Horror is a genre that is both diverse and grotesque. A good body of literature is one composed of people from differing backgrounds, putting their own spin on stories and tropes that have existed for decades. As horror continues to grow in popularity, both inside and outside the box office, writers add more and more to its literature. Below, you will find a list of horror books by Hispanic authors. Some are modern twists on folklore, while others play around with different cultural ghosts. Each book is different and worth reading over a spooky, autumnal campfire. So, cozy up and continue reading if you dare.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
After receiving a frantic letter from a newly-wed cousin begging for her help, Noemí Taboada heads to a distant house in the Mexican countryside known as High Place. Her cousin’s Englishman husband is a stranger to Noemí, and she’s more suited for cocktail parties than investigations, but that won’t stop her from finding out what happened to her cousin. There is a dark history lurking under the crumbling exterior of this rich, alluring family. Mesmerized by this strange place, Noemí will stop at nothing to uncover its secrets, even if that means allowing the seductive grounds to work its roots inside her.
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
When his traditional Latinx family has trouble accepting his gender, Yadriel is determined to prove himself as a real brujo. He sets out to summon the ghost of his murdered cousin but ends up summoning the ghost of Julian Diaz instead. Now stuck with the school’s resident bad boy, Yadriel has no choice but to help Julian solve his own death. As they deepen their investigation, Yadriel finds that he doesn’t want Julian to leave and that not everything is as it seems.
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
In this collection of short stories, Carmen Maria Machado destroys the boundary between science fiction and psychological horror. Using the horror of everyday life, Machado maps the realities of women’s lives and the violence that is forcibly intertwined with their existence. In one story, a woman refuses to allow her husband to remove a green ribbon from around her neck, while another details a salesclerk’s horrifying discovery within the seams of a store’s prom dresses. This collection of rich tales will make your skin crawl.
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
Set in the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, a woman is pulled into the clutches of a sinister haunting. When Beatriz’s father is executed in the overthrow of the Mexican government and her home is destroyed, she has no choice but to accept the proposal of the handsome Don Rodolfo Solórzano. But his house is not all she hoped it to be, as visions and dreams begin to plague her. What secrets is Hacienda San Isidro hiding, and can Beatriz survive them?
The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro
A woman is haunted by the Mexican folklore demon La Llorona as she dives into the dark history of her family. Alejandra no longer knows who she is. But to her husband, she is a wife and the mother of their children. They can’t see the woman in white that Alejandra sees during moments of despair, nor can they understand that the crying demon has latched itself onto every woman in her family. Will Alejandra escape the fate of her mother and grandmother? Or will La Llorona claim her and the life she’s built?
The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino Iglesias
A father will do whatever it takes to keep his family safe in their genre-defying story. Buried in debt due to the illness of his young daughter and with his marriage on the brink, Mario reluctantly takes a job as a hitman. But after a tragedy wrecks his life, Mario decides that he will take only one final job: hijacking a cartel’s crash shipment before it reaches Mexico. Along with two other men, Mario travels through Texas, where a handful of nightmare encounters will defy explanation. Even if he manages to make it out alive, Mario will never be the same.
Jawbone by Mónica Ojeda
Fernanda and Annelise are so close that they’re practically sisters. So how does Fernanda end up bound on the floor of a deserted cabin and held by one of their teachers? When Fernanda, Annelise, and their friends meet after school, Annelise leads them in rituals under the eye of a drag-queen god of her own creation. She is the leader of their group, but not even she can see their literature teacher’s startling descent into madness. Love and violence become inexplicably intertwined in this coming of age horror novel.
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez
A woman’s mysterious death leaves her husband and son in the clutches of her demonic family. United in grief, father and son set out on a road trip to her ancestral home where they must confront her terrifying family known as the “Order” and the acts that they’re willing to commit for a simple taste of immortality. For the son, this is his destiny. As the Order works their devious claws to pull him into their evil, he and his father take flight, attempting to outrun the powerful clan that cares only about its own survival. How far is Gaspar’s father willing to go to protect him? Can anyone truly escape their fate?
Our Shadows Have Claws Edited by Yamile Saled Méndez and Amparo Ortiz
In this collection of fifteen stories by YA authors, Latine mythology’s most memorable monsters take center stage. In this cross-genre anthology, vampires run from hunters while children are stolen from their beds by “el viejo de la bolsa.” Nowhere is safe, and magic is as real as the grass beneath your feet. Set across Latin America and its diaspora, Our Shadows Have Claws contains tales of grief, monstrosity, sisterhood, oppression, and the lengths one will go for love.
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
In her second entry into this list, Silvia Moreno-Garcia offers a reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico. Carlota Moreau is a young woman growing up in a luxuriant state, safe from the conflict of the Yucatán peninsula. She is also the only daughter of genius madman Dr. Moreau, whose research is funded by the Lizaldes. When Edurado Lizalde arrives, he sets off a dangerous chain reaction that will have lasting consequences for father and daughter.
To be well versed in horror, one must explore books that blend both genre and cultures. As the weather shifts and songs about ghosts and hideous monsters are looped, be sure to check out these recommendations and add them to your TBR! Happy reading!
Interested in more Hispanic horror books to add to that ever-expanding TBR? Check out some more recommendations here.
Find these titles and more on our Hispanic/Latinx Recommendations shelf.
