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Horror | Prepub Alert, May 2025 Titles

Memorials

This is a must for any library keeping abreast of the current zeitgeist of horror. It will appeal to more literary readers as well, as Chizmar is an expert at his craft. Some good companion books are My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix, Edgar Cantero’s Meddling Kids, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Silver Nitrate.

LJ Talks with M.M. Olivas, Author of ‘Sundown in San Ojuela’

PREMIUM

Split Scream, Vol. Six: Two Novelettes

An easy read with genuinely creepy scares, this is a good addition to libraries that are interested in quality small-press horror. Great companion books would be The Rack, a short-story collection edited by Tom Deady, and Living in Cemeteries by Corey Farrenkopf, which both offer pulp horror sensibilities and extremely palatable style.
PREMIUM

Model Home

This is an intense read with an increasing sense of unease as more and more of the truth is revealed. It will appeal to readers interested in exploring childhood trauma, secrets, and their long-term effects as in Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey or The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher.

Horror | Prepub Alert, April 2025 Titles

‘I Was a Teenage Slasher’ by Stephen Graham Jones | LJ Review of the Day

The Queen

Cutter (The Troop; Little Heaven) is at the top of his game here, providing an intensely visceral and gripping tale.

Curdle Creek

Clearly inspired by Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” with a nod as well toward Kindred by Octavia Butler, this is a compelling and immersive story.

At Dark, I Become Loathsome

LaRocca gives readers an unforgettable protagonist, a complicated man who will repulse them at first but will ultimately steal their hearts. Suggest to those who like the extreme horror of Paula D. Ashe or the work of Kathe Koja; it’s also a good pick for those looking for intense horror, as seen in What Kind of Mother by Clay McLeod Chapman.

All Your Friends Are Here

Shaw’s striking stories will connect with a wide range of readers, especially those who like to be simultaneously entertained and asked to think about what they just read, much like in the short fiction of Philip Fracassi and Cassandra Khaw or the novels of Jeremy Robert Johnson.

PREMIUM

Ghost Station

Barnes crafts an oppressive space horror that’s equally a psychological and bodily nightmare, with Johnson’s narration providing additional layers of dread. Fans of the Alien film franchise will feel right at home with this title.

youthjuice

A satirical look at the cultish nature of beauty and influencer mentality, Sathue’s debut deserves to be heard. Jackson’s narration pops and snaps the sharp dialogue and alliterative writing like bubblegum. Similarly disturbing tales about the dark side of the beauty industry are Ling Ling Huang’s Natural Beauty and Mona Awad’s Rouge.

PREMIUM

Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror

This might not be for those who prefer their horror to have a certain amount of creatures or carnage, but it’s a must read for readers looking to explore human evil through fiction.
PREMIUM

Indian Burial Ground

Medina explores how generational trauma takes root in a family and on a reservation. Much like Indigenous horror writers Stephen Graham Jones and Erika T. Wurth, Medina demonstrates how to write a story with both horror and heart.
PREMIUM

Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil

These interconnected stories centered on the craft of writing are both intriguing and thought-provoking. Suggest to fans of Carmen Maria Machado.
PREMIUM

Diavola

This immersive gothic haunted house tale will have listeners questioning whether the true horror is the ghosts or the family dynamics. Recommend to fans of Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison and How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix.
PREMIUM

Bless Your Heart

This campy and creepy debut full of Southern charm includes a cast of distinctive characters enhanced by the audio experience. Ryan hits the sweet spot of combining horror and mystery with humor that will attract a wide variety of listeners, including ones who may not think they enjoy horror.

We Used To Live Here

A terrifying tale for fans of Christopher Golden’s The House of Last Resort. Listeners will be hooked from the beginning and may find themselves unable to hit pause.
PREMIUM

Wilderness Reform

Supernatural horror and summer camp folklore make for a thrilling and entertaining ride. Recommended for fans of Nick Cutter’s The Troop or Chuck Tingle’s Camp Damascus.

This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances

Listeners seeking classically told horror with the bite of visceral splatterpunk need look no further. A mesmerizing and unputdownable collection that shocks, provokes, and appalls.
PREMIUM

The Gathering

Tudor’s latest, an atmospheric blend of horror, fantasy, and police procedural, is both riveting and highly recommended.
PREMIUM

Monsters We Have Made

This book is a haunting portrayal of the defining power of stories and family, perfect for fans of cerebral horror.

The Bog Wife

Gothic horror at its absolute finest, this story is as mythical as it is malignant.
PREMIUM

Guillotine

A fast-paced daylight-horror book for readers looking for a new favorite horror author.
PREMIUM

Incidents Around the House

Fans of the movie Poltergeist (or fans of horror featuring child protagonists) will be sucked into Bela’s story, wondering if she makes it through with her heart intact. For fans of Zoje Stage’s Baby Teeth.
PREMIUM

Heads Will Roll

A story for slasher fans who just want a gory good time. Pair with Stephen Graham Jones’s I Was a Teenage Slasher for even more bloody fun.
PREMIUM

All the Hearts You Eat

A must-read for those who enjoyed Piper’s Bram Stoker award-winning Queen of Teeth. Like Nat Cassidy’s Nestlings, it takes the vampire story and turns it into something new.
PREMIUM

Northern Nights

Fans of speculative anthologies will want to read these stories on cold nights, particularly if they like stories where the land is as much an antagonist as a monster with sharp teeth and claws.
PREMIUM

Cold Snap

Ryan (Bless Your Heart) writes a haunting and affecting novella that portrays the wrenching nature of grief and guilt.
PREMIUM

Fragile Anthology

All of the writers in this collection seem to have fun with the premise of a mover and a cardboard box’s mysterious contents, creating a worthy showcase for sci-fi and horror fans looking for their next favorite author.

Horror | Prepub Alert, March 2025 Titles

PREMIUM

Ghost Mother

Dwyer’s (Tracks of Angels) atmospheric, multilayered ghost story explores the ways strong desires can manifest. It is a must-read for fans of “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
PREMIUM

This Cursed House

Sandeen has written a strong debut novel that will appeal to readers who enjoy complicated family histories and an increasing sense of paranoia, such as in Midnight Rooms by Donyae Coles, and gothic thrillers like Spite House by Johnny Compton.
PREMIUM

The Book of Witching

A good pick for readers interested in witch trials throughout history, as Cooke melds elements of horror, historical fiction, family drama, and a police procedural into this witchy novel.
PREMIUM

Devils Kill Devils

Fans of Clive Barker’s dark fantasy will like the universe Compton teases, while readers who enjoy Nick Cutter’s gorgeously gory prose will love how Compton describes all the myriad ways that flesh and bone can come apart.
PREMIUM

American Rapture

Those who loved Leede’s style in her debut, Maeve Fly, will enjoy this grimly complicated story.
PREMIUM

The Devil by Name

A must-buy for libraries that purchased Fever House or for those interested in modern horror. This duology is a delight for both horror readers and fans of apocalyptic fiction. Recommend to those who liked The Stand by Stephen King, Zone One by Colson Whitehead, or The Rising by Brian Keene.
PREMIUM

Narcissus

Godfrey’s (Campfire Macabre) latest blends horror, myth, and thriller in an unputdownable listen. A winner for fans of dread-filled novels like Christina Henry’s The Ghost Tree or Cassandra Khaw’s Nothing but Blackened Teeth.
PREMIUM

The House That Horror Built

Henry’s novel draws readers in not by being terrifying but by being both fun and frightening. Perfect for horror fans who prefer playful eeriness over gore.
PREMIUM

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees

In his graphic novel debut, cartoonist Horvath’s stunningly gorgeous painted artwork evokes classic children’s book illustration to create a sense of witnessing raw transgression against all that is good and pure. The effect is both viscerally disturbing and, for fans of horror and serial killer thrillers, immensely thrilling.

Horror | Prepub Alert, February 2025 Titles

Horror | Prepub Alert, January 2025 Titles

LJ Talks Vampires and Centering Women in Stories with Rachel Harrison, Author of ‘So Thirsty’

Fiction Shows Its Fangs | Horror Fiction Preview 2024

2024 Stars So Far | Horror

PREMIUM

Pay the Piper

For fans of both Kraus’s novels and Romero’s films, this bloody Southern story highlights the strengths of both auteurs.
PREMIUM

Blood Like Mine

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.

So Thirsty

With a realistic protagonist who faces choices that are sometimes scarier than monsters, this book will have readers sinking their teeth in.

I Was a Teenage Slasher

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.
PREMIUM

William

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.

House of Bone and Rain

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.

The Unmothers

This is a triumph of folk horror that will gratify lovers of Midsommar and The Handmaid’s Tale.
PREMIUM

The Science of Ghosts

Paranormal soft horror with a sexy vibe. Readers, especially mystery fans, will find this blend of the arcane and the academic intriguing.

LJ Talks with Debut Horror Writer Donyae Coles

PREMIUM

The Body Harvest

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.
PREMIUM

The Drowning House

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.
PREMIUM

Midnight Rooms

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.
PREMIUM

The Night Guest

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.

Sacrificial Animals

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.

Pink Slime

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.
PREMIUM

Womb City

Speculative, dystopian fiction blending Botswanan mythology with considerations of family, technology, and autonomy. Share with fans of Nnedi Okorafor, Temi Oh, and Octavia Butler.

The Angel of Indian Lake

If this book and the trilogy are Jones’s love letter to the slasher genre, it could just as easily make other readers fall in love with it too.
PREMIUM

Your Shadow Half Remains

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.
PREMIUM

The Haunting of Velkwood

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.
PREMIUM

Lost Man’s Lane

Fans of Clive Cussler and Dean Koontz may be intrigued by this mashup of crime thriller, coming-of-age story, and supernatural horror.

No One Will Come Back For Us: And Other Stories

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.
PREMIUM

A Child Alone with Strangers

While the audio clocks in at over 18 hours, fans of crime novels and Stephen King’searly works will find this a thrilling ride.
PREMIUM

Transmuted

A queer body horror tale with a deep emotional center, speaking to the determination of one woman who will risk anything to be whole.
PREMIUM

What Feasts at Night

Fans of gothic horror and Kingfisher’s unique blend of horror and humor will enjoy this frightfully fun slice of Gallacian folklore.
PREMIUM

The House of Last Resort

Terrifying, uncomfortable, and unputdownable. Fans of Danielle Trussoni’s The Ancestor will want to pick this up.

Final Cut

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.
PREMIUM

The Deviant, Vol. 1

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.

Horror for Weenies: Everything You Need To Know About the Films You’re Too Scared To Watch

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.

Display Shelf | Halfway to Halloween

PREMIUM

A Mask of Flies

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.
PREMIUM

Heads Will Roll

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.

Bury Your Gays

Captivating and creative, Tingle continues breathing new life into old tropes with a gory examination of art and the lives that fuel it.
PREMIUM

Incidents Around the House

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.

LJ Talks with Monika Kim, Author of ‘The Eyes Are the Best Part’

Horror | Prepub Alert, October 2024 Titles

The Eyes Are the Best Part

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.
PREMIUM

The Z Word

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.
PREMIUM

How To Make a Horror Movie and Survive

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.
PREMIUM

Cuckoo

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.
PREMIUM

Beyond the Bounds of Infinity: An Anthology of Diverse Cosmic Horror

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.

Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil

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.
PREMIUM

Ghostroots: Stories

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.

Midwestern Gothic

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.
PREMIUM

This Wretched Valley

A fast-paced, dread-filled survival tale, perfect for fans of Scott Smith’s The Ruins.
PREMIUM

The Molossus of Old Man Moyer

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.
PREMIUM

Sanctuary

Fans of Isabel Cañas’s The Hacienda and Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House will savor this solidly scary yarn.
PREMIUM

Indian Burial Ground

Expertly blending timelines and perspectives, Medina delivers another atmospheric, unsettling, and downright eerie read that will keep readers guessing until the last page.

Horror | Prepub Alert, September 2024 Titles

PREMIUM

The House That Horror Built

An unsubtle but tense tale of self-aware gothic horror from Henry (Good Girls Don’t Die).
PREMIUM

Lost Man’s Lane

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.
PREMIUM

The Gathering

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.
PREMIUM

What Grows in the Dark

A spooky walk in the woods for fans of supernatural mysteries, LGBTQIA+ protagonists, and folk horror such as The Blair Witch.
PREMIUM

Red River Seven

A fun romp with echoes of Jeremy Robert Johnson’s The Loop or Nick Cutter’s The Troop. Bloody escapism at its best.

The Invisible World

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.
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