My New Column: Hydra Files

Today marks the launch of my new Hydra Files column at Suvudu (Random House's website for fans of speculative fiction). The first installment discusses the current state of supernatural horror (hint: there's room for improvement) and recommends five well-written, deeply chilling literary novels you may have missed, including Donna Tartt's debut, The Secret History.

Tartt is riding high on the success of The Goldfinch, and few people would classify The Secret History as a supernatural book. But as I note in the column:

Most people probably remember it as a sort of elite college murder mystery, as a tight group of brainiac students studying ancient Greek degenerate into murderous monsters. At the core of the story, however, is a ritual that invokes atavistic horrors and blood-soaked Dionysian revelry.

If you do enjoy the discussion, feel free to add your own recommendations in the comment section at Suvudu.

> The Hydra Files: Five Novels of the Supernatural That You Must Read