If you are drawn to the unsettling and darkly beautiful worlds crafted by Mariana Enriquez, you might be searching for authors who evoke a similar atmosphere.
Enriquez’s stories often explore the underbelly of society, particularly in Argentina, blending social commentary with elements of horror and the supernatural.
Her writing is known for its eerie and disturbing quality, exploring themes of poverty, inequality, and violence with a touch of the macabre.
If you like authors who create a sense of unease and explore the darker aspects of human experience with a literary twist, then discovering writers with a similar sensibility could be right for you.
Samanta Schweblin is an Argentine author who masters eerie suspense, unsettling atmospheres, and the surreal. If you appreciate Mariana Enriquez’s gripping blend of realism and dark supernatural elements, Schweblin’s work offers a similar mood.
One vivid example is her novel “Fever Dream,” a story that begins with a tense conversation between a dying woman named Amanda and a mysterious young boy, David. The narrative unfolds as Amanda tries to remember and piece together disturbing events leading to her illness.
The tension builds through unsettling revelations about the rural countryside, family bonds, and hidden threats lurking close by. Schweblin creates a horror that quietly settles in your thoughts long after the book is finished.
Readers who enjoy Mariana Enriquez’s dark tales of the eerie and supernatural might find Silvina Ocampo equally fascinating. Ocampo, an Argentine author known for her imaginative and unsettling short stories, expertly mixes reality with fantasy and horror.
In her collection, “The Fury,” you’ll find stories that blur the line between everyday life and the mysterious unknown. One particularly memorable tale involves a woman whose obsession with mirrors leads her into strange and frightening circumstances.
Ocampo’s storytelling pulls you quietly into worlds filled with subtle dread and whispered secrets, which stick with readers long after the story ends.
Carmen María Machado is an author known for blending horror, fantasy, and dark literary fiction into uniquely unsettling stories. Readers who enjoy Mariana Enriquez’s eerie narratives filled with supernatural elements may find Machado’s work intriguing.
Her short story collection, “Her Body and Other Parties”, offers a disturbing and insightful exploration of women’s experiences, sexuality, and violence. Machado uses haunted dresses, mysterious illnesses, and twisted fairy tales to craft tense, vivid narratives.
In “The Husband Stitch”, one of the collection’s standout stories, a woman lives her life defined by a ribbon around her neck that her husband is obsessed with.
This story, like the entire collection, revolves around the tension between autonomy and control, desire and dread—elements likely to resonate with fans of Enriquez’s unsettling fiction.
Readers who enjoy Mariana Enriquez might appreciate the work of Brazilian author Clarice Lispector. Her fiction has a similar unsettling atmosphere and psychological depth. One good place to start is her novel “The Passion According to G.H.”.
This unusual book follows a woman named G.H., a sculptor living comfortably in Rio de Janeiro. One morning she enters her maid’s empty room, where something seemingly insignificant—a cockroach—triggers an intense psychological journey.
As readers move through G.H.’s spiraling thoughts and unsettling experiences, Lispector explores themes of identity, existence, and the hidden fears beneath everyday life.
The novel is powerful, eerie, and challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths lurking beneath ordinary routines.
Valeria Luiselli is a Mexican author known for her sharp storytelling and thoughtful style, which explores identity, migration, and belonging. Readers who enjoy Mariana Enriquez’s dark atmospheres and unique perspectives might find Luiselli’s “Lost Children Archive” fascinating.
This novel follows a family on a road trip from New York to the southwestern United States, as each member wrestles with their own questions around family ties, personal loss, and the ongoing crisis at the border.
Luiselli weaves together strong narrative voices, creating a nuanced, emotionally resonant story that draws the reader deeply into its characters’ thoughts and experiences.
Readers who enjoy Mariana Enriquez might also appreciate Fernanda Melchor, a Mexican author known for her intense and dark exploration of social realities and human behavior.
Her novel “Hurricane Season” unfolds in a Mexican village shaken by the murder of a person the town calls “the Witch.” Through different points of view, the novel reveals painful secrets, violence, and the desperation of characters caught in poverty, superstition, and prejudice.
Melchor’s gritty style and sharp portrayal of flawed characters create a disturbing yet mesmerizing atmosphere that stays with you long after the last page.
Readers who enjoy Mariana Enriquez’s blend of dark atmosphere and unsettling storytelling may find Agustina Bazterrica intriguing. Bazterrica is an Argentine author known for her disturbing and provocative narratives.
In her novel “Tender Is the Flesh,” the world faces a strange crisis where animal meat becomes toxic. Society turns to legalized cannibalism as a shocking alternative, and humanity’s morality quickly crumbles.
The story follows Marcos, a worker in a processing plant that raises humans as livestock. Marcos struggles with personal loss and growing doubts about the violent system he’s part of, creating profound tension and discomfort.
Bazterrica explores human nature and ethics through a chilling dystopian lens, crafting a story that lingers with readers long after finishing the final chapter.
If you enjoy Mariana Enriquez’s dark and eerie storytelling, Horacio Quiroga might be an author to explore next. Quiroga was a master of unsettling imagery and tense atmospheres.
His book “The Decapitated Chicken and Other Stories” brings together tales of suspense, violence, and psychological tension set in the vivid yet frightening landscapes of the jungle.
For example, in the title story, a seemingly ordinary family situation gradually turns into something terrifying and unforgettable—the sort of imagery that sticks in your mind.
Quiroga doesn’t rely on ghosts or supernatural beings for his chills; he skillfully transforms everyday reality into something horrifying and unpredictable. If stories that slowly lead you into dark, unexpected truths appeal to you, Horacio Quiroga is worth your time.
Gabriela Cabezón Cámara is an Argentinian author known for powerful storytelling that blends gritty realism with lush imagery and vivid characters. Readers who appreciate Mariana Enriquez will find Cámara’s work similarly bold and unsettling.
A great place to start is “The Adventures of China Iron,” a fresh and imaginative retelling of a classic Argentinian poem, “Martín Fierro.” It follows China Iron, a young woman who sets out across the pampas on an adventure filled with freedom, discovery, and identity.
Cámara’s prose is lyrical yet direct, bringing both landscapes and characters vividly to life. For those drawn to stories that mix dark humor with sharp social commentary, Gabriela Cabezón Cámara is a writer worth exploring.
Amparo Dávila was a Mexican author known for her strange and unsettling short stories. Her collection “The Houseguest and Other Stories” is a perfect introduction to her writing, especially for fans of Mariana Enriquez.
The title story, “The Houseguest,” tells the tale of a woman who finds her family disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious and menacing visitor. As days pass, the sense of dread grows deeper, and reality shifts in disturbing ways.
Dávila’s stories capture everyday anxieties and transform them into eerie and haunting situations. Readers who enjoy Enriquez’s mix of the ordinary and the supernatural will find plenty to explore in Dávila’s dark, atmospheric worlds.
Paul Tremblay is an American author who creates unsettling stories with psychological depth and dark realism, perfect for readers who enjoy Mariana Enriquez’s exploration of eerie atmospheres.
In his novel “A Head Full of Ghosts,” Tremblay recounts the disturbing events surrounding the Barrett family. Their young daughter, Marjorie, starts exhibiting frightening behavior, prompting her desperate parents to seek help first from psychiatry and then from religion.
As Marjorie’s supposed possession is documented for reality television, the lines between mental illness, demonic forces, and family trauma blur further and further.
It’s an ambiguous tale full of doubt, dread, and thought-provoking suspense, well suited for fans looking for supernatural horror rooted deeply in everyday anxieties.
If you enjoy Mariana Enriquez’s dark yet imaginative tales blending reality with eerie elements, you might appreciate Karen Russell’s work.
In her book “Swamplandia!,” Russell introduces us to the Bigtree family—a quirky bunch who run an alligator wrestling park deep in Florida’s swamps.
After the death of their mother, the family’s world becomes strange and fractured, and Ava, the youngest, sets out into a swamp full of mysteries and dangers.
Russell mixes humor, sadness, and the supernatural into a fascinating story about family troubles and fantastical journeys.
Julián López is an Argentine author whose atmospheric storytelling resonates deeply with readers who admire Mariana Enriquez. His novel “Una muchacha muy bella” tells the story of a son’s memories of his mother during Argentina’s violent past.
Through vivid yet subtle details, López captures the tense atmosphere of Buenos Aires in the 1970s. His writing style blends personal stories with broader historical themes, creating an emotional depth similar to Enriquez’s works.
Fans of dark, emotionally intense narratives rooted in Argentine history will find López’s book engaging and memorable.
If you enjoy Mariana Enriquez’s dark tales filled with unsettling mysteries and strange twists, Pablo Katchadjian could be another author to explore.
His book “What To Do” begins with a narrator who wakes up confused on a boat, unsure how he arrived there or why he’s aboard at all. From this surreal opening, the story deepens into a world of odd encounters and bizarre logic, blending dreams and reality smoothly.
Characters appear then vanish under strange circumstances, and Katchadjian’s storytelling creates a weird and hypnotic way of seeing things, leaving readers curious about what’s real and what’s imagined.
This story offers a fascinating exploration of how easily one’s grasp on reality can slip away.
If you enjoy Mariana Enriquez’s unsettling and darkly atmospheric fiction, Sara Mesa might catch your interest too. Mesa is a Spanish author known for exploring the hidden tensions beneath ordinary life.
Her novel “Four by Four” tells the disturbing story of an isolated boarding school named Wybrany College. There, privilege, power struggles, and sinister secrets intertwine beneath a polished image of excellence.
Mesa’s clear, sharp style makes Wybrany’s eerie environment distinctly real. The story’s intensity builds quietly, but the impact stays with you long after the final page.