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

The Jonah

James Herbert

Horror

1981

7/10 2 ratings

Bellefleur

Joyce Carol Oates

Fantasy · Horror · Gothic Horror · Historical Fantasy · Magical Realism

1980

7/10 2 ratings

Lightning

Dean Koontz

Horror

1988

6.7/10 13 ratings

Blood Is Not Enough: 17 Stories of Vampirism

Ellen Datlow

Horror · Vampires · Anthology

1989

6.6/10 15 ratings

Midnight

Dean Koontz

Horror

1989

6.5/10 13 ratings

David Ash #1

Haunted

James Herbert

Horror

1988

6.6/10 16 ratings

James Asher Chronicles #1

Those Who Hunt the Night

Barbara Hambly

Horror · Locus Award

1988

6.5/10 4 ratings

The Empire of Fear

Brian Stableford

Horror · Alternate History

1988

6.5/10 2 ratings

The Adversary Cycle #1

The Keep

F. Paul Wilson

Horror

1981

6.5/10 2 ratings

The Servants of Twilight

Dean Koontz

Horror

1984

6.6/10 14 ratings

The Bad Place

Dean Koontz

Horror

1989

6.9/10 11 ratings

Possession

Peter James

Horror

1988

6/10 5 ratings

The Harvest Bride

Tony Richards

Horror

1987

7/10 4 ratings

The Mask

Dean Koontz

Horror

1981

6.5/10 13 ratings

Soul Eater

K. W. Jeter

Horror

1983

6.4/10 5 ratings

Floating Dragon

Peter Straub

Horror · British Fantasy Award

1983

6.3/10 12 ratings

Hawksmoor

Peter Ackroyd

Fantasy · Horror

1985

6.3/10 7 ratings

Tales from the Other Side

R. Chetwynd-Hayes

Horror · Short Stories

1983

6.4/10 5 ratings

Down River

Stephen Gallagher

Horror · Thriller

1989

6/10 2 ratings

Carrion Comfort

Dan Simmons

Horror · Bram Stoker Award · British Fantasy Award · Locus Award

1989

6/10 3 ratings

Eternal Bliss

Christopher Fahy

Horror

1988

6/10 2 ratings

Dollanganger Children #3

If There Be Thorns

Virginia C. Andrews

Horror · Gothic Horror · Psychological Horror · Psychological Thriller · Thriller

1981

6/10 2 ratings

The Dark

James Herbert

Horror

1980

6/10 3 ratings

Forbidden Garden

Diane Guest

Horror · Thriller

1987

6/10 1 ratings

Shattered Moon

Kate Green

Horror

1986

6/10 1 ratings

Cold Print

Ramsey Campbell

Fantasy · Horror · Short Stories

1985

6/10 2 ratings

Off Season #1

Off Season

Jack Ketchum

Horror

1980

6/10 2 ratings

Patterns

Pat Cadigan

Horror · Science Fiction · Locus Award · Short Stories

1988

6/10 1 ratings

The Toynbee Convector

Ray Bradbury

Fantasy · Horror · Science Fiction · Short Stories

1988

6/10 1 ratings

Ettison #1

Blood Heritage

Sheri S. Tepper

Horror

1986

6/10 1 ratings

Shrine

James Herbert

Horror

1983

6/10 1 ratings

Tales of Sorcery and Witchcraft

Winifred Finlay

Fantasy · Horror · Short Stories

1980

6/10 1 ratings

The Exorcist #2

Legion

William Peter Blatty

Horror

1983

5.9/10 9 ratings

See No Evil

Patricia Wallace

Horror

1988

5.3/10 3 ratings

The Nameless

Ramsey Campbell

Horror

1981

5.7/10 9 ratings

Don't Go Near the Water

Carolyn Sloan

Horror · Young Adult

1988

5.1/10 7 ratings