- 1
The Shining
The Shining • Book 1
by Stephen King
Narrated by Campbell Scott
★ 4.92 ABR Score (1.8M ratings)★ 4.28 Goodreads (1.7M) ★ 4.75 Audible (41.5K)More about this pick
Jack Torrance's winter isolation at the Overlook Hotel awakens both the building's malevolent spirits and his own capacity for violence, with Campbell Scott's chilling performance.
- 2
Pet Sematary
by Stephen King
Narrated by Michael C. Hall
★ 4.82 ABR Score (738.4K ratings)★ 4.08 Goodreads (708.6K) ★ 4.77 Audible (29.8K)More about this pick
Dr. Louis Creed discovers that the pet cemetery behind his new home can bring the dead back to life—but they return fundamentally wrong. Hall's chilling performance amplifies King's most disturbing novel.
- 3
The Exorcist
The Exorcist • Book 1
by William Peter Blatty
Narrated by William Peter Blatty, Eliana Shaskan
★ 4.73 ABR Score (284.0K ratings)★ 4.21 Goodreads (274.5K) ★ 4.71 Audible (9.5K)More about this pick
Young Regan's demonic possession grows more disturbing as the author himself narrates his own tale of spiritual warfare in Georgetown.
- 4
Dracula
by Bram Stoker
Narrated by Alan Cumming, Tim Curry, Simon Vance, Katherine Kellgren, Susan Duerden, John Lee, Graeme Malcolm, Steven Crossley
★ 4.67 ABR Score (1.5M ratings)★ 4.02 Goodreads (1.5M) ★ 4.61 Audible (37.6K)More about this pick
Stoker's epistolary vampire classic comes alive through a full cast including Tim Curry and Alan Cumming, each voice adding texture to the unfolding Gothic horror.
- 5
Salem's Lot
by Stephen King
Narrated by Ron McLarty, Joe Hill
★ 4.64 ABR Score (695.6K ratings)★ 4.1 Goodreads (667.2K) ★ 4.58 Audible (28.4K)More about this pick
When vampires invade a small Maine town, King's slow-burn horror unfolds through everyday people fighting an ancient evil spreading house by house.
- 6
Christine
by Stephen King, Marie Milpois
Narrated by Holter Graham
★ 4.58 ABR Score (271.2K ratings)★ 3.86 Goodreads (265.6K) ★ 4.74 Audible (5.6K)More about this pick
King's tale of a possessed 1958 Plymouth Fury destroying a teenager's life gets Holter Graham's pitch-perfect narration, capturing both Arnie's transformation and the car's malevolent personality.
- 7
Carrie
by Stephen King
Narrated by Sissy Spacek, Margaret Atwood
★ 4.53 ABR Score (864.9K ratings)★ 3.99 Goodreads (856.4K) ★ 4.57 Audible (8.4K)More about this pick
King's first published novel follows telekinetic Carrie White from prom humiliation to supernatural revenge against her tormentors. The dual narration captures both the intimate horror and broader social commentary.
- 8
Interview with the Vampire
The Vampire Chronicles • Book 1
by Anne Rice
Narrated by Simon Vance
★ 4.49 ABR Score (667.7K ratings)★ 4.02 Goodreads (655.2K) ★ 4.5 Audible (12.5K)More about this pick
Simon Vance's performance transforms Rice's gothic confession into something hypnotic—his voice captures both the seductive languor and existential despair of a vampire's immortality with unsettling precision.
- 9
Duma Key
by Stephen King
Narrated by John Slattery
★ 4.46 ABR Score (159.1K ratings)★ 3.99 Goodreads (138.3K) ★ 4.5 Audible (20.8K)More about this pick
After losing his arm in an accident, Edgar discovers his paintings on a mysterious Florida island possess supernatural — and deadly — power. Slattery captures Edgar's artistic obsession and mounting dread perfectly.
- 10
Joyland
by Stephen King
Narrated by Michael Kelly
★ 4.43 ABR Score (192.1K ratings)★ 3.93 Goodreads (181.4K) ★ 4.52 Audible (10.7K)More about this pick
College student Devin takes a summer job at a North Carolina amusement park haunted by an unsolved murder, with Michael Kelly's narration capturing both nostalgia and creeping dread.
- 11
The Mist
Skeleton Crew • Book 1
by Stephen King
Narrated by Will Patton
★ 4.43 ABR Score (187.6K ratings)★ 3.93 Goodreads (183.8K) ★ 4.58 Audible (3.8K)More about this pick
Shoppers trapped in a supermarket face otherworldly creatures lurking in a mysterious mist outside. Will Patton's tense narration captures the claustrophobic horror as civilization breaks down inside the store.
- 12
The Thief of Always
by Clive Barker
Narrated by Adam Verner
★ 4.38 ABR Score (38.7K ratings)★ 4.21 Goodreads (37.8K) ★ 4.55 Audible (976)More about this pick
Harvey discovers a magical house where every day brings Christmas, Halloween, and summer—but Adam Verner's narration hints at the sinister price.
- 13
Bag of Bones
by Stephen King
Narrated by Stephen King
★ 4.37 ABR Score (222.4K ratings)★ 3.92 Goodreads (212.7K) ★ 4.46 Audible (9.6K)More about this pick
Widowed novelist Mike Noonan returns to his lake house and discovers it's haunted by a vengeful spirit connected to a custody battle. King's own narration adds intimate authenticity to this ghost story about grief, small-town corruption, and supernatural justice.
- 14
Full Dark, No Stars
by Stephen King
Narrated by Craig Wasson, Jessica Hecht
★ 4.36 ABR Score (127.9K ratings)★ 4.09 Goodreads (118.6K) ★ 4.4 Audible (9.3K)More about this pick
Four novellas explore the stranger lurking inside ordinary people—a farmer who murders his wife, a writer stalked by her biggest fan, a man seeking supernatural revenge. Wasson and Hecht capture the slow-burn dread as decent folks discover their capacity for evil.
- 15
Everything's Eventual
by Stephen King
Narrated by Becky Ann Baker, John Cullum, Boyd Gaines, Peter Gerety, Josh Hamilton, Arliss Howard, Judith Ivey, Stephen King, Justin Long, Oliver Platt, Jay O. Sanders
★ 4.36 ABR Score (114.0K ratings)★ 3.97 Goodreads (109.6K) ★ 4.49 Audible (4.5K)More about this pick
Fourteen King short stories ranging from Castle Rock to completely new territory, performed by an ensemble cast including Oliver Platt, Josh Hamilton, and King himself reading select pieces.
- 16
Fevre Dream by George R
Narrated by Ron Donachie
★ 4.35 ABR Score (36.3K ratings)★ 3.91 Goodreads (32.9K) ★ 4.56 Audible (3.5K)More about this pick
Ron Donachie's atmospheric narration perfectly captures the gothic mood as riverboat captain Abner Marsh partners with the mysterious Joshua York on the fever-dream Mississippi of 1857.
- 17
Desperation
by Stephen King
Narrated by Stephen King
★ 4.34 ABR Score (162.3K ratings)★ 3.86 Goodreads (154.4K) ★ 4.48 Audible (7.9K)More about this pick
King himself reads this tale of travelers trapped in a Nevada town where an ancient evil possesses the local sheriff.
- 18
FantasticLand
by Mike Bockoven
Narrated by Angela Dawe, Luke Daniels
★ 4.34 ABR Score (70.4K ratings)★ 3.83 Goodreads (53.8K) ★ 4.48 Audible (16.6K)More about this pick
Dawe and Daniels' dual narration transforms this disaster-into-horror investigation into something genuinely unsettling—their competing testimonies make you question every account of what actually happened at the park.
- 19
Cujo (1981) Stephen King 1st Print Hardback
Cujo / Rattlesnakes • Book 1
by Stephen King
Narrated by Lorna Raver
★ 4.33 ABR Score (329.1K ratings)★ 3.8 Goodreads (324.9K) ★ 4.51 Audible (4.2K)More about this pick
A friendly Saint Bernard contracts rabies and becomes a killing machine, trapping a mother and child in a broken-down car during a sweltering summer. Raver's performance captures both the mounting claustrophobia and the tragic transformation of a beloved family pet into pure nightmare.
- 20
The Mist (Previously Published as a Novella in 'Skeleton Crew')
Skeleton Crew • Book 1
by Stephen King
Narrated by Stephen King, Dylan Baker, Kyle Beltran, Matthew Broderick, Norbert Leo Butz, Michael C. Hall, Paul Giamatti, Dana Ivey, Will Patton, Robert Petkoff, David Morse, Lois Smith, Frances Sternhagen
★ 4.32 ABR Score (190.0K ratings)★ 3.93 Goodreads (183.8K) ★ 4.44 Audible (6.2K)More about this pick
Customers trapped in a supermarket face both otherworldly monsters and human fanaticism in this all-star cast production led by Stephen King himself.
- 21
Mountain Man
Mountain Man • Book 1
Narrated by R.C. Bray
★ 4.31 ABR Score (10.9K ratings)★ 4.03 Goodreads (6.3K) ★ 4.5 Audible (4.7K)More about this pick
Gus Berry stumbles through a zombie-infested world armed with only a shotgun, liquor, and dark humor. R.C. Bray captures every drunken moment and desperate survival choice with gruff authenticity.
- 22
Stephen King Value Collection: Lawnmower Man, Gray Matter, and Graveyard Shift
by Stephen King, John Glover
Narrated by John Glover
★ 4.29 ABR Score (201.4K ratings)★ 4.04 Goodreads (200.0K) ★ 4.44 Audible (1.4K)More about this pick
Sixteen classic King short stories showcase his range from cosmic horror to intimate psychological terror. Glover's theatrical background shines through each tale, crafting distinct atmospheres for suburban nightmares and workplace dread.
- 23
Broken Lands
Rot & Ruin: Broken Lands • Book 1
Narrated by Ray Porter
★ 4.28 ABR Score (2.7K ratings)★ 4.18 Goodreads (1.2K) ★ 4.61 Audible (1.5K)More about this pick
Ray Porter's narration transforms this zombie-infused sequel into a visceral, character-driven thriller that makes the post-apocalyptic dread feel immediate and personal.
- 24
The Dark Half
by Stephen King
Narrated by Grover Gardner
★ 4.28 ABR Score (157.2K ratings)★ 3.81 Goodreads (153.5K) ★ 4.48 Audible (3.7K)More about this pick
When writer Thad Beaumont tries to kill off his violent pseudonym, the alter ego literally comes to life and starts murdering people. Grover Gardner's performance captures both Thad's vulnerability and his dark double's menace perfectly.
- 25
Necronomicon: The Best Weird Tales
by H.P. Lovecraft, Les Edwards, Stephen Jones
Narrated by Richard Powers, Bronson Pinchot, Stephen R. Thorne, Keith Szarabajka, Adam Verner, Tom Weiner, Patrick Cullen
★ 4.27 ABR Score (23.6K ratings)★ 4.23 Goodreads (16.6K) ★ 4.32 Audible (7.1K)More about this pick
Multiple narrators tackle Lovecraft's cosmic horror collection, bringing different voices to tales of Cthulhu and the alien Elder Gods that influenced generations of horror.
Ready for more? Horror has incredible range — from literary Gothic to cosmic dread to psychological suspense. Let the subgenre that grabbed you guide your next pick.
Browse Related Lists
How We Rank Audiobooks
Rankings are driven by listener ratings and review counts from Audible and Goodreads. Books with high ratings across a large number of listeners rank higher — a 4.5 with 50,000 ratings says more than a 4.8 with 200.
Unlike most book lists, we weight audiobook-specific factors: narrator performance, production quality, and how well a story translates to audio. A great book with a poor narration isn't a great audiobook.
We don't accept paid placements or prioritize new releases. These rankings reflect what listeners actually enjoy, not what's being promoted.
Rankings update periodically as new ratings come in and new titles are added to the collection.