Are you a sci-fi fan looking for some great intergalactic horror tales? You’re in luck! 

Here at Fictionate.Me, we are avid science fiction and horror fans, and what better time of year to bring the two together than Halloween? 

Because of its speculative nature and deep dive into the unknown, sci-fi is a perfect companion to horror. Humankind has always had a desire to push the boundaries of what is known, but is there such a thing as pushing too far? What horrors await us in the future of mankind? There is always an element of horror in the unknown, especially in science fiction. What is waiting for us out there in the never-ending regions of space?

I’ve rounded up six fun sci-fi horror reads, from bestsellers to indie gems (because we love our indie authors here on Fictionate!). Sit back, dim the lights, and grab your favorite Halloween snacks for a night of stellar screams!

Mainstream Picks

Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

An ambitious and driven Dr. Frankenstein desires to discover the secrets of life and reanimate a corpse. But when the experiment works, and his creation comes to life, Frankenstein, in his fear and repulsion, throws the poor creature out into the world completely alone. What follows is the monster’s sad tale of life as a freakish, misunderstood outsider.

I would be remiss if I didn’t add this classic title to the list. Considered by many scholars as the first science fiction novel ever written, this book also has its roots in pure, unadulterated terror. The horror is not the monster, but humanity itself. Readers the world over have been more appalled by the doctor’s actions, and the actions of the other humans in the story, than by the monster itself.

There have also been many iterations of the tale on film, including the 1931 classic Frankenstein starring Boris Karloff, Kenneth Branaugh’s Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and Mel Brook’s’ hilarious spoof, Young Frankenstein.  

But even if you’ve seen all the movie versions, you should definitely read the book, because it’s always better, right?

Read this classic gem for free on Project Gutenberg.

The Stand by Stephen King

The virus crept in first. Then the dark dreams. 

Dark dreams that warn of a dark presence, the Prince of Evil, the renegade of death. His time is now. When a man crashes into a gas station with the putrid corpses of his wife and daughter, the Apocalypse begins to quickly descend upon America, then the entire world.

A classic of both sci-fi horror and dark fantasy, King’s The Stand is now even more eerily conceivable than when it was first published in 1978. Which is worse? The horror of death, or the horror of survival?

While there is an old 90’s miniseries of the book, you can watch a newer 2020 adaptation staring Midnight Mass’s Hamish Linklater on Amazon Prime.

Read this iconic thriller on Amazon for $9.99 and up.

Blindsight by Peter Watts  

This 2006 hard science fiction horror follows a crew of astronauts sent out to investigate a Neptunian comet called Burns-Caufield, which is emitting an unknown radio signal. Even stranger, is that the signal is being sent to a mysterious location in our own solar system. When the crew makes first contact, it begs the reader to question the meaning of identity, artificial intelligence, and evolution.

Winner of the Hugo, the Locus, and many other notable awards, this is a new sci-fi masterpiece to add to your TBR list. 

You can also watch a short film adaptation of the novel here.

Read on Amazon for $4.00 and up.

Indie gems

The Experiment by J. Madison Ree

To rescue their beloved professor, three college grad students must recreate a dangerous experiment involving the “ghost frequency” of 19 Hz to open a wormhole using resonance and vibration. But there are…things…inside the wormhole. When they open it to save their trapped professor, will the strange creatures come into our world? And once they open it, can they close the wormhole again for good?

This sci-fi horror novella is a gripping read for only $0.99 from one of our own Fictionate.Me authors! 

Cognitive Deviance by Jake Linas

In the future, over a third of the U.S population suffers from mental illness. In response to this issue, the country creates Psywatch, a combination of healthcare and law enforcement with questionably controversial methods. This leads to monitored areas called the Psycho Slums, full of poor, neglected souls. 

Margo Sandoval is the latest recruit to join Psywatch, but she wants to bring empathy to this unforgiving system. Margo spends her days as an Empath, trying to heal the mentally ill with kindness and care, until a serial killer upends her life and forces her to fully confront the horrific systems in place.

This ongoing cyberpunk thriller is rated number seven in Action reads on Wattpad. Check it out for free!

Broken Sky and Shattered Earth: Apocalypse Convergence by JayAck

Wilfred wanted to end it all. But before he could, the world itself ended. The apocalypse came quickly, in a matter of hours, but not from nuclear bombs or a weather phenomenon. It was something much worse. Now Wilfred is ironically part of a group of seemingly doomed survivors, roaming the post-apocalyptic landscape, where inhuman beasts roam and unnatural distortions warp the laws of physics. 

No longer a domain of humanity, Wilfred struggles to find the will to live in a world without purpose, wishing he was one of the corpses that litter the landscape who don’t have to witness the horrors of the present.

This top-rated sci-fi horror serial can be read for free on Royal Road.

Want to read more ghoulish tales? Click here for May’s horror short story recs, and here for Jillian’s spooky reads for kids and teens!

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