This selection of LGBTQI+ horror fiction explores the intersection of identity, fear, and the supernatural, blending chilling narratives with deep emotional resonance. Each story features protagonists navigating societal struggles, personal trauma, and otherworldly threats, offering a unique perspective on the genre. The protagonists’ experiences of marginalization and their queerness often amplify the horror elements, making the supernatural not only a force to be feared but also a metaphor for the isolation and othering that LGBTQI+ individuals face. Through themes of survival, resilience, and self-discovery, these novels offer fresh, compelling takes on both horror and queer storytelling.
Rep: Gay, Asexual, Bisexual. Based around the "bury your gays" media trope in which gay characters are treated as more expendable, Chuck Tingle's second horror novel is a super-meta takedown of corporate greed and queer erasure, and it's…
Rep: Lesbian. Sophie White's 'Where I End' delves into social horror by examining the insidious effects of societal expectations and personal trauma on mental health. The narrative follows a woman grappling with her identity and the pressures of…
Rep: Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, Bisexual. Gretchen Felker-Martin’s 'Cuckoo' is a gripping and emotionally charged monster story that blends visceral horror with deeply human moments. Set in a conversion therapy center that is more monstrous than it…
Rep: Transgender, Non-Binary. In 'Brainwyrms', Alison Rumfitt reimagines transphobia as a parasitic brainworm that drives its hosts to madness. Not for the faint hearted, its graphic gore, brutality and unrelenting grimness has the author breaking…
Rep: Lesbian. Published in 1872, 27 years before 'Dracula,' 'Carmilla' was a pioneer in both vampire fiction and lesbian literature. When young women start dying of a mysterious illness, and the beautiful Carmilla comes to stay with Laura and her…
Rep: Non-Binary, Intersex. Rivers Solomon’s 'Model Home' explores trauma, alienation, and the complexities of race through the haunting narrative of Ezri, a Black protagonist who returns to their childhood home after the mysterious deaths of their…
Rep: Lesbian. Johanna van Veen’s 'My Darling Dreadful Thing' is a queer Gothic horror novel set in the 1950s Netherlands, following Roos Beckman, a young woman with a spirit companion, Ruth. After performing séances for her abusive mother, Roos is…
Rep: Lesbian. In Samantha Allen’s 'Patricia Wants to Cuddle', a quirky and suspenseful Gothic horror novel, a reality TV show set on a remote island is disrupted by the mysterious disappearances of contestants, all while a Sasquatch stalks the set.…
Rep: Lesbian. 'The Gilda Stories' is a groundbreaking Black/Indigenous lesbian vampire novel that blends themes of survival, identity, and belonging. The story follows Gilda, a vampire who navigates the complexities of family, oppression, and…
Rep: Gay. 'Exquisite Corpse' is a dark horror novel centered on Andrew Compton, a convicted serial killer, his twisted relationship with fellow killer Jay Byrne, gay runaway Tran who falls into the dark orbit of Andrew and Jay, and Lucas Ransom,…
Rep: Lesbian. A story within a story within a story, Emily M. Danforth's debut blends horror, mystery, comedy and romance to spin a queer Gothic tale that builds its historical and contemporary settings with finesse. The narrative crosses two…
Rep: Lesbian. This started out as a scary story written for r/nosleep on Reddit and is now a fully-grown, eerie and unputdownable horror novel that will really get under your skin. A young lesbian couple, renovating an old isolated mountain home,…
Rep: Lesbian. A quietly haunting and devastating meditation on grief, trauma, and what lies in the depths of the ocean. Miri's wife Leah has finally returned from a catastrophic deep-sea mission...but has she? It quickly becomes clear that Leah is…
Rep: Lesbian. Caitlín R. Kiernan is a dark mastermind! This collection of short stories from one of modern horror's greatest writers bends, breaks and alters conceptions of sexuality, gender and morality leaving you breathless in its wake.…
Rep: Lesbian. Potent, wild, willful, chaos invoked! This powerhouse of a novel reminded me strangely of Nick Cave's 'And the Ass Saw the Angel' with its subversion of good God-fearing folk and their hypocrisy. Repressed female energy unleashing its…
Rep: Gay. 'Hawk Mountain' delves into the complexities of psychology and destructive behavior. Todd Nasca’s life is disrupted when his childhood tormentor, Jack Gates, reappears after 15 years. As Jack inserts himself into Todd’s world, unresolved…
Rep: Lesbian. 'Thirst' by Marina Yuszczuk is a feminist queer vampire novel set in Buenos Aires, blending Gothic horror with profound explorations of life, loss, and trauma. The narrative alternates between two women: a 19th-century vampire fleeing…
Rep: Lesbian. 'Heads Will Roll' is a thrilling slasher that revitalizes the genre with a fresh new meta take. With a sharp blend of humor and horror, it explores themes of redemption and the dark side of fame as sitcom star Willow navigates an…
Rep: Transgender. Lee Mandelo’s 'The Woods All Black' blends Appalachian Gothic horror with queer history in a chilling, fast-paced novel. Set in the 1920s, it follows Leslie Bruin, a trans nurse sent to a rural town where he faces suspicion and…
Rep: Lesbian. Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker is a haunting and insightful tale that deftly merges cozy horror and self-discovery in a short engaging read. Set on a reality TV show that crosses ghost hunting with home makeovers, it explores themes…
