I’m just starting to get into reading and am searching for more of what I like (30M). I’ve learned I tend to like dystopian/horror/sci-fi, but also with a comedic voice and a lot of dialogue. Here’s some recents I’ve read and what I like about them:
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FantasticLand by Mike Bockoven.
I really liked the format of this one, how each chapter is told from the POV of the interviewee. I also loved the violence, lord of the flies-esque vibe. World War Z is in my to-read list. -
Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman.
This is the series that got me back into reading. Love the whole “televised apocalypse” theme and all of the funny dialogue / crazy characters. Matt’s writing is also very easy to read. -
John Dies At The End by Jason Pargin.
Similar to DCC, I like this one for its casual/humorous dialogue , trippy psychedelics and how the characters aren’t very serious. The rest of the series is in my to-read list. -
The Troop by Nick Cutter.
Loved the horror aspect of this one along with the setting (creepy isolated island). I like the “experiments gone wrong” trope. -
The Ruins by Scott Smith.
Similar to The Troop, I liked the body horror and psychological horror, and watching a group of characters slowly grow insane/desperate. -
We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer.
Maybe my favorite I’ve read so far. I don’t even know how to describe this one, but I really enjoyed the whole “something is wrong here but I’m not sure what”. -
Bioshock:Rapture by John Shirley.
This one may be cheating since it’s source material is from one of my favorite games, but I love the setting (underwater city) mixed with the violence and horror of a society collapsing/drug use, along with the crazy mad-scientist experiments going on.
TLDR; I need suggestions for books that contain: horror, dark comedy, heavy dialogue, dystopian, unique settings, experiments gone wrong. Open to any and all suggestions.
by smoothjuicer
5 Comments
Tales from the Gas Station, by Jack Townsend
I think you might like The Perfect Run trilogy by Maxime J. Durand
Honestly i would recommend The Locked Tomb series. Not really sci-fi, not really horror, not exactly dystopian but a bizarre and amazing amalgam of all of the above, within several extra bits and pieces thrown in for a little razzle dazzle, and often extremely funny. Gideon the Ninth is your entry point.
Obligatory Red Rising comment
I feel like it has most of what you’re looking for, and it’s just so epic
You might like Before and After by Andrew shanahan