Cult Fiction
Want to read about cults in fiction, including fantasy, science fiction, and thrillers? Check out these titles for stories of people drawn in by charismatic leaders and promises of community. (Created April 2026)
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The Merry Dredgers
Seraphina Ramon will stop at nothing to find out the truth about why her sister Eff is in a coma after a very suspicious "accident." Even if it means infiltrating the last place Seraphina knows Eff was alive: a once-abandoned amusement park now populated by a community of cultists. (NoveList)
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Sorrowland
Fleeing from the strict religious compound where she was raised, Vern, in the safety of the forest, gives birth to twins, and to keep her small family safe, unleashes incredible brutality far beyond what a person should be capable of. (NoveList)
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A Mother Always Knows
Cults and childhood trauma lead to real suspense in this latest from Strohmeyer. (Library Journal)
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So Far Gone
A zany thriller about a former journalist turned hermit whose two grandchildren suddenly arrive at his door after their mother goes missing. He must then contend with the religious militia his son-in-law is involved in while tracking down his daughter with the help of a retired cop and some friends. (LibraryReads)
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The High Heaven
In 1967, a girl flees from a flying-saucer doomsday cult in New Mexico but cannot escape intrusive feelings of connectedness with the cosmos. (Booklist)
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You Weren't Meant to Be Human
Crane is an autistic trans man who lives and works in Appalachia. He believes he’s found acceptance with “the hive,” an intelligent mass of malevolent worms, and the rural cult that serve its needs. However, when Crane discovers that he’s been impregnated by his abusive partner, Levi, he learns that the hive and his previously supportive community values him as an incubator above everything else, and he is pressured to carry the pregnancy to term. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: All copies in use
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