Abandoned by Booklikes

So I have to say that some of my favorite Halloween Bingo Authors are probably the same people that everyone else has.

First, Stephen King. That man's books fit about every square I think. I do wish that King would get a bit better about writing women though. Sometimes he's so close and then it kind of falls flat (see "The Outsider.")

Second, Shirley Jackson. Her books though not always conventional "horror" definitely can make you sit up and think. I ended up reading her book called "The Witchcraft of Salem Village" and thought it was brilliant.

Third, Victor LaValle. I may not have liked all of his books (see "The Devil in Silver") but he really kicks butt at showcasing books where POC are the main characters and touching upon really good horror elements (see "The Ballad of Black Tom."

Fourth, Octavia E. Butler. Wow. She blew my mind after I finished "Kindred" and I lapped up the next book I read by her, "Dawn". She was a very big force in science fiction/fantasy as well as speculative fiction. Her Xenogenesis trilogy has a lot of themes that I think readers would love such as a look at sexuality, gender, race, and species. 

Fifth, Daphne du Maurier. Come on people "Rebecca" is not only a timeless classic but it has so many horror elements that feature a house that feels haunted, a dead wife, and a character full of menace. 

Sixth, Robert R. McCammon. "Boy's Life" still makes me cry a bit just thinking about it. He combined horror, fantasy, science fiction, and magical realism all together into something really special. I also got a kick out of his "Mystery Walk."

Seventh, Mark Z. Danielewski. We all did a "House of Leaves" buddy read back in 2016 (I think) and it was great. I loved that book and the discussions that followed. It would be fun to do another big BL buddy read again. 

Eighth, Clive Barker. He is the author of the Hellraiser series that I need to get back to. I also read one of his books of blood. 

Ninth, Helen Oyeyemi. I have only read one of her books, "The Opposite House" and felt okay about that one. However, I have heard her newest, "Gingerbread" is fantastic and some of her earlier works are very good. I have plans to see if I can work some of her books into my bingo play this year. 

Tenth, I will throw Dean Koontz out here. I loved his earlier works and pretty much abhor his later ones. I loved "Strangers," "Phantoms," "Demon Seed," and "Velocity."