Beyond streaming, VOD, and theatrical releases, there’s an insane plethora of spine-tingling tales of terror in book form slated for release this year.
In 2022, there’s something for all horror tastes and preferences, though it’s hard not to notice the reemergence of slashers has bled over into novels, too. Other 2022 horror fiction trends emphasize Gothic fiction and modern reimaginings of classic tales.
We narrowed it down to the thirteen upcoming horror books we can’t wait to read.
Road of Bones by Christopher Golden – Available Now
A genre-bending adventure horror novel aimed to deliver page-turning suspense. An American documentarian, Felix “Teig” Teigland, drives Siberia’s dangerous Kolyma Highway, collecting legends and ghost stories along the way for a planned new series. Teig and his team don’t realize until too late that they’ve embarked on a harrowing journey where supernatural threats are as likely to kill them as the unforgiving terrain.
Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes – February 8
Claire Kovalik’s salvage crew picks up a strange signal at the furthest recesses of space. They decide to investigate and find a seemingly preserved twenty-year-old lost luxury ship, the Aurora. It’s the find of a century that could land the crew riches, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect considering Claire’s days away from job termination. But something is very off with the Aurora. Whispers in the dark. Visions. And worse. The plot setup reads like the Titanic meets Event Horizon, teasing a promising space horror odyssey.
Sundial by Catriona Ward – March 1
Author Catriona Ward impressed last year with The Last House on Needless Street. Can she do it again in 2022? Rob takes daughter Callie back to her childhood home in the Mojave Desert, embarking on a twisted journey through the past for the sake of their future. Described as a twisted family gothic tale, we can likely expect Ward to deliver the unexpected, where nothing is as it seems.
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas – May 3
Beatriz’s father was executed, and her home was destroyed during the overthrow of the Mexican government. The desire for security and stability makes her more willing to ignore the rumors around Don Rodolfo Solórzano’s first wife’s passing when he proposes marriage. But her new home isn’t what Beatriz envisioned, and feelings of being watched grow into something more sinister. This upcoming horror book, a gory gothic tale, is described as Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic meets Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca.
Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel – May 17
The last time Maeve saw her cousin was when she escaped the cult that raised them. She spent two decades carefully curating a normal life for herself, then her cousin suddenly reappeared. The two quickly become inseparable, but the more time they spend together, the more Maeve’s repressed memories bubble to the surface. Confronting her horrifying memories might help her prepare for the nightmare ahead. Cult horror meets trauma sounds like the perfect recipe for a compulsive read.
The Pallbearers’ Club by Paul Tremblay – July 5
In the ’80s, high school loner Art Barbara started an extracurricular club for volunteer pallbearers at poorly attended funerals. He was the opposite of his cool new friend, even if she had a bizarre obsession with the dead. In the present, Art tries to make sense of his friend and her fixations with a new manuscript, but she takes issue with it and wants to make some cuts. Tremblay’s knack for ambiguous horror keeps you guessing while blurring the genre lines. It makes his latest upcoming horror book an instant must-read.
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix – July 12
Hendrix’s distinct blend of horror, humor, and heart makes for compulsive stories featuring atypical characters or settings, from haunted furniture stores to housewives battling vampires. Not much is known about the plot for his latest, but we can expect a very different take on the haunted house story.
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher – July 12
Mike Flanagan isn’t the only one taking on twisted retellings of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher.” T. Kingfisher’s ability to weave vivid, haunting tales of cosmic and Lovecraftian horror should make for a unique reimagining of Poe’s story. When retired soldier Alex Easton receives word that his friend Madeline Usher is dying, they rush to the Ushers’ countryside home. There they find weird fungal growths, possessed animals, and Usher family members behaving strangely.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – July 19
Moreno-Garcia shifts through genres, blends, and reimagines them through a Mexican lens, from gothic romance to vampire noir and beyond. The author’s latest gives a new take on the Island of Doctor Moreau, set in nineteenth-century Mexico. Moreno-Garcia’s lush worldbuilding and cultural perspective make familiar material feel wholly fresh and gripping.
Don’t Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones – August 2
Slasher fans are in luck; last year’s best novel, My Heart is a Chainsaw, was the first entry in a planned trilogy. Jones continues Jade Daniels’ saga with a sequel novel set around Christmas. A Christmas-set slasher from an author with comprehensive knowledge of the subgenre? Yes, please.
Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives by Adam Cesare – August 23
Is it too soon to dub August slasher month for horror novels? Bram Stoker Award-winning novel Clown in a Cornfield gets a continuation, which will likely see the killer clown embarking on a new bloodbath and certain loose ends addressed. Cesare promises this one isn’t just a sequel.
Daphne by Josh Malerman – August 23
The bestselling author of Bird Box takes on the slasher subgenre. Over the last summer before college, a high school basketball team scares each other with tales of the vengeful ghost, Daphne. Then they start dying one by one—a nostalgic coming-of-age story with a killer twist.
Fairy Tale by Stephen King – September 6
The latest by prolific author Stephen King turns to imagination and escapism for his spellbinding tale with high stakes. High Schooler Charlie Reade inherits the secret that a shed holds a portal to another world, where a war between good and evil rages. A heroic boy and his dog must lead the battle.
Which of these upcoming horror books are YOU looking forward to most?
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