I am excited about the debut of a new monthly feature called The MalevolentDark.com Horror Fiction Top 25. What I like about this Top 25 is it only considers the previous month’s new and original releases on Amazon Kindle. So, it’s fresh and not dominated by big-name authors’ older works, giving a lot of independent writers, anthologies, and even short stories opportunities to make the chart.
Speaking of big-name authors, King happened to release his novel Holly in September, so it understandably vaulted to the top of the debut chart (I know, I’m a hypocrite). However, the King of Horror isn’t likely to release a book every month, which means the Top 25 should have a new author and title at the top each time. I consciously decided not to include anniversary, author’s preferred, definitive editions, or re-releases of previously published works. Otherwise, one of my favorite novels, Survivor: The Definitive Edition by J.F. Gonzalez, would’ve been Top 5, for sure.
The inaugural Top 25 is a diverse list of titles ranging from debut novels by Carissa Orlando and N.J. Gallegos to new releases from Bram Stoker Award-nominated authors Chuck Wendig and Rachel Harrison. Four anthologies made the chart alongside a couple of extreme (and I mean extreme) horror titles. Plus, short stories by Grady Hendrix, Josh Malerman, Joe Hill, and Paul Tremblay are there.
Because I felt strongly that a lot of new and interesting horror fiction was falling through the cracks, I pitched the idea of the Horror Fiction Top 25 to the editor of MalevolentDark.com. He said go for it. I immediately started to try and find (key word: try) all the horror fiction that was released in September and had the Top 25 completed by October 4. It was a tedious process of perusing Amazon (and all those freaking categories), Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads, plus numerous publishing websites. Fun but not fun if you know what I mean.
I use the Amazon Kindle release date strictly to simplify my search, so there may be books released in other formats on earlier dates that make the list. I don’t have the time to check every format’s release date, so I’m using the one I most commonly read.
I created a personally developed point system based on a combination of factors, including media buzz, reviews, recognitions, and ratings. However, make no mistake, it is a completely independent and subjective poll. I’m not ranking the bestsellers, although the sales charts are a small part of the ranking formula. For example, if I read a plot description that is interesting and original enough to make me read the first chapter, that book may make the chart even with only one review. My only purpose for compiling the chart is simply to highlight the new releases from all walks of the horror fiction life … from the debut author to the King of Horror and everyone in between. I look at the chart as more of a snapshot than anything else.
The actual positions of the titles in the Top 25 are based on my formula, but it doesn’t mean the No. 3 title is a better read than the No. 9 title. It just means based on my very unscientific points system, that’s where those titles landed on the chart. And if a title is not on the chart, it doesn’t mean anything because, for example, there’s a chance it wasn’t listed on any of the sites or horror categories that I combed for new releases.
My only motivation is to help readers of horror like me find a neat new author or title that they may have missed in the wilds of the publishing jungle. There’s no controversy here. There’s no drama. I’m just trying to have fun with my love of horror in my spare time. Click HERE to see the debut Top 25.
I’ll be compiling the Top 25 each month. If you’re an author, editor, or publisher with upcoming releases, you can email me the titles of your works to ensure consideration for the Top 25 to lionelraygreen@gmail.com.
LIONEL RAY GREEN 