bizarre story; grotesque novel
Refers to a genre of fiction focusing on the strange, grotesque, or macabre, often with psychological or sensational elements.
His hobby is collecting bizarre stories.
This author became famous for his grotesque novels.
猟奇 is the broader concept of 'bizarre' or 'grotesque' as a noun or adjective, while 猟奇小説 specifically refers to the literary genre.
怪奇小説 emphasizes mystery and the supernatural, whereas 猟奇小説 leans more toward the grotesque and psychologically disturbing.
Compound of 猟奇 (ryōki, 'seeking the bizarre') and 小説 (shōsetsu, 'novel'). The term 猟奇 itself derives from 猟 (ryō, 'hunting') and 奇 (ki, 'strange'), literally 'hunting for the strange'.