Here is a selection of four anthologies* edited by Black authors. The horror, mystery, and thriller short stories are perfect for the fall and Halloween seasons. For more fun and frightening tales for teens, tweens, and young readers, see Horror, Fantasy, and Mystery: 32 YA Books for Halloween and Beyond, 40 Chapter & Middle-Grade Books for Halloween, and Hooray for Halloween!: 12 Picture Books.
Clicking on the book links will direct you to a different site. BCBA may earn a small percentage on purchases.
1. The White Guy Dies First: 13 Scary Stories of Fear and Power
Terry J. Benton-Walker (ed.) | Tor Teen | July 16, 2024
Killer clowns, a hungry hedge maze, and rich kids who got bored. Friendly cannibals, impossible slashers, and the dead who don’t stay dead….
A museum curator who despises “diasporic inaccuracies.” A sweet girl and her diary of happy thoughts. An old house that just wants friends forever….
These stories are filled with ancient terrors and modern villains, but go ahead, go into the basement, step onto the old plantation, and open the magician’s mystery box because this time, the white guy dies first.
2. The Black Girl Survives in This One: Horror Stories
Desiree S. Evans | Saraciea J. Fennell | Flatiron | April 2, 2024
Be warned, dear reader: The Black girls survive in this one.
Celebrating a new generation of bestselling and acclaimed Black writers, The Black Girl Survives in This One makes space for Black girls in horror. Fifteen chilling and thought-provoking stories place Black girls front and center as heroes and survivors who slay monsters, battle spirits, and face down death. Prepare to be terrified and left breathless by the pieces in this anthology.
3. All These Sunken Souls: A Black Horror Anthology
Circe Moskowitz | Amberjack Publishing | October 17, 2023
Welcome to the Dark.
We are all familiar with tropes of the horror genre: slasher and victims, demon and the possessed. Bloody screams, haunted visions, and the peddler of wares we aren’t sure we can trust. In this young adult horror anthology, fans of Jordan Peele, Lovecraft Country, and Horror Noire will get a little bit of everything they love–and a lot of what they fear–through a twisted blend of horror lenses, from the thoughtful to the terrifying.
From haunted, hungry Victorian mansions, temporal monster-infested asylums, and ravaging zombie apocalypses, to southern gothic hoodoo practitioners and cursed patriarchs in search of Black Excellence, All These Sunken Souls features the chilling creations of acclaimed bestsellers and hot new talents.
4. Night of the Living Queers: 13 Tales of Terror & Delight
Shelly Page | Alex Brown | Wednesday Books | August 29, 2023
No matter its name or occasion, Halloween is more than a Hallmark holiday, it’s a symbol of transformation. NIGHT OF THE LIVING QUEERS is a YA horror anthology that explores how Halloween can be more than just candies and frights, but a night where anything is possible. Each short story is told through the lens of a different BIPOC teen and the Halloween night that changes their lives forever. Creative, creepy, and queer, this collection brings fresh terror, heart, and humor to young adult literature.
*All book descriptions are from the publishers.
If you enjoy the new releases announcements, book lists, and other features on our blog, go here to support BCBA with a tax-deductible donation and here to subscribe to our newsletter. Thanks for your support.
