The House That Eats the Dead
The new house is a fresh start for Claire and her family. It’s a move away from the cityscape of a declining San Francisco and towards the quiet suburban life she has craved since her turbulent childhood; a step up the corporate ladder for her husband, Tom; and a safe haven for their two children.
Yet as they unpack their boxes, she senses something is wrong. Fresh flowers dry up, store-bought eggs are inexplicably hollow, and her daughter’s favorite toy disappears. Claire soon confronts a series of impossible truths: The house is hungry. It’s devouring anything that was once alive. And only Claire and Tom, the owners of the house, will remember that this “food” ever existed.
When Claire exploits the house’s power in a moment of weakness, she and the house forge a fragile bond. But as its hunger intensifies and Claire loses control, she fears who else might be drawn to her home—and what sinister appetites they’ll bring.
Additional information
| Genre | Horror, Thriller/Suspense, Upmarket |
|---|---|
| Age | Adult |
| Publisher | Penguin Random House |
| Imprint | Bantam and Tor Nightfire |
| Language(s) | English |
| Format(s) | Hardcover, Trade paperback |
| Author | Max Doty |
| Release Date | 18 August 2026 |
| Release Month | August Releases |
About the Author
Max Doty is a veteran game-writer who served as the Head of Content for Choices: Stories You Play and Surviving High School for which he also wrote two spin-off novels. His screenplay Almost Kings won Netflix’s inaugural Find Your Voice award and was made into a feature film. Max regularly contributes to reddit’s NoSleep forum as scarymaxx, where his works often appear at the top of the charts. He holds a BA and an MA from Stanford University as well as an MFA from Arizona State University. The House That Eats the Dead is his first novel.
