Best Books of the Year
Menu

Horror Writers Association · award year

Bram Stoker Awards 2017

The 2017 Bram Stoker Awards went to Behold!: Oddities, Curiosities & Undefinable Wonders by Doug Murano (Anthology), Strange Weather by Joe Hill (Fiction Collection) and Cold Cuts by Robert Payne Cabeen (First Novel), with winners in 5 more categories. 40 books were nominated across 8 categories.

Winners

Anthology

  1. Behold!: Oddities, Curiosities & Undefinable Wonders by Doug Muranosource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction Collection

  1. Strange Weather by Joe Hillsource (opens in a new tab)

First Novel

  1. Cold Cuts by Robert Payne Cabeensource (opens in a new tab)

Graphic Novel

  1. Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Damian Duffy and Octavia E. Butlersource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of ‘70s and ‘80s Horror Fiction by Grady Hendrixsource (opens in a new tab)

Novel

  1. Ararat by Christopher Goldensource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry Collection

  1. A Collection of Nightmares by Christina Sngsource (opens in a new tab)

Young Adult Novel

  1. The Last Harvest by Kim Liggettsource (opens in a new tab)

Nominees

Anthology

  1. Black Feathers: Dark Avian Tales: An Anthology by Ellen Datlowsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Nights of the Living Dead: An Anthology by Jonathan Maberry and George A. Romerosource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Sycorax’s Daughters by Kinitra Brooks, Linda D. Addison and Susana Morrissource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Beauty of Death Vol. 2: Death by Water by Alessandro Manzetti and Jodi Renee Lestersource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction Collection

  1. And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe by Gwendolyn Kistesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Goblin by Josh Malermansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Carp-Faced Boy and Other Tales by Thersa Matsuurasource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Writing Madness by Patrick McGrathsource (opens in a new tab)

First Novel

  1. In the Valley of the Sun by Andy Davidsonsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Kill Creek by Scott Thomassource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Boulevard Monster by Jeremy Heplersource (opens in a new tab)
  4. What Do Monsters Fear? by Matt Haywardsource (opens in a new tab)

Graphic Novel

  1. Darkness Visible by Mike Carey and Arvind Ethan Davidsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Monstress Volume 2: The Blood by Marjorie Liusource (opens in a new tab)
  3. My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferrissource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Black Monday Murders by Jonathan Hickmansource (opens in a new tab)

Nonfiction

  1. Horror in Space: Critical Essays on a Film Subgenre by Michele Brittanysource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Searching for Sycorax: Black Women’s Hauntings of Contemporary Horror by Kinitra D. Brookssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Art of Horror Movies: An Illustrated History by Stephen Jonessource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Where Nightmares Come From: The Art of Storytelling in the Horror Genre by Joe Mynhardt and Eugene Johnsonsource (opens in a new tab)

Novel

  1. Black Mad Wheel by Josh Malermansource (opens in a new tab)
  2. I Wish I Was Like You by S. P. Miskowskisource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King and Owen Kingsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Ubo by Steve Rasnic Temsource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry Collection

  1. No Mercy by Alessandro Manzettisource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Satan’s Sweethearts by Marge Simon and Mary Turzillosource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Sheet Music to My Acoustic Nightmare by Stephanie M. Wytovichsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Visions of the Mutant Rain Forest by Robert Frazier and Bruce Bostonsource (opens in a new tab)

Young Adult Novel

  1. Hellworld by Tom Leveensource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Door to January by Gillian Frenchsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Ravenous by Amy Lukavicssource (opens in a new tab)
  4. When I Cast Your Shadow by Sarah Portersource (opens in a new tab)

About the Bram Stoker Awards

Year is the award year as HWA labels it: the year the works were published, one year before the ceremony (the 2024 Bram Stoker Awards were presented in June 2025). Book categories only, final-ballot nominees and winners from HWA's official winners/nominees pages at bramstokerawards.horror.org; preliminary ballots, Long Fiction, Short Fiction, Short Non-Fiction, and Screenplay are excluded. Young Adult Novel and Graphic Novel start in 2011 and Middle Grade Novel in 2022; earlier years are zero. Nonfiction includes Long Non-Fiction (the 2023+ name). HWA's 2009 page repeats Frozen Blood from the 2008 First Novel ballot; it is omitted and 2009 First Novel counts the four other nominees, matching Wikipedia.

Organization: Horror Writers Association. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)

The most recommended books of 2017

Shares the most books with