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17 of the Best Horror Authors to Inspire Your Writing

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of reading an author whose writing is so good you

Of course, the role Stephen King has played in my writing journey has been fulfilled by different

If you’re interested in writing horror fiction of your own, read on

We’ve rounded up a list of the best horror authors out there to inspire your work

Along with King, Dean Koontz is one of the major names you’ll encounter should you check

If you’re new to Koontz and looking for some inspiration, check out The Eyes of Darkness

As you’ll see, this list of horror authors is a mixture of contemporary favorites and all-time

Considered by many the father of horror fiction, Poe’s ability to conjure up terrifying scenarios is

If you’re new to Poe, pick up an anthology and dive right in to see how

Her books have been adapted into major Hollywood films as well as beloved roleplaying games

If you want to make your contribution to the vampire fiction genre, be sure to study the

It would be a huge oversight to ignore the contributions of authors writing horror for a younger

His prolific output and endless imagination mean many newcomers are still discovering the spooky brilliance of his

Something Wicked This Way Comes and the concept of the Dark Carnival lives on in the minds

If you want to learn how to generate terror and unease from the most mundane of regular

While a lot of people will know him for the adaptions of his work, such as Candyman

Check out Barker’s books for inspiration on how to create immersive, conceptual works of horror

The horror genre as a whole has been immeasurably influenced by The Exorcist

It’s hard to imagine the current crop of possession movies would ever have taken place without

If you’re a fan of that style of supernatural horror, take the time to check out

Without Stoker’s Dracula, there would never have been Anne Rice or any of the more contemporary

While many know Straub for his collaborations with Stephen King, his solo output is more than worthy

Straub’s strength was crafting works of chilling supernatural fiction, reflected by his large haul of Bram

Newcomers to Straub could check out one of his classic novels like Mr

Check out The Haunting of Hill House or We Have Always Lived in The Castle for classic

If you want to learn how to create rich series of books full of worldbuilding and detail,

He’s also capable of crafting superb standalone stories, such as Ghostwalkers

As promised, we want to celebrate contemporary powerhouses of the horror genre as well as their classic

Carbia was originally a screenwriter and her fiction reflects that ability to create gripping storylines that loom

You might have noticed by now that the UK tends to punch above its weight when producing

For one of the best of recent years, check out Ramsey Campbell

Campbell is quite prolific, having produced well over 30 books

Ancient Images is a great starting point for his work, or try The Wise Friend for something

Ahlborn self-published her earliest novels and became the bestselling horror author on Amazon in the process

She’s since been adapted for the screen and has gone on to achieve bestseller status countless

Check out her career for a blueprint of how to achieve horror success as a self-published writer

Shelley will always be associated with Frankenstein, but her influence on what later became science fiction shouldn’

Robert Bloch is a name that a lot of people may not be familiar with, even if

The movie Psycho is inexorably tied in with Hitchcock, but it was Bloch who provided the source

Bloch was a master at crafting psychologically disturbing tales that lingered for a long time in the

Now that you have plenty of inspiration for crafting your own spooky story, it’s time to

You might start with an outline or jump into working on a full first draft

Whichever route you choose, we wish you every success in your horror genre

Who knows, maybe one day you’ll be the inspiration for the next generation of horror authors!