I want good horror literature that fits a certain criteria.

I am completely new to horror books, I’ve never read a horror novel before. So I am looking for something uncanny that invokes a feeling of unease and uncertainty.

In other forms of horror media, I tend to lean toward psychological and environmental horror with emotion behind it, one with characters you genuinely care about and don’t exist for the sole purpose of being brutalized.

I’m not a fan of what I call “bad guy horror” where there’s a bad guy or monster causing all the issues, like IT, Halloween, etc. Not saying it’s bad writing, the whole evil murderer or creature thing just doesn’t appeal to me. Also not big fan of supernatural horror like ghosts or demonic rituals. In general, anything that paints a clear target or villain that you’re meant to be afraid of doesn’t really pique my interest.

What I’m looking for is something that appeals to a deeper level of fear, like the fear of loss, fear of the unfamiliar, and that in which you don’t understand. Something that leaves room for the imagination to sit and ponder.

Does anyone have any good suggestions for this? Thank you in advance.