Dark fantasy, Sci-Fi, magical realism, psychological horror, suspense
Not all books are for everyone. Everyone has different book genre preferences, and that’s okay. If they didn’t, we wouldn’t have niches; everyone would just be reading the same few books in the same few genres.
I thought I would write a post about the works that have inspired my own books, so potential readers would be able to discern for themselves whether my books would be appropriate for their preferences.
I have two main book categories up on Amazon at the time of publishing this post.
My Amazon book categories
Scientist & Girl Series
Prequel books of the series:
- Benny’s Story (character origin story)
- Bad Blood: Choose Your Own Story (choose your own story interactive adventure teaser book for Bad Blood)
Books in the series trilogy:
- Bad Blood (book 1)
- Killing Jar (book 2)
- Human Nature (book 3)
Genre: action adventure, dark fantasy
Age group: young adult (YA), teen
The Boathouse
Genre: slow-burn psychological suspense horror
Age group: adult
Fiction books on my shelf that inspired the Scientist & Girl Series
Werewolf short story anthology — John Skipp
How this book is relevant:
This one is somewhat self-explanatory. John Skipp’s werewolf anthology is a collection of short stories all pertaining to werewolves in some way. My series is an action adventure dark fantasy involving werewolves but with a somewhat unique take on them — which I won’t say any more about here due to risk of spoilers.
Graphic novels and moral dilemmas
- 🦸♂️🐙☠️️ Watchmen (Alan Moore)
- 🌀 Jumper (Steven Gould)
**Note: this book is in the “teen” category, but it does deal with a lot of mature content; also note that the movie and book are not for the same audience either — the book deals with a lot of mature content while the movie is pretty much for all ages — be wary of this**
How these books are relevant:
I love great moral dilemmas; they make you think about and question humanity and morality. Moral dilemmas also give you the chance to get to know characters on a more personal level. Watchmen has a great moral dilemma close to the end of the book, and Jumper — my all-time favorite book (it’s completely different from the movie) — is filled to the brim with moral dilemmas. My series also has a ton of moral dilemmas peppered in, since I love them so much.
Fiction books on my shelf that inspired The Boathouse
Short story anthology — John Skipp
How this book is relevant:
One thing I love about John Skipp’s collections — especially with this one — is that he’s not afraid to delve deep into the human condition and explore stories with unique and surprisingly disturbing elements. I aim to do the same with this book as well.
Stephen King books
- 🐾⚰️ Pet Sematary
- 🤡 It
- 🏠🔪 Misery
How these books are relevant:
We all know Stephen King is a master horror storyteller. He is a big inspiration to me and my writing in general, so it was only natural to include him in this list.
Post-apocalyptic novels
- 🇺🇸🔌⚡ The Electric State (Simon Stålenhag)
- ☢️ The Reapers Are the Angels (Alden Bell)
- 🛣️ The Road (Cormac McCarthy)
How these books are relevant:
Simon Stålenhag’s illustrated novel of a desolate post tech-war alternate 80s, Alden Bell’s juxtaposition of horrific nature alongside the beauty of the world, and Cormac McCarthy’s portrayal of hopeful desperation and family protection in the face of the bleakest of environments — these three books are post-apocalyptic masterpieces. Though my book is not exactly post-apocalyptic in genre, it still brings up many of the same ideas of civilization, isolation, and decay. In all books, the setting evokes strong emotions and is portrayed as a character in and of itself.
One last book…
- 💈✂🥧 Sweeney Todd (yes, it is also a book, though it’s originally a play)
How this book is relevant:
The relevancy of this one is similar to the John Skipp anthology. How far can a person go before they finally crack? My book is very psychological, and deals with a lot of questions of morality and humanity. Anything to do with this topic is fair game as inspiration for my psychological horror books — and don’t worry, I will be writing more.
Comment below if you’ve read any of these books yourself. What are your favorite novels and who are the authors that have inspired you to write?
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