By Tessa Thejas Thomas, Megan Coote, and Abbie Wright
In the lead-up to Halloween, we are delving into the world of horror by exploring some of the most striking cover designs within the genre. From classic horror motifs to contemporary twists, these covers manage to perfectly capture the dark essence of the stories within.
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
T. Kingfisher’s What Moves the Dead, nominee for the 2022 Goodreads Awards, is a horror retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. The plot follows Alex, who returns to his home in the countryside of Ruritania after the news breaks that their childhood friend is dying. What they find is the stuff of nightmares, and it is Alex who must uncover the truth about what is going on in their home: House of Usher.
The cover design draws from several staple visual horror elements: the black background, the grotesque central image and use of fungal growth. The central image is of a contorted dead rabbit with fungus and mushrooms growing from it. The image is hard to grasp, evoking a sense of unease and setting the tone for those who decide to pick up the book. Against the black background, the image is the only focus. This also evokes intrigue and gives the reader an idea about the gothic elements that appear within the story. The muted grey of the rabbit compliments the hues of pinks and reds coming from the fungus, whilst also keeping to the theme of death and decay. The font placement mimics the title itself; the reader’s eye moves along the cover with the title.
What Moves the Dead is no doubt a creepy but enthralling pick for the spooky season!
So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison
So Thirsty follows Sloane Parker’s transformation into a vampire after a night out with her friend, pushing her to confront her deepest desires. The novel explores themes of addiction, self-discovery and empowerment against the backdrop of horror.
The cover design for the book is instantly recognisable as a horror novel, featuring a dark and moody colour palette dominated by black and red. These colours are typical for the horror genre, creating a sense of foreboding and highlighting the vampire theme with the use of red. The central image is an ornate goblet with blood dripping from the rim and this striking imagery immediately conveys the idea of a thirst for blood, but in an innovative and modern way. The goblet and blood are both powerful symbols in vampire lore, representing the eternal thirst and dark allure of the vampire world. Often in vampire fiction, particularly screen adaptations, there is a ceremonial and ritualistic feeling around the practice of drinking blood, which is mirrored in the image of a goblet overspilling with blood.
Additionally, the cocktail stirrer shaped like a moon and bat further ties into the vampire theme, incorporating the horror element of the book in a clever and subtle manner. The cocktail stirrer also brings the more modern element of the book to the forefront, pointing to Sloane’s night out, where her transformation narrative begins. Overall, the cover masterfully blends traditional horror elements with a contemporary design, perfectly matching Harrison’s modern and original take on vampire literature. This combination not only attracts classic horror fans but also appeals to a new generation of readers looking for something spooky to read in the lead-up to Halloween.
Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung (translated by Anton Hur)
Cursed Bunny is a selection of short stories that blend horror, fantasy and science-fiction, while addressing the very real horrors that are occurring in the world today. Chung’s tales touch upon issues such as the patriarchy and capitalism, however, despite this, the stories maintain a sense of surrealism that keeps the reader engaged.
The book’s cover uses this blend of the real and surreal to unease the reader. The central image is a bunny (as the title would suggest) in extremely hyper-realistic detail. The intricacy in these details, especially in the eyes of the creature, immediately conjures a sense of discomfort for the reader – fantasy novels tend to accentuate the beauty in animals, yet this depiction’s use of realism turns a typically ‘cute’ animal grotesque.
The cover’s colour palette of dark purple, pink and yellow play into the fantasy aspect, conveying the fact that the stories within the book will be strange and macabre. The use of yellow in the eye of the bunny is especially unsettling as it ensures that the reader is focusing on the creature. This image, paired with title, creates a book cover that intrigues – but also sparks fear in – the audience, allowing them to choose whether they wish to look further into the Cursed Bunny.
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