Another month, another themed list! Thanks in particular this month to the “Spooky Book Club” and “Horror Books” Facebook groups for caves-themed book recs.
If you like what you find here, sign up for my newsletter! I always include a little extra for subscribers. Got any theme-related stories? Books or games set far underground? Music that evokes the echoing of long-forgotten stone? Heck, just a favorite cave? Drop ’em in the comments!
Book Recs
- The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling
A young woman lies on her resume to land a solo caving job, only to find herself at the whim of the female handler managing her protective suit. - The Revelator by Daryl Gregory
In 1930s Tennessee, a young girl wanders into a cavern and encounters the family’s personal god, an entity known as Ghostdaddy. - The Worm and His Kings by Hailey Piper
After the woman she loves vanishes, a homeless woman follows a taloned monster underground and infiltrates a cult to retrieve her. - “The Enigma of Amigara Fault” by Junji Ito
A young man travels into the mountains to investigate the strange human-shaped holes that have appeared there. (It’s a manga!)
Caves in the 19th Century

Mammoth Cave by Marie-François-Régis Gignoux (1816-1882)
“What looks like a roaring fire actually is a number of the open-flame lamps brought together, which put out a great deal of smoke.”
See the article “Historic Paintings of Mammoth Cave: Nature’s Underground Art Gallery” by Bob Thomson for more.
” . . . although I sometimes remained in it from eight to ten hours at a time, I never felt the slightest discomfort from the darkness or any other cause.”
– David Hunter Strother (pseudonym “Porte Crayon”)
The Adventures of Porte Crayon and His Cousins (1850s), Chapter III: Weyer’s Cave

From an 1852 Tourist Pamphlet
“Weyer’s Cave must be seen to be known. . . . No one can visit it, however sanguine his expectations, without expressing himself delighted . . . In visiting the Cave, Ladies should be provided with thin shawls and with thick shoes.”
Links
“Ted the Caver” by Ted Hegemann – Via his online diary, a man excavates an unexplored cave with friends. But as he presses on, the entries deteriorate into something more disturbing. (This horror story, self-pub’d in 2001, was among the earliest “creepypasta.”)
Robbie Shone’s “Ask Me Anything” Thread on Reddit – Shone is a Nat Geo photographer with a focus on caves, which pose a unique challenge (not least because they’re pitch black).
“Lost John’s Cave“ in the Magnus Archive – A paranormal researcher investigates a case where a caving enthusiast claims to have lost her sister on an excursion.
“Sharks in the dark” by Hodnett et al. – This academic article outlines a search for ancient marine vertebrates in the world’s longest cave system.
Black Guides of Mammoth Cave – This documentary covers the history and legacy of Black guides at Mammoth Cave since the 19th century.
Did you enjoy the list?
If you liked this list, check out last month’s too! The theme was SNOW. And if you’d like to catch next month’s list, subscribe below!