It’s October, so you know what that means—we’ve finally reached spooky season. The leaves are changing, the weather is getting colder, and something wicked this way comes. So why not light a candle and pop open a good sci-fi or fantasy book?
But while there are plenty of fantastic books in these genres, what about the ones that are a little creepy? They go a little darker and push readers out of their comfort zone. Here are six picks that will send a shiver down your spine as we count down to Halloween.
- The Last Astronaut by David Wellington
- Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
- The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch
- The Last Plague series by Rich Hawkins
- The Prince of Nothing series by Scott Bakker
- The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
The Last Astronaut by David Wellington
The Last Astronaut is a sci-fi and horror lover’s dream (or nightmare depending on how tolerant you are of spooky stuff). The basic premise is that an astronaut is sent out into space after a massive, non-communal alien object enters the solar system and heads toward Earth. Aboard the spaceship, things take a turn, and the crew begins to investigate.
If you love the Alien franchise, this is the perfect book for you. It blends sci-fi and horror elements seamlessly and builds on the terror one would feel in a situation like this. The suspense is truly a masterclass.
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
If you’re a horror-fantasy book fan, chances are you’ve heard of Between Two Fires. Set in the 14th century, this dark fantasy turns creepy easily by blending real-life medieval history with the kind of horror you could only read about in the Bible.
The main premise is that Lucifer and the other fallen angels have ignited a war against Heaven and all things good when they believe that God has abandoned humanity. A disgraced knight saves a young girl and a priest who is struggling with his faith in a world ravaged by darkness.
The book uses aspects of theology and religion as dark fantasy and digs really deep into demonic forces, which only makes it even scarier.
The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch
The Gone World is a grounded novel that feels a bit more like true crime than classic sci-fi, but the way it’s written makes it a standout.
When Shannon Moss is sent to investigate the murder of a Navy SEAL’s family and the disappearance of his daughter, she finds out more than she bargained for. She discovers he was attached to a space mission that seems to have been lost in something called “Deep Time,” which could have been responsible. She has to figure out what really happened.
The premise sounds wild because the time travel is wild, and the twists and turns around every corner only deepen the horror.
The Last Plague series by Rich Hawkins
If you want Lovecraftian sci-fi, The Last Plague is for you. In this book series, four friends must survive a sudden outbreak of creatures resembling your worst nightmares in London and reach their families.
As a girl who grew up watching The Walking Dead and am deeply engrained in the post-apocalyptic subgenre, I promise this book will hook you the moment you start reading. Plus, there are three books in the trilogy, so you can keep the story going if you love it.
The Prince of Nothing series by Scott Bakker
If you want dark fantasy that feels creepy, one of the best is The Prince of Nothing series. It blends mythology, theology, and several other elements to create an epic quest set in a fictional world known as Earwa during a holy war. Its complex storytelling is the highlight.
It’s hard to get into this series without spoiling. All you really need to know is that the first novel follows Kellhus, a man who has mastered the human mind and is looking for his father, and a sorcerer named Drusas Achamian, who is sent to spy on the crusade. There’s a lot to unpack, so I would suggest just diving in.
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
Last but not least, we have The Library at Mount Char. This dark fantasy horror novel follows 12 adopted human orphans raised by a sadistic man known as “Father,” who trains them in a library that holds the information of the entire universe. But when Father suddenly vanishes and locks the siblings out of the library, chaos and power struggles ensue.
This is a weird book, but it's also brilliantly written and blends horror elements really well with fantasy.
What will you be reading this October?
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