Recs if you like You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom...

are you sick of being recommended stephen king when you ask for a horror novel? have you picked up a book expected to be scared, but the scariest thing about it was a woman being needlessly tormented and gaslit? have you read 4627473 books about a man in a haunted house and need something different?

if so, this list is for you :)

a masterlist of horror by anyone who isn't a straight cis white man. i've been maintaining it for myself since 2022 and it was time to share the wealth!

horror fiction from Black authors featuring Black characters

We should all be reading queer, all year, but this list is full of upcoming queer books of all makes and models coming out in 2026. If you have a rec to add, just please keep in mind we’re looking for 2026 releases!

Book titles that represent reasons you might go to the doctor, what you might say to each other, or what treatments might be offered to cure your ailments. It's up to you to decide what is what😉

(This is not a commentary on these books or authors! The focus of this list is purely on the titles---but if you find a favorite new read here, I'd love to know🤭)

was curious, so did some research and found loads and loads!!! happy reading, folks!

A genre-inclusive and diverse list of horror releases coming in 2026. If I missed any or you have suggestions, please let me know. I will update periodically as new books are announced and release dates are solidified.

Source for a lot of the data for this list came from readjumpscares.com, which is a website you should absolutely check out. I’m sure data will come from other places along the way, as well.

Creepy books made better because there are queer characters

this is an ongoing list of lgbtqiap+ books (across all genres, and age groups) that are planned to be released in 2026. if you’re an arc reader, you can also check whether any of them are available as arcs!! feel free to suggest books to add, since I’ll work on this list over time as well 🥰

last books added in: january!

Horror/thriller/creepy queer books to Look Forward to in 2026

a collection of books im interested in which are releasing this year (2026). no particular order

trans rep books (including non binary)

i haven't read very many but i would certainly like to read more

Not all of these books will have cannibalism... but there is a non-zero chance at least 1% will.

This is one of a few lists I'm making to help me organize my ideas for HRCYED 3.0. Feel free to take inspiration or comment with more ideas.