Read these chilling nature horror books and novels to complete your journey into the dark side of the wild. Eerie nature horror recs!
Do you love Nature? And Horror? 🌚
Since childhood, I’ve been a nature lover. I always found solace and peace in nature 🍃. Even as a little girl, I never imagined there could be a darker side to it. Watching Barbie movies, seeing animals love humans (the Barbies), and admiring beautiful scenery and places—I truly believed this was the only side of “nature.”
But since I started reading literature—especially this mf horror genre—it’s almost impossible for me to think about anything in this world and not get afraid of it. (I don’t stop reading it though, because I’m shameless.)
So, if you’re just as dramatic as I… here’s your nature disaster. Read it and hide in your blankie.
The Willows: A Novella by Algernon Blackwood
‘The Willow’ is a classic horror story written by Algernon Blackwood, published in 1907. Baby, I don’t know what used to haunt this man, but he wrote the spookiest shit ever! It’s a story based on isolation, nature turning hostile, cosmic horror, and that slow, creeping dread that gets under your skin without you even realising it. It’s not jump-scare scary—it’s existentially scary.
This book fits with those people whose friends got that crazy-ass sense of adventure and ended up getting into an accident, or the most horrendous death.
What I love about Blackwood is his ability to pull you into a psychological tension that few other writers have ever made me feel. His dreamlike yet eerie, almost demonic descriptions linger long after you’ve put the book down. In this story, nothing major really happens—and yet, you finish it with a tight knot in your throat, thanks to a thousand descriptions that are both delicate and chilling, soft yet brutally intense.
And honestly, there’s no clear line on who should or shouldn’t read it—I think this novella is the bible of horror readers.
Green Fuse Burning: A Book by Tiffany Morris
If you’re looking for a beautifully written literary horror novella set deep in eerie woody settings where something, or ‘someone’, lurks beneath the muddy waters, look no further.
The imagery in this book? Straight-up stunning. You get this wild mix of sprawling, ancient, majestic vibes—but also, like, “wait… why is it suddenly so suffocating?” kind of feels.
Writing is fancy enough to sound smart but chill enough that you’re not reaching for a dictionary every other sentence. The author really knows how to keep the flow smooth without making you feel like you’re decoding hieroglyphics.
I really admire its story structure too! Each chapter kicks off with a peek at one of Rita’s horrific-ass paintings from her time at the cabin. As you go deeper, you realise things are getting seriously weird. And honestly, it’s like watching a slow horror movie where your brain is yelling, “I bet this is not gonna end well.”
If I had to rate it, it would be 7 out of 10
Pine: A Book by Francine Toon
Okay, so this book? Easily one of the best things I’ve read all year. Seriously, it’s set up in the Scottish Highlands (modern day, not some typical historical setting), and it follows this ten-year-old girl, Lauren, who lives with her dad basically in the middle of nowhere. And here’s the thing, even though it’s told in third person, you’re definitely seeing the world through Lauren’s eyes. The author sneaks in these adorable little kid-like comparisons (like saying someone’s hair was “as black as school shoes,” tell me that’s not the cutest thing ever?). It’s honestly so clever and cosy… but with just enough shiver.
The whole vibe is this perfect cocktail of spooky supernatural thriller meets small-town drama. You know I’m a sucker for anything that dives deep into rural life — the gossip, the families, the way nature just kinda breathes around everything. Books like that are rare, but this one? Absolutely nailed it. I finished it in one breathless afternoon because I just could not put it down.
Buuut the ending? Oh honey, it was a mess. No spoilers, pinky promise, but let’s just say Toon spent the whole book building these gorgeous, complicated af characters and then at the end? It’s like she just threw them out of the castle window. Suddenly everyone’s acting flat and weird, like cardboard cutouts. Totally rushed. Totally heartbreaking.
Still worth the read, but fair warning: the ending will leave you side-eyeing the last few pages like really, girl? So it’s a must-read!
Grey Dog: A Novel by Elliott Gish
I should’ve included this novel in the feminist literature list, but here we are, it’s in the nature horror category. It covers the genres of historical fiction, nature Horror and feminist gothic. Grey Dog is the book for every woman who’s ever wanted to set fire to the idea of being a “good girl.” Set in a tiny, suffocating 1900s town where the church controls everything, we follow this brilliant widow, a naturalist, scientist, and schoolteacher, who’s just trying to survive teaching creepy kids in a one-room schoolhouse. (Seriously, queen behaviour)
But here’s where it gets juicy: The woods outside the town were totally cursed. The townspeople? Full of secrets and judgment. Our main girl? Wrestling with forbidden sapphic feelings and slowly losing her grip on reality… or maybe finally seeing things clearly? Through her private journal entries, we watch her push back against the religious patriarchy, fall deeper into obsession, and flirt with madness in the most chilling, gorgeous way. There’s fear, forbidden love, the terror of being different, and something lurking in the woods that might just be all too real.
Grey Dog is messy, raw, and so, so alive. If you like your horror with a heavy dose of feminine rage, spooky forests, and whispered scandals, this one’s calling your name.
Warning: You might never trust a “perfect little town” again. (I don’t think so, you want to)
The Mountain in the Sea: A Novel by Ray Nayler
This book also fits in with water horror stories, written by Ray Nayler. Let me tell you about The Mountain in the Sea! Because this book is not your ‘average’ beach read, unless your beach has hyper-intelligent octopuses and corporate espionage with a side of existential dread.
First off, we’ve got our main girl, Dr. Ha Nguyen, who’s basically a linguistic queen with a PhD and a mission to decode octopus language. Love her for that. But let’s be real: the real stars of the show are the octopuses. Yes, plural. And yes, they might be smarter than us. They’re basically the Regina Georges of the ocean—mysterious, manipulative, and maybe running the whole show.
This story is must must-read horror read because this is a smart, thought-provoking science fiction novel that explores the fascinating world of cephalopods. These creatures are portrayed with such depth and intelligence that it doesn’t feel like much of a stretch to imagine them as conscious beings. The novel also features prominent AI characters, which adds another compelling layer to the conversation around sentience and personhood.
By the end, you’ll be questioning not only your relationship with animals but also whether you should ever visit beaches for a picnic.
