This Top Ten Tuesday topic was “Ten Books We’re Thankful For”. As we were afraid this could easily turn into one of a “Our Favorites” list, we decided to twist it just a little bit. We present ten holiday-themed horror books you might be thankful for. (Thankful or incredibly disturbed by the perversion of the holiday. Really all depends on you.)
I give full credit for this one to Gracie. Her tastes in horror are more far-reaching than mine are, so this list is basically all hers. (My contribution was Krampus. That’s it.)
Top Ten Tuesday is brought to you courtesy of Broke and Bookish.
Ten Holiday-Themed Horror Books (You Might Be Thankful For)
I have to admit that I have not read all of these yet but there’s something irresistible to me about horror stories and holidays. Particularly holidays that are not readily associated with horror. So let’s start with the one at hand, shall we?
Thanksgiving
Gobble Gobble: A Tale of Thanksgiving Terror – Florin Nicoara
Synopsis: Gobble Gobble is a hilarious horror-comedy that will turn your thanksgiving delight into one hell of a day of fright. It is a terrible tale unlike any other you have ever been told before. Tread only if you dare because it will twist your mind and lay your soul bare; gobble-gobble!!!
A group of high school seniors embark on a field tip the day before Thanksgiving to visit a humane environmentally-green turkey farm for extra credit, but instead discover a sinister secret government lab where genetic engineering has run a mock and turned the human turkey relationship into a banquet of hilariously frightening insanity. If you thought Halloween was scary, wait until Thanksgiving!!!
Christmas
Krampus: The Yule Lord – Brom
Synopsis: Acclaimed author and artist Brom raised eyebrows and pulse rates with The Child Thief, his grim, brilliantly audacious, gorgeously illustrated reimagining of the Peter Pan legend. So what does this innovative fantasist do for an encore? He tinkers darkly with the beloved mythology of Santa Claus. Set in Appalachia, Krampus the Yule Lord is a twisted fairytale about a failed West Virginia songwriter who gets ensnared on Christmas Eve in an eternal war between a not-so-saintly Saint Nick and his dark enemy Krampus, aka Black Peter, an ancient trickster demon. Krampus the Yule Lord is Gregory Maguire (Wicked) meets Susanna Clarke (Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell) in the realm of Guillermo Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, as Clive Barker (Mr. B. Gone) works his dark sorcery from the shadows. Once again featuring Brom’s chillingly beautiful artwork throughout, Krampus the Yule Lord is a feast of wonder straight from the kitchen of Sweeney Todd.
New Year’s Eve
Bedtime Tales of Horror: Happy New Year – Bradley Poage
Synopsis: When Todd meets Lacy on New Year’s eve, he thinks his luck has finally changed. But looks can often be deceiving, and when you miss all the warning signs, you’re asking for trouble.
Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day – C. Dennis Moore
Synopsis: Oscar has finally had it. The vermin have done enough damage to his yard, and it’s time to settle the score. But extermination isn’t enough. He wants revenge. So during the winter, while the creatures are sleeping, Oscar has come up with a plan to exact his revenge in the most satisfying way.
But some creatures aren’t so easily gotten rid of, and soon it will be more than just a few vegetables in his backyard garden that Oscar risks losing.
Valentine’s Day
Shock Totem 8.5 – Holiday Tales of the Macabre and Twisted: Valentine’s Day 2014
Synopsis: Love is in the air. Can you feel it? The most wonderful and diabolical emotion of them all, and we’re going to celebrate it. Ostensibly as a Valentine’s Day issue, but really…it’s all about love.
And horror, of course.
In this special edition of Shock Totem you will find “Clocks,” a beautifully tragic tale told by master storyteller Darrell Schweitzer. “Silence,” by Robert J. Duperre, is a gut-wrenching tale of love, war, and death. You won’t soon forget this one. In “Broken Beneath the Paperweight of Your Ghosts,” Damien Walters Grintalis tells of a man and his tattered heart. Catherine Grant’s “Sauce” teaches us that sometimes things left behind are best left alone. Tim Waggoner examines the perfect lover in “The Man of Her Dreams.” “Hearts of Women, Hearts of Men,” by Zachary C. Parker, follows a battered woman struggling to free herself from an abusive relationship while a serial killer is on the loose. In total, nine tales await you…
April Fool’s Day
April Fool’s – Richie Tankersley Cusick
Synopsis: Coming home from a forbidden April Fools party, Belinda and her friends witness a horrible accident. When no one appears to have survived, the three friends vow not to admit they were there. Then the sick pranks begin, and Belinda must discover the truth to save their lives!
Easter
Collected Easter Horror Shorts – Edited by Brandy Yassa
Synopsis: From the darkest recesses of some of the horror world’s most chilling minds, Kevin J. Kennedy brings back together some of the authors that brought you Collected Christmas Horror Shorts, alongside several new authors, from upcoming indie stars to Amazon top sellers.
Whether you like Easter or not, you’ll certainly have a different view of it after you read the stories contained within these pages.
Grab an Easter egg, dim the lights, get cosy and get ready for some chilling tales by some of the horror world’s finest.
Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day – Renee Knight
Synopsis: Staying with her parents at Beauwater Manor, a luxury hotel in the English countryside, is the happiest memory of Laura’s young life so far. She’s excited at the prospect of returning to the hotel a few years later, but in this riveting short story by Renée Knight, author of Disclaimer—a remarkable debut novel of psychological suspense —Laura will discover that even though some things about Beauwater Manor are familiar, others are very, very different from what she remembers….
Labor Day
Help! Wanted: Tales of On-the-Job Terror – Edited by Peter Giglio
Synopsis: “HELP! WANTED is a rollicking, creepy, crazy, and thoroughly unnerving collection of work-related horror stories by the cream of today’s horror crop. Each story is as stingingly fresh as a razor cut!” – Jonathan Maberry, New York Times Bestselling author of Dust & Decay and Patient Zero.
Halloween
October Dreams: A Celebration of Halloween – Edited by Richard T. Chizmar and Robert Morrish
Synopsis: Classic novellas, never-before-published stories, essays on the history, literature, and films of Halloween, and real-life memories of October 31st-from today’s best practitioners of fear:Dean Koontz * Peter Straub * Poppy Z. Brite * Rick Hautala * Steve Rasnic Tem * Elizabeth Engstrom * Thomas Ligotti * Gary A. Braunbeck * Jack Ketchum * Thomas F. Monteleone * Hugh B. Cave * Simon Clark * Christopher Golden * Ray Bradbury * Jack Ketchum * Alan M. Clark * Gahan Wilson * Paula Guran * John Shirley * Tom Piccirilli * Jack Cady * David B. Silva * Robert Morrish * William F. Nolan * Michael Cadnum * Richard Laymon * Douglas Clegg * Douglas E. Winter * Stanley Wiater * Caitlín R. Kiernan * Lewis Shiner * Yvonne Navarro * Tim Lebbon * Kim Newman * F. Paul Wilson * Owl Goingback * Dennis Etchison * Stephen Mark Rainey * Charles L. Grant * Kelly Laymon * Dominick Cancilla * Kristine Kathryn Rusch * Michael Marshall Smith * Wayne Allen Sallee * Ramsey Campbell * Ed Gorman * Stefan Dziemianowicz * Peter Crowther
I apologize for any holidays that we might have missed. We tried hard to make it a good mix of the silly and the scary. Have an excellent week and please let us know if you know of any holiday horror that we’ve missed!
Lilyn G is the founder of Sci-Fi & Scary, and leader of the Coolthulhu Crew. She does book and film reviews for both genres the site focuses on. Her tastes run towards creature features, hard science fiction, and lots and lots of action. She also has a soft spot for middle-grade fiction that rears its head frequently.
Though no longer involved with Ladies of Horror Fiction due to other responsibilities and a too-full plate, she was one of the original 4 co-founders.
Feel free to chat her up on Twitter as long as you aren’t hitting her up to review your book.
I hope you don’t mind me telling you about my Christmas Horror Anthology that is on pre-order right now, The 12 Terrors of Christmas. Only .99 too. http://amzn.to/2gvnTSB Like you, I too love holiday horror! So happy to check out books on this list I didn’t have yet 🙂
Thanks for the heads-up about your book!
Holiday themed horror? Who knew! Scary!
Nah. Funny 🙂
Hee hee! These look so fun! I’ve only heard of three of them. Got to add these to my lists ASAP. Santa’s Little Helper was wicked. I loved it.
This is such a jolly post!! I must add on there one Christmas-themed horror novel that I found delightful: Santa’s Little Helper by H.D. Gordon. The beloved/horrifying collectible that Americans love/hate, The Elf on the Shelf, comes alive to kill children!
Ooh, I’ll have to look that one up!