Let Me In That Cave book rec list
do you want to go spelunking? does the deep unending darkness call to you? do you get jealous of the Devil's Hole pupfish? was that hole made for you? maybe try reading these books!
Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
not exactly cave horror, but it does involve the exploration of unknown environments and the pull to go underground. first on the list becuase of the tower/tunnel: it is a distillation of the spiraling of caves in fiction, the entire environment wants to eat you, wants to absorb you, wants to bury you. you'll come out different than you were before. very enjoyable character exploration and environmental horror.
The Descent by Jeff Long
it feels a little dated (published 1999), but it's a classic-feeling exploration story. "demons" are found to be living deep underground. corporations get involved, the church gets involved, the military gets involved. a secret society of geniuses want to solve the mystery of "Satan", "Older-than-old". the cave descriptions were evocative and beautiful. the "demons", a divergently evolved line of humans, felt painfully real to me. i finished reading this book on a plane, was devastated by the ending, and still had two more hours of flight. i loved it.
The Maw by Taylor Zajonc
a history professor from America is hired onto a mysterious dig in Tanzania for his expertise in human exploration and migration patterns. the cave descriptions here, too, are great. the main character is unfamiliar with caving, so the descriptions of the gear feel understandably explained to a layperson. there's disease, dead cavers both old and new, loss of sanity, and a golden fountain. the ending was a little strange but it felt like there was no other way it could go after everything. enjoyable all the same!
The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling
on an alien planet, a woman is forced by circumstance and obsession to descend into an unknown cave -- this is true of both the protagonist, and her mirror. the realities of the situation are both up-front and slow burning. this toxic yuri was exactly what I needed after recently finishing Puella Magi Madoka Magica, and having this running obsession with caves. the book itself is a terrifying spiral where both Gyre and Em (caver and topside handler, respectively) tear each other apart and see and understand the most human and monstrous parts of each other. also the alien monster hiding in the depths of the cave was everything I could've wanted and more after reading Dune. a top-tier book and experience, no other book has both terrified me and kept me hooked like this. I need to climb back down.
