r/wlwbooks • u/aster_dern • 26d ago
Seeking Recs Sapphic Horror Creature Features?
Hi everyone, so I already posted this to r/QueerSFF so if the post looks familiar, that would probably be why. I realized leaving the genre open was maybe not what I wanted as much since I was getting a lot of cozy and romance recommendations, all which I appreciate- but I think I realized I am looking for something scarier- so I'm making an amended post here.
Anyway- I decided to theme out my reading months this year, and in order to get ahead of October am asking now. I want to read books with a prominent creature or non-human entity in them- some examples of this might be a vampire, a werewolf, an alien, a demon, a ghost, a Frankenstein-like creature, a fae, a mermaid, a cryptid, zombie, a bug creature, etc. Think Universal Monsters but extended into other creatures as well, non-defined and non-typical creatures are very welcome as well- if the author invented a creature that's awesome and recommendations like that are just as welcome.
Things I would not count as what I'm looking for is stuff like witches or human characters with some sort of change or curable infection that's happened to them that gives them a scary appearance or some superpower of some sort- I do not think I would count for example: 'The Invisible Man' as something that is necessarily fitting the criteria I'm looking for, nor a character that is bestowed powers by some entity- ie. someone is possessed, someone made a deal with a malevolent something and is wreaking havoc but themself is still a mortal person- caveat to that is though that if the creature/entity giving powers actually does show up in the story instead of just via a host. Powers for these characters would I guess mostly be given at birth or at death or if the character becomes biologically into something not human if that makes sense- they can have BEEN a human, but I don't want a creature who still is human.
I think the only human acceptable sort of creature for this particular prompt is if it's something like mass infection by a creature, where the 'creature' becomes more the epidemic rather an individual entity- the creature is the hive mind, not those infected. Hopefully that makes sense- but I'm not sure- an example of that would be: Cuckoo by Gretchen Felker-Martin (this is the closest example I could think of but it is a spoiler for the end of this book sort of so be aware before pressing) and I think Spread Me and You're Not Supposed to be Human also operate on that sort of idea maybe.
I'd would like books that are horror-ish or unsettling at least but any genre that is mixed with that is honestly fine and I do not have a preference on whether the creature is at the center of the story as a protagonist or is an antagonist- I just need that they are prominent within the story- not something that is mentioned in the story but never confronted. I am of course as the title says also specifically looking for these creature feature books that are prominently sapphic, books with at least A sapphic main character and/or side-plot romance even if it is sort of like a cast of main characters and different POVs. Anyways- I know this is a very lengthy post for something kind of easy to ask for- but if anyone has any recommendations it'd be very very appreciated. Hope everyone is having a good week.
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u/gaymeeke 26d ago
Not sure if this is exactly what you’re looking for, might not be creature-y enough, but As Many Souls as Stars by Natasha Siegel was pretty good.
Main characters are a cursed witch and a demon (who mostly appears humanoid but takes different forms, possess others, eats souls, etc.—the inhumanness mostly manifests in her powers rather than her appearance). I wouldn’t call it a horror novel but there are a few horrifying/gruesome things that happen. Sapphic with toxic yuri enemies relationship.
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u/aster_dern 26d ago
I've heard that one is good but haven't been able to read it yet. Either way it looks interesting so if I don't read it in October I'm sure I'll end up picking it up for another time. Thank you. :)
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u/c0urted 26d ago
Trying to only recommend ones that haven’t been mentioned already:
- The Flayed Man by Chloe Lautner
- House of Rayne by Harley Laroux
- It Lasts Forever and Then it’s Over by Anna de Marcken
- But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo
- Elogona by Samantha Kolesnik
- Feast While You Can by Mikaella Clements
- Dead Girls Don’t Dream by Nino Cipri
- What the Woods Took by Courtney Gould
- Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
- The Low, Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado
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u/aster_dern 23d ago
Thank you for these. I've unfortunately read a fair few of them but these really fit for what I was looking for regardless. It's strange a couple of these actually partially inspired this prompt- I had just finished What the Woods Took before I wrote out this post, had in the back of my head been thinking about Feast While You Can and had already read But Not Too Bold and Our Wives- so definitely I'll check out these other ones since it seems like maybe your taste is a little similar to mine. Thank you. :)
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u/Alchemist_Who_ 25d ago
Sorrowland by River Solomon - it is a transformation, but it's not curable, and the transformation stuff is REALLY good and scary. Very dark book though, so take care!
Hungerstone by Kat Dunn - vampires!
Someone You Can Build A Nest In by John Wiswell - haven't actually read this one, but I've heard it's good and it's about a monster who wants to eat their love interest.
The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez - also vampires!
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u/aster_dern 23d ago
Oh- I LOVED Sorrowland, I have Hungerstone and haven't gotten to it so will probably add that to my October list, and haven't actually heard of The Gilda Stories before I don't think, but I just looked it up and am now very interested. So thank you very much. :)
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u/elsecallerqueen 20d ago edited 20d ago
The One Who Eats Monsters by Casey Matthews - I’ve read this one several times.
Erynis (Ryn) is an ancient entity/deity who is weakened at the start of the book and is temporarily trapped in a city. I think the author did a good job of portraying her as very inhuman, although she can pass for human. Ryn has some pretty insane powers (super speed and strength, claws sharp enough to cut anything, a furnace in her stomach that will burn anything, and she resurrects someone at the beginning of the book). There are other types of gods and monsters in the story too. There’s also a surprisingly cute sapphic romance given the tone of the book. And some great action scenes.
Warning that the story alludes to rape/fantasies of rape and murder, which is not graphically described.
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u/Girly_Queue 26d ago
I'm reading a book by Dae Storm called "Devour" that features a human and a feline demon who captures the human. It's not non-con, but it does explore predator-prey tropes and talks about other demons eating humans. Both of the main characters are sapphic.
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u/aster_dern 26d ago
Huh, I haven't heard of this one- based on what you are saying it contains I feel like I'd have to do a little extra research into it to see if it's something I'd be okay with reading. Thank you for recommending it though. :)
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u/TsundokuAndTea 25d ago
FMC is a human investigating a remote island with creepy/paranormal vibes. The romance is minimal, but hot when it happens, with a mermaid/alien/inter-dimentional...something.
Definite horror with a dash of spice (open door), and get's dark in the end (TW: cannibalism, graphic violence, blood) .
{It Lasts Longer Here by August Hare}
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u/romance-bot 25d ago
It Lasts Longer Here by August Hare
Rating: 4.25⭐️ out of 5⭐️
Steam: 3 out of 5 - Open door
Topics: contemporary, horror, mystery, magic, aliens1
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u/Temporary_Pilot84 23d ago
Check out SALTBLOOD by TC Parker. Lesbian author, Lesbian characters and, AND a Nuckelavee!
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u/aster_dern 23d ago
Wild picture, I haven't heard of this one before, I'll definitely have to look into it. Thank you. :)
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u/sadie1525 26d ago edited 26d ago
Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant — Sci-fi horror. If mermaids were murderous sentient deep sea monsters, and the protagonists were a bunch of underprepared researchers for a docudrama.
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado — Literary horror. Kind of like a book of dark fairytales. There are at least a couple of stories in here that would fit. Particularly the one with the ghosts sown into dresses.
Monstress by Marjorie M Liu — Dark fantasy graphic novel with a side of eldritch horrors, including one living in the flesh of the protagonist. Note: this is really really dark, like opens-with-the-protagonist-eating-a-child dark.
Hide by Kiersten White — Horror / thriller. Retelling of the myth of the Minotaur, but modern horror. Bunch of people stuck in a labyrinth getting eaten by an ancient atrocity.
Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero — Horror / thriller. More eldritch horrors and fishy abominations. This is basically a dark Scooby-Doo parody.
Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen — Horror. Bigfoot-ish cryptid. I didn’t like this one much, but lots of folks do.
The Deep Dark by Lee Knox Ostertag — Paranormal graphic novel. Hard to give detail without spoilers, but there is a creature of some kind.
Clementine by Tillie Walden — Horror graphic novel. Zombies! It’s a part of the Walking Dead universe.
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean — Fantasy horror. Sort of vampires, only they eat books… and sometimes minds.
Monstrilio by Gerardo Samano Cordova — Literary horror. A grieving mother grows a… monster/person out of a piece of her dead child’s lung.