The 50 best horror books of all time
The best horror books ranked: classic gothic, Stephen King, supernatural and modern horror novels. A top 50 with short reviews and where to read each one.
Horror is about dread more than blood. The list includes gothic classics like Dracula and Frankenstein, Stephen King's best-known novels, haunted-house stories and some of the sharpest recent horror, from slow, atmospheric books to fast ones you may finish in a night.
These are editorial picks, ranked for readability and lasting appeal, and nobody pays to be on the list. Not sure where to start? Try the book finder and get three picks for your mood.
Top 50 horror books, ranked
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Dracula
A solicitor's trip to Transylvania unleashes a vampire on England.
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Shining
A family caretaking an isolated hotel over the winter is haunted by its past.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Frankenstein
A scientist creates life and then rejects what he has made.
- Thoughtful
- Moving
Where to read
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It
A group of friends face a shape-shifting evil in their hometown, as children and again as adults.
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Haunting of Hill House
Four people stay in a house that seems to want one of them.
- Thoughtful
- Gripping
Where to read
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Mexican Gothic
A socialite visits her cousin at a decaying mansion in the Mexican countryside, where something is wrong.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Pet Sematary
A family discovers a burial ground behind their new home with terrible powers.
- Moving
- Gripping
Where to read
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Rosemary's Baby
A pregnant woman starts to suspect her neighbours have sinister plans for her child.
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Exorcist
A mother seeks help from two priests when her young daughter shows disturbing symptoms.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Carrie
A bullied teenager with telekinetic powers reaches breaking point.
- Gripping
- Moving
Where to read
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Misery
A novelist is rescued from a car crash by his self-described number one fan, and cannot leave.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Interview with the Vampire
A vampire tells a reporter the story of his long life.
- Thoughtful
- Moving
Where to read
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Bird Box
A mother and her children try to survive in a world where looking outside can be deadly.
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Turn of the Screw
A governess becomes convinced the two children in her care are haunted.
- Thoughtful
- Gripping
Where to read
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We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Two sisters live in seclusion in their family home until a visitor arrives.
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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House of Leaves
A family finds their house is larger on the inside than the outside.
- Thoughtful
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Woman in Black
A young solicitor is haunted at a remote house on the marshes.
- Gripping
Where to read
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'Salem's Lot
Vampires take over a small Maine town.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Doctor Sleep
Danny Torrance, now an adult, protects a girl with similar powers.
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Stand
A deadly flu wipes out most of humanity and survivors choose sides.
- Gripping
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Cujo
A rabid St Bernard traps a mother and son in a car.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Needful Things
A new shop in a small town sells people what they most desire.
- Gripping
- Funny
Where to read
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Hell House
Investigators spend a week in a notorious haunted house.
- Gripping
Where to read
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I Am Legend
The last man on Earth is hunted by vampires.
- Gripping
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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The Hellbound Heart
A puzzle box opens a door to pleasure and pain.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Books of Blood
A collection of short horror stories.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Ghost Story
Four old men share a terrible secret from their youth.
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Ritual
Four friends are stalked by something in the Scandinavian wilderness.
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Troop
Scouts on an island face a terrifying outbreak.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Horrorstor
Employees of a furniture store investigate strange happenings at night.
- Funny
- Gripping
Where to read
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My Best Friend's Exorcism
A high-school girl tries to save her best friend in the 1980s.
- Funny
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires
A book club in South Carolina takes on a vampire.
- Funny
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Only Good Indians
Four friends are haunted by a hunt from their past.
- Gripping
- Moving
Where to read
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The Hunger
The Donner Party faces something worse than the winter.
- Gripping
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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The Cabin at the End of the World
Four strangers hold a family hostage with a terrible demand.
- Gripping
Where to read
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A Head Full of Ghosts
A girl's apparent possession becomes a reality TV show.
- Gripping
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Ring
A cursed videotape kills anyone who watches it within a week.
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
A respectable doctor and a violent stranger are connected.
- Gripping
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Her Body and Other Parties
Short stories that blend horror and the surreal.
- Thoughtful
- Gripping
Where to read
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Coraline
A girl finds a door to a world with a second mother.
- Gripping
- Cozy
Where to read
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The Last House on Needless Street
A reclusive man, a girl and a cat in a house on a quiet street.
- Gripping
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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Sundial
A woman takes her daughter to the desert home where she grew up.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Wylding Hall
A band records an album in a remote house and one member vanishes.
- Gripping
- Thoughtful
Where to read
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NOS4A2
A woman fights a man who steals children in his car.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Heart-Shaped Box
An ageing rock star buys a ghost online.
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Fisherman
Two grieving widowers fish in a creek with a dark history.
- Gripping
- Moving
Where to read
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The Terror
Two ships are trapped in the Arctic ice and stalked by something.
- Gripping
Where to read
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Let the Right One In
A bullied boy befriends a strange new girl in a Swedish suburb.
- Gripping
- Moving
Where to read
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Fevre Dream
A steamboat captain partners with a mysterious man on the Mississippi.
- Gripping
Where to read
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The Elementals
Two families share Alabama beach houses, and the third house is slowly swallowed by sand.
- Gripping
Where to read
Each link opens that store’s search for the book. Availability and prices vary by store and country. We may earn a commission from some stores, which never changes the ranking.
Types of horror books
Looking for something more specific? These are the main kinds of horror, with the sort of story or subject each one covers.
Gothic horror
Old houses, secrets and the supernatural.
Haunted house stories
A place with a past that does not stay buried.
Supernatural horror
Ghosts, demons and curses.
Psychological horror
The threat may be inside the mind.
Vampire fiction
From Dracula to modern reinterpretations.
Horror comedy
Scares with a sense of humour.
Want to write and publish your own horror book?
Many readers of this page are also writers. The stores in the lists above are where readers find books, while Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, IngramSpark, Lulu and Draft2Digital are the tools authors use to publish and distribute a book to those stores. You can also publish to Barnes & Noble Press and Google Play Books directly.
Our free KDP calculators help with print cost, royalties and cover size, and our publishing services can take care of setup for you.
Frequently asked questions
What is the scariest book ever written?
It depends on the reader, but The Haunting of Hill House, The Exorcist, House of Leaves and Pet Sematary are often named.
Where should I start with Stephen King?
The Shining, It and Misery are the usual first picks. Pet Sematary is shorter and very effective.
Where can I read or buy the best horror books?
Each of the 50 books has links to Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble and Google Play Books. Authors who want to publish their own horror book can start with our free guides to Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Lulu and Draft2Digital.
Not sure what to read next?
Pick a genre and a mood and the book finder will suggest three books to try.