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Incidents Around the House
by Josh Malerman
Incidents Around the House plunges you into the deeply unsettling world of eight-year-old Bela, whose life is shadowed by "Other Mommy," a malevolent presence that lives within the confines of her home and demands entry into her heart. What begins as a chilling, persistent request soon escalates into terrifying incidents, signaling Other Mommy's growing impatience and power. This is a story of insidious, domestic horror, where the very concept of home becomes a cage and a threat. Malerman crafts an atmosphere of suffocating dread and psychological tension, making you feel the family's unraveling as Bela fights a battle no child should have to face. It’s a relentless, dark read for anyone who craves a truly unique monster and a deeply disturbing exploration of family bonds under extreme, supernatural duress. Expect a slow, suffocating build of terror that burrows under your skin.
10 Books similar to 'Incidents Around the House'
If Malerman's Incidents Around the House left you looking over your shoulder, you’ll find similar unsettling experiences in these curated reads. We've gathered books that share that distinct dread of a malevolent dwelling or an insidious, unseen force that breaks down the psyche. Whether it’s the psychological unraveling within a terrifying home, the claustrophobic feeling of domestic horror, or the chilling exploration of family secrets and power dynamics, these selections promise to keep you deeply unsettled. Each one offers a unique take on how a place or a presence can twist reality and terrorize its inhabitants.
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Fans of Malerman's sentient house will be captivated by the Navidson Record, a documentary about a house that is impossibly larger on the inside. This book masterfully blurs the lines of reality, creating a deeply psychological and unsettling experience with its unique narrative structure and creeping dread.
This classic of psychological horror shares "Incidents Around the House"'s focus on a malevolent dwelling and its profound impact on its inhabitants. Jackson expertly builds a pervasive sense of dread and psychological unraveling, making the house itself a terrifying character.
For readers who enjoyed the oppressive and mysterious atmosphere of a house with dark secrets, "Mexican Gothic" delivers a similar gothic horror experience. It features a decaying mansion, a sinister family, and a strong female protagonist uncovering disturbing truths.
This book offers a modern, ambiguous take on domestic horror and possible possession, much like the unsettling nature of Malerman's house. It delves into the psychological toll on a family, blurring the lines between supernatural events and mental illness with an unreliable narrative.
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While not a house, "Annihilation" presents an uncanny, sentient, and transforming environment that psychologically impacts its explorers in a deeply unsettling way, mirroring the existential dread found in Malerman's work. It explores the unknown and the breakdown of perception.
This short, impactful classic perfectly captures the claustrophobic psychological horror and descent into madness experienced within the confines of a single dwelling. It mirrors the domestic dread and the protagonist's struggle against an oppressive environment, internal and external.
by Sara Gran
This chilling novel explores a slow, insidious psychological possession, reminiscent of the subtle yet profound changes wrought by Malerman's house. The intimate first-person narration draws you into the protagonist's terrifying loss of self and control.
Shirley Jackson's tale of two isolated sisters living in a decaying estate, shrouded in family secrets and an unreliable narrator, provides a similar gothic and psychologically tense atmosphere. It masterfully explores themes of isolation and the unsettling nature of domestic life.
by Jac Jemc
This book features a couple whose new home begins to subtly change and manipulate their perceptions, much like the sentient house in "Incidents Around the House." It's a slow-burn, unsettling domestic horror that expertly delves into psychological unraveling and marital strain.
"Penpal" builds a creeping, psychological dread from seemingly innocuous childhood events, revealing a deeply disturbing mystery. Fans of Malerman's unsettling atmosphere and slow-burn horror will appreciate its ability to make the familiar terrifying.
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