‘Tis the season of Black Friday deals and gift giving, and there is no shortage of novels, nonfiction books, graphic novels, and even cookbooks for the horror fan this year. If you’re unsure where to start or simply looking to add to your reading lists, we’ve compiled a handy guide of holiday must-haves for the horror reader in 2025.
These 20 books are must-haves for the horror fan.
Another by Paul Tremblay
Acclaimed author Paul Tremblay makes his middle school debut with Another, a perfect read for the budding horror fan. It’s a tale of unusual friendship set during COVID, when lonely young Casey finds his world upended by the arrival of a mysterious new friend, Morel. The longer Morel sticks around, the more Casey’s parents seem to favor the strange kid with clay-like skin. Tremblay has a way with creating unease and a chilling atmosphere that creeps up on you, which means that Another‘s style of unsettling eeriness won’t be for easily scared or very young readers. But for brave middle schoolers and horror fans alike, Tremblay’s latest captures the isolation of remote learning with affecting precision without sacrificing the scares.
Athanasia by Daniel Kraus
Whalefall author Daniel Kraus is back with a supernatural graphic novel described as “Watchmen meets Unbreakable.” Written by Kraus, edited by Adrian F. Wassel, illustrated by Dani, colored by Brad Simpson, and lettered by Jim Campbell, Athanasia introduces a popular new drug that’s bubbled up from the rotting corpses of superheroes in a cemetery. A drug that sends the cemetery’s new assistant groundskeeper on an addictive path toward supervillainy. Kraus’s melancholic look at heroism is gritty, brutal, and wholly unique.
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The Mexican Gothic author is back with another macabre tale, this one centered around witches. The Gothic novel follows three perspectives, all hailing from different time periods and each with a distinct connection to witchcraft. It is a multigenerational horror saga that binds its three women to a dark presence, one that unfurls with steady precision and Moreno-Garcia’s detailed prose and worldbuilding. That means The Bewitching dabbles in a few different subgenres in a beguiling vision of Mexican folklore.
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
Prolific horror author Stephen Graham Jones follows up his slasher trilogy with a sprawling epic based on the Marias Massacre. Horror and history collide in Jones’ reinvention of vampire lore, with the author putting a Western, American spin on Bram Stoker’s Dracula and its epistolary format. It’s a simmering examination of identity, heritage, guilt, and beyond, though it’s a heady journey paved with blood. Jones once again introduces richly layered characters and fearlessly takes his historical fiction to wild places.
Cold Storage by David Koepp
This 2019 novel is officially the oldest on this list filled with 2025 releases, but a gut-busting adaptation on the way serves as a solid reminder that great novels never go out of style. Two unwitting security guards and a bioterror operative team up to stop a specimen that’s broken out of its containment, threatening a grotesque world-ending event. While that sounds ultra-serious and apocalyptic, Koepp brings mordant humor and breakneck pacing to this propulsive thriller that’s sure to get you stoked for the upcoming feature film.
Elvira is bringing the afterlife to the party with a new cookbook that doubles as a party-planning guide. The Mistress of the Dark is divulging her secrets for the ultimate in goth gatherings, gruesome gourmet meals, killer cocktails, terrifying tablescapes, and funereal floral arrangements. It’s as fun as it sounds, with stunning presentation and images, making it a no-brainer gift option for recipe collectors, party hosts, or fans of Elvira.
Event Horizon: Dark Descent by Christian Ward
IDW Publishing’s new comic series from author Christian Ward, artist Tristan Jones, and colorist Pip Martin serves as a prequel to the 1997 sci-fi horror movie. Taking place prior to the film’s 2047 setting, the comic uncovers what really happened to Captain Kilpack and the first Event Horizon crew. Considering the glimpses revealed in the film, expect a grim journey ahead for this ill-fated crew. One that brings new nightmarish denizens with sequel potential.
King Sorrow by Joe Hill
The Black Phone scribe delivers one Faustian urban fantasy epic this year. The premise follows a group of friends as they summon a dragon to do their bidding. The only catch is that it locks them into a pact with the beast, one that demands regular sacrifice lest they become the dragon’s next meal. Despite its hefty page count, King Sorrow is a fast page-turner that shifts perspectives and explores themes of friendship, addiction, and loss as it combines fantasy, horror, and action in thrilling ways. An adaptation of Hill’s contemporary fairy tale may already be in development.
The Lamb by Lucy Rose
A tender, cannibalistic coming-of-age fairy tale about a mother and daughter. Lucy Rose pens a modern Grimm’s fairytale, complete with lush prose and graphic depictions of cannibalism as a newcomer shifts protagonist Margot’s views of Mama’s eating habits. That Rose is unafraid to really drive home the grotesqueries of this twisted family’s diet means that The Lamb and its stomach-churning visions can get repetitive for the squeamish. But for those that like their horror as beautiful as it is gory, The Lamb is a must.
Zombie’s making-of book chronicles the early notes and sketches behind the filmmaker’s feature directorial debut through its premiere, making it a comprehensive must-have for any fan. More than just pairing interviews with personal insights on the film’s creation, Zombie also includes the full shooting script, handwritten notes, rare artwork, concept sketches, and stills. In other words, it’s a stunner of a book that doubles as a gorgeous collectible and a fascinating deep-dive into an early aughts favorite.
Screaming and Conjuring: The Resurrection and Unstoppable Rise of the Modern Horror Movie by Clark Collis
Entertainment journalist and author Clark Collis traces the evolution of modern horror in this definitive 504-page hardcover, featuring behind-the-scenes accounts, untold stories, and in-depth interviews with horror stalwarts. Expect details, anecdotes, and production deep-dives into horror favorites like Scream, 28 Days Later, and The Conjuring, with insights from luminaries like Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, Drag Me to Hell) and SFX artist Greg Nicotero (The Mist, “The Walking Dead”). In other words, it’s a highly detailed and researched love letter to modern horror and its rise in popularity.
Terrifier 3: The Offical Novelization by Tim Waggoner
Available on Kindle now and in paperback and hardcover on December 2, the official novelization for Terrifier 3 arrives just in time to bring the horror to the holidays. The author of the Terrifier 2 novelization is back to unleash another splatterpunk battle between Art the Clown and Sienna as the horror icon gets festive for Christmas. The Terrifier 3 book will follow the franchise storyline that the film’s writer and director Damien Leone brought to audiences last year, a perfectly gruesome complement to the film.
That Very Witch: Fear, Feminism, and the American Witch Film by Payton McCarty-Simas
Witches are in vogue this holiday season, largely thanks to Wicked: For Good. Through historical analysis and dozens of case studies, author Payton McCarty-Simas’ book analyzes how the witch became the ultimate cultural bogeywoman, tracing cinematic portrayals throughout the decades and their cultural impact. McCarty-Simas tracks the cinematic witch across time, with extensive academic research as it engages with the political and societal landscapes that influenced the witch’s representation on screen throughout the decades. It’s not a light read, but it is a comprehensive text that’ll fill your watchlists with more witch horror.
Curious how Macon Blair’s raucous update on The Toxic Avenger came to be? This hardcover book highlights concept designs and production art, alongside insight from the cast, crew, and producers of the new take on Troma’s 1984 cult classic. As if that’s not enough to entice the horror-loving collector, the 160-page tome features an appropriately toxic glow-in-the-dark cover. If that’s still not enough Toxie for you, also look for the film’s official novelization from author Adam Cesare.
The Unworthy: A Novel by Agustina Bazterrica
The author of Tender is the Flesh is back with a dystopian horror story set at a convent inhabited by a cult. It follows an unnamed female protagonist who hopes to rise in the cult’s ranks, until she meets and falls in love with the newest member. It’s a short read that favors ambiguous storytelling and an emphasis on grotesque imagery, which means this disturbing little read aims to get under your skin rather than offer easy answers. The Unworthy may be light on plotting, but Bazterrica’s prose and the horror it evokes linger.
Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
Author Virginia Feito gives a murderous twist to the classic Victorian Christmas horror story. It’s not ghosts that haunt the remote gothic Ensor House when quirky governess Winifred Notty arrives to take up her new position, but Winifred herself. As the young governess assimilates into life at Ensor House, staff members begin to inexplicably disappear, and the owners of the estate begin to wonder if there is something amiss about their new hire. Think American Psycho, but set in 1858. This brisk read doesn’t offer much in the way of surprises, but it’s a fun bloody romp perfect for the holidays. And it has an adaptation starring Maika Monroe on the way.
When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy
Nat Cassidy’s ode to ’80s horror brings pulpy, bonkers entertainment. A struggling actress discovers a young runaway hiding outside her apartment. A violent confrontation with the boy’s father sets in motion a harrowing bid for survival. It’s a prolonged chase novel in the vein of Dean Koontz, one with plenty of horror surprises to keep you on your toes. At the center of this grim tale is an examination of father figures and our complicated, shape-shifting relationships with our parents, rendered through an extraordinarily compelling and gory horror story.
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
Hendrix’s latest offers the author’s take on witches, but with a far meatier and more mature story grounding it. Here, witchcraft is rarely as scary as the historically based horrors tormenting a handful of terrified teens shunned by society. The 1970-set novel introduces 15-year-old Neva Craven, left scared and confused as her irate father coldly drives her across state lines and unceremoniously deposits her in Florida’s Wellwood House, a strict and controlling place for people like Neva: unwed pregnant teens. Friendship creates a formidable power of its own in this rebellious and bewitching story.
Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman
Clay McLeod Chapman’s latest captures the horrors of being terminally online. Reminiscent of The Purge and The Signal, a strange broadcast is driving viewers mad with homicidal rage. Chapman takes it further, experimenting with form and perspectives, including a found footage section. It’s a viscerally violent and bleak vision of a demonic possession epidemic that spreads through the media. It’s as subtle as a sledgehammer with its social commentary, offset by a breakneck, intense pace.
Your Favorite Scary Movie: How the Scream Films Rewrote the Rules of Horror by Ashley Cullins
The definitive gift for the die-hard Scream fan in your life. The 352-page book examines the making and impact of the Scream films, with behind-the-scenes insight from cast and crew; nearly everyone associated with this franchise is interviewed, and Cullins leaves no stone unturned in her exploration of these films. Beyond interviews, the comprehensive book is filled with production details, anecdotes, and scrapped sequel plan reveals. As if that’s not enough, Cullins also injects teases for the upcoming installment with quotes from Neve Campbell and Kevin Williamson. For the non-reader, Ghostface himself, actor Roger L. Jackson, narrates the audiobook.
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