In 1974, Peter Benchley delivered his novel “Jaws” to the world, setting the precedent for the ultimate beach read. While the classic sinister shark tale kept most beachgoers stapled to the sand, horror book worms have been burrowing on the shore and in the woods with their favorite reads every summer. As the world heals from the very real horror of the international pandemic, the summer of 2021 has become the ultimate time to escape to a blissful beach with some new wicked words. Here is Horror-Nation.com’s summer reading recommendations.
JUNE
GOBLIN BY JOSH MALERMAN
Author Josh Malerman exploded onto the scene with his novel “Bird Box.” The Netflix adaptation of “Bird Box” was an international sensation and the follow up novel “Malorie” once again put this talented scribe back on the New York Times Bestseller list. This June, Malerman has released a segmented novella novel, “Goblin.” A big-game hunter looking to kill the ultimate prey, a famous magician with dark secrets, and a hedge maze that is unsolvable are three of the six tales in this intriguing piece that introduces the reader to the dark town of Goblin. With a talent for creating original sinister settings and rich characters, Malerman’s newest release is written in hopes of creating a new iconic horror town such as the iconic Castle Rock. Broken into six novellas, “Goblin” is the perfect read to enjoy, take a dip in the pool, and come back to.
Follow Mr. Malerman at joshmalerman.com
JULY
THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP BY GRADY HENDRIX
Final girls have given the horror nation a rooting interest in our favorite films since the 1970’s. Over the last decade, scream queens have been celebrated even more so than the world-famous monsters they have escaped. Arguably the biggest name in horror literature, Grady Hendrix, takes his stab at the final girl phenomenon with his latest effort. Hendrix has risen to the top of the page with outings such as: “My Best Friends Exorcism” and the more recent, “The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires.” Hendrix is celebrated for his homages to the glory years of horror and his screenplay for “Satanic Panic” was well received by all horror fanatics. “The Final Girls Support Group” follows five real life female survivors who have walked away from devastating attacks that put fictional films to shame. When one of their group misses a meeting, the tough tribe prepares to fight for their lives again. Hendrix has brought back the eager anticipation that flowed through horror literature in the 1980’s. During this golden era, lines went around the block from bookstores as word junkies awaited their latest fixes from the likes of: King, Rice, and Barker. This most recent outing from Hendrix plays it close to the chest in regard to the recent release from Riley Sager. Sager’s highly praised “Final Girls” was just released last year and has an eerily similar plot. Final girl fans might want to give both a read this summer because the horror nation loves to see scream queens in peril.
Follow Mr. Hendrix at www.gradyhendrix.com
AUGUST
CHASING THE BOOGEYMAN BY RICHARD CHIZMAR
Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated literary horror work of the summer is Richard Chizmar’s “Chasing the Boogeyman.” The New York Times Bestselling author has been operating the highly regarded publishing company, Cemetery Dance, since 1988, and has worked hand in hand with the King himself. The original plot of this novel has Chizmar writing as a younger version of himself as he returns from college just in time to experience his hometown on lockdown from a human or not so human madman. As bodies start to pop up all around him, Chizmar turns to his passion for writing and leaves a personal account describing a town locked in terror as whispers of lore swirl through the community. True crime media has exploded into mainstream over the last few years, with entire television channels devoted to human monsters, as well as countless works of literature delving audiences into the depths of depravity. With the allure of a supernatural evil added to the insidious ingredients, Chizmar will be looking to pull in a massive captive audience. Setting the tale in his hometown and writing a fictious version of himself, readers should expect delicious details to flow through the three hundred page plus horror show. Chizmar is an acclaimed professional, but this very personal work could be the novel that puts him on top of the terror throne.
Follow Mr. Chizmar at www.cemeterydance.com