Most Popular Horror Books of the 1980s

Discover popular Horror books from the 1980s, with reader ratings and new favorites to explore.

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Books in this list

Fevre Dream

George R. R. Martin

Fantasy · Horror · Vampires

1982

8.5/10 20 ratings

H.P. Lovecraft Omnibus #1

At the Mountains of Madness

H. P. Lovecraft

Fantasy · Horror · Science Fiction · Cthulhu · Weird Fiction

1985

8.3/10 12 ratings

The Sandman #2

The Sandman: The Doll's House

Neil Gaiman, Mike Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III

Fantasy · Horror · Graphic Novels · Comics

1989

8.5/10 68 ratings

It

Stephen King

Horror · British Fantasy Award

1986

8.5/10 111 ratings

The Sandman #1

The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes

Neil Gaiman

Fantasy · Horror · Graphic Novels · Comics

1989

8.3/10 50 ratings

Watchers

Dean Koontz

Horror

1987

8.1/10 28 ratings

Books of Blood #3

Books of Blood: Volume Three

Clive Barker

Horror · Splatterpunk · Short Stories · World Fantasy Award

1984

8.0/10 23 ratings

Pet Sematary

Stephen King

Horror

1983

8.0/10 195 ratings

Books of Blood #6

Books of Blood: Volume Six

Clive Barker

Horror · Splatterpunk · Short Stories

1985

7.9/10 20 ratings

Books of Blood #2

Books of Blood: Volume Two

Clive Barker

Horror · Splatterpunk · Short Stories · World Fantasy Award

1984

7.8/10 26 ratings

The Vampire Chronicles #2

The Vampire Lestat

Anne Rice

Horror · Vampires

1985

7.7/10 125 ratings

Books of Blood #1

Books of Blood: Volume One

Clive Barker

Horror · Splatterpunk · Short Stories · World Fantasy Award

1984

7.8/10 41 ratings

Books of Blood #5

Books of Blood: Volume Five

Clive Barker

Horror · Splatterpunk · Short Stories

1985

7.7/10 22 ratings

Skeleton Crew

Stephen King

Horror · Locus Award · Short Stories

1985

7.6/10 44 ratings

Misery

Stephen King

Horror · Psychological Horror · Bram Stoker Award · Movie · Mainstream

1987

7.6/10 112 ratings

Books of Blood #4

Books of Blood: Volume Four

Clive Barker

Horror · Splatterpunk · Short Stories

1985

7.6/10 20 ratings

The Damnation Game

Clive Barker

Horror

1985

7.5/10 22 ratings

The Tommyknockers

Stephen King

Horror

1987

7.5/10 70 ratings

Different Seasons

Stephen King

Horror · Short Stories

1982

7.4/10 58 ratings

Cabal

Clive Barker

Horror

1988

7.5/10 24 ratings

Song of Kali

Dan Simmons

Horror · Ancient Mythology · World Fantasy Award · Mythology

1985

7.2/10 47 ratings

The Vampire Chronicles #3

The Queen of the Damned

Anne Rice

Horror · Vampires

1988

7.2/10 98 ratings

Darkfall

Dean Koontz

Horror

1984

7.2/10 18 ratings

Firestarter

Stephen King

Horror

1980

7.1/10 73 ratings

Cujo

Stephen King

Horror · British Fantasy Award

1981

6.9/10 76 ratings

The Dark Half

Stephen King

Horror

1989

7.0/10 56 ratings

The Nightrunners

Joe R. Lansdale

Horror · Splatterpunk

1987

7.1/10 18 ratings

Phantoms

Dean Koontz

Horror

1983

6.9/10 38 ratings

Thinner

Richard Bachman

Horror

1984

6.9/10 23 ratings

Christine

Stephen King

Horror

1983

6.7/10 93 ratings

The Wasp Factory

Iain M. Banks

Horror · Mainstream

1984

6.7/10 24 ratings

Cycle of the Werewolf

Stephen King

Horror · Werewolves

1983

6.3/10 58 ratings

Sonja Blue #1

Sunglasses After Dark

Nancy A. Collins

Horror · Bram Stoker Award

1989

6.1/10 21 ratings

Swan Song

Robert R. McCammon

Horror · Science Fiction · Bram Stoker Award

1987

10/10 3 ratings

Books of Blood (omnibus editions)

Books of Blood: Volumes 1-3

Clive Barker

Horror · Short Stories

1988

10/10 2 ratings

Dark Gods

T. E. D. Klein

Horror · Short Stories

1985

10/10 2 ratings