Best Horror of the Year books in order

The Best Horror of the Year is a long-running annual anthology series collecting top horror short fiction, featuring contributions and editorial work from John Langan.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 The Best Horror of the Year: Volume One 2009 John Langan Buy
2 The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Two 2010 John Langan Buy
3 The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Nine 2017 John Langan Buy
4 The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Four 2012 John Langan Buy
5 The Best Horror of the Year Volume Five 2013 John Langan Buy
6 The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Six 2014 John Langan Buy
7 The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Seven 2015 John Langan Buy
8 The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Twelve 2020 John Langan Buy
9 The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Eight 2016 John Langan Buy
10 The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Ten 2018 John Langan Buy
11 The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Three 2011 John Langan Buy
12 The Best of the Best Horror of the Year: 10 Years of Essential Short Horror Fiction 2018 John Langan Buy
13 The Best Horror of the Year Volume Thirteen 2021 John Langan Buy
14 The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Eleven 2019 John Langan Buy
15 The Best Horror of the Year, Volume Fourteen 2022 John Langan Buy
16 The Best Horror of the Year, Volume Fifteen 2024 John Langan Buy
17 The Best Horror of the Year, Volume Sixteen 2024 John Langan Buy
18 The Best Horror of the Year, Volume Seventeen 2025 John Langan Buy

The Best Horror of the Year series, edited by Ellen Datlow, is one of the longest-running annual horror anthologies. John Langan has appeared in multiple volumes as a contributor, with his stories selected among the best horror fiction published each year. The series has run from Volume One (2009) through Volume Seventeen (2025).

A special compilation, The Best of the Best Horror of the Year (2018), collected the strongest stories from the first ten volumes. Langan’s repeated inclusion across these volumes reflects his standing as one of the most consistently strong voices in modern horror short fiction.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Best Horror of the Year series?

There are eighteen books in the Best Horror of the Year series, published between 2009 and 2025.

What is the first book in the Best Horror of the Year series?

The first book in the Best Horror of the Year series is The Best Horror of the Year: Volume One, published in 2009.

What is the difference between Best Horror of the Year and The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror?

Best Horror of the Year is edited by Ellen Datlow and focuses strictly on horror fiction, while The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror is co-edited by Langan and covers a broader range including dark fantasy. Langan appears in both as a contributor.

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