Horror Fiction Top 25 – March 2025 Dominated by Women Authors
When I write these introductions to Malevolent Dark’s Horror Fiction Top 25, I always start by looking for angles and trends. What I noticed for February’s releases (which comprise the March chart) is that it was a particularly strong month for women authors and gothic-style writing. Women dominated the rankings, filling the first five spots. I didn’t plan it that way, but maybe it was fate since March is Women’s History Month as well as Women in Horror Month. To be clear, I’m not pointing this out because it’s unusual. It’s not. The fact is every month’s a strong month for women horror authors as they continue bringing their different perspectives to the genre, especially on the subjects of familial ties, female body horror, motherhood, and relationships. When I compile the Top 25, I simply start by searching all the horror releases I can find each month, mostly on Amazon and Goodreads, and then assign them scores based on ratings, recognitions, reviews, and media buzz. I only start looking for angles and trends to highlight when I prepare to write this introduction. Women’s novels and short stories are regularly featured on the Horror Fiction Top 25 charts. What impressed me most this time around is that these Top 5 books have garnered more than 13,000 ratings combined on Amazon and Goodreads by challenging readers with literary-style writing and mature female-centric themes for the most part. These stories are not surface-level entertainment but dig deeper into the weighty subjects of emotions, relationships, self-identity, and trauma.
Let’s take a brief look at the Top 5 and some of the praise that these books are receiving.
Hungerstone by Kat Dunn earns the #1 spot and is billed as “a compulsive feminist reworking of Carmilla, the queer novella that inspired Dracula.” Carmilla is an 1872 gothic novella by an Irish author named Sheridan Le Fanu. That means it predated Bram Stoker’s Dracula by 25 years. Set during the Industrial Revolution, Hungerstone is receiving rave reviews with Publishers Weekly calling it “a moody and triumphant retelling of Carmilla …. A meditation on womanhood, corporate greed, and queer desire …. Revitalizes Le Fanu’s classic tale without losing any of its appeal.”
At #2 is Voice Like a Hyacinth by Mallory Pearson. It received a starred review from Publishers Weekly which wrote: “In this lush and propulsive gothic outing, Pearson (We Ate the Dark) takes the dark academia aesthetic to art school …. Vivid descriptions, believable emotional stakes, and deeply creepy horror elements keep the pages flying as Pearson probes the experience of queer womanhood and the toll of ambition. This stuns.”
At #3 is Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce. Fangoria Magazine wrote, “Pearce harnesses every sentence into a weapon …. The overarching storyline is that of a classic folk horror, composed in a concise, razor-edged narrative. Pearce gives just enough to let your imagination go haywire, resulting in crushing creepiness and paranoia.”
The Lamb by Lucy Rose is #4, and it received stellar reviews from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Publishers Weekly. Rose’s debut novel is billed as “a gothic coming-of-age tale” that “explores how women swallow their anger, desire, and animal instincts — and wrings the relationship between mother and daughter until blood drips from it.”
Rounding out the Top 5 is Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel, which is another celebrated debut. It’s recommended “for fans of Jordan Peele’s films, Stranger Things, and The Other Black Girl.” People Magazine called the novel “a twisted love letter to family” that “uses humor to look at race, trauma, and parentification.”
Let’s check out the rest of the Top 25.
Horror Series
Another trend I noticed in the Top 25 … there are nine authors who cracked the March chart with horror series. All of the series are highly rated (at least 4.5 stars on Amazon as I write this), and they’re all over the map thematically, ranging from serial killer thrillers and Western horror to post-apocalyptic zombies and haunted houses. So, if you’re in the mood to start a series, there are plenty of options.
Here’s a quick overview:
Darcy Coates is #7 on the chart with The Vengeful Dead, Book 5 in her Gravekeeper series. Book 5 continues the story of a woman named Keira whose ability to communicate with ghosts threatens a powerful corporation’s intent on trapping the tortured dead for profit.
Riding in at #8 is Western horror novel The Demon of Palo Duro Canyon, the fourth book in D.A. Roberts’ Dark Frontiers series. This series chronicles former rebel soldier Declan Caine and his team of Nightmare Hunters as they battle dark forces and legendary creatures across the American West.
At #9 on the chart is Dread the Night by J.R. Erickson, which is Book 3 in the Dear Celeste series. This series follows Celeste Cleary, a woman who gains the ability to see the dead after a hit-and-run nearly killed her. She uses her new power to unravel the mysteries behind the missing and murdered.
J. Boote’s Mothers Can Be Monsters is #11. The Monsters series is based on true cases branded by Boote’s ability to write extreme horror and graphic scenes.
Book 1 in Christopher Artinian’s new series titled Unsafe is #14 on the chart. Unsafe is the start of another post-apocalyptic zombie series by the author of the long-running Safe Haven series.
A Lonely Broadcast: Book Two by Kel Byron logs in at #19. This series is about a radio station and its operators protecting the village of Pinehaven from ravenous beasts that emerge from the forest every time the fog rolls in. While blending dark comedy with cosmic horror and gore, A Lonely Broadcast is also a touching story of friendship, grief, hope, and resilience.
VJ Nash possesses the #21 spot on the chart with The Wolverton Demons, the second book in his Elizabeth Russell — The Regulator series. Elizabeth Russell is a Regulator for the British Treasury, and her job is to safeguard the country from paranormal threats.
At #22 is Dean Rasmussen’s Amber House, which is Book 7 in the Emmie Rose Haunted Mystery series. This series follows the investigations of a reluctant psychic named Emmie Rose as she tries to solve paranormal mysteries in houses plagued by evil spirits.
Anthologies and Collections
For fans of shorter tales, there are two anthologies on this month’s chart. KJK Publishing’s The Horror Collection: Crystal Edition is #15. The 22nd book in the series is the fourth to reach my Top 25 since I began compiling the chart 18 months ago. The Crystal Edition features a variety of tales written by Mark Morris, Thomas Stewart, Lee Mountford, Brian Moreland, Lisa Breanne, Devin Cabrera, Harrison Phillips, Jeff Strand, Sarah Jules, Veronica Smith, Dexter McLeod, Stephen Barnard, Zachary Ashford, Gord Rollo, and Stephen Mark Rainey.
At #20 is Evil Little Fucks from Sinister Smile Press. The anthology’s theme takes readers on a journey through the twisted minds of evil children and includes short stories by Rebecca Rowland, John Durgin, Jeremy Megargee, Megan Stockton, Bridgett Nelson, Candace Nola, LP Hernandez, Lisa Vasquez, Kristopher Rufty, Rayne Havok, Brian Asman, and Jeff Strand.
Near Misses
I only have 25 spots on my monthly chart, which means numerous worthy titles don’t make the cut. So, I want to mention a half-dozen February releases that just missed hitting the March chart because they deliver the goods to specific types of readers and/or benefit worthy charities. Clicking on the book titles takes you to their Amazon pages where they can be purchased.
For animal lovers, there’s Watson, A Cat in a Zombie Apocalypse written by Mauro Croche and illustrated by Marty Rocha. It’s exactly what the title suggests as we follow a 4-year-old cat in the aftermath of a pandemic. The opening sentence is just purr-fect (sorry, but you know I had to do it): “My name is Watson, and I’m a stray cat in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.” I enjoyed how straightforward the storytelling is in this book, and I especially liked how quickly the opening chapter establishes Watson as a meaningful character with its tender tone blending beautifully with the violence of the moment.
For extreme horror fans, Ranchman by Derek Thomas almost made me never want to order ranch dressing for my sub again. It’s about a former high school star athlete named Bobby, now in his mid-thirties, who’s down on his luck, full of rage, and triggered by the way people use one of my favorite condiments. And you don’t have to wait long to learn Bobby’s secret recipe for ranch. He’s mixing it up in the fifth paragraph.
For short story readers, Tor Books released a 37-page tale titled Agate Way by Bram Stoker Award-winning author Laird Barron. It’s about a pair of sisters who are hired to find whatever is killing neighborhood pets in a dying town.
For a family friendly read, there’s S’more Spooky Stories: A National Park Anthology edited by Hannah Smith and Emma Nelson. It features 20 tales set in U.S. national parks with proceeds benefiting the National Park Foundation.
There are a couple of other charity anthologies released in February worth noting. Appalachian Strong edited by John G. Hartness is a charity anthology benefiting the survivors of Hurricane Helene. Dancing through the Shadows edited by E.R. Vickers is a domestic abuse anthology benefiting the charity My Sister’s Place.
That wraps up my thoughts on this month’s chart and beyond. Without further ado, here’s the Top 25. As always, clicking on the book titles takes you to their Amazon pages where they can be purchased.