Disclaimer: Some links in this book list for horror with disability representation 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.
The horror genre runs the spectrum of what people find scary. Below is a curated list of horror with disability representation to add to your bookshelves. This includes speculative fiction and fantasy with horror elements.
1. Midnight Rooms by Donyae Coles
Orabella is the daughter of a white man and a black woman. As a biracial woman, she never expects to be married, but her uncle has many debts to pay, and Elias Blakersby claims affection for her. Whisked away to Korringhill Manor, Orabella expects splendor, but instead finds decay, nervous servants, and a stern family. It’s a fresh take on the Gothic horror genre with ghosts, guilt, and familial bonds.
2. The Call by Peadar O’Guilin
Blending horror, fantasy, and folklore, this story follows Nessa, the protagonist who must survive The Call. The Sidhe are nearby, and no one thinks she stands a chance. But she’s determined to prove them wrong.
3. Black Mouth by Ronald Malfi
Jamie Warren has spent nearly two decades running from a traumatic childhood and his guilt of disappearing from his disabled brother’s life. But a series of strange events reunites the brothers and their childhood friends, drawing them back to their hometown. The time comes for them to confront their past and hunt down the man who taught them a strange magic and changed their lives.
4. Apparitions by Adam Pottle
Imprisoned in his father’s basement for years, a Deaf teen escapes and stumbles through the Saskatchewan prairie. Alone and without any way to communicate, he finds his way to an isolated psychiatric facility. Here, he meets Felix, another Deaf teen, who teaches him Sign Language. As they grow closer, Felix, ambitious and cunning, starts to see his newfound friend as a mind he can mold to his will. Growing in confidence, Felix plans to break out of the facility with his protege’s help.
5. Nestlings by Nat Cassidy
When the complications of the birth of their first child leave Ana paralyzed, she and her husband Reid struggle to connect. But when they are chosen for an affordable housing lottery in Manhattan, they think they’ve finally gotten a lucky break. Of course, as disturbing events unfold and Ana’s unease and paranoia rise, Reid dismisses it all as the price of living in New York. But what about the needle-like bite marks on the baby?
6. Someone You Can Build A Nest In by John Wiswell
Shapeshifting monster Shesheshen just wants to be left alone in her lair, but the land’s royal family is determined to kill the worm that cursed them. When one of these royals brings a hunting party to her lair as she hibernates, she must fight to defend herself and kill them. She sets out on a journey of survival that leads her to Homily — one of the siblings in this royal family who is utterly different from the rest of them — and she falls in love.
Find these horror books with disability representation here!