There are plenty of novels, both speculative and literary, based in London, with bestsellers ranging from A Journal of the Plague Year in 1722 to The Girl On The Train in 2015.
But what about novels set beneath London? When I first started thinking about the impact of a Wailing Woman of the Ford in modern London, it was obvious that this would have to incorporate the underground rivers trapped in Victorian tunnels. Bazalgette’s sewer system is rich with folklore and legend and makes for the perfect setting for a rich fantasy story. Combine this with the London Tube stations deep underground, with some closed down and others shut off entirely, and it is not hard to see why so many authors are fascinated by London’s underbelly.
To celebrate this, I have collected my five favourite modern novels which focus on the world underneath the United Kingdom’s capital city.
