Fall heralds many things. It serves as the transition from summer to the colder seasons here in the Northern Hemisphere. Leaves begin to change color. The days grow shorter. And let’s not forget the overwhelming barrage of pumpkin-themed products. Autumn is a season that calls for both cozy and spooky vibes. It’s the perfect time to curl up with a book and enjoy a cup of tea.
But for readers, what does autumn mean? For some people, it means reading horror novels that deliver thrills and chills. For others, it might mean picking up those inescapable titles that get featured on TV shows, on big posters in the windows of your local bookshop, or on ads across the internet. Maybe it means digging into novels with intricate storylines, now that the breezy beach reads of summer are behind us. If you don’t like any of those things and just want something cozy, that’s all right too. There are plenty of options fitting that criteria.
Whatever you choose, though, let’s make autumn a time to read. Here are a few SFF to read this fall.
Lord of the Darkwood
Set in a world inspired by feudal Japan, Lord of the Darkwood is the third installment of Hearn’s The Tale of Shikanoko series. Readers familiar with her previous series—Tales of the Otori—will recognize her spare prose and almost fairy tale approach to storytelling. Make no mistake, however; this series features a meaty tale filled with power struggles, betrayal, and sacrifice.
It begins with Shikanoko, the titular Lord of the Darkwood. Born to the warrior class, the young man who would come to be known as Shikanoko was orphaned as a child and raised by his uncle. Unfortunately, in a tale as old as time, the uncle coveted his nephew’s inheritance and arranged a hunting “accident.” Left for dead, Shikanoko was taken in by a mysterious sorcerer and taught magic.
But this series isn’t just about a young man seeking revenge against a jealous, murderous uncle. It’s also about a man warped by the magic he wields, who seeks to restore the throne to its rightful ruler, and who has been tasked with raising five magical children.
In the Company of Witches
Magic and witches figure prominently in this cozy mystery. When her husband dies, Brynn Warren returns to the New England town of Evenfall to help her two aunts run their bed and breakfast. But the Warrens aren’t just any regular ladies. They’re witches.
For centuries, they’ve used their powers to secretly help the people living in town. This delicate balance is threatened, however, when a disagreeable woman named Constance Graves dies in an accident. This deadly accident happened in the Warrens’ bed and breakfast, and suspicion soon falls on one of Brynn’s aunts. Now, Brynn must help clear her aunt’s name. Too bad she hasn’t used her magical abilities since her husband died.
The Six-Gun Tarot
Historical fantasy meets horror in this Weird Western. The town of Golgotha lays in the forsaken stretches of the Nevada desert. A half-dead young man named Jim barely makes it to the edge of this forgotten town. Luckily, he’s saved by the town’s deputy, who’s half-Indian and half-something else. You see, Golgotha is strange town filled with strange people. Its sheriff has a knack for escaping death. A seemingly normal banker’s wife has an astonishingly unexpected skill set. The resident scientist might have an unhealthy interest in the dead. And there might be something dark and insidious creeping from the nearby abandoned silver mine.
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy
If you want your autumn reads to have a heavy dash of romance, give this enemies-to-lovers romantic fantasy try, especially if you’re a fan of You’ve Got Mail and Studio Ghibli. Hart is a demigod charged with patrolling the land. Mercy is an undertaker who runs the family business after her father has a health scare. Thanks to Hart’s job, the two cross paths constantly, but complicating this is the fact that Hart hates Mercy, and Mercy hates him right back.
However, they are both incredibly lonely and when the whimsies of the magical postal system connects them as anonymous pen pals, an unexpected romance blooms. The path of love is never easy though. Not only do they have to reconcile the contrasting vibes of the pen pal and face-to-face interactions, there’s also the matter of their homeland facing a dangerous threat.
The Ones Who Got Away
Fall is undoubtably the season of horror, and Stephen Graham Jones is one of the most prolific horror writers out there. Probably best known for his novels, The Only Good Indians and The Indian Lake trilogy, he also writes short stories. The Ones Who Got Away collects 13 of his earlier works.
Among them are tales about a father and son lost in the woods and the miraculous rabbit that might be the key to their survival, a pair of high school queen bees and the lengths they go to retain their elite status, and a group of outcasts who decide to test whether the old practice of throwing accused witches into bodies of water has any truth of it.
Mexican Gothic
This gothic horror novel features many classic staples of the genre: an ominous and oppressive house, a menacing but attractive man, and a deadly secret that could doom everyone. Noemi Taboada is a glamourous debutante who’d rather attend cocktail parties, but when she receives a letter from her cousin asking for help, she drops everything and comes to her aid.
This decision brings her to the Mexican countryside, where she tries to uncover what could have gone wrong in her cousin’s marriage. Her cousin’s in-laws have many secrets, most of which they hold close, but soon Noemi herself begins to have disturbing dreams—many of which revolve around the family’s house, the seat of their decaying empire.
Featured image: Kristian Seedorff / Unsplash
