As we peer into the crystal ball of the literary landscape, the horror genre looks poised to deliver some of the most chilling and inventive reads yet. With a mix of beloved masters of the macabre pushing boundaries and exciting new voices emerging, the upcoming year promises a fresh wave of terror, suspense, and dark imagination. From psychological thrillers to supernatural shockers, the following ten novels are guaranteed to keep you guessing and plague your dreams. Whether you’re a longtime horror fan or new to the genre, these books are sure to haunt your shelves and minds in 2025.
Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman
- Release Date: 7 January, 2025
- Plot: This chilling novel follows a suburban family as they are radicalized by a demonic force that seeps through social media and 24-hour news cycles.
- Why We’re Excited: Already drawing comparisons to The Americans and The Exorcist, Clay McLeod Chapman’s latest promises to blend the cultural commentary of modern-day radicalization with the eerie presence of demonic horror. Fans of social commentary horror and psychological suspense are sure to have a field day with this and it’s sure to prove deeply relevant to today’s world.
- Notable Works: Ghost Eaters, Whisper Down the Lane
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
- Release Date: 14 January, 2025
- Plot: Set in 1970s Florida, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls follows a group of young women at a home for unwed mothers to have their babies in secret. Trapped there, they’re helpless, powerless, and in despair, until they stumble upon a guide to witchcraft.
- Why We’re Excited: Grady Hendrix is known for mixing humor, heart, and horror, and his latest novel promises to be no different. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls is something that Hendrix has been trying to write for years; not only because it is book inspired by something that happened in his family, nor because it is about the slippery subject of witches, but because it is also about something else that he says is very important to him:
- “For years, readers have asked me to write a book about librarians. As someone who was practically raised in libraries I’ve always wanted to write about them, too, but never found the right book. This is that book. Because every librarian protects secret knowledge. Every librarian tries to pass information on down the decades to the people who need it the most. Every librarian knows that reading is, literally, magic. Because every librarian is also a witch.”
- Notable Works: The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, My Best Friend’s Exorcism, Horrorstör
At Dark, I Become Loathsome by Eric LaRocca
- Release Date: 28 January, 2025
- Plot: “If you’re reading this, you’ve likely thought that the world would be a better place without you.”
- A single line of text, glowing in the darkness of the internet. Written by Ashley Lutin, who has often thought the same—and worse—in the years since his wife died and his young son disappeared. But the peace of the grave is not for him—it’s for those he can help. Ashley has constructed a peculiar ritual for those whose desire to die is at war with their yearning to live a better life.
- Struggling to overcome his own endless grief, one night Ashley finds connection with Jinx—a potential candidate for Ashley’s next ritual—who spins a tale both revolting and fascinating. Thus begins a relationship that traps the two men in an ever-tightening spiral of painful revelations, where long-hidden secrets are dragged, kicking and screaming, into the light.
- Only through pain can we find healing. Only through death can we find new life.
- Why We’re Excited: Eric LaRocca has become known for his bleak yet poetic narratives. His latest novel promises to deliver yet another deeply disturbing exploration of emotional horror.
- The novel has already been optioned for film by “The Walking Dead” star Norman Reedus and author Clay McLeod Chapman has described it as “a literary ritual, an unholy evocation of those unsparing authors who martyred themselves in the name of transgressive literature.” Based on all of the above, it’s pretty save to expect another slice of deeply felt terror that isn’t afraid to explore the darker sides of grief, trauma, and love.
- Notable Works: Things Have Gotten Worse Since Last We Spoke, Everything the Darkness Eats
Carrion Crow by Heather Parry
- Release Date: 27 February, 2025
- Plot: Marguerite Périgord is locked in the attic of her family’s Chelsea home, confined by her mother, Cécile, who fears Marguerite’s engagement will tarnish the family name. As Marguerite grows increasingly restless and obsessed with her own body, tensions rise. Both women have secrets and intentions that threaten to unravel them, and neither can see what the other is becoming.
- Why We’re Excited: Parry’s next gothic horror novel delves into the unsettling depths of mother-daughter bonds, sexuality, and class divides. Blending grotesque horror with poignant, tender moments, the narrative explores the intricate complexities of family and identity. Already having been compated to the works of Ottessa Moshfegh and Leonora Carrington, mirroring their fusion of grotesque beauty and profound emotional resonance, Carrion Crow‘s dark, complex themes promise a uniquely compulsive reading experience.
- Notable Works: Orpheus Builds a Girl, This Is My Body, Given For You
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
- Release Date: 18 March, 2025
- Plot: Set in the American West in 1912, this chilling historical horror novel tells the story of a Lutheran priest transcribing the life of a vampire haunting the Blackfeet reservation, seeking justice for his past wrongdoings.
- Why We’re Excited: Stephen Graham Jones has earned his place as one of horror’s rising stars, and this novel promises a unique twist on Native American folklore with a deeply engaging historical backdrop. The dark themes of revenge and myth make it an exciting, thought-provoking read.
- Notable Works: The Only Good Indians, Night of the Mannequins, Mapping the Interior
Black Flame by Gretchen Felker-Martin
- Release Date: 15 April, 2025
- Plot: In Black Flame, a solitary woman named Ellen restores films at a failing archive in New York City. When presented with a print of an occult film believed to have been destroyed during the Holocaust, she becomes obsessed with its depictions of queer debauchery and occult rituals. As she restores it, she begins to believe the horrifying events in the film are happening to her in real life.
- Why We’re Excited: Gretchen Felker-Martin has built a devoted following with her previous works, especially Manhunt, which captivated readers with its unique blend of horror, dark humor, and unflinching social commentary. Her ability to weave unsettling narratives with sharp, insightful critiques of gender, power, and identity has made her a standout voice in contemporary speculative fiction. And we can’t wait to see how she continues this tradition with Black Flame.
- Notable Works: Manhunt, Cuckoo
When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy
- Release Date: 22 April, 2025
- Plot: Jess, a struggling actress, finds a five-year-old runaway in the bushes outside her apartment. After a bloody confrontation with the boy’s father, they find themselves on the run, pursued by horrifying forces. As they flee, Jess uncovers more than she ever imagined about the dark events surrounding the boy’s past.
- Why We’re Excited: Inspired by The Lathe of Heaven and Terminator 2, Cassidy’s latest novel is said to deliver an exhilarating, adrenaline-fueled pop horror thrill ride. Fans of Dean Koontz and Stephen King are guaranteed to appreciate Cassidy’s signature mix of horror and suspense, this time round enhanced with fast-paced action.
- Notable Works: Mary, Nestlings, Rest Stop
Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle
- Release Date: 12 August, 2025
- Plot: After a global disaster leads to a series of absurd deaths, a bisexual statistics professor and a morally ambiguous government agent must work together in Las Vegas. They unravel the strange connection between deadly incidents and a supernatural casino that offers a dangerous kind of luck.
- Why We’re Excited: Tingle’s unique blend of absurd humor and genuine horror has earned him a cult following. With Lucky Day, fans can expect a wild, unpredictable ride full of dark comedy, supernatural intrigue, and the writer’s always twisty and unpredictable narrative.
- Notable Works: Camp Damascus, Bury Your Gays
8114 by Joshua Hull
- Release Date: 26 August, 2025
- Plot: A podcast investigating the mysterious death of a high school friend leads to an unraveling of horrifying truths. As the podcast’s hosts uncover the dark history of a small town, they’re haunted by unsettling visions and paranormal occurrences that connect them to the past in disturbing ways.
- Why We’re Excited: Joshua Hull, screenwriter of Glorious, follows up his longform prose debut Mouth, with 8114. Pitched as Richard Chizmar’s Chasing the Boogeyman meets Scott Derrickson’s Sinister, early reviews are praising its perfect combination of terror and well-timed humor, and its deft inclusion of podcast scripts and meta pop-culture references to give the novel a fresh, cinematic feel.
- According to Hull on Instagram, “For those in the know… yes it’s THAT 8114. For those not? GET READY!”
- Notable Works: Sick House, The Darkening
Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward
- Release Date: 7 October, 2025
- Plot: In the secluded valley of Nowhere, a group of runaway children guards its secrets. Riley and her younger brother, Oliver, come to the valley seeking sanctuary, only to discover its dark history. When a filmmaker arrives to document the children and the legacy of the valley’s former owner, Leaf Winham, he uncovers the true horror hidden in the ruins of Nowhere House.
- Why We’re Excited: Catriona Ward is a master of blending gothic horror with deeply emotional storytelling. Nowhere Burning promises to be just as unnerving and unpredictable as the author’s previous outstanding novels. According to the blurb, this is a must for fans of Riley Sager and the hit series “Yellowjackets.”
- Notable Works: The Last House on Needless Street, Little Eve
