Are we scared yet? Top Horror Fiction Picks of the Year

Edward Collier, A Vanitas Still Life, 1699

Posted by Staff

In a recent edition and just in time for the scary season, Booklist selected their top horror picks from the past year.  The selections run the gamut from the ever present vampire story (with a few modern riffs) to psychological terror.  If you're in the mood for a good chill, try out of one these recent books (all descriptions by Booklist):

American Vampire by Jennifer Armintrout.  On his way to a vampire party in New York, Graf McDonald takes a wrong turn and ends up in Penance, OH, which one can enter but not leave.....

Dust by Joan Frances Turner.  The author has taken the familiar zombie clichés and given them a good shake, creating a new zombie mythology that is smart, scary, and viscerally real.

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King.  King begins his afterword by stating, "The stories in this book are harsh."  The man aint' whistlin' Dixie.  Rarely has he gone this dark, but to say there are no stars here is crazy.

Ghost Story by Jim Butcher.  Harry Dresden's back for another adventure battling forces far greater than himself - business as usual for Chicago's favorite wizard; except this time he has a bit of a handicap: He's dead, and he's been sent back to solve the mystery of his murder.

The Glass Demon by Helen Grant.  With its fascinating information on medieval folklore, unique setting, and increasingly claustrophobic sense of terror, this is an exhilarating page-turner that offers a cerebral blend of horror and mystery.

I Don't Want to Kill You by Dan Wells.  Horror and fantasy fans of all ages, especially those who get a kick out of Jeff Lindsay's Dexter novels, should embrace this third and, perhaps, final novel about John Cleaver.

Jane and the Damned by Janet Mullany.  Mullany rewrites history in more ways than one in this novel, which sets up Jane Austen as a vampire.  A fast-paced adventure for those who don't mind the vampire craze impinging upon historical events and beloved authors.

The White Devil by Justin Evans.  Readers of this thoroughly upsetting horror-mystery hybrid will find their nightmares imprinted with several unshakable images; smart, scary, sexy, and gorgeously written to boot.

The Zombie Autopsies by Steven C. Schlozman.  While medical professionals may get a few laughs from Schlozman's meticulous faux scientific research, the target audience - horror fans and zombie enthusiasts - will be pleased.