Paul Tremblay is slowly but surely taking over the world of horror fiction. Despite a relatively short list of novels under his belt, any list of the best modern horror writers would be incomplete without his name on it. Although he hasn’t had many books published, he’s written a ton of short stories for fans to dig their teeth into while waiting for more books to drop.
The Cabin at the End of the World is an undeniably fresh take on the horror genre and is particularly frightening for anyone who’s ever vacationed in a remote location before. The story follows a gay couple and their adopted daughter as they vacation in a remote cabin in the woods of New Hampshire. Their relaxing getaway quickly takes an extremely dark turn when their cabin is invaded by four armed strangers who have seemingly gone insane. The strangers claim to have all been separately instructed by a mysterious entity to come to this cabin to prevent the end of the world. In order to prevent an undisclosed apocalyptic event, the strangers have been told that the family on vacation must murder one of their own family members. Unsurprisingly, the family refuses, forcing the strangers to hold them hostage while they try to convince the family of the seriousness of the situation.
This book is messed up. The concept is inherently frightening as the lack of overt supernatural elements makes it feel realistic and relatable. Anyone who has ever been in a cabin in the middle of nowhere can relate to the feeling of insecurity that help is far away in the event of some type of emergency. What if something happens and you aren’t able to contact the outside world? This book takes that fear and runs with it. Fans of horror, especially psychological horror will enjoy this book and probably most of Tremblay’s other books. Check this out if you are looking for a good scare that doesn’t rely on ghosts or monsters to frighten you.