Recs if you like They Drown Our Daughters...

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, started in 2022 and brought to pb in 2026.

for people who are both terrified of and fascinated by the ocean (like me)

We all love gothic classics, but what is new when it comes to the gothic genre (from the last 20 years or so)?! For fans of Dracula, Jane Eyre, Frankenstein, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, etc. Please comment with suggestions to add!

What lies within the depths... Speculative Horror books where the main horror element directly relates to a body of water (whether that be a swamp, ocean, lake, river, etc.)

Keywords: aquatic horror, ocean horror, spooky water, water horror, haunted hydrology

Note: must be more than just the backdrop ** recommendations and corrections welcome! **

Inspired by the sea fog, whistling winds, and the dark sea crashing against the rocks in summer

Horror books featuring sapphic characters and relationships!

Horror recs for the weird sapphic girly pops

I love a spooky lighthouse. Lighthouse-related horror, thriller and generally dark fiction. Especially good to read by a window during a storm.

parasitic algae, creatures in the depths, monstrous transformations...i'm just gonna stay on land but have fun playing mermaids!

Whether by lake, sea, or ocean these stories will have you questioning whether it's safe to go into the water.

Tags: #Horror #Nautical

In honor of Geo Rutherford's social media Spooky Lake Season celebration, a list of books featuring haunted or haunting bodies of water [fiction list]

A mix of the horrors of parenthood AND parents (particularly mothers) doing absolutely everything to protect their kids.

Is that a cult?

haunted house/the vibes in this house are rotted. (please recommend any books you think i'd like based off of this list!)

Books that are not classics but fit into the gothic genre or at the very least aesthetic. Suggestions are welcome!

my personal tbr