Queer Fear: 13 Thrilling Queer Gothic Books

The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins

This novel, acceptable successful the 1820s, is simply a gothic thriller with a riveting transgression narrative. Frannie Langton is awaiting proceedings successful London’s Newgate situation (such an iconic determination for humanities fabrication fans!). She is accused of murdering her maestro and mistress, but she doesn’t deliberation she could person done it. So she goes backmost to the opening and traces her afloat story, starting with her aboriginal beingness connected a plantation successful Jamaica. This is the gothic for fans of humanities fabrication that makes crisp commentary connected racism, similar The Underground Railroad and Washington Black.

The Wife successful the Attic by Rose Lerner

Jane Eyre is some an unthinkable publication and 1 afloat of each kinds of problems. I bask speechmaking books that prosecute with this substance and take antithetic angles to explore. This publication — large connected audio if you’re into that — spoils the large crippled item of Jane Eyre close successful its title. Even knowing that, you volition find Sir Kit, the Mr. Rochester analogue, charismatic astatine first. You’ll ticker with fascination arsenic the Jane stand-in, Deborah, falls successful emotion with the titular quality and the 2 nonstop vengeance. As a bonus, this publication is acceptable successful the aforesaid beingness arsenic Rose Lerner’s different Lively St. Lemeson books.

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The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gómez

Vampires are a staple of gothic literature, and this publication has go a modern classical since its 1991 publication. Gilda is an enslaved miss who escapes, and is past consensually turned by a vampire. She makes her mode successful the world, taking what she needs to past but besides giving backmost arsenic champion she can. If you similar the thought of a Black lesbian vampire uncovering a household and witnessing the changes that travel with history, this publication volition glamour you conscionable similar a vampire.

Lord of the Last Heartbeat by May Peterson

I’m often singing the praises of this series, and present I americium doing it again! This publication has 1 of the astir awesomely spooky haunted houses, and truly astonishing opera magic. The romance betwixt a nonbinary vocalist named Mio and an immortal with the powerfulness of a carnivore tone is action-packed, strange, and cathartic. The champion gothic novels person genuinely villainous villains, and this publication has immoderate doozies.

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

This is simply a shade story. It’s a vampire story. It’s got a tiny municipality that’s festering with evil. Good stuff, is what I’m saying. And if you’re looking for asexuality successful your queer gothic books, it’s not a large crippled constituent of this book. But its casual beingness arsenic portion of the main quality Elatsoe’s individuality whitethorn beryllium affirming for you. Ellie is simply a shade wrangler who ends up successful Willowbee investigating the decease of her cousin. While that sounds serious, this publication has shade dinosaurs. It manages to beryllium highly amusive portion besides commenting connected colonialism and spotlighting Lipan Apache culture.

Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo

This publication taps into a clump of antithetic gothic modes that you’re definite to appreciate. Not lone queer gothic, but dark academia and Southern Gothic arsenic well. In it, we conscionable Andrew and Eddie, who are the closest of friends. Eddie near for grad schoolhouse successful Nashville, and past died successful an evident suicide. Andrew inherits his house, which comes with a roommate helium doesn’t cognize and much acheronian secrets than you tin shingle a instrumentality at. 

Testament by Jose Nateras

This gothic fearfulness has a richly elaborate setting: a historical edifice successful Chicago called the Sentinel Club. Gabe works determination successful the Rosebriar Room, their good eating establishment. He’s trying to excavation himself retired of a hard clip — a traumatic breakup and a termination attempt. His acheronian past mirrors that of the edifice itself. It’s haunted by thing sinister that has its eyes connected Gabe. This is simply a communicative that delves into gothic metaphors for racism and generational trauma, and it’s the benignant of publication that pulls you successful and doesn’t fto go.

Gaywyck by Vincent Virga

Daphne Du Maurier’s classical Rebecca helped usher successful a question of gothic romances successful the mid 20th period that dwindled arsenic humanities romances and straight-up fearfulness novels go popular. Most of those gothic romances featured consecutive couples, but Gaywyck aimed to usage those beloved storytelling beats to archer a deliciously cheery tale. Robert heads to clifftop mansion Gaywyck to catalog the library. There helium meets Donough Gaylord, and you tin conjecture however it goes. Side note: the Fated Mates podcast episode with writer Vincent Virga is not to beryllium missed!

The Iliac Crest by Cristina Rivera Garza, Translated by Sarah Booker

Queer fearfulness from a MacArthur genius? Yes, and a slim, Kafkaesque work astatine that. The story, translated from Spanish, follows an unnamed narrator, who claims to beryllium male. When 2 women invade his location connected a stormy nighttime interrogating him astir his gender, his nonaccomplishment to person anyone astir his maleness lands him successful a sanitarium. It’s a small The Yellow Wallpaper, a small The Trial. Perfectly gothic and surreal.

Reader, I Murdered Him by Betsy Cornwell

Can you archer I emotion Jane Eyre? I volition work conscionable astir immoderate twist connected it, and this 1 volition support you connected your toes. In the archetypal caller Jane is Adele’s governess. In this novel, Adele knows wherefore Mr. Rochester — who mightiness beryllium her father? — is nary good. She leaves location for finishing schoolhouse successful London and meets a charming thief named Nan. And past she becomes a vigilante, murdering men who perpetrate unit against women. I’m pumping my fist triumphantly conscionable penning that!

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

This publication has a modern setting, starting connected the Yorkshire Moors, 1 of the astir gothic of landscapes. A colonisation of radical who virtually devour books lives there. When Devon gives commencement to a kid who has a hunger for quality minds, she tries to support him harmless by integrating into regular quality society. This publication decidedly has assemblage fearfulness elements, if that’s your jam.

Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco

If you’ve work and enjoyed the gothic classical Dracula, this one’s for you. Dracula is simply a clump of things: an epistolary novel, a gothic novel, but besides a detective novel. Rin Chupeco continues successful this vein with their vampire caller starring Remy, the lad of a duke successful the fictional kingdom of Aluria. He’s trying to find who’s unleashing mutant vampires connected his city. But here’s the existent clincher: this is your publication if you privation much of the intersexual hostility successful the novels you work resulted successful polyamory.

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

While classical gothic settings see crumbling castles, estates, and monasteries, a schoolhouse for girls is different cleanable mounting for tales of the macabre. Plain Bad Heroines is simply a Russian nesting doll of a book, telling aggregate stories crossed time. Two girls successful 1902 are obsessed with a scandalous memoir, but they extremity up mysteriously dormant and the schoolhouse closes up. Over 100 years later, a movie is being made astir the event. The stories interweave successful delightful and twisty ways. Hint: if you perceive to this successful audio, cheque retired a hard transcript from your room if you privation to spot the illustrations.