You Think a Pandemic is Scary? Contemporary Horror Picks
Hankering for some horror from home? Turn your house into a house of horrors with these diabolically distracting purveyors of darkness and dread! Here are some of my go-to horror authors as well as an essential pick for each guaranteed to keep you up at night.
Gemma Files
Essential pick: If you are the kind who can breeze through an entirely trilogy in one sitting, look no further than The Hexslinger Omnibus. Western + horror + dark fantasy = a big old "YES!" from me!
Joe Hill
Essential pick: Heart-Shaped Box is a non-stop thrill ride story pitting an aging rockstar, his stripper girlfriend and their two attack dogs against a ghost with hypnotic powers. 20th Century Ghosts is a collection of brilliantly-realized short stories, ranging from scary to sad to sweet. Both are available in this Hill-sized omnibus.
Kelly Link
Essential pick: Get in Trouble. A fantasy/horror collection nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction? Sign me up, please!
Kim Newman
Essential pick: The Anno Dracula series. This succulent buffet of espionage, warfare and the undead is set in an alternate historical timeline, populated by classic literary characters and just about every single vampire to ever make an appearance in writing or film.
Laird Barron
Essential pick: The Beautiful Thing That Awaits Us All: These eerie tales mix the pulpy genre pleasures of hardboiled crime novels with the deep-seated alien monstrosities of cosmic horror.
Nathan Ballingrud
Essential pick: North American Lake Monsters. Monsters, hauntings and supernatural elements aren't the focus of these stories; rather, they accentuate the domestic strife and existential turmoil of Ballingrud's hapless characters, like a physical manifestation of the darkness within. Sometimes terrifying, often heartbreaking, always brilliant.
Honorable Mention:
Ellen Datlow
Editor of The Best Horror of the Year, as well as a wealth of other anthologies. Chances are, if you discover you like one of the authors listed here, you'll find they've got some extra tales tucked away in some anthology or collection. Here are just a few to get you started .
Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.
Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!