Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been drawn to the dark, mysterious, and weird. Originally influenced by science fiction and fantasy, then later by mysteries, suspense, thrillers, and horror, I loved the mental visuals and excitement of being in extreme, reality-bending situations. Combine these aspects, and that’s why I told my own story with these same themes: In Tents is my homage to small-town culture… twisted into a darker reality. 


I wrote

In Tents

By Andy Kaiser,

Book cover of In Tents

What is my book about?

Dario may not have his life figured out, but at least he has a job, a cell phone, and friends…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Dreaming Jewels

Andy Kaiser Why did I love this book?

This book was my first introduction to proper fantasy escapism. I read it when I was too young to appreciate it all, but I caught the main thrust: Supernatural happenings in a scary circus. A classic dark fantasy from 1950, it was way ahead of its time. As I grew older I continued to re-read the book. I was able to see outside of the escapism of the young-adult adventure (which was still great), but I was also able to enjoy the more adult themes and darker story implications.

By Theodore Sturgeon,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Dreaming Jewels as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Winner of the Hugo, Nebula and World Fantasy Life Achievement Awards

"One of the masters of modern science fiction."—The Washington Post Book World

Eight-year-old Horty Bluett has never known love. His adoptive parents are violent; his classmates are cruel. So he runs away from home and joins a carnival. Performing alongside the fireaters, snakemen and "little people," Horty is accepted. But he is not safe. For when he loses three fingers in an accident and they grow back, it becomes clear that Horty is not like other boys. And it is a difference some people might want to use.

But…


Book cover of The Circus of Dr. Lao

Andy Kaiser Why did I love this book?

The earliest publication date of this collection goes all the way back to 1935. A strange circus comes to town, with the performers consisting of creatures who talk less about circusy things than they do about philosophy and some strangely specific moralizing. Those thought-provoking aspects are what stick in my mind now. What first drew me to the story was the mystery of the circus itself, and the wonderfully creative creatures inside of it. 

By Charles G. Finney,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Circus of Dr. Lao as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Abalone, Arizona, is a sleepy southwestern town whose chief concerns are boredom and surviving the Great Depression-that is, until the circus of Dr. Lao arrives and immensely and irrevocably changes the lives of everyone drawn to its tents.

Expecting a sideshow spectacle, the citizens of Abalone instead confront and learn profound lessons from the mythical made real-a chimera, a Medusa, a talking sphinx, a sea serpent, witches, the Hound of the Hedges, a werewolf, a mermaid, an ancient god, and the elusive, ever-changing Dr. Lao himself. The circus unfolds, spinning magical, dark strands that ensnare the town's populace: the sea…


Book cover of Something Wicked This Way Comes

Andy Kaiser Why did I love this book?

Some books I read and still have crystal-clear memories of the imagery, even decades after my last read. That’s a testament to Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes. I can still easily remember the story's climax and the “visuals” at the end. This is a story about life and death, what it means to grow older, and what a certain circus can teach us about that.

By Ray Bradbury,

Why should I read it?

10 authors picked Something Wicked This Way Comes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One of Ray Bradbury’s best-known and most popular novels, Something Wicked This Way Comes, now featuring a new introduction and material about its longstanding influence on culture and genre.

For those who still dream and remember, for those yet to experience the hypnotic power of its dark poetry, step inside. The show is about to begin. Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show has come to Green Town, Illinois, to destroy every life touched by its strange and sinister mystery. The carnival rolls in sometime after midnight, ushering in Halloween a week early. A calliope’s shrill siren song beckons to all…


Book cover of Strange World

Andy Kaiser Why did I love this book?

Strange World is a collection of short stories (and many are very short). They expand on the title, the stories being recollections, reports, and (I’m fairly sure) completely made-up weirdness from around the country and world. Everything from strange coincidences to the absurdly fantastic, are all presented as matter-of-fact. This is perfectly in line with the publication date of 1964. Then, America was fully invested in the UFO craze, tinged with metaphysics and the occult. The stores are a time capsule of this cultural view and – whether or not you believe the stories are true – are a fun read.

By Frank Edwards,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Strange World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Describes unexplained incidents of premonitions, UFO sightings, apparitions, ghost lights, family curses, cloudless rain, miracle cures, blackouts, reincarnation, disappearances, and poltergeists


Book cover of Relic

Andy Kaiser Why did I love this book?

This mystery takes place mostly in the New York Museum of Natural History. I loved that the museum itself was so well-defined and so detailed, to me, it became another character in this dark thriller.

Be warned: Enjoying this book may get you hooked on the entire Pendergast Series, starring what I’d describe as a present-day supernatural Sherlock Holmes. This book started it all, and while the majority of the series’ books are excellent, this one is the best, and my personal favorite.

By Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Relic as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The New York Museum of Natural History is built over a subterranean labyrinth of neglected specimen vaults, unmapped drainage tunnels and long-forgotten catacombs.

And there's something down there.

When the mutilated bodies of two young boys are discovered deep within the museum's bowels, Lieutenant Vincent D'Agosta of the NYPD fears a homicidal maniac may be at large. FBI agent Aloysius X.L. Pendergast believes they may be facing something much worse.

As the death toll mounts, and with the opening of the museum's new 'Superstition' exhibition just days away, the two men must work together to prevent a massacre.

'Sit back,…


Explore my book 😀

In Tents

By Andy Kaiser,

Book cover of In Tents

What is my book about?

Dario may not have his life figured out, but at least he has a job, a cell phone, and friends who care about him. That’s enough, until the circus comes to town. Soon after, a bloody attack puts his friend in the hospital and Dario begins to hunt for whoever is responsible. As he investigates, Dario is pulled toward the dangerous and violent circus, its strange people, and the dark rumors of “Frank’s Show.” But the more he unravels the mystery, the more he realizes he must escape it all… before it kills him.

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Curiosity and the Cat

By Martin Treanor,

Book cover of Curiosity and the Cat

Martin Treanor Author Of The Logos Prophecy

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Illustrator Reader Jester Quantum physics buff

Martin's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

Curiosity is certain she saw fairies at the bottom of the garden. Little does she know . . . they saw her first.

Emotionally abandoned by her mother and infatuated by a figurine of a fairy ballerina she discovers in an old toy shop, eight-year-old Curiosity Portland steals the figurine, unleashing strange and frightening happenings around her home, which, in turn, reveals a disturbing family history. 

An ominous tale of faerie folk.

Curiosity and the Cat

By Martin Treanor,

What is this book about?

Curiosity is certain she saw fairies at the bottom of the garden. Little does she know . . . they saw her first.

Emotionally abandoned by her mother and infatuated by a figurine of a fairy ballerina she discovers in an old toy shop, eight-year-old Curiosity Portland steals the figurine, unleashing strange and frightening happenings around her home, which, in turn, reveals a disturbing family history.

An ominous tale of faerie folk.



5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in the circus, poltergeists, and investigations?

The Circus 34 books
Poltergeists 8 books
Investigations 23 books