Horror Books To Read This Banned Books Month!

Happy Almost October Horror Fans! 

As much as I LOVE reading time in October, when everyone is slightly more willing to add a little something scary to their TBR (to be read) list, September reading has a special place in my heart. That is because the month of September hosts two literary advocacy celebrations that I am intensely passionate about: Library Card Sign-Up Month and Banned Books Week/Month. 

Spending uncountable hours in a library as a child, rarely reading but always learning, shaped my love for libraries and library workers, and gave me the seemingly infinite power of owning a library card. After working in a library, I discovered the unimaginable amount of services that the library provides to communities and individuals. Internet access, historical records, community preservation, community groups, English Classes, unemployment resources, excessive heat/cold shelters, printers, public phones, and even sewing machines, public libraries are vital resources that are often underfunded and underutilized. 

Similarly, Banned Books Month also brings crucial awareness to banned/challenged books throughout history and up to the present day. According to the American Library Association:

“is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read . . .  it spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. It brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.”

Unsurprisingly, many horror books have been banned or challenged throughout history. In honor of both Library Card Sign-Up Month and Banned Books Month, I challenge you to visit your local library/utilize your online library resources, and read a banned/challenged horror book to stand in solidarity and advocate for the freedom of expression, education, and art in literature. Plus, it is sure to get you ready for October reading! 

Here are a few of the most popular Banned Horror Books that may give you inspiration to begin your banned reading adventure. You rebel ;) 

Beloved by Toni Morrison 

A hideously grotesque and accurate tale of the Reconstruction Era, Beloved follows Sethe and the aftermath of her escape from slavery. As a highly-acclaimed masterpiece of English Literature, it is often assigned reading in University or High School AP English Classes. However, due to the violent and sexually explicit language in this book, it has been banned in schools and cited as “inappropriate reading material” for high school seniors. 

Although horrific and dark subject matter should be consumed by an age appropriate audience, this work is often banned in spite of its value as a work of literature, accurate depiction of lives of enslaved women, historical teachings, and college course work preparedness. 

American Psycho By Bret Easton Ellis

The black comedy commentary on the plague of modern man is filled with gore and sexual violence. In 1999, the book was the 53rd most banned book in America and sales were restricted worldwide. Amongst death threats and being dropped by his publisher, Ellis felt as though this book almost ruined his career. In response to the criticism after the book was on the New York Times Best Sellers List, Ellis wrote:

“I had no idea the novel would provoke the reception it’s gotten, and I still don’t quite get it . . . 

During the years I worked on the book, I did not know how violent it would become. But it seemed clear to me that Bateman would describe these acts of brutality in the same numbing, excessive detail and flat tone that he recounts everything else . . .  It seemed to me that he would not avoid telling the reader what he does when he murders people. For me, it was an aesthetic choice that made sense. . . I was writing about a society in which the surface became the only thing. Everything was surface—food, clothes—that is what defined people.”

The Goosebumps Series by R.L. Stein 

80s and 90s kids? Are you all ok?

One of the most widely challenged works, The Goosebumps Series was in the top 20 list of challenged books in the 1990s and continued to be within the top 100 list through the 2000s. Although teachers advocated for these stories to be available for children and believed they helped young children face their fears, parents believed it was a temptation and exposure to the occult. 

The Sandman by Neil Gaiman 

The American Library Association cites this work as the most frequently challenged/banned graphic novel. Due to its seemingly “anti-family” messaging and “offensive language”. It was famously challenged by a student of Crafton Hills College in 2015 who requested it be removed because it was “objectionable”. 

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margarette Atwood 

Regarded as a crucial dystopian classic identifying the dangers of gender oppression, the story of Offred and the Handmaids is a terrifying tale of a society that converts women into property and classifies their places in society based on their fertility status. Using manipulation in every form, including Biblical language, to conform a society into performing heinous crimes against women. Ironically, this book has been banned due to its “graphic language” and “sexually explicit” language. Atwood recently commented on the decision by the Madison County, Virginia School System to ban The Handmaid’s Tale from High School Libraries.

“This episode is perplexing to me, in part because my book is much less sexually explicit than the Bible, and I doubt the school board has ordered the expulsion of that. Possibly, the real motive lies elsewhere.” 

In the full article written by Atwood in The Atlantic, she goes on to theorize about the underlying oppressive and ignorant reasons for the banning of her work as well as the irony within the act of banning a book about the loss of freedom. She concludes the article with the confident message: “To those who seek to stop young people from reading The Handmaid’s Tale: Good luck with that. It’ll only make them want to read it more.”

Read the full article HERE

Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin

Unsurprisingly, another story from the perspective of a woman with implied metaphors of modern society was banned and challenged in several countries. The story of Rosemary Woodhouse and her strange neighbors who are wildly invested in the wellbeing of her unborn baby has been dubbed as “satanic” and that is “glorified Satan”. As of 2019, most Spanish translations still feature scene cuts and redactions enforced by the Francois Dictatorship of Spain in 1966. 

Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts by Edna Barth

This children’s classic about the origins of Halloween traditions and symbols was written for 10-12-year-olds and has been banned in several schools. School boards believed it would  “interest little minds in accepting the devil with all his evil works” and “encourage children to experiment with witchcraft”. 

Despite personal opinions of age-appropriate subject matter, it is important to understand the importance of intellectual freedom. Attempting to control and restrict what society is exposed to, cultivates ignorance, and limits diverse perspectives, and individuals' ability to think critically and form their own opinions. If censorship is permitted, it will inevitably spread to other forms of media and lead to the oppression of people groups. 

Find out how you can help advocate for intellectual freedom at https://www.ala.org

And sign up for a library card to read some forbidden frightening fiction! www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/card

Stay up to date with “The Dark Side Of Pop Culture” by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.