This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Psychedelic horror isn’t new. Classic horror films like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Suspiria capitalized on the feelings of surreality that good horror can drum up. Those distinct feelings of dreamlike dread are what made them classics in the first place.
But psychedelic horror literature is something of an untapped market. While plenty of indie publishers are exploring the limits of the horror genre, many mainstream outfits aren’t willing—or ready—to take the plunge. Publishing in general is risk-averse; it’s a multi-billion-dollar industry in which investors want to be sure of their investments. That goes doubly so for horror, which often feels like the forgotten category in a booming speculative fiction market.
So how do we fix this? How do we get more psychedelic horror novels on store shelves? For starters, we put our money where our mouths are, buying the types of books we’d love to see more of. Hyping those reads up on social media, bookish or otherwise, helps to promote authors and sales. If you’re serious about horror fiction, you’ve got to consume more of it and encourage others to do the same.
Care to take a trip? We’ve picked out five psychedelic horror novels that will leave you feeling stunned—and possibly wanting more.
Psychedelic Horror Novels
Coup de Grâce by Sofia Ajram
A suicidal man in Montreal gets himself trapped in a maze-like subway station with no exit to be found in this psychedelic horror novel. Perfect for fans of Piranesi, Coup de Grâce takes readers on a frightening journey through one man’s tortured psyche as he realizes, with ever-dawning horror, that he’s not the only entity trapped in the maze.
The Fright Stuff
Ready for some thrills and chills? Sign up to receive the latest and greatest from the world of horror.
Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud
The first book in Nathan Ballingrud’s “Lunar Gothic” Trilogy centers on one mentally ill woman. Abandoned on the moon by her emotionally distant husband, Veronica is the newest resident at the Barrowfield Home for Treatment of the Melancholy, where doctors conduct mind-altering experiments on their desperate patients.
The Cipher by Kathe Koja
They called it the Funhole, the strange black hole that appeared inside his apartment building’s storage room. They had sex next to it, then she started putting things inside it. Pretty soon, it was all he could think about. Bleak, existential body horror awaits.
A Feast of Putrid Delights by Valentina Rojas
Years ago, Antonia survived a homophobic assault at a local nightclub. She’s since managed to open a new restaurant with her pals, but she’s plagued by a relentless insomnia that only a new street drug can cure. Unfortunately for Antonia, the Cloud she takes to help her sleep comes with some unintended side effects—ones that could make or break her culinary career.
Negative Space by B.R. Yeager
In a small town left reeling by a rash of suicides, a group of burned-out teens begin experimenting with new drugs and the occult. WHORL opens a portal to another plane, allowing users to channel its supernatural powers to affect their own world. But once the kids are completely hooked, will they be able to use their newfound powers for good?
Want more great horror reads? Check out the most anticipated horror novels of 2026 and this list of international horror novels.