Horror Books Coming Out This Year

First, a shout out to Grady Hendrix for bringing a spotlight back to the arguably otherwise-forgotten archives of horror novels of the past few decades. If you haven't already, I highly recommend subscribing to his Paperbacks From Hell newsletter (named after his incredible reference book of the same subject matter). 

We talk a lot about movies on this site, but books have a special place in any horror fan's collection. After all, many of our favorite movies originated from books or short stories. Here's a few coming out this year that I'm looking forward to.

• The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires – Grady Hendrix (April). I figured it made sense to highlight this one first. If you've never read his work,  I recommend My Best Friend's Exorcism. It's set in the 80s and it's a great coming-of-possession story right out of a VHS rental. Even the cover looks like one. His new novel is about a lonesome housewife who joins a book club to pass the time only to find out there's a lot more involved the discussions of literary works.
• The Bank – Bentley Little (April). I started reading Bentley Little back in the early 2000s and found myself flying through his books. He has a knack of taking seemingly ordinary settings or social groups (Walmart, Home Owner Associations, Schools) and creating the craziest, most outlandish horror plot around them. The Bank is about well, a bank that appears suddenly in town. Opening a new account sounds appealing, but account holders start to have very deadly repercussions. Banks are evil...but leave it to Little to make them hellish.
• Devoted – Dean Koontz (March). A young boy is mute since the death of his Father. He feels something very evil was responsible for this father's death yet he speaks to no one about it.  Only a dog with a psychic connection to this boy can help as the evil set its sights on the boys mother.
• The Wise Friend – Ramsey Campbell (April). Ramsey Campbell is known for darker subject matter in his works - occultism and ritualistic themes, for example. He's better known across the pond but he's actually written the stories for movies you may have seen, like Joyride or The Nameless (though not the best examples of his work). The Wise Friend is about a Father and Son who find a journal from an Aunt in which she wrote about her explorations to occult sites. While the father is hesitant to follow the trail, his son and his girlfriend find they may have gone too far in their own curiosities.
• If It Bleeds – Stephen King (May). This time around, it's another novella compilation. Surely not a new move by King but then again, some of his best stories have come from his shorter material. The included titles are: Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, The Life of Chuck, Rat, and If It Bleeds. Fans of The Outsider (book or show) will be happy to know that it has been revealed that Ralph Anderson and Holly Gibney (also from the Mr. Mercedes trilogy) are featured. King's crossing over of characters is always well executed. 
• Up the Chimney Down – Joe Hill (TBD): Like father, like son - Joe Hill will also be releasing his next book this year. Hill is becoming a household horror name himself as his works' popularity grows with Nos4atu, Horns and Locke & Key. Details on this one are sparse at the moment but expectations are high!

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