All awards 

Locus Award for Best Horror Novel

Horror · 1989–2026

2026

All 2026 awards
The Buffalo Hunter HunterStephen Graham Jones
Winner
The BewitchingSilvia Moreno-Garcia
2nd place
King SorrowJoe Hill
3rd place
The Staircase in the WoodsChuck Wendig
4th place
Spread MeSarah Gailey
5th place
The Possession of Alba DiazIsabel Cañas
6th place
It Was Her House FirstCherie Priest
7th place
The Library at HelleboreCassandra Khaw
8th place
Never Flinch: A NovelStephen King
9th place
The Crimson RoadAngela Slatter
Finalist

2025

All 2025 awards
Bury Your GaysChuck Tingle
Winner
The Angel of Indian LakeStephen Graham Jones
2nd place
Model HomeRivers Solomon
3rd place
Horror MoviePaul Tremblay
4th place
House of Bone and RainGabino Iglesias
5th place
CuckooGretchen Felker-Martin
6th place
Forgotten SistersCynthia Pelayo
7th place
The WildingIan McDonald
8th place
The UnderhistoryKaaron Warren
Finalist

2024

All 2024 awards
A House With Good BonesT. Kingfisher
Winner
Silver NitrateSilvia Moreno-Garcia
2nd place
Starling HouseAlix E. Harrow
3rd place
The ReformatoryTananarive Due
4th place
Don't Fear the ReaperStephen Graham Jones
5th place
Lone WomenVictor LaValle
6th place
How to Sell a Haunted HouseGrady Hendrix
7th place
Vampires of el NorteIsabel Cañas
8th place
A Haunting on the HillElizabeth Hand
9th place
Black River OrchardChuck Wendig
10th place

2023

All 2023 awards
What Moves the DeadT. Kingfisher
Winner
EchoThomas Olde Heuvelt
Finalist
Gwendy's Final TaskRichard Chizmar
Finalist
Just Like HomeSarah Gailey
Finalist
No Gods for DrowningHailey Piper
Finalist
Road of BonesChristopher Golden
Finalist
SaturnaliaStephanie Feldman
Finalist
SundialCatriona Ward
Finalist
The Devil Takes You HomeGabino Iglesias
Finalist
The FervorAlma Katsu
Finalist
The Pallbearers ClubPaul Tremblay
Finalist

2022

All 2022 awards
My Heart Is a ChainsawStephen Graham Jones
Winner
SorrowlandRivers Solomon
2nd place
The Book of AccidentsChuck Wendig
3rd place
The Final Girl Support GroupGrady Hendrix
4th place
The Death of Jane LawrenceCaitlin Starling
5th place
A Broken DarknessPremee Mohamed
6th place
RevelatorDaryl Gregory
7th place
LaterStephen King
8th place
Billy SummersStephen King
9th place
Moon LakeJoe R. Lansdale
10th place

2021

All 2021 awards
Mexican GothicSilvia Moreno-Garcia
Winner
The Only Good IndiansStephen Graham Jones
2nd place
Beowulf: A New TranslationMaria Dahvana Headley
3rd place
The Hollow PlacesT. Kingfisher
4th place
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying VampiresGrady Hendrix
5th place
Survivor SongPaul Tremblay
6th place
Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch MassacreMax Brooks
7th place
The DeepAlma Katsu
8th place
Plain Bad HeroinesEmily M. Danforth
9th place
The HoleHiroko Oyamada
Finalist

2020

All 2020 awards
Black Leopard, Red WolfMarlon James
Winner
The Twisted OnesT. Kingfisher
2nd place
The InstituteStephen King
3rd place
Curious ToysElizabeth Hand
4th place
The TollCherie Priest
5th place
The Grand DarkRichard Kadrey
7th place
Prisoner of MidnightBarbara Hambly
8th place
The Pursuit of William AbbeyClaire North
9th place
Anno Dracula 1999: DaikaijuKim Newman
Finalist
Imaginary FriendStephen Chbosky
Finalist

2019

All 2019 awards
The cabin at the end of the worldPaul Tremblay
Winner
The OutsiderStephen King
2nd place
In the Night WoodDale Bailey
4th place
The HungerAlma Katsu
5th place
Tide of StoneKaaron Warren
6th place
We sold our soulsGrady Hendrix
8th place
The listenerRobert R. McCammon
9th place
UnlanguageMichael Cisco
10th place
Cross her heartSarah Pinborough
Finalist

2018

All 2018 awards
The ChangelingVictor LaValle
Winner
MormamaKit Reed
3rd place
Behind her eyesSarah Pinborough
4th place
Red SnowIan R. MacLeod
5th place
The Night OceanPaul La Farge
6th place
UboSteve Rasnic Tem
7th place
Universal harvesterJohn Darnielle
8th place
After the end of the worldJonathan L. Howard
9th place
Ill willDan Chaon
10th place

2017

All 2017 awards
The FiremanJoe Hill
Winner
Lovecraft CountryMatt Ruff
2nd place
The Family PlotCherie Priest
3rd place
Certain Dark ThingsSilvia Moreno-Garcia
4th place
HexThomas Olde Heuvelt
5th place
Disappearance at Devil's RockPaul Tremblay
6th place
The FishermanJohn Langan
8th place
MongrelsStephen Graham Jones
9th place
The Brotherhood of the WheelR. S. Belcher
10th place
FellsideM. R. Carey
Finalist

1999

All 1999 awards
Bag of BonesStephen King
Winner
FlandersPatricia Anthony
2nd place
The Tooth FairyGraham Joyce
3rd place
Galilee: A Novel of the FantasticClive Barker
4th place
Darker angelsS. P. Somtow
5th place
HomebodyOrson Scott Card
6th place
Irrational FearsWilliam Browning Spencer
7th place
Faces Under WaterTanith Lee
8th place
Fog heartThomas Tessier
10th place

1997

All 1997 awards
DesperationStephen King
Winner
SacramentClive Barker
2nd place
Unknown RegionsRobert Holdstock
3rd place
The Hunger and Ecstasy of VampiresBrian Stableford
4th place
RequiemGraham Joyce
5th place
The 37th MandalaMarc Laidlaw
6th place
Servant of the BonesAnne Rice
7th place
The Green MileStephen King
8th place
The pillow friendLisa Tuttle
9th place
StainlessTodd Grimson
10th place

1996

All 1996 awards
Expiration DateTim Powers
Winner
Traveling with the DeadBarbara Hambly
2nd place
Rose MadderStephen King
3rd place
The Bloody Red BaronKim Newman
4th place
Paint It BlackNancy A. Collins
5th place
All the Bells on EarthJames P. Blaylock
6th place
The off seasonJack Cady
7th place
Memnoch the DevilAnne Rice
8th place
Vanitas: Escape from Vampire JunctionS. P. Somtow
9th place
DesmodusMelanie Tem
10th place

1995

All 1995 awards
Fires of EdenDan Simmons
Winner
Bride of the Rat GodBarbara Hambly
2nd place
InsomniaStephen King
3rd place
EvervilleClive Barker
4th place
TaltosAnne Rice
5th place
Sacred GroundMercedes Lackey
6th place
Wild BloodNancy A. Collins
7th place
Night RelicsJames P. Blaylock
8th place
From the Teeth of AngelsJonathan Carroll
9th place
The QuorumKim Newman
10th place

1994

All 1994 awards
The GoldenThe GoldenLucius Shepard
Winner
Anno DraculaKim Newman
2nd place
AgyarSteven Brust
3rd place
Mr. MurderDean Koontz
4th place
LasherAnne Rice
5th place
Drawing BloodPoppy Z. Brite
6th place
X, YMichael Blumlein
7th place
Personal DarknessTanith Lee
8th place
Making LoveMelanie Tem
9th place
Blood PactTanya Huff
10th place

1993

All 1993 awards
Children of the NightDan Simmons
Winner
The Thief of AlwaysClive Barker
3rd place
The Tale of the Body ThiefAnne Rice
4th place
BAD BRAINSKathe Koja
5th place
Dark DanceTanith Lee
6th place
Blood LinesTanya Huff
7th place
ValentineS. P. Somtow
8th place
WildingMelanie Tem
9th place
Wolf flowK. W. Jeter
10th place

1992

All 1992 awards
Summer of NightDan Simmons
Winner
ImajicaClive Barker
2nd place
The Waste LandsStephen King
3rd place
Blood PriceTanya Huff
5th place
In the BloodNancy A. Collins
6th place
The CipherKathe Koja
7th place
Saint Peter's wolfMichael Cadnum
8th place
Mrs. GodPeter Straub
9th place
The Angel of PainBrian Stableford
10th place
The M.D.: A Horror StoryThomas M. Disch
Finalist

1991

All 1991 awards
The Witching HourAnne Rice
Winner
The StandStephen King
2nd place
Moon DanceS. P. Somtow
3rd place
The Werewolves of LondonBrian Stableford
5th place
Mary ReillyValerie Martin
6th place
Dark matterGarfield Reeves-Stevens
7th place
FireAlan Rodgers
8th place
The Bad PlaceDean Koontz
9th place
Gothic romanceEmmanuel Carrère
10th place
TempterNancy A. Collins
Finalist

1990

All 1990 awards
Carrion ComfortDan Simmons
Winner
The Dark HalfStephen King
2nd place
The Great and Secret ShowClive Barker
3rd place
Geek LoveKatherine Dunn
4th place
MidnightDean Koontz
5th place
The Wolf's HourRobert R. McCammon
6th place
Ancient ImagesRamsey Campbell
7th place
In the Land of the DeadK. W. Jeter
8th place
MysteryPeter Straub
9th place
Sunglasses After DarkNancy A. Collins
10th place

1989

All 1989 awards
Immortal BloodBarbara Hambly
Winner
The Queen of the DamnedAnne Rice
2nd place
Faerie TaleRaymond E. Feist
3rd place
KokoPeter Straub
4th place
StingerRobert R. McCammon
5th place
The Empire of FearBrian Stableford
7th place
The InfluenceRamsey Campbell
8th place
BloodlinksLee Killough
10th place