Creature feature films have captivated moviegoing audiences for generations, but what about creature feature horror novels?
A creature feature is a work of horror in which the primary antagonist is a monster or monstrous creature of some sort. Think the eponymous vampire in Dracula or the giant shark in Jaws. Although the term is usually restricted to TV and film usage, it has plenty of applications in the literary realm as well.
Creature feature horror novels are almost as old as horror novels themselves. Stories like Frankenstein, “The Vampyre,” and “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” feature monsters and monstrous creatures at their very hearts. In these tales, the horrors are externalized, even personified, in the shape of the villains.
But you don’t need to read them for that reason. Creature features are, above all else, loads of fun. You don’t have to analyze the story to figure out what the creature represents—although you absolutely can, if you like that sort of thing. The important thing is to have a good time with the book, and boy, are these five titles a good time.
Below, find five creature feature horror novels for your reading pleasure.
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Confirmed Sightings by Bridget D. Brave, P.L. McMillan, and Ryan Marie Ketterer
Don’t let the descriptions of these three novellas fool you; even the most heartwarming story can take a grisly turn. That’s certainly the case in Bridget D. Brave’s “A Piasa for Christmas.” Told in blog posts, it follows a woman pursuing a romance with an inter-dimensional deity. In P.L. McMillan’s “eyeofmoth.exe,” a space station’s crew is driven to madness by an ancient Earthling. And in “Once Upon a Time in Turu” by Ryan Marie Ketterer, a jackalope’s murder sends a detective racing through a wide cast of cryptid characters, any one of whom could be the killer.
Pistols by Michael Cole
Pound for pound, pistol shrimp are some of the strongest creatures on Earth. Their punches can generate temperatures up to 8,000 degrees Fahrenheit and disguise submarines’ sonar signals. Thank goodness they’re only two inches long. Or were. Until now…
Bishop by Candace Nola
Casey’s mother is badly hurt in the Alaskan wilderness, leaving Casey to survive on her own as she pursues help. She doesn’t know her uncle Troy and his newfound ally, Bishop, are coming to her rescue. All Casey knows is that she isn’t alone in the woods.
Something’s out there.
Something old.
Something hungry.
The Hunger by Alma Katsu
Speaking of hungry, let’s talk about the Donner Party, shall we? Alma Katsu’s The Hunger examines what might have transpired in the Sierra Nevada all those years ago. As the wagon train’s food supplies dwindle in the snowy pass, neighbors begin to turn on each other. But none of them is prepared for the entrance of a legendary monster that makes men crave manflesh.
Whalefall by Daniel Kraus
An unlucky diver has one hour to escape the bowels of a sperm whale in this remarkable novel from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Daniel Kraus.
Jay’s father died by suicide in the waters near Monastery Beach. Months later, Jay is determined to bring his father’s remains home. It’s a nearly impossible task, made even more difficult when a sperm whale swallows Jay with its intended meal, a giant squid. With only an hour of oxygen left, Jay will have to muster all his courage and grit to survive.
Want more great creature feature horror novel recommendations? Check out this list of cryptid horror novels and these must-read books about monsters.
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