13 Horror Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2021 – Bloody Disgusting

Its only February, and its already clear that 2021 will be loaded with horror content.

That extends to books, too.

Beyond streaming, VOD, and theatrical releases, theres an insane plethora of spine-tingling tales of terror in book form slated for release this year. In 2021, theres something for all horror tastes and preferences, from new releases by beloved favorites to novel debuts by upcoming authors.

We narrowed it down to the thirteen most anticipated genre books we cant wait to read.

What Big Teethby Rose Szabo February 2

Author Rose Szabo makes her debut with this dark gothic fantasy. The plot follows Eleanor Zarrin, who hasnt seen or spoken to her family since they sent her away to boarding school. After a horrifying accident causes her to flee the school, Eleanor goes to the only place she knows- home. She struggles to fit in with monstrous relatives that prowl the woods or read fortunes from guts, but when an incident changes everything, Eleanor will have to embrace her inner darkness to help her family survive.

Laterby Stephen King March 2

Jamie Conklin was born with a unique ability that his single mother urges to keep a secret. His wish for a normal childhood goes unheeded, though, when an NYPD detective draws him into the pursuit of a serial killer who threatens that death wont slow them down. New Stephen King reads always make for an easy choice on any most anticipated list, butLatersshorter page count teases a straightforward, breezy story to devour.

The Lost Villageby Camilla Sten March 23

Described asThe Blair Witch ProjectmeetsMidsommar, Stens latest follows documentary filmmaker Alice Lindstedts obsession with vanishing residents of an old mining town. In 1959, her grandmothers entire family disappeared in this mysterious tragedy, and shes been haunted ever since by the unanswered questions surrounding the only two people who were left. Alice enlists a crew to document the old village and find answers, but strange things start happening straight away. Theyre not alone.

Whisper Down the Laneby Clay McLeod Chapman April 6

Inspired by the McMartin preschool trials and the Satanic Panic of the 80s, the author ofThe Remakingtakes on true-crime horror. During childhood, Richard went by another name. Having just moved to a new town with his mother, he started a white lie that ignited and spread like wildfire, engulfing an entire nation. Thirty years later, someone wants to remind Richard they know what he did and that someone has to pay.

The Mary Shelley Clubby Goldy Moldavsky April 13

New girl Rachel Chavez is eager to make a fresh start at Manchester Prep but winds up making enemies instead thanks to a prank gone wrong. It attracts the attention of a secret club of students with the sole objective to come up with the scariest prank ever to induce real fear. As the antics escalate, things get cutthroat and dangerous in this YA thriller.

Lovesickness: Junji Ito Story Collectionby Junji Ito April 20

The latest by twisted horror master and manga artist Junji Ito collects ten short stories, starting with the bloody Lovesickness. Innocent love turns into a nightmarish hell.

The Final Girl Support Groupby Grady Hendrix July 13

Hendrixs latest barely even announced a release date before rights were snatched up and a series adaptation was put in motion. Based on the plot, which follows survivors of real-life crimes that inspired beloved slasher favorites, were already sold. Expect Hendrix to inject heart and horror homages while subverting slasher tropes.

The Book of Accidentsby Chuck Wendig July 20

A family of three moves back to their hometown, where unspeakable horrors traumatized the parents during their childhood. What happened then is happening all over again, and the family will have to fight for their souls as dark magic puts them in the middle of a good versus evil battle.

Chasing the Boogeymanby Richard Chizmar August 17

From the author ofGwendys Button Boxcomes a true-crime horror novel described as a cross between Stephen King and Michelle McNamara. In the summer of 1988, the mutilated bodies of several missing girls begin to turn up in a small Maryland town. The grisly evidence leads police to conclude a serial killer is on the loose, but rumors start to spread that the culprit isnt quite human. Chizmar puts himself in the story to tell a personal account of the serial killers reign of terror, unaware that these events will continue to haunt him.

My Heart is a Chainsawby Stephen Graham Jones August 31

Jade feels like shes trapped in a slasher film as tourists go missing, and the tension between her community and the celebrity newcomers to her rural lake town reaches a fever pitch. Only her encyclopedic knowledge of horror films could have prepared her for this. This one should be a must between the authors own slasher knowledge and last years thrillingThe Only Good Indians.

Echoby Thomas Olde Heuvelt October 12

From the author of horror faveHex, also receiving an updated release this year, comes a new tale of terror. Nick Grevers and his climbing buddy Augustin are drawn to the Maudit, a remote mountain peak in the Swiss Alps. Its a quiet and mostly unexplored mountain, and the pair senses that theyre not alone. Then Nick wakes from a coma to learn that hes badly maimed and his buddy is dead. He realizes its not just the trauma of that night that haunts him.

The Death of Jane Lawrenceby Caitlin Starling October 19

The author ofThe Luminous Deadtakes on aCrimson Peak-inspired Gothic horror novel. Itll follow a woman who makes a hasty marriage of convenience and finds herself trapped in a possibly haunted, decrepit mansion. The woman turns to ritual magic to save them both.

Nothing but Blackened Teethby Cassandra Khaw October 19

An abandoned Heian-era mansion filled with remains of a bride and sacrificed girls becomes a definitive wedding destination for thrill-seekers. It turns a night of merriment into a chilling nightmare when the hungry bride wakes. Khaws latest is a creepy haunted house novella infused with Japanese folklore.

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13 Horror Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2021 - Bloody Disgusting

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero