Psychological Fiction

The selections in our Psychological Fiction Collection focus on the mental and emotional experiences of characters. From psychological thrillers to suspenseful mysteries and crime novels, these narratives examine the complexity of the human mind and emotions as characters endure challenges, overcome obstacles, and face sometimes grueling circumstances.

Publication year 2014

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Natural World: Environment

Tags Psychological Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Magical Realism, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Society: Community

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Grief / Death, Race / Racism, American Literature, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Fantasy, Romance


Publication year 1966

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Life/Time: The Past, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Disability

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Classic Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Education, Education, Psychology, Psychology

Daniel Keyes’s science fiction novel Flowers for Algernon (1966) is the story of a man’s journey from having an intellectual disability to gaining extraordinary intelligence—and his regression when an experimental procedure to “correct” his disability goes wrong. Keyes first published a short story titled “Flowers for Algernon” in 1959, which won the Hugo Award for best science fiction short story, before publishing it as a full-length novel, which won the Nebula award for science fiction... Read Flowers For Algernon Summary


Publication year 1992

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Fathers, Relationships: Marriage, Self Discovery, Identity: Mental Health, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt

Tags Fantasy, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Survival Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence


Publication year 1881

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Femininity

Tags Play: Drama, Psychological Fiction, Scandinavian Literature, Realism, Victorian Period, Drama / Tragedy, Health / Medicine, Religion / Spirituality, Finance / Money / Wealth, Love / Sexuality, Education, Education, History: World, Classic Fiction

The play Ghosts (1881) by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen chronicles the complicated relationship between Helen Alving and her son, Oswald. Ghosts documents a day in the life at the Alving estate as Helen prepares to open an orphanage in honor of her late husband. A three-act play, Ghosts explores the complex social issues of sexually transmitted infections, incest, and euthanasia—topics that made the play highly controversial when it was first produced.Ghosts followed the success of... Read Ghosts Summary


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Mothers, Self Discovery, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1934

Genre Novella, Fiction

Themes Society: Education, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Marriage

Tags Historical Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Education, British Literature

Goodbye, Mr. Chips, James Hilton’s novella about a mild-mannered teacher at a fictional British boys’ school, originally appeared in 1933 as a supplement to the British Weekly, an evangelical newspaper. Its popularity, however, led to its reprinting in the April 1934 issue of the American magazine Atlantic Monthly and later, its publication as a book by Little, Brown and Company in the US and by Hodder & Stoughton in the United Kingdom. An instant bestseller... Read Goodbye, Mr. Chips Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Society: Class, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1999

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Identity: Gender

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Gothic Literature, Trauma / Abuse / Violence

Hannibal is a 1999 novel by American author Thomas Harris. The novel is the third entry in Harris's Hannibal Lecter series, following Red Dragon and The Silence of the Lambs. In this novel, Lecter has escaped custody and fled to Florence, where he is tracked by Clarice Starling and other, more nefarious figures. The novel was adapted into a 2001 film, and elements of the plot were used for the television series of the same... Read Hannibal Summary


Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Friendship

Tags Japanese Literature, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Asian Literature, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Asian Literature


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Fame, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Romance, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Society: Class, Relationships: Mothers, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Identity: Disability, Identity: Mental Health, Identity: Race

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Race / Racism, Disability, Health / Medicine


Publication year 2017

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Apathy, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Identity: Gender, Identity: Sexuality

Tags Psychological Fiction, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Values/Ideas: Art, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction


Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Music

Tags WWII / World War II, Historical Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Military / War, History: World, Romance

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford is a historical novel published in 2009. The story follows Henry Lee at two pivotal stages in his life—in 1942, when he is a 12-year-old with a crush on a Japanese girl, and in 1986, when he is recently widowed. The book, Ford’s debut novel, spent 130 weeks atop the New York Times Best-Seller List and won the 2010 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature... Read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Gender, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Fathers, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Modern Classic Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Mental Illness


Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Relationships: Siblings, Self Discovery

Tags Mental Illness, Psychological Fiction

Wally Lamb’s I Know This Much Is True centers on the illness of Thomas Birdsey, a middle-aged man who has had schizophrenia for the previous 20 years. Narrated by Thomas’s twin brother, Dominick, the novel opens with Thomas having left the group home where he lives and him cutting off his hand with a knife he took from his stepfather’s weapon collection. Thomas performs this action after reading a Bible verse that commands the reader... Read I Know This Much Is True Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Mental Health, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Mental Illness, Depression / Suicide, Philosophy, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction

In his 2016 psychological thriller I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Iain Reid writes about the struggles of depression, social anxiety, and loneliness. Jake, a former physics postdoctoral student and avid writer, works as a janitor in a rural high school. As he contemplates suicide, Jake fictionalizes his memories into a story with characters who represent different aspects of his identity as a way to help him make his decision. In addition to this narrative, Reid... Read I'm Thinking of Ending Things Summary


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Relationships: Friendship, Self Discovery, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Art, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Marriage, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Relationships: Mothers

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction