It’s a truth universally acknowledged that reading Harry Potter as a kid created an entire generation of supernatural fiction lovers. While there are plenty of other supernatural reads that sparked our imaginations over the years, it’s the combination of adventure, mystical, and magical elements that cemented it as a classic.
As we get older some of this magic leaves not just us, but what we tend to read. While the young adult category is filled with supernatural stories of vampires, witches, and thrilling ghostly mysteries, it can be tough to find a novel that’s right for adults.
We get it can be difficult. That’s why we’ve created a helpful list of some of the best scary, spiritual, and supernatural fiction books for adults. Plus, some paranormal YA novels that are still great for adults.
With a large range of stories spanning from the underworld and ancient mysticism to books about everyday magic and otherworldly beasts, discover 7 best supernatural fiction books for adults online today.
Top Recommendations For The Best Supernatural Books
#1 Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Then along comes Bill Compton. He’s tall, dark, handsome—and Sookie can’t hear a word he’s thinking. He’s exactly the type of guy she’s been waiting for all her life...but Bill has a disability of his own: he’s a vampire with a bad reputation. And when a string of murders hits Bon Temps—along with a gang of truly nasty bloodsuckers looking for Bill—Sookie starts to wonder if having a vampire for a boyfriend is such a bright idea.
#2 Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane
She’s got a real talent for banishing the wicked dead, but she’s keeping a dark secret: she owes a lot of money to a murderous drug lord named Bump, who wants immediate payback in the form of a dangerous job that involves black magic, human sacrifice, a nefarious demonic creature, and enough wicked energy to wipe out a city of souls. Toss in lust for a rival gang leader and a dangerous attraction to Bump’s ruthless enforcer, and Chess begins to wonder if the rush is really worth it.
#3 The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer
In this gripping page-turner, an ex-agent on the run from her former employers must take one more case to clear her name and save her life. She used to work for the U.S. government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn't even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning.
Now she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They've killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon. When her former handler offers her a way out, she realizes it's her only chance to erase the giant target on her back. But it means taking one last job for her ex-employers.
To her horror, the information she acquires only makes her situation more dangerous. Resolving to meet the threat head-on, she prepares for the toughest fight of her life but finds herself falling for a man who can only complicate her likelihood of survival. As she sees her choices being rapidly whittled down, she must apply her unique talents in ways she never dreamed of.
#4 If It Bleeds by Stephen King
The novella is a form King has returned to over and over again in the course of his amazing career, and many have been made into iconic films, including “The Body” (Stand By Me) and “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” (Shawshank Redemption). Like Four Past Midnight, Different Seasons, and most recently Full Dark, No Stars, If It Bleeds is a uniquely satisfying collection of longer short fiction by an incomparably gifted writer.
#5 77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz
But now inexplicable shadows caper across walls, security cameras relay impossible images, phantom voices mutter in strange tongues, not-quite-human figures lurk in the basement, elevators plunge into unknown depths. With each passing hour a terrifying certainty grows: Whatever drove the Pendleton’s past occupants to their unspeakable fates is at work again. And as nightmare visions become real, as a deadly tide begins to engulf them, the people at 77 Shadow Street will find the key to humanity’s future, if they can survive to use it.
#6 The Day The Angels Fell by Shawn Smucker
It was the summer of storms and strays and strangers. The summer that lightning struck the big oak tree in the front yard. The summer his mother died in a tragic accident. As he recalls the tumultuous events that launched a surprising journey, Samuel can still hardly believe it all happened. After his mother's death, twelve-year-old Samuel Chambers would do anything to bring her back.
Prompted by three strange carnival fortune-tellers and the surfacing of his mysterious and reclusive neighbor, Sam begins his search for the Tree of Life--the only thing that could possibly bring his mother back. His quest to defeat death entangles him and his best friend Abra in an ancient conflict and forces Sam to grapple with an unwelcome question: could it be possible that death is a gift?
Haunting and hypnotic, The Day the Angels Fell explores the difficult questions of life in a voice that is fresh, friendly, and unafraid.
Buy The Day The Angels Fell Online >
Bonus Book
#7 Mary Shelley Horror Stories
From legendary author Mary Shelley, whose Frankenstein is the foundation of modern science-fiction, fantasy, and horror, comes a special new collection that brings together both extracts of her epic novels and short stories, with an emphasis on the supernatural.
Display this beautiful classic collection of stories on your bookshelf or gift it to your favorite supernatural reader.
Buy Mary Shelley Horror Stories Online >
Enjoy More Supernatural Fiction Reads
At Marissa’s Books, we pride ourselves on curating an extensive collection of supernatural, horror, and magical books for every type of reader and skill level. From classic adult horror books and thrillers to books about ghosts and other paranormal spirits, discover more of our best supernatural fiction books for adults online today.