The Most Devilish Books
Satan, Lucifer, Beelzebub, Mephistopheles, the prince of darkness - call him what you will, but the devil is a such an intriguing force of evil that countless writers across many centuries have woven a devil, the devil or simply demonic themes into their work. The Faustian pact has been reworked many times – from Christopher Marlow’s Doctor Faustus, which popularized this age-old German legend, to Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray – while temptation is also a common reoccurring theme with John Milton’s Paradise Lost being the classic example.Dante's Inferno (which has recently been turned into a video game), C.S. Lewis, Washington Irving, and, of course, the king of the occultists, Aleister Crowley, have all ventured into this dark territory. Joe Hill, son of Stephen King, also takes a trip through hell with his new supernatural thriller Horns. Devilish writing veers from straight horror to anarchic humor to the completely unexpected.
Get to know the devil in literature.
Twenty Devilish Books
Job: A Comedy of Justice (1984)
Robert Heinlein
One for atheists as Heinlein shows unexpected visions of Satan, heaven and hell.
The Mysterious Stranger (1916)
Mark Twain
Some Austrian boys meet an angel called Satan, who educates them – a satire on religion.
The Sorrows of Satan (1895)
Marie Corelli
The devil comes to London and helps a starving novelist – a satire on Victorian life.
The War Hound and the World's Pain (1981)
Michael Moorcock
A fantasy where Lucifer asks the hero to do God’s work and find the Holy Grail.
The Master and Margarita (1966)
Mikhail Bulgakov
Satan brings hell to Moscow. Written during Stalin’s show trials. Suppressed for years.
Melmoth the Wanderer (1820)
Charles Robert Maturin
A reworking of the Faustian pact – an example of classic gothic literature.
Rosemary's Baby
Ira Levin
Levin’s vision of satanism in suburbia. Should not be read by mothers-to-be.
The Devil to Pay in the Backlands (1956)
João Guimarães Rosa
One of the best novels to emerge from Brazil – the devil is just part of the story.
Good Omens (1990)
Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
The world is coming to an end – a very funny book indeed.
I, Lucifer (2003)
Glen Duncan
It’s not easy being the fallen angel, who takes over the body of a depressed writer.
Me & the Devil Blues 1: The Unreal Life of Robert Johnson (2008)
Akira Hiramoto
The life of blues guitarist Robert Johnson, who sold his soul to the devil, is re-imagined.
Hell (2009)
Robert Olen Butler
Definitely not Dante, a TV presenter endures a novel but hellish experience.
The Witches of Eastwick (1984)
John Updike
Devilish Darryl Van Horne sets up his own little coven on Rhode Island.
Falling Angel (1978)
William Hjortsberg
The Angel Heart movie is based on this novel - Louis Cyphre wants a debt settled.
Butcher Bird (2007)
Richard Kadrey
A San Francisco tattoo artist journeys to Hell after being wounded by a demon.
Needful Things (1991)
Stephen King
Leland Gaunt is an evil scheming shopkeeper, who turns a small town on its head.
Blood Meridian (1985)
Cormac McCarthy
Many see the Judge Holden character as demonic in this Western novel.
The Monk (1796)
Matthew Lewis
A Spanish monk is tempted by Matilda, an agent of the devil, into ungodly crimes.
Deathbird Stories (1975)
Harlan Ellison
Written between 1960 and 1974, a collection of 19 scary stories of myth and evil.
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