Can I tell you a secret?
Sometimes, when I’m alone in my office, I’m struck by the urge to go to the closet and run a hand along its back wall, feeling around for a give in the Sheetrock. It’s a silly impulse, born from the mind of an over-imaginative woman who was once an over-imaginative child and C.S. Lewis fan. I never actually give in to this curious compulsion, but I do wonder if, in the back of some wardrobe or closet, there lies a magical portal to the borderlands of Narnia — or another fantastic place to which I’ve yet to find the right key.
For me, herein lies the true beauty of the fantasy genre. Readers are constantly invited to ask “what if?” — and then, “why not?” Beyond the mythical beasts, swashbuckling sword fights and enchanting kingdoms, these stories steeped in magic engage with important questions. What defines a hero? How does one become a villain? What does real monstrosity look like?
Every book I’ve written to date engages with the idea of monstrosity. Simply put, I find monsters — in all their shapes and forms — fascinating. I love to read about the monsters we have enshrined in pop culture, like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and also the monsters we sometimes overlook, like the stepmother in “Hansel and Gretel,” by the Brothers Grimm. Over the years, I’ve come to love some monstrous stories a little more than the rest. Here are a few of my favorites.
Grendel
by John Gardner
Many people are familiar with the Old English epic poem “Beowulf,” which recounts the exploits of the titular Germanic hero. Gardner’s novel subverts the famed story, shifting the focus from the lauded warrior to the infamous monster he defeats. Rather than a barbaric agent of destruction and death, we find a being in existential crisis, grappling with his frustrations with a world that only sees him one way. For readers looking for a true classic in the monsters-and-retelling space, this 1971 book is one of my favorites.
Read our review.
Blood Over Bright Haven
by M.L. Wang
Some books read like a rare feast — so sumptuous you wish you could enjoy each delectable bite, yet you can’t help gobbling them up in a few greedy chomps. Such was the case for me while reading “Blood Over Bright Haven.” Sciona is the first female highmage in the history of Tiran, a prosperous (and safely enclosed) city. Ambitious and cunning, she is determined to make a name for herself — no matter the cost — even as her male colleagues throw every obstacle they can her way. Wang pulls absolutely no punches here, challenging the #GirlBoss archetype and exploring the high price of glory.
Ring Shout
by P. Djèlí Clark
Clark’s fantasy novella, set in an alternate 1920s Georgia, follows Maryse Boudreaux and her ragtag band of resistance fighters as they hunt down Klansmen that are — wait for it — literal monsters. Clark’s talent for nimble prose really shines here. And if you saw Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” and found yourself desperate for a thematically and aesthetically adjacent read, this book is tailor made for you.
Read our review.
Starling House
by Alix E. Harrow
I have a soft spot for stories about monsters whose unresolved traumas disfigure them into truly hideous beings, and Harrow’s gothic fantasy is a phenomenal example. The book is set in rural Eden, Ky., and follows Opal, a young woman who, strapped for cash, takes a cleaning job at her local haunted manor. The further she digs into the manor’s past (and that of its reclusive owner), the more menacing its ghosts become.
Read our review.
Little Thieves
by Margaret Owen
If epic fantasy with ambitious world building is more to your taste, you cannot go wrong with “Little Thieves.” This is a young adult novel (and one I loved so much, I blurbed it), but its clever plotting, intricately constructed setting and antiheroine offer much for adult readers of all ages. There are several variations of monsters in this book — Owen pulls from Germanic folklore and includes creatures such as poltergeists and mares — but as this “Goose Girl” retelling unfolds, readers may discover that the real villains are not who they might expect.
Untethered Sky
by Fonda Lee
My love of monstrous stories is almost matched by my love of stories that engage with the idea of justice. Perhaps that’s why Lee’s “Untethered Sky” has become one of my favorite fantasy novellas. Its main character, Ester, is bent on hunting down the manticore that killed several members of her family. Her best shot is to join the Royal Mews, become a rukher — a kind of magical bird trainer — and pair herself with one of the large, mythic (and dangerous) birds bred to hunt and kill the man-eating monsters. With impressive concision Lee crafts a tale that sets up its promises on Page 1 and delivers over and over until the bittersweet end.
Read our review.
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride
by Roshani Chokshi
I’ve often found that some of the most frightening monsters lurk in fairy tales. Chokshi upholds that tradition with this story of a bridegroom who marries the woman of his dreams but makes her a very particular vow: to never ask about her past. When the couple is forced to return to the bride’s childhood home, it soon becomes apparent to both of them that the monsters we bury — no matter how deep — never really stay hidden. I recommend this one for readers who particularly enjoy atmospheric fantasy.
Faebound
by Saara El-Arifi
As a lifelong fantasy devotee, I’m especially thrilled when I come across stories that take the trappings of the genre and present them in fresh and inspired ways. “Faebound” follows two exiled elven sisters — Yeeran, a warrior, and Lettle, a seer — as they venture through the wilderness to a treacherous fae court once thought to be lost to legend. El-Arifi draws on West African folklore to craft this enchanting epic that delivers more than one satisfying twist.
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