50 States 50 Horror Books

One of my reading goals for 2021 is to start working through my 50 States, 50 Horror Books challenge (inspired by lists on NYT and Bustle). For those who haven't heard of these lists, essentially a horror book has been assigned to each state in America depending on where the book has been set. Throughout 2021 I am aiming to tick off 2 states per month. And if others want to take part, then great! You can either follow along with me, or work through the list at your own pace, picking whichever books appeal to you (or inserting some of your own!) I've combined both the NYT and Bustle lists, adding in some suggestions of my own to get started (and thank you to anyone who sent me their suggestions too!)


Alabama

The Elementals by Michael McDowell

Kin by Kealan Patrick Burke

 

Alaska

30 Days of Night by Steve Niles        

Polar Night by Julie Flanders

 

Arizona

The Revelation by Bentley Little

 

Arkansas

Southern Gods by John Hornor Jacobs

The Bird Eater by Ania Ahlborn

 

California

The Hunger by Alma Katsu

Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi

 

Colorado

The Shining by Stephen King

The Shuddering by Ania Ahlborn

 

Connecticut

Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon

The Other by Thomas Tryon

 

Delaware

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

Hawkes Harbor by SE Hinton

 

Florida

Cold Moon Over Babylon by Michael McDowell

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

Duma Key by Stephen King

 

Georgia

Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman

The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons

 

Hawaii

Fires of Eden by Dan Simmons

The Presence by John Saul

 

Idaho

The Wayward Pines trilogy by Blake Crouch

 

Illinois

Summer of Night by Dan Simmons

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

 

Indiana

So Cold the River by Michael Koryta

 

Iowa

Universal Harvester by John Darnielle

The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by Margaret Killjoy

 

Kansas

Kill Creek by Scott Thomas

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

 

Kentucky

The Watcher by Charles Maclean

 

Louisiana

Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z Brite

The Gates of Evangeline by Hester Young

Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice

 

Maine

Hell House by Richard Matheson

The Keeper by Sarah Langan

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

 

Maryland

Floating Staircase by Ronald Malfi

The Walker in Shadows by Barbara Michaels

 

Massachusetts

Disappearance at Devil’s Rock by Paul Tremblay

Book of Shadows by Alexandra Sokoloff

 

Michigan

Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

Raging Soul by Amy Mayhew

 

Minnesota

In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O’Brien

A History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund

 

Mississippi

Blood Memory by Greg Iles

Fay by Larry Brown

 

Missouri

Crota by Owl Goingback

 

Montana

Winter Moon by Dean Koontz

The Ploughmen by Kim Zupan

 

Nebraska

There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins


Nevada
The Six-Gun Tarot by RS Belcher

Prey by Michael Crichton

Desperation by Stephen King

 

New Hampshire

The Auctioneer by Joan Samson

 

New Jersey

Creepers by David Morrell

The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates

 

New Mexico

Majestic by Whitley Strieber

Little Heaven by Nick Cutter

 

New York

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

The Fisherman by John Langan

Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin

 

North Carolina

Drawing Blood by Poppy Z Brite

 

North Dakota

The Missing Place by Sophie Littlefield

Follow Me Down by Sherri Smith

 

Ohio

The Bedeviled by Thomas Cullinan

Beloved by Toni Morrison

 

Oklahoma

The Outsider by Stephen King

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

 

Oregon

Heartsick by Chelsea Cain

The End of the Sentence by Maria Dahvana Headley and Kat Howard

 

Pennsylvania

Someone Like Me by MR Carey

The Resurrectionist by EB Hudspeth

Christine by Stephen King

 

Rhode Island

The Drowning Girl by Caitlin R Kiernan

The Red Tree by Caitlin R Kiernan

 

South Carolina

My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

Grief Cottage by Gail Godwin

 

South Dakota

Black Hills by Dan Simmons

Blood Ties by Lori G Armstrong

 

Tennessee

Little Sister Death by William Gay

The Family Plot by Cherie Priest

Child of God by Cormac McCarthy

 

Texas

The Drive-In by Joe R Lansdale

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

In the Valley of the Sun by Andy Davidson

Devils Unto Dust by Emma Berquist

 

Utah

Cry Down Dark by TJ Tranchell

The Open Curtain by Brian Evenson

 

Vermont

Shadowland by Peter Straub

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

 

Virginia

Blood Kin by Steve Rasnic Tem

House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski

 

Washington

The Good House by Tananarive Due

 

West Virginia

The Night of the Hunter by Davis Grubb

The Unquiet Grave by Sharyn McCrumb

 

Wisconsin

The Grip of It by Jac Jemc

 

Wyoming

The Totem by David Morrell

The Darkest Night by Ron Franscell


I'll be thinking of more possibilities throughout the year and posting about them on my instagram, so keep a look out if you need further inspiration!


Johann

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