If you have been following our site, you know that the Inkish Kingdoms are obsessed with demons, the supernatural, thrillers, mysteries, and horrors! There is a certain pleasure in being in the movies and scream with all the power of your lungs when the monster shows up or the killer surprises you!

However, we were trying to read or add to our wish list some horror books by indie authors or self-published authors because we are aware of the hyped ones, but there is a certain pleasure in these other books that will scare me to death, so… if you are asking:

What are the best horror books of all times?

We have a list of books that you will find terrifying, and Ben (Reading Vicariously) (Twitter)(Instagram), an expert on indie and self-publishing horror, helped us with these recommendations, so let’s see what is our next nightmare creator:

Cross Roads by Laurel Hightower

How far would you go to bring back someone you love? – this is giving me Pet Sematary vibes…– Chris’s son dies in a tragic car accident and her world is devastated. But one day everything changes for Chris when a drop of her blood falls onto her son’s memorial, and Chris thinks she sees his ghost outside her window. But the question remains… is it really his ghost or something else? And is Chris playing with forces beyond her control and understanding?

Since I watched Supernatural, I have a fixation with crossroads and all its mysticism and this is totally calling me from the beyond… Ben wrote about this book on his page and said “it is an incredible novella, and one of his favorite reads of 2020! He shares it is a different kind of horror, but this novella focuses on the human emotions and relationships…” (Read his full review here)

The Worm and his Kings by Hailey Piper

A taloned monster stalks the city’s underground and snatches victims into the dark. Donna isn’t missing. She was taken. To save the woman she loves, Monique must descend deeper than the known underground, into a subterranean world of enigmatic cultists and shadowy creatures. But what she finds looms beyond her wildest fears-a darkness that stretches from the dawn of time and across the stars.

Ben has a short review about this book on his site, but he also has the full review on one of the sites we write for. He says that The Worm and His Kings is the best cosmic horror story he has read in 2020. The protagonist is really easy to root for There are creepy monsters, a fantastic backstory, lots of twists and turns, and plenty of unsettling and mind-bending scenes. (Read his full review here)

A Collection of Dreamscapes by Christina Sng

In my experience as a Literature student, I have read many poems and read many books, but my experience with horror has always been stories and never poetry, so I am awed about this collection.

This collection of poems is an exploration of the darkness inside us, the shadow-self that screams and begs, forever fighting to claw itself out. It’s a siren song of transformation, an uncovered diary that bleeds fairy tales and dystopias, and it reads like a grimoire full of spells and curses that bring monsters and madmen to life.

Ben describes A Collection of Dreamscapes as an excellent collection of poetry, full of poems that are worth reading over and over. Needless to say, the beautifully descriptive language and fervent imagination of the author make for wonderful stories. (Read his full review here)

Anoka by Shane Hawk

Welcome to Anoka, Minnesota, a small city just outside of the Twin Cities dubbed “The Halloween Capital of the World” since 1937. Here before you lie several tales involving bone collectors, pagan witches, werewolves, skeletal bison, and cloned children. It is up to you to decipher between fact and fiction as the author has woven historical facts into his narratives. With his debut horror collection, Cheyenne & Arapaho author Shane Hawk explores themes of family, grief, loneliness, and identity through the lens of indigenous life.

Native American literature wasn’t on my radar until “The Only Good Indians” showed up on Amazon and on Twitter, and of course I had to get it! And now, I have Anoka! Another Native American horror story! Ben says “that all of them (short stories) have left a strong impression in my mind though, and weeks later I’m still thinking about them. Author Shane Hawk has a strong and vivid writing voice, and he writes every story in a way that is easy to fall into and enjoy.” (Read his full review here)

The Nightmare Girl by Jonathan Janz

When Joe Crawford confronts a young mother abusing her toddler, he has no idea of the chain reaction he’s setting in motion. How could he suspect that the young mother is part of an ancient fire cult, a sinister group of killers that will destroy anyone who threatens one of its members? When the little boy is placed in a foster home, the fanatics begin their mission of terror.

Like… I mean… I got the chills reading this part of the synopsis. This gives me some Annabelle vibes and reading Ben’s reviews I was even more into getting this book: “The story is perfectly paced, with plenty of tense and creepy moments. The scene in the Black Chapel had me biting my nails. And it all leads up to an explosively violent and terrifying climax. Like seriously violent. Dismembering, maiming, bloody mayhem. Does it fit the tone of the rest of the book? I don’t really care, because it’s AWESOME.” (Read his full review here)

Which book are going to try form the list? Are your ready to lose your sleep?

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