Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. In this latest edition of Top Ten Tuesday, readers get a Halloween Freebie, meaning that they can list whatever topic they want, although a horror or Halloween theme is encouraged. So, with that in mind, I thought I would take this opportunity to update some previous lists where I highlighted my favourite horror novels of all time.
Back in 2020 for Halloween, I came up with a list where I looked at my top ten favourite horror novels. While horror is not my favourite genre, I ended up producing a rather interesting list with some unique entries that I was pretty happy with. I must admit that many of my entries are hybrid books which combine horror elements with other genres I prefer to read, however, I think they make for good Halloween fare. This list got a bit of interest, and I decided I would make a bit of effort to come back to update this list every Halloween, especially if I had some new horror novels to add to it. I did a good update to it in 2021 and 2022 with several awesome novels, and I have decided to come back to it again in 2023, especially as I have had the opportunity to check out some excellent and intense horror reads.
To sort out this update, I took a critical look at the previous version of the list and made some hard decisions about whether any of the horror novels I read in the last year might fit in better. I ended up making a few changes and while I was sad to see some of the previously featured novels removed, I honestly felt that the new entries are better overall horror novels. This resulted in a fun new version of this list, and I am pretty happy with how it turned out.
Honourable Mentions:
An excellent read from one horror mastermind Stephen King. While primarily a character-driven story about a complicated youth’s life, Later gets pretty scary in places especially once the protagonist encounters true evil. A deeply compelling read with some interesting connections to one of King’s most iconic horror novels, this is an excellent and unique book that is worth reading.
While more of a fantasy/superhero story than a pure horror comic, The Sandman did have some amazing horror sequences in it, including the infamous diner scene. These horror elements are greatly enhanced in the full-cast audiobook and you will end up cringing away from how dark this gothic comic gets.
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
One of horrors most compelling current authors, Grady Hendrix, came up with a brilliant book earlier this year that really showcased his appreciated for the horror genre. A fantastic and spooky examination of haunted house stories, How to Sell a Haunted House was gripping and creepy from the get-go and I loved it, even if I will never look at puppets the same way again.
Warhammer 40,000: Sepulturum by Nick Kyme
The epic Warhammer 40,000 universe features a range of intense and dark horror novels and one of my favourites is the compelling novel Sepulturum by Nick Kyme. A terrifying read set in a grim city overrun by strange zombies, Sepulturum is a gripping read that showcases just how dark Warhammer fiction can get.
Top Ten List (unranked):
Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant
I think it says a lot about my horror choices that the first book on my list is about killer mermaids. Into the Drowning Deep is exceptional book that actually turns a mermaid attack into a pretty terrifying experience. Grant did an amazing job of this book and Into the Drowning Deep comes very highly recommended.
Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry
The first of two Jonathan Maberry novels I featured on this list, Patient Zero is an awesome book that features an elite counterterrorist unit as they attempt to stop terrorists spreading a deadly zombie virus across America. I have a lot of love for the thriller aspects of Patient Zero, however, the highlights of this book are the gruesome and terrifying zombie sequences, which sees the protagonists get overwhelmed by hordes of the infected. This results in some truly impressive horror scenes, and I had to include this book on my list as a result.
I had to add this brilliant and compelling horror/science fiction read onto this list. The Dark is one of the best novels I have so far read from author Jeremy Robinson that focuses on an apparent demonic invasion of Earth. Filled with gore, monsters and body mutations, The Dark gets pretty gruesome and scary in places, which blends perfectly with the intense action and Robinson’s quirky humour. An outstanding read, this fantastic horror novel comes highly recommended and was one of my top novels and audiobooks of 2021.
Warhammer 40,000: The Bookkeeper’s Skull by Justin D. Hill
Another intriguing Warhammer Horror novel, The Bookkeeper’s Skull is a haunting and brilliant tale that makes full use of the grim Warhammer 40,000 setting. The book follows a planetary enforcer as he investigates a mysterious and cursed agricultural community plagued by a series of gruesome murders. Hill creates a spooky and malevolent atmosphere, and you are constantly left wondering who is going to end up dead next. Tightly paced and featuring some gritty depictions of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, The Bookkeeper’s Skull was an amazing read and I look forward to exploring more Warhammer Horror books in the future.
The Anomaly is an excellent horror novel from 2018 which follows an unfortunate film crew after they get trapped in a series of ancient caves and are forced to face the terrible horrors waiting for them inside. There are a lot of amazing elements to this book, but I personally appreciated the intense and claustrophobic atmosphere that Rutger was able to produce, especially as most of the novel takes place in the dark.
The latest book from Stephen King, Holly is primarily a thriller that sees the titular protagonist investigate a missing persons case. However, there are some devastatingly insidious and horrifying elements loaded into the story, especially with how exceptionally evil the excellent antagonists were. I found myself shuddering multiple times throughout the course of Holly and if that doesn’t make it a horror book I don’t know what will. This was easily one of the best books I have read all year and I must include it on this horror list as well.
One of the more unique zombie books out there, World War Z recounts the history a devastating, world-wide zombie apocalypse and the various people it impacts. Told through a brilliant chronicle method where multiple interesting characters recount their distinctive personal stories, you get an impressive, multifaceted narrative that covers the beginning, middle and end of the zombie wars. Epic in its scope and filled with some great stories and characters, it honestly does not take long to get extremely addicted to World War Z. While the focus is more on exploring the impacts a zombie apocalypse would have on the world, World War Z does have some pretty creepy moment. The darker tales of underwater zombies, massacres of modern armies, and the mental turmoil suffered by zombie survivors, are excellent horror material that makes this an easy book to include here. An epic and outstanding book that lived up to all the hype surrounding it.
Star Wars: Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber
I am a big fan of Star Wars fiction, but I had never been scared while reading a Star Wars novel until I came across Death Troopers. Death Troopers is part of the Star Wars Legends canon and features an Imperial prison ship, which of course contains Han and Chewie, encountering an abandoned Star Destroyer filled with a zombified crew. Watching a bunch of Star Wars characters attempt to escape from zombies is really cool, and Schreiber comes up with a number of gruesome scenes that will definitely stick in your mind. Also, if you really want to get a fright out of this book, make sure to check out the audiobook version of Death Troopers, as the various sound effects they include are extremely disturbing.
In addition to World War Z author Max Brooks expertly makes use of a whole new horror monster when he explores the fate of an isolated community who are attacked by a tribe of sasquatches in Devolution. Brooks really turns these creatures into a frightening and deadly force of nature, and readers are in for an exciting and well-written tale of survival and brutality.
For the final entry on this list there was no way I could exclude one of Maberry’s best pure horror reads, Ink. While most of the other Maberry novels with horror elements focus either on zombies or Lovecraftian monsters, Ink features a particularly horrendous tale of a depraved being who steals a person’s tattoos and the precious memories associated with them. Set in one of Maberry’s most iconic settings, Ink had a very disturbing narrative, and I deeply appreciated this unique and book that the author came up with.
That’s the end of this latest Top Ten Tuesday list. I think that the new horror novels were great additions to the list, and I think this new version of the list turned out really well. Each of the above novels, both new inclusions and existing ones, are outstanding reads that come highly recommended to all horror fans. I look forward to seeing how this list evolves once again this time next year, especially as I am sure some amazing and spinetingling horror books are likely to come out in the next 12 months.
The Unseen Library 