It wouldn’t be October without a couple of horror lists, and today I’m sharing 25 horror books coming out next year that I’m very excited for. This isn’t a complete list, but these are books that are on my radar at the moment, and I’m also only sharing books that already have covers.
I’m linking them to Goodreads if you’d like to add to your own TBR, and if you notice something I’ve left off, let me know in the comments what you’re excited to read next year! I’m listing them in order of the publisher’s posted release date as well (dates subject to change). Also, please note I’m only listing books that already have covers. Take a look!
Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman. January 7th, Quirk Books. “From Vulture‘s “master of horror” Clay McLeod Chapman, a relentless and emotionally charged social horror novel about a family on the run from a demonic possession epidemic that spreads through media, for fans of The Last of Us and When Evil Lurks.”
The Way Up Is Death by Dan Hanks. January 14th, Angry Robot. “When a mysterious tower appears in the skies over England, thirteen strangers are pulled from their lives to stand before it as a countdown begins. Above the doorway is one word: ASCEND.”
Witchcraft For Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix. January 14th, Berkley. “They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.”
At the Bottom of the Garden by Camilla Bruce. January 28th, Del Rey. “A murderess becomes the guardian of two very unusual girls in this mesmerizing gothic novel from acclaimed author Camilla Bruce.”
Old Soul by Susan Barker. January 28th, G.P. Putnam’s Sons. “When two grieving strangers meet by chance in Osaka airport they uncover a disturbing connection. Jake’s best friend and Mariko’s twin brother each died, 6,000 miles apart, in brutal and unfathomable circumstances.”
Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel. February 4th, St. Martin’s Press. “For fans of Jordan Peele’s films, Stranger Things, and The Other Black Girl, Listen To Your Sister is a laugh-out-loud, deeply terrifying, and big-hearted speculative horror novel from electrifying debut talent Neena Viel.”
Hungerstone by Kat Dunn. February 18th, Zando. “Set against the violent wilderness of the moors and the uncontrolled appetite of the industrial revolution, Hungerstone is a compulsive feminist reworking of Carmilla, the book that inspired Dracula: a captivating story of appetite and desire.”
The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica. March 4th, Scribner. “The long-awaited new novel from the author of global sensation Tender Is the Flesh: a thrilling work of literary horror about a woman cloistered in a secretive, violent religious order, while outside the world has fallen into chaos.”
Vanishing Daughters by Cynthia Pelayo. March 11th, Thomas & Mercer. “A haunted woman stalked by a serial killer confronts the horrors of fairy tales and the nightmares of real life in a breathtaking novel of psychological suspense by a Bram Stoker Award–winning author.”
Rose of Jericho by Alex Grecian. March 11th, Tor Nightfire. “From the New York Times bestselling author of Red Rabbit comes a supernatural horror where ghosts and ghouls are the least of a witch’s problems in historical New England.”
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones. March 18th, Saga Press. “A chilling historical horror novel set in the American west in 1912 following a Lutheran priest who transcribes the life of a vampire who haunts the fields of the Blackfeet reservation looking for justice.”
The Haunting of Room 904 by Erika T. Wurth. March 18th, Flatiron Books. “From the author of White Horse (“Twisty and electric.” —The New York Times Book Review) comes a terrifying and resonant novel about a woman who uses her unique gift to learn the truth about her sister’s death.”
White Line Fever by K.C. Jones. March 18th, Tor Nightfire. “From Bram Stoker Award finalist KC Jones comes a haunting road trip-gone-wrong, where four friends must drive for their lives to escape The Devil’s Driveway.”
Blood on her Tongue by Johanna van Veen. March 25th, Poisoned Pen Press. “The Netherlands, 1887. Lucy’s twin sister Sarah is unwell. She refuses to eat, mumbles nonsensically, and is increasingly obsessed with a centuries-old corpse recently discovered on her husband’s grand estate. “
Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes. April 8th, Tor Nightfire. “Cold Eternity, the newest space horror novel from the author of Dead Silence and Ghost Station, blends the dystopian dread of Severance with the catastrophic approach to AI from M3gan.”
When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy. April 22nd, Tor Nightfire. “Nat Cassidy, author of Mary and Nestlings, returns with When the Wolf Comes Home, an unabashed, adrenaline-fueled pop horror thriller reminiscent of Dean Koontz and Stephen King, and inspired by The Lathe of Heaven and Terminator 2.”
Eat the Ones You Love by Sarah Maria Griffin. April 22, Tor Books. “A twisted, tangled story about workplace love-affairs, and plants with a taste for human flesh.”
The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig. April 29, Del Rey. “A group of friends investigates the mystery of a strange staircase in the woods in this mesmerizing horror novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Accidents.”
Polybius by Collin Armstrong. April 29, Gallery Books. “Stranger Things meets The Walking Dead in this chilling novel based on the terrifying urban legend about a video game created by the government for psychological warfare.”
The Night Birds by Christopher Golden. May 6th, St. Martin’s Press. “The next gripping, atmospheric horror novel from NYT bestselling author Christopher Golden, set in a deteriorated, half-sunken freighter ship off the coast of Galveston, TX.”
The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling. May 20th, Harper Voyager. “From the nationally bestselling author of The Luminous Dead and The Death of Jane Lawrence, a transfixing, intensely atmospheric fever dream of medieval horror.”
My Ex, the Antichrist by Craig diLouie. June 1st, Run For It (Orbit). “When a rock musician learns her ex-boyfriend is the Biblical Antichrist, she must find a way to stop him before he grows powerful enough to end the world. DAISY JONES AND THE SIX meets THE OMEN in this novel about music, love, free will, and the apocalypse …”
Girl in the Creek by Wendy N. Wagner. June 24th, Tor Nightfire. “The Girl in the Creek by Hugo Award winner Wendy N. Wagner is an atmospheric and eerie story about a Pacific Northwest forest that seems to be devouring all who enter. A perfect read for fans of T. Kingfisher and Jeff VanderMeer’s cli-fi cosmic horror.”
The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw. July 22nd, Tor Nightfire. “A deeply dark academia novel from USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Khaw, perfect for fans of A Deadly Education and The Atlas Six who are hungry for something a little more diabolical.”
Cathedral of the Drowned by Nathan Ballingrud. August 26th, Tor Nightfire. “The sequel to Crypt of the Moon Spider, Cathedral of the Drowned is a dripping, squirming, scuttling tale of altered bodies and minds.”
For someone who doesn’t read much horror I have a surprising number of these on my TBR and I’m curious about a few others but I think I’ll wait until I’ve seen some reviews to decide if they’re for me or not. I think I’m most intrigued by At The Bottom Of The Garden as I’ve been wanting to try something by the author for a while & The Unworthy. Although I’ll admit I’m kind of nervous about that one too as I’m aware that it may be too dark for me oh and a few of the ones about vampires, naturally
I’m very curious about The Unworthy since the author’s last book was so popular. I definitely want to check her work out:-)
How many interesting books!! It’s true that horror is not my thing but I am still intrigued by Blood on Her Tongue and The Library at Hellebore. And your list reminded me that I have yet to read Barnes’s books!!
I’ve loved all of Barnes’s books:-)
Wow this is quite the list! I was already looking forward to The Starving Saints, The Staircase in the Woods, Blood on Her Tongue, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter and Witchcraft For Wayward Girls. But now I’ve also added Hungerstone, The Way Up is Death and Rose of Jericho to my list. They all sound amazing!
Stephanie @ Bookfever recently posted…Review: Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay
There will definitely be plenty of horror for everyone next year:-)
So many of these look amazing but I think the number of on my list is the next Grady Hendrix.
Yes! Me too, super excited for the Grady Hendrix:-)
Okay, there are a LOT of books here that look fantastic! I’ll want to read the Grady Hendrix and Craig DiLouie for sure, and that Chuck Wendig looks creepy and amazing too!
So many of my favorite authors have books coming out next year, I couldn’t be happier:-)
Anytime I see a new Chuck Wendig story I look forward to it. I’m actually reading Black River Orchard right now.
Oh cool. I’ll be curious to see what you think of it. I thought it was a lot of fun.
The Way Up is Death is instantly intriguing to me! Very much wondering how that one will turn out.
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Me too, it’s a fun concept, right?
I will admire these from afar Tammy!
LOL totally understand:-)
I’m going to be adding some of these to my spreadsheet when I update it again!! What an awesome list 🙂
2025 is going to be epic!
Hungerstone, Blood on her Tongue, and The Night Birds are all on my TBR for the new year!
I’ve been dipping my toes into certain types of horror a bit more lately, so maybe I’ll try a couple of these. The Way Up is Death sounds like something I might like!
Kit @ Metaphors and Moonlight recently posted…Book Recs: 10 Books Inspired by Frankenstein
I’m hoping to read Hendrix, Jones, and Wendig’s novels next year, too!
Very excited for next year’s horror offerings. One of the few genres that haven’t been disappointing me! Sometimes I feel like I’m becoming a horror blog lol.
2025 looks like its going to be a standout year for horror! I’m adding HUNGERSTONE to my TBR. Another 2025 horror release I recently added to my TBR (via Alicia @ A Kernel of Nonsense’s 2025 horror list) is SOMETHING IN THE WALLS by Daisy Pearce.
Jenna @ Falling Letters recently posted…October 2024 Month In Review
I have quite a few of these on my radar and will be adding a few more. I’m not even a big horror reading normally!
Lynn 😀
I legit want to read every single one of these! Except the two which I wasn’t aware of but let’s be real I am probably going to want to read those, too! This is such an excellent bunch of books, at least we’ll have something to look forward to in 2025!
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