Cold Moon Over Babylon [Horror Book Review]
Michael McDowell's Cold Moon Over Babylon is a Southern Gothic revenge story (with some stark Japanese horror influences) that takes place in the rural town of Babylon, which presides close to the river Styx. (No, not that Styx. Well, kinda. Yay, allusions!) It stars an exceptionally unfortunate family and a rather appalling evil force.
I have a funny story with this novel: My mother and grandmother spoke about this book, and they were struck by a specific image in it, but they couldn't recall the novel's name or author, and many of McDowell's stories have been out of print for several years. This is a shame, because based on this book alone, he is an incredibly underrated and unapologetic horror author who went on to write the screenplays for Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
I would recommend this story for fans of gruesome, relentless revenge stories that aren't afraid to go for the theatrical. It's a satisfying read with vivid, cutting descriptions, though the antagonist is a bit one-note. Overall, a must-read for horror fans; I read this in one sitting.
You can check out Cold Moon Over Babylon below.