10 Thrilling Novels Filled with Monsters and Mayhem
Monsters are far more than the shadows that lurked underneath our beds when we were children. The sheer amount of media written about them over the centuries shows that humans are drawn to them. Perhaps we see ourselves reflected in their monstrosity, a dark mirror to our own tendencies. Or hey, maybe reading about scary things with claws and fangs is just wholesome, pure fun. Either way, get ready to sink your fangs into these novels with a smile.
Starting off our list is the eccentric and clever Hollow Kingdom, which features a crow as its protagonist. He isn't the monster, though. In fact, S.T. is the narrator, allowing us inside his head as he navigates a post-apocalyptic world taken over by the walking dead. It seems the humans are facing an extinction-level event, and S.T. is determined to save them. As far as science fiction novels go, Hollow Kingdom is inventive and fresh in the face of a familiar monster we know and love: the zombie.
We already know Lincoln had a hand in smashing the monstrosity of slavery... but did you know he also took down swaths of the undead? Well, not historically. But certainly in Seth Grahame-Smith's novel, where Abraham's secret vampire-hunter life becomes known. After his mother's death at the hands of a vampire, young Abe makes a promise to himself that he will never stop in his mission to eradicate those who hurt him most.
Alex and Leslie are at their wits' end, desperate to have children. So, they pay a terrible price in exchange for their greatest wish. Years later, their twins are healthy and growing. But their parents lock them in their rooms every night. And they swear they can hear voices and noises from outside. Voices that aren't necessarily human, that seem to get all the more menacing with every passing night.
Being ghosted by a stranger sucks. Being ghosted by your new boyfriend who you're supposed to be moving in with... that's a whole new level of messed up. For Kate, this is her reality after showing up to her new place where every trace of Scott has vanished. Except for his phone, that is. By searching through his social media, Kate begins to see the fuller picture of what has occurred, and just how little she knew about him after all.
You might not think monsters and science fiction novels go hand in hand, but Greg Bear's Hull Zero Three will convince you otherwise. Awoken abruptly before he should be, the narrator of this tale is thrown into chaos from the moment he opens his eyes. He's on a spaceship running rampant with creatures and killers and fellow passengers and he can't even remember his own name. Never letting the reader rest, this is a riveting addition to the survival horror genre.
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Mya Alexice is a reader, poet, and writer with a neverending TBR pile and a cat named Ramen. You can find them and their work on Twitter @literallymya.