Nordic Nightmares: The Best of Nordic Horror

by Margrét Helgadóttir (Editor), Marko Hautala, Johanna Sinisalo

Twenty nightmarish horror tales featuring folkloric beasts, apocalyptic disasters, and psychological terrors are brought together in a collection sure to keep readers up at night, from the very best voices in contemporary Nordic fiction.

Nightmarish tales of mystery and horror, from the best voices in contemporary Nordic fiction.

You know them from the stories whispered around the campfire. Sometimes, they’re dark creatures from tall forests or murky bogs, luring their victims to their death, or the apocalyptic roar of a volcanic eruption. Other times, they’re closer to home: an unsettling new neighbour, or the overly friendly people you meet on the train, or the bureaucrat who thinks he's saving the world.

Nordic Nightmares opens a window into the horror landscape of the Nordic countries, from Finland, Denmark, Greenland, The Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. The anthology is expertly curated to showcase the work of twenty modern masters of horror – the majority appearing in English for the first time – to keep you company during long, cold nights.

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Anthologies, Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

Expected publication October 31, 2026

About the author

Margrét Helgadóttir is a Norwegian-Icelandic author & anthology editor based in Norway. Her native language is Norwegian, but on her spare time she writes fiction and edits fiction anthologies in English.

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting collection of stories from Nordic authors. This collection has horror stories from various sub genres as well, such as science fiction horror, gothic horror, etc. Most of the works, if not all, were translated to English. Some of the stories are extensions from the author’s previous works.

I enjoyed most of the stories. Some of them just confused me and I couldn’t see the “horror” aspect of it. Others gave me goosebumps.

I think the problem I had with the stories was that I didn’t know if the horror element in the stories were from Nordic myths/culture. I was quite confused with some of them. However, as I neared the end of the collection and started on the Biographies chapter, some of my questions were finally answered. In the author’s biography, they mention the inspiration behind the stories which helped me a lot in understanding the underlying theme. One of the authors also made a note of the creature they wrote which was based on a myth from their country. I liked learning more about that.

Anyway, this book is more of a collection of strange and uncanny tales written by Nordic authors. They aren’t all scary but they explore different themes and human emotions.

My particular favourites were:
1. Wrecked by Aleksander Brun
2. My Christmas Holiday by John Ajvide Lindqvist
3. A Pretty Parcel for A Pretty Price by AR Frederiksen
4. Angela’s Artwork by Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen
5. The Shape of Stones by Hildur Knútsdóttir

I will probably add on to this review later under a spoiler tag regarding my feelings or thoughts for each short story.

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Thank you to the publishers for sending me this eARC via Netgalley for an honest review.

[Gregor Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of stories split by Nordic nation, including Finland, Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, The Faroe Islands, Norway, and Sweden.

This is a wonderful and unique opportunity to enjoy works from wonderful authors with stories covering everything from depressing dystopia and grief, to folk horror, monsters, and more.

Of the limited Nordic/Scandinavian books I’ve read, I have always adored their darkness, and this collection didn’t disappoint.

Some really good and creepy stories are included in this book and I look forward to reading more from the authors involved.

Massive thanks to NetGalley and Solaris Books for the early access 🖤

[Juli Stadler · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Nordic Nightmares: The Best of Nordic Horror" is an outstanding horror anthology. I read a lot of horror anthologies. This is the eleventh one I've read this year, and it is by far the best. Most anthologies are hit and miss. Some stories are good; some are not. This is the first anthology I've read in which every story was good.

This anthology consists of 20 stories from Finland, Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, The Faroe Islands, Norway, and Sweden. Nineteen of the authors were new to me, as was the editor. Thirteen of the stories were translated to English.

While I enjoyed all of the stories, I found eleven of the twenty to be exceptional. My favorite stories were:
"The Silence of the Host" by Marko Hautala
"Angela's Artworks" by Pasi Ilmari Jaaskelainen
"A Pretty Parcel for a Pretty Price" by AR Frederiksen
"The Qivittoq" by Gertrud-Marie Kreutzmann
"The Tupilak" by Pivinnguaq March
"The Shape of Stones" by Hildur Knutsdottir
"You See Me, Don't You?" by Nanna Arnadottir
"When the Angels Came" by Rakel Helmsdal
"Wrecked" by Aleksander Brun
"The Storm" by Boel Bermann
"My Christmas Holiday" by John Ajvide Lindqvist

Of the 93 books I've read so far in 2026, "Nordic Nightmares: The Best of Nordic Horror" is one of my favorites.

Highly Recommended!!!

Thanks to Solaris Books and NetGalley for the complimentary DRC. All opinions are my own.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a HUGE fan of anthologies and short stories. There are books which drone on for hundreds of pages that don't achieve the magic, the horror or the reflection that short stories can achieve. Now, not all short stories are of the same calibre. It is inevitable but if you're lucky, you'll find that story that sticks with you for a long time.

This anthology is a true gem because there are many stories that are like this. My particular favourites are immediately one after the other in the anthology and I think they honestly show the true diversity of Nordic horror. The Silence of the Host (Marko Hautala) and The Joys of the Table (Johanna Sinisalo) showcase Margrét Helgadóttir's genius as an editor. To put these two stories at the beginning, it really shows you that this may be like nothing you've experienced before. It also reminds you that you will see the true breadth of horror: the horror of the everyday to the horror of the unknown. I also enjoyed how this anthology was categorised into the different regions of the Nordic areas.

A must-read for every self-proclaimed fan of horror!

[Ronnica Fatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the opportunity to getting introduced to new writers, in this case Nordic horror writers. These stories run the gambit, but all offer value.
My favorite was “When the Angels Came” by Rakel Helmsd which was a dystopian story set in the all-too-familiar near future. Unfortunately, none of Rakel’s novels have been translated into English so I’m glad I got a glimpse into a writer I hope I’ll get to read more from one day.

[Natasja · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love horror anthologies and discovering new authors, in this book specifically Nordic authors. My favorite stories: Mr. Schaday - Mikkel Harris Carlsen, The Shape of Stones - Hildur Knútsdóttir, Echo - Madeleine Bäck, My Christmas Holiday - John Avide Lindqvist. Every story is different, but they will all creep you out. I got the chance to read "Nordic Horrors" as an ARC through Netgalley, and I will definitely buy the physical book just for the cover alone.