Buzz
Stephen King dominates the modern horror scene, but avid readers venturing beyond the mainstream might have encountered works by Grady Hendrix, Paul Tremblay, and Stephen Graham Jones. If you've already exhausted their collections, here are 10 under-the-radar horror tales perfect for the spooky season.
These novels haven't garnered widespread attention—no movie adaptations exist (yet!), and they were either self-published or released by independent presses. However, diving into obscure authors can often lead to unexpectedly terrifying experiences.
10. Maggie’s Grave (2020) by David Sodergren
David Sodergren drew inspiration for Maggie’s Grave from an actual witch’s grave in Scotland. This unique monument, the only one of its kind in the UK, stands in a field overlooking a roadside. Its eerie atmosphere made it the ideal muse for a horror story. While the real Maggie Wall monument is near Dunning, Sodergren’s tale unfolds in the fictional Scottish town of Auchenmullan, nestled beneath a foreboding mountain.
A group of local teens encounters an American tourist at the pub and decides to escort her up the mountain to visit a lone gravestone inscribed, 'Maggie Wall buried here as a witch.' What begins as a spooky adventure quickly spirals into a gruesome massacre.
Maggie’s Grave exudes the vibe of a campy B-movie, a fitting tone since Sodergren admits, 'I write my books as movies I’d love to see, visualizing them as I go.' This folk horror tale blends cinematic flair with a mix of humor and visceral gore.
9. Tidepool (2021) by Nicole Willson
Set in 1913, Nicole Willson’s Tidepool is a Lovecraftian horror story by the sea. When Sorrow’s brother vanishes during a business trip to Tidepool, she embarks on a journey to uncover his fate. The townsfolk greet her with cold indifference, but her determination to find her brother remains unshaken.
Sorrow’s resolve is tested when a mutilated body washes ashore. With enigmatic tentacled creatures lurking in the depths and the town’s dark secrets surfacing, she finds herself ensnared in a terrifying web. The novel’s eerie atmosphere builds steadily before erupting into a frenzy of bloodshed. 'Fans of Hammer horror will appreciate Tidepool,' Willson remarks.
8. The Watchers (2021) by A.M. Shine
A film adaptation of A.M. Shine’s The Watchers, directed by Ishana Shyamalan (daughter of M. Night Shyamalan) and featuring Dakota Fanning in the lead role, is set to release next year. While the book remains under the radar for now, its popularity is expected to surge once the trailer drops and promotional activities begin.
When Mina’s car breaks down in the Irish countryside, she ventures into the woods seeking assistance. As night falls, she hears blood-curdling screams and stumbles upon a bunker. Inside, she discovers she’s not alone—others are trapped with her, all hunted by mysterious beings known as 'the watchers.'
The novel’s intrigue lies in unraveling the nature and motives of these creatures. Shine credits Irish mythology as a major influence, stating, 'Growing up in rural western Ireland, superstitions are inescapable. Every peculiar rock or forest seems to carry a sinister tale.'
7. The Burn Street Haunting (2023) by Richard Gadz
Set for release on October 31, 2023, The Burn Street Haunting takes place in 1973 London, following a criminal seeking refuge in the city’s anonymity. He rents a room in a dilapidated boarding house on Burn Street, hoping to evade his pursuers. However, he soon discovers that his hunters aren’t limited to the human kind.
After a past incident, the protagonist gains psychic abilities but is also plagued by a malevolent supernatural force. The story blurs the line between reality and the supernatural, questioning whether the haunting is real or a product of his mind. Gadz revitalizes the ghost story genre, offering a psychological thriller with a 1970s vibe. Fans of Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho (2021) will appreciate its eerie atmosphere and ghostly twists.
6. Crossroads (2020) by Laurel Hightower
Laurel Hightower’s novella Crossroads is perfect for readers short on time but craving a deep, emotional tale. Two years after her son’s tragic death in a car accident, Chris struggles to cope. While visiting his roadside memorial, she accidentally cuts her finger, and her blood falls where his body once lay. That night, she glimpses his ghost and becomes consumed by the idea of resurrecting him.
The pain of losing a child is unimaginable, and Hightower channels this raw emotion into her writing. She admits, 'Exploring the loss of a child was deeply unsettling, but it shaped Chris’s character and her journey.' Grounded in real emotional horror, Crossroads delves into visceral body horror, exploring the extremes of a parent’s love.
5. At Home with the Horrors (2022) by Sammy Scott
Fans of short horror stories will find Sammy Scott’s At Home with the Horrors a must-read. This unsettling collection features 13 short stories and one novella, each exploring how the safety of home can turn into a nightmare. Some tales echo the eerie vibes of Twilight Zone, while others channel the dark futurism of Black Mirror.
The collection includes stories like 'Theresa,' where a woman is stuck in a Groundhog Day-esque loop, reliving the day her husband was killed. 'Scared Mary' follows a woman tormented by her husband’s YouTube scare pranks. In 'Something Else Entirely,' a couple’s cat chases a strange creature into the woods, but its return raises unsettling questions.
Scott’s stories often conclude with shocking twists that linger, leaving readers deeply unnerved long after the final page.
4. Bones (2018) by Andrew Cull
Andrew Cull has explored various facets of horror. He wrote and directed the 2010 film The Possession of David O’Reilly, produced a mock-reality horror series titled In the Dark on YouTube, and now focuses primarily on writing. He describes crafting novels and short stories as 'the happiest I’ve been as a writer in years.'
Bones features four of Cull’s short stories and a brief piece of flash fiction, each centered on themes of death and family. These tales are both chilling and gruesome, yet often deeply poignant.
In 'Did You Forget About Me?', a man revisits his childhood home only to encounter something that has waited years for his return. 'Hope and Walker' follows a young girl who hears the dead and becomes entangled in a crime mystery. 'The Trade' is narrated by a child who discovers dead animals left as offerings at their doorstep. 'Knock and You Will See Me' tells of a woman receiving disturbing messages from her late father. The flash fiction 'The Rambling Man' revolves around a village sacrificing girls to a forest-dwelling beast.
3. They Stalk the Night (2023) by Brian Moreland
Small towns harboring dark secrets are a staple of horror, and Brian Moreland’s They Stalk the Night delivers a compelling take. Set in the fictional Minnesotan towns of Hellum and Deer Haven, the story begins with workers constructing an oil pipeline. They demolish an eerie ceremonial hut in the snowy woods, dismissing it as a relic of outdated superstitions—until the consequences unfold.
The eerie structure and its bone-filled surroundings were not mere superstition. Now, a grotesque creature roams the forest, unleashing a deadly spree. The narrative unfolds like a high-octane horror film. With its frosty winter backdrop and Norse mythological undertones, They Stalk the Night is as atmospheric as it is gruesome, making it an ideal read for the winter season.
2. Screams from the Void (2021) by Anne Tibbets
For a dose of sci-fi horror, Screams from the Void is a must-read. The story follows the crew of the Demeter spaceship, tasked with gathering plant life from alien worlds. Chaos ensues when a deadly alien stowaway infiltrates the ship. Ensign Reina, a mechanic and the protagonist, must survive both the creature’s attacks and the menace of her abusive ex, Morven.
The bloodshed is so intense that Tibbets created a ship map, marking Xs where characters met their demise to maintain accuracy. 'We’re dealing with a beast,' she explained. 'Carnage is inevitable, and it wouldn’t be fair to the story to avoid it.' True to her word, the book is a gory, adrenaline-fueled journey through space.
1. Kill Creek (2017) by Scott Thomas
Kill Creek originated from Scott Thomas’s curiosity: 'What if horror writers—individuals who live and breathe the supernatural, researching and imagining it—were thrust into an actual supernatural event?' The plot begins with four horror authors invited to spend Halloween night in a haunted house as part of a publicity stunt, with a live-streamed interview aimed at revitalizing interest in the horror genre.
Each author specializes in a distinct horror style. The protagonist, Sam, crafts bestsellers reminiscent of Stephen King; another writes brutally violent stories; one focuses on literary horror; and the last creates teen horror akin to R.L. Stine. While they anticipate the house to be merely atmospheric, eerie occurrences soon disrupt their expectations.
Beyond its supernatural thrills, Thomas delves into the allure of horror, exploring why both writers and readers are captivated by tales of fear. Kill Creek is a love letter to horror enthusiasts. Although an hour-long adaptation was announced in 2018, it remains unrealized.
