Fascinating Books About Cults

1. The Circle by Dave Eggers (dystopian)

Actually scary. A dystopian future where a tech company infiltrates every single aspect of living. If you think those indoor cameras are creepy to have (not including for pets and kids) then you’ll be seriously messed up from this book. I got to meet this author in Santa Cruz at an author talk and I learned a ton about writing and the creative process from him. Imagine a world where nothing is private anymore. You have nothing to hide then why would care? Right?

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2. Bunny by Mona Awad (literature horror)

5 stars

A poetic atmospheric horror with a girly gruesome cult. First book I ever experienced where the writing structure had its own rhythm to it that added to the dread and unease. For a writer, this book is very inspiring. For the first quarter I didn’t know if I was enjoying it, but before I knew it I was swept away on this nightmare current in a torrential downpour of fear and insanity.

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3. The Secrets We Carry by Megan Noel Opava (psychological thriller)

This is the book I wrote.

Set below ground in a huge cavern. Post-apocalyptic and dystopian elements. Inspired by the author’s time in a church turned cult. Color coordinated outfits, lights that never turn off, and secret passageways.

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4. Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell (nonfiction)

5 stars

Written by the daughter of a former cult member. Dives into cults from religious ones to multilevel marketing to workouts and more. The highest risk factor for someone joining is being a dreamer.

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5. Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarity (thriller)

5 stars

If you enjoy psychology, you’ll enjoy this book. A resort, too good to be true. Healing by any means necessary. Messes with their psyches on an extreme level. How far would you go to heal your mind when you’re at the edge of your rope?

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6. Fantastic Land by Mike Bockoven (horror)

5 stars

An extreme horror, edge of society, natural disaster, amusement park story. The skeleton crew left behind in the underground shelter during a Florida hurricane encounters it’s worst nightmare. Everyone breaks off into “teams”. Everything that could go wrong does and worse than anyone could have imagined. Where is help? Written like a documentary with interviews of the different characters and their point of views.

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7. Demonic by Jeff Strand (extreme horror)

A fun unhinged extreme splatter punk. Very entertaining. A page turner. Gruesome and just freaking awesome. A man goes to end his coworker’s abusive husband, but finds out he can’t die. He made a pact with a demon. Bloody and fast paced. Feels like flying down a country highway at midnight while drinking a cocktail of blood and rage and chaos.

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8. The Pram by Joe Hill (horror short story)

5 stars

An ancient cult and the energetic spots in the world. Grief, children, falls into madness.

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9. Slewfoot by BROM (religious horror)

5 stars

Set in America when women had no rights. A young woman loses her husband. She’s stuck in a violently puritanical town and must fight for her survival. She teams up with the beings of nature. Learns form her ancestors. Befriends Slewfoot. She refuses to let the men win, but it comes at great costs.

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10. The Forgotten Island by David Sodergren (extreme horror)

5 stars

A group of kids vacation to Thailand where they attend a Full Moon Party. They find a boat while in a stupor. In the morning they’re adrift and find themselves on an abandoned island. A creature feature. Extreme. Cult. Giant spiders. Before humanity ancient. Will have your heart thumping.

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11. Geek Love by Katherine Dunn (weird fiction)

Follows a humpback albino and her time growing up in a traveling circus/freak show. Parents designed their children using substances and chemicals to give them ‘deformities’. They despised normals so much and thought they were so boring that if a kid came out normal they’d get rid of them. We learn about the Siamese twins, Arturo the Aquaboy, and the outwardly normal Chick. Messed up. I found it slow at times and sometimes hard to follow, but it was unique and interesting so I still recommend it.

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12. Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder (literature)

She believes she’s turning into a dog. A stay at home mother grappling with her identity and losing herself in taking care of her son and the house. Falls into madness.

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With all my book recommendations, please check any trigger warnings if you need to. Some of these books are extreme! Even the books that aren’t marked extreme can still contain material some readers wouldn’t want to experience. Thank you so much for reading my blog! If you enjoy my work please consider using one of the links on my website next time you make a purchase on Amazon as I make a tiny commission each time. Subscribe on the home page to be notified when I write new blogs.

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