25 Female Horror Writers That Will Haunt Your Bookshelves Forevermore

These female authors will make your blood run cold.

By The Lineup Staff | Updated Oct 12, 2021 | Published Mar 26, 2018

female horror writers — Photo Credit: Alchetron

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Buy Experimental Film at Amazon

Experimental Film

By Gemma Files

Buy April Fools at Amazon

April Fools

By Richie Tankersley Cusick

little eyes

Little Eyes

By Samanta Schweblin

spook lights

Spook Lights

By Eden Royce

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Broken Monsters

By Lauren Beukes

1. Ann Arensberg

Buy Incubus at Amazon

Incubus

By Ann Arensberg

2. Mo Hayder

Buy Gone at Amazon

Gone

By Mo Hayder

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3. Kathe Koja

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The Cipher

By Kathe Koja

4. Ania Ahlborn

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Brother

By Ania Ahlborn

5. Alma Katsu

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Alma Katsu

By The Hunger

6. Mariko Koike

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Mariko Koike

By The Graveyard Apartment

7. Jac Jemc

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Jac Jemc

By The Grip of It

8. Daphne du Maurier (pictured above)

female horror writers

Rebecca

By Daphne du Maurier

9. Silvina Ocampo

female horror writers

Thus Were Their Faces: Selected Stories

By Silvina Ocampo

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10. Sylvia Townsend Warner

female horror writers

Lolly Willowes

By Sylvia Townsend Warner

11. Ann Radcliffe

Buy The Mysteries of Udolpho at Amazon

The Mysteries of Udolpho

By Ann Radcliffe

12. Shirley Jackson

female horror writers

The Lottery and Other Stories

By Shirley Jackson

13. Marjorie Bowen

female horror writers

Black Magic: The Rise and Fall of the Antichrist and Other Works

By Marjorie Bowen

14. Tananarive Due

female horror writers

My Soul to Keep

By Tananarive Due

15. Elizabeth Hand

Buy Wylding Hall at Amazon

Wylding Hall

By Elizabeth Hand

16. Carmen Maria Machado

female horror writers

Her Body and Other Parties

By Carmen Maria Machado

17. Mary Shelley

Buy Frankenstein at Amazon

Frankenstein

By Mary Shelley

18. Sarah Rayne

Buy Property of a Lady at Amazon

Property of a Lady

By Sarah Rayne

19. Diane Hoh

Buy Captives at Amazon

Captives

By Diane Hoh

20. Joyce Carol Oates

Buy Dis Mem Ber at Amazon

Dis Mem Ber

By Joyce Carol Oates

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