Horror
February 2026

Recent Releases
Cover of Midnight Somewhere by Johnny Compton
Midnight Somewhere
by Johnny Compton

In his disturbing and thought-provoking short story collection that's "good, creepy fun" (Booklist), Bram Stoker Award nominee Johnny Compton (The Spite House) blends supernatural horror and magical realism. For fans of: The Wishing Pool and Other Stories by Tananarive Due.
Cover of Dark Sisters by Kristi DeMeester
Dark Sisters
by Kristi DeMeester

Unfolding across three timelines, Kristi DeMeester's fast-paced latest centers on the "Dark Sisters," a pair of vengeful witches whose hold on the women of small-town Hawthorne Springs spans centuries. For fans of: The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia; Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth.
Cover of Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher
Snake-Eater
by T. Kingfisher

In search of a fresh start after leaving her emotionally abusive fiancé, cash-strapped Selena heads to the small desert town of Quartz Creek, Arizona to stay at her late aunt's abandoned home. But not all is as it seems in Quartz Creek, as she soon discovers she's being watched by the same malevolent creature who targeted her aunt. Fans of dark fantasy/horror hybrids will want to check out this suspenseful and atmospheric latest from bestselling author T. Kingfisher.
Cover of A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James
A Box Full of Darkness
by Simone St. James

Eighteen years after the sudden disappearance of their six-year-old brother, Ben, the Esmie siblings return to their childhood home in upstate New York at the urging of Ben's ghost, hoping to find answers. For fans of: Model Home by Rivers Solomon.
Focus on: Short Stories
Cover of A Sunny Place for Shady People: Stories by Mariana Enriquez; translated by Megan McDowell
A Sunny Place for Shady People: Stories
by Mariana Enriquez; translated by Megan McDowell

Argentine author Mariana Enriquez (Our Share of Night) offers 12 creepy and darkly humorous tales starring women in contemporary Buenos Aires confronting horrors both mundane and supernatural. Try this next: Nineteen Claws and a Black Bird: Stories by Agustina Bazterrica.
Cover of Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology
by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. (editors); introduction by Stephen Graham Jones

Incorporating social commentary and elements of folklore and traditional beliefs, this compelling anthology features 26 original horror tales from new and established Indigenous authors including Darcie Little Badger, Tommy Orange, and Brandon Hobson. For fans of: After the People Lights Have Gone Off: Stories by Stephen Graham Jones.
Cover of Queer Little Nightmares: An Anthology of Monstrous Fiction and Poetry
by David Ly & Daniel Zomparelli
Queer Little Nightmares: An Anthology of Monstrous Fiction and Poetry
by David Ly & Daniel Zomparelli (editors)

Penned by 32 authors, this diverse and irreverent collection of short stories and poetry deconstructs the "monster" and reinterprets it through a queer lens. Try these next: Other Terrors: An Inclusive Anthology edited by Vince A. Liaguno and Rena Mason; It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror edited by Joe Vallese (nonfiction).
Cover of Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror by Jordan Peele
Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror
by Jordan Peele (editor)

Edited by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Jordan Peele (Get Out), this creepy anthology collects stories from lauded Black authors including N.K. Jemisin, Tananarive Due, Caldwell Turnbull, and more. It's "essential reading for any horror fan" (Publishers Weekly). Try this next: The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar by Robin R. Means Coleman and Mark H. Harris (nonfiction).
Cover of Mother Knows Best: Tales of Homemade Horror by Lindy Ryan
Mother Knows Best: Tales of Homemade Horror
by Lindy Ryan (editor) 

This twisted and disturbing anthology of 27 short stories and poems explores the horrors of domestic life and motherhood. For fans of: thought-provoking maternal horror novels like Mothered by Zoje Stage and Tantrum by Rachel Eve Moulton. 
Contact your librarian for more great books!
LA County Library
7400 Imperial Highway
Downey, California 90242
562.940.8462

LACountyLibrary.org