Eyes Wide Shut: 24 Novels That Expose the Terrifying Realities of Cults | Wealth of Geeks

Cults are simultaneously disturbing and captivating. The concept of a group of people falling into a delusion together and following a charismatic leader literally to their death will always be a point of interest among humans. If you’re intrigued and captivated by cult stories like I am, whether real or fictional, dive into these 24 books about cults.

1. Last Days by Adam Nevill

Last Days is one of the most popular books about a cult. It’s a functional novel about a young filmmaker who finds himself broke and in need of a job. He’s hired to make a documentary about the cult the Temple of the Last Days, which leads him down a dark and sinister path.

2. The Reddening by Adam Nevill

Another phenomenal book from Nevill, who is clearly just as interested in cults as you and I, The Reddening is a complex and chilling read. It’s about two women who go to a rural area where visitors are not welcome, and they fall into a dark world of murder and supernatural forces.

3. Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk

Survivor is another fictional story about a dark religious cult. It tells the story of the Creedish Cult, which forces its members to be servants of the human race, basically making them indentured butlers and maids.

4. Within These Walls by Ania Ahlborn

This fictional book is about a marriage in trouble that leads the husband, a crime writer, to seek a dramatic subject for his next project. He gets the opportunity to visit and interview a death row inmate and former cult leader, which reveals some of the scariest truths.

5. Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez

A fascinating and bone-chilling read, this fictional book is about a father and son grieving their recently deceased wife and mother, respectively. They journey to her old home, which has been in her family for generations, and discover her involvement in a family cult called the Order.

6. Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin

As you probably know, this novel was adapted into one of the best cult movies ever made, starring Mia Farrow. The Roman Polanski-directed movie is fantastic, but the book takes this story to another level and will leave you feeling queasy, confused, and captivated all at the same time.

7. Michelle Remembers by Lawrence Pazder

Michelle Remembers is a controversial book, as it’s been suggested that the author and the subject actually made up the so-called true story. Nevertheless, the book is a wild and compelling read that will leave you horrified at the abuse and satanic rituals reported by the subject.

8. Mary: An Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy

This fictional psychological thriller is about a woman who moves back to her hometown after losing her job. Along with a deathly cult, the book also features horrifying hallucinations, ghosts, violence, reincarnation, and other chilling and paranormal events.

9. The Girls by Emma Cline

Emma Cline wrote this book from the perspective of a fictional character, a young teen growing up in the 1960s and gravitating toward the Manson Family. The book gives an interesting look at the Manson Family cult intertwined with the fictional story of the main character.

10. Little Heaven by Craig Davidson

Little Heaven is a superb book for anyone who wants a highly suspenseful and gripping cult story. The writing is captivating and bold, telling the story of three mercenaries hired to rescue a young man who has gone missing. The three find a cult at the center of the strange happenings and head down a dark path. FYI, Nick Cutter is a pen name used by Davidson.

11. The History of Cults: From Satanic Sects to the Manson Family by Robert Schroëder

If you want the facts, this book is the perfect way to take a deep dive into the history of various cults and their massive impact on society. The fictional cult stories on this list are terrifying and entertaining, but this book gives you the terrifyingly true stories of real cults.

12. Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon

This folk horror novel is about a man who moves his asthmatic daughter away from the city and out to the country for some fresh air, but things in the country are not as wholesome as he had hoped. The villagers are strange and fiercely traditional, and soon, the main character begins to question his decision to leave the city.

13. Last Days by Brian Evenson

Yes, this is another book about cults called Last Days. It is different from the Adam Nevill one, I promise. This one by Brian Everson is a detective novel that explores an underground religious cult. It’s an intense and disturbing book that will leave you scarred.

14. The Children of Red Peak by Craig DiLouie

If you’re a true horror fan who loves to explore the depths of your fear, this book will satisfy your craving for terror. The fictional book follows three individuals who grew up in an isolated religious cult in a mountain town. The book explores their trauma and the effects of growing up in such a community.

15. Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel

Just Like Mother is a modern gothic novel that dives into the life of a cult survivor. It’s a fictional book, but the emotions portrayed in the book are all too real. The main character, Maeve, escaped the cult of motherhood as a child and created a beautiful life for herself, but her past haunts her.

16. The Damned (Là-bas) by Joris-Karl Huysmans

This book is translated from French and follows Johannes Durtal, a man who discovers the dark underground world of Satanism. He takes it upon himself to investigate the sinister occult underworld, and the book eventually leads to a shocking description of an ominous black mass.

17. The Magus by John Fowles

This book focuses on the charismatic-leader aspect of cults. A young man named Nicholas Urfe is teaching English in Greece when he falls headfirst into the complex and fantastical world of illusions, becoming enamored with a master trickster.

18. Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

Geek Love sounds like a cute teen-romance book, but it follows a carny family who operate like a cult. This cult uses amphetamine, arsenic, and radioisotopes to create humans with oddities that contribute to the carnival in a demented and unsettling system.

19. Mine by Robert R. McCammon

Mine has a similar vibe to Rosemary’s Baby, which will leave you profoundly disturbed and horrified. The fictional horror book is about a woman who begins hallucinating and believes that the leader of a cult called the Storm Front Brigade, Lord Jack, is sending her messages to bring him her child.

20. Be Kind, My Neighbor: Concept Art Zine by Yugo Limbo

As much as I love traditional novels, graphic novels can be a fun break from the usual. This graphic novel is twisted in all the best ways, with themes of love, betrayal, deceit, lunacy, and more. You’ll be plunged into a dark world with stunning designs and captivating characters.

21. The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple by Jeff Guinn

The Road to Jonestown is, of course, about the Peoples Temple and Jim Jones, one of the most notorious cults of the 20th century. This true-crime book gives you an interesting look at this massive cult that ended in utter tragedy and will leave you wanting to read and watch anything and everything about the Peoples Temple.

22. The Hungry Moon by Ramsey Campbell

This horror fiction book is a gripping tale of evil and isolation. It takes place on the moors in England in a strange town called Moonwell. The people of the town have an odd faithfulness to the Druids’ moon god and a mysterious cave that they consider sacred.

23. The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

This novel is perfect for young adults or teens who are interested in cults. It’s about a rambunctious teen who spends a whole year on a remote island by herself. She hails from Garner County, a place where women and girls are thought to harbor dangerous magic that must be expelled through tradition.

24. Devil’s Creek by Todd Keisling

Devil’s Creek is about a terrifying death cult led by Jacob Masters, who preached the gospel of an unknown deity. This story takes place years after his church was burned to the ground purposefully with all the church members inside, but the sinister aura of the cult lingers in the area.