Obsessed With Lovecraft Country? Here Are 15 Books That Are Just as Thought-Provoking

A surreal, dreamlike collection of stories that are ripe with symbolism, originality, and sensuality, Her Body and Other Parties blends the genres of horror, science fiction, and the tradition of Latin American fabulism. Glittering with supernatural themes, yet constantly touching on crucial, real-world topics relating to womanhood, violence, and queerness, you won't be able to put Machado's collection down.

A collection of five intricate stories and a breathtaking novella, When the World Wounds is an exploration of darkness, sensuality, fantasy, and the natural world, even traversing the effects of Hurricane Katrina in "Because of the Bone Man." With self-made mythology depicting beasts, gods, volcano women, and even a sensual encounter with a deer, this is a collection that is both deeply poetic and an exploration of the current world.

With poetic impulses and strange twists throughout, Ruthanna Emrys's novel Winter Tide turns H.P. Lovecraft on its head, much like Ruff does with Lovecraft Country. After an attack from the US government, the people of Innsmouth are taken far from their home, their ancestors, and their sleeping god Cthulhu. Only two members survive: Aphra and Caleb Marsh. They are called upon by the government for help after magical secrets are stolen by spies that could force the end of the human race. The rebuilding commences, with pieces of fantasy and an analysis on human cruelty throughout.

A must-read for any fans of Lovecraft Country, The Ballad of Black Tom is a tale of magic, sorcery, witchcraft and the occult. The novel is set in Jazz Age New York on a wildly supernatural landscape, and simultaneously crafts an innovative critique on racism. It illustrates the life of Charles Thomas Tester, hustling to make ends meet in New York and always deeply and painfully aware of the color of his skin, who delivers a magic book to a sorceress in Queens. Now that Tom knows secrets he didn't know before, everything turns upside down.

Another surreal work of horror-fiction that borders close to reality, Frankenstein in Baghdad explores living in Iraq today through a satirical lens of dark humor. Exploring the classic tale of Frankenstein, Saadawi depicts Baghdad-dweller Hadi as he collects human body parts around the streets after bombings. He eventually makes a corpse using those body parts, that eventually goes missing and begins to kill people throughout the city. As Hadi realizes that he has created a monster, an ominous political critique is created that touches on the surrealism of present-day Iraq and its effect on the people.

Another incredible dystopian fantasy novel that was turned into an epic series, The Handmaid's Tale is perfect for any fan of works that critique through a fictional or allegorical lens. Set in a dystopian future where America is now ruled by a regime called the Republic of Gilead, the remaining fertile women are now enslaved by the upper class to bear children. Horrifying, spine-chilling, and a dark warning, this book (and series!) can't be missed.

When dealing with magic, horror, fantasy, and poetically symbolic critique, the Greeks are a great place to start. This two-volume set of The Greek Myths by the Folio Society is intricately printed and meticulously bound, making for a great gift for lovers of mythology. It's an educative, explosive book that will inform the rest of your fantasy reading list.

A work of poetry that is history, art, intricacy, surrealism, beauty, and pain, Cannibal is a stunning book that is impossible to forget. A deep critique on racism and the dehumanization of Caribbean people by European conquistadors, this book challenges the racism of Shakespeare's character Caliban from The Tempest, drawing on dazzling references, stop-you-in-your-tracks imagery, danger, small safe havens and magic. The result is an exploration of Blackness in the present day through the lens of a looming past.

For anyone interested in psychological horror, The Devil in Silver blends together a critique on race, class, and sanity, with an emphasis on faith and the uncanny, recalling Edgar Allan Poe. This story is set in a psychiatric ward; main character Pepper has been accused of a crime he can't remember, and is now the inmate of a mental institution. Confronted by a horrifying creature with the head of a bison, he learns the other patients see it too. Together, they must battle the monster, staff, and their own minds' illusions to kill the beast, and their own demons.

This collection of stories constantly analyzes the themes of race, privilege, life and death through stories that are both magical and stunningly violent, with a warmth and complexity that will leave you awestruck. Challenging preconceptions and the expected, Let's Play White delves into fantasy escapades with a zombie apocalypse in "Cue: Change," and examines the unseen through the title story, "Let's Play White."

Recalling the beginning of Lovecraft Country when Atticus Freeman is joined by friend Letitia and his Uncle George to embark on a journey across 1950s Jim Crow America, the classic Steinbeck travelogue Travels With Charley presents a totally opposite, privileged view and dynamic. With an outside lens much different than Freeman's road trip confronting racist terrors and worse-than-Lovecraft monsters, Steinbeck writes about his journey through 1960s United States and confronting racism in the deep South, which makes him realize, "I did not know my own country."

For fans of the Netflix series, and anything related to fantasy, magic, and the supernatural, The Umbrella Academy, Vol. 1 is right up your alley. It also offers a critique on class and the idea of feeling different from the rest of the world, while presenting a dose of horror, violence, and unexpected twists. An incredibly illustrated graphic novel, it follows the lives of the seven members of the Umbrella Academy, who, after being spontaneously born to women who were not pregnant to begin with, are adopted by billionaire inventor Reginald Hargreeves and trained to save the world.

A classic ghost story with a contemporary, innovative streak, White Tears recalls Lovecraft Country through its deep, painful analysis on American racism. Seth and Carter share an obsession with music, especially 1920s blues recordings. Seth accidentally records a singer in the park, and Carter uploads it online, claiming it's a 1920s recording by a fictional singer named Charlie Shaw. However, a collector tells them their recording is genuine, and that Charlie Shaw actually existed, which pushes both of them into America's dark history with racism, and the question of who owns art and who profits from it.

Reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale, The Natural Way of Things presents a feminist critique through a dystopian story. A group of women are held prisoner in the Australian desert by mysterious men, where they are starved, sedated, and have lost most of their memory. Soon enough, they relearn their primal instincts to fight back, recalling savagery in search of escape in a novel that is as much an analysis on the present day as it is a chilling fable.

A story set in an apocalyptic future, Replica analyzes individuality and identity. The Haven Institute is a secret research center where thousands of human replicas are born and raised. After an attack, two of the center's subjects, Lyra and a boy named 72, both escape. Gemma, whose father has a connection to Haven, discovers mysterious details about the center and soon connects with Lyra and 72, leading to a fantasy adventure that recalls real-world issues today.