What Moves the Dead
Reddit take
AI summary of the Reddit excerpts below — not a quote
What Moves the Dead is a gothic horror novella that retells Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Fall of the House of Usher' with a scientific, mycological twist. While generally praised for its unsettling atmosphere and unique setting, it is polarizing due to the author's signature use of modern dialogue and humor in a 19th-century setting.
Pros
- Effective 'creepy' and unsettling atmosphere, particularly scenes involving hares
- Interesting integration of scientific elements and mushroom-based horror
- Inclusive representation featuring a non-binary main character
- Short, digestible novella length that many found to be a quick, engaging read
- Unique and well-realized gothic setting
Cons
- Anachronistic dialogue that some readers find too modern for the 19th-century setting
- Humor and 'fourth-wall breaking' tone can undermine the horror and break immersion
- Pacing is divisive; some readers found the 150-page story dull or slow
- May not be 'scary' enough for those seeking intense horror, leaning more toward 'creepy' or 'whimsical'
Caveats
- The book is often described as a 'fun romp' or 'fairy tale-esque,' which may clash with expectations for a traditional Poe retelling.
- Readers' enjoyment often hinges on their tolerance for T. Kingfisher's specific narrative voice and snark.
Best for
- Fans of gothic retellings
- Readers interested in fungal or ecological horror
- Those looking for a quick, atmospheric horror novella
- Fans of T. Kingfisher's other works like The Hollow Places
Avoid if
- You prefer strictly period-accurate dialogue in historical fiction
- You dislike humor or modern snark in your horror stories
- You are looking for high-intensity scares rather than slow-burn dread
This summary uses balanced time weighting with about a 122-month half-life. The evidence is drawn from 24 mentions in the r/horrorlit community spanning approximately the last 20 months, with a median source age of 432 days.
Sentiment
15 positive (63%) · 6 mixed (25%) · 3 negative (13%)
Trust + time weighted score: +56% · raw score 50%
What redditors said (10 of 24)
I definitely found What Moves the Dead to be one of the creepier things I've read this year.
Her What Moves the Dead, novella was pretty unsettling and the isolation might be right up your alley.
What Moves the Dead, by T. Kingfisher, is a retelling of The Fall of the House of Usher, but there's also a scientific element.
What Moves the Dead by T Kingfisher
I thought What Moves the Dead had a very unique unsettling vibe to it.
I personally quite liked What Moves the Dead. I think there are some legitimately chilling scenes in there, mainly the ones with the hares, and I found the pacing and build up pretty well put together.
I enjoyed What Moves The Dead and her other works but I see them more as whimsical fairy tale sort of stories with some spooky elements thrown in sometimes.
I liked it- my only issue is that it seemed that whenever there was a part that could have gotten super scary, she sort of broke the 4th wall and was all “[get a load of this guy]” and kind of took me out of it.
But the execution of it was just... not good (IN MY OPINION!) I thought the writing, for something seemingly based in the 19th century, was horribly done. Overly modern dialogue and a pretty shabby attempt to incorporate humour. I thought the pacing was REALLY weird and all over the shop.
I've only read What Moves the Dead, but I enjoyed it. Thought it was nice how the plot included more knowledge of mushrooms. Pretty interesting
Compare
What Moves the Dead vs Dark MatterWhat Moves the Dead vs MiseryWhat Moves the Dead vs Books of Blood
Related
- Dungeon Crawler Carl · related · 434 mentions
- Project Hail Mary · related · 325 mentions
- Between Two Fires · related · 239 mentions
- Piranesi · related · 210 mentions
- House of Leaves · related · 204 mentions
- We Used to Live Here · related · 180 mentions