“He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee.”

— Friedrich Nietzsche

The horror genre is easily one of the most popular ones out there, often featuring elements from multiple other genres, yet always staying true to its unique purpose. Which is, of course to evoke equal sense of terror and fascination from readers with it's eerily realistic descriptions of things that simply should not be.

Today, we're taking a look at our picks for the 8 best horror authors you must check out today! These are literary giants, whose works are not only world-renowned, but have made us personally question our grip on reality, and jump at shadows for days, if not weeks, after finishing their books.

Edgar Allan Poe
Bram Stoker
H P Lovecraft
Mary Shelley
Stephen King
Dean Koontz
Anne Rice
Peter Straub

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Edgar Allan Poe

It should come as no surprise that my first entry on this list is the Raven Poet himself, Edgar Allen Poe. One of the founding fathers of the genre, Poe has been credited as one of the first American practitioners of short stories, and is widely recognized as one of the pioneers of detective fiction and science fiction. He was also one of the first well-known American writers to earn a living solely through his writing, which - unfortunately - resulted in a life of terrible hardship.

While Poe began his career as a poet, it wasn't until his attention was turned to short stories that he truly embraced a darker tone of literary voice, giving us tales whose motives terrify us to this day. Troubled by life's hardships and plagued by the desire to explore topics like death and reincarnation, Poe earned a notorious reputation for apparently walking a fine line between genius and madman. Each of his major works, such as The Fall of the House of Usher and The Black Cat portrays a gloomy, sinister atmosphere, where madness reigns on the wings of murderers. and death is sometimes a mercy.

Check out this gorgeous edition of Poe's Selected Works here.

Bram Stoker

There is barely a person alive today who won't recognize the name Dracula. The lord of the night has become synonymous with the word "vampire" in popular culture. And it is all thanks to the work of one person - Bram Stoker - and his definitive novel, which paved the way for an entire new sub-horror genre (say "thank you", Twilight fans!).

In fact, the Irishman's novel had such an effect when it first came out in 1897, that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote Stoker a personal letter of congratulations to sing its praises.

A part of Dracula's immediate appeal also came from the fact that it was written in the form of an epistolary novel, meaning that it was presented as a collection of fictional diary entries, telegrams, letters and newspaper clippings, all of which added a sense of realism to the writing and left a lot of work to the reader's imagination. And as we all know, our imaginations can sometimes take us to truly dark places.

While being his most famous novel, Dracula is not Stoker's only surviving horror work, and fans who have enjoyed reading about the lord of the un-dead should also check out The Lady of the Shroud and The Lair of the White Worm.

Check out this edition of Stoker's Complete Works here.

H P Lovecraft

I remember the first time I bought a complete copy of Lovecraft's works. My wife was visiting her parents and I had the house all to myself and so, one sunny and happy afternoon I decided to sit in my favourite reading spot with a cup of tea and dive into The Call of Cthulhu. By the time I looked up, I had already finished the story, as well as The Shadow over Innsmouth, The Whisperer in Darkness, and the Dunwich Horror. To my own horror, the light outside had died and had been replaced with near pitch darkness. Darkness, which now held horrors of truly unimaginable proportions.

For the first time ever, I felt genuine fear at being alone in the house, but that fear couldn't even compare to the dread I felt at the prospect of dreaming. Because dreams, as it turns out, house horrors far more frightening than the Darkness outside ever could. Needless to say, I now only read Lovecraftian fiction in the light of day or when I know that my wife is in the house with me (if something happens, I can at least use her as a human shield before the madness of fright takes me).

Many readers experience similar effects after delving in the writings of the mad Arab Abdul Alha.... I meant, the writings of American-born author H P Lovecraft. Though he wrote in the early part of the 20th century, his books, and the themes of cosmic horrors they explore, are still adored by many brave souls daring to seek answers about they might wish they never found.

Mary Shelly

Mary Shelley continues the trend of authors on this list to have had a deeply tragic life. Her own story is plagued by such darkness and turmoil, that it makes a g reat rea d by itself.

It is an unfair fate, to have happiness and love torn out of your live. If anyone can understand that, it would be Mary Shelly. Her life courted death at nearly every step - from the death of her mother, less than a month after her birth, to the death of three of her own children, and the tragic drowning of her husband.

Battling depression, illness and a brain tumour that finally killed her at the age of 53, Shelley refused to succumb to melancholy and instead dedicated her life to her surviving son, and her career as a professional writer. Her most famous work, Frankenstein, which follows one man's obsession to cure death and the terryfing consequences of his success, is still one of the most widely acclaimed and read horror stories of all time.

Check out this edition of Shelly's Complete Works here.

Stephen King

I don't think anyone will be surprised by finding "the Master of Horror" on this list. Having written more than 80 books during his career (so far!), the vast majority of his works have adorned almost every bestselling list out there, making him one of the most successful authors of all time.

His works, such as Pet Sematary, The Stand & The Shining have gone down in history as staples of the genre, spawning multiple video game, TV and movie adaptations. And let's face it - Carrie should be thought during detention periods to educate children about the negative effects of bullying (or at the very list, give the bullies nightmares).

Fun fact: while Stephen King himself is a household name, he is also the writer behind the moniker Richard Bachman.

Dean Koontz

The "Koontz" is another modern literary giant, although for a while during the creation of this article I debated with myself about putting him on the list. While he is an undisputed master of his craft, his books fall more under the suspense and thriller genres, yet after revisiting some of his works I had on hand, I ultimately decided that they feature such strong horror elements, which I simply could not ignore. And anyone who has read any of the author's over 105 novels, such as Demon Seed, Night Chills, and The Mask, is likely going to agree with my assessment.

Koontz is another author, much like King, who likes to spice things up occasionally and write under a moniker. Some of his known ones include David Axton, Deanna Dwyer, Brian Coffey and Leigh Nichols.

Check out this collection of some of Koontz's most chilling novels.

Anne Rice

While Bram Stoker may have introduced the wider public to the vampire sub-genre, Anne Rice has cemented it's popularity with her bestselling series The Vampire Chronicles. Her work has been further popularized by the blockbuster adaptations to two of her bestselling novels - Interview with a Vampire and Queen of the Damned, which helped solidify Rice as a household name and a worthy heir to Stoker's legacy.

A surprising fact about the American author is that she also dabbled in Christian literature, which is the equivalent of her enigmatic vampire protagonist dabbling in sunbathing. An even stranger fact is that she also dabbled in erotic literature. My guess - she was trying to create a new sub-genre of horror called Erotic Christian literature, which does not need any vampires to chill my blood even at the thought of it. Unfortunately, Rice passed away recently and we will never know what might have been.

It would seem that Rice had an uncanny knack for slaying (pun intended) any genre she tries her hand at, having sold over 150 million copies of her books, thus earning herself a place in the literary hall of fame.

Peter Straub

Sometimes, it take trying out a few different things before you find your niche. Such was the case of Peter Straub, a Milwaukee native who received mix success for his two early attempts at mainstream novels in the mid 1970s. It wasn't until he tried his hand with the supernatural for the first time with his novel Julia, that he started on the path of becoming one of the most well-known horror and supernatural novelists of the modern day.

Julia was followed by If You Could See Me Now and Ghost Story, both of which shot Straub into the public eye. His fame was further enhanced by his two collaborations with close friend and fellow author Stephen King - The Talisman and Black House. King was so impressed with his colleague's writing, that he later said that Straub "brought a poet's sensibility to the field, creating a synthesis of horror and beauty."

Unfortunately, in a recent interview Straub hinted at the fate of the duo's much anticipated third novel, saying that "he is unlikely to be able to keep up with Stephen King anymore", devastating millions on anticipating fans. Yet most of us live in hope that a third instalment in the series will live to see the light of day.

What did you think of our picks for the 8 best horror authors you must check out? Did we miss any of your favorites? Tell us in the comments below.

The 8 Best Horror Authors You Must Check Out!