Best Horror Stories of 2026

By Chris Weber

Let me just be clear: I do not read ANY scary stories! EVER! Maybe my soul is just too sensitive, but I detest being scared. My brother still makes fun of me for tricking me into watching some of Frankenstein (the movie) and telling me it was okay to come back in the room, when it WASN’T! I still do not read any books with ghosts in them, as my book club will attest. So here I am recommending the best scary books of 2026. Of course, nothing can ever touch The Tell-Tale Heart by Poe (I had to read it for English class) or Carrie by Stephen King (I tried ;(). Needless to say, I HAVE NOT READ THESE BOOKS! Rather, I am relying on staff recommendations and customer feedback.

The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia:

Growing up, Minerva always heard her Nana Alba telling stories about witches. Now, as a graduate student, she has focused on the history of horror in literature. Researching the life of Beatrice Tremblay, an obscure author of macabre tales, she discovers that Tremblay’s famous novel, The Vanishing, had been inspired by a true happening. During the Great Depression, Tremblay attended the same university where Minerva now studies. Supposedly, her roommate disappeared, never to be found again. As Minerva descends into the tales of witchcraft, she encounters eerie happenings. Perhaps these tales are closer to home than she thought.

Buffalo Hunter, Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones:

Are there vampires? Follow a Lutheran priest living in the American West in 1912 and discover the unsettling life of a young vampire who haunts the fields of the Blackfeet Reservation, seeking justice. This is a chilling historical horror novel, sure to scare anyone who reads it!

King Sorrow by Joe Hill:

Joe Hill, the son of Stephen King, has written his best novel yet! Six college students summon an evil demonic dragon to help them kill a blackmailing drug dealer. What they don’t know is the price they will pay: a yearly human sacrifice. The six characters deal with decades of guilt and moral corruption. Is killing morally acceptable and justifiable when dealing with evil people? 

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix:

Historically, pregnant girls were often sent away from their families to homes where they would give birth to their children and then give them away. These institutions were often corrupt and evil. These wayward girls had to deal with the separation from their family, friends, and boyfriends. And most importantly, forget that they ever gave birth to an unwanted child. The author takes this subject and transforms it into a horrific story where the “girls” discover witchcraft and strive for the power to destroy. And there is a price to be paid, often in blood. Perhaps the author is atoning for the sins that transpired in his family, as he had aunts who went through this.

Chris Weber is a partner of The Bookshelf, Madeira’s only small, independent bookstore, where every book is carefully selected to meet both contemporary literary trends and bestsellers.

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