5 Queer Horror Novellas to Read This Pride Month
Don’t have the time for a full-length horror epic? Queer horror novellas bring the same monstrous themes, haunted atmospheres, and emotional gut-punches in compact, unsettling doses. Whether you’re into gothic heartbreak, blood-soaked fairytales, or fungus-fueled body horror, these stories manage to be terrifying, tender, and deeply queer in under 200 pages.
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Sapphic Horror Novellas
Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson
A pastel-perfect romance curdles into obsession in this lush and sinister novella. Rosemary falls hard for Ash, the charming soapmaker at the farmers’ market, but something about their connection turns dangerously unhinged. Think: cottagecore gone carnivorous.
Yellow Jessamine by Caitlin Starling
Evelyn Perdanu rules the crumbling city of Delphinium with poison and paranoia. But when death begins spreading from within her inner circle, she must confront a rot deeper than politics. Decay, obsession, and queer gothic horror in a bottle.
Grab Yellow Jessamine on Amazon
Gay Horror Novellas
The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht
A magician bent on revenge. His monster, crafted from death and shadow. Together, they plot to burn a corrupt city to the ground. Queer, brutal, and deeply twisted, this one’s for the villain lovers.
Grab The Monster of Elendhaven on Amazon
Trans / Nonbinary Horror Novellas
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
Retired soldier Alex Easton arrives at the Usher estate to find their childhood friend possessed by something fungal and deeply unnatural. A gorgeously grotesque retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher with a nonbinary protagonist.
Grab What Moves the Dead on Amazon
The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw
A mermaid queen on the run. A plague doctor with secrets. A village of ageless, bloodthirsty children. This is the dark fairytale your nightmares warned you about, lush, violent, and breathtakingly queer.
Grab The Salt Grows Heavy on Amazon
FAQ: Queer Horror Novellas
Why read horror novellas?
Novellas pack intense atmosphere, dread, and emotion into bite-sized formats. They’re perfect for one-sitting scares and exploring weird, experimental storytelling.
Are these scary or more unsettling?
Both! Some deliver existential unease, others go full gore. All lean into queer horror’s power to explore identity, obsession, and transformation.
Where can I find more short queer horror?
We recommend checking small press releases and horror anthologies, especially queer ones. Our next roundup might include some.
Final Thoughts: The Power of Short Queer Horror Novellas
You don’t need 400 pages to shake someone to their core. These queer horror novellas are proof. From parasitic fungi to romantic obsession, they capture the strange and the sublime in under 200 pages.
Let us know your favorites, or the one that freaked you out the most, in the comments.
You may also like:
- More queer recommendations here
- Check out our horror subgenres guide
- What to read and what to watch: Horror
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