Books like 'Poor Things'
Readers who enjoyed Poor Things by Alasdair Gray also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical fantasy horror psychological historical-fiction classics literary-fiction gothic magical-realism retellings
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The Complete Stories and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsThis single volume brings together all of Poe's stories and poems, and illuminates the diverse and multifaceted genius of one of the greatest and most influential figures in American literary history...Categorized as:
classics dark gothic historical-fiction industrial-era literary-fiction spooky victorian -
![The Edgar Allan Poe Audio Collection by Edgar Allan Poe]()
The Edgar Allan Poe Audio Collection by Edgar Allan Poe
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsUniversally acclaimed as the maestro of horror and the morbid, Edgar Allan Poe's dark gift has for more than a century and a half set the standard for the genre.Now, Caedmon Audio presents a classic collection of Poe's most terrifying tales performed by two of the most brilliant interpreters of his work ever to be recorded: Vincent Price and Basil Rathbone...Categorized as:
classics dark gothic historical-fiction humor industrial-era literary-fiction spooky -
![The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis]()
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 78 ratingsThe story takes the form of a series of letters from a senior demon, Screwtape, to his nephew, a junior "tempter" named Wormwood, so as to advise him on methods of securing the damnation of a British man, known only as "the Patient".Screwtape holds an administrative post in the bureaucracy ("Lowerarchy") of Hell, and acts as a mentor to Wormwood, the inexperienced tempter...Categorized as:
classics historical-fiction humor literary-fiction retellings satire university 20th-century -
![The Room in the Attic by Louise Douglas]()
The Room in the Attic by Louise Douglas
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA child who does not know her name…In 1903 fishermen find a wrecked boat containing a woman, who has been badly beaten, and a young girl. An ambulance is sent for, and the two survivors are taken to All Hallows, the imposing asylum, hidden deep on Dartmoor...Categorized as:
historical-fiction gothic literary-fiction classics mystery horror fiction paranormal -
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![The Tell-Tale Heart, Plus 3 other Tales of Mystery, Suspense by Edgar Allan Poe]()
The Tell-Tale Heart, Plus 3 other Tales of Mystery, Suspense by Edgar Allan Poe
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 71 ratingsThe Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan PoeAdventures of the Noble Bachelorby Sir Arthur Conan DoyleThe Kitchen Table by Alan KingSight Unseen by Dorothy DavisIn the first volume of Mystery Theatre we present the "Tell Tale-Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe. It is a frightening story of a troubled man's conscience driving him insane...Categorized as:
classics dark gothic historical-fiction industrial-era literary-fiction spooky university -
![The Thing on the Doorstep and Other Weird Stories by H.P. Lovecraft]()
The Thing on the Doorstep and Other Weird Stories by H.P. Lovecraft
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsA definitive edition of stories by the master of supernatural fictionHoward Phillips Lovecraft's unique contribution to American literature was a melding of traditional supernaturalism (derived chiefly from Edgar Allan Poe) with the genre of science fiction that emerged in the early 1920s... -
![The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde]()
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 94 ratingsWritten in his distinctively dazzling manner, Oscar Wilde’s story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is the author’s most popular work...Categorized as:
classics dark gothic historical-fiction industrial-era literary-fiction magical-realism university -
![The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H.P. Lovecraft]()
The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H.P. Lovecraft
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIncantations of black magic unearthed unspeakable horrors in Providence, Rhode Island...Categorized as:
classics dark gothic historical-fiction literary-fiction 20th-century adult audiobook -
![The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Tales by Edgar Allan Poe]()
The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Tales by Edgar Allan Poe
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 57 ratingsThe eerie tales of Edgar Allan Poe, from the 1830s and 40s, remain among the most brilliant and influential works in American literature...Categorized as:
classics dark gothic historical-fiction industrial-era literary-fiction spooky victorian -
![The Isle of Blood by Rick Yancey]()
The Isle of Blood by Rick Yancey
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsWhen Dr. Warthrop goes hunting the "Holy Grail of Monstrumology" with his eager new assistant, Arkwright, he leaves Will Henry in New York. Finally, Will can enjoy something that always seemed out of reach: a normal life with a real family. But part of Will can't let go of Dr. Warthrop, and when Arkwright returns claiming that the doctor is dead, Will is devastated--and not convinced...Categorized as:
dark gothic historical-fiction industrial-era retellings spooky victorian action-adventure -
![More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz]()
More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsAll those who enjoyed shuddering their way through Alvin Schwartz's first volume of Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark will find a satisfyingly spooky sequel in this new collection of the macabre, the funny, and the fantastic... -
![The Masque of the Red Death - an Edgar Allan Poe Short Story by Edgar Allan Poe]()
The Masque of the Red Death - an Edgar Allan Poe Short Story by Edgar Allan Poe
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsThe story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague known as the Red Death by hiding in his large converted abbey home. He and many other wealthy nobles, hold a masquerade ball using seven rooms in the abbey, each decorated with a different color. The last one is velvet black...Categorized as:
classics dark gothic historical-fiction industrial-era literary-fiction magical-realism spooky -
![I Am The River by T.E. Grau]()
I Am The River by T.E. Grau
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings~ Nominated for the 2018 Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a First Novel. ~During the last desperate days of the Vietnam War, American soldier Israel Broussard is assigned to a secret CIA PSYOP far behind enemy lines meant to drive terror into the heart of the North Vietnamese and end an unwinnable war... -
![Left To You by Daniel J. Volpe]()
Left To You by Daniel J. Volpe
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhat would you do to save a loved one?Robert’s mother, Helen, is ravaged with cancer. Every day could be her last, and Robert dreads losing the last member of his family. Robert’s friend and Holocaust survivor, Josef, tells him an unholy story and leaves him a way to save his dying mother. But, as with everything in life, the salvation comes with a steep price... -
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![Just an Ordinary Day: The Uncollected Stories by Shirley Jackson]()
Just an Ordinary Day: The Uncollected Stories by Shirley Jackson
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAcclaimed in her own time for her short story “The Lottery” and her novel The Haunting of Hill House—classics ranking with the work of Edgar Allan Poe—Shirley Jackson blazed a path for contemporary writers with her explorations of evil, madness, and cruelty... -
![The Ghost Tree by Barbara Erskine]()
The Ghost Tree by Barbara Erskine
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsBefore you follow the path into your family’s history, beware of the secrets you may find…The new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author.Ruth has returned to Edinburgh after many years of exile, left rootless by the end of her marriage, career and now the death of her father. She is now faced with the daunting task of clearing his house... -
![Night Gallery by Rod Serling, Jim Benson]()
Night Gallery by Rod Serling, Jim Benson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Night Gallery is one of three books written by Rod Serling based on stories he created for the 1970 television series by the same name. Similar to his Stories From The Twilight Zone books, he novelized six of the show’s scripts for this volume, including They’re Tearing Down Tim Riley’s Bar, which was nominated for an Emmy award... -
![The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories by Michael Cox, F. Marion Crawford]()
The Oxford Book of English Ghost Stories by Michael Cox, F. Marion Crawford
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWith their evocative settings amid mists and shadows, in ruinous houses, on lonely roads and wild moorlands, in abandoned churches and over-grown gardens, ghost stories have long exercised a universal fascination... -
![The Between by Tananarive Due]()
The Between by Tananarive Due
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Hilton was just a boy, his aged grandmother saved him from drowning by pulling him out of a treacherous ocean current, sacrificing her life for his. Now, thirty years later, Hilton begins to think his borrowed time is running out...Categorized as:
classics gothic literary-fiction magical-realism spooky 20th-century adult afrofuturism -
![Behind the Attic Wall by Sylvia Cassedy]()
Behind the Attic Wall by Sylvia Cassedy
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThey were watching...and waitingAt twelve, Maggie had been thrown out of more boarding schools than she cared to remember. "Impossible to handle," they said nasty, mean, disobedient, rebellious, thieving anything they could say to explain why she must be removed from the school.Maggie was thin and pale, with shabby clothes and stringy hair, when she arrived at her new home...Categorized as:
classics gothic historical-fiction magical-realism action-adventure book children children-books -
![Fated: Blood and Redemption by Bey Deckard]()
Fated: Blood and Redemption by Bey Deckard
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNovel (117,000+ words)Genre(s): Historical Fantasy, Erotic Action/Adventure, Polyamory, LGBT+/GSMWith the captain’s mind in shambles, Jon and Tom set out to find the passage home through the black mountain range, hoping to find a cure for Baltsaros’s madness... -
![The Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft]()
The Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft
Rated: 4.03 of 5 stars · 66 ratingsOne of the feature stories of the Cthulhu Mythos, H.P. Lovecraft's 'the Call of Cthulhu' is a harrowing tale of the weakness of the human mind when confronted by powers and intelligences from beyond our world... -
![The Wine-Dark Sea by Robert Aickman]()
The Wine-Dark Sea by Robert Aickman
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsPeter Straub called Robert Aickman 'this century's most profound writer of what we call horror stories'. Aickman's 'strange stories' (his preferred term for them) are a subtle exploration of psychological displacement and paranoia. His characters are ordinary people that are gradually drawn into the darker recesses of their own minds... -
![The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy]()
The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA poignant and suspenseful retelling of a classic fairy tale set in a war-torn world. In the last months of the Nazi occupation of Poland, two children are left by their father and stepmother to find safety in a dense forest. Because their real names will reveal their Jewishness, they are renamed "Hansel" and "Gretel... -
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![The Rats in the Walls by H.P. Lovecraft]()
The Rats in the Walls by H.P. Lovecraft
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 20 ratings"The Rats in the Walls" is a short story by H.P. Lovecraft. Written in August–September 1923, it was first published in Weird Tales, March 1924.The story is narrated by the scion of the Delapore family, who has moved from Massachusetts to his ancestral estate in England, known as Exham Priory. On several occasions, the protagonist and his cats hear the sounds of rats scurrying behind the walls...Categorized as:
classics dark gothic historical-fiction literary-fiction university 20th-century adult -
![Cold Hand in Mine by Robert Aickman, Reece Shearsmith]()
Cold Hand in Mine by Robert Aickman, Reece Shearsmith
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCold Hand in Mine stands as one of Aickman's best collections and contains eight stories that show off his powers as a 'strange story' writer to the full. The listener is introduced to a variety of characters, from a man who spends the night in a Hospice to a German aristocrat and a woman who sees an image of her own soul... -
![On the Edge of Darkness by Barbara Erskine]()
On the Edge of Darkness by Barbara Erskine
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe eagerly awaited new novel by the author of LADY OF HAY and HOUSE OF ECHOES is the story of a woman trapped in the wrong time. Abandoned by her twentieth century lover, she plots a terrible revenge on him and his family. Adam Craig is fourteen when, near an isolated Celtic stone in the wild Scottish Highlands, he meets Brid, whose exotic, gypsy-like dress and strange attitudes fascinate him... -
![The Way of Wyrd: Tales of an Anglo-Saxon Sorcerer by Brian Bates]()
The Way of Wyrd: Tales of an Anglo-Saxon Sorcerer by Brian Bates
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSent on a mission deep into the forests of pagan Anglo-Saxon England, Wat Brand, a Christian scribe, suddenly finds his vision of the world turned upside down. The familiar English countryside is not what it seems: threatening spirits, birds of omen and plants of power lurk in this landscape of fallen terrors and mysterious forces... -
![To Charles Fort, with Love by Caitlín R. Kiernan]()
To Charles Fort, with Love by Caitlín R. Kiernan
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTo Charles Fort, with Love is award-winning fantasist Caitlín R. Kiernan's third collection of short fiction, a haunting parade of the terrible things which may lie beyond the boundaries of science, the minds which may exist beyond psychology, and the forbidden places which will never be located in any orthodox globe... -
![The Valancourt Book of Horror Stories: Volume One by James D. Jenkins, Bernard Taylor]()
The Valancourt Book of Horror Stories: Volume One by James D. Jenkins, Bernard Taylor
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSpanning two hundred years of horror, this new collection features seventeen macabre gems, including two original tales and many others that have never or seldom been reprinted. Table of ContentsForeword by James D... -
![The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke]()
The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke
Rated: 3.95 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsTwo sisters go missing on a remote Scottish island. Twenty years later, one is found--but she's still the same age as when she disappeared. The secrets of witches have reached across the centuries in this chilling Gothic thriller from the author of the acclaimed The Nesting...Categorized as:
dark gothic historical-fiction magical-realism retellings spooky action-adventure audiobook -
![Anima Rising by Christopher Moore]()
Anima Rising by Christopher Moore
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore comes a hilariously deranged tale of a mad scientist, a famous painter, and an undead woman’s electrifying journey of self-discovery.Vienna, 1911. Gustav Klimt, the most famous painter in the Austrian Empire, the darling of Viennese society, spots a woman’s nude body in the Danube canal...Categorized as:
historical-fiction humor magical-realism literary-fiction retellings fantasy fiction audiobook -
![House Taken Over by Julio Cortázar]()
House Taken Over by Julio Cortázar
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 16 ratings"Casa Tomada" (English: "House Taken Over") is a 1946 short story by Argentine writer Julio Cortázar. It was originally published in Los anales de Buenos Aires, a literary magazine edited by Jorge Luis Borges, and later included in his volume of stories, Bestiario.It tells the story of a brother and sister living together in their ancestral home which is being "taken over" by unknown entities... -
![River of Destiny by Barbara Erskine]()
River of Destiny by Barbara Erskine
Rated: 3.93 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of Time’s Legacy and Lady of Hay comes a thrilling new novel, River of Destiny, an epic story that spans Anglo Saxon Britain, Victorian Suffolk and the present day.Perfect for fans of Kate Mosse’s Labyrinth.An Anglo Saxon burial ground that must not be disturbed.A Victorian tragedy of forbidden love... -
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![The Suicide Motor Club by Christopher Buehlman]()
The Suicide Motor Club by Christopher Buehlman
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratings“Rising horror star”* Christopher Buehlman, author of The Lesser Dead, returns with a chilling and thrilling tale of dark evil lurking on the lonely, open road... Bram Stoker, quoting the ballad “Lenore,” said, “The dead travel fast.” Those words have never rung more true.. -
![Rovers by Richard Lange]()
Rovers by Richard Lange
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTwo immortal brothers crisscross the American Southwest to elude a murderous biker gang and protect a young woman in this “utter triumph and delight” from award-winning author Richard Lange (Jonathan Ames, author of A Man Named Doll ). Summer, 1976. Jesse and his brother, Edgar, are on the road in search of victims... -
![The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson]()
The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
Rated: 3.96 of 5 stars · 44 ratingsThe narrator of The Gargoyle is a very contemporary cynic, physically beautiful and sexually adept, who dwells in the moral vacuum that is modern life. As the book opens, he is driving along a dark road when he is distracted by what seems to be a flight of arrows. He crashes into a ravine and suffers horrible burns over much of his body...Categorized as:
dark gothic historical-fiction literary-fiction magical-realism adult audiobook book -
![Two Past Midnight: Secret Window, Secret Garden by Stephen King, James Woods]()
Two Past Midnight: Secret Window, Secret Garden by Stephen King, James Woods
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe second of a four-part audio series from Stephen King's bestselling book, Four Past Midnight. Recently divorced writer Mort Rainey is alone at Tashmore Lake--that is, until a figure named John Shooter arrives, pointing an accusing finger... -
![Written in the Blood by Stephen Lloyd Jones]()
Written in the Blood by Stephen Lloyd Jones
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratings"Chilling . . . A neo-gothic treat; original, richly imagined, and powerfully told." --The Guardian (UK) for The String Diaries See the girl. Leah Wilde is twenty-four, a runaway on a black motorbike, hunting for answers while changing her identity with each new Central European town...Categorized as:
dark historical-fiction retellings 20th-century action-adventure adult audiobook book -
![Haven by Tom Deady]()
Haven by Tom Deady
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWINNER OF THE BRAM STOKER AWARD FOR FIRST NOVEL!In 1961, the small town of Haven thought they'd gotten rid of their monster.After a series of child killings, Paul Greymore was caught carrying a wounded girl. His face, disfigured from a childhood accident, seemed to confirm he was the monster the community hoped to banish. With Paul in prison, the killings stopped... -
![His Mouth Will Taste of Wormwood and Other Stories by Poppy Z. Brite]()
His Mouth Will Taste of Wormwood and Other Stories by Poppy Z. Brite
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsContains four short stories from Swamp Foetus:His Mouth Will Taste of WormwoodThe Sixth SentinelCalcutta, Lord of NervesHow To Get Ahead in New... -
![Wild Children by Richard Roberts]()
Wild Children by Richard Roberts
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBad children are punished. Be bad, a child is told, and you’ll be turned into an animal, marked with your crime.The Wild Children are forever young, but that, too, can be a curse.Five children each tell a different story of what they became:One learns that wrong can be right, and her curse may be a blessing.Another is so Wild he must learn the simplest lesson, to love someone else... -
![Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Stories to Be Read With the Lights On by Alfred Hitchcock, Roald Dahl]()
Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Stories to Be Read With the Lights On by Alfred Hitchcock, Roald Dahl
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsContents:Introduction by Alfred HitchcockDeath Out of Season by Mary BarrettWitness in the Dark by Fredric BrownShadows on the Road by Robert ColbyMr. Mappin Forecloses by Zena CollierGranny by Ron GoulartThe Landlady by Roald DahlThree Ways to Rob a Bank by Harold R. DanielsNo Loose Ends by Miriam Allen deFordGoodbye, Pops by Joe GoresPin Money by James CrossSocial Climber by Robert J... -
![The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig]()
The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA group of friends investigates the mystery of a strange staircase in the woods in this mesmerizing horror novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Accidents.Five high school friends are bonded by an oath to protect one another no matter what. Then, on a camping trip in the middle of the forest, they find something a mysterious staircase to nowhere... -
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![Escape from Asylum by Madeleine Roux]()
Escape from Asylum by Madeleine Roux
Rated: 3.89 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe nightmare is just beginning.Ricky Desmond has been through this all before. If he could just get through to his mother, he could convince her that he doesn’t belong at Brookline. From the man who thinks he can fly to the woman who killed her husband, the other patients are nothing like him; all he did was lose his temper just a little bit, just the once... -
![Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh]()
Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn a village in a medieval fiefdom buffeted by natural disasters, a motherless shepherd boy finds himself the unlikely pivot of a power struggle that puts all manner of faith to a savage test, in a spellbinding novel that represents Ottessa Moshfegh’s most exciting leap yetLittle Marek, the abused and delusional son of the village shepherd, never knew his mother; his father told him she died in...Categorized as:
dark historical-fiction literary-fiction magical-realism 21st-century adult book fiction -
![Thus Were Their Faces by Silvina Ocampo, Helen Oyeyemi]()
Thus Were Their Faces by Silvina Ocampo, Helen Oyeyemi
Rated: 3.95 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAn NYRB Classics OriginalSilvina Ocampo is undoubtedly one of the twentieth century’s great masters of the short story. Italo Calvino once said about her, “I don’t know another writer who better captures the magic inside everyday rituals, the forbidden or hidden face that our mirrors don’t show us...Categorized as:
classics dark gothic historical-fiction literary-fiction magical-realism spooky 20th-century -
![House of Many Shadows by Barbara Michaels]()
House of Many Shadows by Barbara Michaels
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMeg Rittenhouse fears she is losing her mind. The doctors tell her the strange and disturbing hallucinations she's been experiencing ever since her accident are all in her head, and that, with a little rest, the haunting visions will vanish. But accepting an invitation to stay with her cousin in the country may be the worst decision Meg has ever made... -
![Faust, Part One by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]()
Faust, Part One by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 54 ratingsThis new translation, in rhymed verse, of Goethe's Faust--one of the greatest dramatic and poetic masterpieces of European literature--preserves the essence of Goethe's meaning without resorting either to an overly literal, archaic translation or to an overly modern idiom. It remains the nearest equivalent rendering of the German ever achieved... -
![The Butchers' Blessing by Ruth Gilligan]()
The Butchers' Blessing by Ruth Gilligan
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEvery year, Úna prepares for her father to leave her. He will wave goodbye early one morning, then disappear with seven other men to traverse the Irish countryside. Together, these men form the Butchers, a group that roams from farm to farm, enacting ancient methods of cattle slaughter...Categorized as:
historical-fiction literary-fiction spooky gothic europe british-isles ireland fiction
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