A wingback chair, a goblet of wine, a candelabra casting unnerving shadows on the stone walls around you … what more do you need to while away the hours on a chilly autumn evening? Oh, yeah—an amazing literary horror novel.
What is literary horror, exactly? The genre has a broad definition, which I’ve seen include everything from wet-your-pants thrillers to gentle, contemplative ghost stories. Not everyone agrees on a single definition, and that’s okay. For the purpose of this list, I’m defining literary horror as fiction that’s primarily and recognizably a horror story, but also has complex psychological elements, lyrical prose, or social commentary. Could that describe a lot of horror fiction? Yep! “Literary” is a slippery and ever-changing term, and it’s not easy to whittle a list like this down to 10.
Nevertheless, here’s my attempt: the 10 best literary horror books. Some of these are downright scary, others lean more into macabre beauty; most embrace a little of both.
Song for the Unraveling of the World by Brian Evenson
If you throw a dart at Brian Evenson’s work, you’re guaranteed to hit something good, so feel free to start your Brian Evenson journey with any of his books. His short story collection Song for the Unraveling of the World just happens to be my personal favorite, filled with bite-sized atmospheric spookies. These stories run the gamut from alien abductions to hallucinatory dream sequences to murderous film directors. They’re a trip.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Don’t you dare close out this year’s spooky season without having read at least one book by the queen of literary horror, Shirley Jackson. The Haunting of Hill House, which served as inspiration for the Netflix series of the same name, tells the story of four eccentric characters who descend on a supposedly haunted house and try to figure out whether the haunting is real. This novel is a gradually unfolding story of psychological horror.
The Changeling by Victor LaValle
Victor Lavalle’s The Changeling is also on our list of best folk horror books, but make sure to grab it if you love a meaty literary read. When Apollo Kagwa’s wife goes missing, he begins to explore a strange, almost parallel-universe version of New York City as he searches for her. The horror elements in this book are great, but you’ll also love the surreal, meandering journey through Apollo’s life as a husband and father. The Changeling was also recently adapted into a series starring LaKeith Stanfield on Apple TV+.
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
Carmen Maria Machado made a splash in 2017 with her debut story collection, Her Body and Other Parties. This beautifully written collection includes a retelling of “The Green Ribbon,” a folktale in which a girl wears a mysterious green ribbon around her neck; a Law & Order SVU episode featuring murdered girls with bells for eyes; and more.
Revenge: Eleven Dark Tales by Yoko Ogawa
First published in Japan in 1998, Yoko Ogawa’s Revenge consists of interconnected stories about murder, torture, and other taboo subjects. However, the horror elements in the collection take a back seat to its character studies, with each story prying open a character’s psyche to see what’s roiling inside. Read this one if you’re not looking for a visceral scare, but want to get a taste of the darker side of fiction.
Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones
Stephen Graham Jones’ Mapping the Interior is a surreal journey through a house that’s bigger on the inside. When a 15-year-old boy sees a figure who looks like his dead father walking through a doorway, he sets out to map the impossible topography of his home—and ends up putting his family in grave danger.
Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss
In Ghost Wall, young Silvie’s family joins a group of archaeology students living like neolithic Britons, foraging and hunting in handspun linen tunics. Sounds picturesque, right? Little do the students know that Silvie’s domineering father harbors a deadly obsession with the past. This novella is a tense story set against the peculiar landscape of modern rural England, perfect for fans of The Wicker Man.
The works of Edgar Allan Poe
No one does horror like the master of the southern gothic tale, Edgar Allan Poe. There are too many great stories and poems to list here—The Fall of the House of Usher, The Raven, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Cask of Amontillado, The Masque of the Red Death—so do yourself a favor and get an edition of his collected works. Or selected works. Or essential works. Basically, if you see a thick book with his face on the cover, you’re probably good to go.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Generally considered the first true work of science fiction, Frankenstein is seared into our cultural memory, but Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel is much deeper and richer than all the caricatures that came after it would have you believe. When Dr. Victor Frankenstein successfully reanimates dead tissue in the form of an eight-foot-tall human, he unleashes a hideous monster on the world—and sparks philosophical questions about consciousness, prejudice, and human rights.
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker’s Dracula is the quintessential gothic horror novel, and the book that has inspired countless other vampire stories. English solicitor Jonathan Harker visits a reclusive Transylvanian count to settle a real estate matter. It sounds like it’d be a fun business trip, but you know what happens next: the count in question is none other than the feared centuries-old vampire Dracula. Harker and a motley cast of beloved characters, including the vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing and the vermin-eating Renfield, have to face Dracula’s formidable powers (and appetite). If you haven’t read Dracula yet, now’s the time—it’s got drama, adventure, humor, and all the vampiric horror you could want.
(featured image: Tordotcom)
