List of horror fiction writers

This is a navigational list of notable writers who have published significant work in the horror fiction genre, who also have stand-alone articles on Wikipedia. All items must have a reference to demonstrate that they have produced significant work in the horror genre.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

A

• Ania Ahlborn^[1]
• Jay Anson^[2]
• Margaret Atwood^[3] (born 1939, Canada)
• Dathan Auerbach^[3][4]
• Mona Awad^[1]

B

• Iain Banks^[4] (1954–2013, Scotland)
• L. A. Banks^[3][2]
• Tracey Baptiste^[3]
• Clive Barker^[3][4][5][6] (born 1952, England)
• Laird Barron^[3] (born 1970, US)
• Agustina Bazterrica^[4][2][1]
• John Bellairs^[3] (1938–1991, US)
• E. F. Benson^[7] (1867–1940, England)
• Lauren Beukes^[5]
• Ambrose Bierce^[8] (1842 – c. 1914, US)
• Jerome Bixby^[3] (1923–1998, US)
• Algernon Blackwood^[3][6][7] (1869–1951, England)
• William Peter Blatty^{[3][4][2][9][5]} (1928–2017, US)
• Robert Bloch^[9] (1917–1994, US)
• Ray Bradbury^{[3][4][2][10][5]} (1920–2012, US)
• Poppy Z. Brite^[3][4] (born 1967, US)
• Max Brooks^[3][4][5]
• Christopher Buehlman^[3][2]
• Chesya Burke^[3]
• Octavia E. Butler^[3][4][2]

C

• Rachel Caine^[2]
• Ramsey Campbell^[3][6] (born 1946, England)
• M. R. Carey^[3]
• Emily Carroll^[3]
• Angela Carter^[3][2]
• Robert W. Chambers^[3][7] (1865–1933, US)
• Stephen Chbosky^[2]
• Joey Comeau^[5]
• Justin Cronin^[9]
• Nick Cutter^[3][1]

D

• Roald Dahl^[2] (1916–1990, Wales/England)
• Mark Z. Danielewski^[3][4][5]
• Walter de la Mare^[7] (1873–1956, England)
• Joe Donnelly^[4]
• Daphne du Maurier^[3][2][5] (1907–1989, England)
• Tananarive Due^[4] (born 1966, US)
• Lois Duncan^[3]
• Katherine Dunn^[4][2][5]
• Lord Dunsany^[7] (1878–1957, England/Ireland)

E

• Bret Easton Ellis^[3][4][2][5] (born 1964, US)
• Harlan Ellison^[3] (1934–2018, US)
• Guy Endore^[3] (1901–1970, US)
• Mariana Enriquez^[3][10][11]

F

• Gemma Files^[3][4] (born 1968, Canada)
• John Fowles^[3]

G

• Neil Gaiman^[2][10][5] (born 1960, England)
• Charlotte Perkins Gilman^[3] (1860–1935, US)
• William Golding^[3][2]
• Sara Gran^[3][4][2]
• Mira Grant^[3] (born 1978, US)

H

• Elizabeth Hand^[3]
• Thomas Harris^[9][5] (born 1940, US)
• Zakiya Dalila Harris^[4]
• Rachel Harrison^[4]
• Nathaniel Hawthorne^[3] (1804–1864, US)
• Grady Hendrix^[2][5]
• James Herbert^[6] (1943–2013, England)
• Thomas Olde Heuvelt^[1]
• Joe Hill^[3][9][5][1]
• Susan Hill^[3][2][5]
• Jennifer Hillier^[2]
• William Hope Hodgson^[7] (1877–1918, England/Belgium)
• Nalo Hopkinson^[3] (born 1960, Jamaica/Canada)
• Andrew Michael Hurley^[1]
• Shaun Hutson^[6] (born 1958, England)

I

• Junji Ito^[3][10][1] (born 1963, Japan)

J

• Shirley Jackson^{[3][4][2][10][11][5][1]} (1916–1965, US)
• W. W. Jacobs^[3] (1863–1943, England)
• Henry James^{[3][11][5][1]} (1843–1916, US/England)
• Simone St. James^[2]
• M. R. James^[6][7] (1862–1936, England)
• Daisy Johnson^[11]
• Stephen Graham Jones^[4][2] (born 1972, US)

K

Stephen King

• Alma Katsu^[3][4][2]
• Jack Ketchum^[3][5] (1946–2018, US)
• Cassandra Khaw^[10]
• Caitlin R. Kiernan^[3][4]
• Stephen King^{[3][4][2][10][9][5][1]} (born 1947, US)
• T. E. D. Klein^[5] (born 1947, US)
• Kathe Koja^[3] (born 1960, US)
• Dean R. Koontz^[3] (born 1945, US)
• Daniel Kraus^[3]
• R.F. Kuang^[1]

L

• John Langan^[3][4] (born 1969, US)
• Joe R. Lansdale^[3] (born 1951, US)
• Victor LaValle^{[4][11][5][3]} (born 1972, US)
• Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu^[3]
• Ira Levin^[3][5] (1929–2007, US)
• Matthew Lewis^[4]
• John Ajvide Lindqvist^[3][4][5][1] (born 1968, Sweden)
• Livia Llewellyn^[3]
• H. P. Lovecraft^[3][5][1] (1890–1937, US)
• Brian Lumley^[1] (born 1937, England)

M

• Carmen Maria Machado^[3]
• Arthur Machen^[3][7] (1863–1947, Wales)
• Josh Malerman^{[3][4][2][5][1]}
• Robert Marasco^[3][5]
• William March^[2]
• George R. R. Martin^[4] (born 1948, US)
• Richard Matheson^[3][4][5] (1926–2013, US)
• Robert R. McCammon^[5][3] (born 1952, US)
• Michael McDowell^[3][5]
• Jennifer McMahon^[2]
• Sarah Monette^[3]
• David Moody^[6]
• Silvia Moreno-Garcia^[2] (born 1981, Mexico)
• Toni Morrison^[3][4][2] (1931–2019, US)
• Ottessa Moshfegh^[2]
• Ryu Murakami^[5]

N

• Adam Nevill^[4][6] (born 1969, England)

O

• Joyce Carol Oates^[3] (born 1938, US)
• Ellen Oh^[3]
• Helen Oyeyemi^[3][2][10]

P

• Chuck Palahniuk^[4] (born 1962, US)
• Michelle Paver^[1]
• Tom Piccirilli^[5]
• Edgar Allan Poe^[3] (1809–1849, US)
• Laura Purcell^[10]

R

• Ava Reid^[2]
• Anne Rice^[3][4][5] (1941–2021, US)
• Christina Georgina Rossetti^[3]

S

Mary Shelley

• Riley Sager^[2]
• Joan Samson^[4] (1937–1976)
• Mary Shelley^{[3][4][2][5][6]} (1797–1851, England)
• Lionel Shriver^[2]
• Anne Rivers Siddons^[3][4] (1936–2019, US)
• Dan Simmons^[3][4][2][5] (born 1948, US)
• Scott Smith^[3][2]
• Clark Ashton Smith^[7] (1893–1961, US)
• R. L. Stine^[3] (born 1943, US)
• Bram Stoker^{[3][4][2][5][1][12]} (1847–1912, Ireland/England)
• Peter Straub^[3][4][2][5] (1943–2022, US)
• Whitley Strieber^[3] (born 1945, US)
• Charles Stross^[3]
• Koji Suzuki^[4][2][9][5]
• Søren Sveistrup^[2]

T

• Sonya Taaffe^[3]
• Michael Talbot^[5]
• James Tiptree Jr. (pseudonym of Alice Bradley Sheldon)^[3]
• Paul Tremblay^[3][4][5][1]
• Thomas Tryon^{[3][4][2][5][1]}

W

• Sarai Walker^[2]
• Catriona Ward^[4]
• Sarah Waters^[4]
• Edith Wharton^[2] (1862–1937, US)
• Oscar Wilde^[10][9]
• Kai Ashante Wilson^[3]
• David Wong (pseudonym of Jason Pargin)^[3][5]
• John Wyndham^[2]

References

1. Kemsley, Saskia (2 October 2024). "Best horror novels that are must-reads, from classic spooky tales to modern scares". The Standard. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
2. Beabout, Leandra (3 October 2024). "61 Best Horror Books of All Time to Scare You Silly". Reader's Digest. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
3. Mayer, Petra (16 August 2018). "Click If You Dare: 100 Favorite Horror Stories". NPR. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
4. McRobert, Neil (9 May 2022). "The 50 Best Horror Books of All Time Will Scare You Sh*tless". Esquire. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
5. Foxe, Steve (30 August 2018). "The 50 Best Horror Novels of All Time". Paste Magazine.
6. WILSON, MICHAEL; MARSHALL-JONES, SIMON (23 April 2012). "10 English Authors That Helped Shape Horror Fiction". This Is Horror. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
7. Pridham, Matthew (6 January 2022). "10 Early 20th Century Authors of the Fantastic and the Ghastly: The Birth of the Weird". Archive Horrifica. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
8. Aycock, Anthony (18 March 2024). "The Weirdness of Ambrose Bierce: From "Owl Creek Bridge" to Horror and Satire". Reactor. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
9. Bergmoser, Gabriel (28 October 2020). "Top 10 horror novels". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
10. "13 best horror books that will send a chill up your spine". The Independent. 4 June 2024. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
11. Foley-Cox, Tess (30 October 2024). "Best horror books to read this Halloween". theweek. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
12. O'Rourke, Evelyn (19 October 2024). "Long-lost Bram Stoker story discovered in Dublin". RTÉ.ie.

See also

• Lists of writers
  • List of fantasy authors
  • List of notable 20th-century writers
  • List of science fiction authors