As we look back at 2026 so far, much of the year has been incredibly scary. And when the real world becomes a scary place, many of us become fearful. This may sound strange to people who don’t understand it, but how else can you explain how good 2026 has been so far for horror movies and horror films? There have been a lot of incredible new horror releases this year. If you’re a big horror fan, you’ve probably already read this. And if you haven’t, you’re missing out! Add these must-read horror books to the top of your TBR pile immediately, and be sure to check out our full list of the best books of 2026 (so far).
Molka by Monica Kim
Monica Kim explores the dark depths of female anger in her debut novel eyes are the best part. but in MolkaShe dives even deeper. Molka is the South Korean term for hidden spy cameras often used to secretly film women against their will, taking away their agency. This book puts us into the mind of a man who hides a molka in the women’s bathroom. We also follow Dahaye, a woman who becomes Molokas’s victim and gets her revenge with the help of an unexpected source. Kim blends supernatural, dream-like horror imagery with the real atrocities faced by modern women, telling a deeply disturbing story that you still won’t want to put down in any way. -Emily Martin
it comes from neverland By Cynthia Pelayo
I knew from then on that Cynthia Pelayo had a strong horror game Lotería Left me staring at a wall, wondering if I would ever see the card game I grew up playing the same way again. She’s the first Latina and the first Puerto Rican to win a Bram Stoker Award and she has a deep backlist of banger after chilling banger, but her name doesn’t come up on horror lists as often as it should. If you haven’t entered Paleoland yet, consider this folded Peter Pan retelling set set during World War I your official invitation. As gorgeous as Pelayo’s prose is, the world he creates is equally spectacular and horrifying. If you’ve ever thought that the idea of Neverland seemed a little scary, this might be the perfect book for you. -Vanessa Diaz
red winter By Cameron Sullivan
This is the crazy buddy comedy you didn’t know you needed! It’s an action-packed adventure, full of gore, gore, lots of laughs and something very strange. As soon as I heard Alix E. Harrow say “poison Set in 18th century France, “I knew I had to have it. And it did not disappoint. Sebastian Grave must return to a small town in France to kill the dreaded Beast of Gevaudan, who was not defeated 20 years ago as originally thought. Coming along (because he has no choice) is the monster Sermodel, who lives inside Sebastian and feeds off the living essence of others. My Faith Do it, historical fiction will never taste the same again. -Liberty Hardy
Muneca By Cynthia Gomez
Cynthia Gomez’s debut horror novel packs a big punch in less than 200 pages. It is based on the Sapphic Gothic horror novel 1968 and centers on a young woman named Natalia “Natti” Fuentes, who has learned all about witchcraft from her grandmother. So when he learns that the young and beautiful heiress Violeta Miramontes has been paralyzed by a mysterious illness, the grandson suspects black magic, and thinks he may have a cure. From the first page you know that Natti and Violetta will fall in love, but the way their romance unfolds will surprise you.
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Dreaming of dead but electric sheep by Paul Tremblay
Horror fans are probably already familiar with the works of Paul Tremblay, but his latest is a surreal, genre-bending novel that feels like new territory. Think dystopian, anti-AI, nightmare weekend in bernese. Former semi-professional gamer Julia Flang is tasked with remote controlling a “mostly dead” man (she calls him “Bernie”) who has an AI implanted in his head. When they travel from California to the East Coast, she doesn’t realize what’s going through Bernie’s mind. He doesn’t remember who he is or how he got here, trapped in his own mind, haunted by deeply disturbing fantasies. And I’m looking for someone. He just doesn’t know who.
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