Recs if you like Things We Lost in the Fire...

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.

Horror books written by Latin American authors.

This list was a winner of the Q1 2026 Community Voting event. To participate in the Side Quest, please follow the link pinned in the comments.

I am planning on keeping this list alive and will be adding more recommendations as I find them. Thank you everyone for nominating and voting for the list to be made into a Side Quest!

Books that are atmospheric, emotionally unsettling, beautifully written, a little weird, and linger long after you finish them.

Books recommended by musician Lucy Dacus, a solo artist and member of the band boygenius. Pulled from her goodreads list.

Horror recs for the weird sapphic girly pops

what it says on the tin! queer short story collections (including novels broken into standalone short stories) with a speculative bent; tinges of horror, fantasy, sci-fi, dystopia and the otherwise spiritual. attempting to keep the list quite curated, but recommendations are always welcome!

Grotesque, visceral, and boldly unsettling horror by Latin American women! // Shelf is a WIP, recommendations are welcomed! ✍️

Un recopilatorio de mis libros favoritos escritos por mujeres latinoamericanos, abordando de todo un poco, terror, drama, ficción, crítica política, naturaleza, etc.

Let's get weird!! 💫

short story collections by a single author in a variety of genres. recommendations welcome!

Magical realism is a genre prominently defined by Latin American authors responding to the socio-political realities Latin Americans face through the use of fantastical elements grounded in the mundanity of reality to highlight the surreal experiences of post-colonial life in oppressive regimes. This genre has been deeply influential and this list showcases the Latin American literature that is defined by and/or influenced by magical realism.

weird/wicked/gory/gothic/strange/surreal books by women, translated into english.

For when you need a quick horror fix

Horror short story collections and anthologies

Books that remind me of Mulder and Scully and their wild x-file hunting days. Suggestions welcome. I’m forever chasing that high.

This is a list of short form horror that is meant to represent a variety of subgenres and styles within the horror genre. The list includes short stories, short story collections and novellas under 200 pages

If you're not sure where to start, or what subgenre or style a particular work represents, I encourage you to come ask in the comments! My goal with this list is to make horror more accessible and less intimidating for people unfamiliar with the genre 🖤

Stephen King is overrated, read these horror books instead.

💬OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS. Just comment and I will add.