Buying books for avid readers is never easy, they often head out and scoop up their favorite authors as soon as new books hit the shelves. So, what do you get them for the holidays? They probably already have the latest Stephen King hardcover or Briane Keene paperback. The trick is to turn them on to new authors and get them hooked on titles they might not see on the shelves at the local bookstore.

Let’s take a look at a few 2008 titles that I think every horror fan should have on their shelves.

^[1]Vampire Zero by David Wellington

This is the third book in Wellington’s bloody vampire series that began with 13 Bullets. Laura Caxton has been through a lot of dangerous and bloody battles, but now she must face off against the man who taught her everything she knows about hunting vampires, Jameson Arkely will not go quietly into the night. This would make a great gift for anyone who enjoys dark tales with a lot of action and real monsters.

Check out our recent interview with David Wellington here at Flames Rising ^[2].

^[3]Descent into Chaos by Derek Gunn

This is the second book in the Vampire Apocalypse series, which are set in the near future in a world grown insular after a brief war has left the world depleted of resources. Fuel is rationed, States close their borders, communities die and technology stagnates. A World Torn Asunder came out in 2006 and rocked the horror world with its stunning visuals and interesting characters. Now, the story continues and keeps horror fans on the edge of their seats with new twists and turns throughout the adventure. A set of both books would make a good gift for someone who enjoys a good post-apocalyptic story, but may be a little tired of the zombie genre.

We have a sneak peek at this book available now, read the free Prologue ^[4] of the new book.

Bestial: Werewolf Apocalypse ^[5] by William Carl

This is a new title, which is also from Permuted Press that is about a different horror classic, werewolves. These monsters tear up everything in sight and no one is safe from their rampage. If the horror fan on your shopping list has enjoyed movies such as The Howling or Dog Soldiers they are in for a treat with this savage story.

If these books are already on the shelves you’ve got a well-read horror fan on your hands and you just might have to look for something a little different this year. Perhaps Tales of the Seven Dogs Society ^[6] (available right here on Flames Rising), which is about a secret group of investigators looking into mysteries along the lines of X-Files and Supernatural. Maybe Worlds of Their Own ^[7] would do the trick, it features reprints of original fiction by some of today’s hottest shared world creators like R.A. Salvatore and Elaine Cunningham.

The thing about horror fiction fans is that while we have our favorite “go to” authors and voraciously consume everything they write…we’re also not afraid of trying new authors. This year give your horror book lover something they haven’t seen before and support a cutting edge small press publisher when you shop.