Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Horror Novels (Updated – 2021)

On October 27, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Horror, List8 Comments

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 a previous list where I highlighted my favourite horror novels of all time.

Last year for Halloween I did 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 decided last year that I would come back and update this list every Halloween, especially if I had some new horror novels to add to it. Well, in the last year, I had the opportunity to check out some excellent and intense horror reads, and I intend to try and find out if they can fit into my list.

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 some changes to list, with new entries replacing some of the existing books. While I was sad to see some of the previously featured novels removed, I honestly felt that the new entries are better horror novels. This resulted in a fun new version of this list, and I am pretty happy with how it turned out.

Honourable Mentions:

Nights of the Living Dead edited by George A. Romero and Jonathan Maberry

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

An interesting read from earlier this year that got a lot of attention, The Final Girl Support Group focused on a group of final girls from alternate versions of classic slasher films who are targeted by a brand-new killer. While this book is more of a thriller than a horror read, it serves as a clever homage to the slasher genre, and fans of horror fiction will love it’s compelling and reference laden story.

Dreadful Company by Vivian Shaw

Awakened by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth

Top Ten List (unranked):

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry

The Dark by Jeremy Robinson

I had to add this brilliant and compelling horror/science fiction read onto this list. The Dark is the latest novel 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.

The Anomaly by Michael Rutger

Code Zero by Jonathan Maberry

Later by Stephen King

Earlier this year I had the chance to read the latest novel from the modern master of horror fiction, the great Stephen King, the utterly compelling Later, which focuses on a young boy who can talk to the recently deceased. While Later is primarily a character-driven story about a complicated youth’s life, it can get 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.

Star Wars: Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber

Devolution by Max Brooks

Ink by Jonathan Maberry

I have already featured several great books from Jonathan Maberry on this list, but there was no way I could exclude one of his latest 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.

A People’s History of the Vampire Uprising by Raymond A. Villareal

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 like how this latest version turned out. 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 there are some awesome sounding horror novels, such as Road of Bones by Christopher Golden and Dead Silence by S. A. Barnes, set for release in the next few months.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Horror Novels

On October 27, 2020August 30, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Horror, List15 Comments

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, in the spirit of the holiday, I decided to attempt to list my favourite horror novels of all time.

Now, before I start this list I do have to admit that horror is really not my favourite genre of fiction. While I do not actively avoid horror novels or movies, I really do not go out of my way to read/watch them and my knowledge and appreciation of the genre might be a little lacking as a result. However, over the years I have had the opportunity to read several great horror books that I quite enjoyed and I have featured my absolute favourites in the list below.

It did take me a little while to come up with this list, but I am pretty happy with how it turned out. Be warned that the books on this list, while all technically horror books, do match my literary preferences, so you are going to see a few unusual entries, such as horror hybrid novels or horror novels with unusual topics. I did cheat a little by including several novels by Jonathan Maberry, including four books from his Joe Ledger series, but each of these entries is really awesome and makes exceptional use of their associated horror elements. There is also a bit of a reliance on zombie fiction throughout the entries on this list, although I think this reflects the current fascination with zombie movies and television shows rather than my specific preferences. The end result is a very “me” list of horror novels, but I think that each of the ten novels below, as well as the entries in my honourable mentions section, are really good horror novels and each of them come highly recommended in their own right.

Honourable Mentions:

Goosebumps/Ghosts of Fear Street novels by R. L. Stine

I can’t do a list of my favourite horror novels without mentioning some of the first horror books I ever read. Like a lot of people, I grew up on the awesome stories of R. L. Stine. My parents bought my brother and me a ton of Goosebumps novels, as well as some of his Ghosts of Fear Street books. I have a lot of fond memories of these books and I found most of them to be fairly scary when I was younger. I am not sure how much these books would stand up if I read them now as an adult, but several awesome entries do still stick in my mind after all these years including the Goosebumps books Night of the Living Dummy (love me some Slappy), Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes, A Shocker on Shock Street and Deep Trouble, as well as the Ghosts of Fear Street novels Why I’m Not Afraid of Ghosts and Halloween Bugs Me! Definitely a fun horror series for younger readers, I look forward to eventually getting my future kids onto these books.

Nights of the Living Dead edited by George A. Romero and Jonathan Maberry

Dracul by Dacre Stoker and J. D. Barker

Awakened by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth

Top Ten List:

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 the Joe Ledger novels I mentioned above, 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 a number of impressive horror scenes, and I had to include this book on my list as a result.

The Anomaly by Michael Rutger

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.

Code Zero by Jonathan Maberry

This is another impressive entry in the Joe Ledger series that sees the protagonists once again go up against the zombie virus they encountered in Patient Zero. Maberry does an exceptional job resurrecting this horror element in this book, and it is one of my favourite Joe Ledger novels as a result. Readers can expect another series of terrifying zombie attack sequences in Code Zero, especially as Maberry works in a few intriguing new twists to keep the reader’s undivided attention.

Star Wars: Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber

I am a rather 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.

Kill Switch by Jonathan Maberry

For this Joe Ledger novel, Maberry switches it up a little and features a Lovecraftian horror storyline, with the protagonist getting a glimpse into other dimensions filled with all manner of dark creatures (including of course some zombies from another Maberry horror series). This proved to be an intriguing change of pace, and I quite enjoyed seeing this new horror story unfold.

Devolution by Max Brooks

Devolution is an awesome and fun horror novel from earlier this year. 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. 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.

Deep Silence by Jonathan Maberry

The final Joe Ledger novel on this list is actually the first novel from Jonathan Maberry that I ever read. Deep Silence is an excellent book that sees the author return to the Lovecraftian horror vibes he utilised in Kill Switch. The Lovecraftian scenes in Deep Silence are really distinctive and scary and help to make an excellent horror novel, especially when the protagonist also has to deal with a horde of civilians driven into a murderous rage by the visions they encounter.

Dreadful Company by Vivian Shaw

Dreadful Company is an interesting addition to this list that follows the adventures of a human doctor who provides specialised medical care to horror creature in order to keep them healthy. While this book is not as scary as some of the others in this list, it does contain an excellent story that references a number of iconic horror novels. This ends up being a really good read, and I think a lot of horror fans will appreciate Shaw’s take on the genre.

A People’s History of the Vampire Uprising by Raymond A. Villareal

The final entry in this list is A People’s History of the Vampire Uprising by Raymond A. Villareal. A People’s History of the Vampire Uprising is an awesome and fascinating book that examines the potential rise of vampires as the dominant species in the world through a series of different perspectives. This book features a number of clever and captivating storylines, and I really enjoyed this fun twist on the classic vampire tale.

Well that’s the end of this horror themed Top Ten Tuesday. I am fairly happy with how this list turned out and I really enjoyed each of the scary entries above. I had a lot of fun coming up with this list, and it turns out that I have actually read a number of great horror books over the years. I might revisit this list next Halloween, although I think that will depend on how many horror novels I read in the next 12 months. I have got a couple of upcoming horror novels on my radar at the moment, including Ink by Jonathan Maberry and Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff, and it will be interesting to see how they turn out. Until then, everyone have a safe and spooky Halloween and make sure to let me know what your favourite horror novels are in the comments below.

Book Haul – 2 September 2019

On September 2, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn Book HaulLeave a comment

Its been a little quiet on the new book front lately, but I have managed to obtain a few amazing sounding novels over the last couple of weeks. This is a combination of top books I got from some Australian publishers, and a few more books I bought on my Kindle in preparation for an upcoming trip.

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

This is an intriguing debut book from a new author that I have been looking forward to for a while. I have actually already finished this book off, and my review for it will be up in a few minutes.

The Man That Got Away by Lynne Truss

The Man That Got Away is another book that I have been looking forward to for a while. I loved the previous book in the series, A Shot in the Dark, and I reckon this is going to be one of the funniest reads of 2019.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: Black Spire
by Delilah S. Dawson

The first of several awesome sounding Star Wars books that are coming out in the second half of 2019. This should be an interesting read and I am keen to check it out.

The Cruel Stars by John Birmingham

This is a cool new science fiction epic that recently caught me eye. It sounds like it could be pretty amazing and I am sure it is going to be an exciting read.

The Brink by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth

The sequel to Murray and Wearmouth’s first collaboration, Awakened, The Brink promises to be another fun and exciting horror thriller.

Unleashed by Amy McCulloch

The first book in this series, Jinxed, was one of my favourite young adult books from last year, so I am keen to check out the sequel.
Another successful book haul that I am pretty happy with. Which of these books are you keen for me to review?

Awakened by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth

On July 16, 2018August 20, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Horror, Science Fiction3 Comments

Awakened Cover.jpg

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Publication Date – 26 June 2018

Amazon Book Depository

First-time author James Murray, of Impractical Jokers fame, teams up with veteran science fiction writer Darren Wearmouth to bring you the fast-paced, action-packed horror extravaganza, Awakened.

It is the unveiling of New York’s newest subway line, one of the most ambitious underground construction programs in the world. The new express line will travel through a series of new tunnels that are now connecting the various suburbs previously separated by the Hudson River. At the centre of this new expansion is the Visitor’s Pavilion, a gleaming state-of-the-art control centre and shopping hub situated beneath the Hudson.

The first run of the new system has been set up as a massive event, featuring the press, civic dignitaries, New York City’s mayor and even the president of the United States. However, when the train rolls into the Visitor’s Pavilion it is not the triumphant occurrence that the waiting crowd was expecting; instead it is a scene of carnage. The train that arrives is deserted, with all the passengers missing. Not only that, but ragged holes have been made in the side of the carriages and the floors are covered in blood.

As the crowd panics and attempts to flee what appears to be a massive terrorist attack, an explosion rocks the tunnels and methane starts to flood the entire subway system. As the tunnels begin to fill with gas and the slightest spark could result in another explosion, those trapped in the Visitor’s Pavilion soon discover that a far more dangerous threat is stalking them. Something has been living under New York and the construction of the new tunnels has woken it up. As this new threat starts to pick off both the trapped crowd and the rescuers attempting to reach them, it falls to New York’s mayor Tom Cafferty, NYPD SWAT member Sarah Bowcut and subway technician Diego Munoz to discover what is down in the dark with them. The more they dig, the more they realise that they are dealing with something far more dangerous than they could possibly imagine, and that a sinister conspiracy has been keeping it hidden from the rest of the world.

This bold new book is the result of a collaboration between comedian James “Murr” Murray and Darren Wearmouth, a science fiction and horror writer with a number of joint novels already under his belt. The idea for Awakened was originally developed by Murray some years ago, and represents the first novel in a new series that the two authors have been working on, with two future additions already planned for 2019 and 2020.

Awakened is a captivating adventure, science fiction and horror hybrid that goes straight for the reader’s imagination whilst throwing their action centres into overdrive. This is one of the fastest-paced novels of 2018, as the book’s characters are forced to be quick and decisive in order to escape death. There are ton of great sequences as the characters encounter the various dangers converging on them and must work on a range of elaborate and desperate escape and rescue attempts. Murray and Wearmouth are able to weld together some exciting scenarios around this concept, and readers will enjoy watching the characters adapting to the problems they encounter, such as methane in the tunnels stopping them from using guns or flames to defend themselves. In addition to these excellent action sequences, Awakened contains some truly creepy scenes that will really appeal to horror aficionados. The characters are assailed with a range of strange sightings, noises from the darkness and the disturbing voices of children crying for help from just outside the character’s line of sight. This pulse-pounding content is absolutely fantastic and ideal for those who love a startling adventure.

Murray and Wearmouth have also created an intriguing monster to attack the protagonists in the subway tunnel. Without giving too much away, Awakened’s monstrous element is unique and plays into humanity’s fear of the dark and the creatures that could reside there. The nature of the threat is revealed at just the right time, as the authors waited until the audience would be sufficiently engrossed in the book. The eventual full reveal is one of the most memorable parts of the book, as it contains some great reactions from the characters encountering them, whilst at the same time rewarding the reader’s curiosity in a big way. The authors work to ensure that their audience’s imagination and curiosity is continuously piqued throughout the entire story. There is also a complex and fascinating conspiracy element that is woven into this part of the book which is intriguing to discover and unravel. It is definitely a notable part of the story, and it looks like it will be major part of the next books in series.

The authors make significant use of multiple perspectives and viewpoints throughout Awakened. This type of storytelling often works well for these large-scale horror novels, and this book is no exception. This breakdown of point-of-view characters allows the reader a much larger picture of what is going on, especially as the various viewpoints tie together into one massive, high-powered story. It is fun watching the actions of one group of people impact the decisions or choices of another group of people who are located in a different part of the book’s sprawling, underground setting. This also allows the reader to see smaller scenarios that add to the whole story, such as one fantastic sequence which sees someone attempt to rescue the passengers only to meet their doom. Despite it being this character’s only scene, his death affects the rest of the characters and there are multiple viewings of his corpse throughout the book to spook those who had no idea of his fate.

It is also worth noting that Murray and Wearmouth have made several homages to other works of horror within Awakened. I was particularly drawn to several noticeable references and parallels throughout the book to Jurassic Park. For example, there is a great reference early in the book involving the phrase “no expense had been spared” being used when discussing the celebrity written audio elements of the initial ride. In addition, some of the characters actually compare their situation to Jurassic Park, which I found to be amusing. These are a fun element to watch out for, and readers will enjoy noticing these throughout the book, while at the same time, appreciating that they do not overwhelm Awakened’s central horror based theme.

Awakened is a fantastic horror read that really amps up the adventure and action, leaving the reader excited for more. With a sinister monstrous element and an enjoyable narrative containing an elaborate conspiracy-laden storyline, this collaboration between Murray and Wearmouth is a roaring success and readers should be eager to see what this duo cooks up next.