Horror Books reviews from Reddit
Summary
We analyzed 406 Reddit reviews across 12 subreddits and 60 posts to rank the best Horror Books brands recommended by redditors, including communities like r/horrorlit, r/booksuggestions, r/horror, r/suggestmeabook, r/kindle. Top-rated brands include Stephen King (4.8/5), Neil Gaiman (4.9/5), Clive Barker (4.7/5).
Stats
Reviews406
Subreddits12
Posts60
Brands77
Products74
406 reviews from
and
By Brand
/By Product
#1
Stephen King
4.8
(59)
"I read Pet Sematary when I was like 14 or something, and I'm middle-aged now and I can still vividly remember some very specific lines in that book."
"Pet Sematary by Stephen King (my fave king!)"
"Pet Sematary by Stephen King"
"Shining"
"Everything’s Eventual and Bazaar of Bad Dreams are two of my favorites."
"It’s in the collection Everything’s Eventual."
"Salem’s Lot by King was creepy as hell when I read it around Halloween last year."
"It, by Stephen King"
"A family moves to a hotel in the offseason and the dad slowly loses his sanity."
"Take your pick of Stephen King, but IT is probably my favorite book of all time."
#2
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."
#3
Clive Barker
4.7
(17)
"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."
#4
Nick Cutter
4.4
(17)
"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 Nick Cutter"
"The Deep by Nick Cutter and boy does he know how to pull at your heartstrings towards the end there"
"The Troop - Nick Cutter"
#5
Goosebumps
4.4
(12)
"Goosebumps!"
"Ghostbumps!"
"Goosebumps, the graveyard book, a monster calls"
"Goosebumps"
"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."
#6
Grady Hendrix
4.4
(12)
"Anything by Grady Hendrix, Horrorstör or My Best Friend’s Exorcism are my faves."
"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."
"Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix takes place over one day/night."
"Woman inherits house after her mother passes. Has to contend with meddling man-child brother while continuously evicting tenents."
"A brother and sister have to sell their late parents’ house, except there’s a force there making things difficult. It’s weird, scary and super good!"
"Try Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix. It's set in an IKEA store!"
"How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix."
#7
Dan Simmons
4.7
(9)
"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."
"The Terror by Dan Simmons, where the major villain is not the monster, but the cumulative desperation of exhausted people"
"I found it quite entertaining and scary."
"I really enjoyed The Terror by Dan Simmons."
#8
Stephen Graham Jones
4.3
(9)
"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."
"My Heart is a Chainsaw by 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."
#9
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."
#10
Dathan Auerbach
4.5
(8)
"I've recently read Penpal by Dathan Auerbach and it chilled me to my core... until I cried like a baby over it."
"Penpal by Dathan Auerbach"
""Penpal" by Dathan Auerbach meets the absolute scariest and absolute saddest standards"
"Dathan Auerbach. Penpal will always be my favorite."
"Pen Pal by David Auerbach"
"Penpal - Dathan Auerbach"
"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.)"
#11
Shirley Jackson
5.0
(7)
"I highly recommend The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson."
"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)"
#12
Bunnicula
4.4
(7)
"Bunnicula!"
"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."
#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
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"
"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."
#15
Darcy Coates
4.3
(7)
"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."
"From Below by Darcy Coates"
"Probably “From Below” but “The Haunting of Leigh Harker” is a very close second"
"I'd recommend From Below by Darcy Coates."
"From Below by Darcy Coates."
"From Below by Darcy Coates."
#16
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."
#17
Jack Ketchum
4.5
(6)
"Jack Ketchum does what he does best. This is a great example, OP."
"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."
"*Off Season* by Jack Ketchum, author's editions."
"If you’re looking for splatterpunk, you might try Off Season by Jack Ketchum and Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z Brite."
"If you're looking for something gory check out Off Season by Jack Ketchum."
#18
Gus Moreno
4.3
(6)
""This Thing Between Us" Gus Moreno- I loved it. Beautiful, creepy, allegorical, funny a little cosmic horror in there too."
"This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno."
"This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno"
"*this thing between us* by gus moreno: a young married couple's smart-speaker starts doing strange things."
"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"
#19
John Langan
5.0
(5)
"The Fisherman by John Langan"
"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
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."
#21
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."
#22
Mary Downing Hahn
4.8
(5)
"Anything by Mary Downing Hahn I LOVED her 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💙"
"[Books by Mary Downing Hahn] - they're all on the shorter side and quick reads."
#23
Tender is The Flesh
4.4
(5)
"Tender is The Flesh"
"Tender is The Flesh by Agustina Baztericca"
"Cannibalism."
"For horror, I really enjoyed Tender is the Flesh, Pet Semetary, and The Excorcist."
"Tender Is the Flesh, Cows, Lapnova, And Woom are a bit messed up."
#24
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."
#25
Josh Malerman
4.0
(5)
"Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman"
"Incidents Around The House has some trauma and sadness in it, also pretty spooky."
"Incidents Around The House by Josh Malerman"
"Made me scared to stop reading / put it down."
"The latest I read was Incidents around the House by Josh Malerman and it was quite scary and enjoyable."
#26
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"
#27
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"
#28
This Thing Between Us
5.0
(4)
"This Thing Between Us"
"This Thing Between Us"
"This Thing Between Us"
"This Thing Between Us"
#29
CJ Leede
5.0
(4)
"Maeve fly by CJ Leede"
"Maeve fly by CJ Leede (sadists at Disneyland)"
#30
William Peter Blatty
4.8
(4)
"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!"
"The Exorcist"
#31
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."
#32
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."
#33
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."
#34
Joe Hill
4.3
(4)
"Stephen King’s son writes horror. He write under Joe Hill. My favorite is Heart Shaped box."
"Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill gets me every time"
"Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill, The Troop by Nick Cutter"
"Try *Heart-Shaped Box.*"
#35
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"
#36
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."
#37
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."
#38
Edgar Allan Poe
5.0
(3)
"Most by Edgar Allan Poe they're classics for a reason :)"
"Edgar Allan Poe"
"Edgar Allen Poe."
#39
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)"
#40
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)"
#41
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."
#42
David Sodergren
4.7
(3)
"Someone mentioned the Haar and I 2nd that. It’s one of my favorite books."
"The Haar by David Sodergren."
"The Haar by David Sodergren"
#43
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."
#44
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."
#45
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!"
#46
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."
#47
Nat Cassidy
4.7
(3)
"Currently reading Nestlings by Nat Cassidy and loving it."
"Was 🔥"
"**Nestlings** by Nat Cassidy."
#48
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."
#49
Peter Watts
4.3
(3)
"You want aliens? Read Blindsight by Peter Watts."
"Sounds like Blindsight by Peter Watts."
"If you like science fiction horror, I'd recommend trying Blindsight by Peter Watts."
#50
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?"
#51
Daniel Kraus
4.3
(3)
"Whalefall by Daniel Kraus"
"Whalefall by Daniel Kraus takes place over the course of about an hour."
#52
Thomas Olde Heuvelt
4.3
(3)
"Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt."
"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."
#53
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."
#54
Christopher Buehlman
4.3
(3)
"Between Two Fires by Buehlman had me in tears at the end."
"Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman is an amazing medieval fantasy horror."
"Christopher Buehlman's Between Two Fires"
#55
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?"
#56
Sophie White
4.3
(3)
"Where I End by Sophie White has been the most impactful “not supernatural” horror I’ve read."
"Where I End by Sophie White"
"Where I End by Sophie White"
#57
Gerardo Sámano Córdova
4.0
(3)
"Monstrilio by Gerardo Samano Cordova"
"Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova."
"Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova"
#58
Austin Crawley
4.0
(3)
"A Halloween Tale by Austin Crawley. Haunted house story with weirdness."
"If you like ghost stories, A Halloween Tale by Austin Crawley is a must read!"
"A Halloween Tale by Austin Crawley"
#59
T. Kingfisher
4.0
(3)
"The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher"
"The hollow places by t kingfisher"
"I would recommend - books by T. Kingfisher (especially: "the hollow places" and "what moves the dead")."
#60
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!"
#61
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!"
#62
RL Stine
5.0
(2)
"RL Stine and JB Stamper."
"I got my start with RL Stine and Christopher Pike"
#63
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"
#64
Jasper Dewitt
4.5
(2)
"The Patient by Jasper Dewitt"
"I really enjoyed The Patient."
#65
Jason Arnopp
4.5
(2)
"The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp"
"The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp."
#66
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."
#67
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
4.5
(2)
"The most recent one I read and really enjoyed was Mexican Gothic."
"Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia"
#68
Marcus Kliewer
4.5
(2)
"It was genuinely one of the most disturbing, unsettling books I've ever read."
"It is a fantastic debut novel and really spooky imo."
#69
Dr. Seuss
4.5
(2)
"Dr. Seuss's What was I Scared Of?"
"It's delightfully spooky and silly."
#70
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"
#71
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."
#72
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."
#73
Thomas Tryon
4.5
(2)
"Harvest Home and The Other are both incredibly creepy."
"Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon. Strap yourself in."
#74
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*."
#75
Manhunt
4.0
(2)
"Manhunt was pretty good"
"Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin"
#76
The Ritual
4.0
(2)
"The ritual, Adam Nevill."
"The Ritual"
#77
Small Spaces
4.0
(2)
"Small Spaces by Katherine Arden!"
"Small Spaces is super creepy!! And written for kids, kinda like Coraline vibes"
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