5 Horror Books That Feel Like A Fever Dream
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| Photo by Freddie Addery. |
This is my first-ever blog post, so I must start with my favorite kinds of books. These are dreamlike, nauseating, atmospheric reads, making you question everything as you go along with the story. Sometimes, you may also ask if there's even a story. You know that something's off but it's not that easy to put the pieces together.
Also, right off the bat, let me clarify: Not all these books are strictly horror, yet I still wanted to include them because of the underlying sense of dread and unease they made me feel while reading through them.
So, here they are.
1.) "Fever Dream" by Samantha Schweblin
I mean, the title does make sense.
"A young woman named Amanda lies dying in a remote Argentinian hospital. A boy named David sits beside her. She's not his mother. He's not her child."
Fever Dream is an eerie and hallucinatory novel from 2017 by Argentine author Samantha Schweblin. It's short and I found the prose easy to read, you can (and probably will) rip through it in one sitting.
Let me quote the first couple of lines from the book:
"They're like worms."What kind of worms?"Like worms, all over."It's the boy who's talking, murmuring into my ear, I am the one asking questions.Worms in the body?"Yes, in the body . . . We have to find the exact moment when the worms come into being."
If that doesn't make you read it, I don't know what will. You can grab a copy here.
2.) "Bunny" by Mona Awad
How do I even begin explaining this one? Maybe something like "A glitter-covered, sugar-coated horror fairy tale." It's creepy, it's sharp, it's surreal as hell, and even funny at points.
In this story, we follow Samantha, a university student, who is an outsider, but then receives an invitation from the "Bunnies" (a clique of irritating rich girls) to join them in their ritualistic after-school workshops where they do things to . . . things. That's all you need to know.
You can buy the book here.
3.) "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" by Iain Reid
Iain Reid is the master of the "I have no idea what the hell is going on, but I'm scared" genre. This was the first book of his that caught my attention, but then I had to go and read all his other works too (We Spread and Foe).
"After an uncomfortable and confusing trip to meet Jake's parents at their isolated farmhouse, reality unravels, and events spin out of control when Jake and "The Girlfriend" make an unscheduled stop at an abandoned high school."
The book is different from the movie adaptation, as it's more horror-orientated, and the conclusion of the story is clear (at least for me, who didn't have any idea what the movie ending meant).
I must also add, this is one of my favorite horror books ever. Can't wait for Iain to drop the next book. You can grab this one here.
4.) "Untold Night and Day" by Bae Suah
While this Korean book is not technically horror, the first time I read it before bed, it seriously stirred up something in my brain, giving me unbelievably surreal dreams.
I won't even try to describe the plot. It's extremely disjointed, changing and shifting and twirling page by page. Let's just say, you'll have a lot of WTF moments with this one.
Also, just look at this book cover. Isn't it gorgeous?
Untold Night and Day gave me the same uneasiness that I'm Thinking of Ending Things did. If you liked what Iain Reid did, you need to give this one a go. You can grab a copy here.
5.) "Comfort Me With Apples" by Catherynne M. Valente
This is more like a thriller read, but still, it's surreal and unnerving.
"Sophia was made for him. Her perfect husband. She can feel it in her bones. He is perfect. Their home together in Arcadia Gardens is perfect. Everything is perfect."
I don't want to tell you anything about the plot itself, as the most important thing with this one is to make sure you go in blind! Once you realize what's going on, you will be blown away. Or maybe you'll be like "huh", or even "I KNEW IT". You can order a copy here.
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That's all for now. If you know any books that fit this theme, please leave a comment, I need more fever dreams in my life. Thank you for reading.
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