Where Are All The Great New Horror Books

Blogger Michael Ferrante wrote this interesting essay for io9 entitled, "Where Are All the Great New Horror Books."

From the essay:

Of course there is always the Horror Writers Association purveyor of the fine Bram Stoker awards whose winner and nomination list will most definitely provide some fascinating and noteworthy titles. But many titles aren't the type of horror I'm looking for. For example 2009 First Novel winner Damnable by Harry Schwaeble and 2009 Best Novel nominee Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry look to fall squarely into the "action-horror" blend that, while certainly entertaining, isn't the type of horror I'm really looking for.

He also goes on to talk about the problem of locating true horror at the bookstore due to the fact that it is interfiled with science fiction and fantasy quite often.  He also mentions the curse and blessing of the small presses. (Click here for more on that issue)

While Ferrante has many good points, I disagree with his overall point that there is not a lot to love in horror today.  I have been spending the last 6 months immersed in horror, and I think it is in a much better state than back in 2002 when I was working on the first edition of the book. I think the appeal range of titles has grown, I think the quality has improved, and I think the accessibility has increased.

Much of this argument will be presented in the new book (which is almost done!). But I will give one major example now.  When I wrote the first book, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Anne Rice were still ruling the genre, after almost 30 years of dominance.  Now, while those names are still very popular, we have two new kings of horror, who are legitimate best sellers in their own right: Joe Hill and Jonathan Maberry.  Both write a range of types of horror also, not just the action-horror Ferrante refers to in his essay.

I think we are entering a new golden age of horror.  Further evidence: Amazon.com listed The Passage as the number 16 best book of 2010. And that is of all books, fiction, and nonfiction!

Anyway, that is just my two cents added on to Ferrante's.  Go back to the original essay and read the comments he got there too.