The Definitive Horror Book List
Please vote on, or add your favorite horror books to this list.
Authors be WARNED! This is not a promotional page for your books, please do not spam this list, it would be futile. All authors who spam this list will be removed!
Authors be WARNED! This is not a promotional page for your books, please do not spam this list, it would be futile. All authors who spam this list will be removed!
Kevin
1594 books
96 friends
96 friends
Greyweather
2661 books
66 friends
66 friends
JDB
590 books
12 friends
12 friends
Christy
7355 books
2626 friends
2626 friends
Erin
6368 books
1213 friends
1213 friends
Marvin
2196 books
830 friends
830 friends
Express
22 books
0 friends
0 friends
James
151 books
24 friends
24 friends
More voters…
Comments Showing 1-50 of 53 (53 new)
message 1:
by
Eric
(new)
Oct 21, 2009 09:51AM
![Eric Blood](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1494165664p1/2221974.jpg)
reply
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![David](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1438370177p1/1848162.jpg)
![Normandy](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1692886424p1/5729452.jpg)
![Jeff French](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1345943107p1/5550016.jpg)
the ressurectionist by Wrath James White. A masterpiece and creepy as all get out
![Kevin](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1255205287p1/2825158.jpg)
![Kirsten](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1604274150p1/2384499.jpg)
Well, Twilight fans can be a little scary. I had one overhear me speaking to a fellow English major from the other side of the room. I don't remember what book we were talking about, but the Twilight fan assumed we must be talking about Twilight and decided to insert herself into our conversation. It was a harrowing experience.
![Kevin](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1255205287p1/2825158.jpg)
Books that are up for removal:
1. Dancing With A Dead Horse
2. The Cruise
3. Sorrow's Point
4. Plebs
5. The Culling
6. Forever and Ever
Anthony Hulse, do not spam my list! I will have Susanna remove your books ASAP! This is not a promotional page for wanna-be authors! This list is for reference!
![Kevin](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1255205287p1/2825158.jpg)
Thank you Susanna :-)
![Greg](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1513962691p1/39346323.jpg)
![Mitchell Friedman](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1622399083p1/970632.jpg)
![Leigh](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1584991231p1/6968293.jpg)
I don't know, it's pretty terrifying to read it and then realise that she got paid for it.
![Kevin](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1255205287p1/2825158.jpg)
![BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1675876559p1/5986596.jpg)
![Shadowjac](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1458835247p1/41111297.jpg)
![Mitchell Friedman](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1622399083p1/970632.jpg)
Apparently the 2685 people who shelved The Gunslinger as Horror (including me), disagree with you.
![Seth Bobbink](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1354382178p1/15078292.jpg)
So I guess we are both right in a sense however I would say that the first book the Gunslinger is not horror, it has more a western and a start of a fantasy epic feel to it.
![Mitchell Friedman](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1622399083p1/970632.jpg)
I shelved it as:
fantasy, fiction, horror, liked-reviews, read, series, western
So I agree.
![Kellianne](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1421447094p1/39239343.jpg)
message 38:
by
[on hiatus, probably forever] The rockabilly werewolf from Mars
(new)
![[on hiatus, probably forever] The rockabilly werewolf from Mars](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1592110608p1/94590224.jpg)
![Matthew](https://cdn.statically.io/img/s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_25x33-8a3530ed95c3dbef8bf215b080559b09.png)
![Mitchell Friedman](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1622399083p1/970632.jpg)
On my equivalent lists I typically set minimum number of ratings and minimum number of shelving for a topic.
Is Twilight horror? On the surface I think that vampires are generally horror. But look at the shelving - 18k ya, 16k fantasy for the 3rd and 4th most shelved categories for Twilight. 497 people also shelved it as horror - but it was the 41st highest category.
I'd say it's not horror.
But I'd also have a minimum number of shelving for horror - say 1000 - and this is what has been declared in the comments of this list - at least for the first page.
I have a horror list that is a lot more restrictive and it only has 125 books on it and 79 voters. And it still requires maintenance, removing inappropriate books and tightening down the list criteria.
message 41:
by
[on hiatus, probably forever] The rockabilly werewolf from Mars
(new)
message 42:
by
[on hiatus, probably forever] The rockabilly werewolf from Mars
(new)
![[on hiatus, probably forever] The rockabilly werewolf from Mars](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1592110608p1/94590224.jpg)
I say if no one can come up with a clear reason why it is horror by Halloween, it gets removed. Of course, I can't remove it, but it seems like a fair way of resolving the argument.
![Greg](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1513962691p1/39346323.jpg)
![Kevin](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1255205287p1/2825158.jpg)
To be honest, trying to define what horror is is a task not easily done. Some may define horror as anything containing horrific acts which could include a multitude of situations. Others may state horror must have an element of the supernatural with things that go 'bump in the night'. Defining horror can only be subjective. What scares one may not scare another. Some may define horror as speculative fiction. The idea here is to not overthink it. This is a list for reference and nothing more. People may browse the list and they can decide for themselves what interest them and which books they may choose to give a pass.
![BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1675876559p1/5986596.jpg)
Shouldn't be anymore (I had the system perform a duplicate check and it found 4 duplicates).
![Kevin](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1255205287p1/2825158.jpg)
Shouldn't be anymore (I had the system perform a duplicate check and it found 4 duplicates)."
Thank you for clearing the duplicates.
![BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...)](https://cdn.statically.io/img/images.gr-assets.com/users/1675876559p1/5986596.jpg)
I agree, 1984 (#77) isn't horror in my opinion. But at least 40 people thought otherwise 😁
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