List of horror fiction writers

This is a navigational list of notable writers who have published significant work in the horror fiction genre, who also have stand-alone articles on Wikipedia. All items must have a reference to demonstrate that they have produced significant work in the horror genre.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

A

• Ania Ahlborn^[1]
• Gemma Amor^[2]
• Jay Anson^[3]
• Margaret Atwood^[4] (born 1939, Canada)
• Dathan Auerbach^[4][5]
• Mona Awad^[1]

B

• Iain Banks^[5] (1954–2013, Scotland)
• L. A. Banks^[4][3]
• Tracey Baptiste^[4]
• Clive Barker^[4][5][6][7] (born 1952, England)
• Laird Barron^[4] (born 1970, US)
• Agustina Bazterrica^[5][3][1]
• John Bellairs^[4] (1938–1991, US)
• E. F. Benson^[8] (1867–1940, England)
• Lauren Beukes^[6]
• Ambrose Bierce^[9] (1842 – c. 1914, US)
• Jerome Bixby^[4] (1923–1998, US)
• Algernon Blackwood^[4][7][8] (1869–1951, England)
• William Peter Blatty^{[4][5][3][10][6]} (1928–2017, US)
• Robert Bloch^[10] (1917–1994, US)
• Ray Bradbury^{[4][5][3][11][6]} (1920–2012, US)
• Poppy Z. Brite^[4][5] (born 1967, US)
• Max Brooks^[4][5][6]
• Christopher Buehlman^[4][3]
• Chesya Burke^[4]
• Octavia E. Butler^[4][5][3]

C

• Rachel Caine^[3]
• Ramsey Campbell^[4][7] (born 1946, England)
• M. R. Carey^[4]
• Emily Carroll^[4]
• Angela Carter^[4][3]
• Robert W. Chambers^[4][8] (1865–1933, US)
• Stephen Chbosky^[3]
• Joey Comeau^[6]
• Justin Cronin^[10]
• Nick Cutter^[4][1]

D

• Roald Dahl^[3] (1916–1990, Wales/England)
• Mark Z. Danielewski^[4][5][6]
• Walter de la Mare^[8] (1873–1956, England)
• Joe Donnelly^[5]
• Daphne du Maurier^[4][3][6] (1907–1989, England)
• Tananarive Due^[5] (born 1966, US)
• Lois Duncan^[4]
• Katherine Dunn^[5][3][6]
• Lord Dunsany^[8] (1878–1957, England/Ireland)

E

• Bret Easton Ellis^[4][5][3][6] (born 1964, US)
• Harlan Ellison^[4] (1934–2018, US)
• Guy Endore^[4] (1901–1970, US)
• Mariana Enriquez^[4][11][12]

F

• Gemma Files^[4][5] (born 1968, Canada)
• John Fowles^[4]

G

• Neil Gaiman^[3][11][6] (born 1960, England)
• Charlotte Perkins Gilman^[4] (1860–1935, US)
• William Golding^[4][3]
• Sara Gran^[4][5][3]
• Mira Grant^[4] (born 1978, US)

H

• Elizabeth Hand^[4]
• Thomas Harris^[10][6] (born 1940, US)
• Zakiya Dalila Harris^[5]
• Rachel Harrison^[5]
• Nathaniel Hawthorne^[4] (1804–1864, US)
• Grady Hendrix^[3][6]
• James Herbert^[7] (1943–2013, England)
• Thomas Olde Heuvelt^[1]
• Joe Hill^{[4][10][6][1]}
• Matt Hill^[13]
• Susan Hill^[4][3][6]
• Jennifer Hillier^[3]
• William Hope Hodgson^[8] (1877–1918, England/Belgium)
• Nalo Hopkinson^[4] (born 1960, Jamaica/Canada)
• Andrew Michael Hurley^[1]
• Shaun Hutson^[7] (born 1958, England)

I

• Junji Ito^[4][11][1] (born 1963, Japan)

J

• Shirley Jackson^{[4][5][3][11][12][6][1]} (1916–1965, US)
• W. W. Jacobs^[4] (1863–1943, England)
• Henry James^{[4][12][6][1]} (1843–1916, US/England)
• Simone St. James^[3]
• M. R. James^[7][8] (1862–1936, England)
• Daisy Johnson^[12]
• Stephen Graham Jones^[5][3] (born 1972, US)

K

Stephen King

• Alma Katsu^[4][5][3]
• Jack Ketchum^[4][6] (1946–2018, US)
• Cassandra Khaw^[11]
• Caitlin R. Kiernan^[4][5]
• Stephen King^{[4][5][3][11][10][6][1]} (born 1947, US)
• T. E. D. Klein^[6] (born 1947, US)
• Kathe Koja^[4] (born 1960, US)
• Dean R. Koontz^[4] (born 1945, US)
• Daniel Kraus^[4]
• R.F. Kuang^[1]

L

• John Langan^[4][5] (born 1969, US)
• Joe R. Lansdale^[4] (born 1951, US)
• Victor LaValle^{[5][12][6][4]} (born 1972, US)
• Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu^[4]
• Ira Levin^[4][6] (1929–2007, US)
• Matthew Lewis^[5]
• John Ajvide Lindqvist^[4][5][6][1] (born 1968, Sweden)
• Livia Llewellyn^[4]
• H. P. Lovecraft^[4][6][1] (1890–1937, US)
• Brian Lumley^[1] (born 1937, England)

M

• Carmen Maria Machado^[4]
• Arthur Machen^[4][8] (1863–1947, Wales)
• Josh Malerman^{[4][5][3][6][1]}
• Robert Marasco^[4][6]
• William March^[3]
• George R. R. Martin^[5] (born 1948, US)
• Richard Matheson^[4][5][6] (1926–2013, US)
• Robert R. McCammon^[6][4] (born 1952, US)
• Michael McDowell^[4][6]
• Jennifer McMahon^[3]
• Sarah Monette^[4]
• David Moody^[7]
• Silvia Moreno-Garcia^[3] (born 1981, Mexico)
• Toni Morrison^[4][5][3] (1931–2019, US)
• Ottessa Moshfegh^[3]
• Ryu Murakami^[6]

N

• Adam Nevill^[5][7] (born 1969, England)

O

• Joyce Carol Oates^[4] (born 1938, US)
• Ellen Oh^[4]
• Helen Oyeyemi^[4][3][11]

P

• Chuck Palahniuk^[5] (born 1962, US)
• Michelle Paver^[1]
• Tom Piccirilli^[6]
• Edgar Allan Poe^[4] (1809–1849, US)
• Laura Purcell^[11]

R

• Ava Reid^[3]
• Anne Rice^[4][5][6] (1941–2021, US)
• Bertram Fletcher Robinson^[14]
• Christina Georgina Rossetti^[4]

S

Mary Shelley

• Riley Sager^[3]
• Joan Samson^[5] (1937–1976)
• Mary Shelley^{[4][5][3][6][7]} (1797–1851, England)
• Lionel Shriver^[3]
• Anne Rivers Siddons^[4][5] (1936–2019, US)
• Dan Simmons^[4][5][3][6] (born 1948, US)
• Jonathan Sims^[15]
• Scott Smith^[4][3]
• Clark Ashton Smith^[8] (1893–1961, US)
• R. L. Stine^[4] (born 1943, US)
• Bram Stoker^{[4][5][3][6][1][16]} (1847–1912, Ireland/England)
• Mats Strandberg
• Peter Straub^[4][5][3][6] (1943–2022, US)
• Whitley Strieber^[4] (born 1945, US)
• Charles Stross^[4]
• Koji Suzuki^{[5][3][10][6]}
• Søren Sveistrup^[3]

T

• Sonya Taaffe^[4]
• Michael Talbot^[6]
• James Tiptree Jr. (pseudonym of Alice Bradley Sheldon)^[4]
• Paul Tremblay^[4][5][6][1]
• Thomas Tryon^{[4][5][3][6][1]}

W

• Sarai Walker^[3]
• Catriona Ward^[5]
• Sarah Waters^[5]
• Edith Wharton^[3] (1862–1937, US)
• Oscar Wilde^[11][10]
• Kai Ashante Wilson^[4]
• David Wong (pseudonym of Jason Pargin)^[4][6]
• John Wyndham^[3]