Books like 'Monstrous Alterations'
Readers who enjoyed Monstrous Alterations by Christopher Barzak also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
horror fantasy lgbtq gothic dark
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![Owned by Magic by Zara J. Black]()
Owned by Magic by Zara J. Black
Rated: 5.00 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI'll be safe in the prince's bed, from everyone but him.I stole from a brutal street gang, and now they want me dead. There’s only one place they can’t touch me. The palace. But safety comes at the cost of my freedom. I'll sell myself as a courtesan, serve for five years, and leave with enough money to pay my debt... -
![A Bone in His Teeth by Kellen Graves]()
A Bone in His Teeth by Kellen Graves
Rated: 5.00 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsWhen a fall from the mast leaves Alba Marsh unable to sail, he finally has the chance to run away from his family debts in search of a better life. He hopes to reunite with his mother, Edythe, where they always promised to meet if things went awry, but finding the small, secluded, secretive town of Moon Harbor proves a greater challenge than Alba ever expected... -
![The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Volume 2 by Edgar Allan Poe]()
The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Volume 2 by Edgar Allan Poe
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTHE PURLOINED LETTER THE THOUSAND-AND-SECOND TALE OF SCHEHERAZADE A DESCENT INTO THE MAELSTRÖM. VON KEMPELEN AND HIS DISCOVERY MESMERIC REVELATION THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF M. VALDEMAR THE BLACK CAT. THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER SILENCE—A FABLE THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH. THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO... -
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![Swallowed by Meg Smitherman]()
Swallowed by Meg Smitherman
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEarth is broken beyond repair. The Planet is our last hope. Humanity's first mission to the Planet ended in tragedy, but botanist Jill Jones won’t let that stop her from joining the second. Perfect climate, perfect terrain, perfect flora and fauna; the Planet has called to Jill all of her life. She knows, with bone-deep certainty, it's home. A new beginning for humanity... -
![The Paleblood Hunt by Redgrave]()
The Paleblood Hunt by Redgrave
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratings"The Paleblood Hunt" is an in-depth exploration behind the lore of the popular FromSoftware video game Bloodborne. Redgrave first introduced this document on Reddit and it has since been revised, and finalized. He closely examines the information available to the player in order to build up the hidden story of the game... -
![Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews]()
Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAs alluring as it is unsettling, award-winning author CG Drews’ debut YA psychological horror will leave readers breathless and hesitant to venture deeper into the woods.Once upon a time, Andrew had cut out his heart and given it to this boy, and he was very sure Thomas had no idea that Andrew would do anything for him. Protect him. Lie for him. Kill for him... -
![Void's Tale: A Schooled In Magic Novella by Christopher G. Nuttall]()
Void's Tale: A Schooled In Magic Novella by Christopher G. Nuttall
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA hundred years before Emily, just after the fall of the Empire and the start of the Necromantic Wars, Void worked for the White Council as an agent of last resort, the sorcerer they called upon when no one else could complete the mission. But this mission may make or break him... -
![La nación de las bestias. Leyenda de fuego y plomo by Mariana Palova]()
La nación de las bestias. Leyenda de fuego y plomo by Mariana Palova
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsForced to separate from her family, Elisse leaves the spooky city of New Orleans to launch himself into a savage battle across the United States, with the sole purpose of protecting those he loves from the haunting mysteries that surround his existence. But Elisse doesn't travel alone. The monster within him roars loudly, and his pilgrimage takes him to the desert landscapes of Utah... -
![Laughter at the Academy by Seanan McGuire]()
Laughter at the Academy by Seanan McGuire
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsFrom fairy tale forest to gloomy gothic moor, from gleaming epidemiologist’s lab to the sandy shores of Neverland, Seanan McGuire’s short fiction has been surprising, delighting, confusing, and transporting her readers since 2009. Now, for the first time, that fiction has been gathered together in one place, ready to be enjoyed one twisting, tangled tale at a time... -
![Hell Screen by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa]()
Hell Screen by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratings"There can be no doubt that Akutagawa had more individuality than any other writer of his time and has left in Japanese literature a mass of artistic work, often grotesque and curious, that, while it undoubtedly angers the proletarian experimenters who now hold the stage and fight with lusty pens and a highly developed class consciousness against all that he stood for, will continue to live as... -
![One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig]()
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsElspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom of Blunder—she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets.But nothing comes for free, especially magic.When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn... -
![Copiii întunericului by Lavinia Călina]()
Copiii întunericului by Lavinia Călina
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“Tu cât de mult te poți ascunde de magie?”Roxana și Nicol, două adolescente cu personalități aparent diferite, devin cele mai bune prietene după o noapte în care viața li se va schimba complet. Împărtășind același secret, ele vor încerca timp de mai mulți ani să ducă împreună o existență cât mai banală, cotidiană, pentru a se ascunde de cei care le doresc, probabil, moartea... -
![In the River by Jeremy Robert Johnson]()
In the River by Jeremy Robert Johnson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAn intensely moving tale of survival and madness along the river's edge. A father and son fishing lesson become a nightmarish voyage to the sea in this visionary testament to the lengths we will go for those we love... -
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![Dark Dreams: Daughters of Darkness 2 by Chrissy Peebles]()
Dark Dreams: Daughters of Darkness 2 by Chrissy Peebles
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBlair's journey continues with part 2. WARNING: 18+ due to sexual situations and language. This is an adult paranormal romance. Griffin has left her old life as everything crashes down around her. She's leaving the safety of her coven for the first time as bounty hunters chase her down. When she meets a mysterious stranger, she hopes he can hide her from all the immortals chasing her... -
![Deep Web by Chrissy Peebles]()
Deep Web by Chrissy Peebles
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe dreaded night, of the first full moon in January, has finally arrived. Will Taylor survive when evil threatens to destroy her life forever? Taylor relocates back to Big Bear Lake not trusting the people who signed a treaty to keep her safe. Being with her family and friends is wonderful, but knowing that she is a sacrifice is beyond unsettling... -
![In the Roses of Pieria by Anna Burke]()
In the Roses of Pieria by Anna Burke
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAward-winning author Anna Burke delivers the shivers in this daring queer dark fantasy romance teeming with sensuous vampires, dark academia, plant horrors, and terrifying fungal fae.When Clara Eden is offered a job as an archivist working for eccentric estate owner Agatha Montague, she thinks her prayers have been answered... -
![And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe by Gwendolyn Kiste]()
And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe by Gwendolyn Kiste
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA murdered movie star reaches out to an unlikely fan. An orchard is bewitched with poison apples and would-be princesses. A pair of outcasts fail a questionnaire that measures who in their neighborhood will vanish next. Two sisters keep a grotesque secret hidden in a Victorian bathtub. A dearly departed best friend carries a grudge from beyond the grave... -
![Beyond by Katie May]()
Beyond by Katie May
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThere's one place scarier than hell.And we're in it.There's a series of tunnels beneath the school that we must travel through in order to escape Tory's School for the Troubled.But the world on the other side? It's a land of nightmares and monsters. A place where your worst fears come to life. A world of darkness and pain and suffering... -
![Soul Gem Collector by Logan Jacobs]()
Soul Gem Collector by Logan Jacobs
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBeing able to rip the soul out of a creature, store it in a precious gem, and use it to cast spells might make me the most powerful student at the Astra Argent Magical Academy. Only I can’t tell anybody about it. Because it's illegal, and they’ll kill me if they find out. But they need me whether they know it yet or not, so I’m going to capture a lot of souls and cast a lot of spells... -
![Great Tales and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe]()
Great Tales and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingss/t: 21 Short Story Masterpieces plus 34 Narrative & Lyric Poems Born to an unfortunate heritage, orphaned, unsympathetically raised, and then abandoned, Edgar Allan Poe struggled for greatness in an adverse social and economic climate -- a setting not improved by his fiery temperament and caustic criticism of others... -
![Fruiting Bodies: Stories by Kathryn Harlan]()
Fruiting Bodies: Stories by Kathryn Harlan
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIn stories that beckon and haunt, Fruiting Bodies ranges confidently from the fantastical to the gothic to the uncanny as it follows characters—mostly queer, mostly women—on the precipice of change. Echoes of timeless myth and folklore reverberate through urgent narratives of discovery, appetite, and coming-of-age in a time of crisis... -
![Grimscribe: His Lives and Works by Thomas Ligotti]()
Grimscribe: His Lives and Works by Thomas Ligotti
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsGrimscribe: His Lives and Works is Thomas Ligotti's second collection of short tales... -
![Terrifying Tales by Edgar Allan Poe]()
Terrifying Tales by Edgar Allan Poe
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe melancholy, brilliance, passionate lyricism, and torment of Edgar Allen Poe are all well represented in this collection... -
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![Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig]()
Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsIn the luscious, dark sequel to One Dark Window, Elspeth must face the consequences of what she's wrought - perfect for readers of Hannah Whitten's For the Wolf and Alexis Henderson's The Year of the Witching.Elspeth and Ravyn have gathered most of the twelve Providence Cards, but the last, and most important one remains to be found: The Twin Alders... -
![Tales of Horror and the Supernatural by Arthur Machen]()
Tales of Horror and the Supernatural by Arthur Machen
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Best of Arthur Machen's short stories: The Novel of the Black Seal, The Novel of the White Powder, The Great God Pan, The White People, The Inmost Light, The Shining Pyramid, The Bowmen, The Great Return, The Happy Children, Out of the Earth, N, The Children of the Pool, The Terror... -
![The Book of the Mad by Tanith Lee]()
The Book of the Mad by Tanith Lee
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn her darkly dazzling finish to The Secret Books of Paradys, Tanith Lee tempts the reader with a tale of horror, lust and madness that leaves no perversity untouched, no taboo unbroken.This time, the seductive nightmare unfolds in three parallel versions of the City—Paradis, Paradys and Paradise... -
![Norylska Groans by Michael R. Fletcher, Clayton W. Snyder]()
Norylska Groans by Michael R. Fletcher, Clayton W. Snyder
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNorylska Groans...with the weight of her crimes. In a city where winter reigns amid the fires of industry and war, soot and snow conspire to conceal centuries of death and deception.Norylska Groans...and the weight of a leaden sky threatens to crush her people. Katyusha Leonova, desperate to restore her family name, takes a job with Norylska's brutal police force... -
![Two Worlds and in Between: The Best of Caitlin R. Kiernan, Volume One by Caitlín R. Kiernan]()
Two Worlds and in Between: The Best of Caitlin R. Kiernan, Volume One by Caitlín R. Kiernan
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCaitlín R. Kiernan’s short fiction was first published in 1995. Over the intervening decade and a half, she has proven not only one of dark fantasy and science fiction’s most prolific and versatile authors, but, to quote Ramsey Campbell, “One of the most accomplished writers in the field, and very possibly the most lyrical.” S. T... -
![All the Fabulous Beasts by Priya Sharma]()
All the Fabulous Beasts by Priya Sharma
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe debut short story collection from acclaimed U.K. writer Priya Sharma, All the Fabulous Beasts collects 16 stunning and monstrous tales of love, rebirth, nature, and sexuality. A heady mix of myth and ontology, horror and the modern macabre... -
![Limbus, Inc. - Book II by Brett J. Talley]()
Limbus, Inc. - Book II by Brett J. Talley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“The world is a stage, life is a play, and we are the puppets. It’s better not to ask who pulls the strings... -
![Necroscope: The Plague-Bearer by Brian Lumley]()
Necroscope: The Plague-Bearer by Brian Lumley
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHarry Keogh is moving on. Though the search for his missing wife and child continues, his heart now lies in Edinburgh with Bonnie Jean--a beautiful Scottish werewolf whose friendly pack and flourishing pub have given him a place he can almost call home... -
![The Ammonite Violin & Others by Caitlín R. Kiernan]()
The Ammonite Violin & Others by Caitlín R. Kiernan
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn Caitlín R. Kiernan's The Ammonite Violin & Others, one of contemporary dark fantasy s most bewitching and distinctive voices is back with another banquet of the weird and unexpected. In his introduction, Jeff VanderMeer (City of Saints and Madmen, Finch) writes, Kiernan creates her own light in this remarkable collection, and shines it on dark places... -
![The Bayou by Arden Powell]()
The Bayou by Arden Powell
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 7 ratings"Eugene didn’t know if he believed in the devil beyond the wicked things people did of their own accord, but if the devil had a face, it would look like Johnny Walker’s."Small-town Louisiana, 1935.When Eugene was twelve, a girl from town disappeared. Everyone said the gators must have got her when she strayed too near the bayou. No foul play, just a terrible accident... -
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![Wolf, Willow, Witch by Freydís Moon]()
Wolf, Willow, Witch by Freydís Moon
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsA vicious romance imbued with magic, thievery, and necromancy…When Tehlor Nilsen stumbles upon an abandoned corpse hidden in her friend’s empty house, she can’t ignore the energy lingering around the broken albeit familiar body. Entranced by the promise of ritualistic power, she seizes her chance to secure a vorðr. Miraculously, Hel, the goddess of death, grants Tehlor an audience... -
![Providence Girls by Morgan Dante]()
Providence Girls by Morgan Dante
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsLove changes you. So do the Outer Gods.Now: Alone in a cottage, Lavinia writes to the woman she loved.Fifteen years ago: Middle-aged Lavinia Whateley escapes her hilly Massachusetts town when the townsfolk decide to sacrifice her on Halloween. After almost dying in the woods, she's saved and housed by the stoic and mysterious Asenath Waite, or Azzie... -
![Heritage and Exile by Marion Zimmer Bradley]()
Heritage and Exile by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Heritage of Hastur: Nominated for a Hugo Award, and described as “Bradley’s best [Darkover] novel” by Locus, The Heritage of Hastur is a brilliant epic of the pivotal events in the love-hate relationship between the Terran worlds and the semi-alien offspring of the forgotten colonists who peopled Darkover... -
![Dark Gods by T.E.D. Klein]()
Dark Gods by T.E.D. Klein
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFour unusually literate horror novellas, by the former editor of "The Twilight Zone" magazine... -
![Songs of a Dead Dreamer by Thomas Ligotti]()
Songs of a Dead Dreamer by Thomas Ligotti
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSongs of a Dreamer was Thomas Ligotti’s first collection of supernatural horror stories. When originally published in 1985 by Harry Morris’s Silver Scarab Press, the book was hardly noticed. In 1989, an expanded version appeared that garnered accolades from several quarters... -
![The Children of Cthulhu: Chilling New Tales Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft by John Pelan, Benjamin Adams]()
The Children of Cthulhu: Chilling New Tales Inspired by H.P. Lovecraft by John Pelan, Benjamin Adams
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsDescend to the depths of primal horror with this chilling collection of original stories drawn from H. P. Lovecraft’s shocking, terrifying, and eerily prescient Cthulhu Mythos. In twenty-one dark visions, a host of outstanding contemporary writers tap into our innermost fears, with tales set in a misbegotten new world that could have been spawned only by the master of the macabre himself, H. P... -
![Malicent by Cassandra M.D.]()
Malicent by Cassandra M.D.
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI was raised in the dark, sharpened into a weapon, and sent into the mortal world to secure my coven’s future. The Southern Kingdom holds secrets, and I will uncover them. But it holds my past—Cage, the man who slaughtered my mother, now stands as the King’s most trusted mage.Stronger. Colder. Alive.She was supposed to be dead. A ghost from an old life... -
![The Unforgotten Flame by Rebekah Sinclair]()
The Unforgotten Flame by Rebekah Sinclair
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"We should have seen this coming.I should have seen this coming."Calypso, a resilient Wind Siren, grapples with the aftermath of a devastating battle that thrusts her best friend, Rhea, into the clutches of their greatest enemy, Ares, the God of War... -
![Noctuary by Thomas Ligotti]()
Noctuary by Thomas Ligotti
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis collection of horror stories, many previously unpublished, includes "The Medusa," "Conversations in a Dead Language," and "Mad Night of Atonement." By the author of Grimscribe... -
![Borderlands by Thomas F. Monteleone, David B. Silva]()
Borderlands by Thomas F. Monteleone, David B. Silva
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBorderlands is a horror anthology series not concerned with traditional elements of horror fiction. Borderlands is about breaking the mold and pushing the genre and its finest writers to the edge. Hailed as the anthology series of the 90s, Borderlands will remind you that horror can indeed be horrific. Read about a farmer who disdains his wife for a giant potato.. -
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![The Death of Death by K.N. Parker]()
The Death of Death by K.N. Parker
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHer death was just the beginning! Death guides usually have rather normal names like John, Mary, Harry, and Jessica. And even ones not quite so normal, like Bartholomew or Ambrosia. They also have the most interesting tales behind their deaths. But one particular death guide has a few problems: she cannot remember her name or the details of her demise, and thus has no story of her own... -
![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... -
![Nightmare Magazine 37: October 2015. Queers Destroy Horror! Special Issue by Wendy N. Wagner, Chuck Palahniuk]()
Nightmare Magazine 37: October 2015. Queers Destroy Horror! Special Issue by Wendy N. Wagner, Chuck Palahniuk
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNIGHTMARE is an online horror and dark fantasy magazine. In NIGHTMARE's pages, you will find all kinds of horror fiction, from zombie stories and haunted house tales, to visceral psychological horror... -
![The Rain Dancers by Greg F. Gifune]()
The Rain Dancers by Greg F. Gifune
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe arrives in darkness, in the middle of a violent downpour...an affable old man with tales to tell... When Will and Betty Colby return to Betty's hometown to settle her late father's affairs and prepare his house for sale, they assume they'll be faced with some cleaning, basic repairs and making runs to the local dump... -
![In Darkness and Dank by K.L. Hiers]()
In Darkness and Dank by K.L. Hiers
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsKittisak Amarin is not a scientist—he's barely a student, but he joined his college professor's research team for an expedition into the Amazon as a last ditch effort to pass his biology course... -
![Phantasma by Kaylie Smith]()
Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsWelcome to Phantasma.There are only two rules to the game. Stay alive. And don’t fall in love.When Ophelia’s sister disappears, there is only one way to save her. Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a deadly contest inside a haunted mansion, and claim its prize—a single wish. Phantasma is a maze of twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, of demons and temptations...
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