If you enjoy reading books by Arthur Machen then you might also like the following authors:
Lovecraft is famous for shaping cosmic horror, a style that explores humanity's insignificance when faced with unknown cosmic forces. He uses eerie landscapes and ancient mysteries to evoke a sense of dread and awe.
If you enjoyed Arthur Machen's unsettling atmosphere and strange mysteries, you might appreciate Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu, a classic story of ancient horrors awakened from forgotten depths.
Blackwood has a talent for creating suspenseful stories filled with supernatural elements drawn from nature. His narratives often explore subtle, psychological fears rather than outright terror, using wilderness settings to produce unease.
His short story The Willows is one of the finest examples, featuring two friends encountering menacing forces during a canoe trip along the Danube.
Dunsany's writing style blends fantasy, myth, and dreamlike worlds filled with poetic language. He creates magical realms inhabited by gods, myths, and heroes, often with a subtle touch of the surreal.
If you're intrigued by the mystical and poetic hints found in Machen's work, try Dunsany’s The King of Elfland's Daughter, a lyrical tale of adventure into a magical realm.
Hodgson excels at blending horror, fantasy, and scientific speculation. He often explores isolated settings surrounded by supernatural threats, with protagonists who must confront unknown terrors.
The House on the Borderland is a memorable example, depicting the eerie experiences of a man who settles in a remote, mysterious home that borders otherworldly realms.
M.R. James is celebrated for ghost stories rooted in atmospheric detail, precision, and subtle horror. His fiction often introduces academics or historians who encounter supernatural phenomena in ordinary settings.
Fans of Machen's unsettling and mysterious atmospheres might enjoy James’ short story collection Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, a set of gripping supernatural tales.
Clark Ashton Smith is known for vivid descriptions, atmospheric storytelling, and fascinating, mysterious worlds. His style often blends dark fantasy and cosmic horror, creating tales full of wonder and dread.
In his collection The Dark Eidolon and Other Fantasies, readers find haunting stories filled with strange worlds, forbidden sorcery, and powerful mysteries that will appeal to those who appreciate Arthur Machen's mystical and eerie mood.
Robert W. Chambers is famous for creating eerie atmospheres and stories dealing with the thin line between sanity and madness.
In his influential book The King in Yellow, Chambers weaves horror, decadence, and stories of forbidden knowledge that bring ordinary people into contact with disturbing mysteries.
Fans of Machen, who enjoy supernatural themes and subtle psychological terror, will appreciate Chambers' writing.
Sheridan Le Fanu was an influential Irish writer known for his skill in creating suspenseful supernatural stories with subtle, psychological horror. His stories often have ambiguous atmospheres where reality blends with dreams and delusion.
In his collection In a Glass Darkly, Le Fanu offers tales of ghosts, spectral visitations, and psychological terror. Readers who appreciate Machen's subtlety and moody atmosphere will find Le Fanu similarly engaging.
Edgar Allan Poe is known for his darkly imaginative tales and skillful creation of dread-filled atmospheres. His writing often explores madness, death, and psychological torment, with detailed, immersive storytelling.
The stories in Tales of Mystery and Imagination highlight Poe's ability to frighten through disturbing scenarios, somber settings, and unsettling narrators. Machen lovers who find appeal in dark, psychological horror and elegant prose will enjoy Poe's work.
Ambrose Bierce wrote with dark wit and a sharp style, producing deeply unsettling and thought-provoking stories. Known for portraying eerie supernatural events and human cruelty, Bierce explores themes of fear, war, madness, and death.
In the collection Can Such Things Be?, Bierce creates strange and uncanny tales told in a realistic, skeptical tone. Like Machen, Bierce challenges readers with mysterious events and lasting ambiguity.
Walter de la Mare writes subtle, atmospheric tales full of mystery and dream-like imagery. He often blends the supernatural with gentle melancholy, capturing moods rather than straightforward scares.
Readers who enjoyed Machen’s quiet, unsettling style might appreciate de la Mare's The Return, a ghost story full of eerie beauty that lingers long after reading.
Thomas Ligotti is known for dark, philosophical horror stories that explore despair, existential dread, and the absurdity of life. His writings venture into truly strange territory, often avoiding clear resolutions and emphasizing unsettling truths about reality.
Readers intrigued by Machen's themes of hidden worlds and ancient mysteries would likely enjoy Ligotti's Teatro Grottesco, a collection of unsettling stories exploring nightmares beneath everyday existence.
Ramsey Campbell's style is psychological and understated, slowly building terror by blurring everyday life with unexpected darkness. His stories often delve into the disturbing realities lying beneath ordinary experiences, provoking unease rather than outright horror.
Fans of Machen’s eerily ambiguous atmosphere could find Campbell's The Hungry Moon engaging, with its quiet horror born out of folklore meeting modern life.
Arthur Conan Doyle Best known for Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle also wrote supernatural tales that showcase his masterful storytelling and careful build-up of tension and mystery.
His supernatural fiction explores spiritualism, ghostly experiences, and inexplicable phenomena, often in a rational, investigative manner.
Fans of Machen's curiosity about hidden realities might enjoy Doyle's The Captain of the Polestar and Other Tales, exploring ghostly encounters with a mix of Victorian elegance and emotional depth.
Conan Doyle Best known for Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle also wrote supernatural tales that showcase his masterful storytelling and careful build-up of tension and mystery.
His supernatural fiction explores spiritualism, ghostly experiences, and inexplicable phenomena, often in a rational, investigative manner.
Fans of Machen's curiosity about hidden realities might enjoy Doyle's The Captain of the Polestar and Other Tales, exploring ghostly encounters with a mix of Victorian elegance and emotional depth.