You Won't Be Able to Sleep After Reading These Iconic Horror Books

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For those looking for a good read and a good scare, don’t worry, this list has both. From the classic gothic novels that really are must-reads to more recent releases that deserve a spot in the horror canon, there are frights here for all kinds of readers. Looking for things that go bump in the night? Houses that will haunt you? Very, very creepy kids? Welp, they’re all here. As is Stephen King because of course he is. This is a best horror books of all time list, after all. So pour yourself a glass of redrum and get ready for a frighteningly good read that might make sleeping a whole lot harder from here on out. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you of the nightmare fuel to come.

1. The Haunting Of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

This 1959 gothic novel, which was the inspiration for the terrifying Netflix series of the same name, is considered by many to be the best haunted house story ever written. Seriously, this tale about a house with a spooky mind of its own might make you think twice about booking that Airbnb.

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2. Dracula by Bram Stoker

The OG vampire tale about the bloodthirsty Transylvanian, better known as Count Dracula, will encourage you to protect your neck from now until eternity.

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3. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Named in honor of the mad scientist who creates a nameless monster out of cadavers, Shelley’s over 200-year-old gothic novel shows that when curiosity trumps compassion, very bad things happen.

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5. The Shining by Stephen King

Stephen King has been scaring readers for 45 years, starting with 1974’s Carrie. But it’s this horrifying look at novelist and recovering alcoholic Jack Torrance’s descent into madness, which King wrote three years later, that will make it hard for you to ever get a peaceful night’s sleep again. Here’s Johnny, haunting your nightmares for the rest of time.

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6. Beloved by Toni Morrison

There’s an ongoing debate over whether Morrison’s 1987 novel is horror or not. But there’s no doubt that Morrison’s story of an escaped slave named Sethe who’s being haunted by the memory of the baby she murdered in exchange for her freedom is a horrifying look at the toll guilt takes on a person.

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7. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

The ghost of Rebecca haunts this gothic retelling of “Bluebeard,” published in 1938. So much so, that the female protagonist who marries Rebecca’s widower, Max de Winter, doesn’t even get a name. What she does get is a husband with a horrible secret, which she’s willing to keep for love. What readers get is a frightening melodrama about jealousy and female identity that still holds up 80 years later.

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8. Night Film by Marisha Pessl

Does the work of cult horror film director Stanislas Cordova hold the key to solving his daughter Ashley’s mysterious death? Investigative journalist Scott McGrath sure thinks so, and it might be the last thing he ever thinks in this 2013 thriller in which life starts to imitate art.

Amazon Link

9. Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin

While most babies are sweet little angels, Rosemary’s baby is straight up demonic. This 1966 psychological thriller in which Rosemary’s womb becomes home to the Antichrist will have you panicking over the patriarchy in no time.

Amazon Link

10. Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist

A coming of age story about rejection, loneliness, and abuse, all of which is just as scary as the supernatural horrors Eli, a 200-year-old vampire who looks 12, commits.

Amazon Link

11. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

What is coming in this 1962 novel, you ask? Well, it’s a satanic carnival that will force you to take a closer look at the good and evil that lives inside all of us.

Amazon Link

12. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

A love story, a satire of academic criticism, a horror tale about a dead body found in an apartment alongside mysterious claw marks, Danielewski’s 2000 debut is a chilling mix that is hard to put down — even if your nerves wish you would.

Amazon Link

13. White Is For Witching by Helen Oyeyemi

In this unconventional coming-of-age story, Miranda, a young girl who suffers from pica, a disorder that compels her to eat foreign objects, is haunted by voices. While it’s unclear whether those voices are supernatural phenomena or a sign of mental illness,

Oyeyemi’s third novel offers a frightening look at the horrifying and lasting effects of colonization.

Amazon Link

14. Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes

The 2014 serial killer tale begins with the gruesome findings of a young black boy whose head and torso have been fused with the rear end of a deer. From there, Beukes takes a satirical and frightening look at true crime that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading.

Amazon Link

15. The Hunger by Alma Katsu

As if the true story of the Donner Party could get any scarier, Katsu went and added a supernatural element that had Stephen King suggesting you don’t read this one after dark.

Amazon Link

17. Zone One by Colson Whitehead

Whitehead’s apocalyptic 2011 novel about zombies taking over New York will fill you with existential dread and leave you questioning all your life choices. And really, what’s scarier than that?

Amazon Link

18. Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix

What if the local IKEA was haunted by a ghost? Hendrix’s witty 2014 novel, which actually looks a lot like an IKEA catalog, attempts to answer that question.

Amazon Link

19. The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

Blatty didn’t actually set out to make The Exorcist, a story of a young girl possessed by the devil, so scary. He wanted it to be a story about faith, but it turns out, that the religious elements of the 1971 novel are some of the most shocking parts of a book filled with them.

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Some of us like feeling scared. It's why we watch scary movies, go to haunted houses, listen to true-crime pods, and, yes, read horror novels. I mean, these books are basically the definition of page-turners. It's one thing to watch a horror film, but it's quite terrifying to read about it and imagine what is happening in your own head. And they're all so different! Not all horror books equate to bloody slasher films, and there are plenty on this list that center psychological terrors, fantastical creatures, supernatural encounters, and post-apocalyptic universes. To help spice up your must-read list, we've gone ahead and rounded up all the best horror books for your next read. Good luck sleeping tonight.

In addition to horror classics like Dracula and Pet Semetary, we've also included some more contemporary horror reads that you'll want to nab before they're inevitably turned into a miniseries or movie. Some of our picks for best horror books also weave in themes around race, gender, sexuality, gentrification, and social issues. So who knows, you might come away both spooked and having learned something new.

"Jackal" by Erin E. Adams

Liz is returning to her hometown of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, to attend her best friend's wedding. As a Black woman, she's less than thrilled at the prospect of spending time in the majority-white town, but decides to go and support her friend anyway. Things get scary when her best friend's daughter Caroline goes missing at the wedding. Liz realizes Caroline isn't the first Black girl to go missing in Johnstown and must find Caroline before she meets a truly horrifying fate.

"Manhunt" by Gretchen Felker-Martin

If you like your horror with a dystopian twist, you'll be super into this novel. It follows a group of trans men and women fighting for survival in the wake of a plague that turns people with a certain amount of testosterone into feral monsters. The group traverses a post-apocalyptic New England landscape battling murderous TERFs, rich idiots, and all sorts of bizarre situations.

"Tell Me I'm Worthless" by Alison Rumfitt

This 2023 hit horror novel focuses on Alice, who's life has spiraled out of control after spending a night in an abandoned house with two friends. Scarred by what took place that night, Alice must convince her friends to return to the house and face something sinister.

"The Last House on Needless Street" by Catriona Ward

This tense novel centers on the residents at a boarded-up house on the edge of the woods: a teenage girl who isn't allowed outside, a man who drinks alone in front of the TV, and a housecat who loves napping and reading the Bible. When a new neighbor moves in, secrets start to reveal themselves.

"Don't Fear the Reaper" by Stephen Graham Jones

After her conviction is overturned, Jade Daniels returns to Proofrock, only to face something even more dangerous. Dark Mill South, a convicted serial killer is on the hunt after escaping from prison.

Such Pretty Flowers

If the title didn't creep you out enough, get ready for the summary.

A declared suicide victim's girlfriend, Maura, becomes the prime suspect of an investigation after the victim's sister, Holly, discovers a "game" she wanted to play. As the story unfolds, we watch Holly become more obsessed with her brother's passing and sucked deeper down Maura's path.

"My Heart Is a Chainsaw" by Stephen Graham Jones

This unique, groundbreaking novel follows Jade Daniels, a half-Indian girl with a difficult home life and a passion for horror movies. When her town of Indian Lake faces the threat of real-life horror, Jade uses her knowledge of horror movies to predict exactly what will unfold. In addition to being a gripping horror read, it's also a statement on Indigenous displacement and gentrification.

"Just Like Home" by Sarah Gailey

This dark thriller follows Vera, a woman who is returning to her family home after a long estrangement to take care of her dying mother. Did we mention the family home is where her infamous serial killer father murdered his victims? Add in the fact that Vera keeps finding creepy notes in her father's handwriting, and you have a book you won't be able to put down.

"The Final Girl Support Group" by Grady Hendrix

You know how in horror movies there's always one girl who survives the terrifying incident? The "final girl" we're following in this gripping novel is Lynnette, who survived a massacre. She's been meeting with a therapist and five other women who are survivors of unspeakable horrors. When one of them misses a meeting, the rest of them realize that their worst fears have come true and they'll have to fight for their lives all over again.

"A Head Full of Ghosts" by Paul Tremblay

This chilling novel centers on a New England family struggling with their daughter's acute schizophrenia diagnosis. Fifteen years after an exorcism that resulted in tragedy, a bestselling writer interviews the younger daughter of the family and unearths secrets even more horrifying than imagined.

"Wasps in the Ice Cream" by Tim McGregor

Set in 1987, "Wasps in the Ice Cream" follows Mark Prewitt and his new friendship with a Farrow sister, George, who is a practicing witch. Chaos begins to spiral after George invites him to a séance to contact her dead sister, who died under mysterious circumstances.

Mexican Gothic

This tense, gothic-inspired book follows Noemí Taboada as she goes to rescue her cousin from a mysterious doom. Noemí arrives at her cousin's house in the Mexican countryside and finds herself unearthing stories of violence and madness.

Mothered: A Novel

This novel tells the story of Grace who's widowed mother moves in with her during a pandemic. While they spend unavoidable time together, Grace notices that a series strange events start happening around her. She even starts having nightmares about her disabled twin sister, who died when they were kids.

"A Haunting on the Hill" by Elizabeth Hand

Holly Sherwin is about to get her big break after receiving a grant to get her play up and going. To get her creativity flowing, she decides to take some time to rehearse her play at Hill House on a getaway upstate. However, her time at the house is not what anyone would want during their weekend getaway. Frightened by the sounds she hears throughout the house, Holly begins to believe she is not alone.

"Bridge: A Novel of Suspense" By Lauren Beukes

This novel follows Bridge, a Twenty-four-year-old who is dealing with her mothers death. She soon discovers that she can step into other realities. Bridge decides to use this ability to find out what really happened to her mother.

"Gorgeous Gruesome Faces" by Linda Cheng

This book tells the story of Sunny Lee, a member of an upcoming teen pop group, Sweet Cadence. When one of the members of her group suddenly passes away, Sunny's career begins to fade and she spends her days wondering what caused her bandmate's death. As Sunny tries to get back into stardom, a series of terrible events take place around her.

"Black Sheep" by Rachel Harrison

This book tells the story of Vesper Wright, a girl who left her religious family at the age of eighteen and was asked to never return. She receives an invitation to her cousin's family in the mail and even though something seems off, she decides to attend anyway. Reuniting with your family after some time might be strange, especially when something sinister is about to happen.

Looking Glass Sound

Looking Glass Sounds is a story of Wilder Harlow, an author who is about to write his last novel. As he begins his writing journey, Wilder starts to distrust his memory and experience extreme hallucinations. He believes someone or something is haunting him and worries that writing this novel will be the last thing he ever does.

"The Changeling" by Victor Lavalle

If you like your horror with a healthy dose of fantasy, you'll be into this book. It follows Apollo Kagwa, a new father who's been experiencing strange recurring dreams just like the ones he had in childhood. His wife, Emma, is struggling with postpartum depression, which pushes her to commit a horrifying act and then vanish. Apollo has no choice but to go on a fantastical quest to find a wife and child who are nothing like he'd imagined.

"The Silence of the Lambs" by Thomas Harris

You've prob seen the movie at some point, and now it's time to read the book. In case you haven't, this story follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling as she interviews Dr. Hannibal Lecter to gain insights on a serial murderer known as "Buffalo Bill."

Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth

You haven't read a ghost story quite like this. Ralph and Abby move in with Ralph's mother, Laura, who is cruel to everyone, especially Abby. When Laura takes her own life, her ghost continues to haunt the couple in very different ways, and Abby decides she has no choice but to take matters into her own hands.

"Interview with the Vampire" by Anne Rice

Like vampires, but need something a little more hardcore than Twilight? This 1970s novel has stayed on "best horror books" lists for a reason. It's all about vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac, who tells the story of his dramatic, scary, romantic life to a reporter.

"The Hacienda" by Isabel Cañas

This Gothic thriller is *impossible* to put down. It follows Beatriz, a woman who lost her father during the overthrow of the Mexican government. When Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes soon after, Beatriz accepts and moves to his countryside estate. But soon, she realizes Hacienda San Isidro is not the peaceful place she'd hoped it was.

"The Only Good Indians" by Stephen Graham Jones

This tense, gripping horror story follows four American Indian men linked by a horrifying event that took place in their youth. As adults, they're being pursued by...something, and it's there to seek revenge on them.

"I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson

You saw the Will Smith movie, now it's time to read the post-apocalyptic horror book. It follows the last man on earth protecting himself (and his dog!) against bloodthirsty vampires.

"50 Real American Ghost Stories" by MJ Wayland

For those who prefer a short and sweet dose of horror, this anthology of American ghost stories will leave you feeling chilled. And who knows, maybe you'll be inspired to visit some of these haunted locales on your next vacay.

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

This best-selling horror novel centers around a book club in Charleston. When one of the members, Vanessa, is attacked by an elderly neighbor, the neighbor's handsome nephew comes to smooth things over. But of course, he might not be quite what he seems.

"Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke And Other Misfortunes" by Eric LaRocca

Three dark stories are compiled in this horror book beloved by fans of the genre. The first revolves around two lonely women in a 2000s chat room who succumb to twisted desires, the second focuses on a couple isolating themselves on a remote island following the death of their son, and the third is about a man who confronts his neighbor after finding something unsettling in the backyard.

"Tender Is the Flesh" by Agustina Bazterrica

This is sure to make your skin crawl. "Tender Is the Flesh" follows Marcos, who has a job at a processing plant in a dystopian future where animal meat is poisonous to humans, meaning human meat is now on the menu.

"Pretty Girls" by Karin Slaughter

Don't be surprised when you're completely horrified, heartbroken, and terrified all at once while reading this book. "Pretty Girls" is an intricately woven story about disappearing girls that'll shake you to your core. I mean, the author's last name is Slaughter!!

"Hell House" by Richard Matheson

If you love a good haunted house story, then pick up a copy of "Hell House" and brace yourself for non-stop terror. Don't say I didn't warn you when you have to sleep with every single light on.

"All the Missing Girls" by Megan Miranda

A suspenseful novel with twists and turns you never see coming, "All the Missing Girls" proves that though you may try, you can never truly escape a haunted and unresolved past.

"The Other" by Thomas Tryon

Thomas Tryon published this legendary psychological horror story in 1971, and it remains a classic almost 50 years later. Evocative and disturbing, the novel transports readers back to 1935 where twin boys with a deranged relationship roam an idyllic New England town, wreaking havoc.

"Pet Sematary" by Stephen King

When Stephen King a.k.a. His Royal Highness of Horror considers this book as "just awful" and "as dark as can be,” you know it's gotta be terrifying. I mean, he freakin' wrote it and thinks it's horrifying!

"Penpal" by Dathan Auerbach

For anyone who appreciates a non-linear storyline and how childhood scars are rooted deeply in the subconscious, "Penpal" is a must.

"Ghost Story" by Peter Straub

Don't let the simple title fool you, Ghost Story is far from your typical ghost story. It's an expertly written novel about friendship, secrets, and past crimes. It'll leave you absolutely rattled.

"The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe

If you skipped this one in high school because you were an angsty teen who hated being told what to do, I highly recommend cracking it open now that you're older and wiser. Nobody does evil, horror, or the supernatural better than my man Poe.

"1984" by George Orwell

I literally don't know anyone who doesn't shudder when they hear the words 1984. Big Brother is watching.

"It" by Stephen King

Oh, you call yourself a fan of the It movies? Well, you might be totally in love with Bill Hader, but you’re really not a true fan until you’ve read the book. Sorry, I don’t make the rules!

"Bird Box" by Josh Malerman

Yes, the Bird Box memes may have fizzled out...but the Josh Malerman book upon which the Netflix movie is based is still goin’ strong. Honestly, it's somehow even more ominous than the film.

"Intercepts" by T. J. Payne

If you’re the slightest bit freaked out by conspiracy theories or even just the kind of person who keeps a little sticker over the webcam on your laptop, you should read "Intercepts." It’s about a very scary government experiment that went really, really wrong.

"The Amityville Horror" by Jay Anson

There’s a reason The Amityville Horror has been made into several movies. This true story about a family that moved into an allegedly possessed home on Long Island in the '70s is the stuff of long-lasting nightmares.

"The Exorcist" by William Peter Blatty

Quick recap: A mother enlists a local priest to perform an exorcism on her daughter after she begins acting deranged. Even if you've already seen the movie and are still skeeved out by that projectile-vomiting scene, you should still find time to read the book.

"The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson

This 1959 gothic novel, which was the inspiration for the terrifying Netflix series of the same name, is considered by many to be the best haunted-house story ever written. Seriously, this tale about a house with a spooky mind of its own might make you think twice before booking another Airbnb.

"Dracula" by Bram Stoker

The OG vampire story about the bloodthirsty Transylvanian, better known as Count Dracula, will make you want to protect your neck and carry garlic around with you from now until eternity.

"Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

Named in honor of the mad scientist who creates a nameless monster out of cadavers, Shelley’s more-than-200-year-old gothic novel shows that when curiosity trumps compassion, very bad things happen.

"The Shining" by Stephen King

Stephen King has been scaring readers for 45 years, starting with 1974’s Carrie. But it’s this horrifying look at novelist and recovering alcoholic Jack Torrance’s descent into madness, which King wrote three years later, that will make it hard for you to ever get a peaceful night’s sleep again. Here’s Johnny, haunting your nightmares for the rest of time.

"Beloved" by Toni Morrison

There’s an ongoing debate over whether Morrison’s 1987 novel is horror or not. But there’s no doubt that this story of an enslaved woman named Sethe who escapes and then is haunted by the memory of the baby she murdered in exchange for her freedom is a terrifying look at the toll that guilt takes on a person.

"Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier

The ghost of Rebecca haunts this gothic retelling of “Bluebeard,” published in 1938. So much so that the female protagonist who marries Rebecca’s widower, Max de Winter, doesn’t even get a name. What she does get is a husband with a horrible secret, which she’s willing to keep for love. What readers get is a frightening melodrama about jealousy and female identity that still holds up 80 years later.

"Night Film" by Marisha Pessl

Does the work of cult-horror-film director Stanislas Cordova hold the key to solving his daughter Ashley’s mysterious death? Investigative journalist Scott McGrath sure thinks so, but it might be the last thing he ever thinks in this 2013 thriller in which life starts to imitate art.

"Rosemary’s Baby" by Ira Levin

While most babies are sweet little angels, Rosemary’s baby is straight-up demonic. This 1966 psychological thriller in which Rosemary’s womb becomes home to the Antichrist will have you panicking over the patriarchy in no time.

"Let the Right One In" by John Ajvide Lindqvist

A coming-of-age story about rejection, loneliness, and abuse, all of which is just as scary as the supernatural horrors that Eli, a 200-year-old vampire who looks 12, commits.

"Something Wicked This Way Comes" by Ray Bradbury

What is coming in this 1962 novel, you ask? Well, it’s a satanic carnival that will force you to take a closer look at the good and evil that live inside all of us.

"House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski

A love story, a satire of academic criticism, a horror tale about a dead body found in an apartment alongside mysterious claw marks—Danielewski’s 2000 debut is a chilling mix that’s hard to put down, even if your nerves wish you would.

"White Is for Witching" by Helen Oyeyemi

In this unconventional coming-of-age story, Miranda, a young girl who suffers from pica, a disorder that compels her to eat foreign objects, is haunted by voices. While it’s unclear whether those voices are supernatural phenomena or a sign of mental illness, Oyeyemi’s third novel offers a frightening look at the horrifying and lasting effects of colonization.

"Broken Monsters" by Lauren Beukes

The 2014 serial-killer tale begins with the gruesome finding of a young boy whose head and torso have been fused with the rear end of a deer. From there, Beukes takes a satirical and frightening look at true crime that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading.

"The Hunger" by Alma Katsu

As if the true story of the Donner Party could get any scarier, Katsu went and added a supernatural element that made Stephen King recommend you don’t read this one after dark.

"Zone One" by Colson Whitehead

Whitehead’s apocalyptic 2011 novel about zombies taking over New York will fill you with existential dread and leave you questioning all your life choices. And really, what’s scarier than that?

"Horrorstör" by Grady Hendrix

What if the local IKEA were haunted by a ghost? Hendrix’s witty 2014 novel, which actually looks a lot like an IKEA catalog, attempts to answer that question.

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