8 Bone-Chilling Climate Horror Novels & Stories

When I first read the book They Bloom at Night, I was struck by how real it felt to me. Despite the monsters and the gore, it felt like a living through an actual hurricane. The sticky humidity, the dimness from the emergency candles, the cold terror in your stomach that something might go really wrong this time. It wasn’t just the atmosphere, either; it was also the feeling of abandonment and blame as the main character Noon faced the storm. The blame shifted on to individuals, who were urged to use less water and to consume less while greedy corporations suck up our natural resources.

Reading climate horror offers way of being seen and understood because it so deeply mirrors our reality right now and the future we see before us. Examining the hard truths about climate change and its effects, climate horror is a cautionary tale on inaction.

They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran In the  hurricane-drowned town of Mercy, Louisiana, Noon and her mother navigate grief, trauma, and the red algae slowly taking over the swamps. The animals and plant life have begun to change with the algae, and so has Noon. As another storm approaches, Noon, her mother, and Covey, the daughter of their boat’s owner, are forced out to find one of the mutilated creatures. Noon’s personal journey runs parallel to the storm as she decides how to confront her past traumas. Visceral and fast-paced, this novel is infused with Vietnamese mythology and Southern Gothic imagery.  All Access members, view your exclusive content below.