Courtney has been reading and collecting books almost as long as she's been alive. She holds a B.A. in Theatre and Creative Writing. Courtney has been writing with Book Riot since 2019, and is a Bibliologist with TBR: Tailored Book Recommendations. She's currently brainstorming for her next creative project. You can follow her on Instagram.
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.
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Courtney has been reading and collecting books almost as long as she’s been alive. She holds a B.A. in Theatre and Creative Writing. Courtney has been writing with Book Riot since 2019, and is a Bibliologist with TBR: Tailored Book Recommendations. She’s currently brainstorming for her next creative project. You can follow her on Instagram.
Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
When winter arrives in a remote Anishinaabe community, power and internet go dark, effectively cutting the people off from the rest of society. Supplies are low and the community is hanging on by a thread when visitors from the south arrive. Tensions rise between the two groups. Quietly terrifying, this novel examines the effects of climate change on First Nations and our reliance on technology.
Lost Girl by Adam Nevill
Two years after his daughter disappeared, a man sets out to find her in an unforgiving world ravaged by out of control climate change and economic collapse. Compromising his morality and giving in to the violence, his journey is an emotional and thrilling nightmare.
Orleans by Sherri L. Smith
Devastating hurricanes and outbreaks of the deadly Delta Fever led to the Gulf Coast region being sectioned off. Years later, the society left behind the walls runs by new rules. When Fen’s blood tribe is attacked, she is left to care for a vulnerable infant. Daniel, a scientist from the outside, meets Fen and the baby, and together, they navigate the wasteland of Orleans. This YA novel swerves more towards dystopia, but the grim eeriness of the setting and blood thirsty Orleans inhabitants bring that horror quality.
Pink Slime by Fernanda Trías, Translated by Heather Cleary
A woman tries to protect herself and her loved ones in a city torn apart by plague. Algae bloom poison everything, the air is polluted, and the only food available is a revolting pink paste. In between deadly storms, she tends to her mother, her ex, and the disabled boy she nannies. Trapped by her indecision, the woman stays behind as the city empties.
Revelations: Horror Writers for Climate Action edited by Seán O’Connor
This horror anthology features short stories from writers like Stephen King, Tananarive Due, and Josh Malerman. Varying in tone and genre, these stories are centered around the natural world and the terrifying effects of climate change.
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
In the pages of a Lutheran pastor’s diary, a slow, haunting tale of multiple massacres unfolds. Good Stab, a Blackfeet man, reveals his strange, eternal life over a series of confessions. Tracing his supernatural origins back to the Marias Massacre, Good Stab seeks justice for his people and for the buffalo, which have been hunted nearly to extinction. While this book does not directly address climate change, it reveals the legacy of colonialism in the current climate crisis.
The Deading by Nicholas Belardes
In the small fishing community of Baywood, something has begun to wash ashore. Infected people die and return to life altered. Teenager Blas and his brother Chango must adjust to their new normal as the town falls prey to death rituals and paranoia. This book balances gruesome horror with contemplative prose and detailed nature scenes.
Explore climate fiction beyond horror in these stories or lean into botanical horror for terrifying tales of plants gone rogue.
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