5 Most Anticipated Horror Books of 2023
If there’s one often-unsung medium for horror, it’s books. Trust me. There is a mountain of spine-tingling tales of terror in book form for all tastes, and from all decades, just awaiting discovery. Not just fiction but nonfiction deep dives into horror cinema to satiate all fans.
And many exciting new additions to the shelf are scheduled for release this year. Whether you’re in the mood for short stories, a slasher sequel, or spooky Halloween comfort, 2023 has it all.
I narrowed it down to the five upcoming horror books we can’t wait to read.
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Save for her love of horror and horror cinema, Moreno-Garcia refuses to adhere to a single subgenre, which is what makes every new release so exciting. Whereas Mexican Gothic delivered a Gothic romance, and The Daughter of Doctor Moreau retooled a sci-fi horror classic, Silver Nitrate takes on Nazi occultism and cursed films set in the film industry in ’90s Mexico City.
The Beast You Are by Paul Tremblay
The author of The Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts is back, this time with a bone-chilling new collection of stories. The title novella is described as a “mini epic in which the destinies and secrets of a village, a dog, and a cat are intertwined with a giant monster that returns to wreak havoc every thirty years.” Could there be crossover with other Tremblay works, like the author’s story collection Growing Things? This one is likely to induce chills either way.
Piñata by Leopoldo Gout
This possession tale has been described as A Head Full of Ghosts meets Mexican Gothic, a magical horror combo. Carmen Sanchez is in Mexico to oversee the renovation of an ancient cathedral as it’s turned into a hotel. Her teen daughters Luna and Izel visit her for the summer and are left to their devices as Carmen contends with contractor woes. Once Luna is nearly injured, the trio returns to New York City, but something’s wrong with Luna. It may be too late for the Sanchez family to escape what evil awakened.
Lone Women by Victor LaValle
LaValle is back with a haunting portrait of early-twentieth-century America. It’s 1915, and Adelaide is forced to pack up her things and head to Montana to become a homesteader after her deep, dark secret killed her parents. That secret she’s tried so desperately to lock away might be the only thing that will help her survive the harsh territory.
Those We Drown by Amy Goldsmith
YA aquatic horror. Enough said. But if you need more, the plot sees Liv’s best friend disappear on the first night of their semester-at-sea college program. Liv soon suspects that her friend isn’t just hiding away sick, as everyone says, but instead has succumbed to a sinister conspiracy on board. And something even more dangerous may be lurking beneath the water.
