The fact is, no matter how you discovered her work, there is a finite amount and eventually you will run out and want something that reminds you of her. For this list I have chosen authors whose work is similar to Jackson’s in scope, though of course I have by necessity left out several wonderful authors whose work reminds me of hers in other ways (such as Alix E. Harrow, whose debut The Ten Thousand Doors of January made me feel like I’d just read a previously undiscovered Shirley Jackson novel, even though they do not have much in common, or Natsuko Imamura, whose first novel in English translation, The Woman in the Purple Skirt, I am currently devouring and getting a real Come Along With Me vibe from). I hope these ten authors like Shirley Jackson will satisfy your need for more Jacksonesque stories!
Fiction Authors Like Shirley Jackson
Best known for her short stories and two of her seven novels, Shirley Jackson was a prolific writer with a particular voice. She used language precisely and understood people to a terrifying degree, often using the way we communicate — or fail to do so — as a way to invoke horror. She could build atmosphere like no one else, and was, quite simply, a master. Here are several writers who capture some of that Shirley Jackson magic.
Humor Authors Like Shirley Jackson
Although they are less well-known now, Shirley Jackson made a great deal of her career writing sweet, funny family stories for magazines such as Harper’s and Good Housekeeping. The most famous of these stories is probably “Charles,” originally published in Mademoiselle, in which her oldest son Laurie goes off to Kindergarten and returns with tales of the class bad boy, Charles, and his antics. The stories build to a fever pitch and the parents are very anxious to hear from the teacher on parent-teacher night, only to be told there is no Charles in the class. Jackson’s family stories are collected in Life Among the Savages and Raising Demons. Suma’s dreamlike, eerie prose would be enough to make her a Shirley Jackson read-alike, but then there’s her subject matter. Sisters doing the unthinkable to protect each other (Imaginary Girls); haunted houses (The Walls Around Us and A Room Away From the Wolves); and a breathtaking examination of mental illness (17 & Gone).
How to Find More Authors Like Shirley Jackson
Looking for more Shirley Jackson read-alikes? Perhaps you want a haunted house book as chilling as The Haunting of Hill House, to discover the best horror authors, or to find another short story author whose catalog you can devour. Try Tailored Book Recommendations for personal book recommendations.
