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Horror Book Reviews

Horror Palace provides honest succinct horror book reviews.  Each is a concise summary of the book providing a description, critical analysis, and evaluation of its significance as a horror book.  Importantly, our evaluation will help you determine if you would appreciate and enjoy reading it.

Latest Horror Book Reviews

• Never DEAD (Book Review) Never –DEAD has a very interesting origin. Typically, a book will inspire a film or TV program, but here the reverse is true. Never – DEAD was inspired by a short television program screened at the 2016 MystiCon Independent Film Festival. Furthermore, Never-DEAD Author Ann Greyson was a leading actor in the program portraying ...
• I Wish (Book Review) Editor’s Note: Horror Palace has reviewed more books by author Lex Sinclair than any other horror writer. Needless to say, he holds a special place in our horror literature heart. As his books continued coming thru the office for review, I would think to myself that I would like to review the book. Something seemed to ...
• Abhorrent (Book Review) After finishing this collection of short horror stories, entitled Abhorrent, I had one distinct thought; Michelle Merz is a talent waiting to explode into great things. So, if you can appreciate a fresh voice, in the process of finding its calling inside the world of horror, give Merz a shot at keeping you up at ...
• Ancient Illusions (Book Review) Ancient Illusions is the third book in the Ancient Secrets series, and the hero of the story will be facing a challenge that is more personal than anything he has faced before. More importantly, Joanne Pence has added another great adventure to a collection that was impressive from the start. Her experience shines through the ...
• The Slime (Book Review) The Slime is a book by Lex Sinclair that does not disappoint, and it gives “deadly infestations” a whole new shape and form. With the unique style I have come to recognize from Sinclair, I got swept away fairly quickly by the ordeal he places in front of his characters. And on top of always ...

Reviews are sorted alphabetically by title, with an excerpt from each book linked to the complete horror book review.

• “Beasts Shall Reign Over the Earth!” by Michael and Danny D’Agostino (Book Review) Beasts Shall Reign Over the Earth! is a detective thriller/horror novel by two brothers, namely Michael and Danny D’Agostino. Their combined efforts aim to bring you into a story that unfolds in downtown Manhattan, and they use quite a distinct style doing it. In fact, it puts a very light spin on what would be ...
• “Big Smoke” The Apocalypse Virus Trilogy – Book 1 by R.F. Blackstone (Book Review) R.F. Blackstone is the debut author of Big Smoke, the first book in a fast-paced action novel series entitled The Apocalypse Virus Trilogy that goes from political to apocalyptic in one smooth motion. With a style that is likely to keep your attention right up until the last page, Blackstone creates a female hero that ...
• “Dark: a collection” by Michelle Merz (Book Review) For readers looking to take a journey into the darkest part of your soul, Michelle Merz has put together the perfect selection of stories. The title of the collection, Dark, is definitely appropriate once you finish the first short nightmare, and you probably won’t forget about it for a while. With an amazing style and ...
• 2 pm on a Black Summer’s Day V1 (Book Review) 2 P.M on a Black Summer’s Day is the debut horror book by IP Spall. The plot involves enemies working together to fight the greater evil. It is a mixture of popular horror genre topics, such as witchcraft and demons, but is not as dark as one would expect. Instead, there’s always a silver lining ...
• A Collection of Short Horror Stories (Book Review) Horror stories combined into one text. The leading tale is about a man who is practically brainwashed to kill. He murdered his wife, parents, and 52 others.
• A Dark and Winding Road (Book Review) The collection of short stories entitled “A Dark and Winding Road”, written by Matthew Weber, is refreshing to say the least. It’s great to find a writer that is able to complement his original ideas with a superb talent for writing. He has truly breathed new life into a genre that has been lacking creatively ...
• A Demon Lies Within (Book Review) This story is based on an abusive husband and father who gets murdered. In the depths of hell he discovers the ability to possess and torture the living, which turns into a quest for revenge against his family. Great book for those who like tense exorcisms and demonic possession.
• A Life of Death (Book Review) A Life of Death is not your typical horror novel, but it can definitely pass as a very suspenseful and sometimes gruesome read. Weston Kincade is the author of the series, A Life of Death being the first book in the trilogy captivates his audience by tapping into a slightly old-school style of writing. Kincade ...
• A Pack Of Wolves (Book Review) A werewolf pack known as “The Family” tries to keep their intentions good and moves away from over-population. However, they run into problems with mercenaries that want them dead and a rogue family member who goes an apocalyptic mission. A unique mixture of Western action and Fantasy storytelling.
• A Psycho’s Medley by Terry West A true perspective from the minds of 6 serial killers, separated into 6 different short stories. The first story, which also shares the title of the book, is mostly written in a diary format. It explores the motivation and details of killing from a man who is waiting for his trial to start.
• Ancient Shadows (Book Review) An Archeologist finds himself pitted against ancient demons and modern conspirators where one by one, a horror film director, a judge, and a newspaper publisher meet brutal deaths. A link exists between them, and the deaths have only begun…
• Antitheus (Book Review) G.A. Minton, award winning author of the book Trisomy XXI, delivers his second supernatural horror novel entitled Antitheus. The stage is set in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and it focuses on a group of clergymen who get slaughtered while attending a conference. Minton does not take very long to get the action started, and from ...
• Arcane (Book Review) An angel called Arcane defends the human race against an onslaught from Arioch, the president of Hell. Arcane only has willing mortal humans on his side while Arioch enjoys the full arsenal of demons spawned from Hell. Will the human race manage to survive this reign of terror?
• As the Blade Cuts (Book Review) For extremely dark poetry lovers, this collection by Eric Kapitan should soothe the aching beast. It’s called “As the Blade Cuts” and the poems within the pages are nothing short of stylishly gruesome. Kapitan goes on a journey with his internal struggles, passionate about everything associated with pain and mutilation. In fact, this collection allows ...
• Ascendance (Book Review) C. Jones makes her debut with the short story entitled “Ascendance”, and what a debut it is. It’s graphical and dark nature is enough to make veterans like Stephen King take another look at true horror. Within the pages of this book is a story that is very difficult to read. Not because it doesn’t ...
• Barrow of The Damned (Book Review) Barrow of the Damned is a young adult novel by Jonathan J. Drake, and it introduces a plot you will not typically read about. Live Action Role Playing (LARP) is the engine that drives the book into a dark place underneath the ground, where life is anything but a game. It is the first time ...
• Blackstone (Book Review) Blackstone Penitentiary is well-known for being haunted due to its source of existence. Now the seemingly lifeless and deserted prison will welcome a caretaker called Anthony Creighton and his team, which has taken on the mission to find life after death. Getting out alive is the tricky part.
• Bled Out (Book Review) An 18 year old Kenny Arthur has a near death experience, only to return with the message that an unnatural plague is going to strike. His desire to save the world without a real clue on how to do it takes him through a couple of difficult and painful situations.
• Bray Road (Book Review) Scott Newman is a new author on the horror scene, and he makes his debut with Bray Road, a re-take on some classic werewolf horror. While Newman was quite brave to take on this particular theme out of the shoot, he did a good job of keeping the story fresh and interesting. Therefore, along with ...
• Burning Down Paradise (Book Review) Burning Down Paradise is a poetic story by Eric Kapitan, and it’s a tale the reaches the depths of hell. My first thoughts as I write this review is that sensitive readers should steer clear of this title because it’s really as gruesome as the title suggests. With a good handle between telling a story ...
• Burning House (Book Review) The fire is unlike anything anyone has ever seen. With one poor soul still trapped inside, a group of firefighters suit up and head into the flames on a rescue mission. But an ancient evil has awoken. As the walls burn around them, the crew soon find themselves trapped and prey to a shape-shifting force ...
• Cicada Summer (Book Review) Readers who appreciate the outdoors and a good dose of horror, will find Cicada Summer a very entertaining book if you are scouting for something good. Written by Jeff Dosser with a clear love for nature and all the things that crawl in it, Dosser’s knowledge and research really help to provide a deeper level ...
• Cirque Du Mort (Book Review) Cirque Du Mort by Anastasia Catris isn’t just a collection of flash fiction horror stories. It’s a visual and literary journey into a freak show circus that will leave chills running down your spine. The combination of illustrations along with the dark tales makes this book a collector’s item every horror fan should own. With ...
• Class Four: Those Who Survive (Book Review) Class Four: Those Who Survive is the latest novel by Duncan P. Bradshaw in a continuous apocalyptic story. It picks up where Class Three left off and it explores several different storylines, but the main focus comes down to a man and his mission to find safety for the boy within his care. With a great ...
• Class Three (Book Review) Duncan P. Bradshaw is the author of the new book entitled “Class Three” and he delivers somewhat of a different spin on a zombie apocalypse. With rather colorful characters the reader is thrown into a world where a typical day turns into something nobody expected, except for one particularly eager character called Phillip. Bradshaw starts the ...
• Cobra Z (Book Review) Sean Deville delivers a different perspective on what it could be like if a zombie outbreak occurs in modern day London. His novel, entitled “Cobra Z”, is the first of three books that take a serious look at a very popular epidemic. The biggest challenge staring Deville in the face is to stand out in ...
• Come As You Are: A Short Novel and Nine Stories (Book Review) Come As You Are: A Short Novel and Nine Stories is a collection, featuring a short novel and several short stories. Steven Ramirez is the capable voice behind the supernatural gloom and thrills, and you will quickly learn that this author has a very subtle skill. His target audience for the short novel and I assume ...
• Crogian (Book Review) As Crogian, a top secret military operation in Speaker (Alaska) takes a turn for the worst; the residents are forced to journey to Houston in order to find sanctuary. The only problem is that the journey involves abominations that want to kill them and very harsh forces of nature.
• Dark Shadow of Babylon (Book Review) Dark Shadow of Babylon is a paranormal/horror book written by Julian Speed. The cover is a clear indication that readers will encounter a series of gruesome events, but there is also a great adventure awaiting. The first chapters look at the origin of the evil that creeps into modern times and Speed adds a nice ...
• Dark Teardrops (Book Review) Catherine Tramell is the voice behind the horror novel entitled DarkT eardrops, a story that is fuelled by a classic inspiration, namely “The Exorcist”. Although it bears a striking resemblance to this cult classic thanks to the eerie atmosphere and relatively slow pace, Dark Teardrops can easily be separated as a contemporary piece. It is disturbing ...
• Dead Rage (Book Review) Dead Rage: A Zombie Apocalypse is the third book from Nicholas Ryan and it sees him building on the zombie stories he has written so far. Ryan has been compared to writers such as Max Brooks and many of his readers appreciate his descriptive style. His choice of genre is definitely daring, given it has ...
• Dead Religion (Book Review) A hotel explosion in Mexico that seems to be connected to an American citizen causes something much more sinister to surface. FBI agent James Allison is sent to investigate, but only finds that religion has deeper dimensions than he originally thought, especially the religion of the accused Alex Valdez.
• Dead! Dead! Dead! (Book Review) From the collaborative efforts of Paul Mannering and Bill Ball comes the zombie novel entitled “Dead! Dead! Dead!” Given the popularity of the genre it’s not the easiest challenge to come up with something that is truly original. But it has to be said that Mannering and Ball have delivered a solid story with enough ...
• Desert Flower (Book Review) Two girls are thrown together by fate. One, an unwilling vampire, and the other a victim of infant marriage. Both are alone, scared and lost. Their paths cross and their sisterhood strengthens their ability to overcome the odds. However, some of the decisions they have to make are simply too difficult.
• Devil Let Me Go (Book Review) A collection of thirteen short stories covering numerous elements all based on fear and horror. The tales are varied as they are interesting and it promises to entertain readers from all types of horror genres. Some of the stories have been published before and some are new editions.
• Devils Maintenance (Book Review) Thaxson Patterson II is the author of Devils Maintenance, a psychological thriller based on a very interesting concept. It’s an all-out war of the minds with the trickiest creature in all creation, namely the Devil. The most attractive element of the book has to be the original plot. It gets the reader thinking and inspires ...
• Don’t Fear The Reaper (Book Review) Don’t Fear the Reaper: Vol. 1, is the latest horror novel by Lex Sinclair. His experience in the genre shines through a story that ventures into the supernatural world of death. In fact, Sinclair mixes up a few elements we’ve seen before, creating something unique to his style and taste. With an obviously high-quality standard of ...
• Don’t Fear the Reaper Part 3 (Book Review) This is it. This is Lex Sinclair’s final book for the “Don’t Fear the Reaper” trilogy, and it’s everything I thought it’d be…and then some. Sinclair puts his distinct skill and style to the test when he offers you an ending you won’t quickly forget, to a trilogy you probably won’t want to put down. ...
• Don’t Fear The Reaper Part 2 (Book Review) Lex Sinclair’s nightmare continues with Don’t Fear the Reaper Part 2. It picks up where the first book ended, and you can be sure that you’ll be getting that distinct Sinclair style with it. This is a man who will stay true to his precise way of writing, and he’s not showing any signs of ...
• Double Barrel (Book Review) From six different writers come a collection of twelve horror stories, entitled “Double-Barrel”. Does it do justice to the rather picturesque name? It definitely does, and it’s good to know there are upcoming writers who can perfectly measure shock value. There’s just something brilliant about the indie writing scene regarding the horror genre, which is ...
• Evil Among Us (Book Review) This book is based on facts gathered by the author regarding a man called Kleason who butchered two young men from Texas. The strange part is that these murders took place in the same year as the Chainsaw Massacre killings. Ultimately it builds the case leading to his execution.
• Frozen: A Short Story of Horror (Book Review) An archeology adventure becomes a nightmare when an expedition party sets out to investigate the findings of a perfectly preserved creature. When the party reaches the half human creature, terrifying events start to occur. For some it means death and others permanent emotional damage.
• Hell’s Shadows (Book Review) The first thing to notice about Hell’s Shadows is the sophisticated style translated through a simplistic choice of words. Dean Klein, the author, has no intentions of confusing his readers. Instead, he wants to tell them a tale of horror, within a fashion that will leave them bound till the end. Klein really got the ...
• HouseBroken (Book Review) From the author simply known as The Behrg comes the twisted tale entitled “Housebroken”, and it is sadistic as it is haunting. Horror and thriller fans that pick up this book will have to ready themselves for an experience that will affect them mentally and physically. Even though it’s not the most original plot, it ...
• In The Mind of Revenge (Book Review) In the Mind of Revenge is the first book in Liv Hadden’s new series entitled The Shamed, and she’s definitely off to a good start. Don’t expect a typical hero and don’t expect anything less than brutal honesty. Through the eyes of the main character the reader gets caught up in a mass of emotional ...
• Inheritance: The House Pledged to Evil (Book Review) Inheritance: The House Pledged to Evil is the first book by debut author Randolph Lord, and it comes with a rather dark twist. Unlike most of the books that have gone through this review process, Lord’s story is based on personal experience. Although this can be considered a novel, there are elements of a manuscript ...
• Island of the Dolls (Book Review) Island of the Dolls is a thriller/horror novel by Jeremy Bates and it’s based on an actual island covered with dolls. The story takes the reader on a special trip to that mysterious, strange, and most of all, terrifying place. A very engaging Bates introduces an entertaining cast of characters while giving them life in ...

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Reviews :: Book Genre :: Horror

This archive contains links to all of the Fiction Book Reviews we've written over the years. Creepy, and scary, and icky, and sticky, and the more it makes you want to squeal, the better the thing is. If you've come here looking for something in that realm, you're in luck! We just happen to have more than a few suggestions lying around the place waiting for your perusal.

If you're looking for something else, say a book in another genre or maybe just any book that we happened to think was awesome-sauce, browse around the site for a bit and check out our reviews.

Just don't forget to let us know what you thought of a book you've read or if there's a suggestion you have for something we'd like to read! We're always looking for something to scare us into last week, and we hope that you are too!

Blood Countess

If you haven’t heard of Countess Elizabeth Bathory ( Wikipedia ) you’ve missed out on a fascinating true story from history. Because she was born in 1560, our understanding of the events that surrounded her life are a little sketchy, but we do know she was beautiful, well-educated, rich, and well-connected. And she was accused of killing 600 girls.

Lana Popovic decided it was a story worthy of trying to tell in BLOOD COUNTESS. Read the rest of this review »

The Girl in Red

I have a thing for constancy. When I drive somewhere I usually take the same route. When I’m feeling down, I like to hit the used book store. Things I do on a regular basis are safe and known quantities. But I also have a thing for new stuff. Surfing YouTube for new music. Trying out some new kind of food. I may or may not really like to find new breakfast cereals, despite the fact that I know pretty much anything else would be better for me in the mornings. When it comes to books and stories, I also like to see new things. All the sequels that Disney puts out frequently annoy me. Although it seems as if Pixar can do no wrong. So when I come across a story that is a “re-telling of a classic fairy tale”, I’ll typically pass. For whatever reason, the third time I picked this book up off my EBR-TBR shelf, I decided that I’d read it. Must have been my “constancy” having a surge of strength that day or something. Whatever. I picked this one up, and boy am I glad that I did. Read the rest of this review »

Well, here I am again at the tail end of the reading experience for a book that has left me absolutely stymied. Sometimes it surprises me just how different my opinion can be from other readers, not just around the world, but from those in my own backyard as well. Finishing this book has brought me to the conclusion that I am completely oblivious when it comes to understanding the “literary” merit of a story. I just don’t get it. Like, at all. In fact, I think I can safely say that any literary aspects of a story come across as 100% transparent to me. Not only do I not understand them, I don’t even see them when I read a story. A Google search for the term “literary merit” currently brings up a 2017 article from Medium.com . It seems to do a fairly decent job of relaying the main ideas of what literary fiction is about. My take is that a literary story’s primary concern will be to try to relay a “theme” or “well-posed question” dealing with society or humanity… or something else equally boring and, for me, pointless. As such, they typically make lots of mistakes along the way when it comes to telling a story that is actually engaging and worth being told. Read the rest of this review »

The Last Astronaut

First contact is the kind of experience that’s ripe for miscommunications and misinterpretations that can literally reshape the world. From more traditional hard sci-fi stuff, like Clarke to Reynolds, to the more literary offerings of LeGuin or Russell (she wrote THE SPARROW), first contact is a recurring theme in speculative fiction. While there’s a million different ways to parse and taxonomize this (sub) genre, you can trace a big divide between texts that explore first contact with aliens who share fundamental premises of existence with humans (in psychology, if not in size or number of eyes) and texts in which the aliens are really, really… alien (think “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang, which is portrayed in the movie Arrival). David Wellington’s THE LAST ASTRONAUT belongs to the latter category. Let’s just say that there are no little green moon men here. Sunny Stevens knows something that no one else does. There’s an object heading […] Read the rest of this review »

Into the Drowning Deep

INTO THE DROWNING DEEP ( Amazon ) is the kind of book I would normally recommend as a beach read. First, I guess I should clarify that by beach read, I don’t mean trash. A good beach read is straightforward enough that you can pick it up and put it down whenever you need to take a dip in the water or reapply that sunscreen. Ideally, beach reads also have enough forward motion that I can while away the hours with ease. INTO THE DROWNING DEEP meets those criteria–it’s engaging and fun with a good dose of horror and an embrace of the absurd.

It’s also about killer mermaids. Read the rest of this review »

Every Dead Thing

I forget when or how I first came across this book, and I’ve been wanting to read it again for quite some time now so that I could write up a coherent review of it. Just never got around to it. Well, the 17th book in the series that grew from the roots of this book was recently released in the UK (US release coming mid-October), and so I figured this was as good a time as any to dive back into this one, and find out if it would be just as good this time around as I remembered it being the first time. Read the rest of this review »

The Empty Grave

Arriving at the final book of the Lockwood & Co series, THE EMPTY GRAVE, leaves me with mixed emotions: so happy to see our gang of heroes find the answers they’re looking for, but also sad to see this fantastic series come to an end. Over this series we’ve watched as Lockwood, Lucy, and George have navigated the dangerous and mystifying world of ghosts and ghost hunting. They may only be kids, but this small and independent company has uncovered secrets small and large, fought dangerous ghosts, and dealt with the frustrating politics of being the little guy in a big industry.

Now we get to see the fruition of all their hard work. THE EMPTY GRAVE ends the series in a way that won’t let you down. Read the rest of this review »

Mockingbird

I’ve been waffling for a long time over whether to read these books or not. I don’t know why. You see, there’s this moment when you’re reading a review–even when it’s a review from the very site that you write for–that you just know you’re going to read the book. That happened to me when our illustrious reviewer, Nickolas, reviewed BLACKBIRDS by Chuck Wendig ( EBR Review ). Because, you see, I go in pretty hard for a good character. Especially a good tortured character, and once you’ve read Nick’s review and the actual book, you can almost see the torture spread across that skein of words. They rend you and twist you, and after you leave those pages behind, they haunt you with the understanding that not only is Ms. Miriam Black a real person under all of that grime and grit, but she also might as well be you, or me, or anyone else for all the good it does her. Because Miriam’s life is like none you’ve ever seen, and anyone, given her life, might have understandably made the same choices as she. Read the rest of this review »

Terror Is Our Business

I have a confession to make. I’ve never read any Lansdale before. I know, I know . Withhold the tomatoes. I blame Steve for always taking them when I was a newbie here at EBR. Now I realize what I was missing and will quickly remedy this failing.

Because if you love horror, mysteries, thrillers…. heck, anything well written, you should be reading Lansdale. Read the rest of this review »

The Creeping Shadow

I suppose I should be embarrassed for the squees involved in a series meant for middle grade readers. Certainly I am an Elitist, but that doesn’t mean I won’t give recognition where it is due. And Johnathan Stroud is due recognition for a smart, well-written, engaging horror series known as Lockwood & Co.

In THE HOLLOW BOY Lucy’s ability to talk to ghosts changes everything, and she learns that if she stays with the company her presence may be the result of Lockwood’s death. So, out of loyalty and love for her friend and co-worker, she leaves to become a freelancer. In the opening of THE CREEPING SHADOW we see how Lucy is handling her new life–and learning the hard way how much more competent Lockwood and Co. is than other ghost hunting groups. Sure she misses her old team, but is determined to never go back.

She sticks to her plan until the day Lockwood shows up at her little apartment to hire her for a job that the famed Penelope Fittes wants them to do–and it requires Lucy’s special listening skills. How can she say no? Read the rest of this review »

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Best Horror Book Review Blogs in 2024

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Review Tales by Jeyran Main

http://www.jeyranmain.com/

Jeyran Main is a professional book editor, marketing advisor, and book reviewer. She has had the pleasure of making friends with many publishers & authors throughout her life and career. Her passion is to spread positive energy to anyone who needs it, and in return, she would love it if they forwarded it to someone else. Please email her for book review requests, with the title and summary of your book.

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Genres : Horror

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Shalini's Books & Reviews

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My first love has always been BOOKS. My blog features my reviews, author interviews, book spotlights, and other bookish events. I read nearly all genres, according to my mood.

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Bookbugworld

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Bookbugworld stays true to its promise. A fun and niche virtual space where you can discuss the books you love or find new ones to add to your TBR.

Blogger : Rejitha

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Sci-Fi and Scary

http://www.scifiandscary.com/

Sci-Fi & Scary accepts books self-, small-, and large-press published works for review consideration. We get a ton of requests, and try to at least respond to each of them, but our emails do tend to turn into black holes at times. Bear with us.

Blogger : Lilyn & Grace

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Bookish Brews

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A book blog that is dedicated to celebrating and bringing attention to diverse books and authors. Bookish Brews is helping people diversify their reading one book at a time.

Blogger : Amanda Khong

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The Chrysalis BREW Project

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The Chrysalis Books, Reviews, and Everything Written (BREW) Project is an up-and-coming platform that aims to help content creators and audiences to grow, thrive, and soar through reviews, interviews, features, news, press releases, podcasts, and promotions. BREW hosts the monthly and annual BREW Readers' Choice Awards, the annual BREW Book Excellence Awards, and the quarterly and annual BREW International Blog Awards.

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Sandra's Book Club

http://sandrasbookclub.blogspot.com

Thank you for your interest in having me review your book! I accept complimentary books direct from publishers, agents, or authors in exchange for an HONEST review. I know how hard it is to get reviews (I'm a writer too, folks!) and I know how important word-of-mouth is for a book, so I always try to give a good review, but, of course, I cannot guarantee it.

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Book Nerdection

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Book Nerdection is a place where we offer book reviews, recommendations and write about books because we love them. We are a group of people dedicated to deliver the best book content.

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Linda's Book Bag

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The blog was initially designed to share a few thoughts about the books I read and that's the aspect I still enjoy most. I don't give star ratings as my 5 stars might be someone else's 3 so I say what I thought instead, trying to be as honest as I can and I make the review personal to me as a reader. After a few months of blogging I realised just how hard it is for smaller publishers and independent authors to get their books noticed so I'm always willing to feature them if I can.

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Books And Pals

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Please read the instructions carefully. Failure to follow them will result in your submission being ignored with no acknowledgement. All reviews are final. Prior to submission, we would advise reading this post and the Guide to Reviews, as well as getting a general feel for the book review blog.

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Indie Reader

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There were over 391,000 books self-published in 2012. That's a lot of company (and competition!) for any author.åÊIndieReader offers the best value for reviews, bar none. IR's reviewers & some of the best in the field & will let you know if you've achieved what you set out to do. Charges may apply. IR also recommends titles to the HUFFINGTON POST and USA TODAY.

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The Bookish Elf

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The Bookish Elf is a site you can rely on for book reviews, author interviews, book recommendations, and all things books.

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Independent Book Review

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Independent Book Review is a celebration of small press and self-published books.

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Before We Go Blog

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We are a collection of SFF reading enthusiasts who love sharing our reading passion with the world.

Blogger : Beth Tabler and Team

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Shari Sakurai

https://sharisakurai.com

Shari Sakurai is a British author of paranormal, horror, science fiction and fantasy novels that almost always feature a LGBT protagonist and/or antagonist. She has always loved to write and it is her escape from the sometimes stressful modern life!

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The 50 Best Horror Books of All Time Will Scare You Sh*tless

Our number one pick has inspired generations of nightmares.

Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links.

Horror is a broad church. Definitions abound.

For some, horror is a genre founded on trope and convention: a checklist of blighted houses and monstrous secrets, men in masks and women in white nightgowns. For others it hinges on atmosphere and tone.

This is before we even attempt a historical context. Scholars trace the legacy of literary horror back to the British Gothic fictions of the eighteenth century, when castles were haunted, monks were evil, and anywhere beyond the edges of Protestant England was tinged sinister. Others locate the genre’s origins in a slate of late-Victorian novels and their roster of horror icons. Dracula, Dorian Gray, Dr. Jekyll–these figures emerged from a culture in crisis, when twin anxieties about masculinity and modernity birthed urban nightmares. Contemporary readers may look no further than the horror ‘boom’ of the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s. It was an era dominated by brand-name authors, with epic sales and matching page-lengths.

With such a weight of contention, any attempt at a list of ‘best’ horror novels is doomed to disagreement. That’s fine. All lists are subjective. We have, however, tried to celebrate the breadth of horror—to highlight those books that establish something about the genre or push it forward into new realms. It’s worth noting that we have confined our choices to novels. Short horror fiction has a parallel ­­but distinct history that would require a survey all of its own.

You will see some unexpected inclusions in this list, and some surprising absences. Certain big names are missing because their greatest contributions are in short form, or because their books tread ground better travelled by others. Equally, some of these choices may cause horror fans’ eyes to wrinkle in confusion. But perhaps, in the end, that’s the secret of horror: it’s personal. It’s about how it makes you feel.

Here, then, is our ranking of the best horror novels of all time.

Gallery / Saga Press The Loop

You could argue that body horror is the purest horror. It taps into our basest fears: the vulnerability of our own bodies to infection, mutation, and destruction. In The Loop, a Pacific Northwest town falls prey to a parasite that transforms its youth into ravening fiends. After a short build-up, young adult sensibility blossoms darkly into scenes of extreme violence and bodily damage. The Loop is fiction’s closest equivalent to the films of David Cronenberg, with a jaw-dropping central set-piece that rivals the most fevered excesses of horror cinema.

Open Road Media Harvest Home, by Thomas Tryon

After quitting his career as a Hollywood star, Thomas Tryon turned to writing and gave us a pair of bestselling horror novels. The Other may be better known, but Harvest Home is the true chiller. In classic New England Gothic style, a nice family relocates to a Quaint Little Town™ only to discover hideous secrets about the corn crop. What follows is an ultra slow-burn of tightening anxiety, with a folk-horror finale that rivals 1973’s other pagan classic, The Wicker Man , or even Ben Wheatley’s 2011 shocker, Kill List. The final passages are as bleak as horror got in the ‘70s.

Atria Books The Other Black Girl, by Zakiya Dalila Harris

At first glance, the terrors of The Other Black Girl appear slight. Harris’ workplace thriller spends ample time cataloguing the microaggressions endured by Nella, the only woman of color at a major New York publishing house. However, when Hazel, the titular other Black girl, joins the firm, the novel moves into more uncanny territory. The result is a scalpel-sharp instrument of social horror—a book that exposes monstrousness in the minutiae of office politics and the complacent evil of white privilege. It’s particularly telling that Harris wrote the book after working in New York publishing…

Valancourt Books The Auctioneer, by Joan Samson

The Auctioneer may be the bestselling horror novel that most people have never heard of. It sold a million copies on release, garnered praise from genre heavyweights, and was further distinguished by the author’s death soon after publication. Yet Samson’s novel remained in obscurity for decades until Grady Hendrix and Valancourt Press reissued it as part of the Paperbacks from Hell series. In the figure of the titular auctioneer, Perly Dinsmore, and the havoc wreaked by his manipulation of a rural New Hampshire community, Samson’s novel refers back to Shirley Jackson’s ”The Lottery,” and must surely be the inspiration behind Leland Gaunt, the malignant shopkeeper in Stephen King’s Needful Things.

G.P. Putnam's Sons The Hunger, by Alma Katsu

The Hunger takes one of the darkest incidents in American history and makes it more horrible still. Katsu’s retelling of the Donner Party’s catastrophic attempt to cross the Sierra Nevadas in winter begins with the death of a child and heads onward, like the wagon train, into deeper horror. It’s slow progress, too. The Hunger takes its time to get to the awful fate we know is waiting. Some people may buck at the pace and the way Katsu dangles the grisliest elements of the story just out of reach. But for those who appreciate authenticity and great character work, it’s a piece of historical horror that takes exactly the route it should.

Simon & Schuster Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury

It’s hard to overstate Bradbury’s contribution to speculative fiction. His unique blend of horror and fantasy is a clear influence on later giants like Stephen King and Neil Gaiman. But his macabre whimsy was never more powerful than in Something Wicked This Way Comes, a tale of romanticized boyhood in the golden decades of post-war America. Best friends Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade (neatly born on either side of the same Halloween midnight) confront the loss of innocence in the form of Mr. Dark’s traveling carnival. The scene in which the aging Miss Foley is granted her wish to become young again stands out as the most horrifically poignant moment in a novel obsessed with the boundary between youth and adulthood.

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, by Eric LaRocca

At only 120 pages, Eric LaRocca’s novella is the shortest book on this list, but it may also be the most distressing. It is an epistolary period-piece—taking place in the internet chat-rooms of the early 2000s—in which two broken souls come together in a pact of extreme body horror and emotional degeneration. If that sounds fun, well, it isn’t. Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke pulls not a single punch, offering perhaps the single most upsetting scene to be found on this list (The Little Christ—if you know, you know!) and a question for the ages: “What have you done today to deserve your eyes?”

Dark Valley, by Joe Donnelly

Joe Donnelly’s books arrived at the tail-end of horror’s paperback boom, all gaudy covers and pulpy premises. Yet his final horror novel is an almost unknown classic: an adolescent trial set on the West coast of Scotland, where five young friends on a camping trip encounter a child killer. The Scottish setting gives a different tone and a grittier vernacular to the oft-romanticized coming-of-age tradition. Think Stand by Me refracted through Trainspotting. It’s a violent story, with the rare threat that simply being a child is not enough to save Donnelly’s characters from a brutal end.

Ace The Red Tree, by Caitlin R. Kiernan

Caitlin R. Kiernan floats freely across the map of speculative fiction, from hard sci-fi to lyrical fantasy. The Red Tree is their purest horror offering. When Sarah Crowe relocates to an isolated cabin in order to write and grieve, she falls under the influence of a strange manuscript and the history of a nearby oak tree. The found document and faux-lore locate Kiernan’s novel in the arcane tradition of M.R. James and H.P. Lovecraft. But a postmodern unreliability pervades, with doubts about Sarah’s sanity, as well as ‘editor’s notes’ complicating easy separation of truth and fiction. Narrative trickery aside, The Red Tree also contains the creepiest cellar in horror.

Penguin Classics The Monk, by Matthew Lewis

Horror’s roots extend far back into the 18th century Gothic tradition, beginning with The Castle of Otranto in 1764 and evolving in Anne Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho in 1794. It is Lewis’ novel, however, that first showcases the genre’s power to shock. Written when Lewis was still a teenager, The Monk relates the demonic corruption of the devout Ambrosio. Upon its release, the novel was considered a danger to society; even now, its details of rape, incest, murder, and black sorcery remain eyebrow-raising. If the scares are dulled by archaic language, some moments still hit hard, such as when the prioress’ body is mutilated by a mob “till it became no more than a mass of flesh, unsightly, shapeless, and disgusting.” Remember, this was written in 1796!

Open Road Media Experimental Film, by Gemma Files

Files worked as a film critic for years, and in Experimental Film, all that insider knowledge is put to uncanny use. She blends a verité blogging style with the story of cursed film footage from the early 20th century and a frightening Slavic demon named Lady Midday. As so often happens in Files’ fiction, things get very weird, but the industry detail coupled with biographical allusions grounds the high strangeness into something truly unnerving. This is a too-often overlooked postmodern gem, one of the best in a string of books about the spectral effects of film.

Vintage Lunar Park, by Bret Easton Ellis

American Psycho may be the most controversial novel of the late 20th century, but Lunar Park is the more affecting horror story. Ellis’ faux-memoir slides from authentic early experiences into a fictional middle-age as reluctant husband and father. Out in the suburbs, reality and fiction collapse, ushering horrors into Ellis’ home. These include a version of Ellis’ infamous killer, Patrick Bateman, and—in the centrepiece scene—a doll that undergoes a truly terrifying metamorphosis. Readers are never sure where truth or sincerity lie. The novel could be a big joke, or it could, as is suggested in the scenes between Ellis and his make-believe son, be a yearning for a life not lived. If American Psycho is the book that made Ellis the enfant terrible of contemporary fiction, Lunar Park is the book that exposes his heart.

Tordotcom The Ballad of Black Tom, by Victor LaValle

H.P. Lovecraft’s imagination endures in countless derivations of his Cthulhu Mythos, but his bigotry remains a cancer at the heart of it all. Most imitators borrow the lore, but ignore the ideology. In The Ballad of Black Tom, Victor LaValle takes a different approach, choosing to explore the events of Lovecraft’s notoriously racist “The Horror at Red Hook” from the Black point-of-view of Lavalle’s own protagonist, Tommy Tester. Though there are ‘Old Ones’ aplenty, LaValle’s retelling suggests that cosmic peril is of less consequence to the Black community than the threat of white power. After all, the book asks, “What was indifference compared to malice?”

Ecco Press Bird Box, by Josh Malerman

Some books have a conceit that makes other authors seethe for not thinking of it themselves. Birdbox , you would imagine, is such a book. There are monsters, and if you see them, you kill yourself. It’s a riff on the Lovecraftian notion that the human mind can only withstand a certain degree of otherness. Yet Malerman has none of Lovecraft’s pomposity. Instead, he examines everyday humanity under extreme, inexplicable pressure. Trapped in a house with strangers, our protagonist Malorie gradually hardens into a pitiless survivor. Her journey to possible refuge is a masterclass in sustained tension and sensory storytelling.

Pan MacMillan Apartment 16, by Adam Nevill

Each of Adam Nevill’s novels is imbued with an unclean disquiet, a grimly British social-realist horror stripped of all romance. It’s never more effective than this story of an exclusive London residence haunted by a fascist, occult-obsessed artist. Apryl Beckford quickly discovers the supernatural menace within Apartment 16, but the real nightmares belong to a secondary character, addled security guard Seth. His repeated failures to escape the building lead to a chokingly claustrophobic breakdown. People will tell you to read The Ritual, but Apartment 16 is the Nevill book that’ll have you looking at the corners of rooms to make sure the shadows are still where they should be.

Dell Lost Souls, by Poppy Z. Brite

There is no more ‘90s novel on this list than Lost Souls. I’m not sure a more ‘90s novel exists. Poppy Z. Brite’s lament for misspent youth is as pitch black as the kohl around the characters’ eyes, and saturated with the angsty existentialism that typified the decade. The teens of Missing Mile, North Carolina are damaged—by substances, by hard living, and abuse—and that’s before the vampires arrive. When they do, the novel explodes in a debauch of violence and sex. It’s a road trip, a love story, and a brutal horror odyssey in which a vampire taking his own son as his lover remains one of the less transgressive elements of the plot.

Ballantine Books Interview with the Vampire, by Anne Rice

Anne Rice died in late 2021, leaving behind a legacy that few modern horror authors can match. Her Vampire Chronicles spans over a dozen novels, with numerous offshoots. Everyone has their favorite, but Interview is where the intricate, baroque tapestry of her alternative vampiric history begins. The interview in question is with Louis, an 1800s plantation owner turned into a creature of the night by the vampire Lestat. Over the course of the novel, Louis relates the history of their immortal companionship, including the perverse family they form with child vampire Claudia. The later series develops in outlandish directions (Atlantis!), but Interview anchors itself in the romantic tragedy of eternal life.

Gallery Books The House Next Door, by Anne Rivers Siddons

Haunted houses don’t need to be old. That’s the revolutionary premise that makes Siddon’s novel so freshly disquieting. Through Colquitt Kennedy’s polite, hyper-observant narration, we watch as a sequence of families move into the newly-built property next door, only for tragedy to unravel their lives. There isn’t a history of murder to taint the land, nor a single disturbed grave—just a random malignancy that suggests modern walls are no guarantee of safety. It’s a souring of the American Dream that Stephen King called one of the best horror novels of the 20th Century.

Simon & Schuster The Wasp Factory, by Iain Banks

Frank Cauldhame wanders the beaches of his isolated island home, killing small animals. He has built an elaborate mechanism to ritualistically kill wasps. We are told he has killed three children before he entered his own teens. Oh, and he is the hero of this story. The Wasp Factory was Banks’ first novel, and it has the provocativeness of all great debuts. It was acclaimed for its mixture of horror and the blackest of comedy, just as it was pilloried for its depravity. Both sound like good reasons to read it. Be warned, though, this one contains some truly disgusting scenes.

Scribner Tender Is the Flesh, by Agustina Bazterrica

In Bazterrica’s brutal dystopia, a lack of animal meat has resulted in state-sanctioned cannibalism. Marcos works in a slaughterhouse, where human cattle (or ‘heads’) are bred for slaughter, and where he tussles with his inner morality within the industrial normalization of the universal taboo. The plot focuses on Marcos’ relationship with a head named Jasmine; what ensues is as disturbing as expected, though it’s the wider world-building that makes Tender is the Flesh a truly dispiriting read. Through both gorgeous metaphor and blunt statement, Bazterrica drives home the realization that we are all either meat or butcher in capitalism’s grinder.

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• Great horror novels can be scary, thrilling, or grotesque. 
• These books include Stephen King classics and new releases. 
• These horror picks make great gifts and late-night reads.

If you crave the skin-crawling, adrenaline-spiking, can't-look-away feeling of scary movies and haunted houses, then horror books might be the perfect fit for you. 

From paranormal short stories to horror classics like Stephen King's "It," horror novels give us the creepy-crawling feeling that stays long after we've closed the book and turned off the light. Whether you're searching for your first gory horror read or a new page-turning thriller, here are the best horror books to read in 2022.

The 29 best horror books to read in 2022:

"mexican gothic" by silvia moreno-garcia.

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $13.58

This Goodreads Choice Awards-winner is a gothic, historical horror about Noemí Taboada, who heads to the Mexican countryside after receiving a strange and alarming letter from her newly wed cousin. When she arrives at her new home, High Place, she faces a dark family past, buried secrets, and a house that may try to trap her, just as it seems to have done to others.

"It" by Stephen King

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $15.97

This well-known horror book is about seven adults returning to their hometown to face an evil they first discovered as teenagers: An unnamed, shape-shifting terror they call "It." If you read other Stephen King novels, the town of Derry, Maine appears again and again but it all began with "It." "It" is also a monster of a book — its many, many pages build to a must-read, terrifying masterpiece.

"When the Reckoning Comes" by LaTanya McQueen

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $15.81

When Mira fled her segregated southern hometown more than a decade ago, she left behind her best friend, a plantation rumored to be haunted, and the horrible memories from her youth. Returning only for her best friend's wedding on the eerie plantation, dark elements from the town's past and Mira's own history begin to unravel as the weekend begins.   

"Daisy Darker" by Alice Feeney

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $23.99

For those who loved Agatha Christie's " And Then There Were None ," "Daisy Darker" is a horror story about Daisy Darker's estranged family, who have gathered on a remote island for Nana's 80th birthday. When the tide traps them in and Nana is found dead, followed by another family member an hour later, they must untangle their secrets and find the killer if they want any chance to survive.

"A Dowry of Blood" by S.T. Gibson

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $24.30

"A Dowry of Blood" is a new, fantastical horror novel that reimagine's the story of Dracula's bride, Constanta, who was turned from a mortal peasant to the wife of an undying king. As Constanta begins to understand the true evil power of her husband, she unravels his dark secrets and must choose between love and her freedom in this queer, dramatic paranormal horror story. 

"White Smoke" by Tiffany D. Jackson

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $12.51

Mari thinks she's out-running the ghosts of her old life when her newly blended family relocates to a picture-perfect home in the Midwest, even if it's situated amongst far more dilapidated and secret-holding neighbors. In this haunted house horror story, strange things begin to happen in Mari's new home, but when her younger stepsister warns her of a friend who wants Mari gone, the danger becomes too real. 

"Night of the Living Rez" by Morgan Talty

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $15.26

This collection of 12 short horror stories is set in a Native community in Maine as individuals, families, and the community grapple with traumatic pasts and an uncertain future. Believable, unique, and achingly raw, these interconnected stories have moments of humor and emotion throughout those of horror and thrills.

"Hell House" by Richard Matheson

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $16.73

Stephen King called this book "the scariest haunted house novel ever written," so you know it's terrifying. Rolf Rudolph Deutsch is about to die, so he offers to pay a physicist and two mediums $100,000 each to find out what happens after death. The three of them travel to the Belasco house — more commonly referred to as the "Hell House" — for one night to learn how it earned its nickname. 

"Stillhouse Lake" by Rachel Caine

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $7.99

Gina was completely normal — an average housewife with a husband and two kids. When a car accident revealed her husband's secret life as a serial killer, she moved with her children to a home on a lake, far away from her husband's secrets and the stalkers who think she was part of it all. But when a body appears in the lake and threatening letters start to arrive, Gina — now a prime suspect — must protect herself and her kids from a killer who's tormenting her family. 

"What Moves the Dead" by T. Kingfisher

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $17.99

" What Moves the Dead " is a jaw-dropping horror retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Fall of the House of Usher." Alex Easton has rushed to the remote countryside after receiving word that their childhood friend, Madeline, is dying. Ill prepared for the nightmare that awaited them, Alex finds Madeline and her brother in an affected state and must unravel the secrets of the old home to save them all.

"Tender Is the Flesh" by Agustina Bazterrica

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $13.79

Most accurately described as "skin-crawling," this book centers on Marcos, who keeps his eyes on his work and away from the pain in his life. He works at the local processing plant, slaughtering humans — though, no one calls them that anymore. Since the government initiated "the Transition" after a sweeping virus made animal meat poisonous to humans, eating human meat — "special meat" — is legal, and having personal contact with the specimens is punishable by death. 

"The Sun Down Motel" by Simone St. James

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $10.79

If you want to feel the rush of knowing something terrible is coming, this paranormal horror story is for you. In 1982, Carly's Aunt Viv took a job at the Sun Down Motel, trying to save enough money to move to New York City. Now, Carly's working the front desk to discover what mysteries could have led to her aunt's disappearance. The entire book is suspenseful and mysterious but the horror scenes are next-level. I had to rush to finish this one before it got dark. 

"Other Terrors: An Inclusive Anthology" by Vince A. Liaguno & Rena Mason

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $15.80

" Other Terrors " is a horror anthology written by underrepresented horror writers on what it means to be viewed as the scary "other" in society. Whether it's people from "other" ethnicities or of "other" sexualities, these horror short stories monopolize the primal fear of the unknown.

"The Chestnut Man" by Soren Sveistrup

The Chestnut Man is a serial killer who leaves a handmade doll made of matchsticks and chestnuts at every crime scene. When a forensic team discovers a bloody fingerprint belonging to a government official's daughter who had been kidnapped and murdered a year ago, the detectives must follow the murderer's twisted clues before someone else ends up dead. This book is dark and unnerving, and you will likely find yourself unwilling to turn the next page, fearing what lies ahead. 

"NOS4A2" by Joe Hill

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $15.71

Victoria, a young girl with a talent for finding things, stumbles upon a bridge that can take her anywhere. She runs into Charlie Manx, who lures kids into a car that transports them to a horrifying playground called Christmasland. Victoria is the only child to ever escape Christmasland. Years later, Charlie hasn't forgotten about her — and is ready to take his revenge.

"Bird Box" by Josh Malerman

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $9.46

In a world created by Josh Malerman, there's something out there that, once seen, drives a person to deadly violence. Malorie is one of only a handful of survivors left after the mysterious thing took over the world. She needs to flee with her children, relying on their wit and hearing to stay alive. This is a horror story that will have you closing your curtains and hiding in your house until you get to the end. 

"Red Dragon" by Thomas Harris

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $8.99

You may be more familiar with the second book in the Hannibal Lecter series "The Silence of the Lambs," but if you're looking to read the whole story, you should start here. When a serial killer attacks families, the FBI turns to William Graham, one of the greatest profilers, who retired after the horrors he witnessed in capturing Hannibal Lecter. To solve this case, William finds he must turn to Lector for help. The violent point of view of the antagonist brings on the horror in full force — while demonstrating that the "good guy" isn't always the hero. 

"Lock Every Door" by Riley Sager

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $12.22

Riley Sager has written four suspenseful novels, each one balanced between thriller, mystery, and horror, but this one leans the most towards "horror" of the bunch. Jules' new job as an apartment sitter in one of Manhattan's most private and mysterious buildings comes with three rules: No visitors, no nights away from the apartment, and no disturbing the other residents. But the building is not what it seems to be — a dark history is rising within, summoning a race to find the truth before someone else goes missing. 

"Devolution" by Max Brooks

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $13.69

As the dust from Mount Rainier's eruption settles, Kate Holland's harrowing journals are found, revealing an account of the unnoticed Greenloop massacre and the legendary beasts behind it. From the author of "World War Z," this ominous horror story is action-packed, mind-bending, and utterly chaotic.

"The Exorcist" by William Peter Blatty

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $15.29

Adapted into one of the scariest films of all time, "The Exorcist" is about a mother and two priests who fight to free the soul of a young girl controlled by an evil and violent spirit. The deeper details of this novel are what make already scary scenes even scarier. Even if you've already seen the movie, the story has even more frightening information that heightens the fear.

"The Shining" by Stephen King

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $9.29

Jack Torrance is looking for a fresh start with his new job at the Overlook Hotel, where he can reconnect with his family and work on his writing in his free time. As winter sets in, Jack's days at the hotel get stranger and stranger, and the only one who notices is Danny, Jack's unique five-year-old son. Full of fleshed-out characters, this slower-paced book doesn't drag — it only builds up the fear to an unforgettable conclusion.

"Dracula" by Bram Stoker

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $3.71

We all know the famous "Dracula" persona — the one we mimic every Halloween with plastic fangs and upturned coat collars. But it doesn't really capture the 1897 classic gothic horror story, which depicts Dracula's move to England as he attempts to find new blood, spreading his undead curse along the way. The story is far more horrifying and twisted than you might anticipate, and will definitely change how you view the more heroic portrayals of modern-day vampires. 

"The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires" by Grady Hendrix

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $13.73

Set in 1990s Charleston, this novel is centered around a book club and the strange happenings around a newcomer who was brought into the club after one of the members was horribly attacked on her way home. This book has all of the southern charm, '90s nostalgia, and savagery that you might expect from the title alone. 

"The Other" by Thomas Tryon

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $15.95

Holland and Niles are twins, close enough to nearly read each other's thoughts but entirely different in personality. Their family is gathered for the summer to mourn their father's passing. With the boys' mother still locked in her room, Holland's pranks are growing more and more sinister and Niles isn't sure how much longer he can make excuses for his brother. 

"Imaginary Friend" by Stephen Chbosky

Best read with the lights on, "Imaginary Friend" is a haunting story where a young boy named Christopher goes missing in the town to which he and his mother just fled. Six days later, Christopher emerges from the woods with a voice in his head telling him to do one thing: Build a treehouse in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone in the town will never be the same. 

"The Hollow Places" by T. Kingfisher

"The Hollow Places" is initially misleading. It starts off cute and funny, but quickly devolves into a terrifying novel with scenes so vibrantly written, they'll be sure to haunt readers long after they close the book. Kara finds a hole in the wall of her uncle's house that leads to a series of alternate realities, riddled with unsettling creatures that feed on fear. The world-building in this book is remarkable — Kingfisher creates something we couldn't previously fathom and yet something we so easily fear.

"The Only Good Indians" by Stephen Graham Jones

Available at Amazon and Bookshop , from $13.49

This follows four Indigenous men who are being tracked and haunted by an entity that lingers from a crime committed a decade prior. It's a horror story of revenge and identity as the men find they can't outrun the culture they left behind. This eerie story will continually shock you, yet ends so perfectly, you'll almost forgive the brutal scenes you endured to reach the end. 

"Rosemary's Baby" by Ira Levin

Available at Amazon, $24.37

In this classic horror story, Rosemary and Guy are a young couple settling into their New York apartment where it seems the neighbors are taking too keen of an interest in them, especially once Rosemary gets pregnant. The suspense in this novel is palpable, a waking nightmare that walks a thin line between unbelievable and yet completely real. This book is unnerving and sinister, one of the original horror novels that helped popularize the genre. 

"The Burning Girls" by C. J. Tudor

Reverend Jack Brooks arrives at Chapel Croft looking for a fresh start, yet is welcomed with an exorcism kit and a warning. Horrible things have happened at the church — protestant martyrs were burned centuries back, two teenage girls disappeared 30 years ago, and just a week prior, the vicar hung himself. This is a deeply woven and haunting ghost story, with strange and deadly mysteries throughout. 

• Main content

25 Top Horror Books on Goodreads

Vernieda Vergara

Vernieda Vergara is a freelance writer who loves anime, manga, and all things creepy. Her work has appeared on Den of Geek, Women Write About Comics, The Comics MNT, and other venues scattered across the internet. She lives in the Washington DC suburbs where she takes care of far too many plants and drinks even more tea. Twitter: incitata

View All posts by Vernieda Vergara

Making a list of the top horror books on Goodreads is a tricky proposition. What makes a horror novel scary varies from reader to reader. For example, some people love psychological horror , but others don’t understand what’s so terrifying about it. But more than that, what defines a “top book” on Goodreads isn’t easily pinned down.

Keeping this in mind, I set out to compile a list of the highest rated horror novels by following Rioter Tasha’s example , I looked at average ratings and the number of ratings. A perfect 5.0 average rating doesn’t mranean much if it’s from only five people. I made sure to look at different sub-genres and formats. I picked one book per author to prevent certain writers from overtaking this list. If the book is part of a series, I tried to include the first novel even if the second installment is the higher rated book. (A very common phenomenon in the horror genre, it turns out!) It’s not scientific. Even with the focus on numbers, it’s still pretty subjective.

So, without further ado, here are the top horror books according to Goodreads. All ratings are current as of May 2019.

The Top Horror Novel

The green mile by stephen king.

(4.44 avg rating; 219,773 ratings)

I’m not surprised a Stephen King book is the top horror book on Goodreads. I am surprised it’s The Green Mile . I was expecting The Shining or It . Stephen King is the main reason I instituted the “only one book per author” rule for this post. We could easily make a Top Horror Books By Stephen King on Goodreads list.

Classic & Gothic Horror

We don’t see as much gothic horror published today, but I wanted to include it because it plays such an important role in the horror tradition.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

(4.11 avg rating; 1,434,123 ratings)

What? This is a romance! you might be saying. My response to that is Rochester wanted to marry our heroine while he kept his mentally unstable first wife locked in the attic. If that’s not horrific, I don’t know what is.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

(4.22 avg rating; 385,837 ratings)

Another gothic novel in which a first wife causes havoc for our nameless heroine. The difference here is that the first wife, the titular Rebecca, is dead. But as the novel shows us, the memory of a first wife is enough to cause serious problems.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

(4.02 avg rating; 83,026 ratings)

Like the Stephen King selection, I expected another book by Shirley Jackson to be higher rated ( The Haunting of Hill House ). We Have Always Lived in the Castle focuses on two sisters and their uncle, who are ostracized by the nearby village after a tragedy befell their family six years before.

Horror Short Stories, Novellas & Collections

I would be remiss to ignore the shorter formats in the horror genre. A lot of the best horror fiction exists as short stories.

The Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe

(4.38 avg rating; 194,659 ratings)

What list of top horror books would be complete without the works of Edgar Allan Poe? Judging by the average rating, Goodreads users agree.

The Yellow Wall-Paper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

(4.11 avg rating; 71,733 ratings)

This work is usually included in short story collections of the author’s work, but I highlighted it here separately. It details the mental strain experienced by a woman when she is forced into bed rest after the birth of her child. Originally published during a time when women deemed “hysterical” were committed into institutions, I think today’s women will still recognize and understand a lot of the narrator’s frustrations.

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

(3.91 avg rating; 21,671 ratings)

The stories in Machado’s collection run the gamut, playing with different genres and formats. Throughout them all, however, weaves a horror thread arising from the violence done onto bodies by society.

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

(3.91 avg rating; 9,481 ratings)

H.P. Lovecraft, for better or worse, is often cited as a huge influence upon the horror genre. LaValle’s novella tackles the existential horror that pervades so much of Lovecraft’s works without shying away from its blatant racism.

Modern Top Horror books

There are plenty of good horror books in this category. Rather than trying to capture it all, I instead provide a sampling of what Goodreads users rate highly.

Red Dragon by Thomas Harris

(4.03 avg rating; 237,314 ratings)

While most people are probably more familiar with The Silence of the Lambs , the memorable Hannibal Lector made his first appearance in this novel.

The Passage by Justin Cronin

(4.04 avg rating; 167,440 ratings)

Like post-apocalyptic novels? Like books about man-made vampires? Want a horror novel that combines the two? Here you go.

The Exorcist by William Blatty

(4.16 avg rating; 156,956 ratings)

Considered by many to be one of the best horror novels written, The Exorcist chronicles the now-classic battle to save a young girl when she is possessed by a demon.

Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton

(4.02 avg rating; 125,029 ratings)

Remember a time when the urban fantasy sub-genre as we know it today confounded bookstores? I do. When the Anita Blake series first came out, I recall seeing them shelved in the horror section. Like it or not, the Anita Blake novels led to the urban fantasy boom of the 2000s and one thing we shouldn’t forget is that urban fantasy incorporates lots of horror elements.

House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski

(4.12 avg ratings; 105,656 ratings)

This book may not be to everyone’s taste, but I’m not going to lie. I loved the way it played with layout, formatting, and typography. It’s difficult to summarize what this book is about in words, but it begins simply. A family moves into a house and discovers something strange: it’s bigger on the inside than it is the outside.

The Witching Hour by Anne Rice

(4.11 avg rating; 95,527 ratings)

Who expected that Anne Rice’s witch books would be better rated than her vampire books? (I’m aware the separation isn’t as clear cut as that since the two crossover eventually.) This novel, the first in a series, introduces us to the dynastic Mayfair family of witches.

The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchinson

(4.06 avg rating; 92,292 ratings)

The line between horror and thriller can be blurry. In The Butterfly Garden , a terrible man kidnaps women and keeps them in his secret “garden.” That’s not where the story begins though. It starts when the garden is discovered, and a pair of FBI agents try to unravel what happened.

Young Adult Horror

Anna dressed in blood by kendare blake.

(3.95 avg rating; 87,102 ratings)

Tell me if you’ve heard this story before. A boy follows in the family business of dealing with the supernatural. His particular vocation is killing ghosts. So what makes this book different? The latest ghost he’s trying to dispatch is a very vengeful girl named Anna, and her presence makes this book very memorable.

Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender

(4.05 avg rating; 24,659 ratings)

Protagonist Alexis begins to suspect something is wrong in her house. Her sister begins acting strangely. Doors open by themselves. Water boils on an unlit stove. I don’t know about you, but this sounds like a good old-fashioned ghost story to me!

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

(4.16 avg rating; 11,840 ratings)

Like historical fiction? Wish it were more action-packed? Are zombies your favorite zombie monster? Then, you’ll want to read this book in which teen girls are trained to be zombie hunters during the Reconstruction era.

Want to read more YA horror books? Check out this list .

Top Horror Books in Translation

Let the right one in by john ajvide lindqvist.

(4.07 avg ratings; 77,785 ratings)

Readers have likely heard of this novel via the film adaptation. In a nutshell, it’s about a young boy who befriends the girl who just moved in next door. Except the girl has a very big secret. Word of warning: If you’ve only watched the film, be aware it prettified some aspects of the book.

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

(4.25 avg rating; 46,998 ratings)

Battle Royale shocked the Japanese public when it was first published. Unlike today’s post– Hunger Games world, readers were not prepared for the unflinching depiction of middle school students killing each other. And before you ask, yes, Battle Royale was published almost ten years before The Hunger Games .

Out by Natsuo Kirino

(3.93 avg rating; 19,914 ratings)

This novel asks the question: what happens when society pushes women to their limits? And what kind of bonds do they form with each other to survive? If you’ve read this book and want to check out more Japanese horror, here’s a list .

Top Horror Manga

Tokyo ghoul by sui ishida.

(4.42 avg rating; 68,029 ratings)

I did not expect Tokyo Ghoul to be the highest rated horror manga on Goodreads, but maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised. It features so many horror sub-genres: psychological horror, body horror, and action horror. The story kicks off when, after a date goes horribly awry, a young man wakes up to find himself transformed in a half-ghoul.

Hellsing by Kohta Hirano

(4.26 avg rating; 26,173 ratings)

Hellsing features the kind of premise that can only exist in manga. A secret organization defends England from supernatural attack, and one of their greatest assets is an ancient and powerful vampire named Alucard. And on a side note that may be of interest: they fight Nazis. Because they’re behind the supernatural attacks.

Uzumaki by Junji Ito

(4.31 avg rating; 11,987 ratings)

Junji Ito is a horror manga master, and Uzumaki captures his strengths as an artist and a storyteller. It takes place in a town cursed by spirals. You may not think spirals are disturbing, but this manga may change your mind.

Looking for more horror manga? We have a list for that .

Top Horror Nonfiction

The stranger beside me: ted bundy by ann rule.

(4.14 avg rating; 55,089 ratings)

I confess I don’t fully understand the fascination with Ted Bundy, and I say this as someone who listens to a lot of true crime podcasts. And I mean a lot. But this book presents an interesting angle. The author, Ann Rule, was tracking a story about a serial killer. The twist? She didn’t realize one of her closest friends was the murderer himself.

And there you have it—a list of top horror books on Goodreads. Not satisfied and want more selections? We have a list of the best horror novels too, or you can explore our horror coverage here .

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Must-Read Extreme Horror Books to Push Even Hardcore Horror Fans Over the Edge

Do you dare to make it all the way through?

• Photo Credit: Hassan Rafhaan / Unsplash

Extreme horror runs the gamut of various horror subgenre designations—such as splatterpunk, bizarro , and more. With extreme horror it's best to take a wide breadth, arms stretched open, ready for a demented hug.

The key feature of this subgenre is the breaking of the boundary itself—and in that shattering, authors paint a gruesome picture that extends beyond readers' expectations and often, their comfort levels.

Though often rife with gore and the grotesque, extreme horror isn’t merely surface level; books that fall into such a classification often deliberately delve into the darkest depths of psychological and sociological disgust. They explore the absolute terrors that come with living in a broken world.

Extreme horror doesn't look away from social taboos—it twists and mutilates them; it goes all in . The aim is to look directly at the depravity, like a scientist seeking to understand every minutia. When you find a shelf of books marked as “extreme horror”, you’ll quickly realize how it reflects the grotesque underbelly of modern psychology—and with snarling teeth. 

The following are some of the best examples of the extreme, including some books that walk between designations—pulling no punches as they deliver the terror. 

9 Extreme Horror Books with Heart

The Girl Next Door

By Jack Ketchum

Jack Ketchum is one of the all-time horror greats. His writing has this way about burrowing under your skin, bubbling your emotions, until you’re second-guessing the civilized world. Often cited as among the most horrific novels in the genre, The Girl Next Door is also based on a true story. 

In the 1960s, Sylvia Likens was captured and restrained in the suburban basement of Gertrude Baniszewski, where both Baniszewski and children from around the neighborhood tortured and eventually murdered Likens. Ketchum uses this deplorable act as the basis of the novel. Readers are introduced to David, a man living in the shadows of the events, unable to live without the knowledge of a dark criminal past. It doesn’t take long for David to recount those lazy summer days, when school was out, and he met Meg. At first all is fine and hanging out until, well, things start to go wrong. 

Ketchum deftly points the lens on the details of the true crime, refusing to hold back or look away, to utilize what extreme horror does best: It forces the reader to understand the horror like a detective, forced to look and inspect instead of looking away. There’s no better example, and no better “gateway” into the world of extreme horror than this book. Other books may pale in comparison. 

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The Bighead

By Edward Lee

Like Ketchum, Edward Lee has carved out his own unique slice of horror, specializing in the extreme. You can’t really go wrong choosing any of Lee’s novels, yet for the sake of this list, let’s go with The Bighead . In The Bighead , we see the graphic and violent depictions indicative of extreme horror as Lee opens the door of the depraved and disturbed mind of a psychopath; the name “Bighead” comes from the fact that the psychopath has hydrocephaly, causing his head to be oversized and misshapen. 

When Bighead’s world and routine crash down after the death of his grandfather, he ventures into “The World Outside,” roaming through the woods, leaving his own sort of legacy. Reading this profane tome is like being two steps behind the path of violence, inspecting the decimation left behind.  

Gone to See the River Man

By Kristopher Triana

Kristopher Triana’s Gone to See the River Man (and its follow-up Along the River of Flesh ) is a pristine example of where extreme horror can go that isn’t just violence and gore. In this breakneck short novel, Triana introduces readers to Lori, a serial killer groupie that has become obsessed with incarcerated serial killer Edmund Cox. They exchange letters, allowing Cox to coerce and manipulate Lori, eventually commanding her to go seek out “The River Man” in the woods to fully prove to him her undivided love. What follows is as much a shocking vision of violence as it is a vertical slice of a broken mind. 

The psychology surrounding the emotionally defunct Lori is palpable, and as readers continue into those ominous shadowy woods alongside Lori and her sister, Triana deftly creates this sense of dread almost too much to bear. And then the violence, the gore, and all that gritty stuff gets sprinkled in. Yet it’s what we see in Lori, the extent at which she’s willing to go for someone so evidently using and abusing her that demonstrates how extreme horror can often be excellent case studies for studying the mind of a killer and the mind of a victim. 

Eric LaRocca’s Top Five Works of Queer Extreme Horror

The Consumer

Here we go… if you’ve heard of this one, you’ve probably already seen how infamous this rare text really is. Written and published in the 90s on Henry Rollins’ indie label, 2.13.61, The Consumer is a collection of oddities and sheer unsettling intensity by Michael Gira, widely known for his experimental band, Swans. Though you won’t be able to find this book in print, unless you’re willing to pay those rare book prices (though there’s apparently a PDF floating around), it’s worth mentioning the book as an example of how the violence and unsettling acts that often lace the surface level of extreme horror can be bent and morphed according to the author’s intentions; in this case, Gira uses transgressions as imagery, as the basic material of every story and vignette in the collection. 

You’ll get all kinds of horror here, from self-mutilation to cannibalism and beyond, yet what Gira does with this collection is perhaps what Jerzy Kosinski had intended upon with his novel-in-stories, Steps : Create a found object of a text that transfers the inner depths of fetish and urge, humanity at its basest, as a means of making sense of it. It’s extreme and it’s odd and it’s asking of the reader whatever they’re willing to give. In turn, The Consumer willingly consumes you. 

Ritualistic Human Sacrfice

By C.V. Hunt

This one is… not for the faint of heart. Let's just say that right up from. This is a list of extreme horror, after all.

Nick Graves is not a happy man. Dissatisfied with his marriage—and after making the impulsive decision to buy a dream home without consulting his wife Eve—he is blindsided when she announces her pregnancy just as he plans to ask for a divorce.

As they settle into their new home, Nick becomes increasingly uneasy with the eccentricities of their new town and Eve's strange behavior after a visit to the local doctor's office. His fear mounts as he discovers the unsettling truth about their situation, forever altering his perception of Eve. But you know what they say about “just desserts”…

13 Subversive Extreme Horror Books by Women

The 120 Days of Sodom & Other Writings

By Marquis de Sade

Maybe or maybe not an odd choice for this list but, if you take a second and look at what this cursed text aims to achieve, it’s not too far off from what extreme horror often attains. The Marquis de Sade’s controversial and hedonistic life is documented and often discussed in the same breath as any of his books, and with good reason: He founded the principles of sadism. Yet in the book that he wrote while imprisoned, a book that remains unfinished, he took sadism to its own limits. 

The 120 Days of Sodom depicts four wealthy men who seek the peak (or one might say rock bottom) of depravity through various sexual acts and violence. They gather victims and lock themselves away in a mansion to enjoy all kinds of horrible acts. If there’s anything to glean from their behavior, all that depravity, it’s left on the page for those daring enough to read. 

I call it a cursed text not in passing either; The 120 Days of Sodom was adapted to film by Pier Paolo Pasolini, who was later abducted and murdered. Not to say it was because of the film, or because of the source material, yet when you see what ended up on the page, and what Sade had been promoting and also decrying, one can’t help but wonder if it’s true what they say, that some books are dangerous. 

By Gretchen Felker-Martin

Beth and Fran lead a grim existence along the devastated New England coast, scavenging the organs of feral men to avoid meeting a similar fate.

Robbie, guided by a distrustful philosophy that others pose a threat, lives by the barrel of his gun. When a tragic accident intertwines their lives, they form an unconventional family of survivors facing challenges including violent TERFs, a wealthy sociopath, and complicated interpersonal dynamics.

Amidst evading both feral men and their own inner struggles, they must navigate a treacherous landscape together.

Featured photo: Hassan Rafhaan / Unsplash

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Category: Reviews

Book review: terrortome by garth marenghi.

January 13, 2023

• 7 mins to read

“TerrorTome might read as though Robert Rankin or Jasper Fforde penned an amalgamation of Shaun Hutson, James Herbert, and Guy N. Smith books. With maybe a dash of Rick and Morty in there. But it is its own thing, with its own distinctive voice.”   Once upon a time, a show was made that was …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-review-terrortome-by-garth-marenghi/

Book Review: To Drown in Dark Water by Steve Toase

October 12, 2021

• 8 mins to read

“There are enough ideas in each story to fill dozens of novels, but the most impressive aspect is each one feels complete and whole, rather than a snippet or fragment.”   Here at This is Horror, we’re always excited when Undertow Publications release a new book. Always beautifully put together, from cover to contents, the …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-review-to-drown-in-dark-water-by-steve-toase/

Book Review: Rooster by John C. Foster

September 8, 2021

• 6 mins to read

“With more twists and turns than a high-speed car chase through the gloomy city streets of NYC, readers may well be surprised by the revelation, but will be exhilarated by the ride.”   A brief look at the back catalogue of John C. Foster’s published books will reveal something interesting about his work; he excels …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-review-rooster-by-john-c-foster/

Book Review: The Derelict by Neil Williams

August 19, 2021

“… unfolds at the perfect pace with not a wasted scene. He mounts the dread perfectly, filling the pages with atmosphere, with a fully-realised, dark world.” There are some story settings which seem to come pre-loaded with atmosphere. Post-apocalyptic worlds, for example. Or ice- and snow-locked stories. Then there are ocean-going tales, which, when done …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-review-the-derelict-by-neil-williams/

Book Review: Near the Bone by Christina Henry

August 18, 2021

“Henry shows a deep imagination, and an ability to sustain terror, even if that’s mainly of the human variety.”   Christina Henry is a name which will be familiar to many who read dark, fantastical books. For a number of years, she has carved out a career reinventing and reimaging classic works of fantasy. Peter …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-review-near-the-bone-by-christina-henry/

Book Review: The Samaritan by Dave Jeffery

August 11, 2021

“The A Quiet Apocalypse series has become must-read fiction for horror fans everywhere, one of those stories that deserve to be enjoyed for many generations to come.”   Always an incredibly supportive and generous voice in the online horror community, Dave Jeffery truly took us all by surprise with the creation of the A Quiet …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-review-the-samaritan-by-dave-jeffery/

Book Review: Bayou Whispers by R.B. Wood

July 21, 2021

• 5 mins to read

“A very rewarding read, full of the mysterious and mystical history of the bayou—both established and original to Wood’s creation—as well as naturally secretive characters and action aplenty.”   R.B. Wood is a recent MFA graduate from Emerson College and writes speculative and dark thrillers. His work has appeared in volume six of Crystal Lake …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-review-bayou-whispers-by-r-b-wood/

Book Review: Beneath a Pale Sky by Philip Fracassi

July 14, 2021

• 9 mins to read

“Fracassi’s publishing history is jam-packed with quality quicksand fiction that seems serene on the surface, innocently drawing readers in, until we cannot escape its devilish clutches, and this collection is no exception.” Horror fans are by now so familiar with his name that he ought to need no formal introduction but, with so much horror …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-review-beneath-a-pale-sky-by-philip-fracassi/

Book Review: I Would Haunt You If I Could by Sean Padraic Birnie

July 6, 2021

“Quietly emotional, offbeat, and subtly disturbing, I Would Haunt You If I Could should stand proud amongst the best of quiet, literary horror, while carving out its own, unique space.”   It’s always a cause for celebration when premier Canadian independent press, Undertow Publications, releases a new book. Many times, This is Horror has praised …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-review-i-would-haunt-you-if-i-could-by-sean-padraic-birnie/

Book Review: Matryoshka by Penny Jones

June 30, 2021

“ This novella is adept at putting the reader into the mind of someone who may or may not be suffering from some kind of schizophrenia. It manages to successfully treat mental health and illness with deep sympathy, yet also craft an affecting horror story.” One of the greatest boons to the horror genre was …

Permanent link to this article: https://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-review-matryoshka-by-penny-jones/

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10 Works of Literary Horror You Should Read

(even if you don't think you like horror).

This week, Victor LaValle’s new novel The Changeling  hits shelves. This is only the most recent installment in a long series of great works of literary horror, and as a reader of primarily literary fiction, but with a major soft spot for, as they say, “genre,” its release has me thinking about horror and high-brow literary fiction and the ways in which they intersect.

Like all genres, literary fiction included, horror is a watery one. What makes something horror? What makes something literary? No one can say exactly. The term “horror,” in general, denotes a sense of fear and disgust, so I would argue that any work of literature written at least partly in order to elicit one or both of these feelings in the reader would qualify. As for “literary”? I’d venture to argue that for something to be literary it has to have a certain elevation of prose, a sense of the sentence level as opposed to simply subject matter or plot. (There are plenty of those who say that it’s characterization  that makes something literary, but I’ve read too many experimental novels to believe it.) But what does that mean , exactly? I don’t know! Like porn, you know it when you see it. I see here that I’m comparing literary fiction to porn, and I feel good about it.

I suppose my idea of literary horror is similar to the “suggestive horror” that Brian Evenson discusses during an interview at The White Review : “The notion of a more suggestive horror, which raises the spectre of an insidiously elusive reality, is much more frightening than a lot of what gets called horror, and more realistic than what gets called realism.” That is, while blood and guts and the literary equivalent of jump-scares are not excluded here, the aim is for something that goes a little deeper than that. Below are ten such books—ten of many, of course, on a list that leans towards my own interests and taste, so feel free to add on—or continue the argument about  Beloved —in the comments.

Victor LaValle, The Changeling

I heard LaValle read from The Changeling in 2014 at the University of Virginia, possibly the worst year in (recent) memory for the community. His reading took place after the disappearance and murder of a second-year student but before the infamous Rolling Stone article. It was for that reason that he gave us a trigger warning before he began, something he said he didn’t usually do. In this case, I was happy to have had the chance to steel myself—this book is scary . The section he read—in which the protagonist, Apollo, is U-locked to a steam pipe listening to the scream of a tea kettle, fearing for his son’s life—had the entire room riveted, sweating, and desperate to buy the novel. Now we all can.

Brian Evenson, Last Days

Or really anything by Brian Evenson, who is one of the first names that springs to mind whenever I think of literary horror. A writer who famously broke with the Mormon church over his writing, Evenson’s work pulls from many genres—he’s also a translator of French literature, and as B.K. Evenson, science fiction—but a better writer of gruesome philosophy there might not be.  Last Days , which won the American Library Association’s award for Best Horror Novel of 2009, is a detective novel and a cult novel (in that it is about cults—though perhaps the other designation would work too) and a brutal horror novel and a fine work of minimalist literary fiction.

Toni Morrison, Beloved

Beloved is one of the most frightening books I’ve ever read. Not because anything jumps out at you (though there is a haunted house), but from the psychological horror that runs as an undercurrent throughout, from those first lines: “124 was spiteful. Full of a baby’s venom.” The fact that the novel is based on the story of a real woman makes it rather worse.

This book is interesting genetically—it’s a ghost story, and a scary one, but it’s also unimpeachably  literary. Obviously, I don’t think these two things are mutually exclusive. But in this case, as Grady Hendrix pointed out at Tor not too long ago, it’s the horror community that doesn’t seem to want to claim Beloved . On the one hand, of course it isn’t a conventional horror novel. On the other: hey, look at that vengeful ghost, and also, well, there’s that feeling of horror you get when you read it. After all, it’s about a woman dealing with the fallout from murdering her own child—Sethe is, as Hendrix put it, “that most feared and despised figure in Western Civilization, the murdering mother”—to save her from the greater nightmare of slavery. In the sense that “horror” as a genre is most essentially defined as “that which creates a sense of fear and disgust in the reader,” I think it counts.

Ryu Murakami, Piercing

No ghouls or monsters or stalking spirits in this one—unless you count the utterly horrifying Kawashima Masayuki, who is really all three of these, and worse. I like to call Ryu Murakami “the other  Murakami”—where Haruki Murakami is absurd and cat-covered, with magical ears and mournful handjobs aplenty, Ryu Murakami is dark and cold-blooded, though sometimes equally antic and fantastical. In this novel, Kawashima is afraid that he’s going to stab his infant daughter—he just can’t help himself—and so he hires a prostitute and plots to stab her instead. Things go awry. I read the whole book with my shoulders pressing into my ears, if that tells you anything.

Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House

As much as I want to talk about  We Have Always Lived in the Castle , my favorite Jackson work, and probably (since you asked) in my top ten short novels of all time,  The Haunting of Hill House  is a more definitive work of horror for one of the queens of the genre (after all, her namesake annual award is given “for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic”).  The Haunting of Hill House  is kind of the ur-haunted house story, in which four people in a creaky old mansion begin to experience strange things—and then stranger things. It’s a good introduction into horror because there isn’t much in the way of blood and guts, but more of a creeping, cursed, torturing feeling that seizes both characters and reader by book’s end.

Paul Tremblay, A Head Full of Ghosts

This gripping, somewhat postmodern horror novel asks the hard questions—the most urgent being “schizophrenia or possession?” Fourteen-year-old Marjorie seems to be suffering from the former, but when a priest and a reality television show come into the picture, things get rather more complicated. It’s a novel about memory, perception, and the terror of not-knowing. As Tremblay put it in an interview about the novel at io9 , “Ambiguity is our permanent state, isn’t it? We don’t like it being so. Most of us crave order and routine, and yet yawning before us is our future, as frightening as it is thrilling. . . . [T]he idea that our reality or present is murky and malleable is unsettling, and it’s unsettling because it’s the truth. Horror lives in those liminal or in between spaces, the cracks of things. The closer a horror story gets to the truth of things, the more affective it is going to be.” Sounds just like what we say about literary fiction, doesn’t it?

Stephen Graham Jones, After the People Lights Have Gone Off

Jones is another prolific writer of literary horror, so many of his books could fit onto this list, but his most recent story collection wins its place from its title, which I find deeply scary without being able to put my finger on exactly why (maybe it’s just the very horrifying images from the story to which it refers—but I think even without that context it’s creepy). These stories inject the everyday with terror while playing with the conventions of both the literary and horror genres.

Sebastià Alzamora, Blood Crime (trans.  Maruxa Relaño and Martha Tennent )

Seeing as this is a vampire novel set during the Spanish Civil War, there’s more than one kind of horror at hand—but the vampire, after an eloquent and exuberant entrance, soon takes a backseat to the more human horrors of war. Alzamora is a poet as well as a novelist, and has created a thoroughly modern horror novel here.

John Ajvide Lindqvist, Let the Right One In (trans. Ebba Segerberg)

A chilling novel—both literally and figuratively—about a bullied young boy who finds a strange friend. Very strange. Yes, a vampire, but more than that: a soulmate. The book is cerebral and melancholic, violent and oppressive, and well worth reading even if you have seen the film (or both films).

Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves

For me, the jury’s still out on whether this is really a horror novel—but enough people think it is, and enough people who wouldn’t normally read horror love it, that I’m including it here. It is nominally about a kind of haunted house—one that’s bigger on the inside than it is on the outside, and also drives people insane—but of course the most interesting thing about it is the labyrinthine format, mirroring, and post-modern textual devices. To me, the most compelling argument for House of Leaves as a horror novel is the way it makes you, as the reader, feel claustrophobic and unmoored along with the characters. It certainly evokes something, anyway.

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Review: Stephen King knows 'You Like It Darker' and obliges with sensational new tales

After 50 years, Stephen King knows his Constant Readers all too well. In fact, it’s right there in the title of the legendary master of horror’s latest collection of stories: “ You Like It Darker .” 

Heck yeah, Uncle Stevie, we do like it darker. Obviously so does King, who’s crafted an iconic career of keeping folks up at night either turning pages and/or trying to hide from their own creeped-out imagination. The 12 tales of “Darker” (Scribner, 512 pp., ★★★½ out of four) are an assortment of tried-and-true King staples, with stories that revisit the author’s old haunts – one being a clever continuation of an old novel – and a mix of genres from survival frights to crime drama (a favorite of King’s in recent years). It’s like a big bag of Skittles: Each one goes down different but they’re all pretty tasty.

And thoughtful as well. King writes in “You Like It Darker” – a play on a Leonard Cohen song – that with the supernatural and paranormal yarns he spins, “I have tried especially hard to show the real world as it is." With the opener “Two Talented Bastids,” King takes on an intriguing, grounded tale of celebrity: A son of a famous writer finally digs into the real reason behind how his father and his dad’s best friend suddenly went from landfill owners to renowned artists overnight.

That story’s bookended by “The Answer Man,” which weaves together Americana and the otherwordly. Over the course of several decades, a lawyer finds himself at major turning points, and the same strange guy shows up to answer his big questions (needing payment, of course), in a surprisingly emotional telling full of small-town retro charm and palpable dread.

With some stories, King mines sinister aspects in life’s more mundane corners. “The Fifth Step” centers on a sanitation engineer has a random and fateful meeting on a park bench with an addict working his way through sobriety, with one heck of a slowburn reveal. A family dinner is the seemingly quaint setting for twisty “Willie the Weirdo,” about a 10-year-old misfit who only confides in his dying grandpa. And in the playfully quirky mistaken-identity piece “Finn,” a truly unlucky teenager is simply walking home alone when wrong place and wrong time lead to a harrowing journey.

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A couple entries lean more sci-fi: “Red Screen” features a cop investigating a wife’s murder, with her husband claiming she was possessed; while in “The Turbulence Expert,” a man named Craig Dixon gets called into work, his office is an airplane and his job is far from easy. There’s also some good old-fashioned cosmic terror with “The Dreamers,” starring a Vietnam vet and his scientist boss' experiments that go terrifyingly awry. The 76-year-old King notably offers up some spry elderly heroes, too. One finds himself in harm’s way during a family road trip in “On Slide Inn Road,” where a signed Ted Williams bat takes center stage, and “Laurie” chronicles an aging widower and his new canine companion running afoul of a ticked-off alligator.

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King epics like “It” and “The Stand” are so huge the books double as doorstops, yet the author has a long history of exceptional short fiction, including the likes of “The Body,” “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” and “The Life of Chuck” (from the stellar 2020 collection “If It Bleeds” ). And with “Darker,” it’s actually the two lengthier entries that are the greatest hits.

“Rattlesnakes” is a sequel of sorts to King’s 1981 novel "Cujo," where reptiles are more central to what happens than an unhinged dog. Decades after his son’s death and a divorce results from an incident involving a rabid Saint Bernard, Vic Trenton is retired and living at a friend’s mansion in the Florida Keys when a meeting with a neighbor leads to unwanted visits from youthful specters. It both brings a little healing catharsis to a traumatizing read ("Cujo" definitely sticks with you) and opens up a new wound with unnerving bite.

Then there’s the 152-page “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream,” which leans more into King’s recent noir detective/procedural era. School janitor Danny gets a psychic vision of a girl who’s been murdered and he tries to do the right thing by informing the police. But that’s when the nightmare really begins, as he becomes a prime suspect and has his life torn asunder by the most obsessed cop this side of Javert. Danny’s all too ready to be his Valjean, a compelling sturdy personality who fights back hard – and the best King character since fan-favorite private eye Holly Gibney .

“Horror stories are best appreciated by those who are compassionate and empathetic,” King writes in his afterword. And with “You Like It Darker,” he proves once more that his smaller-sized tales pack as powerful a wallop as the big boys.

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The Magazine of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Field

Gabino Iglesias Reviews Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi

It’s hard to find fresh, unique ghost stories. It’s probably even harder to find original narra­tives – horror, mystery, crime, whatever – in which someone is forced to go back to their home­town to face their past. In Small Town Horror , author Ronald Malfi manages to do both. At once a spooky tale about a haunting with a tragic begin­ning and a story about a group of friends reunited after many years in their hometown because they must tackle a situation that could affect them all, this novel plays with tropes while simultaneously sounding new and showcasing Malfi’s stellar prose.

Andrew Larimer grew up near the ocean in the small town of Kingsport. He spent his youth hang­ing out with his friends, doing things like sneaking beers here and there and setting off fireworks for his birthday. But that was the past. Andrew is now a lawyer in a New York law firm and he has a wife who’s pregnant with their first child. The future looks bright, but there is a darkness from his past that violently interrupts Andrew’s new life. A phone call from an old friend late one night makes Andrew return to his hometown, where he, unbeknownst to his wife, still owns the house in which he grew up.

For Andrew, returning home is not something he’d planned on doing. He wanted nothing to do with his old house and has spent years trying to forget the awful night in which a prank changed everything for him and his friends. Coming home also means missing work and lying to his wife. Still, he goes, because the secret that binds him to his childhood friends is as powerful as it is dangerous. Andrew has a lot to lose, but so do his friends: Dale is in real estate and struggling with his financial future as well as with drama at home; Tig is a single mom working in a bar that almost burned to the ground; Eric is now the town’s deputy sheriff; and Meach has been fighting addiction and alcoholism for years, and is now always rambling about strange things that happen at night and a curse that is out to end them all. Together again and with their cur­rent lives on the line, Andrew and his friends will have to confront what happened twenty years and finds new ways to keep it hidden. Unfortunately, the past isn’t dead; it’s haunting them.

Small Town Horror works on two levels. The first is a story about friends whose lives changed after a horrible event. They were young and stupid and didn’t know how to react to an emergency, and that ended up with a body and a destroyed family of outsiders who didn’t know who to blame. Life went on for everyone, but the grief and guilt from that night never truly abandoned any of them. This story is dark and ugly in many ways, but Malfi’s prose and superb character development make it shine.

Along with that story is another one: A horror narrative about a vengeful ghost whose anger has turned him into a force to be reckoned with. This one is also a story about creepy sounds, something hiding in the brackish waters of a flooded basement, specters showing up at night, and ghostly voices whispering dark things into the ears of the living. Malfi knows that the most powerful element of a haunting is the sense that it’s an inescapable thing that might not be always present, but the idea of it is, and that is precisely what gives it its power. In Small Town Horror , the past is always present, and that means that the darkest things from twenty years ago are as alive as they were two decades ago.

Ronald Malfi is a talented storyteller known for the quality of his writing and the way he brings an element of elegance to the genre, and Small Town Horror – relentlessly creepy, unapologetically dark, and surprisingly heartfelt – might just be his best novel yet.

Gabino Iglesias is a writer, journalist, professor, and book reviewer living in Austin TX. He is the author of Zero Saints and Coyote Songs and the editor of Both Sides . His work has been nominated to the Bram Stoker and Locus Awards and won the Wonderland Book Award for Best Novel in 2019. His short stories have appeared in a plethora of anthologies and his non-fiction has appeared in the New York Times , the Los Angeles Times , and CrimeReads . His work has been published in five languages, optioned for film, and praised by authors as diverse as Roxane Gay, David Joy, Jerry Stahl, and Meg Gardiner. His reviews appear regularly in places like NPR, Publishers Weekly , the San Francisco Chronicle , Criminal Element , Mystery Tribune , Vol. 1 Brooklyn , the Los Angeles Review of Books , and other print and online venues. He’s been a juror for the Shirley Jackson Awards twice and has judged the PANK Big Book Contest, the Splatterpunk Awards, and the Newfound Prose Prize. He teaches creative writing at Southern New Hampshire University’s online MFA program. You can find him on Twitter at @Gabino_Iglesias .

This review and more like it in the April 2024 issue of Locus .

©Locus Magazine. Copyrighted material may not be republished without permission of LSFF.

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Interview highlights

Stephen king's new story took him 45 years to write.

Mary Louise Kelly

Courtney Dorning

Stephen King says finishing one of his stories decades after he started it felt like "calling into a canyon of time." Francois Mori/AP hide caption

Stephen King says finishing one of his stories decades after he started it felt like "calling into a canyon of time."

Stephen King is out with a new collection of short stories.

As you might expect from the reigning King of Horror, some are terrifying. Some are creepy. Others are laugh-out-loud funny. And one of them took him 45 years to write.

The book is a collection of 12 stories, called You Like it Darker .

Stephen King's legacy of horror

Over the course of his decades-long career as a writer, King has learned there's no taking a story too far.

"I found out – to sort of my delight and sort of my horror – that you can't really gross out the American public," King told NPR.

He spoke with All Things Considered host Mary Louise Kelly about the book, destiny and getting older.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Mary Louise Kelly: I want to start by asking you about the story, The Answer Man . You began it when you were 30. You finished it when you were 75. What the heck happened?

Stephen King: Well, I lost it. What happens with me is I will write stories and they don't always get done. And the ones that don't get done go in a drawer and I forget all about them. And about five years ago, these people started to collect all the stuff that was finished and all this stuff that was unfinished and put it in an archive. They were going through everything – desk drawers, wastebaskets underneath the desk, every place. I'm not exactly a very organized person. My nephew John Leonard found this particular story, which was written in the U.N. Plaza Hotel back in the '70s, I think. And he said, "You know, this is pretty good. You really ought to finish this." And I read it and I said, "You know, I think I know how to finish it now." So I did.

Kelly: Well give people a taste. The first six or so pages that you had written back in the hotel, it becomes a 50-page story. What was it that you decided was worth returning to?

King: Well, I like the concept: This young man is driving along, and he's trying to figure out whether or not he should join his parents' white shoe law firm in Boston, or whether he should strike out on his own. And he finds this man on the road who calls himself the Answer Man. And he says, "I will answer three of your questions for $25, and you have 5 minutes to ask these questions." So I thought to myself, I'm going to write this story in three acts. One while the questioner is young, and one when he's middle aged, and one when he's old. The question that I ask myself is: "Do you want to know what happens in the future or not?"

Kelly: This story, like many of your stories, is about destiny – whether some things are meant to happen no matter what we do, no matter what choices we make. Do you believe that's true?

King: The answer is I don't know. When I write stories, I write to find out what I really think. And I don't think there's any real answer to that question.

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Kelly: You do describe in the afterword of the book that going back in your seventies to complete a story you had begun as a young man gave you, and I'll quote your words, "The oddest sense of calling into a canyon of time." Can you explain what that means?

King: Well, you listen for the echo to come back. When I was a young man, I had a young man's ideas about The Answer Man . But now, as a man who has reached, let us say, a certain age, I'm forced to write from experience and just an idea of what it might be like to be an old man. So yeah, it felt to me like yelling and then waiting for the echo to come back all these years later.

Kelly: Are there subjects you shy away from, where you think about it and think, "You know what, that might be one step too creepy, too weird?"

King: I had one novel called Pet Cemetery that I wrote and put in a drawer because I thought, "Nobody will want to read this. This is just too awful." I wanted to write it to see what would happen, but I didn't think I would publish it. And I got into a contractual bind, and I needed to do a book with my old company. And so I did. And I found out – sort of to my delight and sort of to my horror – that you can't really gross out the American public. You can't go too far.

Kelly: It was a huge bestseller, as I recall.

King: Yeah, it's a bestseller and it was a movie. And yeah, the same thing is true with It , about the killer clown who preys on children

Kelly: Who still haunts my nightmares, I have to tell you. You've written how many books at this point?

King: I don't know.

King: Really? In our recent coverage of you, we've said everything from 50 to 70.

King: I think it's probably around 70, but I don't keep any count. I remember thinking as a kid that it would be a really fine lifetime to be able to write 100 novels.

Kelly: Oh my gosh. Well you sound like you're still having a lot of fun, so I hope you have quite a few more novels for us to come.

King: That'd be good.

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‘Butcher’ Tells the (Mostly) True Story of a Very Bad Gynecologist

Through the lens of a 19th-century doctor, Joyce Carol Oates explores gothic medical horror.

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By Daphne Merkin

Daphne Merkin’s most recent book is the novel “22 Minutes of Unconditional Love.” She is currently at work on a memoir about psychoanalysis.

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BUTCHER, by Joyce Carol Oates

There are many things one could note about Joyce Carol Oates’s long writing career — including, most strikingly, its legendary prolificness. Gifted with a protean talent, she has shifted with ease from one literary genre to another, be it novels, short stories, memoir, poetry, children’s books, essay collections, plays or librettos.

To the envy, admiration and annoyance of less fluent authors, Oates has clearly never suffered from writers’ block. When she is not writing in longhand, she is busy on X and Substack, airing her opinions on Donald Trump and the events of the day. For a time she also wrote suspense under two different pseudonyms.

Indeed, there is something almost compulsive, verging on the hypergraphic, about her need to write. It seems to come to her as readily as breathing, and leaves one wondering whether she ever stops long enough to brew a cup of tea. (One of her few diversions is running.) Now 85, Oates shows no sign of slowing down: “Butcher” is, by most accounts, her 63rd novel, and the book has the feverish energy, narrative propulsion and descriptive amplitude — sometimes to excess — of much of her earlier work.

Even when Oates isn’t writing in an explicitly Gothic mode, as she did in “Bellefleur” (1980) or “My Heart Laid Bare” (1998), she has always been interested in intimations of the sinister, the way it suddenly hoves into view on an ordinary summer day. “At the periphery of many of my poems and works of fiction, as in the corner of an eye,” she once observed in an essay, “there is often an element of the grotesque or surreal.”

The title of “Butcher,” the very starkness of it, gives a clue to the lurid, bloody tale Oates has in store. Like several previous works (her seminal 1966 short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” and the 1992 Chappaquiddick reimagining “Dark Water,” for example), it is inspired in part by real figures who committed real crimes — including, in this case, an undertrained doctor named J. Marion Sims, who in the 1840s began performing experimental surgeries on women recovering from difficult childbirths.

Here, the “Butcher” of the title is now called Silas Aloysius Weir, who for 35 years oversees the New Jersey State Asylum for Female Lunatics, where conditions range from abysmal to horrifying. His medical instruction is minimal, consisting of only four months of training at an inferior school, though he is happy to tell everyone that he comes from a distinguished family (one of his uncles is a renowned astronomer at Harvard, from which two brothers have also graduated; Weir seems to be the bad egg).

Silas becomes heralded and then ultimately detested as a pioneer in the field of gyno-psychiatry, through which misogynistic scrim he views the vagina as “a veritable hell-hole of filth & corruption” and the female genitals as “loathsome in design, function & aesthetics.”

It is a time when the seat of hysteria is thought to be the uterus, and pesky clitorises — “the offensive little organ at the mouth of the vagina … like a miniature male organ, with an obscene fire lit from within” — are held accountable for obstreperous behavior in young women and snipped without a second thought. Various ailments are treated, without aid of anesthetic, by scalpel and sometimes a shoemaker’s awl, and the most frequent cure-all is phlebotomy, or bloodletting (“ When in doubt, bleed ”), even if in many cases it causes death. The arsenal of drugs includes laudanum, foxglove, mercury, belladonna, “small quantities of arsenic” and cocaine drops.

“Butcher” is told by different narrators, all of whom cast alternating lights on Weir and his God-given (or so he believes) commitment to the patients in his care. From the start, we are given a sense of his unease and unattractiveness: “His head was overlarge on his stooped & spindly shoulders; his stiff-tufted hair of no discernible hue … his eyes rather deep-set in their sockets, like a rodent’s eyes, damp & quick-shifting.” (Reading, I wondered whether a rodent’s eyes are, in fact, deep-set; from the little I have spotted of them, their eyes seemed flat against their heads. But that is a quibble.)

When his use of a pair of pliers to reposition a 5-month-old’s cranial plates results in the infant’s death — even though he relieves his guilt by noting her “very poor stock, virtually subhuman” — Weir is forced to leave his community. Shortly thereafter, he is called to the asylum, where, relying on the assistance of an experienced midwife, he delivers a baby for an orphaned albino Irish servant named Brigit, who is also purportedly deaf and mute. (The child, naturally, is immediately taken from her.)

Eventually, Brigit becomes his assistant, and Weir becomes obsessed with her otherworldly beauty — “Those staring eyes! The faintest blue, uncanny” — believing that there is a special unspoken communion between them. One of those men whose ignorance is matched by his arrogance, he hopes to achieve worldwide fame by finding a way to cure madness by literally cutting it out of the body, and as the novel proceeds, his approach becomes only more brazen. He uses a tarnished tablespoon for intimate examinations as well as heated forceps, confident in his knowledge that “the interior of the vagina is known to be insensitive to sensation, like the birth canal. There are no nerve endings in these organs.”

His ambitions seem limited only by what he can achieve in a series of increasingly depraved experiments, conducted in his private laboratory. Finally, though, the inmates revolt, in a scene that Oates delineates with grotesque specificity. “Butcher” is undoubtedly one of her most surreal and gruesome works, sparing no repulsive detail or nefarious impulse.

In the end, though, the purview of the novel is larger than one might think, becoming an empathic and discerning commentary on women’s rights, the abuses of patriarchy and the servitude of the poor and disenfranchised. Oates, as is her wont, succeeds in creating a world that is apart from our own yet familiar, making it impossible to dismiss her observations about twisted natures and random acts of violence.

My prevailing question about Oates is where her imaginative fantasies derive from, which has always seemed a mystery to me. We don’t get a sense of who she is behind her writing the way we do with, say, John Updike, John Cheever or Alice Munro . But this unyielding impersonality may be the way that she wants it: In the same essay collection I quoted from earlier, she offers, “Elsewhere I’ve stated that JCO is not a person, not even a personality, but a process that has resulted in a series of texts.”

We have become so used to the notion of the recognizable auteur blazing through the artifice of fiction and calling attention to his or her self that Oates’s approach — not dissimilar from the novelist Gustave Flaubert’s insistence that “an author in his book must be like God in the universe, present everywhere and visible nowhere” — feels like a singularly uncommon one. Long may she run.

BUTCHER | Joyce Carol Oates | Knopf | 352 pp. | $30

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‘The Substance’ Review: Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley Make Coralie Fargeat’s Sci-Fi Body Horror Double the Fun

Cannes 2024: The festival’s most audacious horror film is sure to send more squeamish audiences running for the exits

Coralie Fargeat’s “ The Substance ” is a body horror film with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. It smashes you over the head with its ideas and imagery, making even the fleeting moments of supposed beauty its characters are desperately chasing into something gloriously gruesome. It’s also great fun, pushing itself to greater heights and increasingly ludicrous lows at every turn as it riffs on the perils of youth and aging. It’s a lurid, loud and lewd film that comes at you.

The garishness of it all is Fargeat’s way of taking society’s often painfully narrow beauty standards and turning them all inside out. The filmmaker does so literally and figuratively, making it one of the most utterly ridiculous and unrestrained films to show at a festival this year. Few come even close.

While not as sensational as body horror films of festivals past, namely “Raw” and “ Titane ,” “The Substance” has all the right stuff on the inside. As we see everything come spilling out, it proves to be yet another stellar genre film from Fargeat after her 2017 feature debut, “Revenge.” The film may not have the same style, but it is a boldly stark work, ensuring you feel every punch in your gut all the same. Be warned: it won’t be easy to stomach for all. 

Premiering Sunday evening in competition at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival , the film begins with an overhead shot of the construction and degradation of a star on what seems like the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It’s been made for Elizabeth Sparkle, played with both sufficient dramatic heft and deadpan humor by Demi Moore, who was once a star herself but has been increasingly cast aside as she’s aged. After she is cut from the exercise show that she hosts by the megalomaniacal television executive Harvey, played with a truly despicable and terrifying disposition by Dennis Quaid in rare form, an opportunity presents itself to her. It’s a product known as The Substance which, at its very basic, is an injection that allows you to create a younger version of yourself who will be more “beautiful” in the eyes of society. The temptation soon proves to be too much for Elizabeth. 

This injection works exactly as advertised, only with a lot more pain that we see captured in inventive detail, like eyeballs doubling in a socket as the younger version splits open the older original’s back, leaving her unconscious on her bathroom floor. This new version goes by Sue and is played by a madcap Margaret Qualley, in her second film at the festival following “ Kinds of Kindness ,” with a real sense of verve even as she teeters just on the edge of falling apart.  

While the doubling is incredible, there are strict rules both must follow together. Namely, they have to switch every week, with one going unconscious while the other moves freely in the world. So while Sue almost immediately finds immense success, taking over Elizabeth’s hosting job and turning the exercise program into a ratings smash hit by making it more erotic, this is something both don’t get to benefit from. Even as the shadowy group behind The Substance informs them they are one person, a struggle for this singular life starts to take bloody shape. 

While some of this plays out rather predictably at first, it all still works because of how in command Fargeat is as a director. A fair bit of the film is without much dialogue, establishing the fault lines that will create a schism between the two versions with focused visual storytelling. Just as was the case with ‘Revenge,’ Fargeat wastes little time in getting things in motion and isn’t afraid to throw us into the squishy body horror deep end as things begin to unravel. 

Neither Sue nor Elizabeth are fully content with the arrangement which results in the former starting to break the rules by staying conscious longer and longer. This creates disastrous consequences. You already feel this in your bones as Sue must repeatedly inject Elizabeth to remove what seems to be a dangerously high amount of spinal fluid to give her life, but seeing the older version start to decay before our eyes is what provides the film with the necessary urgency. While a bit repetitive here and there, it always finds a way to kick down a new door.

Though frequently confined to the duo’s luxurious apartment, the battle for this one life ensures it never feels too narrow in scope. Reflections on what it means to age as a woman in society are often expressed with blunt dialogue though you’re willing to forgive this because of just how committed Moore and Qualley are to the experience. Each gives body and soul to what can be often physically demanding scenes. They make the film into an often sly tragicomedy, leaning on both humor and horror to ensure that its audience begins to squirm. 

Just when you think it’s run out of ways to show the bodies of the two being more and more impacted, from limbs beginning to decay to a bulge from a meal the other ate, it will smash you right into the next escalation. Fargeat never runs out of fun ideas for how to torment her characters, having them extract a lump through a belly button, squish limbs into place after being out too long, and generally try to make the most of the devil’s bargain they have struck.  

This culminates in a spectacular and chaotic finale that feels like it could potentially set a record for the amount of blood spilled in a film premiering at Cannes. Faces are pointedly repeatedly smashed into unrelenting mirrors just as bodies are distorted by The Substance even further, leaving nowhere else to go but into more absurd and gory anarchy. This all goes on for quite a while, but the ratcheting up of the body horror ensures it never feels tired. The clever manner in which it all ties back to the beginning serves up an absolute showstopper of a closing punchline. It’s a classic “be careful what you wish for” film. You may find stardom, but nothing lasts forever. 

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