Recs if you like The Sea Hides Its Dead...

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!

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.

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.)

Note: must be more than just the backdrop

Keyword: aquatic horror recommendations and corrections welcome!

Horror books to read just for the aesthetic

Just a list of books coming out in 2026 that I’m really excited for :) it will be updated as the months go by! It will be a mix of: high fantasy, romance fantasy, sci-fi, gothic, horror, lit fic, historical fiction, retellings, poetry, romance, & more!!

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

Be the trend setter of your book club or bookish friend group by getting to know the authors of next year’s publication cycle. These books are all by new talent in the publishing world from both the Big 5 and small, traditional publishers.

Be sure to also check out these authors on social media for ARC opportunities, and show these authors some love by requesting a purchase with your local library, or pre-ordering a copy yourself!

Qwordy's Hardest Reading Challenge You'll Ever Do 3.0 5 Word Titles Prompt You must find TEN titles total with the total number words in the title going from one all the way through ten. I'll break these lists down into the total number of words in the title to make planning easier. This is an on going list and always open for recommendations

Love an academic setting, but tired of protagonists who are at most 20 years old? Needing some solidarity to get you through your own terminal degree? These books across all fiction genres depict the graduate school experience.

Are you scared of the ocean? You should be.

wet, coastal, slimy, foggy, oceanic, ghostly, watery

All the Illumicrate, Afterlight, Evernight, Starbright, etc. picks for 2026

Ultimate spookathon for October 😱 -suggestions welcome-

Horror books with blue covers!

Don't mess with mama, she's pissed off!

A list of all the books featured as monthly picks for the Illumicrate Horror Sub: Evernight. ◽️ Not Including sequels or special editions outside of the monthly sub.◽️ I will include new books about a month after release to avoid spoilers.

might have to dedicate a month to the subgenre because there’s SO MUCH of it on my tbr

(waiter, waiter! my steak is too juicy and my lobster too buttery!)

A subsection of the 2026 Debut Author list for horror.

good deep sea horror picks