I don’t know anybody who enjoys horror novels besides me anyway and the Now Reading plugin hasn’t worked for me in a while. But I will share none-the-less.

10. The Keeper by Sarah Langan
Nominated for best first novel in the 2006 Bram Stoker awards. An auspicious debut that speaks of great ghost stories to come.

9. The Policy by Bentley Little
I am a big fan of Little’s work as he always comes up with intriguing story lines. This one is about an insurance policy that cannot be canceled.

8. The Conqueror Worms/Deluge by Brian Keene
Keene is the pre-eminent horror writer of this generation. He is prolific, imaginative and able to churn out top-rate scares. This two part-er is no exception. The skies mysteriously start raining and don’t stop. 40+ days later the world has changed precipitously. I’m not finished with Deluge yet as he releases a chapter each week on his website.

7. The Ruins by Scott Smith
The movie came out earlier this year but if you want the true fright pick up the book instead. Smith does not release novels fast enough for my taste. But when he does he does not disappoint.

6. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
This book would be higher on my list if not for the style. I am not a big fan of oral histories and would have like a more linear tell. That quibble aside this is a fantastic Zombie story of life after the uprising.

5. Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Hill is a consummate story teller. Although he has great bloodlines as the son of Stephen King, he is a novelist to be respected in his own right. If you ever receive a heart shaped box in the mail do not open it.

4. Ghost Story by Peter Straub
This is an absolute classic in the genre. It is the work that put Straub on the map and put him in the same conversation with Stephen King of great horror writers. As I am often a critic of length it is important to note that this tremendous ghost tale would be number one on my list if it has been a hundred pages shorter. At any rate it is top notch. Skip the movie, however.

3. Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin
You have probably already seen the classic movie and the book is every bit as riveting. Levin was a great story teller and this is his finest work. However, do not pick up the sequel: Son of Rosemary.

2. The Rising/City of the Dead/Dead Sea by Brian Keene
Honestly, my top 10 could consist of Keene books. He is that good. This is Zombie writing at its finest.

1. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
This novel, which has now been made into a movie three times, is a gripping piece of fiction that focuses primarily on one individual’s coming to terms with his role as the last human on earth. What emerges is a compelling portrait of a man striving to survive in a world that has radically changed and transformed into an archaic mess. The reader is sucked in to a battle that is best defined as a struggle between human and post-human.