Photo by Rosie Kerr on Unsplash
I’ve written at length about what October means to me, so I’ll spare you the waxing poetical. Look, it’s been a pretty grim year. As a result, I’ve read and watched a lot more horror lately. This makes sense given my master’s thesis, which explored the idea that horror provides fear we can control (as opposed to all the real-life fears we cannot). However, I apologize to my readers who don’t enjoy scary media and read my Octoberish posts for more in the wistful vein. Hopefully next year, guys.
Unfortunately, I’ve read a lot of bad horror this year, which will make selecting this year’s Most Disappointing Book quite difficult come December’s end. But as you’ll see, I’ve read a lot of great stuff, too.
In the music section of this edition, I was experiencing a stupor of thought. Most of the new stuff I’ve listened to this year is of the peppy, motivational, get-off-your-paralyzed-duff-and-do-something variety. (Example: my ridiculous obsession with BTS’s “Dynamite,” which I’m still not sick of. The original video has almost 500 million views at this point, and I won’t confess how many of those are mine.) Fortunately, two of my genius children came to my rescue and sent me some excellent suggestions.
A note on ratings: I’ve applied the MPAA’s highly imperfect system to the TV series and books in an effort to guide more timid consumers.
Thirty-one and thirteen are the most Octoberish numbers, so below are thirty-one recommendations. If you read, watch, or listen to any of them, drop me a line and let me know what you think.
Books:
Await Your Reply, by Dan Chaon (R)
The lives of three strangers intertwine in surprising ways in this unconventional mystery. If you’ve ever fantasized about running away from life and starting over somewhere new, maybe think again. I can’t figure out why Chaon isn’t more famous, because he’s at least as good as Peter Straub. This book is hypnotic and deeply weird.
A Deadly Education, by Naomi Novik (PG-13)
Surely the magic boarding school premise has been done to death, right? Wrong. This fantasy is fresh, original, dark, and suspenseful, and the world building is terrific. For example, a hidden culture of people with superpowers at last makes sense—but you didn’t come here for my rant about J.K. Rowling’s illogical magic system. I cannot wait for the next books in Novik’s projected trilogy.
A Head Full of Ghosts, by Paul Tremblay (R)
Part terrifying ghost story, part psychological thriller, part morality tale of the pitfalls of reality television, this is one of Tremblay’s best books. You won’t soon forget schizophrenic Marjorie or the rest of the dysfunctional Barrett family.
Ninth House, by Leigh Bardugo (R)
In this alternate history dark fantasy, Yale’s secret societies are all run by magicians. Abuse survivor and scholarship student Alex Stern feels like an impostor at the elite Ivy League institution. She soon uncovers a dank underworld of corruption caused by generations of privilege and entitlement. The story stands alone, but there might be more books coming? If so, I’m thrilled!
You Should Have Left, by Daniel Kehlmann (PG-13)
In the idyllic mountains of Germany, a writer’s retreat becomes a nightmare. I haven’t seen the movie (starring Keven Bacon!), but this short novel is packed with mind-bending, atmospheric creep factor. If you liked I’m Thinking of Ending Things, this story is for you.
The Girl with All the Gifts, by M.R. Carey (PG-13)
A zombie with a heart of gold—that sounds either dumb or sarcastic, but it’s not. Your heart will break for Melanie, the titular girl. Science fiction isn’t often this hopeful. I loved the movie, too, as you’ll see.
The Shining Girls, by Lauren Beukes (R)
Serial killer + survivor + magic house + broken-down Chicago journalist = pitch black thriller. This would make an amazing movie. Trigger warning: a heroic dog dies, and the scene made me cry in very ugly fashion. I mean, a lot of people die, too, but now you know what my priorities are.
Catherine House, by Elisabeth Thomas (R)
Another magic college novel! This one’s all Gothic and fever-dreamy, though, and there’s a cool sci-fi twist. Once again, elite higher education comes at a very steep price. This is a debut novel, and Thomas is definitely one to watch.
Vita Nostra, by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko (PG-13)
Sasha Samokhina gets accepted into the obscure yet prestigious Institute for Special Technologies. I’ve heard this book called “Harry Potter goes to college in Russia,” but it’s much richer and more mysterious than that. I just saw that the Dyachenkos have a newly translated standalone novel out, and I ordered it at once. Stay tuned.
Bunny, by Mona Awad (R)
Um. I love this book set at yet another university. And if you’re sensing a trend (which I didn’t see at first when I was making this list), at least this one is about an MFA program. Picture grad student witches with Birkin bags and Louboutin stilettos. Margaret Atwood blurbed this book, which should be all the encouragement you need.
Movies:
I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020, R)
I haven’t read the book, but I want to after seeing the movie. This bizarre little film is one to watch carefully, maybe even rewinding at times to re-watch a scene, because there is a ton going on in very subtle ways. I adore Jesse Plemons and Toni Colette, and they both excel here.
Sea Fever (2019, not rated)
There are two kinds of people in quarantine: those who escape by thinking about something else, and those who escape by diving into tales of contagion and desperation. I’m sure you can guess by now which one I am. This Irish sci-fi thriller is brilliant at bringing out the worst suspicions and superstitions of people under stress. (You know it’s bad luck to take a redhead out to sea, right?)
Far from the Madding Crowd (2015, PG-13)
Here, you get a break from horror and instead get a treat of Octoberish yearning and romance. Thomas Vinterberg’s version of Thomas Hardy’s classic novel is one of the best literary adaptations I’ve ever seen. The whole cast shines, the direction and photography are impeccable, and the Vaughan Williams-esque soundtrack is gorgeous. I love this movie more each time I see it.
Under the Shadow (2016, PG-13)
As if war-torn Tehran in the 1980s wasn’t scary enough, this excellent Persian-language film introduces an evil djinni into the mix. You’ll root for Shideh and her daughter Dorsa right up to the ambiguous end.
Les Affamés (2017, not rated)
Heres the first of three zombie movies on this year’s list, because contagion! I love this one for the dark humor, the deeply strange nature of the zombie culture, and the Québecois French I grew to love while serving my Church mission in Montréal.
The Girl with All the Gifts (2016, R)
Zombie movie number two, this time from the UK. Come for the post-apocalyptic suspense, stay for the chemistry between the amazing Sennia Nanua, who plays Melanie, and Gemma Arterton, her teacher. Glenn Close is fantastically deranged. Very true to the spirit of the book.
Train to Busan (2016, not rated) Zombie movie number three—but if I were forced to rank them, this Korean masterpiece would be #1. Like The Quiet Place, this film is a thousand times more scary if you’re a parent. The unrelenting pace may exhaust you, but the heroism, both obvious and subtle, will inspire you.
I Am the Pretty Thing that Lives in the House (2016, not rated)
This movie is polarizing at our house. Three of my adult children hated it, but I think it’s a brilliant, non-linear study of slow and quiet dread. I once described it as “the best story Shirley Jackson never wrote.” A shy nurse is hired to take care of a former bestselling ghost story author who now suffers from dementia.
1BR (2019, not rated)
It’s important to read the fine print in contracts, okay? It’s also important not to lie, even when you’re super tempted and it seems like it’s no big deal: those are my takeaways from this indie thriller. 1BR is real estate-ese for “one bedroom.” A young woman finds the perfect Los Angeles apartment—not. Gruesome, but effective.
Shutter (2004, R)
Let me make it clear that you want the original Thai film, not the lame 2008 American remake, okay? I love Asian horror movies because they often don’t follow Western rules of storytelling and are thus better at surprising me. A couple hit a young woman with their car and are haunted by her—in photographs, to start—thereafter.
Television:
The Terror (Amazon Prime, R) The earth’s poles fascinate me, and I never tire of stories about the intrepid souls who explored them. Based on a true story (was it all just delusions caused by lead poisoning from 19th-century canned food?), this ongoing series features the ever-fabulous Ciaran Hinds, Jared Harris, and Tobias Menzies. All three are tremendous as they try to lead a doomed expedition through the fabled Northwest Passage.
The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix, R)
I just re-watched this with our 16-year-old, and it was even better the second time through. The construction is masterful. The performances are immersive. The theme of being haunted by family dysfunction as well as traditional ghosts is dazzlingly done. I was against this series before I saw it, because I knew it was only loosely inspired by Shirley Jackson’s peerless book, but Mike Flanagan won me over.
The Haunting of Bly Manor (Netflix, R)
More from the gifted Mike Flanagan. (I recently re-watched Doctor Sleep, which was also better the second time.) The Turning of the Screw is one of my favorite short novels, and it’s been inspiration fodder for many books (like Peter Straub’s excellent Ghost Story) and films (like 1961’s The Innocents, starring the lovely Deborah Kerr), but Henry James’s classic appears to be a fruitful vine. I hope Flanagan favorites Victoria Pedretti, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and Henry Thomas (who were all terrific in Hill House) get lots more work going forward.
Locke & Key (Netflix, PG-13)
Sadly, this is 2020’s only TV recommendation not for mature audiences, and I don’t recommend it for pre-teens, either. A recent widow and her three kids move into the magic house where the dead husband/dad grew up. In search of family history, all four explore the vast mansion and find more than they bargained for. Pet peeve: the house is Victorian, and while it’s a much better set than that of Hill House (that series’ only flaw, in my view), it’s simply not old enough for the Locke family to have lived there for as many generations as the plot claims. Nit pickery aside, this is a fun ride, and I look forward to Season 2.
To the Lake (Netflix) More contagion and claustrophobic horror! What could be better in month 3,458 of our pandemic shutdown? I took on this brand-new Russian series at the hearty recommendation of Stephen King, and it does not disappoint. Do yourself a favor. Though the linked trailer is dubbed in English, never watch a foreign production without the original language and English subtitles. Your constant disgust at the bad voice acting will throw you out of the story otherwise.
Music:
“Seven Long Years,” by The Benders
A plaintive track from this obscure Massachusetts alt-bluegrass duo’s superlative Mountain Radio. The whole album would be great driving-at-night music.
“Screen Shot,” by Swans
Honestly, a lot of Swans’ prodigious output is too bleak and abrasive even for my eclectic taste. But this song is comparatively mellow—menacing, bluesy, and with lyrics disjointed enough to make effective writing music for me.
Psychic, by Darkside
One clever YouTube commenter called this ambient/electronica duo “Depeche Floyd,” and that pretty much sums them up. All of Nicolás Jaar’s music is interesting, but when he teams up with versatile genius Dave Harrington, the whole is even greater than the sum of the talented parts.
“Thieves in the Night,” by Black Star
I adore Black Star. Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def) and Talib Kweli composed this track in dialogue with Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye, challenging listeners not to conform to the aesthetics and ideals of oppressors but instead to find their own ways of defining self and culture. It’s a hard road forward, as the resigned tone of the piece communicates.
Lost Themes, by John Carpenter
You learn something new every day. I was aware John Carpenter directed genre classics like Escape from New York and Halloween, but I had no idea he had written a lot of his own soundtracks. This evocative album is a series of outtakes from various projects and would make excellent background music for writing.
“The Night,” by Morphine
Like all of Morphine’s music, this song is pure magic—a catchy beat, a smoky sax, and the late Mark Sandman scratchily crooning melancholy lyrics like “A little girl lost in the woods/You’re a folktale/You’re unexplainable/You’re a bedtime story.” Seductive as a warm, firelit library on a rainy night. Happy October, everyone!
Love all the recommendations! I am currently reading Breath after one of your previous emails (loving it so far... Krystle is already making fun of me for wanting to buy "sleep tape").
For this batch...
Books:
Await Your Reply - I think I read this because it popped up on one of James' year end lists. I don't know if it quite blew me away but I liked it.
Ninth House - loved this book, and cannot wait for more entries in the series.
The Shining Girls - really liked this one too. Not sure why Beukes doesn't have multiple Netflix shows based on her work.
A Deadly Education + A Head Full of Ghosts - both high on my to read list. Trying to decide if I should move ADE up in the queue.
Movies:
I'm Thinking of Ending Things - I read this book a while ago and had completely forgotten it. This movie is so weird in all of the best ways. I left feeling very confused and conflicted. It had pockets that were so entertaining, and the way the story is presented definitely made me lean in, to try and understand what was going on. But did I enjoy the experience of watching it? Did it work as a movie? I am not sure. But I'm glad it exists. Side bar: Have you read Charles Kaufman's new novel?
Far From the Madding Crowd - we loved this when it came out. So beautiful.
Sea Fever - I was interested after seeing the trailer but haven't gone out of my way to seek it out. Might need to give it a shot.
Train to Busan - been on my list forever but never sat down and watched it. Not sure why. Well, partly because Krystle hates horror movies.
Have you seen Possessor?
TV:
The Haunting of Hill House - one of my favorite TV experiences of the last few years. Because of that expectations were through the roof for...
The Haunting of Bly Manor - just finished episode 6, so still working through it. I am really enjoying it and trying not to compare it to Hill House (which is in a league of its own for me). This one is really coming together for me, though.
Locke and Key - we both loved this show. The graphic novels are also excellent. Joe Hill is perfect for spooky season (The Fireman is especially excellent).
The Terror - another one I thought looked interesting but never made time for. Will have to give it another look.
Love to see the Black Star shout out.
- Michael