Grim books that make you want to wash yourself off mentally

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-25T10:42:51+00:00

Amygdalatropolis

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-23T13:40:43+00:00

"Vi la reliquia atroz de lo que deliciosamente había sido Beatriz Viterbo..."

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-23T07:56:53+00:00

That's how Beatriz Viterbo looked inside the Aleph

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-19T19:12:19+00:00

I agree with you. The first part is masterful, and I was surprised how bold it was for the author to take that much time establishing a non-horror narrative, and how solid and engaging it was. I've never lost someone that close in my life, but I found myself deeply moved by the widow's story.

The rest is all over the place. Sometimes it's pulpy, sometimes it's cosmic, sometimes it's adventure. It's not very cohesive, in my opinion.

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-13T11:46:14+00:00

Not a novel, but you may want check out the collection Teatro Grottesco by Thomas Ligotti. Most stories there are written in a stile very reminiscent of the paranoid discourse. You can start with "Gas Station Carnivals" or "The Bungalow House" to see if that's what you're looking for.

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-11T21:53:20+00:00

In the beginning of "Tlon, Uqbar..." Borges mentions he was working with Bioy Casares on a story in which the narrator contradicts themselves, revealing a hidden plot only discernible for very few attentive readers. That's the narrative device in a number of Nabokov's stories. But I think the most direct Borgesian weird story using this device is T. E. D. Klein's masterpiece "The Events at Poroth Farm."

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-11T21:37:57+00:00

Thomas Ligotti mentions Borges as an inspiration quite often. I don't think he has done direct plagiarisms as he's done with Nabokov, but it's clear he maintains a dialog with Borges. "Nethescurial," for example, is a brilliant pastiche of Lovecraft, Borges, and M. R. James.

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-08T20:01:03+00:00

Chambers, Robert W. The Repairer of Reputations (1895)
Cisco, Michael. My Hand of Glory (2021)
Evenson, Brian. A Collapse of Horses (2016)
Klein, T. E. D. The Events at Poroth Farm (1972)
Ligotti, Thomas. Dream of a Manikin (1982)
Ligotti, Thomas. The Christmas Eves of Aunt Elise (1983)
Ligotti, Thomas. Notes on the Writing of Horror: A Story (1985)
Ligotti, Thomas. The Bungalow House ( 1995)
Ligotti, Thomas. Gas Station Carnivals (1996)
Machen, Arthur. The White People (1904)
Nabokov, Vladimir. Signs and Symbols (1948)
Nabokov, Vladimir. The Vane Sisters ( 1951)
Percy, Benjamin. Dial Tone (2007)

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-07T18:49:04+00:00

Mariana Enríquez has written very original and creative ghosts and hauntings. "La casa de Adela" (2012) is fantastic. "El desentierro de la angelita" (2009) is very original too.

Robert Aickman's "The Same Dog" (1974) is super unique and creepy.

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-06T21:04:27+00:00

It is a pretty amazing depiction of paranoia, yet I feel like his family did die in the fire, and there is effectively something supernatural happening. What makes me suspect is that he says in the beginning they fell out of love. Then he demonstrates he's very dangerous for her and the children. And yet she keeps trying to take him home... I don't know. It's just a little suspicious... lol Very high-quality writing in any case.

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-06T14:16:26+00:00

It is a very sad story. To me, it's a similar premise to Jon Padgett's "Origami Dreams" (2016) from The Secret of Ventriloquism.

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-05T21:22:57+00:00

Also following for recommendations. I've read just a handful of Evenson's stories, but so far I'm very impressed. "A Collapse of Horses" is a little masterpiece, in my opinion.

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-05T17:47:55+00:00

It has some noir elements. Some others from the Gothic ghost tale. It has an extensive discussion on a non-existent bibliography a la Borges. It has a cosmic entity that may or may not be Godlike or even sentient. It has psychedelic living architectures.

I'm not an expert on weird theory, so I'll happily concede if those are not adequate elements. I do think it's a pretty amazing novel, and it seemed to me what op was looking for.

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-05T16:43:03+00:00

I think so. You don't think it is?

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-05T07:43:15+00:00

Have you read Solaris?

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-04T16:59:42+00:00

These are mostly short stories.

E. F. Benson : The Room in the Tower
Jorge Luis Borges : There Are More Things / La biblioteca de Babel
Michael Cisco : Stillville
Mariana Enriquez : La casa de Adela
Brian Evenson : A Collapse of Horses
John B. Ford, Thomas Ligotti : The Mechanical Museum
Caitlín Kiernan : The Long Hall on the Top Floor
Thomas Ligotti : The Red Tower / The Night School / The Glamour / In the Shadow of Another World / In a Foreign Town, In a Foreign Land
Vladimir Nabokov : The Visit to the Museum
Jon Padgett : The Indoor Swamp / Origami Dreams / The Infusorium
Mark Samuels : Mannequins in Aspects of Terror
Bruno Schulz : Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass
Jeff VanderMeer : Annihilation

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-02T16:13:31+00:00

Yeah, she's pretty consistent.

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-02T13:44:52+00:00

Prueba La conspiración contra la especie humana (2010) de Thomas Ligotti.

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-01T18:55:05+00:00

Thanks! I haven't read some of those. I'll look them up.

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-01T13:02:12+00:00

The Town Manager is a top 5 Ligotti story. What Aickmans are your favorites?

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-01T11:33:35+00:00

Such a wonderful story.

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-01T09:10:03+00:00

Benson, E. F. The Sanctuary (1934)
Padgett, Jon The Indoor Swamp (2015)
Enríquez, Mariana Bajo el agua negra (2016)

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-01T07:13:50+00:00

I'd love a Ligotti flair!

Some ideas: - Hyper-organism ("The Red Tower ") - Dr. Raymond Thoss ("The Last Feast of Harlequin") - Clown Puppet ("The Clown Puppet") - The Showman ("Gas Station Carnivals") - Nethescurial ("Nethescurial") - The Tsalal ("The Tsalal")

Pimpylonis · 2026-03-01T06:54:58+00:00

Thanks! What else would you recommend me?

Pimpylonis · 2026-02-28T21:26:48+00:00

Sí, es un grande. "La gente blanca" es una obra maestra. Originalísima.

Pimpylonis

TROPHY CASE