My Top 10 Horror Novel Recommendations to Read This Autumn Season!

Welcome to the twenty-first day of my daily October posts! Throughout these next 11-days, I will be posting different spooky fun facts, tricks and treats. Today, we will be going through the top 10 horror novels I recommend reading this October! Enjoy!

1. Psycho (1959) by Robert Bloch - Norman Bates, a man under the influence of his dictative mother, finds himself entangled in a series of murders at his motel—the Bates Motel.

2. The Haunting of Hill House (1959) by Shirley Jackson - Eleanor Vance finds herself staying at a so-called haunted house—Hill House, with other psychically inclined individuals. Their positions there are to attempt to find if Hill House is actually haunted—will you find out as well?

3. The Exorcist (1971) by William Peter Blatty - The story follows two priests as they attempt to exorcise a demon out of a famous actress’ 12-year old daughter, Regan McNeil. The book itself was influenced by a real exorcism that took place in 1949.

4. Amityville Horror (1977) by Jay Anson - Based on true events and what they thought were true hauntings at the time, of a so-called haunted house full of demons and a true history of a shocking family homicide—by their own son and brother. Although the Amityville haunting has been debunked over the years, the actual horrific murder is still missing a few pieces of its story…

5. The Long Walk (1979) by Stephen King - The idea behind this dystopian novel is a lottery-like manipulative system of oppression. The story follows a group of 49 boys—one from each American state during the 1970s, who have won the contest, a.k.a. the long walk. Who will win out of these young men when the contest is a race that lacks a finish line?

6. Pet Sematary (1983) by Stephen King - Yet another horrifying piece by the king of horror, Stephen King. Pet Sematary follows a family who had just moved into a home where they find a burial ground for animals behind the house. Despite their neighbors warnings to leave it alone, they discover that the burial ground brings animals back to life. The discovery happens after their cat is hit by a truck and is resurrected after being buried in the backyard. Not very long afterward, their son also dies by getting hit by a truck (I don't know why it’s always a truck either 🤷‍♀️). His parents bury him in the backyard in the hope that he will come back to life—and he does... The question remains, is this actually their son or is it just his body? If it’s just his body, then whose soul is within him?

7. Tender is the Flesh (2017) by Augustine Bazterica - What would happen in a world where animal meat has become toxic and cannibalism is legalized? This dystopian grotesque novel is the perfect read for those who enjoy George Orwell’s 1945 novel, Animal Farm. Originally published in Spanish back in 2017, this novel was eventually translated to English in 2020 and is now popping up again for its obscure vision of the dystopian. 

8. My Sister, the Serial Killer (2018) by Dyinkan Braithwaite - A phenomenal read focusing what one would do to protect their family and those surrounding them. I recommend this piece simply for the interesting perspective you are met with as the reader!

9. Strange Pictures (2022) by Uketsu - A terrifyingly disturbing mystery from a mysterious author only known for the pen-name “Ukestsu”… EERIE! Strange Pictures is the first of a two-novel series—thus far! The book allows the reader to act as the detective as they go through each drawing to uncover clues, theories and something more sinister… good luck!

10. The Staircase in the Woods (2025) by Chuck Wendy - For this one, I’m just going to throw the hook at you. Five high school friends have made a pact that they will always protect one another. One day, on a camping trip they came across a staircase in the middle of the woods—I said the thing! 😂 What happens when one of the friends goes up the staircase and disappears, never to return? And what happens when the staircase also disappears, never to return?

Thank you for reading and make sure to come back for tomorrow's post!

Sincerely, 

        your 21st century poet <3