A Reading List for World Goth Day
It used to be easy to read as a Goth. Find a classic piece of creepy literature by Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker or H.P Lovecraft and you were golden. The options have gotten much more interesting than that over the last few decades. We at Quirk are providing a look at some of the modern masterpieces of dark fiction which should be carried around in the backpacks of all Goths in schools across the United States.
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
Before there was American Horror Story, there was Geek Love. This novel about a family of circus freaks who travel from town to town collecting followers is one of the most disturbing tales in print in the modern era. It is not so much that the family consist of all manner of bizarre being but that Arty, one of the children has followed a Machiavellian scheme to create a cult, leading to all manner of awful results.
Voice of the Fire by Alan Moore
Alan Moore is known for being a bit on the esoteric side. He often pushes the boundaries of both propriety and general knowledge in his comic book work. His novel, Voice of the Fire is all things great about Alan Moore in a purified and condensed form. At just over three-hundred pages, Moore’s novel covers the history of a small British town from the time of cavemen to the modern age. The best chapter in the whole book is told from the prospective of a head on a pike.
The God Machine by Chandra Free
Clearly drawing inspiration from the works of some of the best Goth comic book creators, Chandra Free’s The God Machine is perfect for the modern Goth. The comic follows Guy Salvatore as he struggles to deal with the death of his girlfriend Sith. This is a tragic tale of love and loss with some of the best art in modern comics.
Horns by Joe Hill
What if you woke up in the morning and found out that you were turning into The Devil? That is the unfortunate fate of Ig, the lead of Joe Hill’s darkly comedic novel. While Ig attempts to hunt down the killer of his former girlfriend, he is aided by his new power to persuade people to do whatever he says. Joe Hill is the son of Stephen King and his writing is like a modern version of his father’s most powerful work.
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
Possibly the most terrifying vampire tale since Dracula, I Am Legend is the story of the world’s last surviving human as he does his best to scrape by. The vampires in this book are horrifying as they stand outside Robert Neville’s home screaming his name. This novel is so powerful, it has had multiple film adaptations, but all of them fail in comparison to Matheson’s work. The prose are so perfectly crafted, it will keep even the most Goth of Goths awake at night trembling in fear.
