Best Horror Novels

What novels made you want to sleep with the lights on?

Please note: This list is for NOVELS only!

For anthologies (multiple authors) see: Best Horror Anthologies
For single-author collections see: Horror Collections Single Author
For graphic novels & comic books see: Best Horror Comics/Graphic Novels!
For all horror books together see: The Definitive Horror Book List
For all horror books with more than 50,000 ratings see: The Most Popular Horror on Goodreads

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1	The Shining (The Shining, #1) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.28 avg rating — 1,560,222 ratings score: 140,619, and 1,425 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) 4.24 avg rating — 1,163,132 ratings score: 128,107, and 1,302 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	’Salem’s Lot by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.10 avg rating — 603,257 ratings score: 80,189, and 825 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	Dracula by Bram Stoker 4.02 avg rating — 1,328,910 ratings score: 77,546, and 794 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	Pet Sematary by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.07 avg rating — 627,666 ratings score: 70,942, and 735 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	Misery by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.23 avg rating — 769,553 ratings score: 56,267, and 588 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 — 246,323 ratings score: 52,571, and 543 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 — 333,539 ratings score: 50,702, and 527 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	Carrie by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.99 avg rating — 764,185 ratings score: 45,459, and 482 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 by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 3.88 avg rating — 1,672,917 ratings score: 43,914, and 461 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	The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, #2) by Thomas Harris 4.25 avg rating — 562,524 ratings score: 43,111, and 451 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	Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles, #1) by Anne Rice 4.02 avg rating — 610,895 ratings score: 32,966, and 351 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 4.04 avg rating — 147,339 ratings score: 31,522, and 334 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	Ghost Story by Peter Straub 3.93 avg rating — 80,065 ratings score: 29,002, and 306 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	House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (Goodreads Author) 4.09 avg rating — 179,653 ratings score: 25,364, and 262 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	Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (Goodreads Author) 3.84 avg rating — 142,811 ratings score: 25,356, and 267 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	Red Dragon (Hannibal Lecter, #1) by Thomas Harris 4.06 avg rating — 346,163 ratings score: 24,873, and 269 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	World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks (Goodreads Author) 4.02 avg rating — 539,857 ratings score: 24,275, and 254 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	The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 4.13 avg rating — 1,634,255 ratings score: 22,276, and 243 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	The Stand by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.35 avg rating — 784,355 ratings score: 21,720, and 235 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	Needful Things by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.97 avg rating — 260,654 ratings score: 21,467, and 234 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	Swan Song by Robert McCammon 4.29 avg rating — 70,736 ratings score: 21,041, and 220 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	Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury 3.91 avg rating — 140,158 ratings score: 20,707, and 223 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 Green Mile by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.48 avg rating — 333,945 ratings score: 19,948, and 220 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	American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis 3.81 avg rating — 329,823 ratings score: 19,305, and 208 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	Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson 3.83 avg rating — 609,968 ratings score: 18,619, and 205 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	The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson 3.83 avg rating — 133,770 ratings score: 18,519, and 198 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	Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist 4.04 avg rating — 114,758 ratings score: 18,450, and 199 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	Cujo by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.79 avg rating — 298,174 ratings score: 17,700, and 197 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	We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson 3.93 avg rating — 250,128 ratings score: 16,745, and 180 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	Christine by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.85 avg rating — 249,323 ratings score: 16,408, and 190 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	Hell House by Richard Matheson 3.73 avg rating — 55,505 ratings score: 16,116, 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
33	Watchers by Dean Koontz (Goodreads Author) 4.19 avg rating — 166,981 ratings score: 15,976, 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
34	Jaws (Jaws, #1) by Peter Benchley 3.95 avg rating — 168,201 ratings score: 15,706, and 177 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	Desperation by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.86 avg rating — 145,924 ratings score: 15,253, and 170 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	The Vampire Lestat (The Vampire Chronicles, #2) by Anne Rice 4.10 avg rating — 206,659 ratings score: 14,755, and 167 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	The Dead Zone by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 230,786 ratings score: 14,588, and 169 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	The Long Walk by Richard Bachman (Pseudonym) 4.08 avg rating — 200,236 ratings score: 14,526, 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
39	The Talisman (The Talisman, #1) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating — 133,675 ratings score: 13,697, 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
40	The Terror by Dan Simmons 4.08 avg rating — 65,583 ratings score: 13,674, and 146 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	Psycho (Psycho, #1) by Robert Bloch 4.12 avg rating — 71,084 ratings score: 13,382, and 153 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	The Ruins by Scott Smith 3.68 avg rating — 57,575 ratings score: 12,974, and 141 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	Horns by Joe Hill (Goodreads Author) 3.93 avg rating — 116,425 ratings score: 12,845, and 142 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	Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier 4.25 avg rating — 658,049 ratings score: 12,757, and 140 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	Bag of Bones by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 203,395 ratings score: 12,690, and 145 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	The Witching Hour (Lives of the Mayfair Witches, #1) by Anne Rice 4.10 avg rating — 120,044 ratings score: 12,682, and 141 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	Flowers in the Attic (Dollanganger, #1) by V.C. Andrews 3.85 avg rating — 222,564 ratings score: 12,642, and 140 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	Coraline by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 730,055 ratings score: 12,273, and 137 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 Turn of the Screw by Henry James 3.39 avg rating — 163,959 ratings score: 12,121, and 135 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 Passage (The Passage, #1) by Justin Cronin (Goodreads Author) 4.05 avg rating — 216,154 ratings score: 10,901, and 120 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 Tommyknockers by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.60 avg rating — 156,943 ratings score: 10,785, and 128 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	The Strain (The Strain Trilogy, #1) by Guillermo del Toro 3.80 avg rating — 88,191 ratings score: 10,129, and 111 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	Gerald's Game by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.58 avg rating — 168,101 ratings score: 9,864, and 114 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	Cell by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.66 avg rating — 227,811 ratings score: 9,815, and 113 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 Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux 3.96 avg rating — 254,007 ratings score: 9,770, and 114 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	NOS4A2 by Joe Hill (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 133,440 ratings score: 9,484, 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
57	I Am Legend by Richard Matheson 4.06 avg rating — 138,931 ratings score: 9,462, and 109 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 Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells 3.73 avg rating — 125,310 ratings score: 9,414, and 108 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	The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum 3.93 avg rating — 47,237 ratings score: 9,262, 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
60	The Dark Half by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.81 avg rating — 145,944 ratings score: 9,168, and 110 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	Phantoms by Dean Koontz (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 76,149 ratings score: 9,112, 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
62	Hannibal (Hannibal Lecter, #3) by Thomas Harris 3.81 avg rating — 110,445 ratings score: 8,916, and 106 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	The Queen of the Damned (The Vampire Chronicles, #3) by Anne Rice 3.92 avg rating — 155,830 ratings score: 8,872, 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
64	The Omen by David Seltzer 4.04 avg rating — 68,243 ratings score: 8,544, 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
65	Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk (Goodreads Author) 3.59 avg rating — 107,059 ratings score: 8,214, and 90 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	Summer of Night (Seasons of Horror, #1) by Dan Simmons 4.04 avg rating — 26,918 ratings score: 8,036, and 89 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 Stepford Wives by Ira Levin 3.86 avg rating — 45,155 ratings score: 7,834, 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
68	The Road by Cormac McCarthy 3.99 avg rating — 946,449 ratings score: 7,564, and 87 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	Duma Key by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.98 avg rating — 128,261 ratings score: 7,228, 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
70	Thinner by Richard Bachman (Pseudonym) 3.77 avg rating — 215,913 ratings score: 7,086, and 87 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	Doctor Sleep (The Shining, #2) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 273,171 ratings score: 6,869, 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
72	The Other by Thomas Tryon 3.98 avg rating — 22,337 ratings score: 6,483, and 76 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	The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham 4.01 avg rating — 111,046 ratings score: 6,412, 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
74	Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons 3.91 avg rating — 24,114 ratings score: 6,349, and 72 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	The Woman in Black by Susan Hill 3.75 avg rating — 73,877 ratings score: 6,339, and 72 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	Lord of the Flies by William Golding 3.70 avg rating — 2,994,468 ratings score: 5,981, and 70 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	Lost Souls by Poppy Z. Brite (Goodreads Author) 3.90 avg rating — 18,512 ratings score: 5,870, 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
78	Shadowland by Peter Straub 3.89 avg rating — 12,407 ratings score: 5,761, and 67 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	The Keep (Adversary Cycle, #1) by F. Paul Wilson (Goodreads Author) 3.99 avg rating — 19,151 ratings score: 5,751, 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
80	The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.63 avg rating — 168,174 ratings score: 5,696, 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
81	The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, #2) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.23 avg rating — 271,452 ratings score: 5,676, and 71 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	Relic (Pendergast, #1) by Douglas Preston (Goodreads Author) 4.05 avg rating — 110,805 ratings score: 5,663, 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
83	The Great and Secret Show (Book of the Art #1) by Clive Barker (Goodreads Author) 4.06 avg rating — 30,838 ratings score: 5,066, 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
84	Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1) by Michael Crichton 4.11 avg rating — 987,283 ratings score: 4,956, 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
85	Black House (The Talisman, #2) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.03 avg rating — 65,391 ratings score: 4,862, 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
86	The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, #3) by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.25 avg rating — 230,481 ratings score: 4,802, 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
87	Bird Box (Bird Box, #1) by Josh Malerman (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 197,006 ratings score: 4,774, 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
88	The Cellar by Richard Laymon 3.64 avg rating — 8,384 ratings score: 4,759, and 54 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	Weaveworld by Clive Barker (Goodreads Author) 4.13 avg rating — 32,907 ratings score: 4,602, 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
90	Odd Thomas (Odd Thomas, #1) by Dean Koontz (Goodreads Author) 3.99 avg rating — 271,699 ratings score: 4,595, 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
91	The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons 3.88 avg rating — 12,712 ratings score: 4,313, 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
92	Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon 3.82 avg rating — 10,306 ratings score: 4,276, 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
93	The Damnation Game by Clive Barker (Goodreads Author) 3.82 avg rating — 20,658 ratings score: 4,210, 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
94	The Bad Place by Dean Koontz (Goodreads Author) 3.94 avg rating — 37,762 ratings score: 4,058, 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
95	'Salem's Lot by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.10 avg rating — 603,257 ratings score: 4,044, 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
96	Song of Kali by Dan Simmons 3.61 avg rating — 14,596 ratings score: 3,894, 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
97	Cabal by Clive Barker (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 21,510 ratings score: 3,796, 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
98	They Thirst by Robert McCammon 3.91 avg rating — 13,205 ratings score: 3,772, 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
99	The Rats (Rats, #1) by James Herbert 3.92 avg rating — 22,995 ratings score: 3,724, 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
100	11/22/63 by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 4.34 avg rating — 570,711 ratings score: 3,591, 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

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1,932 books · 5,697 voters · list created June 28th, 2008 by Susan (votes) .

Tags: best, horror

53 likes · Like

Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

People Who Voted On This List (5697)

Susan 1641 books
61 friends

Heather 1515 books
35 friends

Billy 401 books
3069 friends

Kate 4903 books
1507 friends

Lindsey 1166 books
19 friends

William 4277 books
134 friends

Bresdin 499 books
13 friends

Nicholas 431 books
12 friends

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Post a comment »
Comments Showing 1-50 of 76 (76 new)

date

newest »

message 1: by Laya (new)

May 15, 2009 09:38AM

this book was so amazing and the movie was just as cool!! steven king is BEAST!!!

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message 2: by Nick (new)

Apr 11, 2010 05:18AM

where is Brian Lumley and his Necroscope series or other novels? Can't believe not a one.

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message 3: by Mike (the Paladin) (new)

Jun 21, 2010 09:16AM

Dracula is list because people have voted on multiple editions.... I agree they need to be consolidated.

Another thing (pet peeve here, and my pointing things like this out may be a pet peeve of some people) I'd love to vote for H. P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe...but those are short story collections and this is a list of novels. If the list had been best "horror stories" then they'd fit...but they aren't novels.

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message 4: by Lobstergirl (new)

Jun 21, 2010 07:46PM

I got rid of the duplicates.

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message 5: by [deleted user] (new)

Jun 24, 2010 02:35PM

Laya wrote: "this book was so amazing and the movie was just as cool!! steven king is BEAST!!!"

He is a beast alright! LOL!

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message 6: by Patrick (new)

Aug 07, 2010 12:45AM

Currently reading Silence of the Lambs. Salem's Lot is next!

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message 7: by Shannon (new)

Aug 26, 2010 06:21AM

An old book that creeped me out was "The Dark" by James Herbert. Don't read alone in the dark!!!

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message 8: by Alec (new)

Sep 11, 2010 10:35AM

It's sad seeing Poe and Lovecraft shunted so low in the list and lost amongst all of the Stephen King novels despite these two being two of the most influential horror writers of all time. I get Robert Chambers or Ashton Clark Smith or August Dereleth not being on here. Lovecraft makes an entrance below World War Z -- that's a fantastic book, but seriously? I think the only thing that would be more insulting is if Meyers was on this list.

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message 9: by Yassemin (new)

Sep 16, 2010 06:21AM

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Dracula is list because people have voted on multiple editions.... I agree they need to be consolidated.

Another thing (pet peeve here, and my pointing things like this out may be a pet peeve of ..."

Thats just an absurdly pedantic point. Its a book! Enough said!

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message 10: by Yassemin (new)

Sep 16, 2010 06:23AM

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message 11: by Caroline (new)

Sep 23, 2010 12:39PM

Laya wrote: "this book was so amazing and the movie was just as cool!! steven king is BEAST!!!"

truer words have NEVER been spoken

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message 12: by Cari (new)

Dec 12, 2010 01:08AM

Looking for a suggestion for a bookclub 'horror' book . . . . not blood and gore but a scare your pants off, keep you up at night, psychological thriller that would satisfy a wide group of readers, but isn't corny and overdone. Any suggestions?

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message 13: by Scott (new)

Feb 27, 2011 01:19PM

Do people not know what novels are? There are so many collections listed here (I'll give novellas a pass.)

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message 14: by [deleted user] (new)

Sep 03, 2011 12:12AM

Cari wrote: "Looking for a suggestion for a bookclub 'horror' book . . . . not blood and gore but a scare your pants off, keep you up at night, psychological thriller that would satisfy a wide group of readers,..."

Well, "The Shining", heading this list, has no explicit scenes or violence exactly. It's more the threat and what it's implied. And it's really, really scary. Nothing corny about it.

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message 15: by J.W. (new)

Mar 16, 2012 05:34AM

Why is Laymon so far down on this list?

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message 16: by Asilee (new)

May 07, 2012 09:16PM

Laya wrote: "this book was so amazing and the movie was just as cool!! steven king is BEAST!!!"

Which book?

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message 17: by Pankaj (new)

May 12, 2012 01:02AM

Best Scary House
http://bestforhalloween.com
Horror and Halloween Link Directory. Add your site for free. Horror authors, artists, halloween props, music, goth, costumes, paranormal, virtual haunted houses, all horror related sites are welcome to join. Best Scary House

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message 18: by Carl (new)

Aug 31, 2012 12:24AM

Nick wrote: "where is Brian Lumley and his Necroscope series or other novels? Can't believe not a one."

That was one of the best series I ever read, amazing!

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message 19: by Guy (new)

Aug 31, 2012 04:38AM

Shannon wrote: "An old book that creeped me out was "The Dark" by James Herbert. Don't read alone in the dark!!!"

Don't worry, I wont.

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message 20: by Laura (new)

Oct 08, 2012 11:23AM

I'm deleting books that aren't horror... like The Giver and The Host. 0.o

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message 21: by El (new)

Oct 10, 2012 05:51AM

Helter Skelter isn't even a novel. Once I saw the Ann Rule book on the second page (also non-fiction), I gave up looking at this list.

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message 22: by Rajshekhar (new)

Jan 11, 2013 12:14AM

this is a horror novel . i have to red it.

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message 23: by Laura (new)

Jan 19, 2013 07:53PM

Deleted for not being horror:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
Marked by P.C. Cast
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo
Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong
Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong
Holes by Louis Sachar
Night by Elie Wiesel
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by J.K. Rowling
The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The Field Guide by Holly Black
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Artemis Fowl by Eion Colfer
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

More will be delete later...

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message 24: by Anthony (new)

Jan 29, 2013 12:56PM

Devil's Knot # 206 is not horror, it is non-fiction

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message 25: by Scott (new)

Feb 26, 2013 11:51AM

A lot of the Lovecraft books are technically not "novels" but anthologies or novellas. Mostly just semantics, though. Many are great reads.

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message 26: by Summer Seeds (new)

Jul 14, 2013 08:42AM

Is Lord of the Flies really a "horror" novel? Don't get me wrong, sure it has some horrifying moments, but I've never considered it in the genre of horror before.

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message 27: by Robert (new)

Jul 28, 2013 06:29AM

What are some of Lovecraft's greatest, "non-Mythos" reads that will point me (a non- Lovecraft reader) in the right direction?

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message 28: by Josephine (new)

Sep 22, 2013 07:08PM

Is Gunslinger or Dark Tower really horror? I don't think of it that way at all, though I'd give it a top rating in fantasy.

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message 29: by Josephine (new)

Sep 22, 2013 07:12PM

Lord of the flies an The Road aren't really horror are they? Good list, aside from a very few books that don't seem to fit horror.

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message 30: by Amy (last edited Oct 09, 2013 08:46PM) (new)

Oct 09, 2013 08:42PM

1984 is NOT a horror story. Really, do people even bother to think before they add books? Neither is Lord of the Flies, and the Dark Tower series isn't horror, it's fantasy, by Stephen King's own words. Just because King wrote something doesn't automatically qualify it as horror. I'm not really sure that Flowers in the Attic really qualifies as horror either.

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message 31: by Adam (new)

Oct 23, 2013 10:35AM

El wrote: "Helter Skelter isn't even a novel. Once I saw the Ann Rule book on the second page (also non-fiction), I gave up looking at this list."

I removed it.

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message 32: by Adam (last edited Oct 23, 2013 10:44AM) (new)

Oct 23, 2013 10:40AM

Summer wrote: "Is Lord of the Flies really a "horror" novel? Don't get me wrong, sure it has some horrifying moments, but I've never considered it in the genre of horror before."

Josephine wrote: "Lord of the flies an The Road aren't really horror are they? Good list, aside from a very few books that don't seem to fit horror."

Amy wrote: "1984 is NOT a horror story. Really, do people even bother to think before they add books? Neither is Lord of the Flies, and the Dark Tower series isn't horror, it's fantasy, by Stephen King's own ..."

Lord of the Flies & 1984 are gone. I also removed the following, because they are not horror books:

The Stand - Stephen King
Intensity - Dean Koontz
Insomnia - Stephen King
Gunslinger - Stephen King

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message 33: by Amy (last edited Nov 03, 2013 06:05PM) (new)

Oct 23, 2013 04:23PM

Removed:

Under the Dome
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Fahrenheit 451
Adventures of Tom Sawyer
SeinLanguage
Jane Eyre

Quite a few duplicates.

Almost all those titles are either pure sci-fi or comedy non-fiction or Victorian literary classics. None of them belong on a horror list; and I suspect that people putting them here think they're being cute.

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message 34: by Sami (new)

Oct 24, 2013 12:06PM

It amuses me that 26 - over a quarter, obviously - of the top 100 horror books are by Stephen King. He truly seems to be the current King of Horror.

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message 35: by Adam (new)

Nov 13, 2013 11:57AM

Sami wrote: "It amuses me that 26 - over a quarter, obviously - of the top 100 horror books are by Stephen King. He truly seems to be the current King of Horror."

He gets such a bad rap because of the sheer volume of works he's written, but I have yet to get the feeling that they are repetitive or merely fit some form or style of writing that is repeated. (For example, almost all of Grisham's book involve a young to middle age, white, attorney male, running in to some trouble, resolving said trouble, and living happily ever after).

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message 36: by Jon (new)

Nov 17, 2013 07:57AM

No John Connolly? Not even one title?

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message 37: by Justice (new)

Dec 10, 2013 03:59AM

Shadowland by Peter Straub & Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons should have both been higher and many of Kings books should have been lower but hes a mainstream author so cant be surprised about that I guess..

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message 38: by Matthew (new)

Feb 14, 2014 06:51AM

I see a previous comment saying that Intensity by Koontz was removed for not being horror. Based on my opinion of what horror is, I disagree with that move. It seems to me that Inensity is more of a horror novel than Coma (which is still on this list, and I am not suggesting be removed, I just don't think of it as much of a horror novel as Intensity.)

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message 39: by [deleted user] (new)

Mar 29, 2014 06:24PM

Matthew wrote: "I see a previous comment saying that Intensity by Koontz was removed for not being horror. Based on my opinion of what horror is, I disagree with that move. It seems to me that Inensity is more o..."

I agree with you that it is horror! Some people just have nerves of steel. I guess nothing could scare them.

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message 40: by Steph (new)

Jun 06, 2014 10:49PM

Come on... Stephen King is good, but not that good.... he doesn't deserve half of the damn list.

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message 41: by [deleted user] (new)

Jun 07, 2014 04:09PM

Mark wrote: "Has anyone read Glen Duncan's "The Last Werewolf?" It's a pretty damn "Good Read." A little more sophisticated than most werewolf novels. Horrific and yet without a lot of scares. Told from the wer..."

I started it and thought it was the most horrible trashy thing I had ever started. Then I abandoned it.

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message 42: by Kirsten (new)

Sep 13, 2014 05:37AM

How the hell did Agatha Christie get on a Horror Novels list??

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message 43: by Leo (new)

Oct 02, 2014 07:38AM

Cari wrote: "Looking for a suggestion for a bookclub 'horror' book . . . . not blood and gore but a scare your pants off, keep you up at night, psychological thriller that would satisfy a wide group of readers,..."

I enjoyed both Horns and NOS4A2 and think both would be good for a book club suggestion.

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message 44: by Paul (new)

Nov 10, 2014 08:31AM

Checked for duplicates: 3 books removed.

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message 45: by Paul (new)

Nov 10, 2014 09:01AM

The list title explicitly asks for horror novels. I have removed all short story and novella collections from the top 300 titles, including multiple titles by Stephen King, H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, Clive Barker, etc. It would be a help if these were not re-added.

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message 46: by Paul (new)

Dec 28, 2014 07:16AM

Checked for duplicates: 24 books removed.

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message 47: by Alex (new)

Jan 21, 2015 03:43AM