The title of a book is almost the first thing you notice about a book, besides the cover art. A good title should be evocative of the story you’ll be getting inside. Or at least different enough to make you wonder “Hmm, wonder what that could be about?”
Below are the Kali Krew’s list of some of our favourite book titles. Some we’ve read and some that we haven’t but the titles struck us so much that they’re hard to forget.
All Heads Turn When the Hunt Goes By by John Farris
Chosen by Gracie
“I don’t know why but it brings up such a disturbing visual in my mind that I almost don’t want to read the book and have it ruined.” Gracie
Another Bullshit Night in Suck City by Nick Flynn
Chosen by Brian
“My all-time favorite book title” – Brian
At the End of the Day I Burst Into Flames by Nicholas Day
Chosen by Gracie
“I’d never heard of the title until Lilyn reviewed it but sometimes, when I’m having a bad day, all I can think is At the End of the Day I Burst Into Flames. I have no idea if that represents the book or not but it feels accurate to life” – Gracie
Check out Lilyn’s review of At the End of the Day I Burst Into Flame
The Bone Weaver’s Orchard by Sarah Read
Chosen by Bill
“How the hell do you weave a bone? And what fruit is in the orchard? And do the two combine somehow to make a pie with a woven lattice top? ” – Bill
Check out Tracy’s review of The Bone Weaver’s Orchard
A Choir of Ill Children by Tom Piccirilli
Chosen by Brian
“Piccirilli always has good titles” – Brian
Damnation Alley by Roger Zelazny
Chosen by Bill
“It sounds like Batman FanFic but then there is a picture of some Battlewagon/Tank driving through a burning landscape. WTF is going on?” – Bill
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Chosen by Eliza
The Freeze Frame Revolution by Peter Watts
Chosen by Eliza
A Guide for Murdered Children by Sarah Sparrow
Chosen by Bill
“The blurb on the back made it even more interesting – but I still haven’t read it a year later!” – Bill
How to Recognize a Demon has Become Your Friend by Linda Addison
Chosen by Tracy
John Dies at the End by David Wong
Chosen by Shawn
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
Chosen by Lilyn
“It grabs you because left hand is considered ‘the dirty hand’, the dirty/bad hand of darkness? What the hell does that mean?” – Lilyn
Check out Olly’s review of The Left Hand of Darkness
Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement
Chosen by Lilyn
“Because it fools you into thinking it’s a very dangerous mission (which, okay, it kind of is) but in all actuality, actual gravity plays a huge role in certain things”. – Lilyn
Check out Lilyn’s review of Mission of Gravity
Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson
Chosen by Cory
“It embodies the feel of classic cyberpunk and is just the right kind of weird to make you want to know what it’s about” – Cory
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlen
Chosen by Olly
Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
Chosen by Sam
Motherfucking Sharks by Brian Allen Carr
Chosen by Tracy
The Rust Maidens by Gwendolyn Kiste
Chosen by Eliza
Check out Tracy’s review of The Rust Maidens
Sleep, Pale Sister by Joanne Harris
Chosen by Gracie
The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester
Chosen by Bill
“Need I say more?” – Bill
The Sucking Pit by Guy N. Smith
Chosen by Olly
The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel
Chosen by Tracy
Darkness, Take My Hand by Dennis Lehane
Chosen by Eliza
Why I Want to Fuck Ronald Reagan by JG Ballard
Chosen by Olly
Let us know your favorite titles that intrigued you!
GracieKat was the first co-host of Sci-Fi & Scary, Lilyn’s partner-in-crime, and sub-head of the Kali Krew. She reviews horror books, movies, and games for the site. She also does a weekly Focus on the Frightful feature, and is the site list-maker. She is also in control of the Sci-Fi & Scary podcast which will relaunch soon.
Motherfucking Sharks!! Love that title. Would love to see the movie lol 🤣
Tried to think of books I have bought because of their titles. “The Birthgrave” by Tanith Lee. “The Invisible Library” by Genevieve Cogman. “The Man Who Was Thursday” by G.K. Chesterton. “The Monsters of Templeton” by Laura Groff. “The Essex Serpent” by Sarah Perry. “The Drawing of the Dark” by Tim Powers. And how could I not buy a collection of essays by Ben Franklin that used one of them for its title: Fart Proudly.
‘The Doll Who Ate His Mother’ by Ramsey Campbell. Every word in the title forces you to examine the others.