Money is tight. The world sucks. But by God, do not let it take away your favourite hobbies. Reading is amazing for your mental health, helps you connect to the world, and exposes you to new ideas. And the fantastic thing about living in this day and age is that reading does not ever have to cost a dime (not if you don’t want it to, at least). There are numerous resources available where you can access free horror books. Whether you prefer physical copies or digital formats, this guide will help you explore (ethical) avenues to satisfy your craving for blood-curdling stories. Let’s get into it!
Free Horror Books at Your Library
This is a classic option for a reason. Your local library is not just a place to borrow books. They’ll connect you with resources, they can help you build your community, and they can help you grow in ways you never thought possible. Most libraries in North America will give you a digital library card that will let you check out free horror ebooks and audiobooks from the comfort of your home, as well as pick up some free horror movies from their streaming services. It’s a horror treasure trove!
That being said, not everything is so straightforward. If you’re in a situation where it’s not quite so easy to get a card, there are a few ways to get a library card almost immediately. Check out some of these libraries below to see if they’re a good fit for you!
Queer Liberation Library
This unique library focuses on LGBTQ+ literature, including horror titles that explore diverse perspectives and experiences. It’s a great place to find inclusive horror stories. As far as I’m aware, this can be a little difficult to sign up for, and I believe you must be in the US to get access to it. It’s a great place to investigate to broaden your horizons. According to their site, the only thing you need to sign up for a library card is a US mailing address. Check out their sign up process here!
The Japan Foundation
Japanese horror is one of my absolute faves, and I think at this point, I’ve read through most of JF’s collection. If you’re interested in Japanese horror literature, The Japan Foundation offers a selection of translated works that delve into the eerie and supernatural aspects of Japanese culture. For the Canadian library, at least, you’re required to show photo ID and proof of a Canadian address. Check out their sign up process here!
Other Libraries in Your Area
One thing I do want to mention is that even if you have a library card in your area, you might be able to access other libraries in your state/province/country. For example, if you live in Ontario, you can pay a small yearly fee to get a City of Toronto library card and gain access to all their digital resources. It might be worth it to contact some other libraries around you to see if they offer something similar.
Copyright Free Horror Books
Another great option for free horror books is to catch up on some of the classics. These stories have lapsed copyrights on them, and some passionate members in the bookish community have come together to make them easily accessible for you.
Project Gutenberg
This digital library provides access to over 60,000 free eBooks, including a vast collection of classic horror novels. You can find works by authors like H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe. This is mostly ebooks, and you get the option of choosing from a variety of formats. This means whether you’re reading on your phone or your Kindle or your browser, you’ll find something that will work for you.
LibriVox
If you prefer audiobooks, LibriVox offers free recordings of public domain books, including many horror classics. You can listen to these chilling tales narrated by volunteers from around the world, and it’s a great way to show support to other horror lovers in the community.
Try Out Some Free Trials
If you haven’t already used them up, it’s always good to jump on free trials while you have the chance. I will say, these usually require a credit card at sign up, so keep that in mind when picking which one is best for you.
Kindle Unlimited
The first item on the list is obviously to go with a free trial for Kindle Unlimited. This is a subscription service offered by Amazon where you can download free (to you) books by authors, and those author will in turn be paid out of a fund per page read. This is a great option for people who like to read a lot of indie horror and for people who are reading over 5-ish books a month. Sign up here for the free trial.
Audible
Another Amazon product is Audible. If you prefer your horror to have that ‘told around the campfire’ feel, this might be the way to go. Audible offers a free trial that includes one free audiobook. But if you need more than one audiobook, might I suggest you check out my personal favourite…
Everand
I’ve been an A1 day one for Everand. I’m still on the plan they offered when the platform was called Scribd. Everand is a subscription-based platform that works like KU, but your subscription fee will include audiobooks as well. This means you won’t be bound by Audible’s credit system and can listen (or read) to your little heart’s content. Sign up for the free trial here.
Kobo+
I cannot end this list without including a shout out for Kobo. This is another subscription-based platform that includes ebooks and audiobooks (or just ebooks if you’re looking at the cheaper tier), and it is the home to a lot of indie horror authors. One of the really cool things about Kobo+ is that there’s no exclusivity agreement, so authors can put their books in this program for subscribers but also publish it in other stores like Amazon. The company overall is really responsive to customer feedback, their ereaders look amazing, and they’re open to partnering with libraries to allow you to use Libby on their devices. All wonderful things, and they deserve to be talked about more.
Try out a free trial here! This one is good for 30 days.
Free Horror Books on Kobo and Kindle Store
Both major retailers have a free section on their site that is totally worth checking out. While Kindle makes this basically impossible to find, Kobo does a great job of just highlighting it so you can see what authors are offering for free that day. I’ve picked up so many funny little horror reads this way, and it’s a great way to get introduced to new authors. As for Amazon, you’ll be best to use a website like FreeBooksy to get free deals sent directly to you, and then you can download the books on the Kindle store while the deal is on.
Click here to be taken straight to Kobo’s free horror books section.
Click here to check out FreeBooksy, a site that curates free daily deals on Amazon.
Read How You Want
Reading does not have to be expensive. Do not get swept up in the Instagram consumerism bullshit. If all you want out of life is a good cup of coffee and a spooky book, I’ve got you covered. Mostly, at least. I can’t guarantee a good cup of coffee (yet).
If you have other suggestions for where people can find ethical free horror, shoot me an email so I can add the resource to the list!
And if you picked up some free horror books off this list, let me know what hidden gems you found!