Kult-Zilla’s – Essential Horror Reading – 2025!

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1. // ‘King Sorrow’ – Joe Hill

Joe Hill, author of novels such as Heart Shaped Box (2007) and Horns (2010) stepped of the shadow of his father Stephen King many years ago, Along with his debut short story collection 20th Century Ghosts (2005), his first two novels were slickly written, blending Horror, fantasy and dark humour in a wholly distinctive and unique voice. Horns gained further notoriety when it was adapted into the 2013 movie starring Daniel Radcliffe – in one of his early post-Harry Potter roles. Hill would also craft his popular comic book series Locke & Key (2008 – 2013), which was crafted into a hit Netflix series, before expanding his writing chops with the epic door-stop novels NOS4A2 (2013) and The Fireman (2016).

And although there has been a near decade long wait into between novels, Hill has most certainly not been resting on his laurels in that time. He released Strange Weather in 2027, a collection of four novellas, and Full Throttle in 2019, a collection of novelettes and short story’s – two of which were written with his Dad. He has also written for, and curated his own Horror comic book series; Hill House Comics. Much of Hill’s work has also been adapted for the screen over the years, including the Netflix movie In The Tall Grass (2019), and the acclaimed Scott Derrickson (Sinister) directed; The Black Phone (2021).

King Sorrow is very much a book in the vein of his previous epic works. For starters it clocks in just shy of 900 words and his longest work to date. And it might just be his magnum opus, given that he has stated his desire will be to release a shorter novel each year for the foreseeable future. And it does not disappoint. Hill really has created something of a masterpiece in this very original story about a group of friends, who in 1989 conjure a mystical dragon into our world in order to take revenge on a gang of criminals who are exploiting one of them.

But once summoned, King Sorrow proves that he’s not a dragon who will play by anyone’s rules but his own. And soon the friends find they have an uncontrollable supernatural beast on their who hands, who demands they provide him with a human sacrifice each year … or it will take one of them instead. Taking inspiration from one of his favourite literary characters of all time, Tolkien’s Smaug, Hill creates a highly unusual being in his dimension travelling antagonist. The way in which he imprints within our world is incredibly inventive, and despite its bloated length, King Sorrow flows exquisitely as it is split into separate distinct sections set across a number of time periods. KZ

2. // ‘The Buffalo Hunter Hunter‘ – Stephen Graham Jones

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is the latest novel from Stephen Graham Jones, author of over thirty books including last year’s excellent I Was a Teenage Slasher … and it may well be one of his most personal to date. For Jones is of Blackfoot descent. And although his work has always been heavily inspired by his Native American heritage, this story delves back into the history of the Montana region, and the transformation of this area in North West America quite like no other.

Graham has crafted something of an epic tale with The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, depicting a highly original story told largely in flashback by way of the discovery of the 1912 diaries of Arthur Beaucarne. A Lutheran pastor who disappeared from all historical records that very year. His diaries have been unearthed by one of his descendants; Etsy Beaucarne, 100 years later. And her tale of discovery bookends the story, as both she and the reader are transported back in time as the diary entries are examined for the duration of the novel.

This is a Vampire novel … of sorts. The phrase is merely hinted at once, and printed only once in the very final paragraph of the story. And Jones provides a wholly unique take on the mythology, blending the idea of Vampirism with that of a Native American Blackfoot during a highly violent and transitional period of American history. He provides many ideas that just aren’t a part of the conventional pop-culture lore. The new perspective he provides to the phrase – You are what you eat – being just one example of his extraordinary creativity.

But The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is so much more than that. It is a thoroughly engaging period mystery, written in a sumptuous style which looks hard at the cultural divide between the Native American’s and white European settlers. In fact Vampirism can be looked upon as a metaphor for the settlers treatment and eventual decimation of the natives and their land. Jones draws deep on the history of his heritage to provide a rich and deeply textured narrative covering multiple timelines. And it is all sublimely delivered with an intoxicating finesse, by a modern master-storyteller. KZ

3. // ‘Coffin Moon’ – Keith Rosson

Keith Rosson is a writer on one hell of a roll right now. Since signing a deal with Random House Publishing he’s released the critically acclaimed duo-logy of Post-Apocalyptic / Zombie-Outbreak stories – Fever House (2023) and The Devil By Name (2024) – and has now gone and delivered one of the Horror books of 2025 in Coffin Moon. This is his take on the Vampire sub-genre. A dark, gritty blend of Vampire mythology and Crime-Noir. A perfectly paced page-turner which deeply explores the theme of violence.

Rosson also explores the human connection. Love, loss and grief in equal measures. With the overall riding theme of revenge sitting at the core of this mid-seventies set period tale. We largely follow the exploits of Vietnam veteran Duane Minor. A decent man with a dark past. A sober man who is still trying to get to grips with reality, having returned home from the war to resume a life with his wife, her parents, the adoption of his niece following a family tragedy and his role as the manager of his in-laws bar.

Coffin Moon is a real character driven piece. The love that Minor has for his wife, and the strong paternal instinct that he has for his niece is at the heart of the novel. And is the catalyst for every decision he makes. It is of course no secret that this is a Vampire novel, and the way Rosson bleeds this aspect into the story and Minor’s life is executed well, dragging you along for the ride with expert precision.

As with Fever House and The Devil By Name, Rosson also writes from the various points of view of different characters, and this really helps the pages fly by as you jump from one to the next. Coffin Moon is an epic tale, with flashbacks that take us back to the turn of the 20th century. It poses many questions for the reader and thematically demands much thought and reflection. And it could well have been double its 320 pages … for it certainly seems as if there could be much more story for Rosson to tell in this world. KZ

4. // ‘Witchcraft For Wayward Girls’ – Grady Hendrix

Witchcraft For Wayward Girls is the latest novel from New York based Grady Hendrix, a novelist who has also seen his books sit on the New York Times Best Sellers List from time to time. Hendrix has often been tagged with writing ‘Gateway-Horror’ – accessible Horror that appeals to a host of readers including the YA market. And he has experienced some considerable success in this field with a host of previous novels including Horrorstör (2014), My Best Friend’s Exorcism (2016), and most recently; How To Sell A Haunted House (2023).

Witchcraft For Wayward Girls follows suit. A toe dipped into the ocean of the Horror genre, with a story focusing on a snapshot in time of the lives of a gang of teenage girls – thrown together in the most difficult of circumstances. Hendrix was inspired to write this story after discovering that around fifty years ago, two close relatives of his had spent time in homes for young un-married pregnant woman. Maternity homes where young females were nurtured during their final stages of pregnancy, sent by their families to have their illegitimate children in secret. Before signing away their babies for adoption and returning to their normal lives as if nothing had ever happened.

Hendrix litters the early stages of his story with an abundance of pop-culture references to help the reader ease into the time period, and he sets the scene of the story by spending time building an engaging world for the characters, that is incredibly easy for the reader to immerse themselves in. The narrative is supplied in somewhat of a slow-burn style, with Hendrix taking nearly a quarter of the 475 page length to build towards what the majority of readers will have come here for … witchcraft!

Hendrix puts the reader into the place of protagonist Fern with an impressive ease. We want her to find a way out of the adoption-machine that is the Wayward House, we want her to take control of her own destiny. And although the Horror is sparsely used within the story, Hendrix does at times take the reader down some darker paths. Touching on themes including sexual abuse, body-dysmorphia, and declining mental health – while also providing a handful of graphic descriptive scenes of self-mutilation and child-birth. In the final act, as the story accelerates to its rather poignant conclusion, Hendrix also crafts some wonderful scenes of tension. Scenes that make certain chapters impossible to put down half-way through. KZ

5. ‘The Clatter Man’ – Janelle Schiecke

Indie-author Janelle Schiecke has been making quite a name for herself in the Horror scene these past few years. Having previously self-released the novellas Ghost Room (2023) and Death Cult (2024), before delivering what is perhaps her strongest work to date; The Clatter Man. And with her latest novella, Schiecke has served up a real homage to Horror, specifically a number of familiar movies from the 70s, 80s and 90s that all fans of the genre have an affinity with.

From the off, The Clatter Man evokes the feeling of a Cabin in the Woods style Slasher-flick. And following a tease of the supernatural, Schiecke introduces the key characters and set up of the story. She allows us to get to know and sympathise with her heroine Abby – who we suspect may end up being our Final Girl – in a section which is certainly a calm before the impending storm.

The legend of The Clatter Man himself is somewhat a familiar one, as Schiecke provides a rich back-story which draws a natural comparison to that of Clive Barker’s Candyman. With both being urban legends who can be conjured into our realm by way of a certain ritual. But the meat and bones of the lore she has developed is fresh, original … and once read, quite frankly unforgettable. There is also a strong nod to Wes Craven’s A Nightmare On Elm Street in a later passage, and by bringing together inspiration from these key movies and antagonists, Schiecke has created a warm comfort blanket of a Horror story.

But she also very much sprinkles over her own magic, creating a deep and textured narrative which at times takes inspiration from the more gothic side of the genre. With short, sharp chapters that get straight down to business, The Clatter Man is a real page-turner, and a thoroughly enjoyable read. In the killer she has created, there is certainly icon potential. And with this in mind perhaps, Schiecke leaves the tale open-ended enough for a further dive into the world of this gruesome supernatural entity. KZ

6. // ‘Never Flinch’ – Stephen King

2025 has proved to be a significant year for Horror-Master Stephen King. On the big screen we have seen adaptations of The Monkey directed by Osgood Perkins (Longlegs), and The Life of Chuck which is the latest interpretation of King’s work from director Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep). A series based on King’s 2019 novel The Institute hit MGM+ this summer, while the mini-series It: Welcome To Derry, and two adaptations from his Richard Bachman pseudonym; The Long Walk and The Running Man dropped in the autumn.

In addition to all of this, King released his new novel Never Flinch, a follow on and sequel of sorts to 2023s Holly – and a further revisit to the life of private-detective Holly Gibney. Holly first featured in his trilogy of supernatural-crime thrillers – Mr Mercedes (2014) / Finders Keepers (2015) / End of Watch (2016) – before returning in The Outsider (2018) and If It Bleeds (2020). She’s clearly been an integral part of King’s creative thought process over the last decade or so, becoming the most prominent character from his modern era of writing.

As King often does, he provides scenes from multiple points of view throughout, allowing us to experience the mind-set of each character. Giving the reader a direct insight into the planning and execution of the antagonist’s crimes, as well as that of Holly herself on the flip-side of the coin. In fact there are multiple story threads that weave throughout Never Flinch, with King completing the puzzle in the final act and the pace of the story ramping up during the climax as he brings everything together.

It’s clear to see that King is enjoying a particularly prolific detective-story phase of his legendary writing journey. Here he makes reference to Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, as well as the writing of Agatha Christie. He references red herrings, whilst dropping a few himself, but also proclaims at one point; “Life isn’t a mystery novel.” This is interesting, as the Mr Mercedes Trilogy and his recent two Holly novels are not whodunnits per se. Instead King likes to place the reader inside the mind of both killer and investigator, with the mystery being how the case that we are in on will be unravelled and eventually solved. KZ

Words by Mark T. Bates

Honourable Mentions

2025 was such a killer year for new Horror literature, and we would also highly recommend checking out the following works:

‘When The Wolf Comes Home’ – Nat Cassidy

‘Watching Evil Dead’ – Josh Malerman

‘At Dark, I Become Loathsome’ – Eric LaRocca

‘Shock Induction’ – Chuck Palahniuk

‘Darker Days’ – Thomas Olde Heuvelt

‘The Queen’ – Nick Cutter

‘Black Flame’ – Gretchen Felker-Martin

‘What Comes Before’ – Molly Macabre

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Check out our series of short Horror stories:

‘The Curious Dark (Vol.1)’

‘The Curious Dark (Vol.1)’ – By Mark T. Bates