We a good story
Quick delivery in the UK

Horror

In this section you will find over 3.861 exciting and thrilling books about Horror. At Tales we have all types of good Horror books for each individual to enjoy, whether you want some of the classics, new or children’s horror books. We all need a little scare in our lives, to learn how to deal with the real world and acknowledge the fact that it is indeed okay to be scared. Scary stories also teach kids that Monsters are terrifying, but at the same time they’ll have an understanding of scary situations, and learn how to cope with them. Take a chance and let the mystery begin here.
Show more
Filter
Filter
Sort bySort Popular
  • by Guy Bass
    £6.99

    When Skeleton Keys discovers newly unimagined Lucky all alone, he's determined to reunite the creature with the boy who imagined him. The search leads them into the Kingdom - a hidden world for unimaginaries - but can they find Stanley before his wild imaginings reduce the Kingdom to rubble?

  • Save 11%
    by Krystal Sutherland
    £7.99

    The Hollow sisters - Vivi, Grey and Iris - are as seductively glamorous as they are mysterious.

  • by A.E. Stanfill
    £9.99 - 19.49

  • Save 15%
    by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
    £10.99

    Inspired by a terrifying true story, acclaimed author Guadalupe Garcia McCall creates a twisty tale about a boy desperately trying to survive in a new town with a secret past. James always knew moving from Texas to Oregon was going to be horrible..

  • - English Reading Level 2
    by Sharmistha Dey
    £11.49

  • by Mia Melesina Granger
    £6.99

    The Needle Man: written by 14-year-old Mia Melesina Granger is dark, disturbing, sinister, and extremely entertaining. A tense and nailbiting story, that will have you compelled to continue reading until you reach the clever and unexpected conclusion.

  • by Jim Beckett
    £6.99

    The perfect summer read for fans of Terry Pratchett, David Walliams and Roald Dahl!

  • - The Little Keyhole Ghost
    by Alex Ruhle
    £7.99

    Paul returns home from school one day to discover a tiny ghost is living in the keyhole of his front door. He names him Zippel, and the little ghost is curious about everything, from food and clothes to how the toilet flushes! But Paul's parents want to change the locks - can Paul find Zippel a new home in time?

  • by Michael Harrison
    £20.99

  • - Et Applications Numeriques de Ce Calcul A Divers Exemples de Ponts Pour Chemins de Fer
    by J.-B. Godillot
    £13.49

  • by Jim Morgan
    £11.49

  • by Michael (Author) Dahl
    £6.99

    Two friends decide to sneak into an abandoned science laboratory to explore, only to find that the lab isn't empty after all. Strange security guards patrol the grounds. Even stranger, almost all of the doors inside are locked. And they keep hearing an eerie, chattering sound around every corner. When they try to leave, they realize that the place is more like a labyrinth than a laboratory - and like most labyrinths, this maze has a monster waiting at the finish line . . .

  • by Michael (Author) Dahl
    £6.99

    Sarah receives a package in the mail from her recently deceased grandfather: a life-size robotic version of him! Sarah enjoys spending time with robo-grandpa, but her mum thinks the invention is creepy. One night while Sarah sleeps, her mum sends the robot to the scrap heap - leaving only one hand behind. Sarah holds on to it as a memento of her beloved grandfather - but like Sarah, the hand has problems letting go . . .

  • by Michael (Author) Dahl
    £6.99

    Jason wishes he were taller. He wishes his arms were longer. He wishes his nose were shorter. So when Jason discovers a bottle of so-called Skeleton Lotion in a strange shop, he buys it in the hope that it'll give him a killer bod. Sure enough the stuff works! But after a few days of using it, Jason begins to wonder about the side effects of this killer cure . . .

  • by Michael (Author) Dahl
    £6.99

    Kevin is tired of being ignored. No one in school ever seems to notice him, so he decides to win the school science fair prize--no matter what it takes. But Kevin soon finds himself up to his eyeballs in trouble. Readers won't be able to look away from the eye-popping conclusion of this tale from Professor Igor! This series of hi-lo books is sure to keep reluctant readers wide-eyed until the final page.

  • by Michael (Author) Dahl
    £6.99

    A school field trip. A pit filled to the brim with fossils. A valuable shark tooth over a million years old. And one bad boy who doesn't know better than to steal from mother nature. Modern-day sharks only live in the ocean, but Professor Igor proves that prehistoric shark bones can be found anywhere. And where there's bones, razor-sharp teeth aren't far behind . . . This series of hi-lo books is sure to sink its teeth into any reluctant reader--and refuse to let go until the final page.

  • by Michael (Author) Dahl
    £6.99

    Two brothers and their father plan a hunting trip deep in the woods when a bizarre legend about a werewolf rears its head. Is that dark shape lurking among the trees actually half-human and half-wolf? Professor Igor's tale of terror reveals the dark truth about a terrible family curse. This series of hi-lo books is sure to sink its teeth into reluctant readers--and refuse to let go until the final page.

  • by Michael (Author) Dahl
    £6.99

    Welcome to Professor Igor's lab. Take a look at the unsettling specimens he keeps here and find out how he came to have them. Each one is a clue to a spooky story with a chilling twist. From living shark fossils to creepy arcade games, these thrilling tales are sure to send shivers down your spine!These special Express editions have reduced level text of ATOS 2.0 or lower. With exciting illustrations and gripping, page-turning text, they are sure to engross even the most reluctant of readers.

  • by Edward Hulton
    £10.49

  • Save 14%
    by Lewis Kinmond
    £9.49

  • by Arthur Over
    £7.99

  • - Anthology 5
    by T K Wrathbone
    £19.49 - 34.99

  • by Emma G Rose
    £12.49

  • - Anthology 4
    by T K Wrathbone
    £19.49 - 34.99

  • - Anthology 3
    by T K Wrathbone
    £19.49 - 34.99

  • - Anthology 2
    by T K Wrathbone
    £19.49 - 34.99

  • - Anthology 1
    by T K Wrathbone
    £19.49 - 34.99

  • by Juliana Haygert
    £13.99

  • by Juliana Haygert
    £13.99

The Horror Genre
Horror is a cultural genre that is meant to scare, shock and repulse its audience. An important thing to remember about this type of genre is that it elicits a dreadful sense in the reader through frightening and terrifying themes, situations and descriptive images. When we read a horror book, everything is important, such as the storyline, characters and the whole atmosphere. It is meant to provoke and shock the reader with its exploration of the unknown. The depreciating value that horror has, will help us understand why something is indeed scary. Look at it this way, once you see the monster come into the light, and you see it for what it truly is, it will help you to be less afraid. This genre also has several sub-genres, some of them consist of; Gothic, Science fiction, Survival, Occult, Dark fantasy, Paranormal, etc. Each has its own distinct characteristics. 

Classic Horror books
If we think about some of the popular classic horror books, the first author that will pop up is most likely the gothic writer Edgar Allan Poe. The gothic novel is a subgenre under horror that specifically has a focus on death, originated in the 18th century and is mastered by him. In the 19th and 20th century the horror writers focused on something completely different, such as tales involving occult ideas, and the popular books Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and Dracula by Bram Stoker came into the picture and still kept their relevance today. Frankenstein is a classic story about a scientist who accidentally creates a monster when his experiment goes horribly wrong. And Dracula is a gothic novel about a vampyre who has a desire to spread the undead curse to as many mortal humans as possible. These two popular stories are well known worldwide and they will never lose their relevance, no matter how old they get. That is the magic of being a classic.  

New Horror books
As for the newer horror books, 2019-2021 had been some epic years for horror fiction. It is an ever-evolving genre and so many new voices blossomed. Most of the popular horror stories today involve crime writing, especially serial killers, slashers, and the ghost of the past. Something about newly written gothic stories that take place in the Victorian-era is so thrilling to read about, here we find books like the Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalo. The author incorporates themes of equality and social justice which takes the mystery of the infamous murderer to a whole new level. The main character Audrey Rose, eschews polite society for the very scandalous pastime of learning burgeoning science of forensic medicine. While she spends her time being captivated by science, there’s a serial killer on the loose. There’s nothing more thrilling and entertaining than reading about an inspiring heroine who solves mystery crimes. 
Children’s horror books are also important to address. Here we find Nightmares by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller, where the younger audience can explore dark territory but at the same time be comforted. It is a book that’ll reassure you how to overcome the power of fear. The main character Charlie’s and his friends’ adventure in the Netherworld is harrowing, because they’re in constant danger, but together they try to face their fears and conquer their nightmares. 

Join thousands of book lovers

Sign up to our newsletter and receive discounts and inspiration for your next reading experience.