Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann is one of the most prominent voices in Horror, she’s a horror advocate, a fan, curator of books, editor of anthologies, imprint editor (two times over), and now with 101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered, book author. She’s been a leading advocate for horror fiction for a few years now and this book puts into physical form what her legions of fellow horror fans have known for a while, both about her passion for the genre and what a great time it is to be a fan of horror fiction.
The Ultimate List of Must-Read Horror
Curious readers and fans of monsters and the macabre, get ready to bulk up your TBR piles! Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann has curated the best selection of modern horror books, including plenty of deep cuts. Indulge your heart’s darkest desires to be terrified, unsettled, disgusted, and heartbroken with stories that span everything from paranormal hauntings and creepy death cults to small-town terrors and apocalyptic disasters. Each recommendation includes a full synopsis as well as a quick overview of the book’s themes, style, and tone so you can narrow down your next read at a glance. Featuring a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Josh Malerman and five brand-new essays from rising voices in the genre, this illustrated reader’s guide is perfect for anyone who dares to delve into the dark.
This book is essentially a “to read” list of modern horror, most of the books have been published this Century and that is purposeful. Readers know Frankenstein, Dracula, The Haunting of Hill House, and the majority of Stephen King’s oeuvre. What Sadie aims to do is show just how thriving, diverse, and alive horror literature is today. Along with some of the more “popular” novels of the last two decades or so like The Ruins by Scott Smith, The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig, light is shed on indie/small press books from writers like John F.D. Taff and S.P. Miskowski. Hartmann also features 10 important/prominent authors worth checking out, including writers like Tananarive Due and Paul Tremblay.
I’ll just say it right now: this book is beautiful.
This is a lavishly illustrated book, organized in a smart, engaging, and fun manner that makes reading, digesting, and experience the contnents an immense pleasure. The book is broken out into subgenres/categories: Paranormal (i.e. hauntings, etc.), Human Monsters (i.e. slashers, cults, etc.), Supernatural (possession, cosmic horror, etc.), Natural Order Horror (dystopian, eco-horror, etc.), and Short Story Collections.
Each book Sadie highlights has a little icon noting if it features tropes likes “Dark Academia,” “Strong Women” among many others, as well as the style of book, themes tackled in the book, the tone of the book, its setting, and the publisher. Along with those indicators, Hartmann provides what amounts to an extended blurb, in which she excitedly shares why the particular book is worth reading and why she enjoyed it.
Peppered throughout the book are brief essays / asides by prominent names in horror, starting with the foreword by Josh Malerman and continuing with Cassandra Khaw, Hailey Piper, Eric LaRocca, RJ Joseph, and Daniel Kraus.
I’ll get this out of the way, too. I’ve been following Mother Horror on various social media platforms for a couple of years now, largely Instagram where her photography skills are showcased and can be admired. As such, a good portion of the horror I’ve been reading the past couple of years and the growth of my personal Mount ToBeRead can be blamed on her. Given that Mother Horror has guided a good chunk of my readings the last couple of years, I can also say that the personality she exudes online does indeed come through in 101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered. Hartmann’s knowledge, whimsy, sheer love, and passion of the horror genre bleed through every page. It is an infectious thing and what makes it most impressive is how conversational the book is.
I’ve read about 20 of the 101 books featured (some because of Sadie) and many books by the 10 spotlighted authors. My point here is that I consider myself fairly well-read and I love that I’ve got roughly 80 more books to potentially hunt down as a result of Sadie Hartmann’s must-have book.
One of my favorite books of the last decade or so is Grady Hendrix’s Paperbacks from Hell, another gorgeously designed and illustrated book that also functions as a massive “To Read” list. What Sadie has done with 101 Books and its focus on books published (mostly) between 2000 and 2023 is serve up a perfect modern companion to Hendrix’s Bram Stoker Award winning book. Just like Hendrix’s Paperbacks from Hell, Sadie Hartmann’s love letter to modern horror should be honored with the Bram Stoker Award for Non-Fiction.
101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered is a definitive look at horror fiction in the early 21st Century by a smart and engaging voice who has her finger on the pulse of the genre.
If I haven’t made it clear by this point, this is a MUST-OWN book for any horror fan and a great book for anybody with a passing interest in the genre.
© 2023 Rob H. Bedford
Trade Paperback | 168 pages
August 2023 | Published by Page Street Publishing
https://linktr.ee/sadiehartmann | Mother Horror on Instagram / Twitter
Review copy Purchased
