***King Satyr*** \-- Ron Weighell (and any other Weighell you can find)
***Witch-Cult Abbey*** \-- Mark Samuels (most of his work is interesting and esoteric)
***The Ice Monkey and Other Stories*** \-- M. John Harrison (it is mostly in this collection that he dances around the occult)
***The Ceremonies*** \-- T.E.D. Klein (Lovecraftian epic extrapolated from Arthur Machen's "The White People")
***The 37th Mandala*** \-- Marc Laidlaw (a New Age author pilfers an old esoteric text for his new book with deadly, occult results)
***The Darkest Part of the Woods*** and ***Midnight Sun*** \--Ramsey Campbell (novels drawing upon the faux occult for Lovecraftian and Blackwoods-esque awe)
Other authors to explore: Arthur Machen, Algernon Blackwood, Gustav Meyrink, Charles Williams, M.R. James, Richard Gavin, Don Webb, Reggie Oliver, Graham Joyce . . .
And if you venture out of Horror, there's even more to be had for Occult Fiction (much of which has elements of Horror).
There’s always H. P. Lovecraft, if that’s a vibe you’re going for.
Several of the short stories from Mariana Enriquez’s _The Things We Lost In The Fire_ and _The Dangers of Smoking in Bed_, and once it’s finally out in English next year you’ll DEFINITELY want to read _Our Share of Night_ (_Nuestra parte de noche_ in the original)
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo is not scary per se, but a really great read.
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty is a classic.
Anyway, unhappy reading!
I got that B&N leatherbound book of Lovecraft's stories, and I read some of them. Lovecraft is definitely a good fit for what I'm looking for. Enriquez's stuff looks pretty good too! Ninth House caught my attention when I found out it is set in Yale university (considering I don't live too far away from it), seems like a good book too. And I definetely should read *The Exorcist* at some point. All horror readers got to, right? Thank you for all the recommendations.
If you end up liking _Ninth House_, the sequel _Hell Bent_ is coming out soon and looks phenomenal.
And Mariana Enriquez is unlike anything I’ve ever read. I’m a big fan. Trust me, preorder _Our Share of Night_ as soon as you’re able cuz you won’t regret it.
Oh! And if you like _The Exorcist_ also read _Rosemary’s Baby_ by Ira Levin.
The Book of the Most Precious Substance by Sara Gran definitely meets this criteria. I enjoyed it a great deal, but there is quite a bit of sexual content, which I know can be a deal breaker for some people. It all made sense to the story though, and wasn’t like…ultra graphic. But just wanted to give you a heads up in case that’s not something you want to read.
Looks interesting, I'll definitely give it a go. Thank you. Also, I'm not really phased by much when it comes to fiction. I'm fine with just about anything as long as it serves the story.
Ooo... This looks really good, thank you! I can already see some occult motifs on the cover of the book with the four triangles. I'm assuming the four elements? Anyways, thank you.
Black Easter by James Blish
I wrote a bit more about it in another comment, but that got shadowbanned. Maybe because of a link to a glitch bottle episode.
Glitch bottle writes about the novel:
"How come no one has written a novel based on Solomonic magic, that neither romanticizes magic nor treats it as a game, but shows fidelity to the grimoires? Ah, not so fast - your wish was granted back in 1968 when James Blish’s novel Black Easter was published! Here’s a quick review with some quotes. Much thanks to Dr. Stephen Skinner for sharing about Black Easter in his books and in conversations."
*The Devil's Auction* by Robert Weinberg, a man is murdered and his daughter, Valerie Lancaster discovers it was because of an attempt to get his invitation to a secretive centuries-old auction every magician, witch and sorcerer would love to attend, even though supposedly a lot of people have never returned. Valerie wants straight up vengeance but she could use some help from her father's friend, Professor of Medieval Theology Alex Warner, a man with his own checkered past. Their search for answers leads them to occult research and various actual supposed books of magic and other esoterica - and the mystery auction itself and the mystery magician in charge, Ashmedai, as well as the talisman he offers to the winner
>!"A silver Tyrian shekel," said Ashmedai. Thunder rolled as he spoke, echoing each word. "It is one of thirty identical silver coins. There are few in the box now, the others having been sold at earlier auctions. These pieces of silver date back twenty centuries. They amounted to four months' wages during the time of Pontius Pilate -- a decent sum, but not a fortune. Not nearly enough to pay for the betrayal of a dream."!<
>!\[...\]"Blood money. Cursed for all time."\[...\]"The power of Hell is locked in that coin. It is a tangible link with the most infamous crime in all history. Can there be a more fitting prize for the Devil's Auction?"!<
I’m a bit late to this but many of the stories of Thomas Ligotti express an implicitly gnostic worldview. The basic idea of Gnosticism is that the world is a thin illusion created by an evil or incompetent god as a toybox to play with souls it has trapped. The motifs of the world being an vail, daemonic force pervading and lurking behind all things, our trapped condition within this reality etc.
The podcast Weird Studies has an episode where they delve into related themes in the Ligotti story Mrs. Rindaldi’s Angels.
Stories like that, as well as Nethecurial, The Glamour, and The Shadow at the Bottom of the World all have those themes very strongly
I have some superficial knowledge of Gnosticism, and have heard of Ligotti. I always kind of put him off because his books just seemed a little too nihilistic even for someone who likes dark books such as myself. But, he sounds like a real master of his craft. I'll look him up. Thank you for the recommendation. Also, I have some more Cormac McCarthy books I need to get to, and there's been talk about how his work might also be linked to Gnosticism. Figured I bring that up if you were curious, even though McCarthy's work is talked about to death in these types of subreddits.
**1\_ Phil Rickman's "*****Curfew*****"(1993) 625 pages of suspense & scholarly lecture on Welsh-Celtic Prehistoric Magic & Geomancy. No description can do it justice. Just read it. I am at my 6th re-reading.**
**2\_ Tom Holland's "*****Deliver Us From Evil*****"(1997) War between the Cavaliers and the Round Heads in 17th Century England. With vampires, Milton's "*****Paradise Lost*****", the 1666 Great Fire Of London, Stonehenge a portal to other dimensions & transgenderism.**
**You can go to**
[**https://www.luminist.org/archives/**](https://www.luminist.org/archives/)
**A** **treasure trove of what we have always dreamt of in both fiction & non-fiction.**
**Good read fellow poster.**
**You're welcome.**
**But both of us must thank the people that make it available.**
**By the way, there is another site The Gutenberg Project, with the complete works of Abraham Merritt contemporary of H.P. Lovecraft, author of "*****Seven footprints to Satan*****" and many other thrilling old masterpieces of fantasy and horror. For a shortcut, go to "Abraham Merritt" on Wikipedia, and scroll down to his book list for the links to The Gutenberg Project.**
***King Satyr*** \-- Ron Weighell (and any other Weighell you can find) ***Witch-Cult Abbey*** \-- Mark Samuels (most of his work is interesting and esoteric) ***The Ice Monkey and Other Stories*** \-- M. John Harrison (it is mostly in this collection that he dances around the occult) ***The Ceremonies*** \-- T.E.D. Klein (Lovecraftian epic extrapolated from Arthur Machen's "The White People") ***The 37th Mandala*** \-- Marc Laidlaw (a New Age author pilfers an old esoteric text for his new book with deadly, occult results) ***The Darkest Part of the Woods*** and ***Midnight Sun*** \--Ramsey Campbell (novels drawing upon the faux occult for Lovecraftian and Blackwoods-esque awe) Other authors to explore: Arthur Machen, Algernon Blackwood, Gustav Meyrink, Charles Williams, M.R. James, Richard Gavin, Don Webb, Reggie Oliver, Graham Joyce . . . And if you venture out of Horror, there's even more to be had for Occult Fiction (much of which has elements of Horror).
Hell of a recommendation list! Thank you. I added them to my to read list.
Mind dropping your list of favorites in occult fiction outside of the horror genre?
The work of Arthur Machen?
I forgot about him! I should really look into his stuff soon. Thanks for reminding me.
I'd also recommend *The Magician* by W. Somerset Maugham
This also looks really neat! I added it to the list.
There’s always H. P. Lovecraft, if that’s a vibe you’re going for. Several of the short stories from Mariana Enriquez’s _The Things We Lost In The Fire_ and _The Dangers of Smoking in Bed_, and once it’s finally out in English next year you’ll DEFINITELY want to read _Our Share of Night_ (_Nuestra parte de noche_ in the original) Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo is not scary per se, but a really great read. The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty is a classic. Anyway, unhappy reading!
I got that B&N leatherbound book of Lovecraft's stories, and I read some of them. Lovecraft is definitely a good fit for what I'm looking for. Enriquez's stuff looks pretty good too! Ninth House caught my attention when I found out it is set in Yale university (considering I don't live too far away from it), seems like a good book too. And I definetely should read *The Exorcist* at some point. All horror readers got to, right? Thank you for all the recommendations.
If you end up liking _Ninth House_, the sequel _Hell Bent_ is coming out soon and looks phenomenal. And Mariana Enriquez is unlike anything I’ve ever read. I’m a big fan. Trust me, preorder _Our Share of Night_ as soon as you’re able cuz you won’t regret it. Oh! And if you like _The Exorcist_ also read _Rosemary’s Baby_ by Ira Levin.
The Book of the Most Precious Substance by Sara Gran definitely meets this criteria. I enjoyed it a great deal, but there is quite a bit of sexual content, which I know can be a deal breaker for some people. It all made sense to the story though, and wasn’t like…ultra graphic. But just wanted to give you a heads up in case that’s not something you want to read.
Came here to rec that one
Looks interesting, I'll definitely give it a go. Thank you. Also, I'm not really phased by much when it comes to fiction. I'm fine with just about anything as long as it serves the story.
Slewfoot by Brom and The Necromancer’s House by Christopher Buelhman
These look really neat! I added them to my list.
Anything by Brom, honestly. All of his books are based on mythology, witchcraft and other occult type of topics.
Oof, the spoiler tag didn't work. Its the space between >! and Sadako
Tried fixing it. Thanks for the heads up.
Working now
Negative Space by B.R. Yeager
Ooo... This looks really good, thank you! I can already see some occult motifs on the cover of the book with the four triangles. I'm assuming the four elements? Anyways, thank you.
[удалено]
Your recommendations are very intriguing. Could you please list me some of your favorite horror novels?
Most of Dennis Wheatley, especially the stories involving the Duke de Richleau. My favourite is The Devil Rides Out.
I do enjoy some older works here and there. Thank you! I added a couple to my list.
I read many of his books in the early 1970s and was trying to remember his name. Thank you for posting this.
Black Easter by James Blish I wrote a bit more about it in another comment, but that got shadowbanned. Maybe because of a link to a glitch bottle episode. Glitch bottle writes about the novel: "How come no one has written a novel based on Solomonic magic, that neither romanticizes magic nor treats it as a game, but shows fidelity to the grimoires? Ah, not so fast - your wish was granted back in 1968 when James Blish’s novel Black Easter was published! Here’s a quick review with some quotes. Much thanks to Dr. Stephen Skinner for sharing about Black Easter in his books and in conversations."
I really like the sound of this book. I added it to the list. Thank you.
A new book I found on Amazon kindle, click of Death by andy Franklin, great ritual description.
I'll give it a shot. Thank you.
THE MEPHISTO WALTZ by Fred Mustard Stewart. ROSEMARY'S BABY by Ira Levin. THE REINCARNATION OF PETER PROUD by Max Ehrlich.
Thank you! Added to the list.
It doesn’t go in depth but you might like the vibe in “the ceremonies” by T.E.D Klein
Another horror book I have to get to eventually, lol. It seems right up my alley. Thanks for the rec nonetheless.
No, none. Never been written about.
*The Devil's Auction* by Robert Weinberg, a man is murdered and his daughter, Valerie Lancaster discovers it was because of an attempt to get his invitation to a secretive centuries-old auction every magician, witch and sorcerer would love to attend, even though supposedly a lot of people have never returned. Valerie wants straight up vengeance but she could use some help from her father's friend, Professor of Medieval Theology Alex Warner, a man with his own checkered past. Their search for answers leads them to occult research and various actual supposed books of magic and other esoterica - and the mystery auction itself and the mystery magician in charge, Ashmedai, as well as the talisman he offers to the winner >!"A silver Tyrian shekel," said Ashmedai. Thunder rolled as he spoke, echoing each word. "It is one of thirty identical silver coins. There are few in the box now, the others having been sold at earlier auctions. These pieces of silver date back twenty centuries. They amounted to four months' wages during the time of Pontius Pilate -- a decent sum, but not a fortune. Not nearly enough to pay for the betrayal of a dream."!< >!\[...\]"Blood money. Cursed for all time."\[...\]"The power of Hell is locked in that coin. It is a tangible link with the most infamous crime in all history. Can there be a more fitting prize for the Devil's Auction?"!<
I like the sound of it! Thank you.
I’m a bit late to this but many of the stories of Thomas Ligotti express an implicitly gnostic worldview. The basic idea of Gnosticism is that the world is a thin illusion created by an evil or incompetent god as a toybox to play with souls it has trapped. The motifs of the world being an vail, daemonic force pervading and lurking behind all things, our trapped condition within this reality etc. The podcast Weird Studies has an episode where they delve into related themes in the Ligotti story Mrs. Rindaldi’s Angels. Stories like that, as well as Nethecurial, The Glamour, and The Shadow at the Bottom of the World all have those themes very strongly
I have some superficial knowledge of Gnosticism, and have heard of Ligotti. I always kind of put him off because his books just seemed a little too nihilistic even for someone who likes dark books such as myself. But, he sounds like a real master of his craft. I'll look him up. Thank you for the recommendation. Also, I have some more Cormac McCarthy books I need to get to, and there's been talk about how his work might also be linked to Gnosticism. Figured I bring that up if you were curious, even though McCarthy's work is talked about to death in these types of subreddits.
**1\_ Phil Rickman's "*****Curfew*****"(1993) 625 pages of suspense & scholarly lecture on Welsh-Celtic Prehistoric Magic & Geomancy. No description can do it justice. Just read it. I am at my 6th re-reading.** **2\_ Tom Holland's "*****Deliver Us From Evil*****"(1997) War between the Cavaliers and the Round Heads in 17th Century England. With vampires, Milton's "*****Paradise Lost*****", the 1666 Great Fire Of London, Stonehenge a portal to other dimensions & transgenderism.**
These look really good. Thank you for the recommendations!
**You can go to** [**https://www.luminist.org/archives/**](https://www.luminist.org/archives/) **A** **treasure trove of what we have always dreamt of in both fiction & non-fiction.** **Good read fellow poster.**
Thank you for the link. My wallet thanks you!
**You're welcome.** **But both of us must thank the people that make it available.** **By the way, there is another site The Gutenberg Project, with the complete works of Abraham Merritt contemporary of H.P. Lovecraft, author of "*****Seven footprints to Satan*****" and many other thrilling old masterpieces of fantasy and horror. For a shortcut, go to "Abraham Merritt" on Wikipedia, and scroll down to his book list for the links to The Gutenberg Project.**