K. Hari Kumar

Books

K. Hari Kumar’s literary journey is a testament to his captivating storytelling and genre-bending mastery. Spanning over a decade, his work has consistently pushed the boundaries of horror, mythology, and psychological suspense in Indian literature. Each phase of his career has marked a new creative evolution—starting with instant reader engagement and evolving into critical acceptance.

Phase 1: The Stranger Establishes a Humble Legacy (2013–2018)

Instant Success:
Kumar’s debut novel, When Strangers Meet (2013), became an instant bestseller, going into over five reprints by 2018. This heartwarming story of fate, fatherhood, and forgiveness introduced readers to his accessible yet emotionally resonant style.

Breaking Barriers:
In 2015, That Frequent Visitor became the first Indian horror novel to make it to Amazon’s Global Bestseller list, selling over 10,000 Kindle copies and putting Indo-Gothic horror on the map. With its unforgettable setting and haunting premise, the book earned K. Hari Kumar recognition as one of the youngest voices to redefine the Indian horror landscape in the subcontinent.

Critical Acclaim:
The Other Side of Her (2018) may not have been his biggest commercial hit, but it sparked something bigger—its adaptation into the Zee5 web series Bhram, starring Kalki Koechlin, Bhumika Chawla, and Sanjay Suri. The novel subtly weaves PTSD, supernatural fear, and the female psyche into a psychological Gothic narrative that left critics intrigued and readers haunted.

  • When Strangers Meet (2013, Srishti)

  • That Frequent Visitor (2015, Srishti)

  • The Other Side of Her (2018, Srishti)

Phase 2: India’s Most Haunted and the Rise of Indo-Gothic (2019–2024)

A Genre-Defining Masterpiece:
With India’s Most Haunted: Tales of Terrifying Places (HarperCollins, 2019), Kumar cemented his place as a master of the Indo-Gothic genre. A simple yet chilling collection of stories rooted in real places and inspired by Indian folklore, the book became a bestseller and was quickly translated into Malayalam. A Hindi edition is in the works. Its episodic narrative style drew comparisons to The Twilight Zone, and even inspired academic papers on Indo-Gothic horror fiction in South Asia.

Psychological Intrigue:
DAKHMA (2021) took the horror out of haunted havelis and into the teeming chaos of Mumbai. A psychological thriller with supernatural elements, it explored themes of marital isolation, motherhood, and occult rituals. Kumar has described the novel as a tribute to Ira Levin’s Rosemary’s Baby, reimagined through the lens of Indo-Gothic tradition.

  • India’s Most Haunted (2019, HarperCollins)

  • Indiayile Prethalayangal (2022, Malayalam Edition, Mathrubhumi Books)

  • DAKHMA (2021, HarperCollins)

Phase 3: Horror, Occult, Folklore & Mythology (2024–Present)

Expanding Horizons with DAIVA:
In May 2024, Kumar took a bold leap into non-fiction with DAIVA – Discovering the Extraordinary World of Spirit Worship (HarperCollins). This immersive work explores the sacred and surreal rituals of Tulu Nadu’s spirit worship. Through evocative prose and detailed research, Kumar brings to life the stories of Daivas like Panjurli and Bobbarya, and the breathtaking rituals of the kola performers who embody them. Critics have described DAIVA as “insightful and passionate,” with Kitaab calling it an “eye-opening and engaging” account of living mythology.

A Final Bow to Horror with Dakini:
October 2024 saw the release of Dakini, a psychological horror novel that blends myth, murder, and gender politics into a relentless narrative. Described by The Free Press Journal as “a dark fusion of myth, murder, and the supernatural,” and praised by Storizen for its commentary on the oppression of women, Dakini has captivated readers and critics alike. Reviewers hailed it as a “tour-de-force in contemporary horror fiction.”

With its gripping plot and folkloric depth, Dakini not only terrifies but forces readers to confront deep-rooted societal fears. Announced as K. Hari Kumar’s final work in the ‘pure horror fiction’ genre, the novel serves as both a culmination and a farewell to the very world he helped build.

  • DAIVA – Discovering the Extraordinary World of Spirit Worship (2024, HarperCollins)

  • Dakini (2024, HarperCollins)

Forewords & Contributions

Kumar has also contributed to international anthologies and literary preservation efforts. He wrote the foreword for Asian Ghost Stories, published by Flame Tree Publishing (UK/Simon & Schuster), and also penned introductions for The Collected Works of S. Mukerji: Indian Ghost Stories and The Mysterious Traders, compiled by Bram Stoker Award-winning editor Eric J. Guignard.

Writing Style

K. Hari Kumar’s writing style is a hypnotic blend of lyrical storytelling, psychological depth, and a deep-rooted fascination with the unknown. Over the years, his narratives have grown darker, braver, and more introspective—evolving from the heartfelt simplicity of When Strangers Meet, a story about a boy running away from home, to the unflinching horror of Dakini, which centres on a pregnant widow condemned to death by an archaic, patriarchal system. Beneath the horror and suspense, Kumar is constantly probing the fundamental questions that haunt humanity: What lies beyond death? What makes us human in the face of the inhuman? His works explore the fragile threshold between life and afterlife, reality and illusion, often blurring those lines to expose deeper truths. With each story, he doesn’t just scare his readers—he dares them to confront the things they’d rather not believe in.