16 of the Best Horror Audiobooks by Authors of Colour You Should Listen To
October 27, 2022
There is nothing quite like settling in and losing yourself in a chilling horror story. From thrilling science fiction to haunting ghost stories, these audiobooks have everything you could want from horror fiction. We have compiled a list of some of the best horror books from authors of colour that will keep listeners spellbound from beginning to end. Even the drabbest commute or chore will turn into a spooky time with these mesmerizing and expert narrations. So sit back, and be prepared to get hooked on 16 of the best horror audiobooks in our collection.
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The Good House
- Written by: Tananarive Due
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 21 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Tananarive Due, author of The Living Blood won the American Book Award and is praised as Stephen King's equal by Publishers Weekly....
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Great story and narration. Not scary, but, do not let that stop you.
- By WM on 2018-10-06
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The Good House
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 21 hrs and 54 mins
- Release date: 2004-07-09
- Language: English
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Kicking off this thrilling list is the supernatural mystery, The Good House. Writer Tananarive Due is a prolific name in Black horror, and this audiobook is a testament to her immense talent and proof of why she often gets compared to horror legend Stephen King. Set in a sweeping vacant mansion that has been in her family for generations, a young woman battles literal and figurative evil forces. She comes face to face with the ancient entities that have plagued her family for centuries in this breathtaking take on the typical haunted house story. The Good House is full of suspense and powerful imagery that is further brought to life with this flawless narration. Listeners will find themselves revisiting this audiobook again and again.
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Certain Dark Things
- A Novel
- Written by: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Narrated by: Aida Reluzco
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Welcome to Mexico City, an oasis in a sea of vampires. Domingo, a lonely garbage-collecting street kid, is just trying to survive its heavily policed streets when a jaded vampire on the run swoops into his life....
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Love this story!
- By Robin on 2022-12-06
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Certain Dark Things
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Aida Reluzco
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Release date: 2021-09-07
- Language: English
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New York Times bestselling Mexican-Canadian writer Silvia Moreno-Garcia's horror novels deservingly appear on our list more than once. Certain Dark Things is a mystery thriller full of spine-tingling suspense and ancient Aztec vampires. Set in Mexico City, this dark fantasy takes on the city's notorious underbelly of narcos and misdeeds and fills it with mystical happenings and creatures that completely reinvent vampire lore. Will the protagonists manage to make it out alive? Silvia Moreno-Garcia once again proves why she has become one of the most celebrated writers of her time with this brilliantly executed title. This audiobook will leave listeners riveted with its chilling storylines and stellar narration.
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The Ballad of Black Tom
- Written by: Victor LaValle
- Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
- Length: 3 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Charles Thomas Tester hustles to put food on the table, keep the roof over his father's head, from Harlem to Flushing Meadows to Red Hook....
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very good book
- By Jay G on 2024-03-14
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The Ballad of Black Tom
- Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
- Length: 3 hrs and 9 mins
- Release date: 2016-02-16
- Language: English
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The Ballad of Black Tom is an audiobook full of mystical happenings full of horror, and thought-provoking examinations of racism. Written by prominent Black author Victor LaValle, this fantasy horror novella takes place in multiple boroughs of New York City where magic exists for those that look for it hard enough. But for Charles Thomas Tester, the magic runs deep and dark and is much more sinister than what meets the eye. This eye-opening account of the Black experience is expertly intertwined with a magical world full of chilling witches and dark magic that will leave listeners spellbound and unable to press pause.
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The Only Good Indians
- Written by: Stephen Graham Jones
- Narrated by: Shaun Taylor-Corbett
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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From New York Times best-selling author Stephen Graham Jones comes a novel that is equal parts psychological horror and cutting social commentary on identity politics and the American-Indian experience....
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I like it, good story
- By Kevin Chelsea on 2020-08-18
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The Only Good Indians
- Narrated by: Shaun Taylor-Corbett
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Release date: 2020-07-14
- Language: English
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This New York Times bestseller from Indigenous writer Stephen Graham Jones is equal parts horror and harsh realities intertwined into one triumphant novel. The Only Good Indians is a horrifyingly thrilling take on the American-Indian experience from the perspective of five men and their families haunted by a terrible event with long-standing consequences. Fans of Jordan Peele's hit motion picture Get Out will find themselves engrossed in the complexities of this novel for its unsettling undertones of the supernatural and the perils of carving your path. The Only Good Indians is a terrifying listen full of twists and turns listeners will not see coming.
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Dread Nation
- Written by: Justina Ireland
- Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Dread Nation is a stunning vision of an America both foreign and familiar - a country on the brink, at the explosive crossroads where race, humanity, and survival meet....
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Outstanding Narrator
- By Klynn on 2022-02-14
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Dread Nation
- Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
- Series: Dread Nation, Book 1
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Release date: 2018-04-03
- Language: English
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Dread Nation is a thrilling historical fiction set during one of the most perilous times in America. When the zombie apocalypse hits young America during the Civil War, identity, humanity, and survival become one. Full of twists and turns and action-packed moments, American writer Justina Ireland infuses her Black and Native American characters with such incredible character development that listeners will find themselves unable to press pause. Dread Nation is an immersive trip into an alternative universe that is startlingly believable. This audiobook is the first installment of a series by the same name, so prepare to become hooked.
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Kindred
- Written by: Octavia E. Butler
- Narrated by: Kim Staunton
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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A young Black woman spirals back in time to experience the horrors of slavery, while desperately seeking a way back to her own era.
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Absolutely Amazing
- By Alicia C on 2020-03-11
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Kindred
- Narrated by: Kim Staunton
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Release date: 2007-09-12
- Language: English
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Kindred is a history-making piece of literature that will leave a mark on listeners long after it is over. Written by Octavia E. Butler, Kindred is the first sci-fi novel written by a Black woman. It has cemented its place as a bedrock of African-American literature for its magnificent execution. The captivating account of an enslaved person in pre-war Maryland is elevated to new heights of meaning by being paired with jaw-dropping instances of time travel. Kindred is a perfect melding of an examination of the horrors of slavery, racism and the wonderful world of fantastical, historical adventure. This is an audiobook that has to be listened to to be believed.
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Brown Girl in the Ring
- Written by: Nalo Hopkinson
- Narrated by: Peter Jay Fernandez
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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It is the late 21st century, and due to the economic breakdown and rising crime rate, nearly every citizen has fled Toronto....
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How was this ever nominated for an award?
- By David Brown on 2018-10-10
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Brown Girl in the Ring
- Narrated by: Peter Jay Fernandez
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Release date: 2006-12-18
- Language: English
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Jamaican-born writer Nalo Hopkinson's science fiction novel Brown Girl in the Ring is a spine-tingling venture into the supernatural. When Toronto becomes a hub of horror and crime, two citizens turn to the world of Voodoo to aid them with two very different goals. This audiobook is a coming-of-age novel full of thrilling historical fiction that also feels unsettlingly relatable. Brown Girl in the Ring is a dazzling blend of Caribbean, African, and Canadian cultures that sets a compelling stage for the breathtaking imagination of writer Nalo Hopkins. This audiobook is full of magic, leaving listeners creeped out and deeply moved in the best ways.
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Mexican Gothic
- Written by: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Narrated by: Frankie Corzo
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic aristocrat. And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets. . . . From the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow comes “a terrifying twist on classic gothic horror” (Kirkus Reviews) set in glamorous 1950s Mexico.
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Narrator is truly awful
- By D. Nugent on 2020-08-17
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Mexican Gothic
- Narrated by: Frankie Corzo
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Release date: 2020-06-30
- Language: English
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Mexican Gothic is the second title on this list from award-winning Mexican-Canadian writer Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Named one of the year’s best books by numerous publications, this terrifyingly chilling take on gothic horror is spellbinding. Noemí Taboada is a young socialite on a mission to rescue her cousin from a force that has driven her mad. When she finds herself becoming bewitched by the same foreboding as her cousin, she uncovers a world of violent and maddening secrets hidden in the walls of High Place. Mexican Gothic will leave listeners unable to press pause on this wonderfully unsettling audiobook full of incredible imagery and eerie plot twists.
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The Devil in Silver
- Written by: Victor LaValle
- Narrated by: Victor LaValle
- Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Pepper is a rambunctious big man, and, suddenly, the surprised inmate of a budget-strapped mental institution in Queens, New York....
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The Devil in Silver
- Narrated by: Victor LaValle
- Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins
- Release date: 2012-08-21
- Language: English
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In his second entry on this list, Victor LaValle further solidifies his mastery of the horror genre. The Devil in Silver is nothing short of maddening and psychologically chilling. When Pepper finds himself unjustly imprisoned in a derelict mental institution, he quickly realizes that there is a demonic creature roaming the halls when the lights go out. Determined to defeat the evil trapped in those four walls, he teams up with an unlikely group of patients to vanquish the seemingly unbeatable monster. It’s also an examination of the terrors endured by those in mental institutions and the helplessness they sometimes feel. Chilling and unsettling, The Devil in Silver is much more than a work of horror fiction.
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The Ghost Bride
- A Novel
- Written by: Yangsze Choo
- Narrated by: Yangsze Choo
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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A startlingly original voice makes her literary debut with this wondrous coming-of-age story infused with Chinese folklore, romantic intrigue, adventure, and fascinating, dreamlike twists....
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Beautifully written!
- By Leirin on 2019-02-22
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The Ghost Bride
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Yangsze Choo
- Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
- Release date: 2013-08-06
- Language: English
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The Ghost Bride is a magnificently creepy tale of ghosts, adventure, and romance that will captivate listeners from the opening lines. Written by Yangsze Choo, this audiobook is an immersion in Chinese mythology that perfectly accompanies the chilling undertones of supernatural forces and the power of superstition. When Li Lan receives a startling proposition to become a ghost bride to the beloved deceased son of a wealthy and influential family, she gets thrust into a world of mystery and death that will challenge her beyond her wildest dreams. The Ghost Bride is a delightfully eerie and engrossing listen that will become a fast favourite for all who listen.
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Frankenstein in Baghdad
- A Novel
- Written by: Ahmed Saadawi
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Kaleo Griffith
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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From the rubble-strewn streets of US-occupied Baghdad, Hadi - a scavenger and an oddball fixture at a local café - collects human body parts and stitches them together to create a corpse....
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Great story based on a classic
- By Marcella Cooper on 2023-08-14
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Frankenstein in Baghdad
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini, Kaleo Griffith
- Length: 8 hrs and 1 min
- Release date: 2018-01-23
- Language: English
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Written by Iraqi novelist Ahmed Saadawi, Frankenstein in Baghdad is a triumphant work of horror and profoundly moving fiction. Set amongst the wreckage and carnage left behind by the U.S. occupation of Baghdad, this story is full of hair-raising terror and dark humour that will leave listeners spellbound. When Hadi sets out to make a heartbreaking point to those in power, he never could have imagined that he would be creating a deadly creature that would terrorize the city once more. This eerie and wonderfully weird audiobook is an essential listen and will leave listeners moved in ways they did not expect.
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My Heart Is a Chainsaw
- Written by: Stephen Graham Jones
- Narrated by: Cara Gee
- Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Alma Katsu calls My Heart Is a Chainsaw “a homage to slasher films that also manages to defy and transcend genre.” On the surface is a story of murder in small-town America. But beneath is its beating heart....
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Another Great Horror Story
- By Stormy Angela hart on 2022-02-15
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My Heart Is a Chainsaw
- Narrated by: Cara Gee
- Series: The Indian Lake Trilogy, Book 1
- Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins
- Release date: 2021-08-31
- Language: English
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My Heart Is a Chainsaw has all the makings of a great horror novel. Winner of the prestigious Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel, this chilling nod to slasher films manages to flip the genre on its head in the most delightful ways. It blends the horrors faced by Indigenous people at the hands of American Colonialism and the power of the main character’s imagination and obsession with horror films. This audiobook is as unique as it is chilling. Indigenous writer Stephen Graham Jones is a master of supernatural suspense, and his stories have become a horror fan favourite. This is one audiobook that should not be missed.
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Fever Dream
- A Novel
- Written by: Samanta Schweblin, Megan McDowell - translator
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 3 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Experience the blazing, surreal sensation of a fever dream...A young woman named Amanda lies dying in a rural hospital clinic. A boy named David sits beside her. She’s not his mother. He's not her child....
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A unique listening experience
- By Tracey Lough on 2019-07-05
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Fever Dream
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 3 hrs and 13 mins
- Release date: 2017-01-10
- Language: English
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This psychological horror novel, written by Argentinian writer Samanta Schweblin, is a dizzyingly creepy trip down a rabbit hole of suspense. Fever Dream is just that. As a woman lies on her deathbed with a young boy by her side, their soul-stirring stories spill out like a never-ending stream of consciousness. An unsettling cautionary tale of despair and soul ties, Fever Dream is a ghost story for the living. Translated from Spanish to English, Schweblin’s brilliant storytelling is nothing short of mesmerizing. Listeners will be left captivated by the disorienting delivery that somehow makes it even more magnificent. This is one audiobook you do not want to miss.
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The Women Could Fly
- A Novel
- Written by: Megan Giddings
- Narrated by: Angel Pean
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Josephine Thomas has heard every conceivable theory about her mother's disappearance. That she was kidnapped. Murdered. That she took on a new identity to start a new family. That she was a witch....
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Modern Day Witches
- By Amazon Customer on 2023-01-10
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The Women Could Fly
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Angel Pean
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Release date: 2022-08-09
- Language: English
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The Women Could Fly is a magnificently written piece of dystopian fiction by critically acclaimed Black writer Megan Giddings. Josephine Thomas lives in a world where witches are real and unmarried women are monitored by the state. This movingly timely novel follows Josephine’s quest to connect with her mysteriously vanished mother and solidify her struggle for freedom and self-identity. Filled with compelling examinations of the pressures and limits set on women, this audiobook is chillingly and beautifully relatable. The Women Could Fly will leave listeners haunted and inspired. This is a must-listen for young people everywhere who are setting out to forge their paths of discovery.
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Moon of the Crusted Snow
- A Novel
- Written by: Waubgeshig Rice
- Narrated by: Billy Merasty
- Length: 6 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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From a powerful rising literary voice comes Moon of the Crusted Snow, a daring post-apocalyptic novel blending action and allergory....
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Enjoyable for ALL Canadians
- By TheMer on 2020-01-31
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Moon of the Crusted Snow
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Billy Merasty
- Series: Moon, Book 1
- Length: 6 hrs and 46 mins
- Release date: 2018-12-11
- Language: English
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Moon of the Crusted Snow is a chilling look into a dystopian world on the brink of extinction. Anishinaabe writer Waubgeshig Rice brings the post-apocalyptic community of Anishinaabe into tense and vivid detail that conveys the despair of its residents in captivating ways. When an unforeseen visitor infiltrates the struggling community, their resolve falters, and they begin to turn on one another. Desperate to save their community, a group of people turn to their ancient Anishinaabe traditions and land to help them recover and flourish. Moon of the Crusted Snow is full of action-packed suspense and symbolism that will leave listeners spellbound from beginning to end.
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