Traci Thomas lists 30 books to fuel your Halloween dread

Traci Thomas, the creator and host of the podcast "The Stacks," has released a list of 30 books intended to provide readers with a fright this weekend. The recommendations cover horror fiction, anthologies, and nonfiction accounts of real-world tragedies. Thomas selected these titles specifically for their ability to unsettle readers as the holiday approaches.

The fiction section of the list includes 19 titles. Stephen King appears twice, with "Carrie" and "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson also on the list. International authors feature prominently, including Agustina Bazterrica, whose novel "Tender Is the Flesh" is translated by Sarah Moses. Kim Bo-Young's "A Plagued Sea" is another translated work, brought to English readers by Sophie Bowman. The list also contains short story collections from Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah and Carmen Maria Machado.

Three anthologies round out the fictional recommendations. "Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology" and its sequel "Back for Blood" were edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. Jordan Peele and John Joseph Adams edited "Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror." Cynthia Pelayo edited "Something Followed Us Home: Tales of Latiné Horror."

The nonfiction category contains eight books that focus on historical events and true crime. Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry's "Helter Skelter" details the Manson murders. Heather Ann Thompson wrote "Blood in the Water," which covers the 1971 Attica prison uprising. Iris Chang's "The Rape of Nanking" addresses World War II history. Daniel James Brown's "The Indifferent Stars Above" recounts the Donner Party saga.

Other nonfiction titles include Lizzie Johnson's "Paradise," which examines a wildfire's impact on a town. Ben Wickey's "More Weight: A Salem Story" and Wright Thompson's "The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi" offer regional perspectives. Philip Gourevitch's "We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families" provides stories from Rwanda. Richard Lloyd Parry's "People Who Eat Darkness" explores murder and grief in Japan.

Thomas presented these books as a curated selection for readers seeking specific types of fear. The list balances classic American horror with contemporary global voices. The nonfiction entries lean heavily on well-known historical tragedies and crimes. This collection serves as a reading guide for the Halloween weekend.