The best horror novels and novellas, written exclusively by women
1

by
3.91 avg rating — 1,942,446 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
2

by
3.81 avg rating — 406,035 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
3

by
3.91 avg rating — 304,958 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
4

by
4.02 avg rating — 657,976 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
5

by
4.25 avg rating — 739,052 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
6

by
4.12 avg rating — 269 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
7

by
3.68 avg rating — 381 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
8

by
4.17 avg rating — 81 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
9

by
4.11 avg rating — 219,022 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
10

by
4.02 avg rating — 82,863 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
11

by
3.90 avg rating — 66,220 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
12

by
3.81 avg rating — 178 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
13

by
3.40 avg rating — 250 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
14

by
3.96 avg rating — 162 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
15

by
4.10 avg rating — 125,761 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
16

by
3.76 avg rating — 83,702 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
17

by
4.18 avg rating — 100 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
18

by
3.82 avg rating — 9,789 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
19

by
3.93 avg rating — 163,250 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
20

by
3.82 avg rating — 147 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
21

by
4.09 avg rating — 81 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
22

by
4.15 avg rating — 122 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
23

by
3.43 avg rating — 17,488 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
24

by
3.79 avg rating — 110 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
25

by
3.91 avg rating — 138 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
26

by
3.94 avg rating — 96 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
27

by
3.66 avg rating — 451,924 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
28

by
3.80 avg rating — 3,142 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
29

by
4.06 avg rating — 3,897 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
30

by
3.77 avg rating — 206 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
31

by
3.98 avg rating — 499,905 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
32

by
3.41 avg rating — 151 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
33

by
3.77 avg rating — 429,434 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
34

by
3.80 avg rating — 278,491 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
35

by
3.64 avg rating — 3,782 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
36

by
4.02 avg rating — 154,002 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
37

by
3.90 avg rating — 2,214,116 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
38

by
4.29 avg rating — 89 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
39

by
3.90 avg rating — 19,171 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
40

by
3.84 avg rating — 68 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
40

by
3.94 avg rating — 80 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
42

by
3.73 avg rating — 66 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
43

by
3.77 avg rating — 92,751 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
44

by
3.80 avg rating — 74,275 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
45

by
3.76 avg rating — 87,137 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
46

by
3.81 avg rating — 870 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
47

by
3.84 avg rating — 44,260 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
48

by
3.76 avg rating — 921 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
49

by
3.79 avg rating — 40,465 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
50

by
3.99 avg rating — 196,182 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
51

by
3.72 avg rating — 6,955 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
52

by
3.89 avg rating — 14,232 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
53

by
4.21 avg rating — 66 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
54

by
3.91 avg rating — 6,837 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
55

by
3.19 avg rating — 262 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
56

by
3.89 avg rating — 21,967 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
57

by
3.79 avg rating — 118 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
58

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 10 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
59

by
4.10 avg rating — 52 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
60

by
4.07 avg rating — 774 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
61

by
3.53 avg rating — 6,291 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
61

by
3.91 avg rating — 321 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
63

by
4.18 avg rating — 1,145 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
63

by
3.86 avg rating — 35 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
65

by
3.58 avg rating — 304 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
65

by
3.49 avg rating — 338 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
67

by
4.10 avg rating — 736 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
68

by
3.46 avg rating — 14,351 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
69

by
3.95 avg rating — 73,894 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
69

by
3.86 avg rating — 407 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
69

by
4.37 avg rating — 55,240 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
72

by
3.88 avg rating — 5,106 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
73

by
3.88 avg rating — 294 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
74

by
4.26 avg rating — 86 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
75

by
3.73 avg rating — 132 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
76

by
3.82 avg rating — 550 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
77

by
3.60 avg rating — 2,537 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
78

by
3.78 avg rating — 26,967 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
79

by
3.86 avg rating — 241,699 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
80

by
4.25 avg rating — 739,052 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
81

by
4.50 avg rating — 12 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
81

by
4.80 avg rating — 5 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
81

by
3.84 avg rating — 660 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
81

by
3.88 avg rating — 155 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
81

by
3.86 avg rating — 14 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
86

by
3.79 avg rating — 57 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
87

by
3.82 avg rating — 161 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
87

by
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 10 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
87

by
4.15 avg rating — 65 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
87

by
3.98 avg rating — 41 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
91

by
3.64 avg rating — 331 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
91

by
4.21 avg rating — 42 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
91

by
3.72 avg rating — 20,250 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
94

by
4.10 avg rating — 137 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
94

by
3.34 avg rating — 523 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
94

by
3.80 avg rating — 107,687 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
97

by
4.22 avg rating — 1,559 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
97

by
3.64 avg rating — 384 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
99

by
3.74 avg rating — 1,600 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
100

by
3.60 avg rating — 222 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
440 books · 215 voters · list created June 19th, 2011 by S.l. Schmitz (votes) .
100 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


S.l. 82 books
34 friends
G.R. 124 books
607 friends
Jan 1307 books
82 friends
Amy 1566 books
1854 friends
Danielle The Book Huntress 21671 books
4972 friends
Jessie 6451 books
29 friends
BooksTraveler 2523 books
88 friends
Jemiah 2362 books
89 friends

More voters…


Comments Showing 1-5 of 5 (5 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (last edited Nov 27, 2012 09:08AM) (new)

Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) Clarification, please: I'm seeing several thriller and crime writers on this list whose works I, personally, would NOT qualify as "horror" (P.D. James, Elizabeth George, J.A. Jance, Patricia Cornwell, etc.). Are mysteries and thrillers OK, or should they be removed?

ETA: Also, re "dark fiction": Would something like Wuthering Heights qualify? It's manifestly not "horror," but it IS widely considered part of the "gothic" tradition ...


message 2: by Michele (new)

Michele I don't believe that people are voting honestly on this list. Manteguas Island has 25 voters and is currently ranked #1. In its GR ratings there are 79 ratings, almost every single rating is 5 stars. It is ugly behavior to stuff the ballot box.


message 3: by Michele (new)

Michele Same thing going on with Sorrow's Point, #2 ranked right now. Ratings stuffed with 5 star reviews and these votes are obviously stuffed also.


message 4: by Damiana (new)

Damiana Poppy Z. Brite is a trans man. While promoting his work is awesome, misgendering him is not the best way to do it.

Caitlin R. Kiernan is gender fluid nonbinary so their addition to the list is also in question.

Both are awesome authors but I question adding them to a "Ladies" of horror list is the best way to honor them and their work.


message 5: by Nenia (new)

Nenia Campbell Someone should remove Poppy Z. Brite from the list. He is a trans man, not a "lady."


back to top



Related News

Time travelers, gather ’round!   If you’re in the market for a temporary reprieve from our current era of history—perfectly...

Anyone can add books to this list.