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The 50 Best Horror Books of All Time Will Scare You Sh*tless

"With such a weight of contention, any attempt at a list of 'best' horror novels is doomed to disagreement. That's fine. All lists are subjective. We have, however, tried to celebrate the breadth of horror—to highlight those books that establish something about the genre or push it forward into new realms. It's worth noting that we have confined our choices to novels. Short horror fiction has a parallel ­­but distinct history that would require a survey all of its own."
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The Loop (Jeremy Robert Johnson)
The Loop
1
Jeremy Robert Johnson
Harvest Home (Thomas Tryon)
Harvest Home
2
Thomas Tryon
The Other Black Girl (Zakiya Dalila Harris)
The Other Black Girl
3
Zakiya Dalila Harris
The Auctioneer (Joan Samson)
The Auctioneer
4
Joan Samson
The Hunger (Alma Katsu)
The Hunger
5
Alma Katsu
Something Wicked This Way Comes (Ray Bradbury)
Something Wicked This Way Comes
6
Ray Bradbury
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke (Eric Larocca)
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke
7
Eric Larocca
Dark Valley (Joe Donnelly)
Dark Valley
8
Joe Donnelly
The Red Tree
The Red Tree
9
The Monk (Matthew Lewis)
The Monk
10
Matthew Lewis
Experimental Film (Gemma Files)
Experimental Film
11
Gemma Files
Lunar Park
Lunar Park
12
The Ballad of Black Tom (Victor Lavalle)
The Ballad of Black Tom
13
Victor Lavalle
Bird Box (Josh Malerman)
Bird Box
14
Josh Malerman
Apartment 16 (Adam Nevill)
Apartment 16
15
Adam Nevill
Lost Souls (Poppy Z. Brite)
Lost Souls
16
Poppy Z. Brite
Interview With the Vampire (Anne Rice)
Interview With the Vampire
17
Anne Rice
The House Next Door (Anne Rivers Siddon)
The House Next Door
18
Anne Rivers Siddon
The Wasp Factory (Iain Banks)
The Wasp Factory
19
Iain Banks
Tender Is the Flesh (Agustina Bazterrica)
Tender Is the Flesh
20
Agustina Bazterrica
The Good House (Tananarive Due)
The Good House
21
Tananarive Due
The Hellbound Heart (Clive Barker)
The Hellbound Heart
22
Clive Barker
World War Z (Max Brooks)
World War Z
23
Max Brooks
The Return (Rachel Harrison)
The Return
24
Rachel Harrison
Penpal (Dathan Auerbach)
Penpal
25
Dathan Auerbach
Ring (Koji Suzuki)
Ring
26
Koji Suzuki
Fevre Dream
Fevre Dream
27
The Last House on Needless Street (Catriona Ward)
The Last House on Needless Street
28
Catriona Ward
Pet Sematary (Stephen King)
Pet Sematary
29
Stephen King
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Robert Louis Stevenson)
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
30
Robert Louis Stevenson
Come Closer (Sara Gran)
Come Closer
31
Sara Gran
The Only Good Indians (Stephen Graham Jones)
The Only Good Indians
32
Stephen Graham Jones
I Am Legend (Richard Matheson)
I Am Legend
33
Richard Matheson
Haunted (Chuck Palahniuk)
Haunted
34
Chuck Palahniuk
The Fisherman (John Langan)
The Fisherman
35
John Langan
Geek Love (Katherine Dunn)
Geek Love
36
Katherine Dunn
Let the Right One in (John Ajvide Lindqvist)
Let the Right One In
37
John Ajvide Lindqvist
Kindred (Octavia Butler)
Kindred
38
Octavia Butler
The Exorcist (William Peter Blatty)
The Exorcist
39
William Peter Blatty
The Terror (Dan Simmons)
The Terror
40
Dan Simmons
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