Gothic Horror Books Perfect for Fall

If you are not reading gothic horror, then you are missing out on one of the best horror subgenres.

This is my favorite mood to sink into. Give me a crumbling manor, a doomed romance, sentences so lush they practically drip off the page, and at least one woman who is quietly (or not so quietly) losing it, and I am feral with joy.

Plus, as the leaves turn and fall there is nothing better than a decaying novel under a cozy blanket. So today I'm handing you the gothic horror recs I press on everyone who will hold still long enough to listen.

But first, as always, I had another incredible guest on the show. Delilah S. Dawson.

Delilah S. Dawson is the Bram Stoker Award winning author of The Violence, Guillotine, Bloom, and her brand new sapphic botanical horror novella, Monstera. With around forty books in fifteen years, Delilah writes everything from steampunk romance to Star Wars, and her horror digs into desire, power, and the danger hiding inside the life you think you want.

We talk about why horror felt safe for a kid growing up with domestic violence, and the copy of Watership Down she stole from her school library in second grade. Delilah tells me about crying at a buffet surrounded by 200 Santas over her first comic script. She shares how she went undercover at a North Georgia wellness retreat to research It Will Only Hurt for a Moment, and how her daughter's Hannibal obsession sparked Bloom.

We also dig into how finding Olympic weightlifting in her forties changed her life and shaped Saskia in Monstera. Plus, a peek at what's next, including a slasher novella for Titan, a middle grade Easter horror, and her purgatory tearjerker It's Only Forever.

So grab your copy of Monstera, and check out the episode on Youtube, or listen on Spotify or Apple Music.

Now let’s get into the recs!

Find all the books listed below on my shelf here

A dark boarding academy, a forbidden woods, and a heartbreaking queer romance, all wrapped in lyrical sentences and impeccable dark-fairy-tale vibes. This is the kind of book you feel in your chest. If you want atmosphere that swallows you whole, start here.

A genre-bending modern gothic that is full of mystery and diabolical plotting, and it will not go where you think it's going. Pinborough is so good at the slow twist of the knife, and this one had me second-guessing everything. A perfect gateway gothic, too, if you're easing in.

A Dracula retelling with a painstakingly beautiful romance, dark gothic atmosphere, and writing to absolutely die for. I devoured this one in a single sitting and immediately wanted to start it over. If you like your horror soaked in longing, this is your book.

T. Kingfisher is a master at blending horror and humor in a way that is completely unforgettable, and this is a hilarious, character-driven southern gothic that still manages to genuinely unsettle you. Vultures on the roof. A mother acting… off. You know something is wrong, and the dread creeps in beautifully.

The twisted twin-sister dynamic in this book is undeniable. It's the 1800s, there's a creeping, rotting manor, and the descriptions are lush yet genuinely disgusting in the best possible way. If you love gothic that leans into the grotesque, van Veen always delivers.

A feminist retelling of Carmilla that is toxic in the best way possible. This is a book that screams women's rights and women's wrongs, and I am here for every second of it. Sink your teeth in (sorry, I had to), I promise you won’t be disappointed.

A sweeping haunted Mexican manor, a deliciously tense romance, and vibes that will have you reading way past your bedtime. The dread builds and builds, and the setting alone is worth the read. One of my favorite haunted-house-adjacent gothics, full stop.

A devious, bloodthirsty governess and the complete and total carnage she inflicts on one unlucky family. It's equal parts clever and appalling, and it is just unbelievable storytelling. I will genuinely never stop thinking about this one. And there’s a movie coming, so now is the time!

Okay, now it's your turn: what's the gothic horror novel I need to add to this list?

Hit reply and let me know!

Host of Talking Horror Podcast