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Sub-Genres of Horror: What's Your Favorite?

  • ThePlasmaticWriter
  • Jul 4
  • 2 min read

There are dozens upon dozens of sub-genres of horror. A genre that when paired and mixed in with horror adds another layer, a deep dimensional flare to the already intense one. These sub-genres have created hundreds of great books that in their own right have given these sub-genres their own popularity. However, some work better than others so with this post I will be mentioning some of the best and most popular sub-genres of horror along with 3 books within it.


Paranormal: Otherworldly horrors within the spiritual sense creating some excellent haunted house tales and great ghost stories.





Zombie: Books about the undead. The soulless abominations who now walk the earth looking to feast upon the living.





Demons/Possession: One could argue that most straight up horror books contain demons but when possession is involved it adds a whole new meaning and take on how all bets are off when it comes to being taken over by true horror.





Apocalyptic/Dystopian: The end of the world idea is always a chilling thought and has created some interesting reads as well.





Western: The wild west was already a brutal and rugged time in the United States so when you mix it in with horror you get some some serious badass reads.





Vampires: The immortal ones, the tale of the vampire has been around for centuries and has made for some fang-biting reads.





Small/Rural Town: Some horror tales take place in small rural towns and even though they are small they usually carry deep foreboding secrets and deadly revelations…





Splatterpunk: The most gruesome of horror sub-genres where the gore is turned up full-blast and the violence is the main focus creating some dark and disturbing reads.





There are many others but these are just some of the popular sub-genres. Many of the books within these sub-genres have been written by well-known names and authors you have likely heard of. Check out the books if you’re unfamiliar with the sub-genre or just read them because you like the author or the book appeals to you.



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