Who Wrote The Scariest Book To Read In 2023?

I read a ton of horror, and the one that left me genuinely terrified in 2023 was 'Black River Orchard' by Chuck Wendig. Wendig’s writing is visceral—you can almost smell the rotten apples and feel the dread creeping in. The story’s blend of folk horror and body horror is relentless, and the way it explores addiction and obsession makes the scares feel personal. There’s a scene involving teeth that still makes me shudder.

Close behind was 'The Handyman Method' by Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan. Cutter’s signature gross-out horror is on full display, but what got me was the psychological spiral of the protagonist. The book’s DIY horror premise (a haunted how-to manual) is brilliantly simple and utterly disturbing.

Wendig’s book, though, is the one I couldn’t put down—or forget. It’s not just about the scares; it’s about the way they burrow into your psyche. If you want a book that’ll ruin apples for you forever, this is it.

As someone who devours horror like candy, 2023 had some standout chills, but nothing compared to 'How to Sell a Haunted House' by Grady Hendrix. Hendrix has this knack for taking everyday situations—like inheriting a creepy childhood home—and twisting them into something deeply unsettling. The book’s puppets (yes, puppets) are the stuff of nightmares, and the way Hendrix plays with familial trauma adds layers to the terror. It’s not just scary; it’s emotionally raw, which makes the horror hit harder.

Another contender was 'Lone Women' by Victor LaValle, a gripping tale of isolation and monsters, both literal and metaphorical. LaValle’s prose is so vivid, you feel the desert wind and the creeping dread alongside the protagonist. But Hendrix’s book stuck with me longer—those puppets still haunt my dreams. If you want a book that’s equal parts heart-wrenching and horrifying, this is it.

For a different flavor of fear, 'Silver Nitrate' by Silvia Moreno-Garcia delivered a slow-burning, cinematic dread. Moreno-Garcia’s love for vintage horror seeps into every page, making the supernatural feel eerily plausible. Yet, Hendrix’s blend of humor and horror made 'How to Sell a Haunted House' the year’s scariest read for me.

I’ve always been drawn to horror that lingers in your mind long after you’ve turned the last page. In 2023, the book that truly unsettled me was 'Whalefall' by Daniel Kraus. The way Kraus crafts tension is masterful—every sentence feels like a step deeper into dread. The premise alone, about a diver trapped inside a whale, is nightmare fuel, but it’s the psychological torment that got under my skin. Kraus doesn’t rely on cheap jumpscares; he builds a slow, suffocating fear that’s impossible to shake. I couldn’t sleep for days after reading it, and that’s the mark of a truly scary book.

Honorable mentions go to 'The Reformatory' by Tananarive Due for its haunting blend of historical horror and supernatural terror, and 'Our Share of Night' by Mariana Enriquez, which left me checking over my shoulder. But 'Whalefall'? That one’s in a league of its own.