Our goal at House of Gamut is to be the home for Dark Speculative Fiction. The question I get asked the most is, “What the hell is Dark Speculative fiction?”
My answer is the same each time:
Dark Speculative Fiction is a grand and sweeping genre of tales that dance on the fringes of reality, works that explore the depths of human experience and emotion—both the unnerving and the extraordinary.
The question I am asked the second most is after my answer, “Great. What the hell does that mean?”
As it is now 2024, I thought I’d start the new year with an article about the best 20 books I read in 2023 that, in my mind, define what types of stories define DSF. Perhaps this list will help clarify the point. At the very least, it should provide a list of entertaining and thought-provoking works to ‘show’ rather than ‘tell’ you what I mean. Without further ado, and in no particular order:
- Children of Memory (Children of Time, Book 3), by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Orbit Books. The third installment of the Children of Timeseries is a delightfully deep exploration of what it is to be human after the fall of Earth.
- Don’t Fear the Reaper (The Indian Lake Trilogy, Book 2), by Stephen Graham Jones, Gallery/Saga Press. I am a huge fan of SGJ—not only his writing, but he inspired me to lose seven stone and to get in shape. And he and I have a weird old pickup truck fandom going on. No one scares me with serial killer stories like Stephen, and this sequel to My Heart is a Chainsaw does not disappoint. The final book in the trilogy (The Angel of Indian Lake) is due in March, and I’ve already pre-ordered my copy.
- Silver Nitrate, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Random House. An icon from the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema? A plan to bring back from the dead a Nazi occultist? Dark movie magic? Oh yes, please…this is a nail bitter.
- Starter Villain, by John Scalzi, Tor Books. As a rather obsessed “cat person,” the cover made me laugh out loud. I have most of what Scalzi’s written tucked away in my library. This is New Weird and absurdist at its best. All hell breaks loose when a substitute teacher inherits his uncle’s supervillain business. And it has intelligent spy cats. What could be better?
- Edenville, by Sam Rebelein, William Morrow. I don’t usually like books about writers—they are too meta for me. But this dark supernatural comedy from Rebelein had me laughing like I did at the end of Reservoir Dogs. I always thought that college English departments had more going on than classes.
- Witch King, by Martha Wells, TorDotCom. Along with her first fantasy in a long time, Martha Wells also released two MurderBot novels this past year. In fairness, I loved all three, but I was happiest with Witch King—I mean, who doesn’t love a fantasy whodunnit where the trying to solve the murder is the mage who was killed in the first place?
- A Haunting on the Hill, by Elizabeth Hand, Mulholland Books. Liz Hand is another of my favorites. Her Cass Neary series is a comforting go-to (that might tell you how messed up I am). I can think of no better person to revisit Shirley Jackson’s Hill House than Liz. When a playwright stumbles upon the old mansion, she thinks it might just be the best place to work and rehearse her new play…she’s wrong.
- Cold, Black & Infinite: Stories of the Horrific & Strange, by Todd Keisling, Cemetery Dance Publications. I’ve included three short story collections by individual contributors in this list. If you want anthologies, pick up nearly anything edited by Ellen Datlow, Paula Guran, Neil Clarke, Marty Halpern, Rich Horton…you get my point. This collection, all written by Keisling, contains some of the best abyss-dwelling, haunting stories from a master of folk and cosmic horror. Intro by John Langan.
- Untethered Sky, by Fonda Lee, TorDotCom. I loved Fonda Lee’s The Green Bone Saga because she is a master storyteller and worldbuilder. In her standalone 2023 release, Lee doesn’t disappoint, telling the story of Ester, a woman whose entire family was torn apart (literally and figuratively) by a manticore. Her need for revenge leads her on an amazing dark journey.
- Eternal Darkness, by Tom Deady, Crystal Lake Publishing. Deady weaves a great tale of small-town supernatural horror reminiscent of King’s ‘Salem’s Lot. It’s Deady’s characterizations that shine here and his breakneck pacing.
- Root Rot & Other Grim Tales, by Sarah Read, Bad Hand Books. My second short story collection for you, dear reader, is by award-winning author Sarah Read. There are 18 stories about hauntings, shipwrecks, wolves, and monsters—something for everyone here.
- Lone Women, by Victor LaValle, One World. Man, I loved The Ballad of Black Tom and The Changeling. LaValle is a master craftsman of suspense and magic. This story takes place in the American West in the early twentieth century. Redemption comes at a price.
- Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon, by Wole Talabi, Daw Books. This is not your average heist story, as the protagonists are disgruntled gods. A thrilling “sexcapade” set in exotic locales.
- Leech, by Hiron Ennis, TorDotCom. A body is missing, and a newly minted doctor of the Interprovincial Medical Institute must solve the crime while protecting humanity from the monster they’ve unleashed.
- Victory City, by Salman Rushdie, Random House. Deep in the past, a young girl witnesses the death of her family and becomes the vessel for a goddess. The grief-stricken and possessed girl is told she will bring about a glorious future where she will bring rise to Victory City.
- The Destroyer of Worlds: A Return to Lovecraft Country, by Matt Ruff, Harper. It is a worthy sequel to Lovecraft Country, with horror and humor wrapped in an action-packed plot. Caleb Braithwhite is back, and he is pissed.
- Flux, by Jingwoo Chong, Melville House. What would you do if you discovered that your employer had discovered time travel and were using the technology to cover up their crimes? It is a time-bending noir story with dark undertones.
- Lotería, by Cina Pelayo, Agora Books. Do you want to play a game of Lotería? This is the third collection of stories that contain deliciously horrific Latin American folk tales crafted by a master storyteller.
- The Shamshine Blind, by Paz Pardo, Atria. It is an alt-history noir story that tells the story of new world power Argentina, who uses weaponized “psycho-pigments” to instill paralyzing emotions in the country’s enemies.
- All the Sinners Bleed, by S. A. Cosby, Flatiron Books. A newly elected Black sheriff is confronted by serial killer murders with seemingly deep connections to the sleepy community of Charon County, Virginia.
There you have it—my favorite reads of 2023 and hopefully a deeper answer to the question, “What is Dark Speculative Fiction?” Of course, this list is subjective, and if you’ve read this far I would love to hear about some of your favorite reads from last year.
