Summer is ending soon, and spooky season is almost here! Now’s the time to prepare your shelf and plan to read all the new and exciting horror books coming your way. Read on for 13 scary stories you’ll be dying to get your hands on this fall.
September
September 6
The Gathering Dark, edited by Tori Bovalino
This YA collection brings together 10 authors to share folk horror tales. The stories read like campfire tales, with original stories referencing familiar urban legends like Bloody Mary. Come for the authors you love, like Hannah Whitten and Chloe Gong, and stay for the scares.
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Our Shadows Have Claws, edited by Yamile Saied Méndez and Amparo Ortiz
Our Shadows Have Claws is another horror anthology coming out in September; this one, however, features Latine mythology. Full of bloodthirsty vampires, brujas, wolf-gods and more, this collection spans Latin America and its diaspora with cross-genre stories from 10 writers, including Ann Dávila Cardinal, Claribel A. Ortega and Alexandra Villasante.
The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson
Maddy Washington has always been an outcast and a target for bullies. However, when the other students discover her mixed background, the bullying turns to outright racism. A viral bullying video reveals Springville High’s racist roots to the world, and the school holds its first-ever integrated prom as a show of unity. When the popular white class president convinces her Black quarterback boyfriend to ask Maddy to the prom, she finally feels normal. But since The Weight of Blood is based on Carrie, everything, of course, comes crashing down on prom night.
September 13
House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson
Raised in the slums, Marion Shaw is desperate to leave the city and start a new life. When she answers a peculiar ad seeking a bloodmaid for a manor in the far north, she thinks it’s her chance. Marion finds herself the newest member of the House of Hunger, where Countess Lisavet rules and wealthy nobles drink their servants’ blood. When she learns that past bloodmaids have gone missing, Marion must decide what her new life is worth.
The Depths by Nicole Lesperance
After a near-fatal diving accident, Addie joins her mother and stepdad on their honeymoon to a remote tropical island. While the island is beautiful, it’s full of secrets. Addie begins sleepwalking, the birds call her by name and a strange little girl wants to play hide-and-seek in the jungle. When the family on the island tells her of the sisters that died there centuries ago, Addie realizes the island and its inhabitants may not be willing to let her go.
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The Depths is gothic horror like you’ve never seen before, full of lush tropical vibes that conceal true darkness.
Glorious Fiends by Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam
Hot-mess vampire Roxanne always knew she would resurrect her two best friends. However, she didn’t count on the Guardian of the Underworld demanding she replace them or get dragged down in their place. Reunited with Mx. Hyde and Medusa, the gang must find three equally nefarious creatures if they want to continue their bloody fun.
Glorious Fiends is a short, bloody monster adventure full of gore, sex and ’80s horror tropes. It’s the perfect quick read to start your spooky season off right.
September 27
Leech by Hiron Ennes
In the post-apocalyptic future, healthcare may be free for everyone, but it still comes at a cost. Human bodies controlled by aliens merge their knowledge to solve medical problems as a collective hive mind. When a doctor dies in a remote, snow-covered village, another arrives to determine their cause of death. After pulling a worm from behind their predecessor’s eye, they realize they’re dealing with no simple pathogen but a competitor.
If you’re into intense body horror, Frankenstein or The Thing, Leech is perfect for you.
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October
October 4
Castle Rock Kitchen by Theresa Carle-Sanders
Unlike the other books on this list, Castle Rock Kitchen is a horror-themed cookbook! Theresa Carle-Sanders takes on the role of a character from Stephen King‘s first book, The Long Walk Home, and brings readers into the Maine of Derry and Castle Rock. With a foreword by King himself and excerpts connecting the recipes to the books that inspired them, this is the perfect addition to any horror fan’s collection.
It Rides a Pale Horse by Andy Marino
Everyone in Wofford Falls knows the Larkin siblings; both artists, one a hero and one strange and eccentric. When golden boy Lark delivers his latest piece to a wealthy buyer, he’s shocked when he’s shown a video of his sister Betsy being abducted in real-time. Betsy’s well-being hinges entirely on Lark doing everything a book tells him to do. But the book depicts terrifying, demonic sculptures that he must recreate. Without any other options, his only way out is through, even if it costs him his soul.
October 18
Where Black Stars Rise by Nadia Shammas and Marie Enger
Dr. Amal Robardin, a Lebanese immigrant and new therapist, thought she was ready for her first patient. But her latest patient Yasmin tells of a malevolent presence that visits her at night. Obsessed with Robert Chambers’ The King in Yellow, Yasmin finds messages in the book that lead to her disappearing while looking for answers. When Amal tries to track down her missing client, she slips through dimensions to Carcosa and the realm of the King in Yellow. Will Amal find Yasmin and free them both, or are they trapped forever?
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Where Black Stars Rises is an eldritch horror graphic novel that effectively uses black and yellow coloring and sharp angles to heighten the ominous tone on every page.
November
November 1
White Horse by Erika T. Wurth
When urban Indian Kari James inherits a copper bracelet from the mother she never knew, strange things begin to happen. When she touches the bracelet, she can see drawings and engravings no one else can, alongside the mangled spirit of her mother and another, darker presence. Part murder mystery, part ghost story, White Horse already has accolades from horror greats like Stephen Graham Jones and Grady Hendrix.
November 8
Breakable Things by Cassandra Khaw
From the author of The All-Consuming World and Nothing But Blackened Teeth comes a terrifying debut short story collection. Cassandra Khaw‘s mastery of language leads to some genuinely unsettling stories. Featuring longer, deeper tales interspersed with quick scares, Khaw is a bold new voice in horror and one to watch.
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November 15
Wayward by Chuck Wendig
The only sequel on this list, Wayward picks up five years after Wanderers ended. Without giving too much away, Wayward takes place in a city of sleepwalkers and shepherds attempting to rebuild society after its collapse. But the new world is fragile, and cruel and brutal forces are converging on the survivors that will stop at nothing to take them down.
These 13 new releases are just the tip of the horror iceberg. What terrifying books are you looking forward to reading this fall? Let us know below!
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