Best Horror series

The 19 best Horror series, scored across every volume.

Sort byDecadeMinimum ratings19 results

By year of first publication, 1976–2022. The busiest stretch is 2000–2009, with 6. Select a bar to narrow the list.

Why Hannibal Lecter is #1

Hannibal Lecter (Thomas Harris) scores 8.0/10 from 1.9K ratings — 0.1 points ahead of The Dark Tower in second place.

The score is a weighted average across 3 independent rating sources. A title with few ratings is pulled toward the category average, so a handful of enthusiastic reviews cannot outrank a book that thousands of readers have judged. Method →

What makes horror actually scary

Good horror doesn’t count bodies; it finds a fear you already have. Choose by what scares you.

Dread grows from ordinary lifeIn “The Shining” the family cracks first; only then does the hotel bare its teeth.
See less, feel moreA monster described in full stops frightening. A good book leaves a dark corner for your imagination.
Not every horror has a ghostThrillers and dramas are here too: “The Green Mile” frightens mostly through human injustice.

Frequently asked questions

Which title here has the most ratings?

The Dark Tower (Stephen King) — 5.3K ratings and 7.9/10, which puts it at #2 on this list.