Show me some creepy sf
March 5, 2016 8:33 AM Subscribe
I absolutely love the first "chapter" of Hyperion. Can you recommend some similarly creepy spec fic? (Warning: spoilers inside)
To refresh your memory, this is the story of how Father Lenar Hoyt ended up going on the Shrike pilgrimage. He tells a story about another missionary, Father Dure, who had gone to Hyperion and met a grisly end. As a lapsed Catholic, this story creeped the hell out of me, not only for the horrifying images of Dure having the cruciform inserted into his body but also the Lovecraftian unreliable narrator. Can you name some stories with a similar religious tone (especially Catholic) that feature a similarly gruesome type of horror?
To refresh your memory, this is the story of how Father Lenar Hoyt ended up going on the Shrike pilgrimage. He tells a story about another missionary, Father Dure, who had gone to Hyperion and met a grisly end. As a lapsed Catholic, this story creeped the hell out of me, not only for the horrifying images of Dure having the cruciform inserted into his body but also the Lovecraftian unreliable narrator. Can you name some stories with a similar religious tone (especially Catholic) that feature a similarly gruesome type of horror?
Angels & Demons? nvm.. it's not really sf, more mystery.
posted by lunastellasol at 8:58 AM on March 5, 2016
posted by lunastellasol at 8:58 AM on March 5, 2016
Recommend you keep going with Dan Simmons. Most of his books have a delightfully creepy element. I'm thinking of Endymion, The Terror, Drood, Song of Kali and so on.
Also, try Lilith's Brood by Octavia Butler
posted by rw at 9:14 AM on March 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
Also, try Lilith's Brood by Octavia Butler
posted by rw at 9:14 AM on March 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space series has some similarities. (Particularly Absolution Gap, though it's worth reading the others first.)
You might also try John Varley's Gaia trilogy, though it's a lot more whimsical and fantasy-genre than Simmons.
posted by eotvos at 10:45 AM on March 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
You might also try John Varley's Gaia trilogy, though it's a lot more whimsical and fantasy-genre than Simmons.
posted by eotvos at 10:45 AM on March 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
The Expanse series by James Corey has similar horror, and 2nding Alastair Reynolds' Revelation Space recommendation.
posted by nickggully at 2:30 PM on March 5, 2016
posted by nickggully at 2:30 PM on March 5, 2016
The Endymion books have an all new brand of Catholic-tinged terror.
posted by Sunburnt at 3:36 PM on March 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Sunburnt at 3:36 PM on March 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
Shadow of the Torturer.
posted by mikek at 4:29 PM on March 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by mikek at 4:29 PM on March 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
What about Perdido Street Station? It's been a while since I read it but I sort of feel similarly about the two books.
posted by RustyBrooks at 7:05 PM on March 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by RustyBrooks at 7:05 PM on March 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
Peter Watts is right up your alley.
Desperate, dark, hideous apocalyptic sci-fi with weird existential bents. I mean, for a taste I'd just roam his website. http://www.rifters.com/crawl/
posted by kurosawa's pal at 9:09 PM on March 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
Desperate, dark, hideous apocalyptic sci-fi with weird existential bents. I mean, for a taste I'd just roam his website. http://www.rifters.com/crawl/
posted by kurosawa's pal at 9:09 PM on March 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
'Vurt' by Jeff Noon is really creepy but IMO absolutely excellent.
posted by h00py at 4:26 AM on March 6, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by h00py at 4:26 AM on March 6, 2016 [3 favorites]
if we're talking Peter Watts, Starfish was a delicious read and a personal favorite.
posted by lunastellasol at 8:26 AM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by lunastellasol at 8:26 AM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
I picked up Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer, based on recommendations on Metafilter and found it suitably creepy.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 12:01 PM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by ActingTheGoat at 12:01 PM on March 6, 2016 [1 favorite]
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posted by bibliogrrl at 8:43 AM on March 5, 2016 [7 favorites]