Five Weird Fiction Books for Beginners

#weirdfiction #darkfiction
Weird fiction is a complicated genre to track down. There are writers who are simply weird fiction writers, and you know it when you read them. Here are five books (novellas and short story collections/anthologies) that will help you learn its voice and characteristics.
You might be wondering why these suggestions are novellas and/or short stories. If so, know that weird fiction works within shorter word counts best, and although there have been plenty of great weird fiction novels, the bulk of the genre is in shorter form.
This video contains only my personal opinions. Below are a couple of links to help you navigate beyond my own discussion within this video. Keep your eyes peeled, there will be more videos like this in the future. And thank you for watching.
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Links:
The Weird: An Introduction - weirdfictionreview.com/2012/05...
So You Want to Read Weird Fiction: Here’s Where to Start: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/th...
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Books Mentioned
1. The Willows - Algernon Blackwood
2. The Dunwich Horror - Lovecraft
3. The Weird - Ann and Jeff VanderMeer
4. The Imago Sequence - Laird Barron
5. The Best Of - Caitlin R. Kiernan
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Booktubers Mentioned
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Links:
-Wheel of Time Read Along Goodreads group:
/ a-wheel-of-time-read-a...
Website: jasonwhitefiction.wordpress.com
Podcast: wheredarknessdwells.com
Amazon: www.amazon.com/Jason-White/e/...
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Jason White, from The Darkness Dwells Podcast, discusses weird, horror, sff novels/collections/anthologies.
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[@ThatsWhatSheRead]

This is great! Im basically a beginner so I needed this. I did love Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

I loved that one too! I still need to finish that trilogy, though.

[@daniel5730]

Annihilation is just dollar store Roadside picnic.

[@jerryrichardson2799]

Totally agree with you on Blackwood, Lovecraft, and Barron.

[@DamnableReverend]

That anthology edited by the Vandermeers is certainly a massive and interesting tome, full of great stories. I have a few of their other anthologies, too. I like that they include some authors taht most people know, but also dig up stuff from non-english authors and offer some original translations. I've been reading weird fiction since I discovered Lovecraft around 1991 and I still have trouble really defining what it is. "You know it when you see it" is right.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

The VanderMeer’s are a gift from the Old Ones!

[@christopherroach7147]

Always nice to see a Kiernan fan. I saw her read in an Atlanta coffee shop around the time Threshold was published. Drove over 2 hrs. to get there. Glad I did, she pretty much has become a recluse since then.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

I’m envious! I would love to see her give a reading. I do understand, however, her reclusiveness. Like you, I would also drive two hours to see that.

[@oldforestroad]

Such a great list of books, thanks Jason. Love the callout for The Willows.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Thank you! 😊

[@87CHUD]

Wonderful video. I'm more of a Wendigo fan myself. I read it annually as I camp throughout Manitoba. With the perfect backdrop, it's become a seasonal favorite. However, your Algernon Blackwood pick is a better recommendation. as it is exemplary of the genre. I'm a huge fan of Clark Ashton Smith so I was hoping he would turn up. Really appreciate the video as I'm always wishing for more content covering the genre. Thank you and I can't wait to see more of your videos.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Thank you!! I can imagine that reading The Wendigo while camping would be a great experience. Pretty freaky too.

[@JamieReads]

I'm going to need to read these. Thanks Jason! The Weird cover is my favorite!

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Mine too, Jamie! And I hope that you enjoy them!

[@KamisKorner]

Yassss this video needed to be made and I hope you’ll do some follow-up videos on this sub genre! And more future recommendations

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

I do indeed plan to! There’s so much to talk about.

[@siljeblomst1]

This was awesome! I need to look some of these up. Thank you so much. Have a great day, Jason 😊

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

You’re welcome! And thank you!

[@CharlieBrookReads]

like the idea of picking up a short story collection to get me sampling weird fiction so might check The Imago Sequence . Thank you for making this ...super interesting ❤️

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

I hope that you enjoy, Charlie!

[@TheBookDweller]

One of my favorite videos Jason, very informative..

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Thank you, Chuck!

[@wadejohnston4305]

I've had the imago seq in my kindle tbr forever now. You've finally had me pull the trigger and man am I enjoying it. Thanks jason

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Excellent! I’m glad that you’re enjoying it. Fantastic collection!

[@whateveryoneelseisreading5397]

This was a really cool video! You surprised me with what you said at the end because you did it really well :) I would actually love an additional video delving into the history of weird fiction more but maybe that's me being a massive nerd haha

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Thank you. I think that I was over thinking what I wanted to soon this video.

[@wadejohnston4305]

Finally finishing imago sequence now. I'm not surprised he's been writing crime agter reading most of this book. Most of the characters in this book do some spying in some form or another or have a hand in the outer reaches of law enforcement and he also knows his guns like REALLY knows his guns. Reading hallucigenia I think the short is called now and the character is trying to dig up dirt on things. And yes I do agree all his characters stand up and fight back. One or two of the stories were a bit disappointing but you get that with any shorts collection. Overall an excellent book thus far.

[@nicholaslane3053]

Thank you for the recommendation, I'm going to buy Weird and Imago now! Great video!

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Excellent! I hope that you enjoy them both! 😀

[@angiestone2818]

Great video Jason! I will have to try them books out one day. I totally enjoy the weird stuff! The Willows sounds good! Have a great day😃

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Thank you! I hope that you enjoy!

[@BookBlather]

Another great list. Listening to you talk about The Willows made me think of The Hollow Places by Kingfisher from last year.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

I have yet to read that. If it’s anything like The Willows, then I need to get on it!

[@aadhavan5057]

Thank you for the recommendations. I recently read "Call of Cthulu" and "Dagon" and it got my attention.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

You’re welcome. 😀

[@jerryrichardson2799]

Good stories, I like both.

[@adrianac3258]

Really loved this video of the ones you recommend I have only read The Dunwich Horror by Lovecraft and loved it .Definitely will check the other ones I have The Willow by Algernon Blackwood so will read that one next .Hope you keep making this recommendations ❤️.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Thank you, Adriana! I hope that you enjoy!

[@AScannerTedly]

Very nice! I've only just recently crossed into New Weird, which is a bit scifi-centric. Happy to have found your channel.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Excellent! And thank you.

[@AScannerTedly]

@@JasonsWeirdReads do you happen to know of any other channels similar to mine?

[@vickiragland8066]

I really enjoyed this. Thank you.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Thank you! ☺️

[@bigphilly7345]

Already owned the Weird collection, which I agree is awesome. I just ordered the Kiernan book. Thanks!

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Excellent! I hope that you enjoy it!

[@MadeleineSwannSurreal]

I've recently got into Caitlin R Kiernan and really want to read more, and I can't believe I still haven't read Laird Barron. I've got that Weird Compendium and it's absolutely one of my favourite books

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

It’s brilliant!

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Kiernan is also brilliant!

[@MadeleineSwannSurreal]

@@JasonsWeirdReads is!

[@MadeleineSwannSurreal]

@@JasonsWeirdReads yes very pretty

[@FelixS.]

I was pretty disappointed by Kiernan, but I love Laird Barron.

[@shaka994]

Great list! Thank you for sharing this. If I may, I'd like to recommend author Ramsay Campbell, especially his short stories, and a tome called Black Water: An Anthology of Fantastic Literature. Great stuff!

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Ramsey Campbell is indeed awesome. I’ll be adding him to future lists.

[@booknerds9528]

You posted this a year ago? And I just saw it?! I love it. And would add a dose of Thomas Ligotti to my weird cocktail.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Ligotti is definitely one of the best. If not the best.

[@BookInvasion]

Yes! Give me all the weird!! Adding these to my TBR!

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Thanks, Scott! I hope that you enjoy!

[@Kadarin187]

Yooo Laird Barron. He has like 2-3 stories per collection that completely knock me out every time. I don't know if you know/have read it but I would strongly recommend Thomas Ligotti!

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

I love Thomas Ligotti!

[@nedrycasey]

Cheers for making this.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Cheers!

[@careyatchison1348]

I love Laird Barron's weird fiction but he is now grazing in more profitable pastures (crime thrillers with a recurring hero) along with many, many others. I hope he eventually writes a few more weird tales because very few write such memorable nightmares.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

The first book in the Coleridge series (I think it’s called that) is pretty standard crime fiction. But books 2 and 3 get weirder and more horrific as you go. It’s as though Laird Barron just couldn’t get away from adding those elements. I’d love to see another collection by him, as well.

[@Bunbunfunfun]

If you have not read Clark Ashton Smith you really need to. He makes Lovecraft look like a greeting card writer.

[@JoanieMaeZie]

Cool recommendations.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Thank you, Joanie!

[@davidlarramore1990]

You chose very well, my friend.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Thank you!

[@joeybrujah]

Thank's I'll get myself a copy of the Weird and take my time with that ^^.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

I hope that you enjoy

[@joeybrujah]

@@JasonsWeirdReads I'm aready loving it. Just finished The Other Side by Alfred Kubin and I'm really glad that I read it.

[@AlexBlackReads]

Ooh I actually own The Weird, so I definitely need to get started on that one.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

I hope that you enjoy it! Read the introduction by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer, first. Not the Foreword by Michael Moorcock (I found this to be rather snarky in a strange way). The VanderMeer intro got me all excited to read the anthology. It’s very informative.

[@AlexBlackReads]

@@JasonsWeirdReads Will do!

[@gospodine]

Thank you 🙏

[@HarpiesintheTrees]

I live weird stories. The Willow sounds like a great place to start. 🦂🌼

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Excellent! I hope that you enjoy!

[@turtleanton6539]

Great video

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Thank you!

[@bvttle]

Just finished The Fisherman by John Langan a few days ago, and now craving something else weird.. my reading list grows..! haha

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Excellent! I hope that you enjoy!

[@jerryrichardson2799]

John Lagan is good, I plan to read more by him. I read a collection by him a few years ago.

[@chessdad182]

The Imago Sequence audiobook I have listened to many times. The first story should be a movie.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Have you seen the movie, They Remain, based off LB’s story ‘30’?

[@queen_in_yellow]

A couple authors who write great weird tales, not necessarily "gorey" horror, are Karen Russell and Matt Bell

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Oooh! I’m going to check them out! Thank you. 😀

[@ABFrank.]

I've got a free kindle book called The Big Book of the Masters of Horror, Weird and Supernatural Short Stories. I downloaded it and never bothered to look at it lol But I just saw it has a bunch of Algernon Blackwood including The Willows so I'll give it a go

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

The Willows is very good. It has a slow start, feels like a travel journal. Stick with it, though.

[@timeforbooks566]

Algernon Blackwood! Excellent. 👍😍📚

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

I love Blackwood! He’s one of my favourite classics.

[@WritteninBlood]

I definitely want to read The Willows and I could swear I had a copy of The Weird on either my Kindle or a physical copy but I guess not. Cool video, Jason.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Thanks, John! The Willows is short, and I hope that you enjoy it.

[@chicky-to7qs]

I recently got into a creepypasta called 'Tales From The Gas Station'. It's a longgg series and the author ended up writing 2 based off of his original creepypasta. After listening to hours of the creepypasta story I was hooked and I got the first book of the series. Have you ever heard of tales from the gas station and if so would you consider it weird fiction? I got it an an eBook and it was in the weird fiction category. I didn't even know weird fiction was a thing and I've never come across another story like TFTGS .

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

I have not heard about this, but I think that I might have to investigate! It sounds weird enough. 😀

[@chicky-to7qs]

@@JasonsWeirdReads :)

[@bryandiem523]

great selections, though the idea of Laird Barron being anyone's idea of a beginner read kinda boggles my mind, haha

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Bryan Diem Indeed. He is certainly not easy, but I think he’s also one that will make or break a potential new weird fiction fan. Because if you can’t get into his work, then you’re probably not going to like much else within the genre as most of it is difficult in one way or another. 🙂

[@bryandiem523]

@@JasonsWeirdReads agreed, he also helps understand the insane depth that can be found in weird lit

[@alvinmarcus5780]

Thanks Jason. At almost 66 years I'm not a beginner but I saw a couple I would like to check our.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Excellent! And thank you!

[@alvinmarcus5780]

@@JasonsWeirdReads Amazon is delivering my copy of " The Weird " tomorrow. It's going to go beside my " Weird Tales " Have your seen it ? The cover art is amazing. And all the stories from weird tales. Good stuff. And thanks again for your videos.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

I have heard of it, and need it in my library as well! I hope that you enjoy The Weird!

[@DarkBetweenPages]

Well.... more to add to my list!!!!! 😔😆 Thanks Scott!

[@BookInvasion]

Uhhh you’re welcome??? Lol

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Thank you! 😀

[@DarkBetweenPages]

Hahahahaha I didn’t even notice that! That was 100 % autocorrect! I SWEAR 😆 which doesn’t even make sense it shouldn’t change names. 😕🤣 although your videos always add more books to my list too Scott!

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

My autocorrect does that all the time!

[@DarkBetweenPages]

Really? With names too? I haven’t seen that. But I know I typed out Jason and I hit enter right away it must have switched it before I saw and I never bothered to look over it! Although I have been typing Scott’s name out lots talking about and to my other friend scott on here. So that could be it. Either that or Scott from BookInvasion is truly an alien as has taken over the powers that be my phone! 🤣 👽

[@benvinciblevince4067]

Is weird fiction cosmic horror? I love things like ‘Event Horizon’ ‘dead space’ ‘call of Cthulhu’ ‘Stephen king....dean koontz.....really looking for something similar

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Weird fiction basically comes from cosmic horror. So yes, it is. The books on this list are great to start out with. Definitely try to get your hands on that anthology, The Weird. For more modern tales, try Tim Curran’s work. Dead Sea is great. Fear Me and The Underdwelling are both great as well.

[@Nicathatsme]

I ❤️ Weird Fiction! 😆

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

😀😀😀

[@Dayglodaydreams]

New Weird, or just weird?

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Both! 😀

[@habibikebabtheiii2037]

Why is your pc screaming 😱?

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

It doesn’t like me. 😂

[@danecobain]

Weird fiction? You mean, "interesting books"? :D

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

Absolutely! 😀😂

[@susanburgess820]

Cant help it jason. Once i find out you're a racist, anti-semite, etc, i just cant read/tolerate your writings. E did a video about hp lovecraft and his racism. I'm glad he did, cause i didnt know that. Its a real shame too: so many ex-beloved writers ie jack london, fitzgerald, roald dahl, even ghandi! And of course ad infinitum...orwell, sarte.....endless unfortunately.😔😔😔😔😔😔😔

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

I’m certainly that way with living racists. They’re automatically put off my radar. There never was a good reason for that crap, and that goes double for today.

[@susanburgess820]

@@JasonsWeirdReads ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@jeremiahnoar7504]

Just what I needed. I've only read House of Leaves so for and was wondering what else I should look at.

[@JasonsWeirdReads]

I hope that you enjoy! 😀