10 chilling horror books by Latine authors

As a Puerto Rican and a lifelong book lover, horror has always been one of my favorite genres. I grew up reading Goosebumps books in Spanish, flying through each book and staying up past my bedtime just to see what would happen next. That early love of scares has stayed with me, and I’ve found that horror written by Latine authors makes the genre even richer and more complex, layering in Latine folklore, magical realism, urban legends, and history that give each story depth and richness.

If you’re looking to add some diverse scares to your reading list, here are ten must-read horror books by Latine authors (all available on Libby)!

We Came to Welcome You by Vincent Tirado
🎧 Audiobook

This psychological horror debut follows Sol and her wife Alice as they move into a beautiful gated community that slowly twists into a nightmare. Microaggressions, disappearing doors, and creeping roots. Think Jordan Peele’s social horror.

The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez
🎧 Audiobook

This collection of short stories by the master of modern horror, Argentine writer Mariana Enriquez, blends urban grit with ghost folklore.

Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova
🎧 Audiobook

A grieving mother literally brings her dead son back to life (well, part of him) as a sentient, carnivorous lung named Monstrilio. This gruesome tale about family, grief, monstrosity, and love is equal parts heartbreaking and terrifying.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
🎧 Audiobook

This is a reimagining of H. G. Wells’ classic, The Island of Doctor Moreau, set in 19th-century Mexico. Carlota Moreau grows up on a lush estate amidst mysterious experiments creating human-animal hybrids. Now the arrival of Eduardo Lizalde threatens to change everything. This epic, eerie tale weaves gothic atmosphere, scientific intrigue, and colonial history into a must-read story.

Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
🎧 Audiobook

These short stories mix horror, fantasy, and feminist commentary. Machado’s writing is strange, beautiful, and unforgettable.

🎧 Goddess of Filth by V. Castro

Five Chicanas in San Antonio try to summon their inner powers one tipsy summer night—and accidentally awaken something way older and scarier than their bad high-school decisions.

Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil by Ananda Lima
🎧 Audiobook

A writer makes a deal with the devil at a 1999 Halloween party and spends the rest of her life writing him stories both impossible and true.

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
🎧 Audiobook

Set in a world where animal meat is poisonous and eating humans is legal, Marcos just wants to stick to his numbers at the “special meat” processing plant, until he’s handed a live specimen and starts remembering what it means to feel.

Thirst by Marina Yuszczuk
🎧 Audiobook

Two women—one a 19th-century vampire, the other a modern-day woman—are drawn together. Equal parts feminist Gothic and genre-defying fiction, this haunting tale pulses with blood, longing, and the fierce wit of a vampire with opinions.

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
🎧 Audiobook

Beatriz thinks she’s finally found security in a remote estate, but the house has other plans. Haunted visions, secret symbols, and a priest who doubles as a witch makes for a supernatural suspense you can’t-miss in this Latine version of Rebecca.

*Title availability may vary.

To me, horror written by Latine authors is not just about scares—it’s about reclaiming stories, reimagining folklore myths, and including cultural history into the genre. These books carry the whispers of my Tias’ warnings and urban legends passed down. So dim the lights, grab your headphones (or your e-reader), and let these authors haunt your shelves and dreams.

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