Publishing has changed a lot since the ’90s, but one of the genres that has transformed the most is horror: Black horror, queer and trans horror, and Japanese horror in particular have made a big impact on the genre in recent years.

Today, we’re sharing our picks for the Best Horror Books of the Century So Far.

No single list can contain a genre as vast as horror, of course, but these 50 books showcase the standout titles across subgenres, age categories, and formats, including horror comics, dark fiction anthologies, sci-fi horror, gothic novels, YA horror, and even a scary story picture book.

They represent the biggest and buzziest horror books of the century, the most influential titles of the genre, and our personal favorites. Here are some highlights.

Big and buzzy:

• Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
• Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
• Uzumaki by Junji Ito, translated by Yuji Oniki

Most influential:

• House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
• Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
• The Ring by Koji Suzuki, translated by Glynne Walley

Personal favorites:

• Boys Weekend by Mattie Lubchansky: A “witty, tender romp through the cosmic horror of being alive.”
• The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson: “It’s social horror of the best kind, the kind that dares you to even try to look away and where no one gets off easy.”
• White Horse by Erika T. Wurth: “Wurth challenges Indigenous stereotypes and offers a unique twist on a ghost story.”
• The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling: “It’s The Descent meets The Martian meets Killing Eve.”

👉 How many of the best horror books of the century have you read?