90 books like The Road to Hell

I call him HIM is an apocalyptic horror story about a man who is a fighting machine.

Hell has come to earth and wreaked havoc. Demonic beings lurk everywhere, feasting off of humanity. Our main character is simply called Him. He has no name, but only rage as he kills demonic hordes with his sword and his strength.

Where is God in a world filled with demonic influences? Where is God when the cry of humanity reaches out for answers? This thought consumes Him, but there may be a light. A young girl who may be the key.

Scott Kimak blends this horror, apocalyptic story with gritty violence, intense action scenes, coarse language, but also themes of redemption and sacrifice.

I first heard the audio dramatization of this book on a podcast call The Untold Podcast, showcasing speculative fiction from Christian authors.

The story is short, telling of our unnamed narrator who is struggling with sin in his life. He reads the Bible verse, if thy hand offend then, cut if off. From there begins his meltdown into wanting to take off his hand because he has done sinful things with it.

What made this one so chilling is the rational outlook of the narrator. Then comes the grisly bits that make you squirm in your chair as you listen. Now, it’s in book form and I guarantee you, it’s a very good book. Thank God for grace!

Hades Proper is a sci-fi horror book that deals with questions of God, hell, goodness, and faith.

When I read this book, I was blown away at how relatable the characters were. The book reads pretty fast as we are taken from a massive earthquake that opens a fissure deep to the center of the earth.

After the scientist sends instruments to read what the interior of the earth is, we discover that this fissure leads to what can only be described as Hades Proper. For those familiar with Sheol, in the Old Testament, Hell was divided into two sides, the Paradise side, and the Hell side.

When our cast of characters go down this fissure, they find the Paradise side abandoned but filled with all kinds of wonders. But then, the plot thickens as they cross over into the Hell side. It’s a great book sending all sorts of… show more.

Balor explores the story of a man who is desperate to win at any cost.

Carver does a wonderful job exploring racism, underground fighting, voodoo and hoodoo, respectively, Our main character is selfish, egotistical, and pathetic… until he partakes of a potion from a voodoo priestess that gives him access to powers from a spirit named Balor.

Throughout the story, he is given many times to try to unleash himself from the spirit, but in exchange, he receives the fame and monetary gifts he wants.

A chilling aspect is how influential he is on his girlfriend’s son. The boy looks up to him. Will he allow Balor to take complete control in order to gain what he wants?

It’s a story told from a hedonistic view with sensual imagery, coarse language, and spiritual warfare, but such a great book.

This book was perspective shifting for me because it brings together four experts on the bible and contrasts their very different views on one of the most important topics of our faith, eternity. As someone that grew up never thinking critically about hell, this book made me realize that there were still a lot of elements of my faith that I needed to investigate.

Drake served in an armor unit in Southeast Asia in the 1970s, so it’s no coincidence that Hammer’s Slammers, a collection of short stories, revolves around a tank unit. So many military SFF stories focus on knuckle-dragging ground-pounders, so it’s refreshing to see war from a tank turret. Drake has been accused of writing gun porn, but I find a lot of nuance in his writing, especially on combat motivation and small-unit leadership. He was one of the first military SFF authors to write an openly gay character, and women fight right alongside men without the misogynistic or objectifying undertones that sometimes afflict the subgenre. To get a sense for Drake’s writing, “But Loyal to His Own” and “Caught in the Crossfire” are two of my favorite stories.

This warm, charming, slightly-odd novel celebrates the Christmas spirit, and makes one realize what’s important in life. Slow, meditative, understated, and engaging, it’s the perfect book to read during the holiday season. It is best read over the course of some nights, so that the chapters can be pondered and savored.

I’ve always loved books about families, but imagine seven sisters living together. Family relationships are the heart of many books and often I’m enthralled by the intricacies of these stories. Since I grew up with just my brother, I can’t imagine what it’s like to live in a family so large. Sarah Drake has been away and has come home. The town is abuzz with gossip because when Sarah comes home, something big always happens. Also newly arrived in Sea Haven is Damon Wilder, and he arrives with his own secrets and possibly danger is following. A wonderful book that introduces the first of the Drake sisters. I love a good series, and this book is the beginning of one of the best.

I want more than a simple outline of a life when I’m reading a biography. I don’t want a sketch. I want a truly exhaustive account. I want everything.

I want the school reports, the scrapbooks, the family photo album, the letters and diaries, and the gauche snapshots before the child blossomed into a fully formed creative adult.

Well, that’s what you get here. You get first-hand accounts from those who grew up with Nick and a lot of insight from those who saw his music develop firsthand. And who better to collate the lot than his older sister?

The world of The Sea of Stars is amazingly creative; a modern setting that flawlessly incorporates magicians, scheming courtiers, enchanted animals, and prophetic astronomy in an age of cell phones, animal activists, and labor agencies. The majority of common people are ruled over by nobles and magicians who regularly strip human beings of their souls and lock them away inside animals, thus creating a soulless human workforce as well as intelligent animal servants. As weird as that may sound, the characters are so well written that the book is astoundingly humane and moving.

I sympathized completely with Grand Magician Zachary Drake in his disdain for the ruling class and its dehumanizing practices. Though, I’ll admit, a couple of times I was so fascinated by the unexpected creativity of the world that I almost wanted to see more. And I definitely appreciated Drake’s snark and cynical commentary.  

But the story truly… show more.