20 of the Best Paranormal Books of All Time, From Shirley Jackson to Stephen King

The classic Gothic horror novel tells the story of a mysterious nobleman who begins terrorizing the residents of an English town after moving from his Transylvanian castle, prompting a group led by Abraham Van Helsing to hunt him down. Even if you're already familiar with the story, it's worth sinking your teeth into it if you haven't read the text.

This novel from Argentine phenom Samanta Schweblin, originally written in Spanish, takes its namesake seriously. A nightmarish tale, it’s best read with little knowledge going in; just know it centers on a dying woman in a hospital and a young boy who is at her bedside but not her child. Soon enough, you’ll be haunted by Schweblin’s surrealist prose and the eerie ecological horror that it weaves.

With countless adaptations, spinoffs, and remixes of the original Frankenstein, there’s no doubt you’re familiar with one of English literature’s most iconic monsters. But have you ever read it? At just 19, Mary Shelley finished the first draft of what became an instant classic and arguably the first sci-fi novel. Follow Doctor Victor Frankenstein as he recounts his life and the creation of his creature—whom he left behind in a life of isolation and misery—its rich language and story about the risk of playing God feel as fresh as ever.

Shirley Jackson’s terrifying tale has long been lauded as one of the best haunted house stories ever written. It delves into a series of sinister phenomena that not only occur at the titular abode but also seem to be caused by the home itself.

This 2025 novel draws on Indigenous folklore and Carson Faust’s own family history to explore haunting on two fronts: generational wounds and the literal ghosts a young woman helps lay to rest in her quest to find her missing sister.

If you love the paranormal and literary fiction, Mariana Enríquez is about to be your favorite author. The Argentine writer is one of the best in the game, known for crafting gothic Latin American horror stories about larger political issues. Her hit 2019 novel, which was translated into English in 2023, follows a father and son who set out on a road trip amid their grief after the death of their wife and mother. In traveling to her ancestral home, they encounter a terrifying cult she escaped years ago.

Stanley Kubrick’s iconic 1980 psychological horror film is based on Stephen King’s 1977 book, in which a family moves into the secluded Overlook Hotel during its off-season. Soon, the estate's dark, haunted history becomes visible to the family’s young son—who secretly has psychic abilities—and sends the father spiraling into unstable territory.

I may not have been able to read this book anywhere close to bedtime, but that didn’t stop me from zooming through it. In Marcus Kliewer’s novel, a mysterious family shows up at a young couple’s door, claiming the father grew up in the home and wants to show his family around…and then they won’t leave. Things become increasingly unsettling as the story unfolds. Buckle up: There’s an entire Reddit community full of theories and additional clues just waiting for you to dive in once you’re done reading.

This first book in Victoria Laurie’s cozy mystery series introduces Abby, a crime-solving P.I.—psychic intuitive, that is—as she scrambles to catch the killer of one of her clients. The 2004 novel kicked off a series that now features 18 books, inspired by Laurie’s own experiences as a professional psychic.

Another series-starting novel, Dead Until Dark is the first book in a series that would become the basis of the hit HBO show True Blood. It introduces Sookie Stackhouse, a mind-reading waitress in Louisiana who finds herself swept into the case of a mysterious string of murders not long after she starts dating a handsome vampire.

This is the thriller that cemented Silvia Moreno-Garcia as the contemporary queen of gothic horror. The mysterious, macabre novel follows debutante Noemí, who receives a letter from her newlywed cousin, begging her to save her from the house of horrors she’s married into. Upon her arrival at the estate in the Mexican countryside, Noemí realizes she may also need someone to rescue her.

A young woman named Ruby moves into a new apartment only to find its deceased previous tenant still living there as a ghost. Though different in practically every way—both on this plane and the next—they’re forced to team up to solve the suspicious murder of their neighbor across the hall.

Bestselling author Simone St. James's 2015 book is set in the 1920s and combines paranormal happenings with historical fiction, classic mystery, and a dash of romance. After a famous medium, Gloria, is killed at a séance, she leaves behind a message for her ex-friend and professional rival, Ellie, who ends up partnering with a skeptic to dig into the mysteries of Gloria’s life and death, even as a sinister force closes in behind them.

If you like high-concept horror, genre homage, and a fair share of wit, you’ll love Grady Hendrix. The author has written several popular paranormal novels, but The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires is among his best. It follows a group of housewives in the Deep South in the ‘90s who suspect their new neighbor may have something to do with a recent string of child disappearances. The book tackles a myriad of social issues, and you won’t be able to put it down once its sinister lore unfolds.

Birdie Devine, a detective in Victorian London, finds herself tasked with unraveling the kidnapping of a child rumored to have supernatural powers. Birdie's assignment leads her to seek help from a delightfully quirky cast of characters, including a moody ghost, a seven-foot-tall maid, and a friendly apothecary.

Ali Hazelwood is a prolific author of rom-coms such as Love, Theoretically, and she first experimented with the paranormal romance subgenre with this 2024 novel. The book follows a vampire forced into an arranged marriage with a werewolf to help keep the peace between their rival factions. Did someone say enemies-to-lovers? 

After dying in a hit-and-run, New Orleans resident Aurie finds herself a ghost existing in a murky space between realms. In the realm on the other side, known as Overlay City, she teams up with a psychic empath and a werewolf detective to uncover the truth about her death…and maybe to share some very spicy afterlife experiences.

Reigning kings of romance and psychological thrillers, Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan, respectively, teamed up for this “supernatural love story." (The movie adaptation starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor is due out in 2027.) The novel follows architect Tate on a visit to Cape Cod, where he quickly falls for a woman named Wren, who challenges him to broaden his worldview beyond the easily explainable.

A half-formed melody haunts two people living in a seaside North Carolina town, forging a mysterious but undeniable connection between a songwriter with writer’s block and an arrogant musician. The two decide to work together to finish the song in hopes of finally getting it out of their heads (and hearts).

Has a more indelible paranormal romance than the one between Bella and Edward ever existed? I think not. Stephenie Meyer’s modern classic YA novel opens up a larger series in which a teenage girl falls for a century-old vampire, ends up in a love triangle with a werewolf, demands to be turned into a vampire herself, has a kid whose mate turns out to be the aforementioned werewolf, and, throughout it all, is regularly caught up in battles between warring vampire factions. Did I miss anything?