Fright Aficionado – Creepy with a Side of Funny
You might think that horror and comedy are natural adversaries, as far as fiction genres go. Horror is all about scaring you with all the things that go bump in the night and comedy is all about silliness and funniness and a jolly good time. And yet, these two very different genres can work together to create something even better. In all actuality, they are more similar than people think. Both genres are trying to surprise you, one results in tears of laughter, and the other results in tears of fear. So, take some time this summer to try out a funny horror book.
Welcome to Night Vale by Joseph Fink
- Night Vale is a little desert town where all the conspiracy theories come true. Strange lights float above the local Arby’s and the public library is full of eldritch horrors. Based on the incredibly popular podcast, Welcome to Night Vale brings together a number of creepy plots to create a funny and bizarre tale of terror.
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman
- The Apocalypse is coming and the Antichrist is missing. Now it’s up to an angel and demon to work together to fix this divine mix-up…or to prevent the end of days altogether. Good Omens takes this child of the devil horror trope and turn it on its end with very funny results.
John Dies at the End by David Wong
- If you mixed the movies Ghostbusters and Shaun of the Dead and added some fantasy drugs called “Soy Sauce,” you would have this story. Soy Sauce is a street drug that promises an out-of-body experience with each encounter, and lets users drift across time and space. But some who come back are no longer human. Suddenly, an otherworldly invasion is underway, and mankind needs a hero. What it gets is John and David, a pair of college dropouts. Can these two stop the oncoming horror in time to save humanity?
Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore
- Jody never asked to become a vampire. But when she wakes up in an alley with superhuman strengths, and a distinctly vampire-like thirst, she realizes the decision has been made for her. Making the transition from working in the daytime to working and prowling at night at night is going to take some practice and that’s where C. Thomas Flood fits in. Tommy is a night clerk in a San Francisco Safeway. But all that changes when a beautiful undead redhead walks through the door and into his life and afterlife.
Monster by A. Lee Martinez
- Meet Monster. Meet Judy. Two humans who don’t like each other, but must work together to fight dragons, trolls, walrus dogs, and a crazy cat lady…all for the future of the universe. Monster runs a pest control agency and has domestic troubles…like having the girlfriend from hell. Judy works the night shift at Food Plus Mart. When Judy finds a Yeti in the freezer aisle eating all the rocky road ice cream, her life collides with Monster’s in spectacular fashion. Monster doesn’t catch raccoons; he catches all the things that go bump in the night. Oh, and Monster’s girlfriend from Hell? She actually IS from Hell.
Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson
- First Betsy Taylor loses her job, then she’s killed in a car accident. But what bites is that she can’t seem to stay dead. And now her new friends have the idea that Betsy is the prophesized vampire queen, and they want her help in overthrowing the most power-hungry vampire in five centuries.