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You'd probably be surprised to see someone lumping Animal Crossing into a category with, say, American Horror Story. And to be fair, their actual substance couldn't be more different. But according to one of the most well-respected genre authors currently publishing, the two pieces of entertainment might fit nicely together in one specific way - that is, the social need they both fill. 

But don't just take it from me - hear what The Dark Artifices author Cassandra Clare has to say about the cozy and horror genres.

Clare was one of the most sought-after guests at BookCon 2026, where she was signing, meeting fans, and attending the This is Going to be Epic panel as a guest of honor. At one point in the discussion, Clare spoke to her love of darkness in fantasy, saying

"When I say dark, I mean like noir, murdery, bloody, grim fantasy. Things that border on horror like Between Two Fires and books like that."

"I love them," she continued, "And I also think what's interesting is that cozy [fantasy] and horror feed the same need, which is catharsis in a world that feels terrible and suffocating and dangerous right now. You can experience that through a world that is much worse, more extreme, or cozy fantasy. I think that both in many ways they cover the same want that we have."

Well, we're not going to argue with the creator of the goshdarn Shadowhunters Chronicles, even if we didn't agree with what she was saying. Still, as you do your own digging into the opposing genres to see if you agree with Clare, maybe prepare yourself for a jump.

I'm just saying - Stardew Valley to The Human Centipede is a hell of a leap.

Here's a list of all the major upcoming prose novels in our favorite genres.