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There’s nothing like a good creepy story to scare the living daylights out of you – there’s a reason we’ve been indulging in ghost stories and tales of the supernatural since ancient times. If you’re a fan of a fright-night thrill, you’ll be pleased to hear we’ve rounded up the best horror books of all time.
From tormented spirits to soul-eating demons and everything in between, nearly every culture has some form of horror story designed to spark fear.
Although spooky season is still a few months away, you don’t need to wait until Halloween to pick up a book that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. To help you whittle down the options, we’ve reviewed some of the most chilling tomes within the horror genre.
Our list is by no means exhaustive – there are thousands of excellent novels spanning all sorts of themes and genres (techno-horror or femslash, anyone?). There is also plenty of debate about what can be classified as “horror”.
For this round-up, all but one of the books we’ve chosen have some element of the supernatural, whether that be ghosts or witchcraft. We’ve also tried to include books from across the spectrum, to appeal to as many readers as possible. If the book gave us the creeps, we’ve included it.
How we tested the best horror books
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Not all books are created equal. We’ve flipped through many pages to find books that don’t rely on tropes and vague storytelling, while also keeping us engaged with the story throughout. Most importantly, we looked for stories that were truly scary and left us with a sense of unease long after we reached the final page.
The best horror books for 2024 are:
- Best horror book overall − The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell, published by Raven Books: £9.19, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for ghost stories − Ghost edited by Louise Welsh, published by Head of Zeus: £14.15, Amazon.co.uk
- Best classic horror book − We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, published by Penguin Classics: £8.96, Amazon.co.uk
- Best horror for beginners − The Shining by Stephen King, published by Hodder Paperbacks: £10.11, Amazon.co.uk
- Best weird fiction book − Queens of the Abyss: Lost Stories from the Women of the Weird, edited by Mike Ashley, published by British Library Publishing: £9.19, Amazon.co.uk
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