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PREMIUM
All Eight Eyes
Foxe’s (Dark X-Men) scripting emphasizes thrills and chills over exposition without shortchanging character development in this exhilaratingly pulpy horror thriller.
Vampires prowl the pages, and new titles arrive from S. A. Barnes, Eric LaRocca, and Thomas Olde Heuvelt.
PREMIUM
The Pale House Devil
This solid novella will appeal to horror readers who like quirky protagonists. Recommended for fans of Kadrey’s “Sandman Slim” series or of Edgar Cantero and Jim Butcher.
While some readers might be drawn to this book by Peele’s star power, this is a well-crafted anthology that’s perfect for introducing readers to emerging and established Black authors.
PREMIUM
Candy Cain Kills
This Christmas slasher, in the vein of movies like Silent Night, Deadly Night, is a quick read and a perfect book for gorehounds to devour on a cold Christmas night where there’s a fire in the hearth, some cocoa on the nightstand, and possibly something murderous in the snowy dark.
PREMIUM
Good Girls Don’t Die
Featuring a unique premise and culminating in an engaging twist, this book offers a poignant feminist horror story with strong women characters.
PREMIUM
A Haunting on the Hill
Where Jackson gave glimpses of possibility, Hand purposefully pulls back the curtain on a Hill House in its full derangement, but this haunted-house tale stands on its own very spooky legs.
PREMIUM
My Darling Girl
With detail that is simultaneously luscious and eerie and a story that is at once familiar and yet possessed by something unnamable, this novel won’t disappoint fans of McMahon (The Children on the Hill) or first-time readers.
PREMIUM
The Horror at Pleasant Brook
The sheer number of expendable characters sometimes slows down the action, but fans of Stephen King’s and Dean Koontz’s stories of small-town evil infestation will love seeing Pleasant Brook fall into darkness.
PREMIUM
Midnight Showing
For fans of horror and Hollywood (and Holly-weird) and for any creative who has contemplated the nature of art, the concept of reality, and a creator’s responsibility for their creations.
PREMIUM
Wasps in the Ice Cream
Full of pop-culture references, satanic panic, and nostalgia, this novel is a love letter to times past. Perfect for fans of Jeffrey Eugenides’s The Virgin Suicides or Robert R. McCammon’s Boy’s Life.
PREMIUM
The Marigold
Though the cast is massive, each individual’s story is part of a unified whole, depicting a bleak future where corporations make deals with literal monsters in the name of progress.
PREMIUM
Everything the Darkness Eats
Two terrifying storylines come together in an inventive and haunting tale that explores whether love and forgiveness can exist in a pitiless universe.
Juliano’s tense debut offers grown-up vibes for fans of Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Running Out of Time, like a more sinister take on M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village. An outstanding pick for fans of classic horror and creepy cults.
PREMIUM
Hounds of the Underworld
Should appeal to fans of Jim Butcher’s “Dresden Files” and Patricia Briggs’s “Mercy Thompson” series, although the dialogue and accents of the narrators, along with creepy music between chapters, give this audiobook its own unique sound. This first installment in the “Path of Ra” series stands on its own but also builds excitement for the next books to come.
PREMIUM
The Dark Hour
Although Hart’s narration is unimpeachable, the story offers little depth and few surprises. Listeners might enjoy seeing Mark getting his comeuppance, or they might rejoice when the book finally reveals its obvious twist.
Set against the backdrop of Argentina’s 1970s Dirty War and dripping with atmospheric horror, this novel will reward listeners’ patience, revealing beauty among supernatural and all-too-human terrors.
A deftly written, atmospheric short-story collection for fans of Jordan Peele, P. Djèlí Clarke, and Octavia E. Butler.
PREMIUM
The Salt Grows Heavy
A quick listen that should appeal to fans of Khaw’s Nothing but Blackened Teeth or those looking for a horrific take on the ever-popular The Little Mermaid.
Though Paloma’s narrative is captivating, this tale is a must-purchase for Pelayo’s gorgeously written love letter to horror movies and Chicago, a city brimming with eclectic tales, urban horrors, and palpable magic.
PREMIUM
Maeve Fly
Leede’s chilling case study on how to create a monster should appeal to fans of Bella Mackie’s How To Kill Your Family and Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho.
PREMIUM
The Woodkin
With plenty of nods to horror master Stephen King, this is an audio that fans of the grotesque should relish.
The beauty revealed in the conclusion changes the game, forcing characters and readers to rethink woman power. Jama-Everett’s evocative, open-ended finale suits the saga far better than a neat wrap-up. Highly recommended.
PREMIUM
Black River Orchard
Insatiable, passionate, weird, and creepy, Wendig’s latest (after Wayward) is perfect for those who appreciate the slow-burning horror tomes of Stephen King and Robert McCammon.
Rumfitt’s (Tell Me I’m Worthless) tour-de-force work of queer body horror is a must-read for fans of Gretchen Felker-Martin, Eric LaRocca, and Hailey Piper.
Akin to Jac Jemc’s The Grip of It but unlike any ghost-hunting novels before it, this is a masterpiece of innovative storytelling and psychological horror.
This anthology is perfect for those who’ve enjoyed Indigenous horror authors like Stephen Graham Jones, who provided the book’s introduction, and want to discover more.
PREMIUM
Last To Leave the Room
It’s billed as horror, but the latest from popular novelist Starling (after The Death of Jane Lawrence) is more of a speculative thriller; her fans will still clamor for it.
PREMIUM
Hemlock Island
A must-read for fans of atmospheric and occult horror with intricate storytelling.
The metaphor is layered and at times heartbreaking, as secrets held by both a house and a family come to light with terrifying poignancy in this wonderfully eerie debut.
This collection reveals Keisling to be a writer who can create unnerving fiction that ensnares readers while delivering just enough shocking moments to keep them from falling into complacency.
PREMIUM
The Night House
Nesbø deftly guides readers on a journey much larger than many will expect from the slim volume. Reminiscent of Joe Meno’s The Boy Detective Fails, initial expectations of genre, setting, and mood are subverted as a simple horror novel unfolds into a story that encompasses grief, mid-life crises, and more. Give this one to fans of Grady Hendrix or adults nostalgic for the “Goosebumps” series.
PREMIUM
Mother Nature
An awkwardly overstuffed plotline is enlivened, if not quite redeemed, by the author’s obvious passion for the subject matter and Stevens’s gorgeous photorealistic watercolor illustration.
PREMIUM
Fever House
This is a must buy for any library looking to expand its horror collection. It will be snapped up by fans of the modern day masters of the genre such as Joe Hill or Stephen Graham Jones and is also a great read-alike for Grady Hendrix’s We Sold Our Souls and The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias.
Grady Hendrix, Victor LaValle, and Stephen Graham Jones are just some of the names topping the charts.
Cassandra Khaw is the USA Today best-selling author of Nothing but Blackened Teeth. Their first original novella, Hammers on Bone, was a British Fantasy Award and Locus Award finalist. Khaw is also an award-winning game writer and has published work in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Lightspeed, and Tor.com. They talk with LJ about myths, fear, video games, and language.
The horror genre keeps growing, and its tendrils touch every subgenre and theme. LJ's preview looks at the titles and trends of the upcoming season.
This story is full of moments, from the descriptive body horror to the cringeworthy acts committed by this seemingly normal family, that will burrow under readers’ skin.
In this Rubik’s Cube of a novel, unreliable narrators compel readers to determine what is fact, what is fiction, and who wrote the book that rules their lives.
PREMIUM
Mister Magic
With seamless commentary on parent/child dynamics and unacknowledged trauma, this deeply personal and mesmerizing work from White (Hide) is sure to please, especially readers with ’90s nostalgia.
A razor-sharp voice full of wit and humor, along with some edge-of-your-seat moments, will have readers clamoring for more.
PREMIUM
Bloom
This quick and compulsively readable fairy-tale nightmare from Dawson (The Violence) will have readers gasping for breath and hungry for more.
PREMIUM
Spin a Black Yarn: Novellas
Malerman’s collection is tailor-made made for writers studying the craft and readers who love to watch a writer flex their creative muscles.
PREMIUM
Wild Spaces
Coney fills this affecting novella with evocative prose that perceptively conveys the coastal landscape and all of its inhabitants, human and not.
The multi-award-winning author of The Beast You Are: Stories tells LJ of his love for the short story format and why he thinks “write what you know” is “terrible writing advice.”
PREMIUM
Sucker
While the author’s writing style has good flow, the satire is over-the-top, making the story less palatable.
PREMIUM
Silver Nitrate
Moreno-Garcia (The Daughter of Doctor Moreau) has written a love letter to Mexico City’s film industry and an excellent entry into the popular horror subgenre of occult films. Suggest to fans of The Shoemaker’s Magician by Cynthia Pelayo, Experimental Film by Gemma Files, and The Remaking by Clay McLeod Chapman.
Two-time Hugo finalist Tingle (Straight) has a huge cult following, and his brilliant mainstream debut does not disappoint. Suggest to fans of authors such as V. Castro and Hailey Piper, who take well-worn tropes and explore them through marginalized perspectives, creating something breathtaking and wholly new.
Yet another not-to-miss release by the popular and critically acclaimed Tremblay (The Pallbearers Club), showcasing a discomfort that is reminiscent of Shirley Jackson but still new and thought-provoking.
This book can be enjoyed from cover to cover or as a choose-your-own spooky adventure; either way, it will entice all who encounter it to seek out more horror. Libraries should consider having a reference and a circulating copy and may want to make extra copies of the reading checklist in the back to hand out.
PREMIUM
Vampires of El Norte
The many fans of The Hacienda will be eager for Cañas’s second novel, which will also thrill and chill readers who’d enjoy a mash-up of Alma Katsu’s historical horror, Andy Davidson’s In the Valley of the Sun, and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
PREMIUM
What Kind of Mother
Chapman (Ghost Eaters) is becoming a not-to-miss horror novelist. Suggest this one to a varied audience of fans who enjoy intense psychological tales like Paul Tremblay’s The Pallbearers Club, body horror like Ahmed Saadawi’s Frankenstein in Baghdad, and parental horror like Zoje Stage’s Baby Teeth; don’t forget fans of the pulp classic “Clickers” series, originated by J.F. Gonzalez.
LaValle’s gorgeous prose and dynamic characters, combined with the horrific supernatural, make for a compelling listen. Share with fans of Alma Katsu, Erin E. Adams, and Isabel Cañas.
PREMIUM
Sister, Maiden, Monster
A unique and thought-provoking horror, visceral and violent, but deepened by Snyder’s deft touch for relationships, both sexual and platonic. An enthralling portrait of a world teetering on the brink of destruction.
This story, full of heart and hemorrhages, emphatically proves that literary beauty and gory kills aren’t mutually exclusive. Jade Daniels could be the horror heroine who will have both Freddy and Jason checking under their own beds.
PREMIUM
All Hallows
Although this Halloween horror is deeply steeped in nostalgia, Golden doesn’t shy away from putting his characters, and listeners, through the emotional wringer. Recommended for fans of Dean Koontz, Grady Hendrix, and Joe Hill.
Both fantastic storytellers, Kowal (The Spare Man) and Kingfisher (What Moves the Dead) are a perfect pairing for this excellent Southern gothic, an essential purchase.
PREMIUM
The Haunting of Alejandra
Listeners will be buoyed by Alejandra’s decision to find herself, save her children, and break free from generational curses. A feminist retelling that will appeal to fans of psychological horror and the works of Isabel Cañas and Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
PREMIUM
Briardark
A promising otherworldly horror series that offers mystery, momentum, and a touch of sci-fi. Listeners will be glad to know that a sequel is due out in 2024.
PREMIUM
Cursed Bunny: Stories
Fans of unsettling short stories should give Chung’s twisted modern folk tales a listen. These visceral, smart tales, teaching their lessons through suffering, make an impact.
PREMIUM
Bad Cree
Johns is an exciting new Indigenous voice in the horror genre. Readers who enjoyed Stephen Graham Jones’s The Only Good Indians and Erika Wurth’s White Horse will not want to miss this.
This audio will appeal to listeners seeking a dark, dizzying domestic thriller steeped in menace and mistrust. Recommended for fans of Gillian Flynn, Ashley Audrain, and Riley Sager.
PREMIUM
Queer Little Nightmares
Listeners will likely sympathize and perhaps even root for these monsters not because they are monstrous but because their status as outsiders is universally human.
A provocative and harrowing thriller with a distinct and passionately expressed perspective on the modern world.
American Book Award winner Due (The Wishing Pool and Other Stories) has written a masterpiece of fiction whose fear actively surrounds its readers, while the novel speaks to all situations where injustice occurs and compels its audience to act. For fans of The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, The Trees by Percival Everett, and The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones.
PREMIUM
A Moonlit Path of Madness
A historical tale of psychological horror, expertly rendered in the style of a classic gothic novel from the era in which it’s set, this small-press title can be confidently suggested to readers who enjoyed Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Molly Pohlig’s The Unsuitable, or anything by Jennifer McMahon.
PREMIUM
Her Little Flowers
Overall, the novel provides a compelling supernatural mystery that will hold a reader’s attention right up to the last page. Recommend to fans of Kate Morton and Eve Chase.
Libraries looking to add the leading edge of modern horror to their collection should purchase Fracassi’s new book. Some good read-alikes include The Troop by Nick Cutter, What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher, and Goddess of Filth by V. Castro.
PREMIUM
Burn the Negative
Winning’s latest, after The Shadow Glass, is a spine-tingling, rip-roaring yarn that hearkens back to the thrills and chills of the best ’80s slasher horror. Hand this to readers who liked The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix, My Heart Is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones, or My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite.
PREMIUM
The Edge of Sleep
Cosmic horror at its finest (and weirdest), this is a wild ride that is equally trippy and jarring.
PREMIUM
Jawbone
This experimental horror novel is not for the faint of heart. For those brave enough to take it on, however, it offers a terrifying look into the trauma of womanhood and desire.
PREMIUM
The Militia House
Milas served in Helmand Province and writes with clarity and precision about the physical and psychological realities of the war in Afghanistan. Fans of Stephen King’s horror and Phil Klay’s fictional explorations of war will be drawn to this.
In this immersive, richly detailed novel, Mary is an enthralling heroine with whom readers will empathize, and owing to assured, luscious prose, whose plight they will champion.
PREMIUM
Starve Acre
Reminiscent of Henry James and Shirley Jackson’s slow-burn scares and bubbling unease, this book is for readers who like their scares to come with a tauntingly slow drawing back of a stage curtain rather than the spring-loaded explosion of a jack-in-the-box.
Australian author Kaaron Warren talks to LJ about her youthful bibliomania, how the horror genre chose her, and an ancient fish sauce that inspired her new novel, Bitters.
LaRocca (They Were Here Before Us) has seen viral success with their shorter works, but their first full-length novel demonstrates their growth as a writer. A perfect example of how writers from historically marginalized communities, like Hailey Piper, R.J. Joseph, and V. Castro, are actively mining the horror of their personal experiences to create terrifying, original, and emotionally resonant works that speak loudly to readers.
With this brilliantly constructed tale that consciously takes on a well-known story and violently breaks it open to reveal a heartfelt core, Khaw cements their status as a must-read author. For fans of sinister, thought-provoking, horrific retellings of Western classics by authors of marginalized identity like Helen Oyeyemi and Ahmed Saadawi.
Will be enjoyed by fans of Cassandra Khaw and Lucy Snyder, but more importantly, it’s another stellar collection from Undertow, making the independent publisher a not-to-miss player in the horror marketplace.
PREMIUM
Paradise-1
Wellington (The Last Astronaut), one of the innovators of novel serializations, retains that spirit in this open-ended series starter. A solid entry in the popular space-horror subgenre, which will appeal to fans of S.A. Barnes and John Scalzi.
PREMIUM
Maeve Fly
Obvious comparisons will be made to American Psycho, but this illicitly alluring tale pairs even better with current voices in the extreme-horror subgenre, such as Michael J. Seidlinger, Eric LaRocca, and Hailey Piper.
PREMIUM
Graveyard of Lost Children
Monroe’s (They Drown Our Daughters) honest and thoughtful contemplation of the horrors of postpartum depression is as big a draw as the visceral dread of the suspenseful thriller/horror hybrid storyline. A perfect choice for fans of motherhood-framed psychological horror like Such a Pretty Smile by Kristi DeMeester and Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel.
A sometimes harrowing, sometimes gruesome, but always entertaining collection; listeners may want to take care not to listen near a forest! Fans of feminist folklore retellings will find much to love.
Well known in Australia for her critically acclaimed and compelling speculative fiction, Warren has written a must-read for fans of menacing, thought-provoking, horror-laced dystopias like Agustina Bazterrica’s Tender is the Flesh and Cherie Dimaline’s The Marrow Thieves.
PREMIUM
The Screaming Child
A great suggestion for readers who enjoy the atmospheric, horror-adjacent novels of Simone St. James or psychological horror such as Petra’s Ghost by C.S. O’Cinneide.
This book’s haunted house doesn’t stop at a few creaky floorboards, cold spots, and moans that could be dismissed as caused by the wind. Rumfitt’s house forces its victims (and listeners as well) to confront the horrors just outside their windows.
PREMIUM
The Nightmare Man
Fans of Paul Tremblay, T. Kingfisher, and Stephen King will enjoy Markert’s fast-paced, old-school horror, brimming with edgy tension and evil.
Fans of the supernatural rooted in realism, as well as of Indigenous authors such as Stephen Graham Jones, will want to accompany Kari on her spiritual and emotional journey.
PREMIUM
Final Girls
Grant, a pseudonym of Seanan McGuire, has penned a vivid if brief story grounded with strong characterizations and intriguing questions about identity and friendship.
PREMIUM
The Spite House
A deliciously chilling novel with notes of The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson and The Shining by Stephen King.
Lux creates a beautifully poignant tale of the consequences of desire, both of getting what we want and the pain of its being just out of reach.
Riveting literary horror superbly realized in audio, highlighted by narrator Graham Halstead, who effectively conveys Hale’s disintegrating mental state. Narrators Toni Frutin, Shiromi Arserio, Jennifer Aquino, and Gary Tiedemann further enhance the audio by giving voice to reporters, interviewees, and medical personnel.
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