Best horror books on Reddit

349 reviews from r/horrorlit, r/booksuggestions, r/horror and 7 more subreddits

349 reviews from

and

By Brand

By Product

Stephen King

5.0

(41)

"Pet Semetary by Stephen King"

"Pet Semetery and Salem's lot are my two favorite Stephen King books, they are amazing."

"Literally all of the Stephen King short story collections are bloody fantastic too."

"The Shining by Stephen King is good! I'm currently reading it now."

"You really can't go wrong with the King classics. *It* is probably a lot but Pet Sematary, The Shining, and Salems Lot are all classics."

"Stephen King, John Saul, Edgar Allen Poe, Clive Barker, Anne Rice are all good authors of this genre with several books to choose from."

"I would start with Pet Semetary by Stephen King. That was my first horror novel as a kid and I’ve been hooked ever since."

Neil Gaiman

4.9

(20)

"Coraline by Neil Gaiman."

"It's really endearing at the beginning but gets scary as the child grows older."

"Creepy creepy creepy: Coraline by Neil Gaiman"

"The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman is the book you looking for."

"Coraline by Neil Gaiman :)"

"Coraline & The Graveyard Book"

"Neil Gaiman and Katherine Arden books are good"

"Could also work, as well as *The Thief of Always* by Clive Barker."

"Pretty wholesome horror."

"Coraline! If they could handle it."

Clive Barker

4.8

(16)

"The thief of always by Clive Barker. It really is great!"

"It was recommended to me by my 10yo son, who read it in school."

"The Thief of Always by Clive barker"

"The hellbound heart by Clive Barker"

"Has a very Coraline vibe."

"Was my first horror book when I was a kid, started my lifelong love of horror."

"The thief of always by Clive Barker is amazing."

"“The Thief of Always” by Clive Barker"

"The Graveyard Book and The Thief of Always are both good."

"Thief of always by Clive barker is a great book."

Nick Cutter

4.5

(13)

"The Troop by Nick Cutter."

"The Deep by Nick Cutter"

"The Troop by Nick Cutter."

"Nick Cutter. His book The Troop messed me up."

"The Deep."

"I also really liked The Troop by Nick Cutter!"

"I loved The Troop by Nick Cutter."

"The Troop by Cutter— good pulp body horror."

"The troop by nick cutter"

"I just finished the deep by Nick Cutter which I thought was great!"

Goosebumps

4.4

(12)

"Goosebumps!"

"Ghostbumps!"

"Goosebumps, the graveyard book, a monster calls"

"Goosebumps"

"Gotta go with Goosebumps - classics haha and some of them creeped me out when I was around that age!!"

"Goosebumps!"

"I'm sure someone will have said it already but Goosebumps.+"

"Goosebumps"

"Goosebumps. Theres so many different stories and a good majority of them... are just so much fun to read."

Stephen Graham Jones

4.5

(10)

"I loved it!"

"I just read The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones and loved it!"

"My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones and its two sequels."

"Don’t Fear The Reaper - Stephen Graham Jones"

"Also, check out Stephen Graham Jones. He's a modern horror author and pretty good!"

"The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones (check warnings before you read if dog abuse/death is a dealbreaker!)"

""My heart is a chainsaw" by Stephen Graham Jones."

"Stephen Graham Jones Josh Malerman Paul Tremblay Chuck Wendig"

"Its really good and I would recommend it to any slasher fan."

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

4.8

(8)

"Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark"

"Scary Stories to tell in the Dark traumatized me and my entire third grade class (in a good way)!"

"Scary stories to tell in the dark and goosebumps lol"

"The Thing at the Foot of the Bed is like Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark."

"Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark"

"Scary Stories to tell in the Dark."

"Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark at some point."

"Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Can't remember the author rn."

Dan Simmons

4.8

(8)

"The Terror by Dan Simmons"

"The terror by Dan Simmons"

"The Terror by Dan Simmons."

"Summer of Night by Dan Simmons."

"Summer Of Night - Dan Simmons."

"Are my fall go-tos."

"I found it quite entertaining and scary."

"I really enjoyed The Terror by Dan Simmons."

Mary Downing Hahn

4.7

(7)

"Anything by Mary Downing Hahn I LOVED her as a kid."

"Mary Downing Hahn books. “Wait till Helen” comes was my favorite as a kid!"

"Anything and everything by Mary Downing Hahn."

"When I was around 8-11, I loved reading Mary Downing Hahn’s books—specifically, “The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall,” and “Wait Till Helen Comes.”"

"Mary Downing Hahn💙"

"Has a ton of ghost stories and horror for that age group."

"[Books by Mary Downing Hahn] - they're all on the shorter side and quick reads."

#10

Grady Hendrix

4.6

(7)

"I've been reading Grady Hendrix (I have two of his books left) and I really recommend him!"

"Was also great"

"Was spooktacular"

"Grady Hendrix. He’s just amazing."

"How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix."

"And almost anything by Grady Hendrix."

"I enjoyed How To Sell A Haunted House by Hendrix."

#11

Bunnicula

4.4

(7)

"Bunnicula!"

"Bunnicula"

"I havent seen ANYONE say Bunnicula so far, which is a classic horror comedy."

"The Dark, by Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen"

"Bunnicula - A vampire bunny who sucks the juice out of veggies lol."

"Bunnicula. Goosebumps. Fear Street."

#12

Coraline

5.0

(6)

"Coraline."

"I, as a 36 year old man, just read Coraline. It's perfect! It's very creepy... but nothing too terribly scary."

"Coraline"

"I don't know if *Coraline* is good for 8 year olds, but it is a wonderful horror book for children!"

"Coraline is great and genuinely scary horror."

#13

R.L. Stine

5.0

(6)

"Goosebumps"

"Goosebumps!"

"Goosebumps then on to Point Horror if they still exist"

"The OG goosebumps. R.L. Stine is Stephen king of children’s horror."

"Goosebumps"

"Goosebumps is the gold standard for kids horror."

#14

Shirley Jackson

5.0

(6)

"I highly recommend The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson."

"The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson - A classic horror that I would recommend to anyone."

"The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson."

"Both by shirley jackson and there are fairly popular movie/ tv adaptations of both of them."

"Shirley Jackson. Try the haunting of hill house."

"Haunting of Hill House (although written for adults I think it’s appropriate for an 8 year old)"

#15

Holly Black

4.5

(6)

"Holly Black's Doll Bones (though she has some other good ones)."

"“doll bones” by holly black"

"I loved Doll Bones by Holly Black."

"Doll Bones by Holly Black."

"Doll bones by holly black!"

"“doll bones” by holly black."

#16

Pet Sematary

5.0

(5)

"Pet Semetary was fantastic as well."

"Pet Sematary by Stephen King it is read by Michael C Hall."

"Pet Semetary dramatization on internet archives."

"*Pet Sematary* read by Michael C. Hall are incredible."

"Pet Semetary is narrated excellently by Micheal C Hall."

#17

The Thief of Always

4.8

(5)

"The Thief of Always was one of my favorite books as a kid."

"Thief of Always by Clive Barker, love that book!"

"“The Thief of Always” by Clive Barker is the answer."

"The Thief of Always"

"The Thief of Always."

#18

Bentley Little

4.4

(5)

"Bentley Little is a great horror author."

"Pretty much anything by Bentley Little."

"While I've only read one by him, I have hopes that others will be just as good. Bentley Little - The Store."

"**The Store** by Bentley Little."

"Y'all need to get on some Bentley Little books."

#19

John Langan

5.0

(4)

"The Fisherman by John Langan definitely."

"The Fisherman by John Langan."

"The Fisherman by John Langan (especially if you like Lovecraft!)."

"The Fisherman by John Langan is a great lovecraftian book."

#20

Mexican Gothic

5.0

(4)

"Mexican Gothic"

"Mexican Gothic, This Thing Between Us, Last House on Needless St."

"Mexican Gothic"

"Mexican Gothic by Silva Moreno-Garcia"

#21

John Ajvide Lindqvist

5.0

(4)

"Let the Right One In, John Ajvide Lindqvist."

"Let the Right On In, set in Sweden 12 year Oskar makes friends with Eli..."

"Little star and let the right one in by John ajvide lindqvist."

"Let the right one in by John Ajvide Lindqvi"

#22

CJ Leede

5.0

(4)

"Maeve fly by CJ Leede"

"Maeve fly by CJ Leede (sadists at Disneyland)"

#23

This Thing Between Us

5.0

(4)

"This Thing Between Us"

#24

Chuck Wendig

4.8

(4)

"I’m currently loving Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig."

"I really enjoyed Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig."

"My recent go-to for recommendations is The Black Maybe by Attila Veres."

"I really liked Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig."

#25

The Only Good Indians

4.8

(4)

"The Only Good Indians"

"The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones"

"The Only Good Indians, by Step"

"Then something from a BIPOC author since there is so much representation now so The Only Good Indians."

#26

Brom

4.8

(4)

"Brom is my favorite male author, he does religious horror and is amaaaazing. I recommend Slewfoot or Lost Gods."

"Beautiful, brutal, and nearly perfect to my mind."

"Slewfoot"

"Slewfoot by Brom is a favorite of mine."

#27

Scott Smith

4.0

(4)

"The ruins by Scott smith"

"I am currently reading The Ruins by Scott Smith and enjoying it a lot"

"If I may suggest The Ruins by Scott Smith."

"The Ruins by Scott Smith"

#28

M.R. Carey

5.0

(3)

"M.R. Carey - The Girl With All The Gifts"

"The girl with all the gifts by MR Carey"

"The girl with all the gifts by MR Carey (fungal apocalypse + savage blood thirsty children)"

#29

Richard Laymon

5.0

(3)

"Most of Richard Laymon, jack ketchum, Robert r McCammon, Steve stred, David Sodegren, Sarah England, John Athan, Jeremy Bates, HP Lovecraft."

"Anything by Richard Laymon."

"Pretty much anything by Richard Laymon."

#30

William Peter Blatty

5.0

(3)

"The book is virtually guaranteed to ge"

"I'd start with The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty. It's an original horror and can definitely make you feel uneasy."

"The Exorcist read by the author is top notch!"

#31

Katherine Arden

5.0

(3)

"I really enjoyed Small Spaces by Katherine Arden - it looks like the recommended age range is 9-12, so it might be a tough one unless the kid is comfortable with something a little advanced, but it's quite good!"

"Small Spaces series by Katherine Arden- trust me on this one!"

"He absolutely LOVED the Small Spaces series."

#32

Aliya Whiteley

5.0

(3)

"The Beauty by Aliya Whiteley is my 2nd fave."

"The beauty by Aliya whitely"

"The beauty by Aliya whitely (body horror + mushroom women)"

#33

Scary Stories

5.0

(3)

"Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark"

"Seconding Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Goosebumps, Bunnicula."

"Definitely scary stories to tell in the dark and goosebumps."

#34

Nat Cassidy

4.7

(3)

"Currently reading Nestlings by Nat Cassidy and loving it."

"Was 🔥"

"**Nestlings** by Nat Cassidy."

#35

Gabino Iglesias

4.7

(3)

"THE DEVIL TAKES YOU HOME by Gabino Iglesias."

"That book is incredible."

"For general horror, you might like The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias."

#36

Brian Evenson

4.7

(3)

"Last Days by Brian Evenson."

"Last days by Brian evenson"

"For general horror, you might like Last Days by Brian Evenson."

#37

Wait Till Helen Comes

4.7

(3)

"Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn was my favorite book when I was little."

"I loved wait till Helen comes, ghosts beneath our feet, the dollhouse murders."

"Wait Till Helen Comes!"

#38

Michael McDowell

4.7

(3)

"The best is *The Elementals*."

"*The Elementals* by Michael McDowell read by R.C. Bray is fantastic!"

"I really like The Elementals by Michael McDowell."

#39

Philip Fracassi

4.7

(3)

"Some of my favorites were: - Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi (novel)."

"Is like Lord of the Flies meets The Exorcist."

#40

Tender is The Flesh

4.7

(3)

"Tender is The Flesh"

"Tender is The Flesh by Agustina Baztericca"

"Tender Is the Flesh, Cows, Lapnova, And Woom are a bit messed up."

#41

Roald Dahl

4.3

(3)

"Scared the crap out of me and I loved it as a kid."

"The Witches by Roald Dahl is pretty scary."

"The Witches by Roald Dahl."

#42

Gus Moreno

4.3

(3)

"This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno."

"Folklore/Nature Based: This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova"

#43

Richard Matheson

4.3

(3)

"I Am Legend by Richard Matheson"

"And I Am Legend."

"Perhaps I Am Legend or other stories by richard matheson?"

#44

Tracey Baptiste

4.3

(3)

"Which is not only a great childrens horror book, but also is based on Caribbean folklore."

"The Jumbies, Tracey Baptiste"

"How about The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste?"

#45

Dathan Auerbach

4.3

(3)

"Dathan Auerbach. Penpal will always be my favorite."

"If you want something that creeps you out then go for Penpal by Dathan Auerbach."

"*Penpal* Dathan Auerbach (This one is an r/nosleep story turned into a novel, and its pedigree shows. Great build up and seriously atmospheric, but no real pay off.)"

#46

Craig DiLouie

4.0

(3)

"Is a fun listen! I think there’s a song that was created just for the audiobook."

"Episode Thirteen by Craig DiLouie is a fun listen!"

#47

Rosemary's Baby

5.0

(2)

"It's fast paced and to the point."

"Just finished “Rosemary’s Baby”. That might fit the bill."

#48

Gerardo Samano Cordova

5.0

(2)

"Monstrilio by Gerardo Samano Cordova"

"Monstrilio by Gerardo Samano Cordova (heavy grief + feeding a lung til it turns into a boy)"

#49

T. Kingfisher

5.0

(2)

"I read 'What Moves the Dead' by T. Kingfisher and loved it."

"**What Moves the Dead** by T Kingfisher."

#50

September House

5.0

(2)

"September House is excellent."

"Shame September house isn't on this list."

#51

David Sodergren

5.0

(2)

"Someone mentioned the Haar and I 2nd that. It’s one of my favorite books."

"The Haar by David Sodergren."

#52

Bram Stoker

5.0

(2)

"Dracula - Bram Stoker."

"Dracula by Bram Stoker."

#53

Darcy Coates

5.0

(2)

"I'm reading my first horror book right now, Gallows Hill by Darcy Coates. I love it!"

"I love it! I love watching horror movies and reading this gives me the same kind of creepies."

#54

John Bellairs

5.0

(2)

"Anything by John Bellairs! Start with The House with a Clock in Its Walls if you can."

"The House with a Clock in its Walls by John Bellairs. It's perfect for that age!"

#55

Edgar Allan Poe

5.0

(2)

"Edgar Allan Poe"

"Edgar Allen Poe."

#56

Uncle Montague

5.0

(2)

"A lesser known series is Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror. They are strange and fun children's horror stories."

"Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror is what got young me hooked on horror as a genre"

#57

Jack Ketchum

5.0

(2)

"Most of Jack Ketchum’s work is on KU if you haven’t read it yet."

"He was one of the best horror authors out there imo."

#58

RL Stine

5.0

(2)

"RL Stine and JB Stamper."

"I got my start with RL Stine and Christopher Pike"

#59

Chuck Tingle

4.5

(2)

"Was one of my favorite reads last year, it was soooo good!"

"**Camp Damascus** by Chuck Tingle."

#60

Incidents Around the House

4.5

(2)

"I almost didn’t read it cause of some bad reviews, but Incidents is the best on the list for me."

"Personally? Of the ones on this list I've read, *Incidents Around the House.*"

#61

Christopher Pike

4.5

(2)

"Christopher Pike was my jam as a kid!"

"Anything by Christopher Pike ! He's great for mystery and thrillers."

#62

Brian Keene

4.5

(2)

"The Rising - Brian Keene"

"*The Rising* by Brian Keene."

#63

Thomas Olde Heuvelt

4.5

(2)

"Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt."

"I just finished Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt and it made me turn the lights on one night because I was too scared."

#64

In a Dark, Dark Room

4.5

(2)

"In a Dark, Dark Room!"

"Maybe a collection of short stories like In a Dark, Dark Room."

#65

Point Horror

4.5

(2)

"I loved the Point Horror books growing up. They were brilliant."

"The point horror books were fun to read as a teen. Probably a ‘level up’ in horror vs goosebumps but still orientated towards kids"

#66

Dr. Seuss

4.5

(2)

"Dr. Seuss's What was I Scared Of?"

"It's delightfully spooky and silly."

#67

The Black Farm

4.5

(2)

"One of the most creative horror books i have ever read was “The black farm”."

"The Black Farm ~ OG r/nosleep author, I'll let you feel it for yourself!"

#68

Henry James

4.5

(2)

"Turn of the Screw by Henry James."

"It’s among the Classics and it isn’t contemporary. But it’s a great book and, while not very intense, a good thoughtful horror."

#69

Cassandra Khaw

4.5

(2)

"Some of my favorites were: - The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw (novella)."

"I've been enjoying Cassandra Khaw's work."

#70

Silvia Moreno-Garcia

4.5

(2)

"The most recent one I read and really enjoyed was Mexican Gothic."

"Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia"

#71

Jason Arnopp

4.5

(2)

"The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp"

"The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp."

#72

The Graveyard Book

4.5

(2)

"I read The Graveyard Book when I was 8! One of my faves."

"It's about a living boy being raised in a graveyard."

#73

Penpal

4.5

(2)

"Penpal by Dathan Auerbach! Creep AF!!!"

"A short one, but a great one for fall IMO. Penpal :)"

#74

The Skull

4.5

(2)

"The Skull by Jon Klassen."

"1. The Skull - Jon Klassen 2. The Dark - Lemony Snickett (Klassen illustrated)..."

#75

Monstrilio

4.5

(2)

"Monstrilio for sure! I really loved natural beauty as well."

"Monstrilio is supposed to be good. It's up next for me."

#76

Christopher Buehlman

4.0

(2)

"Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman."

"I really liked Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman."

#77

F.G. Cottam

4.0

(2)

"The Colony (Currently out of print but available on Audible)."

"*The Colony, Dark Resurrection (Colony #2)*, *Harvest of Scorn (Colony #3)*, and *The Waiting Room*."

#78

The Ritual

4.0

(2)

"The ritual, Adam Nevill."

"The Ritual"

#79

Small Spaces

4.0

(2)

"Small Spaces by Katherine Arden!"

"Small Spaces is super creepy!! And written for kids, kinda like Coraline vibes"

#80

Manhunt

4.0

(2)

"Manhunt was pretty good"

"Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin"

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