Bad Moon Rising: Newer names in horror fiction

Compiled by Christy 

October is the time for spooky stories and creepy tales!  Usually some of  the first names that come to mind when horror books are mentioned are Stephen King, Dean Koontz, John Saul, Shirley Jackson, F. Paul Wilison, Anne Rice,  and Octavia Butler. Here are some newer names in horror whose books you may want to try:

Grady Hendrix’s books are lively, bold, and not without a little social commentary. From a haunted IKEA-like big box store to a teen possessed in the 1980s, Hendrix’s premises are attention grabbing. In The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, a group of housewives in the 1990s must team up to battle a vampire. Hendrix’s other works include Horrorstör, My Best Friend’s Exorcism, The Final Girl Support Group, We Sold Our Souls, How to Sell a Haunted House, and 2025's Witchcraft for Wayward Girls.

  

Though he has written over a dozen novels, Stephen Graham Jones’ breakthrough hit was 2019’s The Only Good Indians, a tale of a vengeful elk spirit. Giving the horror genre a needed breath of fresh air, Jones continued his success with My Heart is a Chainsaw, the first in a trilogy about Jade, a slasher-obsessed teenage outcast who fears (hopes?) her slasher fantasies will soon come true. She tries to warn her small town officials but is repeatedly rebuffed. The other two books are Don't Fear the Reaper and Angel of Indian Lake. His most recent title is I Was a Teenage Slasher.

Clay McLeod Chapman has dabbled in mystery and even middle grade novels, but his most recent releases have been horror. The Remaking weaves the story of an old folk legend, the 1970s movie it’s based on, the 1990s remake, and a subsequent podcast into a meta-horror tale. Whisper Down the Lane is a fictionalized take of the McMartin preschool trial that occurred during the Satanic Panic of the 1980s. Other titles include What Kind of Mother and Ghost Eaters. 

Darcy Coates is an Australian author who specializes in horror and suspense who has been called "the queen of atmospheric suspense". One popular series is Gravekeeper. Keira is a psychic who can help the dead move on, but there's something menacing lurking in the shadows. The first book in the series is The Whispering Dead.

Tananarive Due writes horror fiction with supernatural elements, folklore, and socially conscious themes. In The Good House, Angela returns to her Gramma's house only to find a malevolent force seems to inhabit the place, and it drives people to desperate and violent acts. 

  

Rivers Solomon has tried her hand at science fiction and general fantasy. With Sorrowland, she blends gothic horror, fantasy, magical realism, and body horror into what The Guardian calls “an electrifying gothic techno-thriller”. Vern is heavily pregnant when she escapes from a strict religious compound into the woods. After giving birth to twins, Vern vows to keep them away from the dangerous outside world. She would do anything to protect her children, even if means strangely transforming her body. Solomon's upcoming novel is a haunted house tale called Model Home.

Vampires, coming-of-age, magical realism, socialites, the Jazz Age, ancient Mayan gods, 1970s noir. Silvia Moreno-Garcia is not interested in her works staying in a particular box. In Mexican Gothic, Moreno-Garcia takes on gothic horror and tells the story of Noemí who is summoned by her frantic cousin Catalina to come save her from her new husband. Noemí travels to the Mexican countryside to the remote mansion of the newlyweds, in the hopes of helping in some way. But digging deeper in this family’s past may just lead to violence and madness. Moreno-Garcia also has a recent title about a cursed film called Silver Nitrate.

Christina Henry is best known for her dark re-tellings of classic stories such as Lost Boy (Peter Pan) and Horseman (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow). In The House That Horror Built, a single mom takes a job cleaning a revered horror director's house – only to discover some terrifying secrets. Other titles include Near the Bone and Good Girls Don't Die.

 

  

Alma Katsu is an award-winning author of thrillers, horror, urban fantasy, and historical fiction. She blends genres to create unforgettable stories. In The Hunger, she vividly tells the story of the Donner Party disaster… only with supernatural elements. Vivid descriptions, strong characterizations, and a rising sense of dread make the travelers wonder if there's something out there – or if there's something among them. 

Paul Tremblay’s novels are complex and stylishly written.  His horror stories often involve ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations.  A Head Full of Ghosts is the story of the struggling Barrett family.  John Barrett has lost his job and has sought solace in religion, causing conflict with his wife.  When their elder daughter begins to behave erratically, John believes she has become possessed. Tremblay is also the author of The Cabin at the End of the World and Horror Movie.