This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every extreme horror book worth reading (there are hundreds!), or the best books in the genre, instead it is an attempt to provide a helpful introduction and some starter recommendations, explaining what the genre is, outlining its history, and listing the most significant and highly recommended titles.

The aim is to objectively answer the question; “I’m new to the genre, what should I read?!”.

This is an extreme horror guide for new readers.