best horror books of the 21st century

The Deep by Alma Katsu. "Bird Box" (2014) by Josh Malerman It seems there's not much more than can be said about Bird Box, hands down one of the best horror novels not only of the past ten years, but of the 21st century and, really, of all time. Modern Gothic books, including 2020's Mexican Gothic, are in conversation with years of tradition. Welcome to Black Spring, the seemingly picturesque Hudson Valley town haunted by the Black Rock Witch, a seventeenth century woman whose eyes and mouth are sewn shut. And I have read a lot of them. The best horror movies of the 21st century typically focused on people struggling to survive a dark force beyond their comprehension. But the stakes rise when a monstrous entity masquerading as Coraline's mother kidnaps the girl's real parents, leaving Coraline to rely on the assistance of eerie allies in the ghosts of children ensnared by the spell of "Other-Mother." Abby and Gretchen are best friends for life on the eve of the first Bush presidency…until Gretchen gets lost in the woods and comes back different. When next he hears of her, many years later, it is to hear news of her death at the hands of her husband, the village shoemaker. When you buy through these links, Book Riot may earn a commission. There are a LOT of them. It’s worth acknowledging that the list is very white and very male—while authors like Alyssa Wong and Emily Carroll are tearing up the short fiction and comic worlds, the novel-length arm of the genre appears slow to diversify. She stands next to children’s bed for nights on end. Bird Box by Josh Malerman Film. Check out the lists top 10 here! Shortlists. It's also missing some very obvious contenders such as Michelle Paver's Dark Matter or Christopher Buehlman's Those Across the River. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (for haunting/historical fiction/literary fiction fans. Listed by Stephen King as one of the best horror books of the 20th century, The Haunting of Hill House is a must-read for any fan of the genre. Its owners—mother, son, and daughter—are struggling to keep pace with a changing society, as well as with conflicts of their own. No plans for the future. On a scorching hot summer day in Elkwood, Alabama, Claire Lambert staggers naked, wounded, and half-blind away from the scene of an atrocity. She is the sole survivor of a nightmare that claimed her friends, and even as she prays for rescue, the killers—a family of cannibalistic lunatics—are closing in. All Rights Reserved. In the spring of 1998, Koichi Sakakibara transfers to Yomiyama North Middle School. He’s not her child. But this year, “The Spookiest Town in America” will learn the true meaning of fear. One postwar summer in his home of rural Warwickshire, Dr. Faraday, the son of a maid who has built a life of quiet respectability as a country physician, is called to a patient at lonely Hundreds Hall. The first two of my adult novels (King Of The Ants and Happy Now) could easily be categorised as horror books and my new series for younger readers, The Enemy, is most definitely horror … There are some odd things about Nate’s new apartment. Smart, beautiful, and dangerous, Atl needs to escape to South America, far from the rival narco-vampire clan pursuing her. The man in question is abusive, abrasive, and abominable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don’t nag at him too much. A young woman named Amanda lies dying in a rural hospital clinic. The brilliant computer hacker Lisbeth Salander, an eccentric and unique heroine, is wanted by the police, missing and in danger. They follow legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at bay. And they don’t want to stop the killers—Morino and her friend simply want to understand them. Now a new crew has been assembled. And bizarre incidents keep happening whenever she’s nearby. Some seek the truth. An eating disorder starves her. 15. Poor yet resilient, he lives in the shadows with his aunt Libby and uncle Darren, folk who stubbornly make their way in a society that does not understand or want them. Slowly but surely, the malign influence of Mrs Whitcomb’s muse creeps into every aspect of Lois’s life, placing her son in danger. Together, they tell a haunting story of broken souls, toxins, and the power and desperation of family. Did he make you feel like prey? Now, that the boy and girl are four, it is time to go. The 15 Best Books of the Century, Thus Far Posted on April 3, 2016 in Featured Articles // 5 Comments It feels like it was just last week when we all woke in a collected state of paranoia. Their mother needs to be fed. Thank you Powell’s! Add to library. Elsewhere, an accomplished surgeon is approached by a cabaret singer, whose beautiful appearance belies the grotesque condition of her heart. Let me amend that statement. News. But now, Angela is finally ready to return to her hometown and go beyond the grave to unearth the truth about Corey’s death. 1 of 21 Thank goodness for the best horror books of 2020. The best books, the best authors, the best-sellers. Since the year 2000, live-action horror has gone through several popular, and … She’s irritable. But when an unexpected intruder stumbles upon their campsite—shockingly thin, disturbingly pale, and voraciously hungry—Tim and the boys are exposed to something far more frightening than any tale of terror. The 25 Best Horror Novels Of The New Millennium. ... Lifelong remorse, the horror of war and devastating twists are to follow in an elegant, deeply felt meditation on the power of love and art. In Universal Harvester, the once-placid Iowa fields and farmhouses become sinister, imbued with loss and instability and foreboding. 76 Best Modern Horror Movies of the 21st Century. As a chain of horrific deaths begin to unfold around him, he comes to discover that he has been placed in the cursed Class 3 in which the student body head count is always one more than expected. The body of a teenager is found, emptied of blood, the murder rumored to be part of a ritual killing. Which books will loom largest upon the Gothic landscape to come? 10 Terrifying 21st Century Novels Curl up with one of these creepy contemporary chillers this Halloween...if you dare. My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix Together, these stories, each a masterstroke of craft and imaginative irony, form a shocking cycle of distorted evolution, encroaching chaos, and ravenous insectoid hive-minds hidden just beneath the seemingly benign surface of the Earth. Blake Butler’s fiction has dazzled readers with its dystopian dreamscapes and swaggering command of language. Entertainment. Do we have a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for the years after 2000?. As well as a check for a cool $15,000 dollars, the victor (if there is to be one; see 2012) will gain entry to a very exclusive club—a club which includes the likes of John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, Harper Lee, and Toni Morrison. In the short time he has lived with the doctor, Will has grown accustomed to his late night callers and dangerous business. Cutting between the events of the show and an interview with Marjorie's younger sister, filmed 15 years after the show's conclusion, Tremblay walks a razor-thin edge between confirming and denying which forces are actually at play within Marjorie's head, keeping readers guessing well after the final page is turned. The premise should be grounds for immediate ridicule—a past-his-prime rock star orders a ghost off of eBay—but Hill shapes the laughable pitch into a breakneck tale of terror. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill Author: Bret Easton Ellis. Delia’s new house isn’t just a house. Her mother is chained up in the basement. Entertainment. With that in mind, click through the gallery* for the best house-haunting, serial-killing, spine-chilling horror of the new millennium. They call him the October Boy, or Ol’ Hacksaw Face, or Sawtooth Jack. A Carnivore's Inquiry by Sabina Murray (for cannibal fans). Coraline by Neil Gaiman —Steve Foxe, 10 of 21 Top 100 Horror Movies of the 21st century, so far. The best books published during the 21st century (January 1st, 2001 through December 31st, 2100). Your humble blogger has been gnawing through the list, tome by shuddering tome. The 26 scariest horror books of 2020 meaning of fear when a routine ghost hunt goes awry, Micheline the... Can ’ t knock on their door reality of the 21st century novels best horror books of the 21st century up with rich. So for Halloween 2016 we can add to the good house since her son,,... Classic horror novels of the 21st century Danielewski Put simply, house of Leaves by... Of his ancient, arcane existence, he ’ s standards: boy. Keep it interesting decided to consult the experts at Nightmare Magazine to a... 'S been revealed police detective tasked with unpacking and understanding his mind shelved it as Science fiction but the. 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