Horror Audiobooks That Are Fantastic

I listen to almost exclusively audiobooks and if I’m not listening, then I’m immersive reading: reading while listening. It’s my favorite way to consume book. So when I recommend an audiobook, I mean it.

A great narrator takes a good book and makes it sing. They impact it in a way that can either make or break a book. And often they make it scarier than reading it on the page ever could. These are the horror books that are genuinely fantastic on audio. So grab your headphones.

But first, I talked with Leopoldo Gout this week on the show.

Leopoldo Gout is the visual artist and author behind Pinata and his stunning new novel, Rooted, out today. Leopoldo writes horror steeped in indigenous history, and his stories are painted in the same vivid, unsettling images he uses in his sculpture and painting.

We go back to his early years in Mexico City, watching Night of the Living Dead at thirteen and realizing horror could be about more than scares. Leopoldo opens up about losing his home and art studio in a fire, and how that loss pushed him to write his first graphic novel by hand at an all night Kinko's, which eventually became Ghost Radio.

He talks about writing as a dyslexic author and his "photographic scent memory," the sense he leans on most when he writes. We also get into the true, horrifying history behind Pinata's title, and the real lawyer fighting to reclaim Mexico's stolen artifacts who inspired Rooted's lead character. Plus, a first look at his short story Luz e Fer, coming out this month in a new Latina horror anthology.

So grab your copy of Rooted and check out the episode on on Youtube, or listen on Spotify or Apple Music.

Okay, now for the audiobooks! You can grab them on my shelf here.

The September House by Carissa Orlando, narrated by Kimberly Farr

I don't know what more positive things I can say about this book other than that the audiobook is as superb as the book is. And if you still haven't read this one in any way, why? The cast of ghosts in this book deserve their own reality show. Funny, unique, and it gets wild at the end.

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison, narrated by Alex Finke and Natasha Soudek

Dark, witty dialogue is one of my favorite things in horror, and when you hear somebody else saying it, it is laugh-out-loud good. God, I love this book. There are very few times I read a horror book and think "I wish I lived inside this story" but this is one of them.

When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy, narrated by Helen Laser

Helen Laser is one of the best in the game, and this book is phenomenal, so the combination of Nat and Helen is top tier! Nat Cassidy does perfect horror for me, and hearing it performed takes it somewhere even deeper. 100% recommend!

Maeve Fly by C.J. Leede, narrated by Sosie Bacon

When I think of Maeve, I just hear Sosie's voice, and it makes me happy. If you've read Maeve Fly, you know exactly how strange and magnetic that character is, and Sosie Bacon becomes her. It’s a perfect pairing. So good.

Nothing Tastes as Good by Luke Dumas, full cast

I genuinely love when an audiobook has multiple voices, because it brings a flavor to the book that you simply cannot get from reading it on the page alone. And a full cast performing this one? Chef's kiss. It enhances the whole experience and you just get lost in it.

A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher, narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal

The way the narrator enhances the characterization of the protagonist is the reason to listen to this one. T. Kingfisher is a gem. Vultures on the roof, a mother acting off, and that perfect horror-comedy balance. There is so much to love in this book and on audio it just lands differently.

Coffin Moon by Keith Rosson, narrated by Pete Cross

Pete Cross is perfect to embody the main character and the villain in this novel. What he brings to each character really enhances the experience, making this one of my favorite vampire books to date!

Audiobook narrators do not get enough credit for everything they bring to fiction. They're part of the magic, and I'm so grateful for the great ones.

Now: what's a horror audiobook you would recommend to me? I'm always hunting for my next listen. Hit reply and drop your favorite.

Host of Talking Horror Podcast