Mike Thorn’s Favorite First Reads of 2021
Bleedthrough and Other Small Horrors, by Scarlett R. Algee (2020)
The Flowers of Evil, by Charles Baudelaire [edited by Marthiel and Jackson Mathews, multiple editors] (1857)
The Unnamable, by Samuel Beckett (1953)
Selling the Splat Pack: The DVD Revolution and the American Horror Film, by Mark Bernard (2014)
The Brigadier and the Golf Widow, by John Cheever (1964)
On the Heights of Despair, by E. M. Cioran [translated by Ilinca Zarifopol-Johnston] (1933)
The Trouble with Being Born, by E. M. Cioran [translated by Richard Howard] (1973)
Porno Valley, by Philip Elliott (2021)
Less Than Zero, by Bret Easton Ellis (1985)
The Rules of Attraction, by Bret Easton Ellis (1987)
American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis (1991)
The Informers, by Bret Easton Ellis (1994)
Glamorama, by Bret Easton Ellis (1998)
Lunar Park, by Bret Easton Ellis (2005)
Imperial Bedrooms, by Bret Easton Ellis (2010)
The Shards, by Bret Easton Ellis (2021)
Carmilla, by J. Sheridan Le Fanu (1872)
The Queer Art of Failure, by J. Jack Halberstam (2011)
In the Presence of Schopenhauer, by Michel Houellebecq [translated by Andrew Brown] (2017)
Humanimus, by David Huebert (2020)
The Damned, by J. K. Huysmans [translated by Terry Hale] (1891)
The Europeans, by Henry James (1878)
Washington Square, by Henry James (1880)
The Bostonians, by Henry James (1886)
Ghost Stories, by Henry James (1898)
Billy Summers, by Stephen King (2021)
The Wingspan of Severed Hands, by Joe Koch (2020)
Straydog, by Kathe Koja (2002)
The Blue Mirror, by Kathe Koja (2004)
Dark Factory, by Kathe Koja (2022; forthcoming)
I’m from Nowhere, by Lindsay Lerman (2019)
Shock!, by Richard Matheson (1961)
The Birds and Other Stories, by Daphne du Maurier (1952)
The Running Trees, by Amber McMillan (2021)
The Seventh Mansion, by Maryse Meijer (2020)
Circles, by Josiah Morgan (2020)
The Barrens, by Joyce Carol Oates (2001)
1984, by George Orwell (1949)
White is for Witching, by Helen Oyeyemi (2009)
The World as Will and Representation, Volume I, by Arthur Schopenhauer [translated by Judith
Norman and Alistair Welchman] (1818)
Wes Craven: Interviews, edited by Shannon Blake Skelton (2019)
Of One Pure Will, by Farah Rose Smith (2019)
The Secret History, by Donna Tartt (1992)
A History of Touch, by Erin Emily Ann Vance (2022; forthcoming)
Miss Lonelyhearts, by Nathanael West (1933)
The Ax, by Donald E. Westlake (1997)
Ink Heist Guest Post: Mike Thorn’s 100 Favorite Books of All Time
“A list of favorite books is always more a snapshot of a moment in time than it is some unmoving, monumental thing: if you asked me to assemble this list ten years ago, it would look a lot different, and undoubtedly it will continue shifting as I continue aging and reading and aging and reading.”
Ink Heist Guest Post: Mike Thorn’s 100 Favorite Books of the 21st Century (So Far)
“It might seem strange to assemble a list of the 21st century’s best books as early as 2021, given that less than a quarter of the century has passed. However, from 2000 onward, I made my biggest personal strides, both as a writer and as a reader.”
The Most Sublime: Review of Shelter for the Damned
“The writing was excellent – the author fits multiple layers to the story while making Mark a sympathetic character, despite being the weird and aggressive kid in class. I couldn’t wait to find out where the story was heading and was satisfied with the ending.”
Luminosity Library Includes Shelter for the Damned on “February’s New Book Releases I’m Excited For”
“Why I’m excited to read [Shelter for the Damned]: I’m always up for horror that include creepy buildings which seem to be alive. I’m also interested by the study of violence and toxic masculinity within the main character! Looks like it could a fantastic book!“
Books in the Freezer Episode 85: Most Anticipated New Releases 2021
Shelter for the Damned is among the most anticipated new releases of 2021, according to Books in the Freezer.
Shelter for the Damned Included on Read by Dusk’s 30 Most Anticipated Horror Books of 2021
“Are you ready for 2021? I am!
While 2020 has been a hellfire, fortunately the quality of horror fiction remained excellent. There were plenty of fantastic horror books released this year and I hope they entertained you, or at least took your mind off your worries for a while.
So looking ahead to 2021, I have compiled a list of the most anticipated horror books coming soon! To make it simple, I chose the ones that already have a cover and publication date.”
Check out the full list.
What are Horror Authors Reading During Lockdown?
Today on iHorror, Mike Thorn shares his thoughts on Daphne du Maurier’s 1959 collection The Breaking Point.
Also featured: Rob E. Boley, Samantha Kolesnik, Aaron Dries, Megan Hart, and Glenn Rolfe.
Mike Thorn 