One of the types of fiction I will always gravitate towards is fiction that can be categorized as “strange.”

The kind of plot and characters that leave you confused, perhaps disturbed, and excited for what’s to come next.

“Wait, what did I just read?“

SO!

Let’s get into my strange fiction picks!

. . .

House of Leaves

by

Mark Z. Danielewski

Published : 2000

. . .

This book is a trip, if you can get through the densely written confusion, and the footnotes.

A heap of paper is found in a dead mans apartment. The written work details and analyzes a fictional documentary about a house that gets larger on the inside, and the family that lives there.

There’s dialogues within dialogues, and the footnotes are to nonexistent books and films.

It’s essentially fiction within fiction.

It’s hard to accurately sum this book up, but it’s definitely a fun, spooky ride throughout.

. . .

Haunted

by

Chuck Palahniuk

Published : 2006

. . .

TW!!! All over this book. Trigger fucking warning.

I would not recommend this book to anybody who is squeamish.

An ad is released that talks about an “Artists Retreat.” Get away from normal life for 3 months, and work on your novels, poems, etc. yada yada yada.

WELL! The group arrives at the so-called retreat to find it’s an abandoned old theater, and they are completely locked up and isolated by some insane old man, who is forcing the group to write stories.

Crazy dude makes the circumstances rather uncomfortable, and the stories that are written by the group show the desperation, and insanity of the situation.

The stories written by the group are really disturbing, so be warned!

. . .

The Strange Library

by

Haruki Murakami

Published : 2014

. . .

This one even has strange in the title.

Written by Murakami, renowned author of magical realism fiction, The Strange Library is one of his best, in my opinion.

Following a lonely boy who gets trapped in a library by a spooky little man who forces him to read, the boy must find his way out with the help of a mysterious girl and a sheep man.

A sheep man, yeah.

It’s just so bizarre, and beautifully written. I’d highly recommend this one.

. . .

Oh Honey

by

Emily R. Austin

Published : 2017

. . .

Read my Goodreads review here!

Oh Honey is about a telemarketer, Jane, who calls the same guy everyday, under a different name, selling different products. Yeah, he’s a pretty angry guy, understandably.

She also does a lot of drugs and has a lot of underlying issues (trauma + mental illness), so practice self care if you’re ever going to read this.

. . .

My Year of Rest and Relaxation

by

Otessa Moshfegh

Published : 2019

. . .

Read my review of this here!

My Year of Rest and Relaxation follows a woman who wants to take lots of sleeping meds, and sleep for a year, waking up a new person at the end of her lengthy nap.

I guess it’s pretty similar to Oh Honey in that the main character is a young woman who uses drugs to cope with her unhappiness, and mental illness.

. . .

Thanks for reading!

. . .

Have you read any of these? Any strange fiction you’d recommend? Let me know in the comments!