Novels like Dark Fairy Tales: Modern Day
Books Chinese readers most often put in the same booklists as Dark Fairy Tales: Modern Day, best match first.
- 101 Made a Sacrifice to Warn the Others, I Nearly Froze to Death in the Cold Storage Before Striking Back 我成杀鸡儆猴的牺牲品，冻库濒死反杀 I Became the Sacrifice They Made to Scare the Others. I Was Near Death in the Freezer, Then Struck Back —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 102 A Strange Tale Every Night 夜夜都有诡故事 [Extreme Supernatural Horror] [Ghosts, Fox Spirits, and Other Strange Creatures] [Not for Women] [Not for the Fainthearted] Based on personal experience and real events. The occult is science we have yet to touch; science is the occult we have already mastered. 22Reads—Score—14d adds
- 103 Thriller Game: Beginning with the Death of Bai Ze 惊悚游戏：从白泽之死开始 Newbie player Chen Mo accidentally enters a horror game and begins a thrilling fight for survival. “Welcome to the horror game. Please remember the following rules.” “1. The paranormal cannot be killed. 2. The paranormal must obey the rules. 3. Players cannot kill one another. …” As Chen Mo gradually learns how the horror game works, he uncovers an even more terrifying secret behind it. When you enter this game, remember: fear is your grave, and calm is your weapon. Can you survive the next lev 20Reads—Score—14d adds
- 104 Half Bad, Half Good 一半坏一半好 When dawn breaks, close your eyes. When night falls, open them. Each day brings a different revelation. The more you see, the less afraid you become, until you get used to it. When I thought I had arrived in hell, the next moment I was in heaven. Hell and heaven are hard to tell apart. Can you tell the difference? 17Reads—Score—14d adds
- 105 Someone New Appeared in the Footage 录像里多出一个人 The test shoot’s discarded footage was four seconds longer. Everyone in the frame held the same poses they had at the end of filming. No one moved. I counted three times. There were six people every time. But only five people had been there that day. On the hard drive my mother left behind, there was an empty folder with a four-character name: Do Not Fast-Forward. In the recycle bin was a deleted video, four minutes and twenty-five seconds long, which couldn’t be recovered. Our production crew w 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 106 The Iron Fan, Famous Detective of Bianjing: Strange Tales of the Song Dynasty 汴京名捕铁扇子：大宋诡事录 At night, an empty coffin floats on the Bian River, and water ghosts come to claim lives. Apparitions haunt a mansion, and ghosts knock at the door on rainy nights. Qi Guan Shanyu, the youngest renowned constable of the Six Gates, known as the “Iron Fan,” joins forces with an adversary more terrifying than ghosts: the human heart. A coffin rises from the water by itself, and the dead man’s face wears an eerie smile… Bianjing is in an uproar! Each case is more bizarre and mind-bending than the la 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 107 I Love Your Numbness, I Love Your Spice, I Love You Till My Stomach Gives Out 爱你的麻，爱你的辣，爱得老胃直拉胯 I love your numbing spice, I love your heat, I love you so much my stomach’s a mess 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 108 Mama Haha Won't Fly Anymore 玛玛哈哈不飞了 Mama Haha Won't Fly Anymore 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 109 The Stone That Remembers the Light 会记住光的石头 The Stone That Remembers the Light 2Reads—Score—14d adds
- 110 Have You Had Your Soup Today? 今天您喝汤了吗？ [Sea Turtle Soup] [Livestream] [No System] [Mystery] [Mild Horror] Have you had your soup today? That is the sentence Gu Ming says at the start of every livestream. At first, people thought he was just an ordinary paranormal streamer. But gradually, they realized that his stories all seemed to have real-life counterparts... A girl who lost both hands... A boy who was assaulted by his female boss... And the exact address of a drug lord's hideout... No one knows who Gu Ming really is. The police w 651Reads8.5Score11314d adds
- 111 Watch Your Life 小心你的命 He Li works in e-commerce customer service and depends on her mother for support. The two of them make a living from a single online shop. When she first opened it, He Li did everything herself, from operations and customer service to packing orders. Little by little, the store began to thrive. But fate had other plans: one after-sales complaint destroyed all the hard work He Li had put into it. 27Reads8.5Score—14d adds
- 112 A Collection of Terrifying Tales 恐怖惊魂故事录 [Traditional supernatural tales] [Strange happenings late at night] [Whispers of the uncanny in your ear] [Based on true events] [Urban horror] [Thrilling and chilling] One ghost story for every chapter, all set in the dead of night. Come and read... 607Reads—Score—14d adds
- 113 The Corpse of a Mountain Village Woman 山村女尸 [Feel-Good Read + Urban + Suspense + Supernatural] He Xi is an ordinary security guard. One day, the west gate of Chaoxi Psychiatric Hospital desperately needs a guard. The pay is 30,000 yuan a month, but nobody dares take the job! Nobody else dares, but He Xi does! Only after arriving does he realize something is wrong. The west gate isn’t meant for people to pass through at all. It’s a gate for ghosts! 7.7kReads7.7Score35314d adds
- 114 Strange Tales of the Rainy City: A Red Notice on a Rainy Night in Nangang 湿城诡录：南港雨夜红单 The Strange Cases of the Rainy City: Red Orders on a Rainy Night in Nangang —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 115 Twenty Perfect Comebacks: Shh! Don't Play Mind Games with the Villainess 20场完美反杀：嘘！别和恶女玩心机 [Episodic stories + wicked women + scheming women + revenge + twists + dark transformations and counterattacks + satisfying revenge] What is a high-level scheming green tea like when she's someone close to you? My best friend, Shen Zhouyi, is a born green tea: steady, precise, ruthless, and always one step ahead of her targets. With just a little scheming, she can make any man her prey. I knew full well... my boyfriend was exactly her type. At a party, I made a point of introducing him to her. W 1.2kReads8.7Score12314d adds
- 116 Night Talks at the Threshing Ground 打谷场夜话 Long ago, in the countryside, there were no phones, televisions, air conditioners, or fans. When darkness fell in summer, people would head to the threshing ground to cool off, sit in a circle, chat, and start telling strange and terrifying ghost stories… 1.9kReads—Score12214d adds
- 117 Nightcry Tower: Eleven Horror and Suspense Stories 夜哭楼：十一个恐怖悬疑故事 [Horror | Suspense | Mystery | Folklore | Short story collection] The green lamp, a ghost knocking at the door in the dead of night, the Golden Buddha, a female ghost... As everyone knows, what is truly terrifying isn't seeing a ghost, but the human heart! This collection brings together eleven horror and suspense stories by Han Shisan, originally published in well-known magazines across China. They'll send chills down your spine and turn even the fainthearted into brave souls! 602Reads9.3Score10114d adds
- 118 Strange Yin-Yang Tales: A Half-Immortal’s Records 阴阳诡事：半仙诡录 [This is no ordinary supernatural story. It’s all about horror and suspense: no mindless power fantasy, just yin-yang taboos, the Grinning Fiend, the Ghost Bride’s Gown, eerie shadows in an ancient mansion, and the Mandarin Duck Pendant. If it’s not good, you can break my legs!!] There’s no shortage of bizarre happenings between the worlds of yin and yang. The Grinning Fiend: what unknowable resentment lies behind that sinister face? The thousand-year-old fox: what cunning schemes hide beneath h 1.2kReads—Score—14d adds
- 119 The Missing Tenants' List 消失的租客名单 The Missing Tenant List 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 120 Another World: Horror Game 异世界：恐怖游戏 [When a horror game descends, a yandere BOSS targets her from the start] Dropped into a disastrous situation right away? Sorry, someone has already talked himself into falling for her. Yu Xinlan was accidentally swept into another world, where she encountered a village of inverted red and white, a “perfect” yet eerie school, a temple where every wish came true... Each dungeon concealed a bloody past and its own rules. She proceeded cautiously, yet the same man kept maliciously raising the diffi 787Reads—Score14014d adds
- 121 Midnight in Fengtian: The Red Opera Robe and the Blond Punk 奉天夜半：红戏服与黄毛 Midnight in Fengtian: The Red Opera Robe and the Blond —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 122 The Empty Car Beneath the Red Lantern 红灯笼下的空车 The Empty Carriage Beneath the Red Lantern —Reads—Score—14d adds
- 123 When the Mirror No Longer Reflects a Face 当镜子不再映脸 When Mirrors No Longer Reflect Faces 1Reads—Score—14d adds
- 124 Studying Neutrinos at the Funeral Home 我在殡仪馆研究中微子 ❎ Not for the faint of heart! Five-star horror rating. I’m a college student. To ease the burden on my family, I decided to find a part-time job near campus. By chance, I spotted a faded advertisement on a utility pole nearby. The job was keeping night watch at a funeral home, and the pay was great, so I took it. On my first day, the manager told me three bizarre rules for the funeral home’s night shift: I’d be the only one working overnight; never open the door for strangers; and never get invo 16.7kReads7.2Score2.4k14d adds
- 125 The Haunted Houses I’ve Experienced 我经历的凶宅 The older generation often says that people who die violent deaths cannot enter the cycle of reincarnation. Their souls endlessly haunt the places where they died, seeking substitutes. Only then can they be reborn. That’s why we often hear in the news about car crashes that keep happening at certain locations. Sometimes the place isn’t even a proper intersection, yet terrible accidents leave cars wrecked and people dead. Some streams aren’t even as deep as a person is tall, yet every year there 2.1kReads8.9Score19914d adds
- 126 The Deadly Taboos of Horror 惊悚死人禁忌 [Definitely not ordinary paranormal fiction. Focused on horror and suspense, not mindless wish fulfillment. Folk tales of the supernatural, ghost babies. If you don’t like it after reading, feel free to criticize it.] A mountain village shrouded in mystery is beset by one strange incident after another. A coffin that cannot be lifted at a funeral, children mysteriously drowning, and the question of why a water ghost has appeared. What truth lies behind the deaths? A baby’s anguished cries ring o 144Reads—Score—14d adds
- 127 A Collection of Ancient Folk Tales of the Supernatural 古代民间灵异故事合集听来的故事 A hugely popular collection on Tomato Listen, featuring rule-based horror, infinite-loop survival, folk customs and taboos, deranged killers, deadly survival instances, feng shui, livestreaming, modern technology, and many other kinds of horror. Volume One: Classical ghost stories. A blend of modern and classical taboos: never look in the mirror at midnight, someone is under the bed... A wedding sedan, an old well, an ancestral shrine, a nighttime opera... Any ordinary thing can become a spirit; 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 128 Shattered Yin-Yang Jade 阴阳玉碎 [Supernatural + horror + suspense + first person + no idiots in the story + clever protagonist + a touch of angst] "I'm turning eighteen soon. I should die, too." Yu Yue and I are twin sisters, born eighteen years ago on Ghost Festival. A fortune-teller gave us each a jade pendant and said that on our eighteenth birthday, whoever's pendant broke would die. We're seventeen now, and suddenly both pendants have shattered. How can we possibly survive? 39Reads—Score—14d adds
- 129 Anomaly Survival Guide 异常求生指南 [The Backrooms X rules-based horror X Cthulhu Mythos X infinite flow X wild imagination] No System, no leveling up, no harem. This handbook is designed to help you deal with all kinds of anomalies. We hope every investigator will survive and provide us with more useful data. Because of the existence of the gods, most life in the universe is subtly influenced by the rulers scattered throughout the galaxy. As the universe grew ever more prosperous, the rulers’ psychic projections created a space 59Reads—Score—14d adds
- 130 The Strange and Supernatural Things I’ve Heard and Seen 那些我所闻所见的灵异事 I’ll tell stories about the strange things that have happened to me over the years, along with the folk secrets and I Ching mysticism I’ve learned. At the start of each story, I’ll say whether I experienced it myself or heard it from someone else. I may not tell them in chronological order. I need to remember and organize everything, so I’ll just talk about whatever comes to mind. Things I experienced myself may be exaggerated, but they’re absolutely true. As for some of the stories I’ve heard, 2.4kReads—Score15614d adds
- 131 Folk Taboos and Strange Tales 民间禁忌怪谈 Ever since I was a kid, I thought my grandpa was strange. Whenever he had nothing to do, he liked to wander deep into the old forest. Then one day, he brought a little girl back from the woods, and I discovered the secret he was hiding. From then on, I tried to get away, but only became more deeply entangled... 667Reads8.3Score10014d adds
- 132 True Stories of Folk Horror 真实民间恐怖故事 Real! Real! Real! I'm not after horror, just realism. The stories in this novel come from friends around me and readers across the internet. Anyone with mental health issues can skip it. And whatever you do, don't read it alone at night. I'm mainly worried you'll wet the bed the next day. 76Reads—Score—14d adds
- 133 The Autobiography of a Yin Walker 一位走阴人的自传 Adapted into a full-cast audiobook on Tomato Listen. [This story is based on the true account of someone who walks between the worlds of the living and the dead. The horror is off the charts, so timid readers beware!] Have you ever heard of someone who walks between the worlds of the living and the dead? I'm the only son in three generations of the Guo family. My name is Guo Lideng. I've had the yin-yang eyes since I was a child, and can see things ordinary people cannot. As an adult, I stumbled 5.7kReads7.1Score32514d adds
- 134 Fifth Watch 五更 The stories my grandpa used to tell me were probably meant to scare me into staying put, or maybe to lull me to sleep. He always told them with such conviction and vivid detail that I often found myself dreaming of the very scenes he had lived through. I met the old flower-growing woman on Yinshan Mountain, and one villager after another from Sangen Village. Their faces were gloomy and strange, and their deeds served as a warning, reminding us that “the gods are watching from three feet above yo 705Reads7.2Score10014d adds
- 135 Yang Xiaocao's True Ghost Stories 杨小草的见鬼实录 A collection of true stories about Yang Xiaocao's encounters with ghosts. They may not be that scary, but they're absolutely true! The story begins when Yang Xiaocao is in middle school. Born with a yin-attracting constitution, she often encounters unclean things. 9Reads—Score—14d adds
- 136 Classroom of Despair 绝望教室 What began as a prank voting game set off a string of tragedies. One classmate after another died, yet the voting continued. I knew that maybe I would be the next one to die… 671Reads8.2Score—14d adds
- 137 The Myriad Phenomena Restoration Bureau 万象修复局 [Urban Mystery + Folk Horror + Unusual Profession + Conceptual Restoration + Ensemble Cast + No System] When a city begins to forget “fire,” when the names of the dead appear on paper effigies, when streets vanish from the map overnight... Some things can be fixed when they break. But what if what's broken is a “concept” shared by all humanity? Shen Yan is an antique restorer and a member of the Bureau of Universal Restoration. He can restore the things this world is forgetting. 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 138 A Honeymoon in a Ghost Marriage 阴婚蜜月 A Honeymoon with a Ghost Marriage 5Reads—Score—14d adds
- 139 Midnight Terror: The Strange Radio Broadcast 午夜惊魂之电波诡事 In the winter of 1998, Liu Siyang, a broadcasting college graduate, was assigned to Shengjing Radio. He took over a long-dormant late-night program, named it Midnight Frights, and set out to tell the insomniacs of this old industrial city some unusual stories over the midnight airwaves. He unearthed three bizarre cases from the radio station’s archives and old police files: the sweeping sounds that never ceased after the death of “Big Black Tooth,” the library’s caretaker; the green powder stuff 37Reads—Score—14d adds
- 140 Help, I Swallowed an Eyeball 救命，我吞了颗眼珠子 6Reads—Score—14d adds
- 141 The Spooky, Hilarious Legend 恐怖幽默搞笑传 Synopsis of The Spooky, Humorous, Hilarious Tale Other streamers are scared out of their wits when they encounter ghosts on camera. When he runs into evil spirits, his go-to move is “cuddle up”! In a gloomy old mansion, instead of heartrending sobs, the streamer blasts his absurdly catchy “Good Luck Is Coming” theme music. A ghost in white lifts her long hair to scare him, only for him to whip out a pair of Tony's scissors and ask, “Want a makeover?” Even the supernatural crowd rushes to post co 12Reads—Score214d adds
- 142 The Witch Seeks the Veins and Calms the Soul 巫师寻脉镇魂 A man in a red robe isn't necessarily a groom. He might be a shaman, known as a Duangong. The protagonist, Liu Chunqiu, is the youngest shaman in southwestern Hubei. Other people wear red to marry. He wears red to drive out ghosts. Other people pray to Buddha and beseech the gods. He invites the gods to possess him. His master asks him to find and recover the lost lineage of shamanic arts. From then on, the protagonist performs Duangong rites day and night to heal the sick and ward off evil, and 122Reads—Score1114d adds
- 143 When the Funeral Dance Begins, the Living Must Flee 丧舞起，活人避 The Red Luan chapter of The Book of a Thousand Autumns, also known as Red Luan Ferry [Folk Professions + Southern Yunnan Mysticism + Paranormal Folklore + Strange Tales] I was supposed to die when I was six, but I joined a sect to prolong my life. A folk sect in southern Yunnan: warding off evil spirits and guiding the dead. There are countless rules and taboos in our line of work. “When the funeral dance begins, the living must stay away.” When the funeral dance is performed, the living must tu 200Reads—Score—14d adds
- 144 The Security Chief's Final Shift 保安队长的最后一班岗 The Security Captain's Final Shift 4Reads—Score—14d adds
- 145 The Gourmet, Complete in Three Volumes 饕餮记（全三册） Yin Yu, a popular author of historical fantasy, has a solid command of her craft, a seasoned style, and a distinctly individual voice. Drawing on a rich imagination, she builds a fantastical period tale centered on food, with a fresh and original premise. The novel brings together a wealth of elements and incorporates extensive historical detail, painting a vivid portrait of life and customs in the Great Song. At Tianxiang Tower, a divine beast, Taotie, takes the form of a young girl and prepare 2.4kReads9.5Score57914d adds
- 146 Edict of the Mystic Eye 玄瞳敕令 [Chinese-Style Horror + Urban Cultivation + Livestream Fame + Ghost-Tormenting Face-Slapping + No Romance + “Easygoing Girl” + Episodic Story] My family runs a shop called the Worry-Free Pavilion, but our business deals with the realms of the living and the dead. One day, after delivering some clothes, I took a shortcut and stepped onto a long street where dawn would never come. A ghost wedding palanquin passed by, and ghosts roamed the night. I blended in, hoping to get home without drawing att 16Reads—Score—14d adds
- 147 The Village of Terrifying Women 恐怖女人村 The women were so beautiful they were a feast for the eyes, yet they would not even let the men touch their hands. At first, I thought it was a feudal custom. As it turned out, it was part of a terrifying conspiracy. In this dark chapter of history, human nature erupted and was snuffed out again and again, without end. 422Reads8.5Score10814d adds
- 148 Sister Drum: The Comeback of a Skin 阿姐鼓：一张皮的逆袭之路 The Sister Drum: A Hide’s Road to the Top 3Reads—Score—14d adds
- 149 Hell Manor 地狱庄园 [Horror and the Supernatural + Suspense and Mystery + Infinite Flow + No Female Lead] A group of strangers receive a blood letter and mysteriously find themselves inside a villa. Their only chance of survival is to uncover the ghost hiding among them. After Xu Yi completes the task by the skin of his teeth, he is relieved to have finally survived. But then he discovers that he has arrived at a place called Hell Manor. He must complete the tasks in eleven blood letters to leave the manor alive. A 10kReads8.0Score83614d adds
- 150 Horror Academy: Dormitory 404 恐怖学院：404凶舍 A sensational incident once occurred at the academy. It was later completely covered up. Five years later, the academy opened its doors again. 2kReads—Score18114d adds
