Below is a curated list of 15 horror, dark fantasy, and thriller books being released in October 2025 by well-known authors.
Whether you enjoy occult horrors, gothic fantasies, or chilling thrillers, these new releases promise perfectly eerie reads for the Halloween season.
#15 Tom’s Crossing — Mark Z. Danielewski
Release Date: October 28, 2025 | Genre: Horror/Western/Epic
The author of House of Leaves returns with a massive horror saga (1,232 pages) that blends Western adventure with supernatural dread. Set in Utah in 1982, two friends set out to rescue a pair of horses from a slaughterhouse, only to unleash an ancient curse in the process. As their quest unfolds beyond the town’s limits, unearthly horrors erupt: the dead rise from their graves, a mountain literally collapses, and an act of courage turns appallingly tragic. Hailed as a “blood-drenched story of pursuit” with “lush and dialect-inflected” prose, this genre-bending epic shifts from Western to horror to police procedural. (Bonus: Stephen King himself praised Tom’s Crossing as “amazing… a magisterial novel.”)
#14 Hazelthorn — C.G. Drews
Release Date: October 28, 2025 | Genre: YA Dark Fantasy/Gothic Horror
A haunting YA dark fantasy from instant NYT-bestselling author C.G. Drews. Evander is a reclusive, autistic teen who has spent years locked away in the crumbling Hazelthorn estate under three strict rules: he must never leave the property, never enter the gardens, and never be alone with Laurie – the charming heir who once tried to kill him. When Evander’s eccentric billionaire guardian (Laurie’s grandfather) suddenly dies, 18-year-old Evander inherits the vast gothic mansion and all its sprawling grounds. He suspects his guardian was murdered and reluctantly teams up with his former would-be murderer, Laurie, to catch the killer before they come for him next.
But Hazelthorn Estate itself is a threat: the overgrown garden is alive – a sentient, carnivorous ecosystem that hungers for blood and is slowly creeping into the manor’s halls. As Evander and Laurie sift through family secrets (and their own tangled feelings), the bloodthirsty garden demands to be fed again, resurrecting horrors seeded in the past.
Blending a murder mystery with botanical horror, Hazelthorn is “deeply unsettling yet hauntingly beautiful,” filled with poisonous blooms, eerie greenhouse laboratories, and a romance forged in danger. It’s The Secret Garden meets Annihilation in a tale of family curses, monstrous flora, and love blooming in darkness.
#13 Darker Days — Thomas Olde Heuvelt
Release Date: October 28, 2025 | Genre: Folk Horror/Suburban Gothic
A modern folk-horror novel by the author of Hex. On a seemingly perfect, affluent street in a Pacific Northwest town, the residents enjoy charmed lives – but only because they’ve struck a terrifying secret bargain with an otherworldly force. Echoing Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery, this story reveals the devastating consequences when a community agrees to sacrifice for prosperity.
As darkness creeps under the gilded veneer of the neighborhood, old debts come due: what was once an innocuous tradition turns into a blood price that must be paid. Heuvelt’s tale – blending the uncanny style of Paul Tremblay and Joe Hill – builds slow-burn dread around questions of collective guilt and complicity.
When the cost of keeping evil at bay comes due, even close-knit neighbors may turn on each other to survive. Darker Days is a chilling parable about how far people will go to hold onto “the good life” – and what horrors they unleash in the process.
#12 King Sorrow — Joe Hill
Release Date: October 21, 2025 | Genre: Horror/Dark Academia
A game-changing horror epic from Joe Hill (author of NOS4A2 and Horns). Six college friends at a Maine university resort to dark magic to fix a desperate situation and end up summoning a dragon-like entity known as King Sorrow. What starts as a reckless plan to protect their friend Arthur from blackmail spirals into a Faustian bargain: the creature demands a human sacrifice every year – or it will claim the six friends themselves.
Spanning from the 1980s Midwest to 2020s England, King Sorrow follows these clever but damaged protagonists as they face supernatural terror and all-too-human threats, in a tale unmissable for fans of Stephen King or dark academia horror. At nearly 1,000 pages, this is Hill’s first standalone novel in nine years.
#11 Father Gaetano’s Puppet Catechism — Mike Mignola & Christopher Golden
Release Date: October 21, 2025 | Genre: Gothic Horror Novella/Illustrated
An illustrated horror novella co-written by comics legend Mike Mignola (creator of Hellboy) and novelist Christopher Golden. Set in Sicily after World War II, this eerie tale follows Father Gaetano, a young priest trying to bring hope to orphans in a war-torn monastery. He carves wooden puppets to teach the children their catechism, staging little plays of good and evil. But one night, the puppets come to life – possessed by something beyond earthly understanding.
What begins as a charming pastime turns into a Twilight Zone–esque nightmare as Father Gaetano’s stringless marionettes start enacting their own sinister agenda. The novella balances fable-like wonder with chilling horror: imagine toy puppets preaching scripture by day, but hunting the halls for souls by night.
Originally published in 2012, this new edition features haunting illustrations and reintroduces the “dark dream team” of Mignola and Golden’s work. Father Gaetano’s Puppet Catechism is a compact, creepy story about faith and sacrifice – and about what happens when a man of God confronts evil with a painted smile and wooden hands.
#10 Futility — Nuzo Onoh
Release Date: October 21, 2025 | Genre: African Horror/Dark Satire/Body Horror
A gleefully dark tale of murder and revenge from Nuzo Onoh, the “Queen of African Horror.” Set in Nigeria, this violent but bitingly funny story follows two very different women who both burn with anger. Chia, a beautiful young woman famed for her irresistible hot pepper soup, runs one of the best restaurants in Enugu – but her secret recipe involves a disturbing special ingredient, and even her dazzling beauty is not what it seems.
Meanwhile, Claire is a bitter, middle-aged British expat stuck in Nigeria with a philandering younger boyfriend; she’s jealous, resentful, and out of options. When a mysterious opportunity arises, Chia and Claire both seize the chance to settle scores with those who’ve wronged them. The result is a bloody body-swapping revenge saga that spirals out of control.
As the two women’s fates collide, Onoh delivers “exhilarating twists and turns” in a story filled with murder, dark magic, and karmic justice. Futility is by turns monstrous and comic, as Onoh uses body horror and satire to explore themes of vanity, rage, and retribution. (Note: This author recently received a Bram Stoker Lifetime Achievement Award, and her mastery shines through in this wicked tale.)
#9 The Haunting of Paynes Hollow — Kelley Armstrong
Release Date: October 14, 2025 | Genre: Supernatural Thriller/Gothic
A supernatural thriller from bestselling author Kelley Armstrong. When 26-year-old Samantha Payne’s estranged grandfather dies, she is shocked to inherit their abandoned lakeside cottage – the site of a family tragedy years ago. Sam’s father died by suicide after being accused of murdering her childhood friend, and Sam herself witnessed him burying the body, convinced of his guilt.
As a condition of the will, Sam must live in the cottage for one month, forcing her to confront the past and prove (or disprove) her father’s innocence. But the remote property on Lake Ontario harbors more than memories: soon Sam is plagued by nightmares, ghostly whispers, and visions of human-like shapes crawling out of the lake and woods.
The longer she stays, the more the twisted family secrets and Dutch folklore of the area manifest as haunting apparitions. Armstrong delivers a nail-biting tale of a haunted cottage and the dark legacy that binds one family, as Sam races to survive both the spirit of the lake and the very real threat tied to her grandfather’s mysterious past.
#8 The Last Witch — C.J. Cooke
Release Date: October 14, 2025 | Genre: Historical Horror/Witch Trial
A gothic historical horror based on a true story, from the author of The Lighthouse Witches. Set in 1485, it follows Helena, a woman accused of witchcraft who must use her voice to fight for her life during a brutal witch trial. When a fanatic witchfinder targets Helena’s village, she dares to defy him – an act almost unheard of for a woman of her time.
This novel is inspired by the real courageous woman who challenged a man that would become one of Europe’s most notorious witch hunters. Helena’s struggle unfolds against the backdrop of superstition and misogyny: as she faces torture, imprisonment, and the threat of the stake, she also taps into a deeper power of her own.
Cooke paints a “deeply compelling” portrait of female resistance in an age of fear. With vivid period detail and creeping dread, The Last Witch shows a woman’s fight to survive a witchfinder’s crusade, turning the tables on a man who has damned countless others. It’s at once a tense courtroom thriller and a chilling tale of occult persecution – perfect for readers who enjoy witchy themes with historical realism.
#7 The Graceview Patient — Caitlin Starling
Release Date: October 14, 2025 | Genre: Medical Horror/Psychological Gothic
A claustrophobic hospital horror from the author of The Death of Jane Lawrence. Margaret has a rare autoimmune disease destroying her life, so she enrolls in an experimental treatment that requires her to live full-time in a hospital and endure the near-total destruction of her immune system (to regenerate it from scratch). Essentially, the trial will kill most of her – but it might cure her.
As Margaret endures this grueling regimen, isolated in the eerie Graceview Memorial Hospital, she begins to suspect something sinister lurking within the hospital walls. Patients go missing, staff act strangely, and shadowy figures stalk the halls at night. Unsure if these terrors are drug-induced hallucinations or an actual parasitic entity spreading through the facility, Margaret finds herself trapped in a nightmare of body horror and paranoia.
Dubbed “Misery meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” Starling’s novel is a genre-blending tale of medical suspense and gothic dread. As her mind and body deteriorate, Margaret must find a way to escape Graceview’s clutches – before she literally loses herself to the darkness permeating the hospital.
#6 Little Horn: Stories — Gemma Files
Release Date: October 14, 2025 | Genre: Horror/Short Story Collection
An anthology of dark tales by Gemma Files, a Bram Stoker Award–winning horror author. Little Horn collects 14 of Files’s short stories and novelettes – some previously published, some new – each showcasing her distinctive blend of the macabre and the imaginative. Expect a variety of horrors: eldritch creatures, modern witchcraft, haunted cities, and body transformations all find a place in these pages. (Files herself has hinted that many of these pieces explore “weird Western” themes and cosmic dread.)
The collection is enhanced with illustrated title pages drawn by Files, lending a personal, artistic touch to each tale. Readers can look forward to rich, literary horror ranging from subtle ghost stories to visceral shocks, all tied together by Files’s poetic prose and keen insight into human (and inhuman) nature. For fans of short horror fiction, Little Horn offers a “delicious feast of the familiar and the new” in horror, celebrating one of the genre’s most respected voices.
#5 The Works of Vermin — Hiron Ennes
Release Date: October 14, 2025 | Genre: Dark Fantasy Horror/Monster-Hunting
A dark fantasy horror adventure by Hiron Ennes (author of the acclaimed novel Leech). In the decadent city of Tiliard – a dangerous metropolis carved out of the stump of a colossal ancient tree – professional exterminator Guy Moulène takes on a job no one else would dare. A giant venomous centipede, the size of a dragon, is prowling the city’s rotten underbelly, and Guy desperately needs the bounty to pay off his sister’s debts.
But hunting monsters isn’t just about slaying beasts; in Tiliard, the nobles and guilds have their own secrets, and soon Guy is entangled in court intrigues and conspiracies even more dangerous than the centipede. This novel mixes creeping horror with high fantasy: as Guy descends into crypts and fungal forests under the city, he confronts twisted creatures born of alchemy and decay – only to uncover that the true “vermin” may be lurking in the ruling class above.
The Works of Vermin promises grotesque creatures, lush world-building, and a gritty hero you can’t help but root for. Ennes delivers monster-hunting action with a side of political suspense, in a story where a hired killer sent to eliminate a “pest” instead finds an unspeakable ancient evil at the heart of the city.
#4 ITCH! — Gemma Amor
Release Date: October 9, 2025 | Genre: Folk Horror/Body Horror
A feminist folk horror novel that will quite literally make your skin crawl. Josie Jackson returns to her rural hometown in the English countryside after escaping an abusive relationship, only to stumble upon a putrid, ant-infested corpse in the woods. While waiting for authorities, Josie passes out face-first onto the decaying body, and swarms of ants invade her mouth, ears, and nose. Even after she’s rescued, Josie is left with an unrelenting itch under her skin that no amount of scratching can satisfy.
The novel follows multiple threads – including the dead woman’s backstory and a bizarre local festival called the Devil’s March – which Amor masterfully weaves into a tapestry of terror. As Josie’s sanity frays, she suspects the itching is not just trauma, but a curse tied to her hometown’s occult traditions. Insects crawl, hallucinations mount, and an annual masked procession draws near, promising answers or doom.
With visceral imagery (prepare for ants and body horror!) and themes of overcoming trauma, ITCH! builds to a jaw-dropping finale. (Content warning: this novel is “not for the squeamish” or anyone with myrmecophobia – fear of ants – as it features truly nightmarish insect scenes.)
#3 The Flesh King — Richard Kadrey
Release Date: October 7, 2025 | Genre: Urban Fantasy Horror/Noir
A witty supernatural noir by Richard Kadrey, known for his Sandman Slim series. Monster hunters Ford, Neuland, and Tilda (from Kadrey’s previous novella The Pale House Devil) return to New York City and get an offer they can’t refuse: the mob will only welcome them home if they hunt down a gruesome creature terrorizing the city. This creature – dubbed The Flesh King – is a flesh-eating immortal “freak” leaving a macabre, bloody trail of murder across NYC.
The trio plunge into the city’s occult underworld, navigating twisted conspiracies, demon-infested speakeasies, and showdowns with rival assassins, all while tracking an entity that may be far more powerful than anyone bargained for. Packed with hardboiled humor, gore, and action, the novel pits a loveably grumpy found-family of occult hitmen against a nightmarish villain.
Kadrey delivers “mean streets, dark magic, grotesque murder…yes, please!” in this fast-paced horror caper. The Flesh King promises over-the-top urban fantasy horror with plenty of twists, betrayals, and pulpy thrills.
#2 The Essential Horror of Joe R. Lansdale — Joe R. Lansdale
Release Date: October 7, 2025 | Genre: Horror Anthology
A career-spanning collection from the legendary Joe R. Lansdale, Grand Master of Horror. This anthology gathers Lansdale’s most acclaimed and terrifying short stories, showcasing the range of his macabre imagination. Within these pages, you’ll find everything from gritty human horrors to the outright supernatural: demon nuns, resurrected monstrosities, Lovecraftian entities, and vicious human villains all make an appearance.
Lansdale’s storytelling is as sharp as ever – by turns funny, profane, and gut-punching. Many of the tales are set in Texas or the American South, infused with the author’s trademark colloquial voice and unflinching look at human cruelty. This volume also features a brand-new introduction by Joe Hill, who praises Lansdale’s ability to make readers squirm one moment and laugh the next.
For both long-time fans and newcomers, The Essential Horror of Joe R. Lansdale serves as the definitive showcase of a writer who “tackles racism and human cruelty as deftly as he conjures demon nuns and Elder Gods.”
#1 The Night That Finds Us All — John Hornor Jacobs
Release Date: October 7, 2025 | Genre: Nautical Horror/Ghost Story
An atmospheric nautical horror from award-winning author John Hornor Jacobs. The setup is simple and spine-tingling: “A troubled sailor. A hundred-year-old sailboat. An ancient curse.”
Jacobs invites you aboard the Rocinante, a century-old schooner that one unlucky sailor has inherited. In an attempt to escape his past, the protagonist sets sail on the open ocean – only to discover his vessel carries a malevolent legacy. As days and nights blur on the empty sea, he encounters ghostly apparitions among the creaking timbers and discovers logbooks hinting at a terrible pact made by the ship’s original captain. The sailboat’s history includes smuggling, murder, perhaps even ritual sacrifice, and now the new captain finds himself stalked by the restless spirits of the drowned.
Jacobs, known for blending Southern Gothic with supernatural elements, delivers a “nautical nightmare” of isolation and madness. Readers can expect stormy suspense, ghost ship vibes, and a mounting sense that something ancient and hungry is waiting beneath the waves. This novella-length tale is perfect for a one-sitting scare on a dark October night.
Each of these October 2025 releases offers a distinct flavor of frights – from occult dragons and ghost ships to vengeful witches and killer gardens. With established genre authors at the helm, you’re sure to find a spooky read to suit your taste. Happy haunting! 🎃
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