Best Horror Novels

What novels made you want to sleep with the lights on?

Please note: This list is for NOVELS only!

For anthologies (multiple authors) see: Best Horror Anthologies
For single-author collections see: Horror Collections Single Author
For graphic novels & comic books see: Best Horror Comics/Graphic Novels!
For all horror books together see: The Definitive Horror Book List
For all horror books with more than 50,000 ratings see: The Most Popular Horror on Goodreads

flag

All Votes Add Books To This List

1	The Shining (The Shining, #1) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.26 avg rating — 1,395,146 ratings score: 137,538, and 1,394 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	It by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.25 avg rating — 1,032,719 ratings score: 125,065, and 1,271 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	'Salem's Lot by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.05 avg rating — 420,741 ratings score: 78,727, and 810 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Dracula by Bram Stoker 4.01 avg rating — 1,182,554 ratings score: 75,371, and 771 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Pet Sematary by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.05 avg rating — 545,612 ratings score: 69,170, and 717 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Misery by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.21 avg rating — 642,058 ratings score: 54,859, and 573 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty 4.20 avg rating — 219,469 ratings score: 51,438, and 531 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 3.82 avg rating — 261,185 ratings score: 48,183, and 501 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Carrie by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.98 avg rating — 667,014 ratings score: 43,367, and 460 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, #2) by Thomas Harris 4.24 avg rating — 530,313 ratings score: 41,903, and 439 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 3.85 avg rating — 1,480,599 ratings score: 41,428, and 435 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles, #1) by Anne Rice 4.01 avg rating — 560,513 ratings score: 32,611, and 347 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Rosemary's Baby (Rosemary's Baby, #1) by Ira Levin 4.03 avg rating — 132,565 ratings score: 30,106, and 319 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	Ghost Story by Peter Straub 3.94 avg rating — 75,861 ratings score: 28,821, and 304 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (Goodreads Author) 3.85 avg rating — 128,947 ratings score: 24,967, and 263 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 156,654 ratings score: 24,811, and 256 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Red Dragon (Hannibal Lecter, #1) by Thomas Harris 4.05 avg rating — 318,100 ratings score: 23,720, and 256 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks (Goodreads Author) 4.02 avg rating — 504,330 ratings score: 23,569, and 246 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 4.12 avg rating — 1,384,666 ratings score: 21,063, and 230 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Needful Things by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 240,266 ratings score: 21,031, and 230 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon 4.29 avg rating — 64,405 ratings score: 20,448, and 214 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	The Stand by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.34 avg rating — 725,515 ratings score: 20,166, and 219 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Something Wicked This Way Comes (Green Town, #2) by Ray Bradbury 3.92 avg rating — 123,288 ratings score: 19,939, and 215 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The Green Mile by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.47 avg rating — 300,422 ratings score: 19,296, and 213 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson 3.84 avg rating — 124,563 ratings score: 18,524, and 198 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis 3.81 avg rating — 290,793 ratings score: 18,361, and 198 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Cujo by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.77 avg rating — 268,943 ratings score: 17,666, and 197 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 3.83 avg rating — 528,952 ratings score: 17,551, and 193 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist 4.04 avg rating — 105,789 ratings score: 17,517, and 189 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson 3.95 avg rating — 192,381 ratings score: 16,039, and 172 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Christine by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.83 avg rating — 230,757 ratings score: 15,900, and 185 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Watchers by Dean Koontz (Goodreads Author) 4.18 avg rating — 160,832 ratings score: 15,837, and 173 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Hell House by Richard Matheson 3.76 avg rating — 47,085 ratings score: 15,656, and 169 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	Jaws (Jaws, #1) by Peter Benchley 3.96 avg rating — 156,218 ratings score: 15,381, and 174 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Desperation by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.85 avg rating — 136,082 ratings score: 14,820, and 165 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	The Vampire Lestat (The Vampire Chronicles, #2) by Anne Rice 4.09 avg rating — 193,767 ratings score: 14,369, and 162 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	The Long Walk by Richard Bachman (Pseudonym) 4.09 avg rating — 167,843 ratings score: 14,249, and 159 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	The Dead Zone by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 213,267 ratings score: 14,068, and 164 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	The Talisman (The Talisman, #1) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 123,716 ratings score: 13,523, and 153 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Psycho (Psycho, #1) by Bloch Robert 4.12 avg rating — 63,746 ratings score: 13,244, and 151 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	The Terror by Dan Simmons 4.07 avg rating — 57,409 ratings score: 12,844, and 137 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Horns by Joe Hill (Goodreads Author) 3.93 avg rating — 110,917 ratings score: 12,684, and 140 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	The Witching Hour (Lives of the Mayfair Witches, #1) by Anne Rice 4.10 avg rating — 113,436 ratings score: 12,666, and 141 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Bag of Bones by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 191,960 ratings score: 12,556, and 144 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Flowers in the Attic (Dollanganger, #1) by V.C. Andrews 3.84 avg rating — 199,921 ratings score: 12,538, and 139 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	The Ruins by Scott Smith 3.65 avg rating — 43,719 ratings score: 12,354, and 134 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier 4.24 avg rating — 587,082 ratings score: 12,337, and 135 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	The Turn of the Screw by Henry James 3.39 avg rating — 143,497 ratings score: 11,763, and 131 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Coraline by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.10 avg rating — 633,862 ratings score: 11,746, and 131 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	The Tommyknockers by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.59 avg rating — 145,595 ratings score: 10,700, and 127 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	The Passage (The Passage, #1) by Justin Cronin (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 205,220 ratings score: 10,529, and 115 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	The Strain (The Strain Trilogy, #1) by Guillermo del Toro 3.79 avg rating — 84,760 ratings score: 9,902, and 108 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	Gerald's Game by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.56 avg rating — 154,443 ratings score: 9,775, and 113 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux 3.96 avg rating — 229,610 ratings score: 9,619, and 112 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	Cell by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.66 avg rating — 215,788 ratings score: 9,564, and 110 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells 3.73 avg rating — 114,441 ratings score: 9,213, and 106 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum 3.94 avg rating — 35,136 ratings score: 9,185, and 102 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	Phantoms by Dean Koontz (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 71,689 ratings score: 9,039, and 102 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	The Dark Half by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.80 avg rating — 137,505 ratings score: 9,021, and 109 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	I Am Legend by Richard Matheson 4.06 avg rating — 123,545 ratings score: 8,917, and 102 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	The Queen of the Damned (The Vampire Chronicles, #3) by Anne Rice 3.91 avg rating — 147,648 ratings score: 8,794, and 102 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	NOS4A2 by Joe Hill (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 121,726 ratings score: 8,742, and 97 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	Hannibal (Hannibal Lecter, #3) by Thomas Harris 3.81 avg rating — 102,500 ratings score: 8,657, and 103 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	The Omen by David Seltzer 4.03 avg rating — 64,911 ratings score: 8,249, and 96 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk (Goodreads Author) 3.60 avg rating — 99,901 ratings score: 8,227, and 90 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin 3.82 avg rating — 37,801 ratings score: 7,667, and 90 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	Summer of Night (Seasons of Horror, #1) by Dan Simmons 4.04 avg rating — 24,360 ratings score: 7,649, and 85 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	The Road by Cormac McCarthy 3.98 avg rating — 846,187 ratings score: 7,327, and 84 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	Duma Key by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.97 avg rating — 117,227 ratings score: 6,974, and 83 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	Thinner by Richard Bachman (Pseudonym) 3.76 avg rating — 201,253 ratings score: 6,919, and 85 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	The Other by Thomas Tryon 3.98 avg rating — 21,492 ratings score: 6,609, and 78 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons 3.90 avg rating — 22,100 ratings score: 6,186, and 70 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham 4.01 avg rating — 103,074 ratings score: 6,170, and 70 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	Doctor Sleep (The Shining, #2) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 244,649 ratings score: 6,167, and 73 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	The Woman in Black by Susan Hill 3.74 avg rating — 63,464 ratings score: 6,165, and 70 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	Lost Souls by Poppy Z. Brite (Goodreads Author) 3.90 avg rating — 17,545 ratings score: 5,964, and 67 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.62 avg rating — 153,770 ratings score: 5,717, and 69 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	Shadowland by Peter Straub 3.89 avg rating — 12,050 ratings score: 5,652, and 66 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, #2) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.23 avg rating — 248,740 ratings score: 5,599, and 70 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	The Keep (Adversary Cycle, #1) by F. Paul Wilson (Goodreads Author) 3.99 avg rating — 18,468 ratings score: 5,591, and 66 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Lord of the Flies by William Golding 3.69 avg rating — 2,754,261 ratings score: 5,326, and 63 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	Relic (Pendergast, #1) by Douglas Preston (Goodreads Author) 4.05 avg rating — 104,673 ratings score: 5,311, and 61 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	The Great and Secret Show (Book of the Art #1) by Clive Barker (Goodreads Author) 4.06 avg rating — 29,939 ratings score: 5,187, and 60 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, #3) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.25 avg rating — 211,804 ratings score: 4,727, and 60 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	Weaveworld by Clive Barker (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 31,363 ratings score: 4,631, and 55 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	Black House (The Talisman, #2) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.03 avg rating — 60,669 ratings score: 4,569, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	The Cellar by Richard Laymon 3.65 avg rating — 7,777 ratings score: 4,536, and 51 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	Odd Thomas (Odd Thomas, #1) by Dean Koontz (Goodreads Author) 3.98 avg rating — 264,517 ratings score: 4,510, and 52 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1) by Michael Crichton 4.08 avg rating — 917,621 ratings score: 4,426, and 54 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons 3.88 avg rating — 11,459 ratings score: 4,313, and 49 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	Bird Box (Bird Box, #1) by Josh Malerman (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 178,225 ratings score: 4,296, and 48 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	The Damnation Game by Clive Barker (Goodreads Author) 3.82 avg rating — 19,589 ratings score: 4,246, and 50 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon 3.83 avg rating — 9,036 ratings score: 4,180, and 50 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	The Bad Place by Dean Koontz (Goodreads Author) 3.93 avg rating — 36,600 ratings score: 4,058, and 48 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	Song of Kali by Dan Simmons 3.61 avg rating — 13,133 ratings score: 3,894, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	Cabal by Clive Barker (Goodreads Author) 3.93 avg rating — 20,134 ratings score: 3,785, and 46 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	They Thirst by Robert R. McCammon 3.91 avg rating — 12,324 ratings score: 3,655, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	The Rats (Rats, #1) by James Herbert 3.93 avg rating — 20,677 ratings score: 3,638, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	The Traveling Vampire Show by Richard Laymon 3.84 avg rating — 8,608 ratings score: 3,577, and 40 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	'Salem's Lot by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.26 avg rating — 108,920 ratings score: 3,456, and 41 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

← Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 19 20 Next →

1,915 books · 5,577 voters · list created June 28th, 2008 by Susan (votes) .

Tags: best, horror

1190 likes · Like

Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

People Who Voted On This List (5577)

Susan 1610 books
61 friends

Heather 1515 books
35 friends

Billy 401 books
3085 friends

Kate 4597 books
1470 friends

Lindsey 1158 books
19 friends

William 4039 books
115 friends

Bresdin 499 books
12 friends

Nicholas 225 books
6 friends

More voters…

Post a comment »
Comments Showing 1-50 of 76 (76 new)

date

newest »

message 1: by Laya (new)

May 15, 2009 09:38AM

this book was so amazing and the movie was just as cool!! steven king is BEAST!!!

reply | flag

message 2: by Nick (new)

Apr 11, 2010 05:18AM

where is Brian Lumley and his Necroscope series or other novels? Can't believe not a one.

reply | flag

message 3: by Mike (the Paladin) (new)

Jun 21, 2010 09:16AM

Dracula is list because people have voted on multiple editions.... I agree they need to be consolidated.

Another thing (pet peeve here, and my pointing things like this out may be a pet peeve of some people) I'd love to vote for H. P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe...but those are short story collections and this is a list of novels. If the list had been best "horror stories" then they'd fit...but they aren't novels.

reply | flag

message 4: by Lobstergirl (new)

Jun 21, 2010 07:46PM

I got rid of the duplicates.

reply | flag

message 5: by [deleted user] (new)

Jun 24, 2010 02:35PM

Laya wrote: "this book was so amazing and the movie was just as cool!! steven king is BEAST!!!"

He is a beast alright! LOL!

reply | flag

message 6: by Patrick (new)

Aug 07, 2010 12:45AM

Currently reading Silence of the Lambs. Salem's Lot is next!

reply | flag

message 7: by Shannon (new)

Aug 26, 2010 06:21AM

An old book that creeped me out was "The Dark" by James Herbert. Don't read alone in the dark!!!

reply | flag

message 8: by Alec (new)

Sep 11, 2010 10:35AM

It's sad seeing Poe and Lovecraft shunted so low in the list and lost amongst all of the Stephen King novels despite these two being two of the most influential horror writers of all time. I get Robert Chambers or Ashton Clark Smith or August Dereleth not being on here. Lovecraft makes an entrance below World War Z -- that's a fantastic book, but seriously? I think the only thing that would be more insulting is if Meyers was on this list.

reply | flag

message 9: by Yassemin (new)

Sep 16, 2010 06:21AM

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Dracula is list because people have voted on multiple editions.... I agree they need to be consolidated.

Another thing (pet peeve here, and my pointing things like this out may be a pet peeve of ..."

Thats just an absurdly pedantic point. Its a book! Enough said!

reply | flag

message 10: by Yassemin (new)

Sep 16, 2010 06:23AM

reply | flag

message 11: by Caroline (new)

Sep 23, 2010 12:39PM

Laya wrote: "this book was so amazing and the movie was just as cool!! steven king is BEAST!!!"

truer words have NEVER been spoken

reply | flag

message 12: by Cari (new)

Dec 12, 2010 01:08AM

Looking for a suggestion for a bookclub 'horror' book . . . . not blood and gore but a scare your pants off, keep you up at night, psychological thriller that would satisfy a wide group of readers, but isn't corny and overdone. Any suggestions?

reply | flag

message 13: by Scott (new)

Feb 27, 2011 01:19PM

Do people not know what novels are? There are so many collections listed here (I'll give novellas a pass.)

reply | flag

message 14: by [deleted user] (new)

Sep 03, 2011 12:12AM

Cari wrote: "Looking for a suggestion for a bookclub 'horror' book . . . . not blood and gore but a scare your pants off, keep you up at night, psychological thriller that would satisfy a wide group of readers,..."

Well, "The Shining", heading this list, has no explicit scenes or violence exactly. It's more the threat and what it's implied. And it's really, really scary. Nothing corny about it.

reply | flag

message 15: by J.W. (new)

Mar 16, 2012 05:34AM

Why is Laymon so far down on this list?

reply | flag

message 16: by Asilee (new)

May 07, 2012 09:16PM

Laya wrote: "this book was so amazing and the movie was just as cool!! steven king is BEAST!!!"

Which book?

reply | flag

message 17: by Pankaj (new)

May 12, 2012 01:02AM

Best Scary House
http://bestforhalloween.com
Horror and Halloween Link Directory. Add your site for free. Horror authors, artists, halloween props, music, goth, costumes, paranormal, virtual haunted houses, all horror related sites are welcome to join. Best Scary House

reply | flag

message 18: by Carl (new)

Aug 31, 2012 12:24AM

Nick wrote: "where is Brian Lumley and his Necroscope series or other novels? Can't believe not a one."

That was one of the best series I ever read, amazing!

reply | flag

message 19: by Guy (new)

Aug 31, 2012 04:38AM

Shannon wrote: "An old book that creeped me out was "The Dark" by James Herbert. Don't read alone in the dark!!!"

Don't worry, I wont.

reply | flag

message 20: by Laura (new)

Oct 08, 2012 11:23AM

I'm deleting books that aren't horror... like The Giver and The Host. 0.o

reply | flag

message 21: by El (new)

Oct 10, 2012 05:51AM

Helter Skelter isn't even a novel. Once I saw the Ann Rule book on the second page (also non-fiction), I gave up looking at this list.

reply | flag

message 22: by Rajshekhar (new)

Jan 11, 2013 12:14AM

this is a horror novel . i have to red it.

reply | flag

message 23: by Laura (new)

Jan 19, 2013 07:53PM

Deleted for not being horror:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
Marked by P.C. Cast
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong
Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong
Holes by Louis Sachar
Night by Elie Wiesel
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by J.K. Rowling
The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The Field Guide by Holly Black
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Artemis Fowl by Eion Colfer
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

More will be delete later...

reply | flag

message 24: by Anthony (new)

Jan 29, 2013 12:56PM

Devil's Knot # 206 is not horror, it is non-fiction

reply | flag

message 25: by Scott (new)

Feb 26, 2013 11:51AM

A lot of the Lovecraft books are technically not "novels" but anthologies or novellas. Mostly just semantics, though. Many are great reads.

reply | flag

message 26: by Summer Seeds (new)

Jul 14, 2013 08:42AM

Is Lord of the Flies really a "horror" novel? Don't get me wrong, sure it has some horrifying moments, but I've never considered it in the genre of horror before.

reply | flag

message 27: by Robert (new)

Jul 28, 2013 06:29AM

What are some of Lovecraft's greatest, "non-Mythos" reads that will point me (a non- Lovecraft reader) in the right direction?

reply | flag

message 28: by Josephine (new)

Sep 22, 2013 07:08PM

Is Gunslinger or Dark Tower really horror? I don't think of it that way at all, though I'd give it a top rating in fantasy.

reply | flag

message 29: by Josephine (new)

Sep 22, 2013 07:12PM

Lord of the flies an The Road aren't really horror are they? Good list, aside from a very few books that don't seem to fit horror.

reply | flag

message 30: by Amy (last edited Oct 09, 2013 08:46PM) (new)

Oct 09, 2013 08:42PM

1984 is NOT a horror story. Really, do people even bother to think before they add books? Neither is Lord of the Flies, and the Dark Tower series isn't horror, it's fantasy, by Stephen King's own words. Just because King wrote something doesn't automatically qualify it as horror. I'm not really sure that Flowers in the Attic really qualifies as horror either.

reply | flag

message 31: by Adam (new)

Oct 23, 2013 10:35AM

El wrote: "Helter Skelter isn't even a novel. Once I saw the Ann Rule book on the second page (also non-fiction), I gave up looking at this list."

I removed it.

reply | flag

message 32: by Adam (last edited Oct 23, 2013 10:44AM) (new)

Oct 23, 2013 10:40AM

Summer wrote: "Is Lord of the Flies really a "horror" novel? Don't get me wrong, sure it has some horrifying moments, but I've never considered it in the genre of horror before."

Josephine wrote: "Lord of the flies an The Road aren't really horror are they? Good list, aside from a very few books that don't seem to fit horror."

Amy wrote: "1984 is NOT a horror story. Really, do people even bother to think before they add books? Neither is Lord of the Flies, and the Dark Tower series isn't horror, it's fantasy, by Stephen King's own ..."

Lord of the Flies & 1984 are gone. I also removed the following, because they are not horror books:

The Stand - Stephen King
Intensity - Dean Koontz
Insomnia - Stephen King
Gunslinger - Stephen King

reply | flag

message 33: by Amy (last edited Nov 03, 2013 06:05PM) (new)

Oct 23, 2013 04:23PM

Removed:

Under the Dome
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Fahrenheit 451
Adventures of Tom Sawyer
SeinLanguage
Jane Eyre

Quite a few duplicates.

Almost all those titles are either pure sci-fi or comedy non-fiction or Victorian literary classics. None of them belong on a horror list; and I suspect that people putting them here think they're being cute.

reply | flag

message 34: by Sami (new)

Oct 24, 2013 12:06PM

It amuses me that 26 - over a quarter, obviously - of the top 100 horror books are by Stephen King. He truly seems to be the current King of Horror.

reply | flag

message 35: by Adam (new)

Nov 13, 2013 11:57AM

Sami wrote: "It amuses me that 26 - over a quarter, obviously - of the top 100 horror books are by Stephen King. He truly seems to be the current King of Horror."

He gets such a bad rap because of the sheer volume of works he's written, but I have yet to get the feeling that they are repetitive or merely fit some form or style of writing that is repeated. (For example, almost all of Grisham's book involve a young to middle age, white, attorney male, running in to some trouble, resolving said trouble, and living happily ever after).

reply | flag

message 36: by Jon (new)

Nov 17, 2013 07:57AM

No John Connolly? Not even one title?

reply | flag

message 37: by Justice (new)

Dec 10, 2013 03:59AM

Shadowland by Peter Straub & Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons should have both been higher and many of Kings books should have been lower but hes a mainstream author so cant be surprised about that I guess..

reply | flag

message 38: by Matthew (new)

Feb 14, 2014 06:51AM

I see a previous comment saying that Intensity by Koontz was removed for not being horror. Based on my opinion of what horror is, I disagree with that move. It seems to me that Inensity is more of a horror novel than Coma (which is still on this list, and I am not suggesting be removed, I just don't think of it as much of a horror novel as Intensity.)

reply | flag

message 39: by [deleted user] (new)

Mar 29, 2014 06:24PM

Matthew wrote: "I see a previous comment saying that Intensity by Koontz was removed for not being horror. Based on my opinion of what horror is, I disagree with that move. It seems to me that Inensity is more o..."

I agree with you that it is horror! Some people just have nerves of steel. I guess nothing could scare them.

reply | flag

message 40: by Steph (new)

Jun 06, 2014 10:49PM

Come on... Stephen King is good, but not that good.... he doesn't deserve half of the damn list.

reply | flag

message 41: by [deleted user] (new)

Jun 07, 2014 04:09PM

Mark wrote: "Has anyone read Glen Duncan's "The Last Werewolf?" It's a pretty damn "Good Read." A little more sophisticated than most werewolf novels. Horrific and yet without a lot of scares. Told from the wer..."

I started it and thought it was the most horrible trashy thing I had ever started. Then I abandoned it.

reply | flag

message 42: by Kirsten (new)

Sep 13, 2014 05:37AM

How the hell did Agatha Christie get on a Horror Novels list??

reply | flag

message 43: by Leo (new)

Oct 02, 2014 07:38AM

Cari wrote: "Looking for a suggestion for a bookclub 'horror' book . . . . not blood and gore but a scare your pants off, keep you up at night, psychological thriller that would satisfy a wide group of readers,..."

I enjoyed both Horns and NOS4A2 and think both would be good for a book club suggestion.

reply | flag

message 44: by Paul (new)

Nov 10, 2014 08:31AM

Checked for duplicates: 3 books removed.

reply | flag

message 45: by Paul (new)

Nov 10, 2014 09:01AM

The list title explicitly asks for horror novels. I have removed all short story and novella collections from the top 300 titles, including multiple titles by Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, Clive Barker, etc. It would be a help if these were not re-added.

reply | flag

message 46: by Paul (new)

Dec 28, 2014 07:16AM

Checked for duplicates: 24 books removed.

reply | flag

message 47: by Alex (new)

Jan 21, 2015 03:43AM