Welcome to the now sixth annual State of the Horror Nation.

This is the mega-episode, in which I gather a darkly-inclined supergroup of horror fans and commentators—a horror cabinet, if you will—to cast their informed eyes and minds over the year’s best horror.

We talk trends, generation gaps, terrifying moments, and pick what they consider to be their favourite scary books of 2025.

I am just a bystander and the man with the edit button. Bringing the talent and the opinion are Emily Hughes, Anna Dupre and George Dunn. Together
they present a tapestry of horror in red and black and other hideous colours.

Suffer your TBR piles.

Enjoy.

Books Picked

Angel Down (2025), by Daniel Kraus

Black Flame (2025), by Gretchen Felker Martin

Futility (2025), Nuzo Ozoh

One Yellow Eye (2025), by Leigh Radford

Play Nice (2025), by Rachel Harrison

Spread Me (2025), by Sarah Gailey

Veil (2025), by Jonathan Janz

When the Wolf Comes Home (2025), by Nat Cassidy

What Hunger (2025), by Catherine Dang

Books Anticipated

Cruelty Free (2026), by Caroline Glenn

Daytide (2026), by Chris Panatier

Femme Feral (2026), by Sam Bessinger

For Human Use (2026), by Sarah G. Pierce

Headlights (2026), by C.J. Leede

Itch (2025), by Gemma Amor

Japanese Gothic (2026), by Kylie Lee Baker

Kiss Slay Replay (2026), by Rachel Harrison

I Know a Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours (2026), by Nat Cassidy

Molka (2026), by Monika Kim

Nothing Tastes as Good (2026), by Luke Dumas

Nowhere Burning (2026), by Catriona Ward

On Sunday’s She Picked Flowers (2026), by Yah Yah Schofield

Our Cut of Salt (2026), by Deena Helm

Persona (2026), by Aiofe Josie Clements

The Children (2026), by Melissa Albert

The Curse of Hester Gardens (2026), by Tamika Thompson

The Fourth Wife (2026), by Linda Hamilton

The Hive (2026), by Ronald Malfi

The Last Story of Jamie Gunn (TBC), by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

The Red Sacrament (2026), by Sara Hinkley

Spoiled Milk (2026), by Avery Curran

Trad Wife (2026), by Sarah Langan

Worry Box (2026), by Chris Panatier

Wretch (2026), by Eric LaRocca

Other Books Mentioned

Come Knocking (2025), by Mike Bockoven

Old Soul (2025), by Susan Barker

Rekt (2025), by Alex Gonzalez

The Lamb (2025), by Lucy Rose

The Starving Saints (2025), by Caitlin Starling

Bat Eater, and Other Names for Cora Zeng (2025), by Kylie Lee Baker

Greedy (2026) by Callie Kazumi

The Eyes Are the Best Part (2024), by Monika Kim

Wake Up and Open Your Eyes (2025), by Clay McLeod Chapman

The Unworthy (2025), by Augustina Bazterrica

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