Last year was the first time LJ pulled Horror out from Science Fiction and Fantasy, but they only consulted me quickly for my opinion and they only picked 5.
This year, I was part of the entire process and they gave us 10 books.
These authors showcase what makes horror such a popular genre right now. These are stories dealing with important issues, making readers think about their world. These are tales that are terrifying, but that are also really fun and enjoyable to read.
This is also a diverse group of titles and authors, covering all types of scares from he subtle to the terrifying. You will find stories, novels, collections, and anthologies, from presses big and small.
Below is the list of titles we decided upon. I am very proud to present this list and highly suggest you add every title to your library. In fact, I bet you have many of them already.
Best Horror 2019
by Stephanie Klose, Kiera Parrott, Becky Spratford Nov 18, 2019 | Filed in Reviews+
Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories. ed. by Ellen Datlow. Saga: S. & S. ISBN 9781534413467.
Best-selling authors Richard Kadrey, Nathan Ballingrud, Joyce Carol Oates, Paul Tremblay, Alice Hoffman, and others offer up ghost stories perfect for a dark and stormy night.
Iglesias, Gabino. Coyote Songs. Broken River. ISBN 9781940885490.
In this mosaic novel set on la frontera, various characters confront the darkness at the heart of modern America—evils both supernatural and all too real.
Jacobs, John Horner. A Lush and Seething Hell: Two Tales of Cosmic Horror. Harper Voyager. ISBN 9780062880826.
Jacobs offers two novellas—both of which revolve around the discovery of hidden works—that mine the deepest, darkest reaches of the human mind. Lyrical, hallucinatory prose captivates and terrifies.
Janz, Jonathan. The Dark Game. Flame Tree. ISBN 9781787581876.
Best-selling author Roderick Wells hosts ten aspiring authors at a writers’ retreat. Everyone has secrets and their host may be a madman. Janz uses a well-mined genre trope to craft something unique and gloriously twisted.
Kingfisher, T. The Twisted Ones. Saga: Gallery. ISBN 9781534429574.
While cleaning out her deceased grandparents’ home, Mouse discovers a journal describing the diabolic creatures who live in the surrounding woods—and soon encounters them herself. A modern, menacing Lovecraft-inspired tale.
McMahon, Jennifer. The Invited. Doubleday. ISBN 9780385541381.
Helen and Nate move into a new home in Vermont, adjacent to a bog. Things get weird after Helen begins collecting artifacts from the town’s past, including a beam hewn from the tree used to hang a witch. Meanwhile, neighbor Olive searches for the haged witch’s hidden treasure in the bog. A thriller inside a murder mystery inside a ghost story.
Moulton, Rachel Eve. Tinfoil Butterfly. MCD x FSG Originals. ISBN 9780374538309.
An intense and chilling story of a troubled woman and a young boy as they face down their demons and a coming snowstorm in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Moulton crafts a violent yet beautiful exploration of love, guilt, and pure evil.
Thomas, Scott. Violet. Inkshares. ISBN 9781947848368.
After the tragic death of her husband, Kris returns to the place she first experienced pain and grief—her hometown of Lost Lake. The town is decaying and something evil grows at its core. The sense of dread builds slowly in this atmospheric, character-driven tale.
Tremblay, Paul. Growing Things and Other Stories. Morrow. ISBN 9780062679130.
Tremblay tackles a range of mysterious subjects in this collection, from the title story about two young girls “Growing Things” in their basement to a tale in which a novelist’s fiction become fact. Tremblay’s unnerving creations leave just enough room for readers’ own imaginations to fill in the gory details.
Wendig, Chuck. Wanderers. Del Rey. ISBN 9780399182105.
After a comet passes over the Earth, dozens—and soon hundreds—of people begin sleepwalking toward an unknown destination. Responses across the world range from religious zealotry to apocalyptic ravings. Wendig shatters the boundaries of genre and literary fiction in this deeply unsettling saga.
