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Fans of monster-themed books like Liz Kerin’s “Night’s Edge” series and Neville’s other mysteries and thrillers should give this novel attempt at horror a taste.
Even those well versed in slashers and their tropes will be surprised by the directions Jones takes. Readable both as representative of slasher films and book and as an exploration of the rules of the genre, this novel will have wide appeal to readers who are new to Jones’s work as well as established fans. Recommended as a contrast for fans of recent “final girl” books like the ones by Grady Hendrix and Riley Sager and readers who enjoyed The Pallbearers Club by Paul Tremblay.
A late-act reveal helps this story stand out among other technology-going-bad tales, and those who like the trope, or enjoy a good techno-thriller, will want to watch William play with his human toys.
In his most accessible work to date, Iglesias has crafted a coming-of-age story that blends friendship, vengeance, and mysticism in beautifully written prose that demonstrates the thinness of the boundary between the spiritual world and grim reality. Recommended for fans of S.A. Cosby and Stephen Graham Jones and those who enjoy Nordic noir, with its strong sense of place and of the power of weather.
Debut novelist Donyae Coles talks with LJ about horror’s emotional resonance, the roles of Black characters in the genre, and her other creative outlets.
Seidlinger’s (Anybody Home??) squirm-inducing and thought-provoking novel spins the fear of the COVID era into something terrifying in a whole new way. Suggest to those who like the immersive discomfort of books like The Seventh Mansion by Maryse Meijer, Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca, and This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno.
Priest (Cinderwich) is popular with library audiences from teen to adult, and her latest will appeal to both. A great suspenseful and twisty story, reminiscent of Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt, The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher, and The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon.
Coles’s novel is another stellar example of how marginalized voices are taking a perennially popular genre, previously dominated by white characters and authors, and revitalizing it for 21st-century readers in a manner that honors its history but injects brand-new terrors, similar to Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas.
Knútsdóttir will hook readers with her first title to be translated into English. For fans of disorienting psychological horror marked by extreme tension and familial trauma, such as in The Grip of It by Jac Jemc, My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, and anything by Catriona Ward.
Pedersen’s debut skillfully balances character and atmosphere. Recommend to readers who like creepy, methodically paced stories that focus on unease, such as the work of Kevin Brockmeier. Also a good pick for those who enjoy tales that use mythology in a revenge plot, like The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones.
With her eerie and unnervingly probable plot, strong narrative voice, and focus on the small, beautiful moments of life amid disaster, Trías’s (The Rooftop) tale will continue to haunt readers long after they turn the final page. Pair it with other thoughtful and subtle horror stories such as Sealed by Naomi Booth or Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin.
With horror’s popularity, this accessible, entertaining, and informative book will be in high demand. Pair with 101 Horror Books To Read Before You’re Murdered by Sadie Hartmann to capture a similar vibe for stories in print.
Speculative, dystopian fiction blending Botswanan mythology with considerations of family, technology, and autonomy. Share with fans of Nnedi Okorafor, Temi Oh, and Octavia Butler.
Postapocalyptic stories like this and Josh Malerman’s Bird Box often focus on what changes when society stops working. In this uneasy tale, Moraine suggests that what changes is how humans interact with one another.
An intriguing ghost story, perfect for fans of both bombastic hauntings, like Richard Matheson’s Hell House, and more cerebral hauntings, like Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House.
Genius narration pairs with an excellent collection to create a must-listen audiobook, particularly for fans of John Hornor Jacobs’s A Lush and Seething Hell and Laird Barron’s The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All.
A stunningly illustrated exploration of alienation, obsession, and the experience of yearning for connection with another human being, particularly when one feels that they are only capable of expressing themselves through art.
Bestselling author Tynion (Blue Book) and illustrator Hixson (The Plot) deliver a moodily illustrated and psychologically complex horror thriller that examines the consequences of refusing to acknowledge the humanity of an individual who does not conform to the societal expectations of the prevailing culture.
Epic in scope and deeply steeped in its place, Lyons’s crime caper/horror hybrid will appeal to fans of titles like This Wretched Valley by Jenny Kiefer, The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias, and The Children of Red Peak by Craig DiLouie.
Winning continues to write great horror novels, and this is a must-buy for libraries that are seeking new and insightful horror that will captivate their readers. Recommend to those who enjoyed My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones, The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix, or Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare.
Malerman is extraordinarily skilled at bringing fear to the ordinary and building a sense of unease into terror. He can terrify readers even while writing from a believable child’s perspective and voice. For fans of novelists who deftly deploy unease and surreal takes on the routine like Neil Gaiman, Catriona Ward, or Paul Tremblay, or Scott Thomas’s Violet, another novels about an imaginary friend.
Monika Kim is a second-generation Korean American living in Los Angeles’s Koreatown. She learned about eating fish eyes from her mother, who immigrated to LA from Seoul in 1985. The Eyes Are the Best Part is her first novel.
LJ Best Book author Hailey Piper offers a twist on vampire mythology; plus new books from Kelley Armstrong, Richard Chizmar, and Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award-winner Nuzo Onoh.
With obvious nods to the serious issues that underpin Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, and clearly inspired by Gillian Flynn’s seminal Gone Girl, Kim has written a novel that every library needs to own.
King-Miller’s (Ask a Queer Chick: A Guide to Sex, Love, and Life for Girls who Dig Girls) fiction debut expertly balances social commentary with fun in a novel that will have readers cheering for her queer heroes and questioning their own brand loyalties. Will have wide appeal for fans of Jennifer Government by Max Barry, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith, and Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin.
A great read for fans of authors who embrace slasher-movie tropes in their storytelling such as Brian McAuley, Grady Hendrix, and Stephen Graham Jones, and also those who love tales where artists and cursed objects collide, such as Gothic by Philip Fracassi.
No one writes like Felker-Martin (Manhunt), and her unrelenting and brutally honest novels are crucial inclusions to all horror collections. Pair with Chuck Tingle’s Camp Damascus or Lucy Snyder’s Sister, Maiden, Monster. This is also a great update to the classic film Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
A great introduction to today’s cosmic horror, featuring a plethora of talented new voices. An easy hand sell to fans of Jordan Peele, The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle, or the work of rising star Hailey Piper.
A captivating, alluring, and, at times, illicit book that is conscious of the craft of the storytelling process without sacrificing an extraordinary reading experience. It recalls Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin, Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward, and Coyote Songs by Gabino Iglesias.
Aguda’s excellent story collection deserves a wide audience. With a breadth similar to the critically acclaimed Jackal, Jackal by Tobi Ogundiran, this will also appeal to readers of Eugen Bacon, Lisa Tuttle, and Karen Russell.
A must-buy title that updates the enduringly popular form of the gothic novel from a new perspective (as in Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia or The Hollow Kind by Andy Davidson), while also adding depth to the horror that unites Thomas’s literary universe, similar to Goblin and Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman.
A perfect ghost story for fans of The Amityville Horror or listeners who prefer not-so-subtle scares. The short runtime makes this a quick supernatural thriller that ends with a decidedly loud bang.
Expertly blending timelines and perspectives, Medina delivers another atmospheric, unsettling, and downright eerie read that will keep readers guessing until the last page.
Multiple vampire tales, including ones from Johnny Compton, Rachel Harrison, and Kiersten White; a gothic horror from LJ Best Booker Olesya Salnikova Gilmore; and YA authors Lilliam Rivera and Vincent Tirado make their adult debut.
Carson (Where They Wait), pen name of Michael Koryta, delivers a captivating and eerie tale that weaves together family curses, the Y2K panic, and the very real horrors of adolescence. Xennial readers will especially enjoy revisiting cultural touchpoints of their own coming-of-age. Give this one to fans of Michael Koryta and Chuck Wendig’s Black River Orchard.
Tudor’s (The Drift) latest blends elements from the horror, thriller, and mystery genres to create a compulsive and fantastic read. Well-paced action, great characters, a satisfying conclusion, and the setup for a sequel make for an easy recommendation, especially for fans of T. Kingfisher and Catriona Ward.
Nesbø’s first foray into horror lacks a tightly focused plot but makes up for it with imaginative scenes that fascinate even when separated from the whole.
Fans of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s “Pendergast” series should especially enjoy Dumas’s intriguing blend of supernatural and psychological horror, with its sharp prose, well-drawn characters, and just the right amount of humor and social commentary.
Throughout this intense blend of horror, romance, and fantasy, listeners will be glad for Parker’s performance. A twisty, shocking novel for fans of Richard Kadrey’s The Dead Take the A Train.
Outstanding narratorial performances take this novel to the next level. Fussner doesn’t offer easy answers but allows listeners to ponder the existence of the invisible world.
A collection of Indigenous horror stories that offers something for every listener, from quietly unsettling tales to gruesome body horror. Don’t miss this one.
The collaboration of these uniquely gifted narrators with extraordinarily talented Black horror authors results in a thrilling, multifaceted audio experience that belongs in all fiction collections.
Readers who enjoyed Afterlife with Archie by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa or Octopus Girl by Toru Yamazaki will enjoy untangling the plots of these six cutesy yet highly disturbing stories.
Fans of Isabel Cañas’s The Hacienda and Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic will breathe in this book’s brooding atmosphere, even as its emotional punch of a climax leaves them breathless.
Readers will be drawn in to this horror novella with broad crossover appeal, thanks to its skillful blend of trans love story, historical fiction, and Southern gothic folk horror.
Full of emotions, humorous moments, spinetingling scenes, and lots of tension, Thorne’s newest is a modern horror story that will grab readers and not let go.
This horror sequel invokes more about Sara rights and splinter cells, and Mia remains a fascinating protagonist to watch as she works through her own pain while trying to stay alive.
Balancing a terrifying cursed film with examinations of artistic creation, fandom, and truth, Tremblay’s latest is smart and well-paced and will have broad appeal. Recommended for fans of Tremblay’s The Pallbearer’s Club as well as Clay McLeod Chapman’s The Remaking.
The way Olivas builds on the classic Shelley story and sets it within a futuristic context makes it an intriguing read that will speak to disenfranchised voices and spark discussion among its readers. A good read-alike for Tim McGregor’s Eynhallow and Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi.
S.A. Barnes is the author of Dead Silence and the forthcoming Ghost Station. She works in a high school library by day, recommending reads, talking with students, and removing the occasional forgotten cheese stick used as a bookmark.
Pelayo (The Shoemaker’s Magician) has given readers another can’t-miss novel, marked by its pervasive unease and riveting storyline. For fans of ghost stories that mine memory, fairy tales, and mystery, such as the works of Simone St. James, Jennifer McMahon, and Helen Oyeyemi.
Wood (Telecommuting) showcases the strengths of the novella as the perfect vehicle for horror storytelling, in a captivating tale that is in equal measures beautiful and brutal, presenting terror both terrestrial and supernatural; similar to the work of Gabino Iglesias and V. Castro.
Ryan’s (Throw Me to the Wolves) compelling horror/mystery hybrid is bursting with serious scares, humor, and Southern charm. Fans of Grady Hendrix and Rachel Harrison will appreciate.
LaRocca (Everything the Darkness Eats) is a viral sensation for all the right reasons, showcasing why extreme horror is so resonant, thought-provoking, and necessary. Suggest to fans of Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica and We Are Here To Hurt Each Other by Paula D. Ashe.
Barnes (Dead Silence) is quickly cementing herself as the go-to author in space horror. This will appeal to fans of sci-fi/horror hybrids that are heavy on the planetary-exploration details, such as David Wellington’s Paradise-1, and also readers who enjoy the psychologically intense polar horror of Ally Wilkes.
Hightower’s (Silent Key) story, dripping with visceral dread from every corner, will draw in fans of intense psychological horror such as A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay, Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones, and Graveyard of Lost Children by Katrina Monroe.
Jones has given the world a gift, an epic tale for the ages, both a violent, high-octane slasher and a frank, thought-provoking indictment of the U.S., past and present.
This novel is a mystery and a love story fraught with heartbreak, infused with Islamic mythology, and written in evocative, lyrical prose. Fans of Isabel Allende and Alice Hoffman will be enchanted with this beautiful book.
The novel’s very metaphysical ending might leave some readers disappointed, but its atmosphere and harrowed heroines make this a good book to read during cold and dark nights.
A captivating listen, just the thing for thriller readers seeking supernatural scares. The twists come fast, and the characters’ decisions lead to brutal consequences. Share with fans of Stephen King and Riley Sager.
This dramatized adaptation of Stoker’s classic tale is a perfect spooky listen for those seeking a new experience of the original novel. Recommended for any audio classics or horror collection.
Though the subject matter is disturbing, Clake’s window into the horror wrought by abusive relationships resonates. A haunting literary horror for fans of Carmen Maria Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties.
A thrilling story, laced with horrors both real and otherwise; recommended for audiences who loved Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan’s The Handyman Method and Thomas Olde Heuvelt’s Echo.
This audio will appeal to listeners seeking atmospheric, unsettling horror that blends otherworldly chills with childhood nostalgia. Recommended for fans of Megan Collins, Kiersten White, and Jennifer McMahon.
This complex blend of historical fiction, romance, and horror captivates on many levels. Share with fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Alma Katsu, and Andy Davidson.
One doesn’t need a Needle Man to poke holes in the plot, but Winning has created an immersive love letter to late-20th-century horror cinema that will draw fans of supernatural slashers like flies to corpses.