Related Recs

📚

when things get dark

My favourite short stories tend to be creepy or magical. I think due to the necessary open-endedness of short stories, it lends itself most to mystery and magic. Angela Carter’s Bloody Chamber is a great classic creepy feminist story to start with. Carmen Maria Machado’s The Husband Stitch continued Carter’s legacy I’m a HUGE Kelly Link fan, but her stuff is very strange so might not be for everyone, but my favourite of hers is probably The Specialist’s hat or Skinder’s Veil Shirley Jackson‘s The Lottery is also a classic, and if you like creepy stories and want a good overview of writers in that genre, I recommend the collection “When Things Get Dark”, a collection inspired by the tone of Jackson’s work; it features Kelly link, Carmen Maria Machado, Joyce Carol Oates, and loads of contemporary short story writers. I discovered the story Tiptoe by Laird Barron through this and its possibly my favourite creepy short story, it sent full shivers down my spine in a way no other story had.

@mouse

May 22, 2024

📚

a few below <3

the doll's alphabet by camilla grudova - strange, fabulous, surreal short stories that play around with the grotesque, gothic and uncanny fen by daisy johnson - short story collection set in the same setting, reads as if fables or myths drive your plow over the bones of the dead by olga tokarczuk - less overtly weird but hypnotic, concerned with astrology, william blake and morals. eccentric and delightful and one of the very very very best books ever written the fish by lloyd jones - oh i love this one.. told through the point of view a young boy whose sister gives birth to a fish. devastating and compelling and strange swanfolk by kristin ómarsdóttir - a young spy is entranced by a group of swan women. very dreamy and whimsical but also investigating ideas of power / sanity / violence lament for julia by susan taubes - novella + short stories, one of the best books i've ever read. the novella is disturbing and strange, told through the POV of a demon who lives inside julia's i and wickedly controls / recounts her life agree w the pisces by melissa broder - romance with a merman that is fabulous and fun and weird audition by pip adam - a scifi novel about prison abolishment that plays with a really unique, experimental writing style. i loved it even though i traditionally don't like scifi/fantasy pale fire by vladimir nabokov - poem, fictional poet, forward, index; such a weird, strange, experimental, confident and unusual structure with a plot that is as equally as strange by the time you're finished any kafka too...obviously hope this helps, i love weird lit ♡

@redlentilsoupgirl

Jun 1, 2024

🪢

The hanging stranger by Philip k dick

I think his short stories shine brighter than his longer stuff. His essay “The lucky dog pet store“ is also very impactful. I revisit that one when I need to hype myself up/prepare to sacrifice. That’s really the one I recommend. But “the hanging stranger” is fun and spooky. It covers my greatest fear (loved ones being replaced) but adds another really sinister element. It’s unexpectedly biblical.

@shane

Jun 15, 2023

Top Recs from @stevenmarkow

😃

The cocktail “archibald’s last memory”

Smooth, complex, and an excellent nightcap. Worth investing in the ingredients to make at home; by the 4th you make you’ll save money vs the fancy cocktail bars. The fernet isn’t overpowering, but still present enough for fans of the taste, and it only gets better as your ice dilutes. 2oz rye whiskey 1/2oz fernet branca 1/2oz Benedictine D.O.M. 1/6th oz (a dash) of Luxardo maraschino liqueur Stir with ice and strain over a big cube (the molds for which are $5 online and makes every drink feel fancy) or up in a chilled glass Cheers!

@stevenmarkow

Sep 7, 2024

😃

The path - belbury poly

Everything on Ghost Box records evokes the weird & eerie folk horror-infused atmosphere I love. I’m also obsessed with songs that feature someone straight up talking or reading over music, so this is checking every box for me at the moment. I’m also trying to make stuff like this myself rn and finding inspiration in their catalog, so I‘m shuffling through their stuff and Advisory Circle and Pye Cornet Audio et al, all wonderful.

@stevenmarkow

Jul 20, 2024

😃

The Shadow ring

They put out such great stuff 93-03. Kind of ominous spoken word over broken guitars and synths, weirdly hypnotic and beguilingly strange. One member, Graham Lambkin, has released a lot of cool solo and collab stuff since then too.

@stevenmarkow

Jul 20, 2024