You don’t have to be a fan of costumes or spine-chilling experiences to celebrate the gloomiest time of the year. Like every year, fans of this Anglo-Saxon festival multiply movie marathons, discover games with horrific overtones or indulge in activities that give goosebumps. For readers, it is often in a good book that the best thrills are found. Here are the 5 books to discover this year, whether you are a fan of science fiction, fantasy, thriller or simply fantasy.
Cold moon over Babylon — Michael McDowell
One of his creations is a must-have for Halloween, a classic section of genre cinema. If Beetlejuice is obviously affiliated with the imagination of Tim Burton, it is Michael McDowell that the director owes the story which earned him his reputation as a master of the fantastic and the lugubrious. The American author, born in 1950 and died in 1999, is considered by Stephen King to be “the best author of paperbacks in the United States”, difficult to contradict the one who has managed to build a certain reputation in bookstores around the world. Cold moon over Babylon is a new proof of talent of the one who had already won us over with the saga Blackwater. With the best work of art on the cover, Monsieur Toussaint Louverture translates a new work by the author who has nothing to envy of the monsters of fantastic literature.
The people of Babylon live a quiet life. In the humid heat of this Florida city, at the dawn of the 1980s, a sudden death will nevertheless cause turmoil. A teenager has disappeared and this is not the first time that such a tragedy has struck the Larkin family. Years earlier, Margaret and Jerry Larkin’s parents drowned in the River Styx. When a pale, immense and cold moon risesits light covers everything and blinds, victims and murderers alike, the fallen of Babylon.
We find without displeasure the sensory writing of McDowell, who paints the picture of an American city under oppressive heat. Visceral, this new fable with fantastic and horrific overtones which has no trouble capturing its readership. The writer’s refined style is no less impactful, it greatly contributes to immersion in this atmospheric story which we devour under a duvet, at nightfall.
Norferville — Frank Thilliez
In just a few years, the French author has established himself as one of the most popular in France. In 2024, it is into the great Canadian cold that his pen ventures. In Quebec, the small town of Norferville is known for its immense iron mines which attract many workers from across Canada. This is where Léonie grew up, daughter of a mine worker and an indigenous woman. Although she has since left the small town, she is called back to this white hell when a French tourist is murdered. His father, a collaborator of the Lyon criminal brigade, is determined to shed light on this affair and find his child’s killer.
Taking advantage of the frozen landscapes of Canada, the harshness of the snowy landscapes, Frank Thilliez hatches a thriller in the pure tradition of the genre. Captivating and well-documented, this immersion into a Quebec community facing horror is incredibly effective. If Halloween is often an opportunity to discover mystical works, to meet wonderful creatures, Norferville has its share of mysteries and thrills.
The Halloween Tree – Ray Bradbury
Although he is famous for his science fiction works, Bradbury has tried his hand at many genres. The author of Farenheit 451 offered an exploration of Halloween mythology in 1972. With The Halloween Tree is a journey through time and the myths that await readers. On October 31, Tom and his friends end their traditional tour at an astonishing-looking mansion. During a journey through time and space, in pursuit of their friend Pipkin, Tom and his companions will discover the origins of Halloween and meeting mythical creatures.
This short novel by Bradbury is a new demonstration of the American novelist’s talent as a storyteller. Like a fable, The Halloween Tree easily transports us into its fantastical universe, a story of rare effectiveness. The work also has a major argument, reading it will not take no more than two hours. For readers turned off by huge epics, the story is the obvious choice for celebrating the spookiest time of the year.
Rose House – Arkady Martine
A house entirely controlled by artificial intelligence, capable of meeting all your needs and anticipating your slightest desires. At first glance, the idea is dystopian, but not really original. Rose House is not one of those smart houses designed to delight futurologists. Each of its beams, each of its marble tiles houses an intelligent, autonomous entity gifted with learning. Since the death of its architect, Rose House has remained hermetically sealed, in accordance with its owner’s will. One day however, the AI reports the presence of a corpse within its walls. The local police intervene, and find themselves confronted with an unsolvable mystery, at least in appearance.
This short dystopian novel, halfway between Black Mirror et Scooby-Doo is a detective puzzle to devour under the covers. A formidable satire on AI, its flaws and its dangers, but also on the reasons that push humans to take action.
Shining
No need to present ShiningStephen King’s masterpiece adapted by none other than Stanley Kubrick. A monument of horror cinema and horror literature, the stay at the Overlook Hotel has a new translation from Livre de Poche. If the film is to be rewatched for Halloween, discovering or rediscovering the novel could be a good idea on October 31. With his usual know-how, King delivers a captivating and distressing film that we devour without restraint.
Source: www.journaldugeek.com
