If you love horror, then we have a few reads to keep you up at night.
Looking for something spooky to read that also happens to have a little queer chaos? We’ve got you.
Queer horror has everything from seductive vampires and haunted houses to body horror, monsters, and relationships that are somehow even more complicated than the supernatural situation happening around them.
Whether you’re into classic gothic stories or looking for your next BookTok obsession, here are five queer horror books worth adding to your reading list.
1. Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu
Let’s start with the OG.
Published in 1872, Carmilla is one of the earliest vampire stories and follows Laura, a young woman who becomes fascinated by the mysterious Carmilla after she arrives at her family’s home.
Carmilla is beautiful, charming, secretive, and very interested in Laura. Suspicious? Absolutely. But considering this is a vampire story, we already know things are about to get messy.
If you like gothic mansions, forbidden attraction, vampires, and a little lesbian tension, this classic still delivers.
The vibe: Lesbian vampires, gothic romance, obsession.
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2. Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
This one is for anyone who likes their horror creepy, emotional, and just a little unsettling.
Miri’s wife, Leah, returns home after a terrifying deep-sea research expedition. But Leah isn’t quite the same person who left. As Miri tries to understand what happened to her wife underwater, their relationship begins to unravel.
There are no needlessly complicated monsters here. Instead, the horror comes from watching someone you love slowly become unfamiliar.
It’s haunting, strange, and deeply queer.
The vibe: Queer marriage, body horror, deep-sea nightmare.
3. Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin
Ready for something considerably more intense?
Manhunt takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where a virus turns testosterone-rich people into violent monsters. The story follows trans women Beth and Fran as they try to survive while hunting for testosterone to protect themselves.
It’s bloody, brutal, and definitely not for readers looking for a cozy little spooky read.
But underneath all the gore is a story about trans survival, friendship, gender, and finding people who have your back when the world has gone completely to hell.
The vibe: Trans survival, monsters, gore, post-apocalyptic chaos.
4. What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
If you like your horror with a little fantasy thrown in, put this one on your list.
What Moves the Dead follows Alex Easton, a nonbinary former soldier who travels to a creepy old house after learning that their childhood friend is seriously ill.
Naturally, things get weird.
There’s a mysterious house, strange mushrooms, unsettling animals, and something very wrong with the people living inside. The book is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, but gives the classic story a queer and wonderfully strange twist.
The vibe: Gothic fantasy, creepy mushrooms, haunted-house energy.
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5. Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle
The title alone deserves a round of applause.
Bury Your Gays follows Misha, a gay screenwriter who refuses to kill off the queer characters in his television series. When Hollywood pressures him to follow the familiar “bury your gays” trope, things take a much darker turn.
Soon, Misha is dealing with something considerably scarier than an angry studio executive.
It’s bloody, campy, funny, and very aware of the way queer characters have been treated in horror and entertainment for decades.
Basically, it’s a horror story with a very queer middle finger.
The vibe: Camp, Hollywood horror, monsters, revenge.
Pick Your Poison
Whether you want a seductive vampire, a creepy house, a post-apocalyptic nightmare, or a monster hiding beneath the surface, queer horror has something for you.
And let’s be honest, sometimes a little supernatural drama is exactly what we need.
So grab a book, turn off the lights, and maybe don’t investigate that strange noise coming from the other room.
You have a horror novel to finish.