23 best horror books

Review of the best according to the editorial board. About selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

The readership is diverse: someone is fond of romance novels, someone likes crime thrillers, and someone is crazy about horror books, which really freeze the blood in their veins, and not everyone is able to reach the final and withstand the stress. But true fans of this genre are eagerly awaiting new products in order to tickle their nerves again and, together with the main characters, go through all the upcoming tests.

Our rating contains 23 best horror books, which, according to experts and readers, will give true pleasure to lovers of everything terrible, inexplicable and frightening, and which will become works worthy of taking the best places in the library of horror fans.

Rating of the best horror books

Nomination	a place	composition	price
Rating of the best horror books	1	Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud	257 r
	2	It, Stephen King	RUB 520
	3	The Whispering Skull, Jonathan Stroud	287 r
	4	Monstrologer. Curse of the Wendigo, Rick Yancy	283 r
	5	The Exorcist, William Peter Blatty	363 r
	6	Silence of the Lambs, Thomas Harris	RUB 350
	7	Dance of Death, Stephen King	356 r
	8	Bloody Island, Rick Yancy	374 r
	9	Blaze. Memory	340 RUB
	10	'Murders on Morgue Street. Stories '' Edgar Allan Poe	RUB 150
	11	The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson	475 RUB
	12	Judgment days, Adam Neville	482 RUB
	13	Blood Books, Clive Barker	RUB 600
	14	Steps to the Abyss, Rick Yancey	890 RUB
	15	Ritual, Adam Neville	340 RUB
	16	1408, Stephen King	–
	17	This book is full of spiders by David Wong	RUB 485
	18	Lullaby, Vladimir Danikhnov	252 RUB
	19	Collector, John Fowles	RUB 160
	20	Lord of the Flies William Golding	310 RUB
	21	Harrow County. Volume 1. Countless perfumes by Cullen Bunn, Tyler Crook	576 r
	22	Murder in Cold, by Truman Capote	371 r
	23	I have no mouth, but I want to scream, Harlan Ellison	–

Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

Rating: 5.0

The work of the English science fiction writer Jonathan Stroud deservedly takes first place. It was published in 2014 and became the first book in the series 'Lockwood Agency and Company', which immediately became a bestseller among the teenage audience. Subsequently, three more editions of this series were published.

In the center of the plot are three ghost hunters who save Londoners from an unpleasant neighborhood with these creatures. Everything goes into business: weapons, amulets, spells. There are many varieties of ghosts, and they are all extremely dangerous. The agency for the fight against otherworldly forces is not afraid to take risks, because it has gathered brave and courageous individuals. They will have to enter an old mansion, which contains a strange staircase that makes frightening sounds at night. And there was not a single person who got out of the house alive.

The reader will like the denouement and the ending, and until the last page he will feel the presence of ghosts, so the author realistically describes the events taking place. The Screaming Ladder is recommended for both teenagers and adults as one of the best horror stories, with both detective and adventure lines.

It, Stephen King

Rating: 4.9

The second place in the rating belongs to the book of the greatest master of horror of world literature Stephen King. It was based on memories from the childhood of the writer, which he preserved until adulthood. The work, which is a classic example of the genre, sold about 2.5 million copies during the year. 'It' is still considered one of the greatest creations of the writer and is recognized as a world bestseller.

The action begins with the murder of children in Maine. Before us appear the main characters – seven friends, who at that time were eleven years old. They realize that the criminal is a monster that only they can cope with, they unite in the 'Club of Losers' and begin a hunt, as a result of which they do not destroy, but only injure It. After 27 years, they will have to meet again after the resumption of the murders of children, as the criminal's handwriting indicates an elusive monster.

Many real-life prototypes were collected in the image of the killer. The main villain who entertained the children at children's parties dressed as a clown was John Gacy, an American maniac who killed more than 30 people and had the nickname 'Killer Clown'. For those who like to experience real horror, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the book by S. King 'It'.

The Whispering Skull, Jonathan Stroud

Rating: 4.9

The third place in the rating is occupied by another work by British author Jonathan Stroud. The Whispering Skull was the second Lockwood Agency and Company book to be released in 2015, a year after the first edition of The Screaming Staircase was released. Three friends – ghost catchers – as usual busy with their usual business. They are trying to cleanse London of the invasion of otherworldly forces that can not only scare, but also kill a person with one touch.

This time the agency will have to take on a more difficult task. A mirror was found in one of the graves, and anyone who looked into it died in terrible agony. According to legend, it was created from real human bones by an insane necromancer. The detectives not only have to solve the mystery of the mirror, but also not to become its victim, because having supernatural power, it can subordinate everyone around to its will.

The book captures from the first page, and the reader, together with the heroes, risking their lives, falls into various deadly traps prepared by London ghosts. Those who are not familiar with the work of Jonathan Stroud, we recommend not to postpone reading until later. Well, and to those who have already become his fans, we wish you a pleasant pastime with the next edition of the writer, which has become a bestseller of teenage literature.

Monstrologer. Curse of the Wendigo, Rick Yancy

Rating: 4.8

The fourth place in the ranking goes to the work of the American writer Richard Rick Yancey, who received the prestigious award for achievements in teenage literature. The horror book is part of the 'Monstrologer' series, there are four of them. The main character is Will Henry, twelve years old. After the death of his parents, he ends up in the house of a doctor for whom his father worked. There are many rumors circulating about Pellinore Warthrop, who leads a secluded lifestyle, one worse than the other.

People around him are sure that he is not only engaged in medicine, but also conducts various experiments with people. One day the doctor's best friend disappears, who went on a journey trying to find a new kind of monsters, but disappears there without a trace. The Indians are sure that he ceased to exist as a person, but turned into a living dead vampire, and his soul now belongs to the Wendigo.

Warthrop does not want to admit this and leaves in search of a friend to face a terrible and mysterious evil. Readers who like a mix of several genres will definitely be interested in 'Monstrologer. Curse of the Wendigo. ' The book combines horror, mysticism and adventure, and the plot does not let go for a single second and keeps in suspense until the very end.

The Exorcist, William Peter Blatty

Rating: 4.8

The rating book of horror by an American author is in fifth place. It was published in 1971, although William Peter Blatty thought about writing it back in 1940, when he first heard the story of a 14-year-old boy who could move furniture in a room with the power of his mind, suddenly began to speak in Latin and subsequently underwent a ritual the expulsion of the devil by two Jesuit priests.

In America, it immediately became a bestseller and stayed on the top lines for almost a year. The book was not immediately successful in other countries, as its title at the beginning sounded like 'Exorcism', and not everyone could understand the correct translation and designation of this word. But after the writer spoke on a talk show, where he popularly explained what she was about, horror fans all over the world immediately rushed to buy it. Released in 1973 on the screen, the picture added to the popularity of the work, and the film entered the classics of world cinema.

The main character is a 12-year-old girl with whom strange and frightening things began to happen. It all started with mild bouts of hysteria, which then turned into psychosis. Mother Regan McNeill turns to the priest for help, but even he has no idea what she will have to face in the future.

Silence of the Lambs, Thomas Harris

Rating: 4.7

Sixth place in the rating – Thomas Harris and his book 'The Silence of the Lambs'. Many horror fans first got acquainted with the film adaptation of the work, where the main role of the cannibal killer was played by the famous actor Anthony Hopkins. The novel, published in 1988, won the prestigious Bram Stoker Literary Prize. The plot is based on the capture of the maniac Buffalo-Bill, ripping the skin off his victims. His image is collective and was created from real-life serial criminals.

The FBI agent is instructed to establish contact with Hannibal Lecter, who is in a mental hospital and can help catch the maniac, since he knows the identity of Buffalo Bill very well. But he gets off with hints, and makes a deal only in return for a softening of conditions. During his transfer to federal prison, Lecter escapes.

In the end, he writes a letter to agent Clarissa Starling and asks if she is tormented by nightmares and haunted by the screams of lambs, whom she tried to save from slaughter in her early childhood. The book is not recommended for highly emotional individuals. It will be an excellent pastime for people who prefer criminal detective stories with horror elements.

Dance of Death, Stephen King

Rating: 4.7

Another work by Stephen King rightfully takes its rightful place in the ranking of the best horror books. It was published in 1981. The book is about the horror genre and is based on the writer's lectures on the supernatural, which he read at the university. In it, you can understand what literary works influenced the author's work, as well as study the list of films that King preferred.

The work will cover three decades of the development of the genre in the period from 50 to 80 years of the last century. The main types of horror, highlighted by the writer, are a ghost, a werewolf, an unnamed creature and a vampire. 'Dance of Death' is an expression that was popular in medieval France and meant the frailty of being. On this topic there were many images and poems that have survived to our time. The transience of human life is one of the main themes of Danse macabre.

The research book will appeal to all fans of the horror genre and, in particular, its outstanding representative – Stephen King. It will open up new facets of the master's work, and in it you can learn as much as possible about this direction in literature, cinema, on television and radio. The work was created for those who, according to the author, 'wanted to know a lot, but were afraid to ask'.

Bloody Island, Rick Yancy

Rating: 4.6

The eighth place in the rating is occupied by the third book in the 'Monstrologer' series, published in 2011. It continues the story of a teenager Will Henry and Dr. Pellinore Warthrop, who became a real friend to the boy after the death of his parents. Together they hunt terrible monsters, unravel mysterious stories and try to find answers to questions that plague more than one generation of people.

In 'Bloody Island', the doctor, along with a new assistant, sets out on another journey, and for the first time leaves Will alone at home. He learns about the existence of Magnifico – the father of all earthly monsters, and tries to find him. Soon the news of the mysterious death of Warthrop reaches the boy, but, not believing in this tragic message, he goes in search of the truth, where he will again have to face supernatural forces. In the book, the secret services of other countries will appear, which are also not averse to catching Magnifico, which adds to the dynamism of the plot.

This mystical work with elements of adventure and horror will appeal to everyone who has already become a fan of Rick Yancy's work or is just starting to get to know him. With a vengeance, the twisted plot rewards the patient reader at the end of the story, revealing the whole secret of the hunt for the elusive monster.

Blaze. Memory

Rating: 4.5

The ninth place in the rating belongs to the work of the great Stephen King, which was published in 2007 under the pseudonym of the author – Richard Bachman. It was written back in 1973, but the writer was not satisfied with the final result, and the manuscript was safely forgotten. Only in 2006 did he find it in the archives and decided to rework it, changing the unfortunate moments, and, as the maestro admitted, to clear it of sentimentality. The book was the last work published under this pseudonym.

The plot is based on the last story about Blaze, who decides to kidnap the baby for ransom, but eventually becomes attached to the child and does not want to part with him. The book describes many of the events that happened to Clighton Blaisdell Jr., who, as a result of a head injury from his own father, became a mentally disabled person. This is a completely good-natured person who cannot live on his own.

Blaise's painful subconscious constantly reminds him of George Ruckley, who was killed, but still comes to him in the form of hallucinations and gives advice, which every time becomes more harsh. The second included in the collection is the story “Memory” already under the name of Stephen King, continuing the theme of cruelty and realism and which, as a result, became the basis for the full-fledged novel “Duma-Key”.

'Murders on Morgue Street. Stories '' Edgar Allan Poe

Rating: 4.5

The tenth in our rating includes the work of the great Edgar Allan Poe, which was published in 1841 and is considered the first detective literary work. The main character is the aristocrat Auguste Dupin. The young man has an analytical mind capable of solving logical problems. In the description of the French detective, several techniques were first adopted, which were later used by other authors of such characters as Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot.

Dupin takes on the investigation of the brutal double murder of Madame L'Espane and her daughter in Rue de Morgue. Soon they detain a young man who did business with the widow and accompanied her home that day. The detective does not believe in the involvement of Adolphe Le Bon in the crime and criticizes the actions of the police, who do not go into details and arrests the first comer.

For Dupin, there are no unsolved secrets, so these murders will also be solved. The reader will be surprised by the identity of the real criminal, and amazed by the detective's abilities, which helped the innocent to be released, and other suspects not to be in his place behind bars. A bright storyline with an unexpected ending will appeal to all lovers of criminal detective stories with horror elements.

The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson

Rating: 4.5

Jay Anson was able to convey the horror that reigned in a real mansion built in 1924 by expatriates on Ocean Avenue in Suffolk County, New York. The first owners did not observe anything supernatural. But in 1960, a young married couple was able to live in the house for only 6 months and quickly moved out due to constantly hearing voices and the noise of moving furniture. In 1965, a large family moved into it and for 9 years lived in it quietly without any incidents.

Soon, tragic events happened, which brought the house the fame of a terrible place and it was included in the list of the most terrible mansions in the United States. Shots from a large-caliber rifle killed six people, and de Feo's youngest child, Ronald, was recognized as the culprit. Until now, many details have not been clarified and remain unclear. The house has been studied by renowned researchers and recognized as a place with increased poltergeist activity.

The classic horror story is worse in that it is based on real events, and the house still haunts neither ordinary people nor researchers of the paranormal. Who now owns the mansion is unknown, but it was bought for a lot of money, and what is happening there today, outsiders and curious will not know.

Judgment days, Adam Neville

Rating: 4.4

Further, the rating includes the work of a British writer who was able to declare himself as a talented author of horror books and find fans in the Russian horror community. The main character is Kyle Freeman. An independent director is on the verge of bankruptcy and no longer believes that he will find a decent script for a new film.

But unexpectedly receiving a lucrative offer, he immediately agrees to create a documentary tape about the 'Temple of Judgment Days' sect, whose members committed suicide back in 1975, and it ceased to exist. A bloody finale awaited all the cultists in the Arizona desert. But there were a few survivors, who were to be interviewed by the director.

For decades, they were all silent, but as soon as filming begins, frightening and mysterious events immediately occur, leading Kyle to disappointing conclusions: the film crew faced otherworldly forces that destroyed the surviving followers of Katherine's sister and who would not allow the film to continue. The book will appeal to fans of themes of sects and cults, will help to fully experience the horror of the presence of evil and enjoy a spectacular description of the events.

Blood Books, Clive Barker

Rating: 4.3

The famous English science fiction writer creates classic works in the genres of horror and mysticism, which have long been loved by many fans of these areas. He has received numerous awards, including the 2004 Bram Stoker Award for Best Teen Book. The series includes six collections of stories, which are united by a purely philosophical motive, but in fact each of them is a separate literary unit.

The dead leave our world, but do not cease to intersect with the living. A desperate experiment is conducted by a woman scientist, where she encounters a teenager who has the ability to communicate with spirits. At some point, he is possessed by the inhabitants of the other world, turning his body into a book of blood, telling about their suffering.

The author shows people from a bad side with their eternal bustle, narrow-mindedness of mind and vulgarity, comparing them with beautiful, talented and strong representatives of Darkness, and in almost every novel, the dead triumph over the living. Books are read in one breath, stories are interesting from the first page. The gloom and bloodiness, shown in the best traditions of the author, will not leave indifferent any book lover.

Steps to the Abyss, Rick Yancy

Rating: 4.3

Next in the ranking is another book by American author Rick Yancey from the 'Monstrologer' series, which was published in 2016 and is the fourth edition. Meeting with already beloved heroes will present incredible adventures that fill the life of a mysterious doctor and his younger orphan friend. Readers will once again experience the horror that Will Henry and Pellinor Warthrop are experiencing, but together with them they will overcome all difficulties and unravel the great mystery of the monsters living on Earth today.

The boy has already grown up and is participating in many of the doctor's experiments. The final novel brings researchers of paranormal phenomena closer to answers to the questions: why do these creatures come to our world, is the monster really so terrible, and who he really is, how will a person's life change after meeting him?

The book combines several genres: horror, mysticism, fantasy. The more interesting it is to read it to the younger generation, and no less exciting – to the older age audience. The Steps Leading to the Abyss will be a wonderful gift for all horror fans and will love the twisted storyline, the magnificent 'living' style and the unusually bright and interesting characters.

Ritual, Adam Neville

Rating: 4.2

Released in 2011, the book has won numerous professional critics awards, and has won millions of mystical and psychological horror fans around the world. The plot is quite simple and begins with a hike of four friends in the most beautiful forests of Sweden. Deciding to take a shortcut, they turn off into the wilderness and realize that they are lost. First, they come across a small animal crucified on a tree, which reminds of an occult ritual carried out here.

They soon find an abandoned house with traces of blood, remnants of sacrifice attributes and a strange stuffed monster in the attic. In a dilapidated church, friends discover a basement filled to the brim with human bones. They begin to understand the complexity of their situation and fear for their lives, but do not fully realize that it is not a person who is hunting them, but someone who is more terrible than death itself.

Gloomy forests are so vividly described by the author that the reader is completely immersed in the atmosphere of Scandinavian nature. And the closer to the finale, the more dangerous it is to be near the characters. Many readers noted that the book is one of the most terrifying works in the horror genre and advise everyone who dares to read the story of four university friends.

1408, Stephen King

Rating: 4.2

Stephen King's works are consistently ranked among the best in the genre of horror and mystery. '1408' takes the place it deserves on the list. The book follows a paranormal specialist who exposes lies and writes a book based on his research. One day he comes across an advertising booklet of the Dolphin Hotel with a warning never to enter room 1408. Immediately interested, the writer goes to the indicated address to catch the administration of cheating in order to attract new guests.

On the requests of the senior manager not to move into the room, Mike Enslin responds with a categorical refusal, and even the story of 56 people who committed suicide or died a natural death does not stop him. They are forced to provide him with a room, since according to the law of the hotel business, if there is one free room left, then it must be given to the newly arrived guest.

Cynic Enslin will have to face something inexplicable, which his irrational mind does not at first perceive. After experiencing several of the most terrible hours of his life, he receives a message that either everything will happen again, or he is getting out of the fifth circle of hell by committing suicide. Stephen King remained true to himself here too, keeping the reader in maximum tension to the end.

This book is full of spiders by David Wong

Rating: 4.1

American writer Jason Pargin is better known to the general public under the pseudonym David Wong. His style is rich in imagination and imagery. Despite the horror genre, all of the author's works have a good sense of humor. 'This Book is Full of Spiders' was published in 2012 and is a continuation of the story of David and John, who, after a portion of 'soy sauce' (as they themselves call a special substance), begin to have paranormal powers.

Once David is bitten by a spider, but this is not an ordinary insect, but a real monster that infests a person and destroys all the people around him. Once again, friends will have to fight against universal evil and defeat the zombie invasion of humanity. The book differs from the first known novel in a more thought-out storyline, in which there is no randomness. But the author, in his manner, is a bit of a hooligan, openly mocking the rules for creating literary works, and again strikes the reader with an unusual ending.

Traveling through the worlds of the subconscious will appeal to connoisseurs of fantasy, horror, humor. Such a mix made the work a bestseller, and its author – one of the best contemporary writers in the horror genre.

Lullaby, Vladimir Danikhnov

Rating: 4.1

The Russian science fiction writer became famous for his works that were awarded prestigious awards and for the tragic ending of his life due to a serious illness. A cancer tumor discovered at a young age made him look at the world in a different way, and until his death in 2018, he tried to show by his example that cancer patients are the same people and deserve friendship, love, and just communication.

The 'Lullaby' included in our rating was published in 2014. The action takes place in a place without a name, but as the author himself designates it – in the southern capital of the country. The city is shocked by a series of brutal murders of children. The maniac has already been nicknamed Lightning, since in a short time he took the lives of several guys, but the investigation never came up with any versions or clues. A famous detective comes to help colleagues from St. Petersburg.

Against the background of tragic events, the real life of the inhabitants of the city is shown, each of whom keeps his secret in a closet. And it is the loss and murder of children that awaken many of them from hibernation and make them think about many life questions. A non-standard romance with a philosophical line is dynamic, it shows all the vices of society with irony and dark humor characteristic of Vladimir Danikhnov.

Collector, John Fowles

Rating: 4.0

John Fowles is an English novelist who gave the world works that later became bestsellers, and their film adaptations brought even greater commercial success to the author's books. The Collector was released in 1963. The main character is a young man who leads a secluded life. His passion is butterflies. He kills them and then admires the extraordinary beauty of rare specimens.

Once he kidnaps a girl whom he wants to fall in love with and whom he wants to admire, like the rest of his collection and dreams of bringing the idea of ​​complete obedience to the maximum. The story is told on behalf of both Clegg and Miranda. The reader can himself experience all the feelings that the sick subconscious of a man experiences, and the indescribable horror of a kidnapped girl forced to be in captivity, but still confronting the criminal.

History keeps you in suspense and makes you realize fear and hopelessness. The dark action with every page is gripping, and the reader does not know what lies ahead. The finale is creepy, and the choice of a new victim literally puts you in a stupor. The work is quite difficult emotionally, but for those who prefer the horror genre, it will leave an indelible impression.

Lord of the Flies William Golding

Rating: 4.0

The highly rated book of horror by William Golding was the first novel by the famous writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. It was published in 1954. The book was published in Russian 15 years later and instantly won the love of the domestic readership. The path to success was difficult enough – more than 20 publications rejected it. But soon the author was lucky, and he made a compromise, deleting the first pages of the novel describing a nuclear war.

The action takes place on an uninhabited island, where a group of children end up after a plane crash. Two undoubted leaders are trying to somehow organize life, but soon this leads to discord in the camp and division into two warring tribes. The lord of the flies in the novel is the head of a pig impaled on a stake, with which the mentally abnormal Simon is talking, who was later killed by a tribe of hunters.

Golding's book was a response to a society that saw children as innocent victims of war. In fact, the moral degradation of adolescents was shown, which occurred in a very short time. The work is included in the English school curriculum and will be useful for Russian teenagers in order to look at the problems of a difficult age from the outside.

Harrow County. Volume 1. Countless perfumes by Cullen Bunn, Tyler Crook

Rating: 4.0

Cullen Bunn created his own special style in the horror genre, and Tyler Crook was able to translate the idea on paper in the form of sketches and drawings. The main character is Emmy. She had heard that there were monsters and monsters in the forests of Harrow County, but she did not fully believe in these legends and did not attach importance to them. The eighteenth day of her birth leads to the realization that she is connected with the other world, but does not yet realize how tightly.

Long ago, a powerful witch was killed, who must soon awaken and reincarnate in Emmy in order to destroy all living things in the area. Many locals are themselves the offspring of Hester Beck, created from clay and drops of witch's blood. Here there will be visions of the dead, and a pestilence of cattle, and an unexpectedly appeared healing gift from the main character and many other signs that predict future terrible events.

It is worth noting vivid illustrations that help to completely immerse oneself in the world of demons and antichrists. The storyline is fascinating, it grabs the reader's attention from the first minute. Those who prefer this direction of the horror genre will not be disappointed and will be able to continue their acquaintance with the books from the Harrow County cycle.

Murder in Cold, by Truman Capote

Rating: 3.9

The novel included in the rating is based on real events described by the famous American novelist Truman Capote. It was released in 1966. A journal article about the murder of a four-member farmer's family prompted the creation of the book. The author traveled to Kansas to investigate the brutal crime for himself. At the end of the investigation, Capote's manuscript was over 8,000 pages long.

Two young men broke into the Clutters' home, confident of the large savings stored there. They killed their father, mother and two children in cold blood and went to Las Vegas, where they were detained. After five years on death row, Perry Smith and Richard Hickok were executed, and although during the investigation they tried to present their crime as the result of temporary insanity, doctors recognized them as absolutely sane.

It is worth noting that the writer personally met with the murderers, which makes the work even more realistic and shows a psychological portrait of a person capable of atrocious crimes. The whole nature is fully revealed to him, and the reader sees fear and despair, hope and pain, compassion and hatred with every page.

I have no mouth, but I want to scream, Harlan Ellison

Rating: 4.8

Our rating ends with a book by an American writer who has created more than 2000 works during his creative career. These are short stories, essays, essays, novels. He is recognized as the most award-winning author with the most awards in the science fiction genre. 'I have no mouth, but I want to scream' is one of the most famous works of Harlan Ellison. He talks about a computer that destroyed all of humanity, leaving only five alive.

The “nuclear manipulator” takes revenge on its creators through these people. For 109 years he tortures his captives, tortures them, starves them. The main character decides to kill his fellows in misfortune, but the computer deprives him of his human form and continues his bullying. The book formed the basis of the popular computer game, and one of the characters was voiced by Ellison himself.

The work will appeal to fans of several genres: science fiction, horror, psychological drama. Artificially created intelligence leads to a worldwide catastrophe that cannot be stopped by humanity. The book is recommended for people of all ages: adolescents, the middle generation, and an older readership.

---

Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.