It’s thrills and chills season, a great time to curl up with a book that will keep you awake all night.
If you’re a fan of nightmare-fuel books, you can find a great selection of titles written by authors with ties to Alabama.
I picked out a few of my favorites to share, listed in chronological order by publication date. Which ones did I leave out, particularly diverse voices? Shoot me an email at kkazek@al.com and I could add your recommendation to a follow-up list.
1. “13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey” by Kathryn Tucker Windham (1969)
Synopsis: “One of the best-known and widely shared books about the South, ‘Thirteen Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey’ has haunted the imaginations of generations of delighted young readers since it was first published in 1969. Written by nationally acclaimed folklorists Kathryn Tucker Windham and Margaret Gillis Figh, the book recounts Alabama’s thirteen most ghoulish and eerie ghost legends.” Buy it here.
My take: This young adult book is great for a few chills while learning some Alabama history and lore from the beloved, late Kathryn Tucker Windham.
Author bio: “Kathryn Tucker Windham grew up in Thomasville, Ala., the youngest child in a large family of storytellers. For many years a Selma resident, Windham was a freelance writer, collected folklore, and photographed the changing scenes of her native South. A nationally recognized storyteller and a regular fixture on Alabama Public Radio, her commentaries were also featured on National Public Radio’s ‘All Things Considered.’”
Kathryn Tucker Windham at Live Oak Cemetery in Selma. Photo by Patricia Miklik
2. “The House Next Door” by Anne Rivers Siddons (1978)
Synopsis: “Thirtysomething Colquitt and Walter Kennedy live in a charming, peaceful suburb of newly bustling Atlanta, Georgia. Life is made up of enjoyable work, long, lazy weekends, and the company of good neighbors. Then, to their shock, construction starts on the vacant lot next door, a wooded hillside they’d believed would always remain undeveloped. Disappointed by their diminished privacy, Colquitt and Walter soon realize something more is wrong with the house next door. Surely the house can’t be haunted, yet it seems to destroy the goodness of every person who comes to live in it, until the entire heart of this friendly neighborhood threatens to be torn apart.” Buy it here.
My take: A good, old-fashioned haunted house story with the addition of some Southern Gothic themes. Can you ever truly know what’s happening at the house next door? Great reading.
Author bio: “Anne Rivers Siddons was born in a small railroad town just south of Atlanta, where her family has lived for six generations. She attended Auburn University and later joined the staff of Atlanta magazine. Her first novel, ‘Heartbreak Hotel,’ a story of her college days at Auburn, was later made into a movie called ‘Heart of Dixie,’ starring Ally Sheedy.” Siddons was the author of numerous bestsellers. She died in 2019.
Anne Rivers Siddons, Auburn graduate and esteemed southern novelist, died on Sept. 11, 2019.HVT
3. “Cold Moon Over Babylon” by Michael McDowell (1980)
Synopsis: “Welcome to Babylon, a typical sleepy southern town, where years earlier the Larkin family suffered a terrible tragedy. Now they are about to endure another: fourteen-year-old Margaret Larkin will be robbed of her innocence and her life by a killer who is beyond the reach of the law… And beneath the murky surface of the river, a shifting, almost human shape slowly takes form. Night after night it will pursue the murderer. And when the full moon rises over Babylon, it will seek a terrible vengeance . . .” Buy it here.
My take: A creepy ghost story set near the Florida-Alabama state line. What’s not to love?
Author bio: “Michael McDowell was born June 1, 1950, in Enterprise, Alabama and … graduated with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in English from Harvard, and in 1978 he was awarded his Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Brandeis … By 1985 he was writing screenplays for television, including episodes for a number of anthology series such as ‘Tales from the Darkside,’ ‘Amazing Stories,’ ‘Alfred Hitchcock Presents’ and ‘Tales from the Crypt.’ He went on to write the screenplay for Tim Burton’s ‘Beetlejuice’ (1988) and ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ (1993), as well as the script for ‘Thinner’ (1996). McDowell died December 27, 1999.”
4. “The Elementals” by Michael McDowell (1981)
Synopsis: “A haunted house story unlike any other, Michael McDowell’s ‘The Elementals’ (1981) was one of the finest novels to come out of the horror publishing explosion of the 1970s and ’80s. Buy it here.
My take: Anyone who loves the supernatural and who has ever spent time on Alabama’s Gulf Coast should read this book. It’s creepy-cool premise will keep you on the edge of your beach chair.
Author bio: “Michael McDowell was born June 1, 1950, in Enterprise, Ala. Amazon.com says: “Though best known for his screenplays for Tim Burton’s ‘Beetlejuice’ and ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas,’ McDowell is now being rediscovered as one of the best modern horror writers and a master of Southern Gothic literature.”
Michael McDowellCourtesy of Dr. Laurence Senelick
5. “Blackwater,” by Michael McDowell (1983)
Synopsis: “’Blackwater’ is the saga of a small town, Perdido, Ala., and Elinor Dammert, the stranger who arrives there under mysterious circumstances on Easter Sunday, 1919. On the surface, Elinor is gracious, charming, anxious to belong in Perdido, and eager to marry Oscar Caskey, the eldest son of Perdido’s first family. But her beautiful exterior hides a shocking secret. Beneath the waters of the Perdido River, she turns into something terrifying, a creature whispered about in stories that have chilled the residents of Perdido for generations. Some of those who observe her rituals in the river will never be seen again …” Buy it here.
My take: With six parts now published in one hefty book, you won’t even realize how many pages are in it because you’ll be turning them so quickly. A supernatural tale about the family ties that bind.
Author bio: Michael McDowell was born June 1, 1950, in Enterprise, Ala. Amazon.com says: “Though best known for his screenplays for Tim Burton’s ‘Beetlejuice’ and ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas,’ McDowell is now being rediscovered as one of the best modern horror writers and a master of Southern Gothic literature.”
6. “Swan Song” by Robert McCammon (1987)
Synopsis: “Facing down an unprecedented malevolent enemy, the US government responds with a nuclear attack. Soon, America as it was is gone forever, and now every citizen – from the president of the United States to the homeless on the streets of New York City – will fight to stay alive. In a wasteland born of rage and fear, populated by monstrous creatures and marauding armies, Earth’s last survivors are drawn into the final battle between good and evil, which will decide the fate of humanity…” Buy it here.
My take: This sprawling tale will give you shivers … plus I recently heard it’s being adapted into a TV show for 2025 so you need to read it now.
Author bio: “Robert McCammon is a New York Times bestseller best known for ‘Swan Song’ and ‘Boy’s Life,’ both still in print after two decades. He is a frequent nominee and winner of the Bram Stoker Award and has won several World Fantasy Awards. McCammon resides in Birmingham, Ala.”
Bestselling novelist Robert “Rick” McCammon was born in Birmingham and has lived in the area his entire life.Kelly Kazek
7. “Boy’s Life” by Robert McCammon (1991)
Synopsis: “Robert McCammon delivers ‘a tour de force of storytelling’ (BookPage) in this award-winning masterpiece, a novel of Southern boyhood, growing up in the 1960s, that reaches far beyond that evocative landscape to touch readers universally.” Buy it here.
My take: Two of my favorite genres blended into one – horror and coming-of-age tales – in a favorite setting. The town in this book is fictional but you’ll recognize small-town Alabama life and the fears of childhood in this classic story.
Author bio: “Robert McCammon is a New York Times bestseller best known for ‘Swan Song’ and ‘Boy’s Life,’ both still in print after two decades. He is a frequent nominee and winner of the Bram Stoker Award and has won several World Fantasy Awards. McCammon resides in Birmingham, Ala.”
8. “Haunted Ground” by Stephen Gresham (2003)
Synopsis: “When Ted O’Dell’s crippled cousin Ilona comes to stay with his family for the summer, she is immediately drawn to the Trogler house, a dark place where murder and mayhem once thrived, and her presence on this unholy ground causes the evil to rise once again.” Buy it here.
My take: Dark, creepy house? Check. Murder and mayhem? Check and check. Be sure to “check” this one out.
Author bio: “Stephen Gresham has published 20 novels and two dozen short stories. While his primary writing interest is supernatural horror, he has also written young adult fiction and thriller/suspense novels. Born in Kansas in 1947, he has lived in Alabama since 1975, and his fictional settings tend to be one of those two states.”
9. “The Drowning Girl: A Memoir” by Caitlin R. Kiernan (2012)
Synopsis: “A complex, haunting novel that explores a schizophrenic young artist’s struggles with her perception of reality… including an intriguing ghostly woman who appears to her in the most mysterious ways.” Buy it here.
My take: Sometimes books with altered perceptions of reality are difficult for me to read but not this one. Bring on the ghosts!
Author bio: Caitlin R. Kiernan was born near Dublin, Ireland, but spent much of her youth in Leeds and Trussville, Ala. She attended college at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham-Southern and the University of Colorado-Boulder, where she studied zoology, geology, and paleontology. She has worked as a vertebrate paleontologist and college biology instructor. “Her first published novel, ‘Silk’ (1998), earned her two awards and praise from critics and such luminaries as Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Peter Straub, and Poppy Z. Brite,” her Amazon author bio says.
10. “The Five” by Robert McCammon (2013)
Synopsis: “Robert McCammon’s first contemporary novel in nearly two decades, ‘The Five’ tells the story of an eponymous rock band struggling to survive on the margins of the music business.” Stephen King said of the book: “‘The Five’ isn’t just Robert McCammon’s best novel in years; it’s his best novel ever. Terrifying, suspenseful, unputdownable, and full of rock and roll energy. It’s also uplifting, a book you’ll finish feeling better about your world, your friends, and your music. Here’s one you’ll beg friends to read.” Buy it here.
My take: I can’t improve on Stephen King’s review. Just read this book.
Author bio: “Robert McCammon is a New York Times bestseller best known for ‘Swan Song’ and ‘Boy’s Life,’ both still in print after two decades. He is a frequent nominee and winner of the Bram Stoker Award and has won several World Fantasy Awards. McCammon resides in Birmingham, Ala.”
11. “The Year of the Storm” by John Mantooth (2013)
Synopsis: “In this haunting, suspenseful debut novel, John Mantooth takes readers to a town in rural Alabama where secrets are buried deep, reality is relative, and salvation requires a desperate act of faith.” Buy it here.
My take: Anyone who lives in Alabama knows the sound of a tornado siren and the frisson of fear that accompanies it. This book will give you those kinds of chills and more.
Author bio: “John Mantooth is the award-winning author of several novels and a short story collection. His first novel, ‘The Year of the Storm,’ was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award. He has also published three crime novels under the pseudonym Hank Early. Heaven’s Crooked Finger (written as Hank Early) was a Next Generation Indie Book award winner and 2017 Foreword Indies Award Finalist. He lives in Alabama with his wife and two children.”
John Mantooth (AL.com File)
12. “Beast” by Watt Key (2020)
Synopsis: “Adam says he can’t remember where he was for the two months he went missing in a Florida swamp. That’s not true. He does remember. The truth: He was driving with his parents, and the car crashed when his father swerved to avoid colliding with a giant Sasquatch-like creature standing in the highway.” Buy it here.
My take: Watt Key is one of the all-time experts at writing for young adults. He creates the outstanding adventure stories, and there’s no bigger adventure than hunting Bigfoot. This book makes a great read for young people and adults.
Author bio: “Watt Key is an award-winning southern fiction author. He grew up and currently lives in southern Alabama with his wife and family. Watt spent much of his childhood hunting and fishing the forests of Alabama, which inspired his debut novel, ‘Alabama Moon,’ published to national acclaim in 2006. ‘Alabama Moon’ won the 2007 E.B. White Read-Aloud Award, was included on Time Magazine‘s list of the Best One Hundred YA Books of All Time, and has been translated in seven languages.”
13. A book by C. Terry Cline
Because I have not read the books by this Alabama author yet, I’ll have to let you pick a book for yourselves. Here’s a little about him:
C. Terry Cline Jr. (July 14, 1935-May 21, 2013) was born in Birmingham and raised in Florida. He would later return to Alabama and lived in Fairhope with his wife, author Judith Richards. The couple was well-known in the community for helping other writers. Click here to read more.
Cline wrote his first novel at age 40, writing mostly horror and thrillers in the 1980s. They include “Damon,” “Quarry,” “Death Knell,” “Reaper,” and an unusual book about a well-known psychic who once lived in Alabama called “The Return of Edgar Cayce.” You can find it here.
C. Terry Cline (AL.com File Photo)
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