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Below, I’ve assembled a list of some of the best sci-fi horror books and novels ever written. This list is based on two things: (1) my own reading experiences, and (2) similar lists created by other publishers. So you might think of it as a “master list” of the best sci-fi books of all time.
There’s just something about the genre-blending crossover concept that captivates me. I’m drawn to it, as both a reader and a writer. So let’s take a deep dive into some of the best science fiction horror books and novels of all time.
14 of the Best Sci-Fi Horror Novels Ever Written
Some of these novels, like The Luminous Dead, are fairly recent. One dates back to the 1800s, a true pioneer of the genre. The others fall somewhere in between. I’ve listed them alphabetically for the sake of simplicity.
Alien: Echo, by Mira Grant
The movie Alien and its sequel Aliens are two of the best sci-fi horror movies ever made. They took the “space horror” genre to a terrifying new level, by introducing us to the ferocious Xenomorph species.
These movies have also inspired dozens of authors to create Alien books of their own. Mira Grant is one of those authors.
In her book Alien: Echo, (2019), Grant created a YA sci-fi horror story set within the frightening world of the Xenomorphs. Book Riot mentioned it in an article showcasing “14 Space Horror Books for Those Who Dare to Believe.” The article’s author, Jessica Avery, had this to say:
“a foreign plant full of strange new xenobiology, a queer protagonist, space colony life (not as delightful as you might think), and everyone’s favorite ‘perfect organism’ running around in a blaze of teeth and talons. What’s not to love?”
Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer
Annihilation is the first novel in VanderMeer’s “Southern Reach” trilogy.
It tells the story of an exploratory team of four women (a biologist, an anthropologist, a psychologist, and a surveyor) who venture into a mysterious place known as Area X. Others have tried to explore it, but those expeditions ended in disaster and disappearances.
Annihilation is a head-trip kind of novel that blends elements of science fiction, horror and mystery. It stands apart from the crowd, in my mind, with a storyline and scenes unlike anything I’ve read before. It won a 2014 Nebula Award for best new novel.
If you’re creating a reading list of the best sci-fi horror books of all time, consider putting Annihilation on the list. This story poses more questions than it answers, but sometimes that can be refreshing.
Blindsight, by Peter Watts
Confession: This book has been on my to-read list for some time, but I haven’t gotten to it yet. I did, however, read and enjoy Peter Watts’s Starfish. So I look forward to seeing how he handles a sci-fi horror mashup.
Blindsight tells the story of a motley crew who ventures into space to uncover the truth behind a mysterious and possibly alien signal (rarely a good idea).
The team includes “a linguist with multiple-personality disorder and a biologist so spliced with machinery that he can’t feel his own flesh” … not to mention “a pacifist warrior and a vampire recalled from the grave by the voodoo of paleogenetics.” Talk about diversity!
Some readers have said this novel employs a kind of existential and cosmic horror in the tradition of H.P. Lovecraft. I found this book on a half-dozen articles ranking the best science fiction / horror novels ever written. So it has earned a spot here as well.
The Day of the Triffids, by John Wyndham
Jump into the time machine. We’re going back to 1951 for this novel.
The Day of the Triffids represents old-school sci-fi horror thrillers at the dawn of the genre. It helped create and popularize the post-apocalyptic genre, which is still going strong today.
Though the ideas and prose are obviously dated, some folks consider it to be among the best science fiction horror novels of all time. It’s certainly one of the most unique.
The book’s premise: A comet shower blinds much of the world’s population. Those who are left with their sight intact must battle mobile, flesh-eating plants known as triffids. Word has it the opening scene from The Day of the Triffids inspired writer Alex Garland to write the screenplay for 28 Days Later. Put this classic onto your list of best sci-fi horror books to read this year.
Dead Silence, by S.A. Barnes
Published in 2022, Dead Silence is the most recent sci-fi horror book on this list. S.A. Barnes’s debut novel generated a lot of buzz, both before and after its release.
At first glance, it might seem like a typical “terror in space” kind of novel. But this science fiction horror novel offers enough originality to warrant your consideration.
The premise: A crew comes across a luxury space cruiser that went missing years earlier. While inspecting the ship for its salvage potential, they quickly realize things aren’t quite right.
Whispers in the dark. Flickers of movement here and there. Messages scrawled in blood. Trouble ensues.
Huge Award-winning author Mur Lafferty said this book offers the “claustrophobia of 2001: A Space Odyssey mixed with the horrors of Alien.” I don’t know about you, but that’s enough to earn it a spot on my reading list.
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
When it comes to American literature, Frankenstein is the esteemed grandfather of science fiction horror. It appears on most lists of the best sci-fi horror novels, and with good reason. It paved the way for countless other works, showing authors that it was okay to blend the two genres.
This is a story of a gifted scientist who gives life to his own creation. But the creature does not turn out as intended. Instead, it becomes a “monster” that is rejected by its creator and society as a whole.
Frankenstein might not be as thrilling as some of the other books on this list. It can be a real snoozer in places, at least by modern standards. Things were different in the early 1800s. People didn’t write page-turner science fiction novels back then. So keep this in mind, if you plan to read this one.
In addition to channeling sci-fi and horror, Frankenstein also checks most of the boxes for Gothic literature. The Gothic style usually included heavy suspense, dreary castles and mansions, melodrama, and a monster or creature of some kind. You’ll find plenty of those elements in Frankenstein.
The Girl With All the Gifts, by M.R. Carey
I’ve seen The Girl With All the Gifts on lists of the “best sci-fi horror books,” as well as lists focused on zombie novels, science fiction, and straight-up horror. It’s a thrilling story that checks all of these boxes.
In this book, the horror comes from a mysterious fungus that turns people into zombie-like flesh eaters. The sci-fi component comes humanity’s attempt to understand the fungus and cure the disease.
Add in some well-drawn characters and a gripping, page-turner writing style, and you have one of the best science fiction horror novels of all time.
BTW: There’s a movie adaption of this book, and a follow-up novel called The Boy on the Bridge. I highly recommend both, if you’re a fan of the genre.
The Last Astronaut, by David Wellington
David Wellington’s The Last Astronaut was shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke award back in 2020. This novel starts off with a premise that’s reminiscent of the movie Independence Day (though the similarities end there). A gigantic alien object enters our solar system and hovers above the Earth, menacingly.
Desperate and out of time, NASA officials rely on their last living astronaut (hence the book’s title) to lead a team of raw recruits on a first-contact mission.
That’s the science fiction angle. It turns into a sci-fi horror novel in the second and third acts. But I won’t spoil the plot for you.
A Kirkus review of this book stated: “A race against time to save humankind, a veteran astronaut trying to make things right, and an utterly strange and genuinely horrifying alien world to explore–this story’s got everything.”
The Last Astronaut appeared on more than one list of the best science fiction books. Thus, it has earned a spot on this list as well.
The Luminous Dead, by Caitlin Starling
This book came out in April 2019. I read and enjoyed it, but I would say it’s not for everyone. It has a minimal “cast” of characters, for one. And most of the story takes place deep underground. I appreciated the “creeping dread” pace of this sci-fi horror book, but others might find it too slow.
The Luminous Dead is a story about a lone cave explorer who thinks she’s looking for mineral deposits, but is actually being manipulated by her mysterious handler above ground. It’s a psychological, claustrophobic kind of story.
This book straddles genres and could be labeled as a sci-fi horror thriller novel.
The Mall, by Brandon Cornett
Yes, I put my own book on this list. But I won’t be so bold or egotistical to call it one of the best sci-horror novels. Readers can decide that on their own. I’ve included it here because it clearly falls into the science fiction horror “mashup” category. If you’re into these kinds of books, you might enjoy this one!
The Mall tells the story of a mother trying to rescue her daughter from a shopping mall filled with murderous androids — at Christmas time, no less. It takes place seventy years into the future, a time when human-like androids walk among us. But the androids at Meadowview Mall (the biggest shopping mall in American) have defied their programming and turned against their human creators. Chaos ensues.
Nightflyers, by George R.R. Martin
Martin (from A Song of Ice and Fire / Game of Thrones fame) first published this novella in a 1980 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact. He then expanded the story in 1981. Be aware: there’s also a short story collection of the same name that includes the novella.
Nightflyers appears on many lists of the best sci-fi horror books. This novella tells the story of nine misfit academics on a mission to locate the “volcryn,” a nomadic alien race.
But things go horribly wrong aboard the Nightflyer space ship that serves as their transport. The team soon find themselves in danger when a mysterious force begins to prey upon them.
Pitch Dark, by Courtney Alameda
Courtney Alameda is a bookseller and librarian who now writes thriller-style novels. She’s the author of Shutter, a YA horror novel about ghost hunters; and Pitch Dark, a sci-fi horror book one reader described as “Resident Evil meets A Quiet Place.”
Another reader described this book as the movie Aliens written as a teen romance novel. The teens in question are Tuck Morgan, traveling aboard the spaceship USS John Muir; and Laura Cruz, a “shipraider” whose fate puts her on a collision course with the John Muir.
Add in some brutal monsters and a layer of mystery, and you’ve got yourself a science fiction horror novel worth a look.
Salvation Day, by Kali Wallace
Kali Wallace has written a couple of books that blend the science fiction, thriller and horror genres. But Salvation Day (2019) is the one that could be classified as sci-fi horror. I found this book on several “best of” lists.
But let’s put the genre labels aside for a moment and focus on the story. Salvation Day is a fast-paced sci-fi thriller with some horror elements added into the mix. The story takes place far in the future, when humans have ventured into space to escape an unlivable planet.
Toss in an abandoned spaceship, a mysterious and lethal virus, and a crew determined to hijack that spaceship, and you’ve got yourself a story.
Ship of Fools, by Richard Paul Russo
Finishing our tour of the best science fiction horror books (alphabetically speaking), we come to Richard Paul Russo’s 2001 novel, Ship of Fools. This book won the Philip K. Dick award in 2001, an award that recognizes “distinguished science fiction published in paperback original form in the United States.”
The starship Argonos is home to generations of humans. For centuries, it has drifted through the galaxy seeking other signs of life. A mysterious transmission lures the ship’s crew to a nearby planet, where they discover the remains of a former colony. Trouble ensues.
For me, the best part of this novel was when the Argonos crew members discovered the grisly remains of the colony. I thought, “Oh boy … this is going to get scary.” After that, the story stalled a bit.
But again, this isn’t my list of the best sci-fi horror books of all time. It’s a “master list” based on numerous other lists, rankings and articles. Ship of Fools has appeared on several of them, so it deserves a spot here as well.
Sci-fi horror books offer the best of two literary worlds. They challenge our minds with big ideas, while testing our mettle with big scares. They evoke a sense of wonder, and a sense of terror. They give us the best of both worlds.
Share Your Thoughts and Favorite Books
What books have you read and enjoyed within this subgenre? Have you read one that deserves to be on a list of the best science fiction horror novels of all time? What do you like about the “thrilling intersection” between of sci-fi and horror?
I’d love to hear your thoughts. You can share them through the comment box below.