Fear Her: 7 New Horror Books by Women That Will Keep You Up at Night

Heidi Honeycutt is one of the best horror film historians and journalists out there.

You might have come across her long-ago site Pretty-Scary back in the mid-2000s—it was the very first place I was ever personally interviewed about my work in the genre—and since then, Honeycutt certainly hasn’t slowed down.

Now with this incredibly comprehensive look at female filmmakers’ contributions to horror cinema, she casts her shrewd eye on how much of a debt the genre owes to women auteurs.

And with its recent Bram Stoker Award nomination, this book is sure to inspire you to add plenty of new films to your own streaming queue.

Due out in May from Bad Hand Books, this anthology features stories from Nadia Bulkin, Lee Murray, Geneve Flynn, J.A.W. McCarthy, Christina Sng, and more.

While there’s a wide array of talent in the table of contents, including multiple male authors, the editor is none other than the amazing K.P. Kulski, so with a female editor at the helm, this book absolutely qualifies for our Women in Horror Month spotlight.

 Kulski has been making a name for herself with her inspired fiction and nonfiction, and I truly can’t wait to see what kind of masterpiece she’s created with this anthology.

Keep your eyes peeled for this one, and pre-order now; I have no doubt it’s going to be one of the best anthologies of the year.

L. Marie Wood has been steadily producing some of the best horror literature around. A multiple Bram Stoker Award nominee, her latest short fiction collection is further proof why she’s such a formidable voice in the genre.

Set in Wood’s Open Book Universe, this collection can be read as a standalone, but it is even better if you also check out her other collections, including The Open Book, Imitation of Life, and the original The Tales of Time.

And truly, why wouldn’t you want to read all the fabulous horror tales from this lauded author?

Just be warned now: you’ll be sleeping with the light on for many nights to come.

Azzurra Nox has spent the last few years making quite the name for herself as both a horror author and editor.

Her anthologies, which feature a vast treasure trove of fantastic women writers in the horror genre, are regularly making the rounds on social media and awards ballots.

And there’s good reason for that. Nox has quite the knack for selecting unforgettable horror fiction. With her latest, she’s brought together another stellar table of contents, including L.E. Daniels, Grace R. Reynolds, and more, for an anthology that focuses on gothic literature with a twist.

Expect unnerving fairy tale retellings, unique and horrific inversions of folklore, and everything in between. Without a doubt, this book deserves a place on your bookshelf immediately.

I adore KC Grifant’s work. Her weird westerns are reinventing the genre, spotlighting her unique voice that’s consistently so commanding and vital.

That’s why it should come as no surprise that her latest book is sure to be another incredible ride. Due out in May, the latest installment in the Melinda West series, Melinda West and the Gremlin Queen should get your attention with that title alone.

Plus, with a colorful and arresting cover like that, who can resist?

Come for the fabulous lead character; stay for the creepy swarm of gremlins that are bound to haunt your nightmares.

Last year, I was fortunate enough to blurb Lindy Ryan’s debut novel, Bless Your Heart. And what a book it is.

It’s gone on to earn much well-deserved acclaim, including landing on year’s best horror lists and a Bram Stoker Award nomination for Superior Achievement in a First Novel.

Now the Evans women, the familial protagonists of Bless Your Heart, are back in Another Fine Mess, and you better believe the undead are after the family once again.

Due out next month, this is one sequel you need to get your hands on as soon as possible.

And to finish off the list, here’s one for your pre-order queue: Cold Snap, the sequel to Angela Sylvaine’s Frost Bite, is due out from Dark Matter Ink this October.

Sylvaine—who has recently become a Bram Stoker Award nominee for her collection, The Dead Spot: Stories of Lost Girls—is absolutely a major rising star in the genre.

With an inimitable and often playful voice that blends humor, nostalgia, and horror, there’s nobody out there writing horror fiction quite like her.

Get that pre-order in as fast as you can, and start counting the days until this sure-to-be spectacular book makes its debut.