Here are some of our favorite must-read Asian horror books that will make your Halloween unforgettable.
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Hello, ghosts and ghouls! Welcome to my little cozy corner of the web, Booked and Bewitched, where we chat about all things cozy, Halloween, horror, spicy, and mystery-related!
This week we are talking about all things Asian horror books related.
For those of you who don’t normally read this genre, a little information. Asian horror fiction, known for its unique blend of cultural myths, atmospheric storytelling, and psychological depth, offers some of the most captivating and spine-tingling reads.
So without further ado, let’s get into these Asian horror books! And if you need more horror-themed entertainment choices. Go check out-
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👻 Asian Horror Books 👻
1. Family Isn’t Always on Your Side
Following a devastating car accident that kills his wife and leaves him severely disabled, Oghi moves into his in-laws’ home. His mother-in-law begins to dig a mysterious hole in the garden, and Oghi is left to unravel the dark secrets that surround him.
Why You Should Read It: “The Hole” delves deep into themes of grief, guilt, and revenge, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere that will leave readers feeling unsettled. The psychological horror is masterfully executed, making it a compelling read for Halloween.
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The Hole is a superbly crafted and deeply unnerving novel about the horrors of isolation and neglect in all of its banal and brutal forms. As Oghi desperately searches for a way to escape, he discovers the difficult truth about his wife and the toll their life together took on her.
2. Theme Park Joy Turned Terrible
In a small Japanese town, a series of gruesome murders involving a jelly vendor shocked the community. As the local detective investigates, he uncovers a terrifying connection to ancient supernatural forces.
Why You Should Read It: “Jelly Vendor Massacre” combines classic detective fiction with supernatural horror, creating a gripping and eerie narrative. The atmospheric setting and suspenseful plot twists make it a standout read for Halloween.
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At New Seoul Park, Korea’s greatest theme park, an enigmatic man tempts visitors with a mysterious jelly candy that promises an unbreakable bond. As the sun beats down on a muggy summer afternoon, a child separated from her disinterested parents, a single mother striving to create a memorable day on a shoestring budget, and a couple on the brink of splitting up, all end up tasting this ominous candy. Little do they know that a sinister force lurks beneath the innocent facade. The sweet and innocent soon turns grotesque as the jelly becomes the catalyst for a sticky, sweet massacre.
3. Dark Secrets and Hidden Truths
A renowned criminal psychologist becomes embroiled in the case of a mysterious child who might be linked to a series of gruesome murders. As she delves deeper, she uncovers dark secrets that blur the lines between innocence and evil.
Why You Should Read It: “The Only Child” is a chilling psychological thriller that explores the depths of human darkness. The suspenseful narrative and eerie atmosphere make it a perfect read for Halloween.
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An eerie and absorbing novel following a criminal psychologist who has discovered shocking and possibly dangerous connections between a serial killer and her stepdaughter
4. You Can’t Always Go Home
A young woman returns to her hometown and starts hearing the ominous cries of an owl at night. As she investigates, she uncovers a series of disappearances linked to the town’s dark past.
Why You Should Read It: “The Owl Cries” is a haunting blend of folklore and supernatural mystery. The atmospheric setting and suspenseful plot make it a gripping read for Halloween.
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A disappearance. A missing brother. A lawyer asking questions. And a vast forest in the mountains—the western woods—where the trees huddle close together emanating a crushing darkness and a chill dampness fills the air.
5. Revenge of the Living and the Dead
So after the sudden death of her father, Se-oh sets out to uncover the truth behind his demise. Her investigation leads her into a web of secrets and lies, revealing a chilling connection to a series of mysterious deaths.
Why You Should Read It: “The Law of Lines” is a psychological thriller that delves into themes of grief, revenge, and the supernatural. The suspenseful narrative and eerie atmosphere make it a compelling read for Halloween.
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When Se-oh, a recluse still living with her father, returns from an errand to find their house in flames, wrecked by a gas explosion, she is forced back into the world she had tried to escape. The detective investigating the incident tells her that her father caused the explosion to kill himself because of overwhelming debt she knew nothing about, but Se-oh suspects foul play by an aggressive debt collector and sets out on her investigation, seeking vengeance.
6. Dark Side of Fantasy and Folklore
So this collection of short stories blends horror, fantasy, and folklore to explore the dark side of human nature. Each story is a chilling and imaginative journey into the unknown.
Why You Should Read It: “Cursed Bunny” stories are both haunting and thought-provoking, offering a unique perspective on horror. The atmospheric storytelling and imaginative plots make it a perfect read for Halloween.
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Cursed Bunny is unique and imaginative, blending horror, sci-fi, fairy tales, and speculative fiction into stories that defy categorization. By turns thought-provoking and stomach-turning, where monsters take the shapes of furry woodland creatures and danger lurks in unexpected corners of everyday apartment buildings. But in this unforgettable collection, translated by the acclaimed Anton Hur, Chung’s absurd, haunting universe could be our own.
7. Ordinary Meets Horrific
So this collection of short stories delves into the lives of ordinary people who encounter the extraordinary. Each story is a chilling exploration of the uncanny and the supernatural.
Why You Should Read It: “Flower Of Mold” storytelling is both haunting and poignant, offering a glimpse into the darker side of human nature. The atmospheric and imaginative plots make it a perfect read for Halloween.
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From the title story told by a woman suffering from gaps in her memory, to one about a man seeking insight in bags of garbage, to a surreal story about a car salesman and the customer he tries to seduce, The Woman Next Door charms and provokes with an incomparable style.
8. Eerie Asian Horror Books
“The Eyes Are The Best Part” follows the life of a young woman whose life is falling apart around her. In her attempt to drag her mother out of her depression, she eats something that will change her life forever.
Why You Should Read It; You will never look at grape or cherry tomatoes the same ever again. Monika Kim does a fantastic job of putting us squarely in the mind of a spiraling out-of-control MC and the horrors she creates around her.
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Ji-won’s life tumbles into disarray in the wake of her Appa’s extramarital affair and subsequent departure. Her mother was distraught. The younger sister was hurt and confused. Her college freshman grades, failing. All her dreams were horrifying… yet enticing.
No matter how many victims accumulate around her campus or how many people she must deceive and manipulate, Ji-won’s hunger and her rage deserve to be sated.
9. Murder, Mystery, and the Plague
So a man is sent to a foreign city plagued by a deadly disease. As he navigates the city’s horrors, he uncovers dark secrets about his past and the true nature of the disease.
Why You Should Read It: “City of Ash and Red” is a dystopian horror that explores themes of isolation, paranoia, and the supernatural. The atmospheric setting and suspenseful plot make it a gripping read for Halloween.
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City of Ash and Red is an apocalyptic account of the destructive impact of fear and paranoia on people’s lives as well as a haunting novel about a man’s loss of himself and his humanity.
10. Wedding Guest From Hell
So a group of friends gathers in a Heian-era mansion known for its ghostly bride. As they celebrate, they uncover dark secrets and confront malevolent spirits that lurk within the ancient walls.
Why You Should Read It: “Nothing But Blackened Teeth” is a chilling blend of Japanese folklore and gothic horror. The atmospheric setting and haunting narrative make it a perfect read for Halloween.
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It’s the perfect venue for a group of thrill-seeking friends, brought back together to celebrate a wedding.
A night of food, drinks, and games quickly spirals into a nightmare as secrets get dragged out and relationships are tested.
But the house has secrets too. Lurking in the shadows is the ghost bride with a black smile and a hungry heart. And she gets lonely down there in the dirt.
11. Supernatural Asian Horror Books
So in this supernatural mystery, a private investigator and an exorcist delve into the mystery of a missing pregnant woman and the legend of the ubume, a ghost that appears after childbirth, as they uncover layers of hidden truths and supernatural occurrences.
Why Read It: “The Summer of the Ubume” blends traditional Japanese folklore with a gripping mystery, providing a rich, atmospheric read. The intricate plot and deep cultural references make it a compelling choice for fans of Asian horror.
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In this first adventure, Kyogokudo must unravel the mystery of a woman who has been pregnant for 20 months and finds her husband, who disappeared two months into the pregnancy. And unravel does, in the book’s final disturbing scene.
12. Escape Rooms and Deadly Puzzles
So when a group of strangers awakens in a desolate labyrinth with no memory of how they got there, they must navigate deadly games and puzzles to survive. As alliances form and crumble, the true horror of their situation becomes clear.
Why Read It: “The Crimson Labyrinth” combines elements of survival horror and psychological thriller, offering intense suspense and unexpected twists. The unique setting and relentless pace make it an engaging read for those who love edge-of-the-seat horror.
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When an unemployed former math major wakes up one day, he wonders if he’s somehow ended up on the red planet. The good-looking young woman with aid-she says her name is Ai and that she draws erotic comics for a living-seems to have no clue either as to their whereabouts. Their only leads are cryptic instructions beamed to a portable device. Has the game begun?
There is no reset button, no saving, and no continuing the wrong move and it’s GAME OVER. In the cruel world of THE MARS LABYRINTH, mercy and compassion are only for the weak or the very, very strong. The stakes are nothing less than your life and a lot of money.
13. Youth Lost and Summers Ruined
In this chilling novella, a young girl recounts her murder at the hands of her friends during summer vacation. As the story unfolds, the lines between innocence and malevolence blur in a haunting exploration of childhood and death.
Why Read It: The unsettling perspective of a child narrator and the eerie portrayal of innocence corrupted create a deeply disturbing atmosphere. The novella’s brevity and impact make it a powerful read for fans of psychological horror.
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Two short novels, including the title story and Black Fairy Tale, plus a bonus short story. Summer is the simple story of a nine-year-old girl who dies while on summer vacation. While her youthful killers try to hide her body, she tells us the story–from the point of view of her dead body–of the children’s attempt to get away with murder.
14. Obsessive Love and Medical Horror
So after his wife’s death, a scientist uses her liver cells to create a new form of life, inadvertently unleashing a terrifying entity. As the creature evolves, it poses a threat to humanity, blending science fiction and horror in a gripping narrative.
Why Read It: “Parasite Eve” a combination of medical science, horror, and Japanese folklore provides a unique and chilling read. Its blend of biological horror and existential dread makes it a fascinating choice for those who enjoy thought-provoking horror.
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When Dr. Nagashima loses his wife in a mysterious car crash, he is overwhelmed with grief but also an eerie sense of purpose; he becomes obsessed with reincarnating his dead wife. Her donated kidney is transplanted into a young girl with a debilitating disorder, but the doctor also feels compelled to keep a small sample of her liver in his laboratory. When these cells start mutating rapidly, a consciousness bent on determining its fate awakens bent on becoming the new dominant species on Earth.
15. Rural Asian Horror Book
A detective investigates a series of bizarre and gruesome murders in a remote Chinese village, uncovering ancient secrets and supernatural forces at play. As he delves deeper, he realizes that the valley itself may be the key to solving the mystery.
Why Read It: “Valley of Terror” offers a compelling mix of detective fiction and supernatural horror, set against a richly detailed Chinese backdrop. The intricate plot and eerie atmosphere make it a captivating read for fans of Asian horror.
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A mysterious “fear disease” is scaring to death the citizens of Longzhou, China. Literally. Victims go insane or die frozen in terror, while survivors rant maniacally about demons infiltrating the city. But what’s really behind the sudden epidemic? To find the answer, Chief Inspector Luo Fei teams up with a controversial historian and a brilliant psychologist to track down the true source of the illness and halt the wave of horror that threatens the metropolis.
16. Home Sweet Home- Not
So a family moves into an apartment building next to a graveyard, only to discover that the building is haunted by malevolent spirits. As the supernatural occurrences escalate, they must confront the dark history of their new home.
Why Read It: The novel’s setting and slow-building suspense create a deeply atmospheric and terrifying read. Its exploration of isolation and fear in a domestic setting makes it a perfect choice for those who enjoy haunted house stories.
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This psychological horror unravels the unsettling experiences of a young family, innocently enticed by the seemingly idyllic vistas of their new apartment. Situated beside a graveyard, the building quietly harbors an insidious evil, nudging them down a path of inexplicable, panic-inducing occurrences. With each passing day, the walls of this pristine apartment close in bit by bit, trapping them against the bygone souls that echo from beyond the grave.
17. In-Laws Can Be A Real Monster
A young bride joins a seemingly perfect family, only to discover that they harbor dark and sinister secrets. As she uncovers the truth, she must navigate the terrifying reality of her new life.
Why Read It: “Now You’re One of Us” combines elements of domestic horror and psychological thriller, offering a disturbing look at family dynamics and manipulation. The gradual unraveling of the family’s secrets makes it a gripping read for fans of psychological horror.
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All families have their rituals, secrets, and credos, like a miniature religious cult; these quirks may elicit the mirth or mild alarm of guests, but the matter is rather more serious if you’re marrying into a household. If it’s a Japanese one with a history, brace yourself: some surprising truths lurk around the corner.
18. A Queen is Never Truly Gone
So in a world where the dead rise and bones hold power, a woman must navigate a treacherous landscape filled with necromancers and dark magic to uncover the truth behind her family’s curse.
Why You Should Read It: “These Deathless Bones” is a dark and imaginative tale that blends horror and fantasy. The atmospheric storytelling and haunting imagery make it a gripping read for Halloween.
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A horror tale about the Witch Bride. She is the second wife of a King and the discord between her and her young stepson.
Dive into these spine-tingling reads and let the Asian horror books take over your Halloween season. Happy reading!
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