Literarily speaking, we worship at the dark altar of Gillian Flynn. But what's a murky mystery-loving girl to do when she's already powered through all three of Flynn's novels—Gone Girl, Dark Places, and Sharp Objects—and still has a ways to go till the awesome movie versions come out?
Read the scary books that actually give Flynn the heebie-jeebies, of course. So we went straight to the source. "I've always had a fondness for the Gothic," Flynn said. "That's what kind of stories attract me: Why do people do bad things?"
Speaking of people doing bad things: Flynn is clearly thrilled about which actors will bring the ones she created to life. We spoke before Gone Girl finalized its castings, but Dark Places had already signed up Charlize Theron as Libby and Chloe Moretz as Diondra. "Charlize is such a brilliant actress and about as far away physically from Libby as described in the book as you can get," Flynn said. "I can't wait to see her get down and dirty." And Moretz taking on the role of teenage mega-manipulator made total sense—especially considering a random observation Flynn's husband made years ago. "When Chloe was on 30 Rock, my husband turned to me and said, 'That's like baby Amy [in Gone Girl], if you ever need a flashback to Amy in high school." Fast-forward to today, and Chloe's taken it one step further—I think Diondra's a tad more evil than Amy would've been, but they definitely live on the same twisted spectrum.
But enough Flynn fangirling. Let's get to her recommendations for nightstand material that's like nightmares come to life—in the most addictive way possible.
Dare Me, by Megan Abbott We love Abbott too; she wrote an exclusive short story for our August issue. Dare Me is set in the world of high school cheerleaders; it's kind of like the book world's Pretty Little Liars right now.
Reconstructing Amelia, by Kimberly McCreight Several Glamour staffers have also reported this tale of a child's tragic death and the ensuing possible cover-up to be unputdownable.
The Shining Girls, by Lauren Beukes This novel about a serial killer who spans generations has been quietly building momentum for months, and I can confirm that it's ridiculously creepy.
The Accursed and Blackwater, by Joyce Carol Oates Simply put, if you've never read JCO, there's a veritable sea of scariness awaiting you at the bookstore. Her stuff is question-your-sanity eerie.
The Next Time You See Me, by Holly Goddard Jones A woman searches for her missing sister in this story that unravels the secrets of a small town. Related: Secrets of a small town being unraveled is my favorite thing ever, always.
What scary books are you into lately? Check out our September issue for more from Gillian.
