Disclaimer: Some links in this book list for queer horror novels are affiliate links. If you click them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. Whether or not you make a purchase is entirely up to you.
Horror feels inherently queer, so it only feels right to dedicate a few book recommendations to queer horror. This list also contains fantasy and speculative fiction with horror elements. A few of these overlap with other books for Latine horror, so I’ll only cover those that don’t repeat on this list.
1. The Haunting of William Thorn by Ben Alderson
In this Gothic horror with elements of romance, William Thorn moves to an estate in the countryside inherited by his late boyfriend. Here, a mystery unfolds as he deals with his grief and guilt over the role he played in his boyfriend’s death. Meanwhile, a mysterious stranger and local, Edward, won’t leave William in peace. It all culminates in a surprise ending I did not see coming.
2. Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle
Tingle may be well-known for his more provocative and out-there works, but his horror debut won many awards and even graced the Bram Stoker Award list as a nominee. In this novel, he tackles the horrors that queer people face head-on with a paranormal twist to the experience of a gay conversion camp.
3. A Dowry of Blood by ST Gibson
Gibson’s dark fantasy takes on the story of Dracula’s first bride, Constanta. As she undergoes the journey from humble peasant to a bride worthy of a king, she realizes the true monstrous nature of her husband. Seeking solace with her rival consorts, she unravels Dracula’s dark secrets.
4. Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo
Childhood best friends Andrew and Eddie did everything together, up until Andrew left for his grad program at Vanderbilt. Six months later, Eddie commits suicide, leaving behind a gruesome truth that Andrew never suspected.
5. Wilder Girls by Rory Power
Described as a “feminist Lord of the Flies,” three girls live in quarantine at their boarding school on an island after an illness called the Tox first kills the teachers and then their fellow students. They must uncover the truth of their confinement and learn their real purpose at Raxter School for Girls.
6. Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White
Sixteen-year-old Benji, a transgender boy, runs from the cult that raised him. This fundamentalist sect jump-started Armageddon and destroyed the world. Now, they’re hunting for him to get their hands on the bioweapon they infected him with. But this infection will slowly turn Benji into a monster himself, and he must learn to harness that power and use it to protect his newfound family.