2026 Horror Team Chat

[Melanie, the neutral party]

A place for members of the horror team to collaborate

[Amanda]

🖤🩸Horror Challenges🩸🖤

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

(view spoiler)[During the course of the year, your goal will be to complete as many of the 24 team challenges as you can.
Each Team has 12 sub-genres represented and 2 challenges to complete for each sub-genre.

Details:
-Books must be @ least 100 pages long or the audio/ebook equivalent
-Books can be from ANY genre. You are not limited to science fiction, fantasy and/or horror.
-The honor system applies. I will not be actually verifying book lengths or challenge eligibility.

Post Your Progress.
When you finish a challenge, post in this thread. Include the following in your post:

team-name/ book-title/ subgenre/ challenge-name/ *explanation
(use spoiler tags with your explanation if necessary)
examples :

science fiction/ We Set the Dark on Fire/ dystopia/ character vs. society/ *The main conflict is a rebellion against the government.

fantasy/ Skulduggery Pleasant/ urban/ hidden magic/ *Magic is kept secret from ‘normal’ humans.

horror/ The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant/ demons & possessions/ demonic influence/ *Crystal is permanently possessed by a devil.

-Each completed challenge is worth 1 point for your team.
-Each book can only count toward one trait challenge, so you can't complete multiple challenges by just reading one book, even if the book would technically qualify for more than one challenge.

Horror Challenges

Demons & Possessions
1. Demonic Influence- Read a book where a character is influenced or possessed by a demon or devil.
2. Pact with a Devil- Read a book with a contract of any kind on the cover.

Occult Horror
1. Mysterious Knowledge- Read a book where knowledge of something supernatural, magical, or spiritual is essential to the plot.
2. Paraphernalia- Read a book with occult paraphernalia on the cover.

Psychological Horror
1. It’s All in Your Mind- Read a book where the main character struggles to stay mentally sane.
2. Fear Face- Read a book where a character is displaying fear on the cover.

Body Horror
1. Embodiment- Read a book where a character’s body is altered against their will.
2. Disfigurement- Read a book with someone (or something sentient) disfigured on the cover.

Gothic Horror
1. Dark Victorian- Read a book that contains either a forbidden love, a character fallen into moral decay, a fallen aristocrat, a madman, and/or an angry spirit.
2. Goth Vibes- Read a book with a gothic (preferably crumbling) castle on the cover.

Slasher & Gore
1. Near Indestructible Killer- Read a book where the main antagonist is extremely hard to kill or survives an attempt to end their life.
2. Blood Everywhere- Read a book with a significant amount of blood on the cover.

Out of Control Virus
1. Viral- Read a book where the main conflict is the spreading of a virus.
2. Lab- Read a book with a lab or lab equipment on the cover.

Locked Room
1. Trapped!- Read a book where a main character is trapped for a significant amount of time.
2. Lock-n-Key- Read a book with any kind of lock and/or key on the cover.

Classic Monster
1. Natural Weapon- Read a book where a main character uses a natural weapon (claws, fangs, and the like).
2. Got Monster?- Read a book with a classic monster (vampire, werewolf, zombie, and the like) on the cover.

Campy Horror
1. Dark Humour- Read a book where dark/gallows humour is used repeatedly by the story's narrator or a main character.
2. Joke’s on the Cover- Read a book with a visual joke on the cover or punny title.

Nightmare Fetish
1. Love is Strange: Read a book where the main character has a non-traditional object of their affection.
2. Love Overcomes Evil: Read a book with an unlikely couple embracing on the cover.

Horror+
1. Multi-genre- Read a book that is classified as more than one genre.
2. Best of Both Worlds- Read a book set on more than one ‘world’ or that depicts multiple planets on the cover.


Archetypes: Monthly Bonus Challenge
Each month, a story protagonist and antagonist archetype will be presented for all teams. They will also have a challenge category to complete. These challenges must be completed in the month they are assigned. Before each new month begins, the new protagonist and antagonist will be revealed. A list of all current and past archetypes is below.

Full Character Archetypes List

January:
protagonist/ Herald- Read a book where a character makes a proclamation or delivers news that incites the hero/protagonist on the path of adventure.
antagonist/ Puppet Master- Read a book with a puppeteer as a main character or with puppets on the cover.

Bonus Quest Points
Each team can also unlock The Hero’s Journey bonuses by reading the 2026 SFFBC books of the month. After a team reads enough SFFBC books, they unlock the next stage of the hero’s journey, granting the group more opportunities to earn points. Each team can fully finish the hero’s journey. Each team that fully finishes the hero’s journey will earn the privilege of putting a book into a future mod poll.

A list of the stages of the hero’s journey and the challenges they unlock can be found below. When you finish a 2026 SFFBC BOTM, post in this thread. Include the following in your post:

team-name/ quest point/ book-title
example: horror/ quest point/ Hammajang Luck

Stages on the Hero’s Journey
Each step unlocks when a team earns 20 quest points.

1. Ordinary World- Read an SFF/horror book that begins in a modern-day, realistic setting, but then shifts to a more fantastical, futuristic, or horrific setting.

2. Call to Adventure- Read a book where the main character leaves their home to complete a quest or go on an adventure.

3. Refuse of the Call- Read a book where the main character refuses (at first) their call to adventure.

4. Meet the Mentor- Read a book with a character who mentors (mental or physical training of some kind) the main character.

5. Cross the Threshold- Read a book where a main character crosses a portal or threshold of some kind.

6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies (You’re halfway there! You get a bonus challenge for making it this far.)
-Read a book where the main character is tested in some way.
-Read a book where the main character recruits an ally or acquires an enemy.

7. Approach the Innmost Cave- Read a book where the main character discovers the location of the story’s antagonist.

8. The Ordeal- Read a book where the main character experiences a significant setback.

9. The Reward- Read a book where the main character receives some kind of treasure as a reward near the end of the book.

10. The Return Home- Read a book where a character returns home at the end of the book.

11. Home But Changed- Read a book where a character experiences significant emotional growth from the beginning to the end of the book. (hide spoiler)]

[Elizabeth]

Hi! Looking forward to this challenge again this year. I struggled with scifi but I'm much more at home in horror!

[Nicole]

Hi everybody and happy new year! Looking forward to another fun challenge.

[Netanella]

Hi everyone! I, too, am excited that there's a horror category this year, because last year most of the books I read for the Fantasy team were horror books! Good thing we're allowed to use any genre.

I'm two in currently - Stephen King's The Gunslinger and Ira Levin's The Stepford Wives. I'll need to see what prompts they may be able to fit!

[Nicol]

Hello everyone!

[Amanda]

I added the tasks, instructions, and all that on message 2 for easier access!

[Netanella]

Sweet! Thanks, Amanda!

[Netanella]

So I'm aiming for the January character prompts, and these are the books I'll be using for each of them:

January:
protagonist/ Herald - Read a book where a character makes a proclamation or delivers news that incites the hero/protagonist on the path of adventure - The Gunslinger by Stephen King - 01.02.2026
antagonist/ Puppet Master - Read a book with a puppeteer as a main character or with puppets on the cover
The House of Small Shadows by Adam L.G. Nevill



I had a hard time figuring out what I wanted to do with the puppeteer prompt. The first thing that came to mind was I Found Puppets Living In My Apartment Walls by Ben Farthing, but I had already read it and didn't want to do a reread.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

I’m lurking because I’m trying to decide whether to join in since horror is so understaffed. I have a lot of other reading plans this year but horror always makes up a good chunk of my reading regardless so I’m sure I could contribute something.

That being said How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix has a puppeteer character I believe (I think the mother of the two siblings). (view spoiler)[Technically she’s dead and that’s why they are selling the house, but she’s mentioned and I think she’s in flashbacks? The puppets are significant to the story so I think it would count. (hide spoiler)]

It’s probably my least favorite Hendrix but I sometimes wonder if it was because I listened instead of the physical book. (Don’t recommend the audio…)

[Netanella]

The Hendrix book is on my radar, Sarah. Thanks for the tip!

Come on over to the dark side! :)

[Nicol]

It would be awesome if you joined horror! I recommend a fantasy book for the puppet one,In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune, it’s kind of a Pinocchio retelling but really funny and the audio is fantastic. I thought about doing a re-read but found a book called Splendors and Glooms from my library that has a puppeteer. What is your favorite Hendrix? I know I have The Southern Book Club’s on my tbr.

[CBRetriever]

keep in mind that the books to fill the prompts do not have to be horror - other genres are allowed. For the Puppet, I'm using The Shadow Puppet which refers to Chinese shadow puppets and the characters see the action as though the other characters were shadow puppets:

The silhouette of the dead man could still be seen through the frosted glass like a Chinese shadow puppet. ...
Summoned to the dimly-lit Place des Vosges one night, where he sees shadowy figures at apartment windows, Maigret uncovers a tragic story of desperate lives, unhappy families, addiction and a terrible, fatal greed.

[Sarah, The Unsettled]

Nicol wrote: "It would be awesome if you joined horror! I recommend a fantasy book for the puppet one,In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune, it’s kind of a Pinocchio retelling but really funny and ..."

Southern Book Club’s Guide was probably my favorite for a long time. He released Witchcraft for Wayward Girls last year and now it would be hard to say which one is my favorite.

It’s one of his lower rated books but I also really enjoyed The Final Girl Support Group. I think it’s meant to be silly though and I usually get along with silly/campy.

[Becky]

Sarah wrote: "I’m lurking because I’m trying to decide whether to join in since horror is so understaffed. "

Join us - everyone loves the underdog! ;)

[Librarian]

a stage set for villians has a cover that may fit for the puppet thing but it doesnt release till February?

[Librarian]

I am assuming that doesnt count

[Librarian]

I dont have anything else in mind for that prompt 😅

[Nicol]

Yeah unfortunately its a monthly one so you’d have to finish it in January. Maybe your library has some of the ones we mentioned? I also had a hard time with this prompt.

[Becky]

Librarian wrote: "a stage set for villians has a cover that may fit for the puppet thing but it doesnt release till February?"

Does anything on this list look interesting?
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...

FWIW, I'm using The Godfather for this task - which only has the hand/marionette strings combo, not a puppet, but was permitted, so it's a little flexible.

[Amanda]

The book i'm finishing up will work for:

1. It’s All in Your Mind- Read a book where the main character struggles to stay mentally sane.

We have to do the Hero's Journey tasks in order right?

[CBRetriever]

Amanda wrote: "The book I'm finishing up will work for:

1. It’s All in Your Mind- Read a book where the main character struggles to stay mentally sane.

We have to do the Hero's Journey tasks in order right?"

and the team has to wait until the team gets 20 points

Each team can also unlock The Hero’s Journey bonuses by reading the 2026 SFFBC books of the month. After a team reads enough SFFBC books, they unlock the next stage of the hero’s journey, granting the group more opportunities to earn points.

Each step unlocks when a team earns 20 quest points.

[Jackson]

Hi everybody. I'm new to goodreads. It's nice to be on team horror! I'm usually a classic sci-fi buff. I'm going to go for Wamphyri, the sequel to Necroscope, which I read a few years back. (Classic Monster Challenge for the vampire skull on the cover).

[Amanda]

CBRetriever wrote: "Amanda wrote: "The book I'm finishing up will work for:

1. It’s All in Your Mind- Read a book where the main character struggles to stay mentally sane.

We have to do the Hero's Journey tasks in o..."

oh I missed that, that's good to know! Thanks :)

[Amanda]

Jackson wrote: "Hi everybody. I'm new to goodreads. It's nice to be on team horror! I'm usually a classic sci-fi buff. I'm going to go for Wamphyri, the sequel to Necroscope, which I read a few years back. (Classi..."

Hi Jackson!! welcome :) if you have any questions about anything, lmk!

[Librarian]

can I ask how are you guys doing the whole quote thing?

[Becky]

Librarian wrote: "can I ask how are you guys doing the whole quote thing?"

If you use the app, not sure. But on the site, it’s the “reply” link under each comment, then you can edit the text to quote within the quotation marks since it cuts it off at a certain point.

Then just reply after the end of the text and you’re set.

[Librarian]

ah, I am using the app xD

[Becky]

Librarian wrote: "ah, I am using the app xD"

Yeah, there’s a lot of stuff that isn’t possible with the app. I just use the desktop site no matter what device I’m on.

[Librarian]

oh, I might read the plucker by brom for the puppet thing

[Librarian]

I like the cover xD

[Netanella]

We have the least number of players, so if we want to open up more reading options, we should try to focus on reading the monthly SFFBC books so that we can score the Hero's Journey quest points.

Two books this month are The Incandescent and Hammajang Luck. They were both available for me on audio at my public library, so I've finished the first and started the second. You can read the monthly SFFBC books anytime after they've won the poll, but they only count if they are from this year. So right now we only have two to pick from.

[Becky]

Netanella wrote: "We have the least number of players, so if we want to open up more reading options, we should try to focus on reading the monthly SFFBC books so that we can score the Hero's Journey quest points.

..."
Good call. Both were available to me as well, so I’ll try to squeeze them in.

[Nicol]

I’m waiting for my holds to come in for those two. I’ll prioritize them too. I usually just update all my points for reads at end of month, but for these quest points I’ll do it as soon as I finish the book.

[Netanella]

Nicol wrote: "I’m waiting for my holds to come in for those two. I’ll prioritize them too. I usually just update all my points for reads at end of month, but for these quest points I’ll do it as soon as I finish..."

Yeah, I remember seeing those posts from last year! I didn't realize you saved them all for a monthly post - I just thought, "damn, that person reads A LOT!"

[Librarian]

for the hero journey quest, it doesnt need to be this month's SFFBC right? i can read any of the previous months?

[Librarian]

oh sorry, didnt see you saying it only counts starting from this year. I guess that makes

[Librarian]

sense

[Elizabeth]

Put in a request for The Incandescent (the only one I have available) it has an 8 week wait though. I almost always have a hard time getting an audio loan for the monthly reads.

[Netanella]

@Librarian, yes, only this year for this annual challenge. You can still read SFFBC books from earlier years and use them for regular horror prompts, or the monthly character prompts!

@Elizabeth: yes, the library holds do tend to take forever, and then they all come in at once!

[Librarian]

@netanella: true, I started pausing the holds on the books I dont want yet. to avoid everything coming in at once lol

[Becky]

Netanella & Librarian - I’m in that exact boat already. LOL My reading eyes are always bigger than my reality. I’m already underwater on my reading plans.

I’m currently reading House of Leaves for 2 SFFBC challenges, and Unwell Women: Misdiagnosis and Myth in a Man-Made World for my NFBC challenge.

My library loan and January read list is:
The Library of the Unwritten - due in 11 days
Unbearable: Five Women and the Perils of Pregnancy in America - (NFBC challenge) due in 16 days

These I have to finish by end of the month for points to count:
Hammajang Luck - 21 day lend
The Incandescent - 21 day lend
The Godfather - held
The Bewitching - held
Africa Is Not a Country: Notes on a Bright Continent - (NFBC challenge) - held, but also has 7 day grace period to finish for points

No pressure! :P

[Librarian]

rip

[Netanella]

Becky, you don't have to finish Hammajang or Incandescent for those books to count. But the ones for the January character prompts, the puppeteer (the Godfather) and whatever you selected for the herald - those January books need to be read in January to count!

[Becky]

Netanella wrote: "Becky, you don't have to finish Hammajang or Incandescent for those books to count. But the ones for the January character prompts, the puppeteer (the Godfather) and whatever you selected for the h..."

Oh, OK that’s good to know. NFBC BOTMs have to be read in their months. That does help with planning to know that SFFBC BOTMs can be read anytime. But I already borrowed this month’s so I’ll still try to make it work this month.

My Herald task book is The Bewitching.

[Netanella]

I heard Bewitching is good!

So the puppet and herald books first, then Incandescent and Hammajang, then the regular prompts.

Although I'm so scattered and such a mood reader, it's hard to stick to any plan.

[Becky]

Sounds like a plan! I should get both Godfather and Bewitching soon and those will be my next focus.

[Nicol]

I really like Silvia Moreno Garcia and loved The Bewitching. It would work for several of the horror prompts like Occult Horror, Psychological Horror, Horror+ and of course Gothic Horror and definitely Herald. I am going to use Moreno Garcia’s Velvet Was the Night for the multi-genre prompt.
I used Brigands & Breadknives for the herald prompt.

[Becky]

Nicol wrote: "I really like Silvia Moreno Garcia and loved The Bewitching. It would work for several of the horror prompts like Occult Horror, Psychological Horror, Horror+ and of course Gothic ..."

I haven’t read any of her work yet - this will be my first. I have been hesitant because of the huge hype her books get, and I’m afraid to be disappointed if I don’t like them. But I agreed to “vet” this book for a friend who wants to read it, but only if it’s not too dark, so SMG, here I come!

[Netanella]

I've read her Mexican Gothic and Certain Dark Things, and her short story The Tiger Came to the Mountains. She's also written a few short stories in the Cthulhu Mythos that I want to read, but haven't tracked down yet.

I like her style, but I also think Isabel Cañas and V. Castro are also great.