The 50 best horror books: The scariest books ever printed

The Bad Seed

A chilling tale of an eight-year-old girl whose innocence hides a dark secret, leaving her mother questioning the unthinkable. This classic …

The Hunger

A chilling retelling of the Donner Party's fate with a terrifying twist that blends historical tragedy with zombie horror.

The Silence Of The Lambs

Blood Meridian

A brutal and unforgettable epic of the American West, featuring a diabolical judge and a young boy's harrowing journey through violence and …

The Trial

Josef K. is arrested and prosecuted by an incomprehensible authority in this existential masterpiece by Franz Kafka, a novel that delves int…

Tropic of Cancer

A raw and unfiltered account of a young writer's bohemian life in Paris, filled with vivid characters and unapologetic honesty.

The Witches

Bring Roald Dahl's beloved tale to life with these fun and engaging classroom plays, perfect for young actors and full of humor and magic.

Slaughterhouse-Five

A time-traveling optometrist's journey through war, family, and the cosmos in this graphic novel adaptation of Vonnegut's classic anti-war s…

Disgrace

In post-apartheid South Africa, a white woman's harrowing experience leads to an unexpected act of defiance and acceptance, exploring themes…

Hell House

Enter the most haunted house on Earth, where four strangers dare to uncover its darkest secrets and confront unimaginable horrors.

House of Leaves

A mind-bending cult classic about a house that's larger on the inside than on the outside, this novel redefines the boundaries of a novel an…

The Exorcist

A chilling tale of demonic possession and the battle between faith and evil, 'The Exorcist' will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Invisible Man

A profound exploration of identity and race, following a nameless Black man's journey through a world that refuses to see him, Invisible Man…

The Haunting of Hill House

A chilling tale of psychological horror that has inspired generations of writers and a hit Netflix series, The Haunting of Hill House explor…

Blindness

A city descends into chaos as an inexplicable epidemic of blindness spreads, testing the limits of humanity and civilization.

Coraline

Coraline discovers a hidden door in her new home that leads to a disturbing parallel world where a sinister 'other mother' awaits her.

Bird Box

In a world where seeing the unseen drives people to deadly violence, a mother and her children embark on a harrowing journey blindfolded, fa…

The Stranger

A chilling exploration of existentialism through the story of a man who commits a senseless murder, questioning the existence of God and the…

American Psycho

A darkly comedic and controversial novel that delves into the psychopathic mind of a Wall Street yuppie, exploring the grotesque underbelly …

The Handmaid's Tale

In a chilling dystopian future, Offred navigates a world where women are stripped of their rights and forced into reproductive servitude. A …

The Shining

A family's winter retreat at the isolated Overlook Hotel turns into a nightmare as dark forces awaken, threatening their sanity and lives.

Dracula

A chilling tale of vampiric horror that reflects the anxieties of late 19th-century society, with London as the true heart of darkness.

Come Closer

A chilling tale of psychological horror that blurs the line between reality and nightmare, leaving readers questioning what's truly lurking …

Frankenstein

Mary Shelley's timeless tale of a scientist's monstrous creation and its devastating consequences has captivated readers for centuries, born…