- Share - [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://about.ebsco.com/markdownify/node/88245) - []() - []() - []() # 5 Unique Genre Mashups for Readers Who Love Horror Tired of the same old creepy horror and bleak apocalyptic fiction? Why not try something new for your community of readers! ![](https://assets.ebsco.com/asset/8a2e69d9-9132-442c-af81-f509e908bd28/unique-genre-mashups-horror-readers-blog-image-1039.png) [Christie Burwell](/novelist/bio/christie-burwell) 29 October 2024 There's a horror book for every reader. But many times, the choices that horror lovers are offered are stereotypical: Vampires, zombies, and monsters. Horror readers have nuanced taste. So, NoveList has combed the dark depths of the catacombs to bring you some rarer combinations that will scare your readers during this spooky season, or any time of the year. Because let’s face it… horror lovers read scary books year-round! This list covers a range of ages, genres, and formats to terrify and delight. ### Offbeat historical horror Offbeat may not be a word that you typically associate with historical horror. But bizarre humor, unique personalities, and unconventional stories can work devilishly well when combined with a nice gothic atmosphere or a growing sense of unnamed dread hidden under stuffy Victorian norms. These four have a variety of settings and periods but are united in their oddity. - *A Night in the Lonesome October* by Roger Zelazny - *The Curse of Jacob Tracy* by Holly Messinger - *Zombies of Byzantium* by Sean Munger - *Anno Dracula* by Johnny Alucard and Kim Newman ![](https://assets.ebsco.com/asset/21fbfa6d-2e98-4da1-b03b-13a43ee5a1ab/offbeat-historical-horror-unique-genre-combos-blog-image-1200.png) ### Whimsical horror Something sadly missing from most horror is a good sense of whimsy. Not so here. Though usually reserved for fantasy fiction and fairy tales, these spooky tales can be fanciful and playful with the best of them. Come be charmed by a cursed circus or find delight in Cthulhu. You probably won’t regret it. - *Meddling Kids* by Edgar Cantero - *The Influence* by Bentley Little - *By a Charm & a Curse* by Jaime Questell - *Once Upon a Zombie* by Billy Phillips ![](https://assets.ebsco.com/asset/a2a99e9d-4ca7-4900-97f9-5d8ad30c10c9/whimsical-horror-unique-genre-combos-blog-image-1200.png) ### Witty apocalyptic comics Sure you can fight off zombies, but can you do it with inventive language and cunning wit? These comics have both the substance and style to get you through the end of the world. Learn how to turn a phrase while surviving the end times, it just might save your life. How very droll. - *The Last Halloween. Book 1: Children* by Abby Howard - *The End of the World* by Don Hertzfeldt - *Solid State Tank Girl* by Alan Martin ![](https://assets.ebsco.com/asset/9c0bbefc-07e5-4ae0-a707-7b41f90b8e4b/witty-apocalyptic-comics-unique-genre-combos-blog-image-1200.png) ### Upbeat horror Is having your blood drained or your brain eaten really that bad? How about some gory service with a smile? Take a walk on the sunny side of the cemetery. These books are lighthearted and optimistic but with the horrible monsters you love. Put on your rose-tinted glasses and get spooky with it. - *The Devil and Winnie Flynn* by Micol Ostow - *Brains: A Zombie Memoir* by Robin Becker - *Zombies & Calculus* by Colin Adams ![](https://assets.ebsco.com/asset/55a7ea1f-50d9-4e69-aa06-0ede837e1224/upbeat-horror-unique-genre-combos-blog-image-1200.png) ### Funny apocalyptic fiction Who doesn’t find the end of the world a little humorous? Laugh in the face of danger and your own mortality. It’s not like you have a train to catch. They stopped running after the nuclear disaster. We’re not even talking darkly humorous; we’re talking straight up laugh out loud comedy. So go get a drink that looks suspiciously like acid rain and prepare for a spit-take. - *In the Lives of Puppets* by TJ Klune - *Mood Swings* by Frankie Barnet - *The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl* by Melissa Keil - *Starseed R/Evolution: The Awakening* by Dr. RIchard Horowitz ![](https://assets.ebsco.com/asset/10f88262-979e-4ef7-9362-e3ba64335c16/funny-apocalyptic-horror-unique-genre-combos-blog-image-1200.png) Need more help with horror? Take the Crash Course in Horror! By the end of the course, you’ll have a full list of horror books to recommend plus search strategies for finding the right combo for your community of readers. [ Take the Crash Course in Horror ](https://m.ebsco.is/uhEa0) --- [Christie Burwell](/novelist/bio/christie-burwell "Christie Burwell") is a Data Analyst/Taxonomist for NoveList. She is currently reading *Butter* by Asako Yuzuki. Her favorite oddball appeal combo is gossipy psychological suspense. Category: [Articles ](/blogs/novelist/category/articles) Tags: [Readers' advisory](/blogs/novelist/tag/readers'-advisory) [NoveList Plus](/blogs/novelist/tag/novelist-plus) [Genres](/blogs/novelist/tag/genres) - Share - [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://about.ebsco.com/markdownify/node/88245) - []() - []() - []() ## Related Posts [ ![](https://assets.ebsco.com/asset/f3e07202-694f-42ba-8801-26f258a9791a/RA-and-AI-Blog.png) ](/blogs/novelist/how-spark-joy-readers-without-ai-chatbots) [How to Spark Joy in Readers Without AI Chatbots](/blogs/novelist/how-spark-joy-readers-without-ai-chatbots) 24 September 2024 [ ![](https://assets.ebsco.com/asset/3a90d810-faef-49c0-adc0-e71190763299/Stokercon-Blog-Post.png) ](/blogs/novelist/trends-and-hot-topics-world-horror) [Trends and Hot Topics in the World of Horror](/blogs/novelist/trends-and-hot-topics-world-horror) 20 June 2024 [ ![](https://assets.ebsco.com/asset/6f6dca62-13e1-41aa-bfac-2895b72bd9d0/Mother-Horror-780x498.png) ](/blogs/novelist/mother-horror-shares-love-scary-stories) [Mother Horror Shares Love of Scary Stories](/blogs/novelist/mother-horror-shares-love-scary-stories) 19 March 2024