by Stephen King The first Stephen King I ever read, and it still chills me as much as it did when I was a teenager. A rural doctor looks to forces he can barely comprehend when his family is hit by tragedy. The horror that plays out is matched by the strength of Mr King’s extraordinary talent and eye for characterisation.

by H. G. Wells An obvious classic that manages to balance science fiction action with the timeless tensions of the Victorian age. A Victorian man journeys across Surrey and London as Martians invade the world and lay waste to mankind. It features scenes of real terror and is still as effective now and I assume it was at the time. It casts a large shadow over genre fiction for a reason.

by James Herbert Monstrous rats emerge from the sewers and gnaw, chew and tear their way through the population. The first adult horror book I ever read, and it stayed with me. James Herbert elevates the premise with greatly paced writing and a stomach-turning eye for description. An absolute joy.

by Dan Simmons A haunting mix of historical fiction and supernatural horror. This book tells the unknown story of the twin ships The Terror and The Erebus as they got caught in the Artic Ice and adds a nightmarish creature to hound them. Every element of this novel just works as the true horror of the character’s situation unfolds for the reader and escalates with each chapter.

by Mark Z. Danielewski This mind bending and challenging novel tells the story of a young man discovering a series of papers in the flat of a deceased neighbour. They tell the story of videotape which shows the impossible things experienced by a photographer and his family as they move into a new house. It is at turns a horror, a thriller, a satire and a story about addiction, paranormal terror and love. It is not for everyone, but no one could question its ambition.

by Robin Jarvis This series of stories about a group of brave young mice facing off against a satanic cat and his cannibalistic acolytes were my first introduction to horror. They are rip-roaring adventures with a macabre bent and stand up to adult attention remarkably well.

by H.P.Lovecraft To be honest, as with many modern horror fans, the work of Lovecraft looms large but my favourite is the Dunwich Horror as it tells of a cosmic monster spreading death and fear amongst the village of Dunwich. It is one of Lovecraft’s most accessible works as it grounds his eldritch terrors by showing their devasting impact upon mankind.