Top New Horror Books of 2025 (So Far)

Each year we’re gifted an impossibly long list of new horror titles to keep an eye out for. We know that everyone has their own personal preferences and that every genre publication online publishes their own version of this list, but we wanted to do our own and highlight what we’re personally excited for. Some of the titles on this list are most assuredly on every other list, while others, we hope, will be lovely little surprises for you to add to your TBR. 


So, without further ado, here are the early 2025 new horror book releases we’ve been most excited about:

Wake Up and Open Your Eyes by Clay McLeod Chapman

We might be biased because we just genuinely love Clay, but this book set the bar incredibly high as the first big horror release of 2025. Sometimes the best way to deal with the current political hellscape we live in is through satire. 

 

PS: Buy a copy from us and receive a signed book plate, while supplies last!

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Ristenoff by JR Billingsley 

Jeremy Billingsley is co-owner and editor of Sley House, a local horror imprint that is on the rise. His new book, Ristenoff, is a good ol’ werewolf novel – a sub-genre that traditionally doesn’t get a lot of love. This book was a decade or more in the making and Billingsly fine tuned his ideas and published a truly remarkable book worthy of the sparse werewolf canon. 

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Strange Pictures by Uketsu

A cultural sensation in Japan, Uketsu’s novels (the second is coming later in the year in the US) focus on visual aid to execute the mystery they pack within their books. Strange Pictures is a collection of interconnected short stories that will absolutely keep you guessing.

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Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L. Dove 

This indigenous novel is *technically* categorized as literary fiction, but we’re not gonna be too picky about genre lines when the premise sounds this delightfully spooky. Murders, detectives, missing persons, and the Deer Woman – we couldn't be more excited to dive in. 

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Our Own Unique Affliction by Scott Moses 

You’re gonna see a lot of Shortwave Publishing titles on this list. Actually, you’re going to see their entire 2025 catalog because it is absolutely STACKED. Their first release of the year is a vampire novelette that packs a big punch for such a slender little book. 

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Strange Stones by Edward Lee and Mary Sangiovanni 

Listen, we should all be pretty well aware at this point that H.P. Lovecraft was a giant pile of human garbage. His racism is well documented and it’s hard to argue with facts. This little book is such a fun love letter AND criticism of the horror genre/community at large. From tackling the rampant misogyny that dominated the industry for decades (and still remains prevalent), to condemning H.P. Lovecraft’s racism, lack of writing skill, and overall legacy, to paying homage to the influence that Lovecraft has left on the industry – despite being such a dick. 

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At Dark I Become Loathsome by Eric LaRocca 

Watching Eric LaRocca’s career take off so quickly and soaring to monumental heights has been such a joy. Few authors are as kind and humble as Eric, but fewer still are able to write so beautifully about the most diabolical and disgusting things. At Dark I Become Loathsome is Eric’s best work yet. 

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Old Soul by Susan Baker 

This is the book to check out if you love that good slow burn of Japanese horror but crave to find that experience outside of film. 

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Our Winter Monster by Dennis Mahoney 

Relationships are hard, that's a secret to no one, but have you tried interpersonal communication in the presence of an abominable snow monster??? Arguably, even harder. Our Winter Monster is an expertly plotted novel about the difficulties of love and proper communication set against the backdrop of a monster movie. It's just so much fun.

 

PS: We have a few signed copies of this one still available online!

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The Lamb by Lucy Rose

As of writing this, The Lamb is my favorite book of the year that isn’t by Stepehen Graham Jones. Part Tender Is the Flesh and part Earthlings by Sayaka Murata. The Lamb is a dark fairy tale about cannibalism, isolation, and love. The prose is masterful and the horror is quiet and unrelenting. Don’t pick this one up if you’re squeamish or hungry… 

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Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito 

Oof. This book may be small but it packs an absolute wallop. A governess moves in to take care of some children… which she does… poorly. I’m not proud to say I laughed out loud multiple times during this one. It’s deliciously violent, devilishly funny, and deranged as can be. 10/10 no notes.

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The Pink Agave Motel and Other Stories by V. Castro 

Another publisher you’re gonna see a lot on this list is Clash. Man, they really don’t miss. V. Castro is one of the biggest names the genre has to offer and this short story collection is one that shouldn't be missed. 

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The Poorly Made and Other Things by Sam Rebelein 

Sam Rebelein: the nicest guy in horror. Seriously, this dude is just the sweetest. His new collection of short stories is set in the weird world of his Bram Stoker nominated novel Edenville. While reading the novel isn’t necessary to enjoy the collection, putting the pieces of the world together is so much fun that you’ll want to pick up both. 

 

PS: We have *exclusive* signed book plates for this one, grab yours before they're gone

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Sick Houses by Leila Taylor 

Sometimes you need to take a little break from all of the fictional horrors and dive into a little non-fiction. Sick Houses dives into the concept of the haunted house and the architecture of horror. 

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Hungerstone by Kat Dunn

Zando is such a great horror publisher. Monstrilio remains one of our favorite horror novels of all time and their latest release, Hungerstone, is one of our most anticipated releases of the entire year across all genres. How could you not be excited about a modern, feminist, reworking of Carmilla?

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Recall by Alan Baxter 

If you haven’t heard of Alan Baxter, you need to change that. He just might be the best Australian horror author out there.

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Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce 

Unbearably tense, utterly propulsive, and studded with folklore and horror, Something in the Walls is perfect for anyone who loves Midsommar and The Haunting of Hill House.

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The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica

Tender is the Flesh might be one of the most brilliant novels I have ever read. Bazterrica’s follow-up novel is brutal in a quieter way, albeit just as dystopian. 

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Rose of Jericho by Alex Grecian 

Alex Gecian became a favorite around here after the release of Red Rabbit in 2023 and we’re just feral for the second book in this horror western series. In the Rose of Jericho, the dead simply won’t die. You can find us this spring basking in the first rays of sunshine in our cowboy hats and reading this one.

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The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

This will go down as my book of the year, maybe my book of the last decade. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is an epistolary novel in three layers: one taking place in more present day, one in the early 20th century, and one in the 18th century. These three narratives, all told through beautifully distinct voices, tell a brutal and bloody story full of generational trauma, tradition, religion, questions of identity, and, of course, vampires. 

PS: Order your copy from us and get a signed book plate!

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White Line Fever by KC Jones

KC Jones released a little nightmare of a novel in 2022 that dove deep into the waters of cosmic horror and is back at it again this year with White Line Fever – a story about a 15 mile stretch of road where bad things happen. 

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The Organization is Here to Support You by Charlene Elsby 

Elsby might just be one of the smartest horror authors in the business. Her 2024 release, Violent Faculties, gave me nightmares for weeks and triggered some of my philosophy major related trauma. he Organization is Here to Support You is an existential bureaucratic horror satire in the tradition of Franz Kafka, J.G. Ballard, and Sayaka Murata.

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