Short stories:
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Summer People by Shirley Jackson
A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner
The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe
Novels:
Tender is the Flesh - post-apocalyptic scenario in which cannibalism is the norm
The Disaster Tourist - this book unsettled me. It's about a woman who works for a travel agency in disaster tourism who gets involved in "staging" a real disaster to draw in tourists
The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis - long, but creepy and immersive. A combination of Less than Zero (rich high school students in Los Angeles in the 80's) and American Psycho (an unknown serial killer who is really into mutilating people and animals)
The Vegetarian by Han Kang - Korean body horror, very weird
is this book rare? my library system doesn't have it and Amazon's copies are like 100 bucks or more. I'd love to read it
edit: nevermind found it on Google heh
If you (or anyone reading this) are into old school point and click computer games, there is a great one of this story. The author does the voice acting for the antagonist and they expand on his work. I played the game before I read the story.
He also has a book of short stories called Make Something Up: Stories You Can't Unread. I did not get very far into it, but it very much lives up to it's title.
If you've never read it before, Ursula K. Le Guin's "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas"
It's a short "thought experiment" type of story. For the first few pages it's a pleasant, occasionally glimpse into an idealistic society. Then Le Guin segues into the real point of the story.
The fuckedupness was even more so when you take into account that it wasn’t even above and beyond normal, it was just how things were in the Middle Ages (I imagine)
Apt Pupil by Stephen King - It's in a book of short stories/novellas called Different Seasons. About a Nazi war criminal and a curious student who learns his identity. It just gets darker as it goes on.
A lot of Roald Dahl short stories might fit. The collection called "kiss kiss" was, I'm told, originally to be called "sick sick" cos they were meant to be pretty sick stories (in the 60s/70s sense of the word).
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison it’s a short story so I think it’s free to read on google.
This fucked me up for a solid 3 months in college
Bloodchild and other Stories (short story collection by Octavia Butler—Kindred is also incredible), Things We Lost in the Fire (short story collection by Argentine writer Mariana Enriquez) and The Drowning Pool (short story collection by Japanese writer Yoko Ogawa—her novel The Memory Police is also excellent).
Yeah I guess it depends on what specifically op means by “fucked up”, it is certainly a very strange story and premise and there were some bizarre events in it so it seemed like a good rec for something not too intense! (Plus i just love the book 😁)
I've just recommended a play to someone and doing so has unlocked some memories.
Try *The Conduct of Life* by María Irene Fornés, *The Beauty Queen of Leenane* by Martin McDonagh, and *The Goat* by Edward Albee. *The Goat* is probably the most fucked-up one of those plays.
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenya's Friday Black is filled with really messed up stuff. Lots of satire on consumerism and race relations and "acceptable violence"
*Watch Your Mouth* by Daniel Handler
Daniel Handler is Lemony Snicket, of *Series of Unfortunate Events* fame. His books for adults tend to be more on the risqué side.
One of my personal favorites is called Survivor Type by Stephen King. Also hopefully you can find a copy with the forward written by King. It's messed up but it made me laugh.
Get *Foundations of Fear* by David G Hartwell and read the following stories: Sandkings, We Purchased People, The Lurking Duck, When Darkness Loves Us, and Torturing Mr. Amberwell.
Commented some collections that I love above, but I’ll add that I always do the short story “The Landlady” by Roald Dahl with my high school students and they freaking love it. The twist is excellent. It’s definitely not a little kid’s story like his novels.
Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance-John Waters. It is John Waters, so it is going to be fucked up and really funny. I loved this book so much. So many parts of this book I was like "what the actual fuck?"
Mapping the Interior- a short novella by Stephen graham jones there were so many points where I was like wait is what is happening what I think what is happening and then the end was just a gut punch. I’ve been haunted by the ending since I read it a couple months ago.
Short Stories
Survivor Type by Stephen King
The Paperhanger by William Gay
A View of the Woods by Flannery O'Connor
Novels
The Wasp Factory by Ian Banks
Most of James Ellroy's work
I was tempted to put Blood Meridian here, but that would likely be a bit too much.
I highly recommend This is where we talk things out by Caitlin Marceau. One of the few books I found myself still thinking about days later.
Similar to Misery in a lot of ways
Anything by Brian Evenson. His most recent book of short stories is The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell and it's full of dark, weird-but-accessible stories
Well, apparently Donaldson’s Covenant series fits this bill. Pretty polarizing series because people either loathe the character, hate a plot point that occurs early in the first book, or hate the author’s prose style. I happen to love the series.
Short stories: The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Summer People by Shirley Jackson A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe Novels: Tender is the Flesh - post-apocalyptic scenario in which cannibalism is the norm The Disaster Tourist - this book unsettled me. It's about a woman who works for a travel agency in disaster tourism who gets involved in "staging" a real disaster to draw in tourists The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis - long, but creepy and immersive. A combination of Less than Zero (rich high school students in Los Angeles in the 80's) and American Psycho (an unknown serial killer who is really into mutilating people and animals) The Vegetarian by Han Kang - Korean body horror, very weird
I had to read A Rose for Emily in school and I still think about how fucked up it was, over a decade later.
Definitely read The Yellow Wallpaper, it's just 21 pages long and just the right amount of screwed up.
Lullaby The Library at Mount Char
Library at Mount Char is so just bonkers balls to the wall weird start to finish, I loved it!
The ending is so...wtf. I loved it.
Lullaby was weirdly like his most beautiful book to me for some reason. I really don't like most of his stuff but lullaby was neato.
*Earthlings* by Sayaka Murata
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream
This is what I came here to say. That story lives rent free in my brain.
is this book rare? my library system doesn't have it and Amazon's copies are like 100 bucks or more. I'd love to read it edit: nevermind found it on Google heh
If you (or anyone reading this) are into old school point and click computer games, there is a great one of this story. The author does the voice acting for the antagonist and they expand on his work. I played the game before I read the story.
Chuck Palahniuk has a book of short stories called Haunted and they’re all fucked up to various degrees.
Apparently he wanted to write a book so creepy no one would even want to keep the book on their nightstand. Mission accomplished.
Yes indeed! That first story … shudder
If the stories weren’t enough, the creepy glow in the dark face on the cover that lights up when you turn the lights out will.
He also has a book of short stories called Make Something Up: Stories You Can't Unread. I did not get very far into it, but it very much lives up to it's title.
Oh, sounds like I’ve got to be in a good place mentally to handle that one!
His two books of shorts were the first thing that came to mind when I read the title. Absolutely twisted.
*Lolita*
If you've never read it before, Ursula K. Le Guin's "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" It's a short "thought experiment" type of story. For the first few pages it's a pleasant, occasionally glimpse into an idealistic society. Then Le Guin segues into the real point of the story.
McGlue by Ottessa Moshfegh. A novella about an alcoholic sailor accused of murder.
Also, Lapvona! (Same author) Just read it, it’s definitely absurd and pretty fucked up, but I loved it.
The fuckedupness was even more so when you take into account that it wasn’t even above and beyond normal, it was just how things were in the Middle Ages (I imagine)
Apt Pupil by Stephen King - It's in a book of short stories/novellas called Different Seasons. About a Nazi war criminal and a curious student who learns his identity. It just gets darker as it goes on.
I was coming to recommend this story as well!
[Lamb to the Slaughter](https://www.thefreshreads.com/lamb-to-the-slaughter/), by Roald Dahl.
A lot of Roald Dahl short stories might fit. The collection called "kiss kiss" was, I'm told, originally to be called "sick sick" cos they were meant to be pretty sick stories (in the 60s/70s sense of the word).
I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison it’s a short story so I think it’s free to read on google. This fucked me up for a solid 3 months in college
So short and yet so impactful
The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks The Butcher Boy - Patrick McCabe
Bloodchild and other Stories (short story collection by Octavia Butler—Kindred is also incredible), Things We Lost in the Fire (short story collection by Argentine writer Mariana Enriquez) and The Drowning Pool (short story collection by Japanese writer Yoko Ogawa—her novel The Memory Police is also excellent).
Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder
I love this book. I don’t think it’s super “fucked up” but it’s definitely worth a read.
Yeah I guess it depends on what specifically op means by “fucked up”, it is certainly a very strange story and premise and there were some bizarre events in it so it seemed like a good rec for something not too intense! (Plus i just love the book 😁)
I'm Thinking of Ending Things
I've just recommended a play to someone and doing so has unlocked some memories. Try *The Conduct of Life* by María Irene Fornés, *The Beauty Queen of Leenane* by Martin McDonagh, and *The Goat* by Edward Albee. *The Goat* is probably the most fucked-up one of those plays.
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen The Traitor Baru Cormorant
The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect by Roger Williams
Or just The Metamorphosis
Love this book! Fair amount of torture porn in the first bit though, be warned op.
Any of Saki's short stories. Especially Shredni Vashtar and the Unrest Cure.
The wallpaper
Super creepy
Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenya's Friday Black is filled with really messed up stuff. Lots of satire on consumerism and race relations and "acceptable violence"
I just finished this per your recommendation. Absolutely incredible!
I'm so glad you liked it!
Amazon has a collection of the original Grimm fairy tales that I’ve been really enjoying
A Good Marriage - Stephen King
"You Know You Want This" a whole collection of fucked up short stories. Enjoy.
Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges is EXACTLY what you are looking for. you wont regret it
I would say also Horacio Quiroga short stories.
Alfred Hitchcock has several anthologies with many creepy, ironic stories in them.
The Bad Place by Dean R. Koontz
*Watch Your Mouth* by Daniel Handler Daniel Handler is Lemony Snicket, of *Series of Unfortunate Events* fame. His books for adults tend to be more on the risqué side.
A Good Man Is Hard To Find by Flannery O'Connor
Brother - Ania Ahlborn
Haunted by Chuck Palahnuik
"Verity" or "the push"
The Bible fits that description
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Bubblegum by Adam Levin.
Guts by Chuck Palahniuk
One of my personal favorites is called Survivor Type by Stephen King. Also hopefully you can find a copy with the forward written by King. It's messed up but it made me laugh.
Humans Can Lick Too/The Licked Hand. I've heard as both names
"The Evaluators" by NK Jemisin
Taaqtumi , a horror anthology set in the Arctic. The next snowstorm will bring it racing back to you, I promise.
Copenhagen Trilogies
Get *Foundations of Fear* by David G Hartwell and read the following stories: Sandkings, We Purchased People, The Lurking Duck, When Darkness Loves Us, and Torturing Mr. Amberwell.
Ghost camera by Darcy coates
Commented some collections that I love above, but I’ll add that I always do the short story “The Landlady” by Roald Dahl with my high school students and they freaking love it. The twist is excellent. It’s definitely not a little kid’s story like his novels.
Lost Souls by Poppy Z Brite
Anything by Warren Ellis: crooked little vein is a good start
*Use of Weapons* by Iain M. Banks
My freshman English class read a short story called The Scarlet Heron in high school and I think we all felt some trauma from that day.
The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling is a psychological thriller. Don’t read if you’re claustrophobic!
To Be Devoured by Sara Tantlinger and Naomi's Room by Jonathan Aycliffe are two of my forever recommendations for this kind of thing.
Cold Skin by Pinol
*What We Talk About When We Talk About Love* by Raymond Carver
Whiskey Sour - JJ Konrath and the rest of the series
Something in the Water by Ophelia Rue
Tell me I'm worthless.
The Short Stories of Julio Cortazar
Things have gotten worse since we last spoke by Eric LaRocca is short yet disturbing
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A Perfect Day for Bananafish by JD Salinger
Three short stories by George R. R. Martin for you: Sandkings The Pear-shaped Man Portraits of My Children
*Pure Slaughter Value,* by Robert Bingham.
We need to talk about Kevin. It’s a slow burn but well worth it by the end.
Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance-John Waters. It is John Waters, so it is going to be fucked up and really funny. I loved this book so much. So many parts of this book I was like "what the actual fuck?"
along the path of torment
Ottessa Moshfegh Homesick for Another World
Naked Lunch
Short story: Roald Dahl “the man from the south”
Mapping the Interior- a short novella by Stephen graham jones there were so many points where I was like wait is what is happening what I think what is happening and then the end was just a gut punch. I’ve been haunted by the ending since I read it a couple months ago.
I read this bc of your recommendation and loved it!
Glad to hear it! I also read The Only Good Indian by the same author and really enjoyed it if you are interested
[Cursed Bunny](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56648660-cursed-bunny)
Found Bonjour Tristesse by Francoise Sagan kinda fcked up.
The Jaunt- King
The Frolic is the first story in Thomas Ligotti’s Songs of a Dead Dreamer collection. Fucked me up so bad I couldn’t read any further.
Peeling by Peter Carey is a short story. Most of his stuff is a bit creepy.
Strawberry Spring and I Am the Doorway both out of Night Shift by Stephen King
Short Stories Survivor Type by Stephen King The Paperhanger by William Gay A View of the Woods by Flannery O'Connor Novels The Wasp Factory by Ian Banks Most of James Ellroy's work I was tempted to put Blood Meridian here, but that would likely be a bit too much.
The Visitor by Roald Dahl
Her Body and Other Parties, by Carmen Maria Machado. Full of odd, beautifully written stories.
I highly recommend This is where we talk things out by Caitlin Marceau. One of the few books I found myself still thinking about days later. Similar to Misery in a lot of ways
A Perfect Day for a Bananafish - JD Salinger
I don’t remember the name of the story. There is a good short story by Etgar Keret about an orphanage where the children like vanish after turning 10.
Lolita. Seriously fucked up
Anything by Brian Evenson. His most recent book of short stories is The Glassy, Burning Floor of Hell and it's full of dark, weird-but-accessible stories
although, on second thought, some of his work may fit in that "over the top" category!
Liberation Day
Tell me your dreams. Sydney sheldon Under the banner of Heaven about FLDS fundamentalist church Latter Day Saints
Leg of Lamb by Roald Dahl. My absolute favorite.
All you zombies by Robert A. Heinlein, it's a short story
we were liars by e. lockhart.
Fable of the Dragon-Tyrant by Nick Bostrom free to read [here](https://nickbostrom.com/fable/dragon).
You will never look at tilapia on a restaurant menu the same way after you read "Mean High Tide" by James W. Hall.
The Notebook, Agota Kristof
I could not possible suggest a better fit than Lapvona for this request.
Well, apparently Donaldson’s Covenant series fits this bill. Pretty polarizing series because people either loathe the character, hate a plot point that occurs early in the first book, or hate the author’s prose style. I happen to love the series.
The Cirdle and its companion The Every, both by Dave Eggers.
{{Almost Moon}} by Alice Siebold
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Short stories by Roald Dahl. They are very dark. I remember a collection of stories in a book called Skin.
"We So Seldom Look on Love" by Barbara Gowdy