. Young encounters homophobia and his relationship with his mother is strain in more ways than one.

Love in the Big City paints a raw and honest but ultimately kind picture of love and life in the modern day, and for that, it is one of the finest modern Korean novels.

Buy a copy here!

Read More: 12 Best K-Pop Books (For Stans Everywhere)

Violets by Kyung-sook Shin

Translated by Anton Hur

Kyung-sook Shin is one of South Korea’s most beloved and revered authors. One read of Violets and it’s easy to see why. This is a feminist tale about friendship in the modern world, and about the insidious, subtle ways in which men abuse women on a daily basis.

One of the most impactful and changing Korean novels of the past few years, Violets begins with its protagonist, San, as a young girl in 1970. She lives in a small village and is a lonely social outsider.

In the opening chapter, San shares a moment of tender intimacy with her best friend. For San, this is an awakening. For her friend, it is frightening and wrong. They don’t see each other again, and we spend the rest of the novel with San as a twenty-something living in Seoul.

When San takes a job as a florist, she develops a sweet friendship with her coworker, who soon moves in with her. But San is also at the whim of men. She learns how men violate the spaces and bodies of women on a daily basis, in a way that seems almost invisible. Violets has the power to reshape how we all see the social dynamics at play between men and women.

The physical and verbal weapons softly used by men to scare, suppress, and intimidate the women in their lives. It’s a novel that leaves a mark, but also a tender and beautiful narrative.

Watch our full video review of Violets

Buy a copy of Violets here!

Greek Lessons by Han Kang

Translated by Deborah Smith & Emily Yae Won

Han Kang is nothing short of a legend of Korean literature. Her novel The Vegetarian, also translated into English by Tilted Axis Press founder Deborah Smith, won the International Booker Prize in 2016 and the rest is history.

The Vegetarian was the first Korean novel that this writer ever read, and that is probably true for many readers. Han Kang and Deborah Smith opened the door for countless English-language readers to become intrigued by, and seek out more Korean literature.

With Greek Lessons, Han Kang is examining and testing the powers of language itself. This short novel follows two protagonists, one of whom is losing his sight and the other is struggling with mutism. Our mute character, an academic and successful writer, has suffered through the loss of her mother, the breakdown of her marriage, and has just lost custody of her child.

She has chosen to enrol in a class to study ancient Greek as a means of reconnecting with language, and by extension, with herself. Her teacher is our other protagonist, a man who spent his youth in Germany and who, therefore, has always felt a cultural disconnect.

His story plays out in the first person, and hers in the third. This is a striking distinction; wordlessly demonstrating how he is stuck in his mind, his memories, and his anxieties. Conversely, she feels a separation, a disconnect from herself, from her experiences — she is floating and alone, cold and confused.

Greek Lessons is a love letter to language as a means of connection, of understanding, of translating our experiences and our feelings in profound and satisfying ways. Han Kang continues to write some of the best Korean books of the modern day, and Greek Lessons is no exception.

Buy a copy of Greek Lessons here!

Walking Practice by Dolki Min

Translated by Victoria Caudle

Walking Practice is an ingenious piece of speculative Korean fiction that blends elements of horror, science fiction, and satire to create something thematically dense, sometimes funny, often shocking, and satisfyingly allegorical.

Across just 150 pages, this Korean novel tells the story of a nameless and genderless alien which crash-landed on Earth fifteen years ago, after fleeing a war that destroyed their homeworld. After surviving off anything they could get their tentacles on, they found that the most satisfying food available was, in, fact, human meat.

And so, for over a decade, they have been disguising themself as men and women, and using dating apps to seduce people, glean some sexual satisfaction (and occasional companionship), before devouring them in a gleefully gruesome manner.

For the novel’s first half, we follow this pattern a few times, and we see the differences in their behaviour when presenting as a man or a woman; how the unspoken rules of society encourage them to behave.

And also how others behave in response to them. This is an explicit examination of patriarchy and the restrictions of gender expression, as well as social relationships between genders. But it goes deeper than this, as our protagonist admits to their loneliness and seeks love, companionship, community, and a sense of belonging.

With smart and satisfying queer allegories aplenty and some truly astonishing and creative translation work from Victoria Caudle, this is one of the best Korean novels of recent years.

Buy a copy of Walking Practice here!

The New Seoul Park Jelly Massacre by Cho Yeeun

Told from multiple perspectives, The New Seoul Park Jelly Massacre provides the reader with what it says on the tin: a massacre about jelly at a theme park in Seoul. We begin with a young girl whose parents don’t get along. She so wishes they did, and when she gets lost in the crowd, the girl meets a man whose face is out of focus, and is offering visitors to the park a jelly sweet that will keep those who eat them bonded forever.

This turns out to be unsettlingly literal, as the jelly sweet causes its consumers to melt into jelly, and their forms begin to melt into one amorphous thing. We then see this gradual massacre play out from different angles: that of a girl in a difficult romance, that of a fed-up employee who wears a mascot uniform, and even that of a successful CEO who is secretly part of a satanic cult.

Thematically, these people represent dissatisfaction, exhaustion, and frustration—in work, love, and life—and the theme park is their place to escape; the place where dreams come true. But things are never that simple, are they?

I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee

Translated by Anton Hur

In her introduction to this incredible book, author Baek Sehee notes that her hope is for people to read this book and think, “I wasn’t the only person who felt like this.” To that end, I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki is an exercise in empathy; in the author opening up her chest and letting her darkest feelings tumble out, in the hope that you will feel understood.

Depression is isolating, frightening, and draining. Knowing there’s someone else out there who has felt this way — who still feels this way — can be incredibly comforting.

I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki is unique amongst these other Korean novels in that it isn’t actually a novel, but rather a kind of epistolary narrative that tracks a woman’s life through therapy. Most chapters begin and/or end with a confession: a personal experience or a feeling related to the author’s depression and anxieties. The rest of the chapter is a transcript of a therapy session.

These sessions divulge personal experiences and opinions, and also provide us with advice and understanding from the therapist as they listen to the author’s experiences. It feels very voyeuristic, getting to know this author’s inner thoughts and feelings so intimately, but the sense of companionship that comes from it all is so appreciated.

Writing something so revealing and honest must have taken incredible courage, but Baek Sehee has done so with the selfless desire to help others feel less alone and unique in their pain. If you struggle with depression, or know someone who does, I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki is a lesson in empathy and a hug from a comrade-in-suffering.

Buy a copy here!

The Plotters by Un-su Kim

Translated by Sora Kim-Russell

The most important thing to note about The Plotters is that it’s billed as a thriller, but it is actually far more than that. Rather than blending genres and emerging as a kind of Frankenstein’s Monster of different styles, The Plotters rather refuses to acknowledge genre.

The Plotters tells the story of Reseng, a successful assassin raised in The Doghouse Library – a library filled with books but empty of people, somewhere in Seoul – by an enigmatic old man known as Old Raccoon. Reseng has grown up knowing of nothing but the business of assassination, and curiously also knowing very little about that, either.

This is a piece of penetrating fiction driven by its eccentric but grounded characters, providing a unique and entertaining setting and circumstance, and telling a story subtly tied to the history and politics of modern day Korea. After the Korean War and the separation of the two Koreas along the thirty-eighth parallel, control of North Korea was seized by the Kim regime.

What is lesser-known, however, is that South Korea too did not have democratic freedom until the 1980s, suffering through martial law for some decades. This key aspect of Korean history plays into the story of The Plotters, as the democratisation creates a power struggle amongst assassins and leaves room for a different kind of man to take charge.

Blending this wild and wonderful story of assassins who work from an old library with real-world political events allows for some subtle commentary on the nature of fascism, martial law, democracy, and even capitalism, with regards to how these things affect the kinds of lives people can lead. Even assassins are not immune to political shifts.

The Plotters is one of the most ambitious Korean novels; something that has to be read to be believed. Its ability to defy genre, allow its plot to be carried along by comedy and eccentric characters, and keep a slow pace that takes time without losing momentum is truly staggering.

It takes influence from the tumultuous events of South Korea’s recent past without becoming dry and melancholy. Most importantly of all, it is fantastically fun.

Buy a copy of The Plotters here!

The Cabinet by Un-su Kim

Translated by Sean Lin Halbert

Un-su Kim’s The Cabinet is a fantastic and engaging blend of speculative short stories and a longer, underlying thread. Our protagonist, Mr. Kong, is a simple office worker who has wound up as the caretaker of a filing cabinet full of accounts of strange people known as “symptomers”: human beings with odd conditions and abilities.

The novel contains many stories dedicated to symptomers: a man with a gingko tree growing out of his finger; people who seem to jump forward in time at random; people who sustain themselves off glass, steel, or gasoline. These stories make up half the narrative, and paint a vivid picture of a world that is far stranger than what we see and believe in our day-to-day.

The broader narrative is about Kong himself. We gradually learn about his life, his boss, his childhood, how he ended up in this position. There is a mystery to uncover here, and as the novel progresses, that mystery gradually unfolds in an addictive, tantalising, and strange way.

The Cabinet is a work of boundless imagination, written by a beloved Korean author and translated brilliantly by Sean Lin Halbert.

Buy a copy of The Cabinet here!

Tower by Bae Myung-hoon

Translated by Sung Ryu

Tower is a truly unique and boundary-pushing piece of Korean science fiction. When we look at Korean novels in translation, too few of them are genre fiction. But that is slowly changing, and Tower is a Korean book you need to pick up and read.

As its name implies, this piece of Korean sci-fi is set entirely in an enormous tower. This titular tower is a nation unto itself, home to 500,000 people. Bae implies that it was built on Korean soil but this is never explicitly stated. The book is divided into a series of interconnected speculative tales, all set within this solitary tower nation known as Beanstalk.

The world-building is fantastic, as the tower needs to be a believable place in order for the author’s disparate tales to work. Infrastructure, economy, politics, and daily life all need to be accounted for and designed in a way that the reader can understand and appreciate.

The six stories in Tower are tied together by the place itself and by recurring characters and events. And each story serves to further build the world while also telling an entirely self-contained tale. In that sense, this is a unique piece of Korean fiction that blends the concepts of the novel and the short story collection.

And each tale also, as all good science fiction does, poses an ethical, political, or philosophical quandary for us to muse over.

Buy a copy of Tower here!

Blood of the Old Kings by Sung-il Kim

Translated by Anton Hur

So often, the novels we come to expect to see translated from Korean into English are literary novels set in our modern day; bold and challenging works that are inherently tied to the modern Korean experience. And while it is always important to have these groundbreaking works of fiction in translation, it is also exciting to see the shift towards receiving more genre fiction: fantasy, horror, romance, and sci-fi.

Blood of the Old Kings is very much a breath of fresh air in that regard—an epic fantasy novel that leans into the classic tropes of the genre (magic swords, dragons, rebellions, and quests) while also providing readers with a powerful connection to real-world politics through an allegory concerning colonialism and empire.

Three unconnected characters—one who receives a sword from a dragon, another who studies magic and whose mind is suddenly invaded by a strange voice, and a third who is investigating the death of his friend—embark on missions that will eventually see them crossing paths as they take steps to rise up against the empire that annexed their nation. A thrill ride of a Korean fantasy novel.

I’m Waiting for You by Kim Bo-young

Translated by Sung Ryu and Sophie Bowman

With the spread of Korean science fiction into the West, through the hard work of talented and dedicated translators like Ryu and Bowman, we get incredible gems like this one. I’m Waiting for You is one of the best Korean novels published in the past few years. Here’s why.

Kim Bo-Young is a legend of Korean literature, and even worked as a script editor on Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-Ho’s Snowpiercer. With I’m Waiting for You, readers can see first-hand why she’s such a special sci-fi author. This collection of four stories is essential reading amongst sci-fi books by women writers.

The four stories in this collection actually work as two pairs. The first and fourth stories — I’m Waiting For You and On My Way to You — are the same tale told from two perspectives: a bride and groom each making their way home to Earth for their wedding ceremony.

The second and third stories — The Prophet of Corruption and That One Life — also the longest and shortest tales respectively, blend religion, mysticism, and science fiction. In these two middle tales, the characters are a set of gods, and it is quickly revealed that they created Earth as a school in which they themselves can learn and grow.

The main protagonist of The Prophet of Corruption, Naban, is a single god whose prophets, disciples, and children all separated from them like cells. Individually, they spend entire lifetimes on Earth, learning and experiencing and dying.

Naban believes in asceticism as a school of learning; their children are reborn in low roles; they suffer and toil and eventually return home. But some are rebelling against this approach to living and learning. What makes these stories so tantalisingly addictive is Kim’s world-building and her attempt at writing gods as characters, with motivations and behaviours different from our own.

The stories that bookend this collection are each written in an epistolary fashion, as letters to the other. In I’m Waiting For You, our nameless groom is trying to make it to Earth, and is updating his bride each time something goes awry (and a lot goes awry).

The same is true in On My Way to You; the bride has her own hurdles to overcome. These two stories are heartbreaking. You’ll root for them, cry for them, hope against hope that things will work out for them.

Buy a copy here!

Your Utopia by Bora Chung

Translated by Anton Hur

From the author of the wonderfully strange, exciting, and diverse Cursed Bunny, Your Utopia is a science fiction short story collection. The protagonists of this collection vary from far-future space-faring humans to artificially intelligent cars and sentient elevators.

Though these stories are all within the realm of science fiction, they explore an enormous spectrum of style and tone. One story, Seed, is a bleakly funny satire that observes a conversation between a copse of trees and a handful of eugenics-made humans. Another, A Very Ordinary Marriage, follows a newly-married man who becomes paranoid when he catches his wife making secretive phone calls in a language he has never heard before.

The sheer amount of scope and variety in these stories wonderfully showcases the potential of science fiction to tell stories that make readers laugh, scream, and cry. Bora Chung is one of the most imaginative Korean authors, and this imagination is on full display in the stories of Your Utopia.

Buy a copy of Your Utopia here!

The Specters of Algeria by Hwang Yeo Jung

Translated by Yewon Jung

Separated into three acts and an epilogue, The Specters of Algeria begins with a girl named Yul, born during the military dictatorship of South Korea. Yul’s father is part of a theatre troupe, along with the father of her childhood friend Jing. We see the world through Yul’s eyes when the novel first begins.

Like with To Kill A Mockingbird, this naive perspective gives us a blinkered view of Yul’s world, but soon her friend Jing moves abroad and she grows up to own her own dress alteration business. Part two, set in the modern day, follows Cheolsu, a community theatre employee who tracks down Yul’s uncle Osu, a member of the theatre troupe who wrote and directed a play called The Specters of Algeria.

Or did he? As we soon learn, Osu claims that the play was originally written by Karl Marx and was lost to time, until he translated it, claimed it as his own, and directed it during the years of dictatorship as an act of subversion. The Specters of Algeria, like Timerlake Wertenbaker’s Our Country’s Good, is a story about the power of art, specifically theatre, as something that can transcend oppression, push back against it, and bring people together.

Buy a copy of The Specters of Algeria here!

The Age of Doubt by Pak Kyongni

Translated by some of the best Koean-to-English translators working in the industry, including Anton Hur, Sophie Bowman, and Mattho Mandersloot, this is a humbling short story collection. Pak Kyongni was one of Korea’s most celebrated and renowned authors, writing in the decades following the Korean War and through a South Korean dictatorship.

What we have here are six stories and a commentary, all written during the 1950s and 60s, which shed a light on the ordinary lives and tragedies of everyday people during that period. Many of these tales focus on women and their families, such as the titular The Age of Doubt, which follows a woman who lost her husband to the war and her young son to an accident shortly after.

Or the similarly titled The Age of Darkness, which details the intertwined lives of a family shaken by a shared tragedy. Few authors have ever shaken the Korean literary landscape like Pak Kyongni, and to have a selection of her early tales translated in this fashion, in a single collection, is a true gift!

Buy a copy of The Age of Doubt here!

My Brilliant Life by Ae-ran Kim

Translated by Chi-young Kim

Adapted into a Korean film, and now available in English translation by the translator of Kyung-sook Shin’s Please Look After Mother, My Brilliant Life is a gorgeous gut-punch of a literary novel by Korean author Ae-ran Kim.

My Brilliant Life tells the story of Areum, a sixteen-year-old boy with a degenerative disease. He is not likely to live much longer, given that he has the internal organs of a man in his eighties. Before he dies, however, Areum has a gift he wishes to give to his parents:

“My plan was this: write the story of my parents from the very beginning and give this to them on my seventeenth birthday. Instead of awards or a college diploma, I would gift them this story.”

Areum’s parents were childhood sweethearts; they had him when they themselves were only sixteen. Despite being careless, they made a beautiful family together and Areum became a gift. They formed a perfect, loving family together; something truly inspiring.

Thanks to his parents and their love, Areum has lived a wonderful life, despite its length. And he is grateful for this, so he wishes to give them one final present that highlights and celebrates the beauty of their love and their life together.

Throughout Areum’s youth, his parents have romanced him with stories of their own lives, their young years, and their relationship. He uses these stories to build his book. Meanwhile, as he compiles this final gift, he is in and out of hospital with health problems: blindness, heart failure, epilepsy, and more.

Despite how sad this story is, it remains uplifting. It’s a celebration of love and life and family. It teaches us to be grateful for those who show us love and kindness. It reminds us that life is something to cherish and admire and enjoy. For that reason, My Brilliant Life is one of the most poignant and powerful modern Korean novels.

Buy a copy of My Brilliant Life here!

The Court Dancer by Kyung-sook Shin

Translated by Anton Hur

Kyung-Sook Shin has a gift for understanding her own people, her own society, with all of its beauty and its failings — this kind of gift is something that might be considered simple for anyone who is from anywhere at all, but that is arguably very far from the truth. With these skills, she has written some of the best Korean novels ever.

For Shin, each new novel demonstrates new strengths she had not previously revealed; new muscles she has not before flexed. This time she makes the telling of historical fiction seem as effortless as pouring crisp cold water into a glass.

Based on a true story — set in the final years of 19^th century Korea as China, Russia, and Japan are threatening the little nation trapped between them — The Court Dancer is being described as a love story first and foremost: the romantic tale of a man and a woman from two different worlds, colliding in a moment of beauty.

And, sure, that’s fine, but really this is the tale of a woman born without a family, adopted into the courts of the Joseon Dynasty, romanced by a French diplomat, whisked away across the waves to foreign shores, and all the while trying to find the time to understand who she is, what she is, and what she wants out of a life that has never really been hers.

It is a tragic tale that transcends place and time to show people of all cultures that a woman’s life must be fought for. In translation, much of Shin’s earlier writing has allowed non-Koreans to experience and understand the mind and heart of the modern Korean.

With The Court Dancer, she has shown us the heart of pre-modern Korea with all the heart and mind she herself always lends to her writing.

Buy a copy of The Court Dancer here!

Untold Night and Day by Bae Suah

Translated by Deborah Smith

Bae Suah is one of the great contemporary authors of South Korea. Author of A Greater Music, Nowhere to Be Found, and North Station (some of the best Korean novels of all time), she has burst onto the stage that is 2020 with a topsy-turvy surrealist tale that feels uncomfortably in-line with the narrative of the 21^st Century.

Untold Night and Day is, to borrow author Sharlene Teo’s words, a fever dream of a novel; a book that is unknowably yet aggressively familiar to all of us. Ayami is a former actress who has worked for two years at a menial position in a tiny, almost entirely unknown, Seoul theatre which puts on auditory performances for blind audiences.

She’s approaching thirty, anxious, and unsure of herself in every way imaginable. She also soon discovers that she will soon be out of a job. What begins as a vivid setup — a drawing with thick black lines — gently begins to grow fuzzy. Ayami’s own colours start to blend, as do those of the story, and of time itself.

Reality, for us and for Ayami, slips away and loops in on itself. Surrealism, soon enough, has its nails in us and it won’t allow us to wake up. There perhaps isn’t a more apt description of Untold Night and Day than ‘fever dream’. This parallel runs deep.

At 150 pages, the novel is short – a quick read that, like a fever dream, manages to play deceptively with time and progress. You’ll wonder how long you’ve had your head in the book before a chapter break eventually allows you to take a breath. You might even emerge sweating and confused.

Untold Night and Day should be read with a clean and sober mind, then talked about after a few vodka shots. It’s a dirty and cracked narrative that encourages questions about our 21^st Century world and how we’re living in it. The novel is, indeed, a Lynchian fever dream, but it demands perseverance and complete absorption.

And, honestly, even if you were to try and quit it, the book likely wouldn’t let you. Open it up and let it sink into you as you sink into it.

Buy a copy of Untold Night and Day here!

b, Book, and Me by Kim Sagwa

Translated by Sunhee Jeong

Coming-of-age novels, and stories of self-discovery, can take a variety of forms across myriad genres of fiction, but most are typically grounded in realism, following the rules of their world.

b, Book, and Me is a story of a different sort, leaning on a fever dream surrealism that grows in intensity over time, and using ambiguity and a narrative fog to reinforce the strangeness and frustration felt and experienced by young people year after year. It’s a layered and anxious tale that captures the dangers and mysteries of youth better than most.

The titular b, Book, and Me are our three protagonists: b is a teenage girl from a poor family living in a nameless coastal town in Korea; Book is a friend met along the way who has an obsession with reading and collecting books; and the ‘me’ refers to Rang, our initial narrator and best friend of b.

The novel is split into three parts, with the first following a few clear and beautifully depicted days and memories in the life of Rang. The second follows b and begins to stretch itself into a feverish surrealism that mirrors her own unique fears, struggles, and stresses. The third teams the two up with Book as the walls of reality almost fall away entirely.

b, Book, and Me is one of the most creative Korean novels; it does an uncanny job of illustrating the often surreal and frightening life of a teenager growing up somewhere unknown, with vague ideas that there is more beyond their world.

The novel’s dreamlike nature is gently poured into the narrative as it moves forward and serves to reinforce the themes of the plot and the nature of its characters. Our protagonists are likeable, their motivations clear, and their world eerily understandable in spite of its impossible qualities.

Rarely does a novel manage to be so abstract and fluid and yet so clearly relatable. b, Book, and Me is a smart, beautifully written, masterfully translated work of Korean fiction that makes for a frightening yet true-to-life story of self-discovery and friendship.

Buy a copy here!

The Hole by Hye-young Pyun

Translated by Sora Kim-Russell

Here is, perhaps, an entirely new kind of frightening. We’re living in a new golden age of horror films right now, and, if Hye-young Pyun’s books are any indication, a parallel golden age of horror writing as well. The protagonist and narrator of The Hole is the adorably-named Oghi, whom we learn about in two forms: In flashbacks where Oghi is presented as a successful professor and academic in a marriage falling apart.

This provides the disparity between Oghi’s successes and his wife’s failures which cause an uncomfortable rift between them. And in the present day. We find Oghi after a car crash leaves him unable to move or even speak, only communicating in blinks and the odd twitch of his left hand.

With these contrasting Oghis — the memories of him being confident, at times callous, versus the present day where he is mute and every voice has a patronising tone — create an immediately unsettling paradigm shift. The reader will find that, after each flashback ends, a kind of anti-catharsis sets in as we remember that, in the present day, Oghi is a prisoner in his own body; a narrator who cannot narrate. This is the first terror of the story.

The other terror comes in the form of Oghi’s mother-in-law, both his caretaker and sole remaining family member. After losing her daughter in the same crash that left Oghi paralysed, his mother-in-law is hardly an emotionally stable caretaker. To say more would be to risk spoiling things.

Where The Hole shines, and wherein lies its true terror, is the state of Oghi’s body and his mind. So much horror and suspense writing relies on running, hiding, chasing, and being lost. But Oghi is not lost, and he cannot run. He is trapped from page one.

In choosing to ignore the tropes which make horror what it has become famous for, Pyun has crafted a very new kind of terror which builds on the writing of Franz Kafka, but with none of the black humour that results in staring into the void.

Instead, it replaces that with true, absolute dread which is maintained like a painfully drawn-out musical note for hours, page after page after page. The Hole is one of my favourite Korean novels, as well as one of my favourite horror novels ever.

Buy a copy of The Hole here!

The White Book by Han Kang

Translated by Deborah Smith

Calling it The White Book feels reductive, almost wrong on purpose. Because The White Book is less a book and more an embracing feeling of familiarity. This book — one of the best Korean novels of our time — is something you live and feel, and all of this is created by its use of empty space.

Han Kang has created a story unlike any you will have read, but beyond being a story it is very much an exploration of the familiar things in life. There are beautiful black and white photos throughout the book, taken by Han Kang, which only add to the experience as you try to grapple with the tone of each beautiful image.

The White Book has real depth and I can’t help but feel that every reader will have a different experience with it. Each tiny chapter of this story is titled with the name of a white thing, and the events and musings of the chapter circle its material theme.

It is this, coupled with the empty space, that so draws the reader into the very feeling of whiteness. A bleak kind of melancholy peacefulness that takes hold and gently squeezes. The narrative flits between first and third person, but always centres on the same lone character: a Korean woman, spending a little time living in an unspecified central European city.

It is here that our nameless narrator spends her time in introspection, though the exact subject of which I dare not say.

The story has nothing in the way of true dialogue, and its chapters are short with the time between them unclear, but what is clear is the way that the character lessens the weight she carries, eases her feelings, and helps the reader lose the tension they perhaps don’t know they are holding onto as they read.

The White Book is an experience inasmuch as it is a novel. I’d urge all Han Kang fans to read it, but also anyone looking for a very different kind of art; art which is difficult to explain and more difficult to talk about afterwards.

Buy a copy of The White Book here!

At Dusk by Hwang Sok-yong

Translated by Sora Kim-Russell

Hwang Sok-yong is arguably Korea’s most prestigious and well-respected living author. Following the success of his novels Princess Bari and Familiar Things, we arrive here, At Dusk.

The narrative here is split in two, with the books odd-numbered chapters recalling the life and memories of Park Minwoo, a rags-to-riches architect approaching old age, and the even chapters following the story of Jung Woohee, a twenty-eight-year-old woman who is barely making ends meet by working part-time to fund her passion for writing and directing theatre.

These two narratives have seemingly nothing in common. Until they do. Park Minwoo’s story is a familiar one: that of a man born into hardship and poverty, working his way through a series of fascinating and intense trials and labours to arrive at the success he always dreamed of.

The interesting twist in the formula here is that, for Park, the trials have always been passed, and now we are treated to a backwards view of his life from the viewpoint of an ageing man who has become disenchanted by his riches and his current social, political, and financial situation.

As for Jung, her tale takes on a very different narrative flavour. It is at once lighter in tone and heavier. Her struggles are in the present, and the immediacy of her pain and her fight for success is felt with real intensity. All the same, she has a lot of personality on show, and her dialogue and her exchanges are packed with vigour.

The theme of the day here is very much in the steadily increasing gravity of regret that weighs down on Park as he considers his role in the modernisation and transformation of modern day Korea. In his flashbacks he slowly begins to pine for the raw life that he had carved out and survived through in the slums of his childhood, a time when perhaps he felt more alive.

Buy a copy of At Dusk here!

To the Warm Horizon by Choi Jin-young

Translated by Soje

In this harrowing post-apocalyptic novel that brings to mind others of its kind — The Road, Oryx and Crake, I Am Legend — Korean author Choi Jin-young shows us how, against all odds, love can still win out in the end. After a disease has ravaged the entire planet, To The Warm Horizon presents us with two young Korean women who come across one another on the road in the cold wilds of Russia, in the most adverse of circumstances.

Dori lost her parents to the disease and is now in charge of her deaf and mute younger sister. Jina is travelling with her large extended family and childhood friend Gunji. Dori and Jina’s encounter leads to some raw and uncomfortable events, exactly the kind you’d expect to see in a disease-wrought, post-apocalyptic wasteland.

But against and despite all of this, and more,, the love and dedication that grows and is tended between these two women keeps the reader hopeful. This is a beautiful lesbian love story that uses this hook to set it apart from the less hopeful novels that populate the genre of post-apocalyptic fiction, making it an essential modern Korean novel.

Buy a copy of To the Warm Horizon here!

Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum

Translated by Shanna Tan

A wonderfully cozy novel which, rather than being led ever onwards by its plot, instead reflects the ebb and flow of ordinary life with charming and astonishing accuracy. This is the story of a woman who, after realising that she is chasing happiness, leaves her job, divorces her husband, and fulfils her dream of opening an independent bookshop.

That woman is Lee Yeongju. Now in her late thirties, Yeongju is the proud owner of the Hyunam-dong Bookshop. And chapter by chapter, we feel as though we are sitting in the corner of her shop as things gently shift and change. She hires a barista, hosts bookclubs, interviews authors in front of a small audience, grows her shop’s social media profile, and builds a steady community of regulars to the shop.

As the cast of characters fills out, we get to know each of them more intimately, and many of them get their own chapters. We watch where they go, listen as they talk through their thoughts and troubles, and admire how they face the choices that appear before them.

Many of the book’s chapters are simple philosophical musings on business, literature, writing, and larger concepts like love and happiness. Our characters talk through their worries with each other and become closer as a result. It is wonderfully true-to-life and a very charming, intimate reading experience.

Buy a copy here!

Endless Blue Sky by Lee Hyoseok

Translated by Steven D. Capener

Korea has seen a tumultuous hundred years, with the Japanese occupation, a civil war, and finally a divide carved across its belly, separating North and South. In the midst of such tumult, it is easy for information to be lost.

Fighting back against all of this information loss, and tearing down the barriers of language and time, is the publishing house Honford Star, who began by translating the short stories of many lost Korean writers into English. Endless Blue Sky is Honford Star’s first full-length Korean novel.

The story of Endless Blue Sky begins with our protagonist, the writer Ilma, travelling up to Manchuria for the umpteenth time for business and, while he is there, engaging with a Russian dancer, Nadia, whom he is deeply enamoured with.

Conversing mostly in English, their relationship blossoms quickly; and Nadia, through Ilma, has fallen in love with the fascinating world of Joseon (Korea), demanding to be stolen into it so that she might discover its fashion, its theatre, and its art for herself.

Framing this blossoming romance is a colourful cast of characters, the most eccentric of which being the actress Danyeong, a woman obsessed with separating Ilma from his foreign lover and stealing him away.

Her behaviour is so obscenely cloak-and-dagger that the reader cannot help but picture her, finger to her lips, sneaking a few steps behind Ilma, muttering to herself about love and passion from behind a fake nose and moustache.

More than once, as I read, I considered with a smile that Lee seems to exist as a wonderful opposite to Japan’s Yukio Mishima, a man of far-right conservative values who chose to espouse his nationalistic beliefs through aggressive stories of blood and betrayal.

In much the same way, Lee’s politics are not hidden here, but rather exposed for all to see. The difference is in his opposing beliefs. While Mishima worshipped traditionalism and rejected change, Lee welcomed globalisation, socialism, and the eradication of borders.

While Mishima wrote with angst and rage, Lee wrote with love and celebration, though both wrote from the heart all the same. Lee Hyoseok was absolutely one of the more fascinating writers of early twentieth-century Korea; a man of thrilling political philosophies and a delightfully European approach to storytelling.

Endless Blue Sky is a joy to read, with eccentric characters and a love story that twists and turns with real human depth and agency as it moves on at a swift click. One of the best classic Korean novels and a true literary gem.

Buy a copy here!

City of Ash and Red by Hye-young Pyun

Translated by Sora Kim-Russell

From the writer of The Hole (winner of the Shirley Jackson Award 2017), City of Ash and Red is a phenomenal celebration of all that is dark and wrong, and readers are in for a jolly good dystopian time with this one. This is just more proof of Pyun’s skill as author of the best Korean novels of this century.

Our nameless protagonist (nameless, perhaps, because his name doesn’t matter, or because it’s up for debate), divorced and working as a rat catcher, he is quickly and inexplicably transferred by his company to a country only referred to as C.

Upon arrival he finds the whole country drowning in disease and rubbish, with people being dragged into quarantine, and fear and distrust in the air. For the duration of his transfer, he has been in contact with someone named Mol, but he soon learns that Mol is not so easy to locate – the name is incredibly common in Country C.

This is the first of a hundred problems that our protagonist faces, as he is soon quarantined, released, has his luggage ‘misplaced’, is told not to come into work for ten days, and receives a call from an old friend who had married our protagonist’s ex-wife, only to be told by this friend that their ex-wife was found dead in our hero’s apartment, and he is a prime suspect.

Any fan of Kafka will recognise parallels between this tale and more than one of old Franz’s, with the key link being an overwhelming feeling of confusion, fear, and frustration. Our protagonist seeks answers, but none are to be found.

He wants to explain himself, but nobody will listen — nobody, in fact, cares. He wants to gain a firm grip on the facts, to stop his world from spinning and twisting, but the more desperate he becomes, the more life beats and berates him. You might see why, at this point, calling this book merely Kafkaesque is not enough. City of Ash and Red is something else entirely.

Buy a copy here!

The Color of the Sky Is the Shape of the Heart by Chesil

Translated by Takami Nieda

Note: The Color of the Sky Is the Shape of the Heart was written in, and translated from Japanese so consider it a wild card, but it remains vital to the history and culture of modern Korea. Inspired by the author’s own experiences as a Zainichi Korean in Japan, The Color of the Sky Is the Shape of the Heart sheds a bright light on this subculture of Japanese people.

Zainichi Koreans are Japanese citizens of Korean heritage whose existence came around as a result of the Japanese empire’s occupation of the Korean peninsula. Our protagonist, Ginny/Jinhee Park, was born of Zainichi Korean parents and raised in Japan, speaking only Japanese.

At the beginning of the novel, Ginny lives in Oregon and recounts to us her childhood in Japan, going to both Japanese and Korean schools. From her earliest age, as a Zainichi Korean, Ginny (born Jinhee), faced discrimination and hardship. We see these hardships through visceral and painful vignettes.

We see the way that Japanese people view Jinhee and her people, and the way she was treated at Korean school as a girl who only speaks Japanese. Jinhee is a child of two cultures but feels like she belongs to neither; discriminated against whichever way she turns.

The Color of the Sky Is the Shape of the Heart is a difficult read but it couldn’t be anything else. It asks for sympathy and understanding, and has so much to teach us about Zainichi Korean culture.

Buy a copy here!

From timeless classics to modern love stories, and spicy tales these romance books cater to every taste, whisking you away on unforgettable journeys through the complexities of human connection. As you immerse yourself in these enchanting tales, you’ll discover why these romantic novels (including queer romance novels) have earned their place among the most beloved and cherished works of fiction.

The Best Romance Books from Around the World

Make yourself comfortable, let the warmth of these stories from around the world envelop you, and prepare to embark on a literary adventure that will leave you yearning for more.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

As classic romance novels go, North and South is an oft-overlooked masterpiece of the genre. A 19^th Century love story set against the very prominent backdrop of the British Industrial Revolution.

In the northern factory town of Milton, the love story follows a refined young southern woman named Margaret Hale who arrives in Milton and struggles with the town’s industrial way of life.

One of the captains of the industry, and our love interest, is Mr Thornton, a crass and aggressively spoken northern man who owns a cotton factory.

The love story here is very reminiscent of that between Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, only with the added political vigour that examines the class divide between, well, north and south – a divide that still continues to this day.

North and South also has one of the best TV miniseries adaptations ever filmed, starring the smouldering Richard Armitage as Mr Thornton. Definitely give it a watch!

Beach Read by Emily Henry

From the author of Book Lovers, Beach Read follows the story of two struggling writers, Augustus Everett, a literary fiction author, and January Andrews, a bestselling romance novelist, who find themselves as neighbors in beach houses for the summer.

With their careers stalled by writer’s block, they strike a deal to break free from their creative ruts: Augustus will write a happy story, while January attempts the next Great American Novel.

As they embark on unconventional field trips and challenge each other’s writing styles, they try to stick to their pact that no one will fall in love.

This heartwarming and witty tale explores the unexpected paths to creativity and the power of embracing new perspectives while offering a satisfying enemies-to-lovers romance.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Predictable as it might be, Jane Eyre is undeniably one of the greatest romance novels ever written and bound.

The Bronte sisters were a unique flavour amongst their contemporaries, providing us with raw, often brutal, always sublime gothic and romance novels that stood head-and-shoulders above the rest.

Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre is an absolute treasure, and a classic romance novel that, in terms of its pacing, hasn’t aged a day. A punchy love story fraught with aggression and tempestuous shifts in tone, Jane Eyre is flawless.

Our titular narrator Jane Eyre is a girl orphaned at a young age, living with her uncle’s family. Her childhood is not pleasant, but when she eventually finds a chance at work as a governess.

The job takes her to Thornfield Hall and the enigmatic Mr Rochester, master of the house. Their story is not a smooth one; instead it is intense, fiery, and at times frightening – filled with twists and turns that make it a true classic and one of the very best romance books – indeed one of the very best Western novels – ever written.

Read More: 14 Books like Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

If you like your romance novels to be heavy on the lust, and to have a fantastical element to them, you need to read A Dowry of Blood.

This gothic romance is written from the perspective of Dracula’s bride, Constanta; how he saved her, how she fell in love with him, and how (centuries later), she killed him.

A Dowry of Blood is gothic romance done perfectly. These are people driven by love and lust and a thirst for blood. They hate and curse each other but cannot live without each other.

Cursed love, burning desire, sensuality — these things drive the novel forward and it is glorious to watch.

Read More: 15 Best Modern French Novels

The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham

Kitty Garstin has gone through several failed attempts at love and marriage before arriving in a sudden and loveless marriage with the bacteriologist Walter Fane.

Most of the novel is set in mainland China, where Fane has placed himself in the thick of a cholera epidemic with a view to studying the disease and helping its dying victims.

It’s a tragic setting, and it doesn’t tick any boxes regarding typical romance books. But the beauty and genius of the romance in this novel comes in the form of Kitty learning to love her new husband through observing his actions and the risks he takes, and he likewise learning to appreciate the help that she offers.

It’s not a love story for the faint of heart, and certainly not a typical romance novel, but The Painted Veil is nonetheless a unique and incredible work of fiction, and one of the great romance books of its time.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I don’t care what you say; there is no way to have a discussion about the best romance books and not mention Pride and Prejudice.

In fact, confession time: I only read this book recently, shortly before turning 30, which might be illegal – I haven’t checked. But it was reading Pride and Prejudice that inspired this list, so here we are.

Pride and Prejudice is as good as everyone says. In fact, it’s better. A lot of the discourse gets lost in a loop of praise being helped on it for being one of the great romance novels.

But it’s more than that: Pride and Prejudice is a sharp, witty, sarcastic, biting, scathing, sardonic gem on a novel that relentlessly pokes fun at everything from the class system to patriarchal values; from stuffy English tradition to family life.

There are few books of their time as funny, clever, and scathing as Pride and Prejudice. And what makes it even more perfect is that there lies a truly perfect romantic tale beneath all of this scorn.

The story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy really is as compelling, engaging, and captivating as everyone says.

If you’ve been put off from reading Pride and Prejudice due to too much hype, let all of that go and read it.  It is one of the best romance books, classic or otherwise.

Read More: 10 Great Books for Fans of Normal People

At the End of the Matinee by Keiichiro Hirano

Translated from the Japanese by Juliet Winters Carpenter

At the End of the Matinee is a curious romance novel. Written by a man with a view to being international, while also evoking the tone and tropes of 19th Century English novels like Jane Eyre and the works of Jane Austen, there’s nothing quite like this Japanese romance novel.

The story follows two protagonists: a man approaching forty who works as an internationally celebrated classical guitarist, and a woman in her early forties who is a respected journalist living in Paris.

He is touted as a musical genius, and she is the daughter of a Japanese woman and a Croatian film director. Both are fascinating people.

They meet after one of his concerts in Tokyo and, while she is engaged to an American man whom she has known for many years, the two become infatuated with one another.

They travel, work, and find their fates entangled.

At the End of the Matinee is a will-they-won’t-they love story that uses classical romance tropes while also innovating with its characters and setting.

Gorgeously translated by the outstanding Juliet Winters Carpenter, this is a modern classic of a Japanese romance novel.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

When it first came out, the hype around this book could not be ignored, particularly as it originally started as a Reylo (Rey/Kylo Ren) AU fanfic.

The Love Hypothesis revolves around Olive Smith, a third-year Ph.D. candidate who doesn’t believe in lasting romantic relationships.

To convince her best friend Anh otherwise, Olive impulsively kisses the first man she sees: Adam Carlsen, a young, attractive, and notoriously difficult professor.

Surprisingly, Adam agrees to be her fake boyfriend and maintain the charade.

However, when a critical science conference threatens Olive’s career, Adam’s unwavering support brings their pretend relationship dangerously close to combustion.

In this charming and addictive story, Olive learns that love is far more complicated than any scientific hypothesis, and understanding her own heart proves to be the most challenging experiment of all.

Psyche and Eros by Luna McNamara

There is a lot of love and romance in Greek mythology, and a lot of jealousy and betrayal, too. Psyche and Eros stands out, however, by being a love story first and foremost.

This is the talle of a god and a human falling in love, against all odds. Psyche, princess of Mycenae, trained to fight and hunt by the argonaut Atalanta, is swept up in a romance with Eros, the god of love himself.

The novel’s opening chapters establish who our two protagonists are, and Eros’ chapters in particular paint a picture of how the gods came to be. The story of Gaia, Kronos, Zeus, and all the messiness they wrought.

When Aphrodite, who has forced Eros into her servitude, orders him to curse a beautiful human woman, the god of love makes a careless mistake and curses himself by mistake. That curse causes him to love Psyche.

Not just love her, but to have her wrenched from him if ever she looks at him.

Psyche and Eros pits the cursed titular protagonists against an entire world of gods and humans.

Greece and Troy are on the brink of war; the gods are, as usual, committing cruelties our of jealousy and bitterness, and our lovers must wade through all of this while dealing with a curse that will destroy their love forever.

Buy a copy of Psyche and Eros here!

Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami

Translated from the Japanese by Allison Markin Powell

On its surface, this Japanese novel concerns an odd and unique slowly blossoming romance between a disenchanted salary woman in Tokyo and an older man: a former schoolteacher whom she chances to meet once again as an adult.

The story of Tsukiko and Sensei is truly one of the ages: a rough and turbulent story that is often battered by the winds of change.

This is because, on a deeper level, Strange Weather in Tokyo is about finding an equilibrium between the lost Japan of old – the pre-war Japan of ancient traditions which Sensei hailed from – and the modern, fast-paced, fast-paced, neon-lit Japan of today which Tsukiko represents.

What makes their love story work so elegantly is how each protagonist supports and teaches the other: Tsukiko is exhausted by modern life, and her love for Sensei helps her appreciate a slower, calmer pace.

Meanwhile, Tsukiko ensures that Sensei doesn’t get washed away by the waves of modern life.

Read More: Our Review of Strange Weather in Tokyo

Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

Translated from the Japanese by Megan Backus

One of the best things about Kitchen – something that stands out amongst other romance books – is that it was so ahead of its time. Or, at least, it was courageously of its time when most other books and movies fail to be.

Kitchen follows the tragic life of Mikage Sakurai, a young woman raised by her grandmother who, after the loss of said grandmother, finds a home with a young man: Yuichi Tanabe.

What makes this novel so ahead of its time isn’t the romance between these two characters, but rather the role of Yuichi’s transgender mother, who is easily the novel’s most complex and compelling character.

The love story in this Japanese novel is not an easy one. Death obstructs love at every turn, and Yoshimoto never loses sight of her protagonists being young, growing, and grieving people.

Read More: Our Review of Kitchen

XOXO by Axie Oh

This wholesome YA novel XOXO centres on Jenny, a dedicated cellist who unexpectedly falls for Jaewoo, a K-pop idol, after a chance meeting in Los Angeles.

Their paths cross again in Seoul when Jenny attends an elite performing arts academy.

With Jaewoo’s dating restrictions as a K-pop star, they must decide if their love is worth risking their careers and friendships.

A contemporary forbidden romance, XOXO will immerse you in the K-pop industry and make you fall in love with Seoul through sumptuous descriptions of food and surroundings,

Read More: 12 Best K-Pop Novels

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa

Translated from the Japanese by Stephen Snyder

This choice is perhaps a bit of a sneaky one, because while The Housekeeper and the Professor can and should be called a novel about love, it is not a love story.

The titular professor is an aged mathematician who is incapable of retaining long-term information. He goes through housekeepers like toilet paper because none can stand the stress of working for him for long.

His newest housekeeper, and our protagonist, is a single mother with enough kindness and patience to form a bond with this difficult and troubled genius.

Thus, in the professor, our protagonist finds an indispensable friend, and her son finds a pseudo-father figure in a man who forgets him from one day to the next. Romantic, no, but a story about love. Absolutely.

Read More: Our Review of The Housekeeper and the Professor

Love in the New Millennium by Can Xue

Translated from the Chinese by Annelise Finegan Wasmoen

Consider Love in the New Millennium the wild card of this list. A deeply satirical, surreal, and subversive novel about modern life for a group of women in today’s China.

In writing a book that so confidently satirises daily life in China, Can Xue took some bold risks.

While it isn’t a book about a single romance, Love in the New Millennium is nevertheless a book about love, romance, sex, and relationships.

It examines how we love one another in an age of surveillance and transience. It looks at what shapes romance and love can take in the modern age.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

Sarah J Maas is the queen of YA fantasy. Whether you’re a fan of the genre or just someone with a passing knowledge of it, you’ll know the name Sarah J Maas.

Skyrocketed to fame by her series Throne of Glass, she has worn the crown ever since. Her series A Court of Thorns and Roses (which begins with the novel of the same name) begins with protagonist Feyre — a forest-dwelling hunter — fighting and killing a wolf for its prey.

The wolf, however, turns out to be a faerie, and Feyre must pay for its murder. This event thrusts Feyre into the twisted and mythic faerie world which she must help save from an ancient curse.

An intense love between two dark characters; a folklore-inspired world of fairies, magic, and curses, a young and beautiful but deadly protagonist. What more could you ask for?

The Court Dancer by Kyung-sook Shin

Translated from the Korean by Anton Hur

The Court Dancer is, in many ways, a modern Korean response to the classic European romance novels.

The Court Dancer is a book that, on the surface, celebrates a chance encounter and the blossoming love and passion which emerges from it, but look a little deeper and you’ll find a book that deals with the scars of colonialism and a warning sign against the exoticism and sexualisation of other cultures.

The romance of this clever Korean novel is front and centre: a French diplomat of the 19^th Century has journeyed to Korea during the later years of the Joseon Dynasty.

There, he has fallen quickly and passionately for a young woman who has already seen so much upheaval and personal tragedy – a young woman now serving as a court dancer.

Whisked away to France with her new love, our court dancer must learn to understand her place in the world, her newfound romance, and what home means. And all of that is before the scathing exploration of European colonialism takes centre stage.

Essential Queer Romance Novels

Diversity and representation in literature have never been more important, and the realm of romance novels is no exception.

Our selection of the best queer romance books showcases the beauty and complexity of love in all its forms, transcending boundaries and celebrating the power of connection.

These stories capture the hearts of readers with their unforgettable characters and heartwarming relationships

Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park

Translated from the Korean by Anton Hur

Love in the Big City could fall under the “Asian Romance Novels” and “Queer Romance Novels” since it’s both. But, like many of the romance novels on this list, actually calling it romance is a little messy.

Though, make no mistake, this is a Korean novel about love.

First, it’s about platonic love — the love between two hedonistic best friends at university, enjoying all the flavours of life: food, alcohol, cigarettes, and sex.

But, after a time, one grows up and gets married, leaving the other — our protagonist — to choose how he is going to live his own young, gay, good life.

Love in the Big City also explores familial love through the relationship between Young and his mother, before finally leaning into romantic love as he lets himself fall in love in his own way.

This love is difficult, rocky, and harsh, but it is still love and it is still romance. Sometimes.

This novel does not shy away from the shadows of love and romance, which is what makes it so earnest and beautiful as a queer romance novel.

There is so much here that is cruel and nasty, but a love for life and for people wins out in the end.

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

This is a beautiful, poetic piece of science fiction lesbian romance. A short and tender novel that blends intense sci-fi world-building with lyrical moments of romantic expression between two agents of warring factions.

Our protagonists, Red and Blue, are two women working for different agencies of a far future, in which they fight for control of time itself.

The two agents leave letters for one another, at first as flirtatious taunts, and soon as bold declarations of their love for, and addiction to one another.

This is How You Lose the Time War shifts between chapters detailing what Red or Blue is up to and letters written from one to the other. These letters express passionate, loud statements of adoration that melt your heart.

The fun and complex world-building of this far future only supports the concept that love, the simplest thing to understand, conquers even the most complex ideas.

Wolfsong by TJ Klune

Wolfsong, the first in TJ Klune’s Green Creek series of fantasy books, is a novel that answers the question, “What if Twilight was gay and also good?”

Klune is known for blending queer romance with urban fantasy, and this is his most expansive queer romantic fantasy story yet, spanning four lengthy books.

Wolfsong is the first book in that series, and it is predominantly a gay romance between a boy named Ox — who grew up in a small, rural Oregon town — and the youngest son of a pack of werewolves.

Around the time Ox turns sixteen, the Bennett family moves in next door. They are a mother, father, three boys, and the father’s brother.

Ox, whose own father abandoned him, soon learns that the Bennetts are not only shapeshifters, but that his friend and boss, Gordo, already knows them. and that Gordo is also a witch.

Ox and Joe, the youngest of three boys, become tethered together in an intense friendship that soon blossoms into a vicious, feral kind of romance.

Wolfsong is a queer fantasy romance full of bloodshed, revenge, cruelty, and savage love. One of the most intense and best romance books of recent years.

Buy a copy of Wolfsong here!

Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann

This is a uniquely important novel. A queer romance, this is a book that centres around a sexuality often criminally underexposed but nevertheless part of the queer canon: asexuality.

Let’s Talk About Love introduces us to Alice, our asexual protagonist, who is all but done with love and relationships until she meets the handsome and endearing Takumi.

Sweet, approachable, endearing, and fun; Let’s Talk About Love is a fantastic queer romance novel that deserves even more love and attention than it’s already getting.

Read More: Best Queer Graphic Novels and Manga

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

A slow-burn gay romance, The House in the Cerulean Sea, Linus Baker, a solitary Case Worker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, is tasked with a top-secret assignment: assessing the potential threat posed by six unique children living in Marsyas Island Orphanage.

As he uncovers the island’s secrets and grows closer to the enigmatic caretaker, Arthur Parnassus, Linus discovers an unexpected family and must choose between destroying their home or risking the world’s end.

This heartwarming tale highlights the power of found family and the profound impact of love and acceptance.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

From the author of the highly successful Red, White & Royal Blue, we have another light-hearted and witty romance novel that successfully captures the fizzing energy of meeting someone for the first time and knowing that they are your person.

Unfortunately, when August meets Jane on the subway, it is not a straightforward romance since Jane is displaced in time from the 1970s and August has to help her.

The interesting concept of One Last Stop offers a lot of insight into historic queer culture across the US during the 70s and keeps you hooked as you get more and more invested in a happy ending for these cute lesbian lovers.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

“I spent half my time loving her and the other half hiding how much I loved her.”

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo follows the story of Monique Grant, an unknown magazine reporter chosen by reclusive Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo to write her biography.

As Monique delves into Evelyn’s glamorous and scandalous life, she uncovers tales of ambition, friendship, and forbidden love spanning from the 1950s to the 1980s.

As the two women form a connection, it becomes apparent that their lives intersect in tragic and irreversible ways.

This captivating novel takes readers on a journey through old Hollywood, exploring the harsh realities of fame and the struggle of confronting the truth, no matter the cost.

Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman

This is perhaps a controversial choice, especially given that its author is not gay, but it is nonetheless one of the most celebrated modern gay romance novels.

Call Me By Your Name exploded in popularity thanks to its recent film adaptation, but the novel is also beloved by fans worldwide.

The novel follows a summer romance between two young men in 1980s Italy, and the lives of these protagonists over the subsequent fifteen years.

It’s a story of young love and self-discovery that received enormous critical acclaim, as did its film adaptation.

While I have my reservations about a gay romance novel being penned by a straight man, it is nevertheless a novel that resonates with so many, and will surely be heralded as a future classic among gay romance novels.

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Casey McQuiston’s captivating story demonstrates that true love transcends diplomacy. Red, White & Royal Blue explores the unlikely romance between America’s First Son, Alex Claremont-Diaz, and the Prince of Wales, Henry.

As charismatic and charming as Alex is, his rivalry with Henry threatens to damage U.S./British relations when a tabloid photo exposes their altercation.

In an attempt to control the situation, a staged truce turns into a blossoming secret romance that could derail political campaigns and upend both nations.

This delightful and witty queer romance novel poses the question: can love save the world, and how do we find the courage to embrace our true selves?

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care is a witty and steamy queer romantic comedy that follows Delilah Green, a successful photographer who reluctantly returns to her hometown, Bright Falls, to photograph her estranged stepsister Astrid’s wedding.

Upon her return, Delilah encounters Claire Sutherland, Astrid’s reserved best friend and a single mother running a bookstore.

As Delilah becomes entwined in wedding preparations, including a scheme to save Astrid from her terrible fiancé, she discovers unexpected chemistry with Claire.

Despite their differences and Claire’s initial reluctance, the two find themselves drawn to each other, challenging their preconceptions about love and relationships.

If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo

We previously mentioned If I Was Your Girl on our list of trans books by trans writers, and it bears repeating it here on a list of the best romance books for the same reason: it’s spellbinding.

Meredith Russo is a trans woman who took her own experiences and funnelled them into the protagonist of If I Was Your Girl.

In this delightful trans novel, Amanda has moved to a new school and has fallen for a boy named Grant. She has disclosed to no-one, including Grant, the secret that she is trans, and lives in fear of that secret coming out, and what it will mean for her life at her new school and her blossoming romance with Grant.

This is a queer romance story for the ages; a book written by a trans woman about a trans woman, and a book that can help both young trans and cis people alike.

Read More: 9 Transgender Stories by Trans Writers

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

It might still be a very new novel, by The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is a delightfully hedonistic romp of a gay romance novel.

What sets it apart from so many of its contemporaries is how much it enjoys itself; this book is less concerned with sorrowful pining or unrequited love.

Instead, it’s a celebration of romance wrapped up in one of the most delightful historic romance novels of today.

Telling the story of an 18^th Century British lord touring Europe with his best friend for whom he harbours an intense lust.