Horror Upon Us: A Taste Before October

On Wednesday 28 October 2026 join Sophie Green and Josh Winning as they host a bookish horror-themed Halloween quiz, one of Eastern Angles Centre’s ‘Pizza and a Pint’ evenings. Tickets can be booked through the Eastern Angles website. They have both provided their horror recommendations to get those shivers tingling.

Top 10 Horror Novels chosen by Sophie Green:

A Shady Place for Sunny People by Mariana Enriquez, trans. Megan McDowell (Granta: 2024)

A new favourite. These short stories explore society, humanity, counterculture and Argentina’s troubled past through the lens of captivating horror fiction.

Carrie by Stephen King (Doubleday: 1974)

King’s first novel is the tale of bullied teenager Carrie White and the telekinetic revenge she exacts on her tormentors. It’s told from the perspective of multiple characters and using fictionalised reports and news clippings to give it a brilliant ‘true crime’ feel.

Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel (Fourth Estate: 2005)

One of the best depictions of ghosts I’ve ever read. This is a darkly comical and disturbing tale of a spirit medium as she battles with her own past and the nagging problems that come with living in a new-build on a suburban housing estate.

Something Is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell'Edera (BOOM! Studios: 2020)

Incredible graphic novel series about a monster-slaying secret society. Dry humour, amazing illustrations, a wonderful hardboiled protagonist and a high body count.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (Viking Penguin: 1959)

A slow-burn gothic horror with moments of abject terror. You can never really leave Hill House; once it gets inside your head it will haunt you forever (or vice versa).

Smothermoss by Alisa Alering (Titan Books: 2024)

Set in an isolated community in the Appalachian Mountains in the 1980s. The murders of two hikers fascinate sisters Sheila and Angie. Smothermoss is a fairytale-like gothic horror; creepy, unsettling and filled with rich and vivid descriptions of wild – and human – life.

Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link (Viking: 2008)

These short stories are deliciously macabre, weird, funny and sometimes poignant – a good book for older children as well as adults. 

Beloved by Toni Morrison (Chatto & Windus: 1987)

A real masterpiece. Beloved is the incredibly moving and disturbing tale of Sethe, a mother who as a slave endured unspeakable horrors and is haunted by them.

American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis (Vintage: 1991)

Narcissistic banker Partick Bateman violently murders his way across New York in this dark satire of 80s excess and superficiality.

Dark Matter by Michelle Paver (Orion: 2010)

Claustrophobic, atmospheric and genuinely terrifying, Dark Matter stays with you long after you’ve turned the final page. 

10 Favourite Recent Horror Reads chosen by Josh Winning:

Bone of my Bone by Johanna van Veen (Poisoned Pen: 2026)

Gripping sapphic horror story in which two women attempt to reunite a saint’s skull with its body in war-torn 17^th century Germany.

Gloam by Jack Mackay (Rock the Boat: 2025)

Brilliantly spooky children’s adventure following three siblings who battle a creepy new babysitter and her army of monsters.

Come With Me by Ronald Malfi (Titan: 2021)

This one reads like Stephen King meets Raymond Chandler, as a grief-stricken man delves into the mysterious past of his dead wife. An all-time favourite.

Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson (Titan: 2023)

Lushly written novella in which a woman becomes besotted by an artisan soap maker, but their ensuing romance is fraught with secrets.

Splasher by Billie Host (pub. by 3 AM 16 July 2026)

A college swim team falls prey to a malevolent presence in this fun and fast-paced ‘haunted swimming pool’ slasher book.

Coffin Moon by Keith Rosson (Black Crow: 2025)

One of the best vampire novels I have ever read, this is grungy and hard-hitting, as an ex-army vet gets on the wrong side of a set of fangs.

The Seventh Sister by Dawn Kurtagich (Thomas and Mercer: 2026)

A folk horror about siblings sent to live on a remote island with their grandmother, this is drenched in atmosphere and boasts some heartstoppingly gorgeous writing.

Serenity Falls by C. J.  Tudor (pub. by Michael Joseph 10 Sep 2026)

A proper epic from the author of The Chalk Man, set in a seemingly idyllic American gated community that is hiding (a lot of) sinister surprises.

Barb Jacobs Just Won't Die! by Tanya Pell (pub. by Corvus 15 October 2026)

Another slasher, and this one delivers a dazzling dissection of Hollywood, fame, and the treatment of women in showbiz – plus buckets of blood. Highly recommended.

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix (Tor Nightfire: 2026)

Part horror, part historical account, all riveting, this is set in a home for girls in the 1970s who have become pregnant out of wedlock.