Strange Weather | Musings of the Monster Librarian

Book List: Horror Novellas You Don’t Have To Put Down

I’m a pretty fast reader, but sometimes a full length novel is just too long. It’s so hard for me to stop once I start, even if I know I need to! I’ve had to swear off certain authors or series because the books were so long, and compelling, that they consumed entire days of my life (I will never forgive George R.R. Martin for the loss of two weeks of my life to a series where he still hasn’t written the conclusion SIX YEARS LATER) If you aren’t a fast reader, then long novels can be intimidating. That’s what makes novellas great. If you’re a fast reader, you can speed right through them and go back to truly enjoy them again at your leisure. They’re just about perfect for travel– small enough to pack away and long enough to keep you engaged on your flight or train, without taking over your entire vacation. The novella length is perfect for a certain kind of horror story, too– it has to move fast and the words have to be carefully chosen in order to have maximum impact in a compact size. I asked for some recommendations from the people following Monster Librarian’s Facebook page,and checked with a few other horror lovers, and a number of them mentioned the same titles. Here’s a short list of 14 novellas recommended by horror lovers, that will be perfect for your summer reading, if you haven’t picked them up already. And if any of them pique your interest, feel free to click on the book’s image. It will take you straight to Amazon, and since we are an Amazon affiliate, you’ll be helping us out, too. As always, not every book is appropriate for every reader, and while we’ve reviewed some of these, you read at your own risk.

If you feel that the list could use some additions, feel free to contribute your suggestions below!

Cabal by Clive Barker

The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker

A Boy and His Dog by Harlan Ellison
The Grownup by Gillian Flynn (reviewed here)

Final Girls by Mira Grant

Kingdom of Needle and Bone by Mira Grant

Strange Weather by Joe Hill (technically this is a collection of four novellas) reviewed here

Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones

Agents of Dreamland by Caitlin R. Kiernan

The Mist by Stephen King

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor Lavalle

The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H.P. Lovecraft

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson (reviewed here– you’ll have to scroll down)

The Murders of Molly Southborne by Tade Thompson (a sequel, The Survival of Molly Southborne, comes out in July)

Book Review: Strange Weather: Four Short Novels by Joe Hill

Strange Weather: Four Short Novels by Joe Hill

William Morrow, 2017

ISBN-13: 978-0062663115

Available: Hardcover, paperback Kindle edition, Audible audiobook, audio CD

There’s something decidedly different about Joe Hill. His novels and short stories often defy categorization, eschewing the conventions of horror and tropes of speculative fiction in favor of something much more… interesting.

Strange Weather is comprised of four short novels. The worlds concocted by the author are far from perfect, but are intriguing; they are familiar, but ill-suited to reality. The protagonists are not sympathetic characters readers will want to root for, but they are fascinating.

“Snapshot,” the first story, introduces readers to an awkward teen who discovers his elderly neighbor has had her memories stolen by a man with a strange camera. When the boy attempts to foil the man’s plans, he discovers something demented within the device. Hill manages to twist this story into something heartwrenching.

The second story, “Loaded,” could be the author’s anti-Second Amendment tale. A mall cop goes on a ill-advised shooting spree while trying to stop a killer, until he can no longer be described as a “good guy with a gun”. The unraveling of the character as his sad world crumbles is intriguing.

“Aloft” is the oddest tale in Strange Weather, more reminiscent of 20th Century Ghosts than his horror material. A man afraid of heights decides to try skydiving but manages to fall straight into a cloud, and remains there. An unusual setting, to say the least. “Aloft” will challenge Hill’s fans.

Finally, “Rain” can be summarized as a classic Joe Hill tale, with plenty of weirdness and amazement in the setting and a strong, unique cast of characters. When the sky opens up over Boulder, Colorado, nails pound the town, skewering the citizens in a multitude of ways. The downpour is only the beginning, as the aftermath of the apocalyptic event brings out the worst in society.

Hill’s style resonates as always: rich and full of imagery that will stick to the psyche, yet never obtuse or indulgent. His depictions of the the everyday person, and lives, are outstanding, and he has an affinity for the weird that seems to be building with each release. That’s a wonderful thing. Strange Weather is reading that will breeze by but leave a scar. Highly recommended.

Editor’s note: Strange Weather is the winner of the 2017 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection.