The Definitive Horror Book List

Please vote on, or add your favorite horror books to this list.
Authors be WARNED! This is not a promotional page for your books, please do not spam this list, it would be futile. All authors who spam this list will be removed!

flag

All Votes Add Books To This List

1	The Shining (The Shining, #1) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.26 avg rating — 1,395,055 ratings score: 51,531, and 526 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 — 1,032,644 ratings score: 43,200, and 443 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	The Stand by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.34 avg rating — 725,468 ratings score: 35,083, and 361 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	'Salem's Lot by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.05 avg rating — 420,703 ratings score: 30,793, and 320 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	Dracula by Bram Stoker 4.01 avg rating — 1,182,474 ratings score: 30,675, and 316 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	Pet Sematary by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.05 avg rating — 545,568 ratings score: 27,013, and 281 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 — 219,459 ratings score: 23,112, and 242 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 — 261,157 ratings score: 20,287, 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
9	Misery by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.21 avg rating — 642,017 ratings score: 17,929, 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
10	Frankenstein: The 1818 Text by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 3.85 avg rating — 1,480,463 ratings score: 17,368, 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
11	Carrie by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.98 avg rating — 666,953 ratings score: 16,098, 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
12	I Am Legend and Other Stories by Richard Matheson really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 128,190 ratings score: 15,538, 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
13	Rosemary's Baby (Rosemary's Baby, #1) by Ira Levin 4.03 avg rating — 132,562 ratings score: 15,077, 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
14	The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, #2) by Thomas Harris 4.24 avg rating — 530,293 ratings score: 14,954, 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
15	Ghost Story by Peter Straub 3.94 avg rating — 75,861 ratings score: 14,483, and 155 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	The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Writings by Edgar Allan Poe 4.19 avg rating — 236,997 ratings score: 14,325, and 152 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	Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles, #1) by Anne Rice 4.01 avg rating — 560,483 ratings score: 12,123, and 130 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	Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon 4.29 avg rating — 64,397 ratings score: 11,666, and 124 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	Watchers by Dean Koontz (Goodreads Author) 4.18 avg rating — 160,819 ratings score: 9,434, and 105 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	Red Dragon (Hannibal Lecter, #1) by Thomas Harris 4.05 avg rating — 318,086 ratings score: 9,417, and 104 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	The Dead Zone by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 213,252 ratings score: 9,279, 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
22	Something Wicked This Way Comes (Green Town, #2) by Ray Bradbury 3.92 avg rating — 123,274 ratings score: 9,036, and 99 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	World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks (Goodreads Author) 4.02 avg rating — 504,307 ratings score: 8,669, and 95 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 Mist by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 143,256 ratings score: 8,566, and 95 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	Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 3.83 avg rating — 528,873 ratings score: 8,436, and 95 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	Relic (Pendergast, #1) by Douglas Preston (Goodreads Author) 4.05 avg rating — 104,668 ratings score: 8,285, and 92 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	House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 156,631 ratings score: 8,261, and 86 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	Jaws (Jaws, #1) by Peter Benchley 3.96 avg rating — 156,211 ratings score: 8,109, and 94 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	At the Mountains of Madness and Other Tales of Terror by H.P. Lovecraft 4.26 avg rating — 23,913 ratings score: 8,008, and 88 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	Books of Blood: Volumes One to Three (Books of Blood, #1-3) by Clive Barker (Goodreads Author) 4.19 avg rating — 27,166 ratings score: 7,666, 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
31	Hell House by Richard Matheson 3.76 avg rating — 47,080 ratings score: 7,593, 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
32	Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (Goodreads Author) 3.85 avg rating — 128,938 ratings score: 7,452, and 82 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	Phantoms by Dean Koontz (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 71,686 ratings score: 7,440, and 86 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	Cujo by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.77 avg rating — 268,928 ratings score: 7,159, and 82 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	American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis 3.81 avg rating — 290,770 ratings score: 6,966, and 77 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	Needful Things by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 240,253 ratings score: 6,946, and 81 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	Christine by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.83 avg rating — 230,744 ratings score: 6,100, 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
38	We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson 3.95 avg rating — 192,338 ratings score: 6,081, 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
39	Desperation by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.85 avg rating — 136,074 ratings score: 6,028, 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
40	The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson 3.84 avg rating — 124,557 ratings score: 6,018, and 68 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 Ruins by Scott Smith 3.65 avg rating — 43,707 ratings score: 5,891, 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
42	Boy's Life by Robert R. McCammon 4.38 avg rating — 32,375 ratings score: 5,879, and 65 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 Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 4.12 avg rating — 1,384,460 ratings score: 5,560, and 62 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	Psycho (Psycho, #1) by Bloch Robert 4.12 avg rating — 63,745 ratings score: 5,531, 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
45	The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker (Goodreads Author) 4.07 avg rating — 52,078 ratings score: 5,503, and 62 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	Summer of Night (Seasons of Horror, #1) by Dan Simmons 4.04 avg rating — 24,358 ratings score: 5,411, 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
47	The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells 3.73 avg rating — 114,430 ratings score: 5,255, and 62 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 Dark Half by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.80 avg rating — 137,500 ratings score: 5,248, 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
49	The Strain (The Strain Trilogy, #1) by Guillermo del Toro 3.79 avg rating — 84,756 ratings score: 5,242, 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
50	The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.93 avg rating — 583,633 ratings score: 5,018, and 59 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 Terror by Dan Simmons 4.07 avg rating — 57,402 ratings score: 4,994, 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
52	Night Shift by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.03 avg rating — 171,890 ratings score: 4,986, 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
53	The Long Walk by Richard Bachman (Pseudonym) 4.09 avg rating — 167,824 ratings score: 4,957, 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
54	The Vampire Lestat (The Vampire Chronicles, #2) by Anne Rice 4.09 avg rating — 193,757 ratings score: 4,772, and 53 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	The Turn of the Screw by Henry James 3.39 avg rating — 143,489 ratings score: 4,732, 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
56	The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories by H.P. Lovecraft 4.17 avg rating — 44,967 ratings score: 4,668, 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
57	Intensity by Dean Koontz (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 81,689 ratings score: 4,621, and 53 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	The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Tales by Edgar Allan Poe 4.17 avg rating — 72,241 ratings score: 4,522, 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
59	Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos by Jim Turner (Editor) 4.22 avg rating — 4,747 ratings score: 4,464, 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
60	Bag of Bones by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 191,954 ratings score: 4,163, 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
61	Tales of H.P. Lovecraft by H.P. Lovecraft 4.23 avg rating — 9,234 ratings score: 4,102, 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
62	Mina and the Undead (Mina and the Undead, #1) by Amy McCaw (Goodreads Author) 3.88 avg rating — 1,259 ratings score: 4,026, 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
63	Horns by Joe Hill (Goodreads Author) 3.93 avg rating — 110,917 ratings score: 4,015, 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
64	The Complete Stories and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe 4.38 avg rating — 242,341 ratings score: 3,979, 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
65	The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum 3.94 avg rating — 35,130 ratings score: 3,967, 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
66	1984 by George Orwell 4.19 avg rating — 4,234,024 ratings score: 3,917, 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
67	The Cellar by Richard Laymon 3.65 avg rating — 7,777 ratings score: 3,911, 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
68	Houdini Heart by Ki Longfellow (Goodreads Author) 3.83 avg rating — 5,704 ratings score: 3,839, and 39 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	The Talisman by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 123,705 ratings score: 3,794, 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
70	The Keep (Adversary Cycle, #1) by F. Paul Wilson (Goodreads Author) 3.99 avg rating — 18,468 ratings score: 3,788, 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
71	Gerald's Game by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.56 avg rating — 154,433 ratings score: 3,765, 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
72	Strangers by Dean Koontz (Goodreads Author) 4.01 avg rating — 44,870 ratings score: 3,750, 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
73	Weaveworld by Clive Barker (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 31,363 ratings score: 3,741, 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
74	The Tommyknockers by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.59 avg rating — 145,586 ratings score: 3,621, 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
75	Rose Madder by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.74 avg rating — 109,021 ratings score: 3,615, 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
76	The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye by Robert Kirkman 4.27 avg rating — 223,769 ratings score: 3,600, 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
77	The Cabinet of Curiosities (Pendergast, #3; Nora Kelly, #0B) by Douglas Preston (Goodreads Author) 4.26 avg rating — 48,628 ratings score: 3,509, 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
78	Skeleton Crew by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.97 avg rating — 121,314 ratings score: 3,475, 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
79	Firestarter by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.91 avg rating — 219,050 ratings score: 3,436, and 44 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	Under the Dome by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 288,784 ratings score: 3,432, and 42 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	They Thirst by Robert R. McCammon 3.91 avg rating — 12,322 ratings score: 3,406, and 42 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	Duma Key by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.97 avg rating — 117,222 ratings score: 3,258, 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
83	The Witching Hour (Lives of the Mayfair Witches, #1) by Anne Rice 4.10 avg rating — 113,434 ratings score: 3,194, and 38 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	Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist 4.04 avg rating — 105,780 ratings score: 3,059, and 37 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	Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons 3.90 avg rating — 22,098 ratings score: 3,008, and 36 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	Cabal by Clive Barker (Goodreads Author) 3.93 avg rating — 20,133 ratings score: 2,959, and 39 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	Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.85 avg rating — 92,458 ratings score: 2,952, and 37 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	The Other by Thomas Tryon 3.98 avg rating — 21,492 ratings score: 2,951, and 38 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	Off Season (Dead River, #1) by Jack Ketchum 3.79 avg rating — 13,471 ratings score: 2,905, and 35 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	Battle Royale by Koushun Takami 4.25 avg rating — 70,656 ratings score: 2,852, and 32 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	Island by Richard Laymon 3.79 avg rating — 6,566 ratings score: 2,822, and 35 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 Queen of the Damned (The Vampire Chronicles, #3) by Anne Rice 3.91 avg rating — 147,643 ratings score: 2,813, and 34 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	Song of Kali by Dan Simmons 3.61 avg rating — 13,133 ratings score: 2,796, and 34 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	Nightmares and Dreamscapes by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 80,495 ratings score: 2,795, and 38 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	Different Seasons by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.35 avg rating — 197,560 ratings score: 2,784, and 36 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	Cell by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.66 avg rating — 215,786 ratings score: 2,764, and 35 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	The Traveling Vampire Show by Richard Laymon 3.84 avg rating — 8,606 ratings score: 2,763, and 35 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 Rising (The Rising #1) by Brian Keene (Goodreads Author) 3.80 avg rating — 10,163 ratings score: 2,720, and 32 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 Damnation Game by Clive Barker (Goodreads Author) 3.82 avg rating — 19,588 ratings score: 2,717, and 34 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	The Woman in Black by Susan Hill 3.74 avg rating — 63,459 ratings score: 2,538, and 29 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 … 13 14 Next →

1,354 books · 2,029 voters · list created October 20th, 2009 by Kevin (votes) .

Tags: definitive, horror, thrillers

595 likes · Like

Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

People Who Voted On This List (2029)

Kevin 1580 books
95 friends

Greyweather 2660 books
66 friends

JDB 590 books
12 friends

Christy 7087 books
2606 friends

Erin 5721 books
633 friends

Marvin 2092 books
832 friends

Express 22 books
0 friends

James 151 books
24 friends

More voters…

Post a comment »
Comments Showing 1-50 of 52 (52 new)

date

newest »

message 1: by Eric (new)

Oct 21, 2009 09:51AM

This is a great list! There's actually stuff on it that I like a lot! I think it's much better than the other horror book lists on this website - good job, voters!

reply | flag

message 2: by William (new)

Jan 03, 2010 05:35PM

I agree. Overall a very good list that helped reorder my to-reads.

reply | flag

message 3: by Tressa (new)

Jan 03, 2010 06:01PM

I saw some Simon Clarks and other books I'd like to read soon.

reply | flag

message 4: by Carl (new)

Jan 04, 2010 05:54AM

What do I do? Just click on numerous ones I think are the best?

reply | flag

message 5: by Tressa (new)

Jan 04, 2010 06:04AM

Yes.

reply | flag

message 6: by David (new)

Jan 27, 2010 02:21PM

They should combine the Pet Semetary votes. There are two on the list but combined, it would have enough votes for the top 5. Great list!

reply | flag

message 7: by Normandy (new)

Nov 15, 2011 07:12PM

I just voted on this list. I have read several books on this list but there are so many I have not read. There are definitely some books I need to check out.

reply | flag

message 8: by Jeff (new)

Jan 15, 2012 02:27PM

Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons is a superb horror novel. Anyone that's a horror fan should read this book. Chances are you will love it.

reply | flag

message 9: by TJ (new)

Feb 12, 2012 06:11AM

Terrific list! Lots of horror classics present!

reply | flag

message 10: by [deleted user] (new)

Jun 28, 2012 04:09PM

the ressurectionist by Wrath James White. A masterpiece and creepy as all get out

reply | flag

message 11: by Jennifer (new)

Jul 21, 2013 11:31PM

If you haven't read Hell House or The Devil Next Door...go get a copy!!!!

reply | flag

message 12: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Aug 11, 2013 04:56PM

Removed at list creator's request:

Cryonic: A Zombie Novel

reply | flag

message 13: by Kevin (new)

Aug 11, 2013 10:48PM

Thank you Susanna

reply | flag

message 14: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Aug 12, 2013 08:22AM

No problem.

reply | flag

message 15: by Marilyn (new)

Feb 16, 2014 01:09PM

How are the Twilight books even on this list? It's about as scary as two-week-old, stale bread.

reply | flag

message 16: by Kevin (new)

Feb 16, 2014 08:39PM

People can add any book that they thought scared them. I assume someone found Twilight scary? In any case, those books haven't even broke into the top 100 list.

reply | flag

message 17: by Marilyn (new)

Feb 17, 2014 12:56AM

Weaksauces, then.

reply | flag

message 18: by Kirsten (new)

Jul 28, 2014 01:16PM

Kevin wrote: "People can add any book that they thought scared them. I assume someone found Twilight scary? In any case, those books haven't even broke into the top 100 list."

Well, Twilight fans can be a little scary. I had one overhear me speaking to a fellow English major from the other side of the room. I don't remember what book we were talking about, but the Twilight fan assumed we must be talking about Twilight and decided to insert herself into our conversation. It was a harrowing experience.

reply | flag

message 19: by Darren (new)

Oct 02, 2014 07:14AM

The Tommyknockers

reply | flag

message 20: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Dec 17, 2014 07:06PM

Removed by list creator request:

Mateguas Island: A Novel of Terror and Suspense

reply | flag

message 21: by Kevin (new)

Dec 18, 2014 12:49AM

Thank you Susanna.

reply | flag

message 22: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Dec 18, 2014 10:50AM

No problem.

reply | flag

message 23: by Kevin (last edited Jun 08, 2015 08:59PM) (new)

Jun 08, 2015 02:37PM

I will not tolerate spamming on this list. Books that jump into the top 100 with ratings of less than 1000 will be removed. There is NO way a book belongs in the top 100 with lower ratings.

Books that are up for removal:
1. Dancing With A Dead Horse
2. The Cruise
3. Sorrow's Point
4. Plebs
5. The Culling
6. Forever and Ever

Anthony Hulse, do not spam my list! I will have Susanna remove your books ASAP! This is not a promotional page for wanna-be authors! This list is for reference!

reply | flag

message 24: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jun 09, 2015 08:34AM

Removed the books Kevin listed, at his request.

reply | flag

message 25: by Kevin (new)

Jun 09, 2015 02:19PM

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "Removed the books Kevin listed, at his request."

Thank you Susanna :-)

reply | flag

message 26: by Greg (new)

Sep 03, 2015 01:31PM

Of all the goodreads lists, this one seems to reflect my own reading taste best, even though horror is not my favorite genre. Easily, I put "The Terror" as my favorite horror novel. The second is the extremely disturbing "After Dark" by Murakami, which I read twice in a row. Third, "Rosemary's Baby."

reply | flag

message 27: by Mitchell (new)

Oct 09, 2015 08:46AM

Please check out The Most Popular Horror on Goodreads and add what I missed. Thanks.

reply | flag

message 28: by Mitchell (new)

Oct 09, 2015 08:52AM

A suggestion - you could set the minimum ratings for a book newer than say year 2000 at 1000 ratings. Books older than 2000 could have no minimum - that way a lost classic could be rediscovered but won't be overshadowed.

reply | flag

message 29: by Leigh (new)

Oct 24, 2015 08:04AM

Marilyn wrote: "How are the Twilight books even on this list? It's about as scary as two-week-old, stale bread."

I don't know, it's pretty terrifying to read it and then realise that she got paid for it.

reply | flag

message 30: by Kevin (new)

Feb 17, 2016 10:16AM

People, if you know of a book that hasn't made the list, feel free to add it. Do not post the books not on the list in the comment section. It does no good here.

reply | flag

message 31: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (last edited Jan 17, 2017 02:21AM) (new)

Jan 17, 2017 02:06AM

Pity one can't check this list for duplicates anymore, due to a bug :-( So please, do go through all pages before you add a book you've read, in order to avoid duplicates...

reply | flag

message 32: by Shadowjac (new)

Jan 23, 2017 11:24AM

Went through and removed author spam, removed 50+ books that the authors have put on the list, DID NOT remove books that looked like they'd been added by a sock puppet account though because there's no way to be sure.

reply | flag

message 33: by Seth (new)

Feb 14, 2018 07:45PM

The Gunslinger by Stephen King is not technically Horror it's Fantasy. It should removed.

reply | flag

message 34: by Mitchell (last edited Feb 14, 2018 11:27PM) (new)

Feb 14, 2018 11:26PM

Seth wrote: "The Gunslinger by Stephen King is not technically Horror it's Fantasy. It should removed."

Apparently the 2685 people who shelved The Gunslinger as Horror (including me), disagree with you.

reply | flag

message 35: by Seth (new)

Feb 15, 2018 12:37PM

Well according to Wikipedia: "The Dark Tower is a series of eight books written by American author Stephen King that incorporates themes from multiple genres, including dark fantasy, science fantasy, horror, and Western."

So I guess we are both right in a sense however I would say that the first book the Gunslinger is not horror, it has more a western and a start of a fantasy epic feel to it.

reply | flag

message 36: by Mitchell (new)

Feb 15, 2018 02:13PM

Seth wrote: "Well according to Wikipedia: "The Dark Tower is a series of eight books written by American author Stephen King that incorporates themes from multiple genres, including dark fantasy, science fantas..."

I shelved it as:
fantasy, fiction, horror, liked-reviews, read, series, western

So I agree.

reply | flag

message 37: by Kellianne (new)

Apr 30, 2019 01:46PM

This is a pretty good list, lots of stuff that I like. I do have some concerns about the folks that consider the Twilight series to be horror. I mean... Twilight? Really? and the Sookie Stackhouse series? and while the Dark Tower series is my very favorite series in the world, there's not a horror filled moment in the lot of them.

reply | flag

message 38: by [on hiatus, probably forever] The rockabilly werewolf from Mars (new)

Sep 15, 2019 04:09PM

Twilight should be removed from this list. I have a very broad definition of horror, but including Twilight stretches the definition beyond its breaking point.

reply | flag

message 39: by Matthew (new)

Sep 15, 2019 07:57PM

A question...what' s the difference between dark fantasy and horror? Stephen King and Clive Barker are consistently described as both.

reply | flag

message 40: by Mitchell (last edited Sep 15, 2019 10:06PM) (new)

Sep 15, 2019 09:42PM

The challenge with a goodreads list is that without setting clear criteria in the list description, a book can be added due to personal opinion and there really isn't a good rationale for removing it.

On my equivalent lists I typically set minimum number of ratings and minimum number of shelving for a topic.

Is Twilight horror? On the surface I think that vampires are generally horror. But look at the shelving - 18k ya, 16k fantasy for the 3rd and 4th most shelved categories for Twilight. 497 people also shelved it as horror - but it was the 41st highest category.

I'd say it's not horror.

But I'd also have a minimum number of shelving for horror - say 1000 - and this is what has been declared in the comments of this list - at least for the first page.

I have a horror list that is a lot more restrictive and it only has 125 books on it and 79 voters. And it still requires maintenance, removing inappropriate books and tightening down the list criteria.

reply | flag

message 41: by [on hiatus, probably forever] The rockabilly werewolf from Mars (new)

Oct 07, 2019 10:48PM

The book currently at 101st place looks like spam.

reply | flag

message 42: by [on hiatus, probably forever] The rockabilly werewolf from Mars (new)

Oct 09, 2019 09:37PM

Mitchell wrote: "The challenge with a goodreads list is that without setting clear criteria in the list description, a book can be added due to personal opinion and there really isn't a good rationale for removing ..."

I say if no one can come up with a clear reason why it is horror by Halloween, it gets removed. Of course, I can't remove it, but it seems like a fair way of resolving the argument.

reply | flag

message 43: by Greg (new)

Nov 25, 2020 02:35PM

I think great horror novels must, first and foremost, be a great book. Then, for me, it should make me uncomfortable during a read, and then have scenes that will never leave my mind. Like in "The Terror", I felt the absolute isolation, the freezing cold, the unknown all around. The same author's "Abomination" has all of those elements plus feelings of vertigo, but it's just not a great novel because it runs out of steam. "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" is a very good book. But it's not horror at all. It's very moody, and a murder mystery, but not scary.

reply | flag

message 44: by Kevin (last edited Nov 26, 2020 06:51AM) (new)

Nov 26, 2020 06:49AM

Greg wrote: "I think great horror novels must, first and foremost, be a great book. Then, for me, it should make me uncomfortable during a read, and then have scenes that will never leave my mind. Like in "The ..."

To be honest, trying to define what horror is is a task not easily done. Some may define horror as anything containing horrific acts which could include a multitude of situations. Others may state horror must have an element of the supernatural with things that go 'bump in the night'. Defining horror can only be subjective. What scares one may not scare another. Some may define horror as speculative fiction. The idea here is to not overthink it. This is a list for reference and nothing more. People may browse the list and they can decide for themselves what interest them and which books they may choose to give a pass.

reply | flag

message 45: by ``Laurie (new)

Mar 29, 2022 08:42PM

The Exorcist is listed twice

reply | flag

message 46: by BookLovingLady (deceased Jan. 25, 2023...) (new)

Mar 30, 2022 12:31AM

``Laurie wrote: "The Exorcist is listed twice"

Shouldn't be anymore (I had the system perform a duplicate check and it found 4 duplicates).

reply | flag

message 47: by Kevin (new)

Apr 03, 2022 09:55AM

BookLovingLady wrote: "``Laurie wrote: "The Exorcist is listed twice"

Shouldn't be anymore (I had the system perform a duplicate check and it found 4 duplicates)."

Thank you for clearing the duplicates.

reply | flag

message 48: by Carolyn (new)

May 20, 2022 07:48PM