Have you noticed that scary stories are seeing a frightening resurgence? From blockbuster horror films to bestselling novels, horror (and its myriad subgenres) is entrancing audiences in a major way.
And it doesn’t look like this trend is going anywhere soon—which means it’s the perfect time to start writing a horror novel of your own! But what kind to choose? There are so many different kinds, from psychological horror to cosmic horror to zombie horror and everything in between. No wonder it can get a little overwhelming.
Not to worry. We’ll break down all the different horror genres, with some useful examples and tips on starting your own.
What is horror, exactly?
In storytelling, horror refers to any narrative designed to frighten or unsettle the reader or viewer. It can range from overt slasher terror to slow-burn creepy suspense, but all horror genres are characterized by their strong emotional impact. Horror can be a very effective metaphor for important social issues, or for universal human themes.
Even though horror is filled with familiar tropes, it’s rare that a horror story isn’t really about something deeper. Vampires can be metaphors for disease, or sexuality; body horror can be a metaphor for the demands of the beauty industry. Horror gives us writers a powerful and effective way to convey a message to our readers.
This is arguably why these familiar tropes don’t get old and tired; we return to them again and again because they have something important to say.
The simplest way to define it is to say that all horror is meant to be scary. But of course, a lot of things can be scary, and fear can look different to different people. That’s how we get all these different horror subgenres, which we’ll look at below.
The ultimate list of horror subgenres
Horror is a wide umbrella, and there’s a subgenre for everyone. If you love reading about a bloodsoaked massacre, or if you prefer subtler, quieter human horror, you’ll find your perfect horror genre on this list.
Some genres, like found footage horror and splatter horror, are more relevant to film than literature. For instance, splatter/gore emphasizes extreme, graphic violence and blood, which can be challenging to convey in a novel. A few key horror subgenres in fiction include Gothic, paranormal, slasher, body, psychological, and monster horror.
All of these subgenres were going to look at can be explored in a range of mediums including movies, novels, short stories, comics, and more.
Gothic horror
Gothic horror is characterized by its gloomy, eerie atmosphere. These stories often have hints of the supernatural, although it’s more subtle than true supernatural horror (more on that below). Gothic horror often features a tension between present and past, and setting plays an integral role.
Gothic horror arose out of romanticism and often combines the new world with the old world. Examples of gothic horror include Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, and the aptly titled Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
Within this genre you can find even more specific subgenres like botanical horror and ancestral horror.
Supernatural horror
Supernatural horror deals with powers beyond the known world. Unlike paranormal horror (that’s next), supernatural horror has a strong mythic influence. These stories deal with magic, demonic possession, the afterlife, and other worlds. Under this umbrella you’ll find more subgenres with supernatural elements like biblical horror, infernal horror, or witchcraft horror.
Examples of supernatural horror include the cult classic TV series Supernatural, the Hellblazer comics, and Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill.
Paranormal horror
Paranormal horror has a lot of overlap with supernatural horror, and you’ll often see them conflated. But paranormal horror usually refers to forces that phenomena that can’t be explained with ordinary human knowledge. This can include ghosts and hauntings, as well as creatures like vampires and werewolves. Paranormal horror is closely related to the paranormal romance genre, and shares common elements with urban fantasy.
Under paranormal horror you’ll find subgenres and tropes like haunted house horror, possession horror, and psychic abilities horror. Some examples of this genre include the Pixar film Monster House, The Woman in Black by Susan Hill, and The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro.
Slasher horror
The slasher genre has been around since the 1970s, but it really gained momentum in 80s horror movies like Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th. Also called serial killer horror, this genre usually features a human villain out to cause as much carnage as possible. The graphic violence of this genre is particularly well-suited to visual mediums, but it comes up in novels too.
Closely related to slasher horror is home invasion horror, which features attackers violating the safety of a home.
Slasher horror is characterized by its use of tension and suspense. Other examples include My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones and The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix.
Arthouse horror
Arthouse horror, sometimes called elevated horror, is experimental and vibes-heavy. It uses atmosphere and mood to create fear rather than classic tropes and jump scares. The horror elements may be presented in parallel with, or as a symbol for, complex themes such as trauma, grief, or guilt. Monsters or supernatural powers can be used as metaphors for serious themes.
Even though this is a horror genre, the horror plays a secondary role to the more literary elements.
Although “arthouse” is a term most often associated with horror cinema, the same approach can be used in novels too. Some examples include The Secret History by Donna Tartt, Bunny by Mona Awad, and House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski.
Found footage horror
Found footage is a filming technique that has become a subgenre in horror, characterized by a shaky camera and a disorienting viewing experience. It can feel more visceral and intimate, because you’re literally seeing the plot unfold through the characters’ eyes.
While this approach is seen most often in film, fiction writers can use it through comics or epistolary writing, which uses found media like letters, newspaper clippings, and transcriptions to create a “found footage” experience.
Sci-fi horror
Sci-fi horror refers to horror with science fiction elements—or, science fiction with horror elements. Aliens, space travel, and mad scientists are cornerstones of the sci-fi horror genre.
This genre is particularly well suited to visual mediums such as movies and comics. But, you’ll find it in novels too. Some sci-fi horror reads are Blindsight by Peter Watts, or Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. Today, you’ll find social media and artificial intelligence playing a starring role in sci-fi horror.
Monster horror
This is arguably what first comes to mind when people think about the horror genre. The monster genre, or “creature feature horror”, features one or more inhuman antagonists at the center of the plot. Universal Pictures played a crucial role in establishing horror in Hollywood through its Universal Monsters series.
From classic monster movies to feminist vampire novels, this subgenre is perennially popular. Within this category you’ll find more popular subgenres like vampire horror and werewolf horror, as well as zombie horror, cannibal horror, and more nebulous one-off creatures like “the blob” and “the thing”. Gremlins and carnivorous out-of-control plants would also fall under this category.
It by Stephen King, The Terror by Dan Simmons, and Into The Drowning Deep by Mira Grant are a few examples of this horror genre.
Comedy horror
Comedy horror, as the name suggests, is stories meant to make you scream and laugh in equal measure. These novels and films will generally have less violence and gore than other horror genres, and lean into familiar plot and character tropes. The horror may take a backseat to the development of the character relationships. You’ll often find horror comedy geared towards younger readers.
Some examples of this subgenre include some of R. L. Stein’s Goosebumps series, John Dies at the End by Jason Pargin, and My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix.
Satire horror
Satire horror shares commonalities with horror comedy, but it tends to be darker in nature. This genre might poke fun at overused horror tropes, or at important sociopolitical issues. This might include things like zombies as a metaphor for late-stage capitalism, or a witch hunt as a metaphor for stigma and prejudice.
Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero and A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore are great examples of this type of horror writing.
Survival horror
Survival horror can have a lot of overlap with post-apocalyptic horror as well as crime fiction and action thriller novels. These stories see the protagonist fighting for their life against impossible odds.
This horror genre can feature a range of antagonistic forces, but you’ll most often see it featuring the natural world. This can include things like natural disasters or dangerous animals. Another subgenre of survival horror is zombie horror, which often takes place in an apocalyptic setting where characters must survive against the undead.
Examples of this subgenre include The Ruins by Scott Smith, Wilder Girls by Rory Power, and The Marigold by Andrew F. Sullivan.
Dark fantasy horror
Horror that overlaps with fantasy writing is often called dark fantasy, grimdark, or fantasy horror. This subgenre has a lot in common with supernatural and paranormal horror, but it tends to be more focused on magic and other worlds. You might see evil wizards, magical creatures, cursed objects, or crossovers between realms.
The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht, Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman, and the film Pan’s Labyrinth are a few stories that take this approach.
Folk horror
Folk horror is seeing a big resurgence in both literature and film. This type of horror generally takes place in rural, small-town settings and draws from folklore of that region. This subgenre focuses on the tension between past tradition and modern innovation. Although there may be supernatural monsters, folk horror is more interested in the inherent monstrosity of people.
Folk horror is also a great way to explore older stories before they were given a Hollywood veneer. For instance, pop culture today takes a romanticized view of vampires—but folk horror vampires were very different.
Within folk horror you’ll find other subgenres like occult horror, agro (agricultural) horror, backwoods horror, and swamp horror. Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley, Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon, and Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand are a few novels that explore folk horror.
Camp horror
Camp horror is horror that is unapologetically fun and over the top. What usually comes to mind when people think of “camp horror” isn’t necessarily a murderous summer camp (although it can be that!), but the B-movies of the 1960s and 70s. It’s not just full of horror tropes—it invented the horror tropes.
In camp horror you’ll find beautiful damsels in distress, ferocious monsters, serial killers whose motives are a little fuzzy, aliens, and more. Camp horror is silly and not quite as scary as other horror types. The Drive-in By Joe R. Lansdale and Clown In A Cornfield by Adam Cesare are perfect examples of novels that do this well.
Psychological horror
Psychological horror is a genre that uses its character’s mental and emotional states to unsettle or terrify the readers. These stories are often ambiguous, and they raise interpretive questions: is the house really haunted, or was she just imagining it? Is this person a killer, or has the protagonist just convinced themselves they are? If psychological horror books have one thing in common, it’s the slow descent into madness.
Misery by Stephen King, “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid are a few examples of this popular subgenre.
Body horror
Body horror leans heavily into all the ways a human body can betray, be betrayed, or transform in unexpected ways. In film, this often uses prosthetics and special effects to display mutation and tactile sensation. In novels, body horror is characterized by precise detail and vivid language to create horrific images in the reader’s mind. Body horror often explores themes related to the body such as aging, mortality, illness, or sexual identity.
Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica, The Troop by Nick Cutter, and the film The Substance are some stories that utilize this horror genre.
Cosmic horror
Cosmic horror has a lot of overlap with sci-fi horror, and it explores the insignificance of humanity in the space of the broader universe. Within cosmic horror you’ll find subgenres like Lovecraftian horror, inspired by the work of H. P. Lovecraft, and eldritch horror, both story types that deal with ancient otherworldly entities. The genre is both vast in scope and ambiguously equilibrating; all humans in cosmic horror, regardless of race, orientation, or religion, are as inconsequential as an ant.
Aside from Lovecraft’s entire body of work, The Fisherman by John Langan and The Croning by Laird Barron are examples of comic horror.
How to start writing your own horror story
Now that we’ve seen all the different forms that horror can take, it’s time to write your very own horror story! It can be as scary, silly, or creepy as you like. Let’s get started.
Choose a subgenre (or three!)
As you may have noticed on our subgenres list above, these horror types aren’t mutually exclusive. Many horror books and films fall into two or more subgenres. The best combine genres in interesting and innovative ways. So don’t feel beholden to just one; you can incorporate as many as your imagination and ambition will allow.
Choosing subgenres can also help generate ideas. Try combining two contrasting horror types and see what happens! Remember, if it doesn’t work out, you can always go back and choose again.
Choose your characters
Once you have your genre foundation, it’s time to populate it with people. The genre makes the reader pick up the book in the first place, but the characters are what keeps them reading. So don’t rush this part.
Think about whose story this is, who they were before the events of the horror plot, and who else in their orbit becomes a part of the story. You can use classic stock characters as a jumping off point, but challenge yourself to go deeper and flesh them out into fully formed people. Fortunately, we’ve got tons of resources to help you do that here.
Choose your adventure
Then, it’s time to start building the story! Think about how long you want your story to be. A short story is a practical way for writers to explore a new horror subgenre without committing to a longer project, while a novella lets you delve a bit deeper while being less intimidating than full-length novel.
You might find it helpful to use a structural framework like the three-act story structure, the five-act story structure, the eight-point arc, and so on. This will act as a plot map and show you where you need to write major turning points and events.
Your chosen subgenre(s) will give you a sense of where to go, but remember that even stories within the same subgenre have their own unique twists and turns. Even if you don’t know everything that happens right away—and this is okay—it’s a good idea to make notes of everything you do know, including the ending. Some of this may change throughout the writing process, but this gives you a place to start.
If you need some inspiration, you could combine your chosen subgenres with traditional story archetypes. These include things like “hero goes on a quest” or “death and rebirth.” Story archetypes have been used successfully for centuries, and there are still new ways to explore them.
Revise, revise, revise
When you begin writing a new story—whether that’s a full-length novel, a short story, a piece of flash fiction, or a narrative poem—the most important thing is to finish it. It’s only when you reach revision that you have to worry about making it any good.
After you’ve finished your horror story, start editing. Getting feedback from other writers can be really useful at this stage. Think about whether each plot point is clear to the reader, if the characters’ actions all make sense, if the tension and narrative momentum builds to a big finish.
Is it scary enough? Is the worldbuilding believable? Does it have a satisfying ending? All of these questions will help you fine tune your writing into an engaging, thrilling narrative.
There’s a horror genre for everyone
As you can see, horror isn’t just a one-size-fits-all idea. Horror subgenres range in intensity and experience. For example, cosmic horror deals with the unknown and abstract, while zombie horror presents a very real and tangible enemy. Horror can be fun and campy, or serious and thought-provoking. And the best horror makes the reader think a little bit harder about the world around them.
In fact, joining online communities (like Scribophile!) can provide writers with opportunities to discuss and discover new horror subgenres. Horror literature is constantly evolving, and there are always new approaches to discover.
