Horror will find you by air, sea or land in these eight traveling horror novels

I don’t know about you, but the holidays always mean some form of travel. For me it means braving the busy airport and flying home for a week or two, unwrapping presents and eating way too much. For others, it means driving across the state to meet family or going on a cruise to avoid them and all the festive season. Trains, boat trips, it’s all fair game. Traveling is a fact of life for many of us this season.

We spend so much of our lives traveling. Just think about how much time you spend commuting or running errands each day. The US Department of Transportation reported that Americans spend “just under an hour” driving every day! Add in travel and relocations and the occasional car trip for a change of scenery, and the hours add up.

And horror is about nothing but scary things that happen to us in our everyday lives. To add to the scary injury, traveling often finds you trapped in tight spaces. The cabin of an airplane, the body of a boat, things with little to no way out until you get where you want to be. To add some thrill to your next morning commute or flight home, check out these eight traveling horror novels.

The Light at the End by John Skipp & Craig Spector

Ten people were killed on the New York City subway by the “Subway Psycho” for no apparent reason, sending the city into a panic. But those who meet the killer know the truth: He’s not as human as everyone thinks he is. A group of strangers must come together, fueled by anger and fear, to deal with the monster on their trail before he brings them all down as well.

The Hunger of Alma Katsu

As The Donnor Party embarks on their journey, some trouble awaits them after setting out late in the season. But after misfortune after misfortune reduces their food supply and kills one of the children, their destination west becomes less and less certain. As other members of the group disappear, those who remain split their allegiance and finger-point, hoping they make their journey alive.

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Drifting away from KR Griffiths

Suffering from agoraphobia and PTSD after an attack two years ago, Dan and his new wife Elaine decide to celebrate their engagement aboard the cruise ship Oceanus. However, shortly after boarding, Dan thinks he sees a body being thrown overboard. Trapped on board in the middle of the ocean with monstrous stowaways lurking in the night, Dan must find out if what he saw was real and what it meant before it ruins his honeymoon.

Lost Souls by Poppy Z. Brite

Fifteen years ago, vampires Zillah, Molochai and Twin wander to New Orleans for a quick drink, leaving a young pregnant girl behind. Well, Nothing is a teenager who feels like he doesn’t belong in his normal life with his normal family. He embarks on a road trip to find out where he really belongs and his path crosses paths with the members of a rock band, Lost Souls. Their three journeys converge in a bloody, angsty mess.

The depth of Alma Katsu

After surviving the sinking of the Titanic, Annie is plagued by ghosts. When approached by another survivor with a job aboard the Britannic, Titanic’s sister ship that served as a hospital store during World War I, she agrees. But when she sees a familiar face who should have gone down with the ship years ago, she’s convinced that the haunting thoughts that haunted her were justified. There’s something aboard that ship too, and now it’s stuck at sea.

Street of Bones by Christopher Golden

When documentary filmmaker Teig learns about the 1,200-mile road where the bodies of prisoners are buried beneath the surface of the Kolyma Highway, his interest is piqued. They hired a guide and gathered his crew to see the freezing, isolated area and the way of life there. Arriving at a single 9 year old girl living in the village was not exactly what he expected. However, as they flee the long deadly road, the journey is long and the ghosts are on their bikes.

The Three by Sarah Lotz

Across continents, four planes crash simultaneously. Strangely enough, three of the unexplained accidents were survived by a child, the victims were dubbed “The Three”. When a cult leader declares the children to be the bearers of the apocalypse, panic spreads worldwide and the children are hidden. But as their behavior grows stranger, their caregivers wonder if it’s trauma from the crash or if they’re really dealing with something world-shattering.

Flowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn

When floods destroy their kingdom, Iraxi and the other survivors take refuge on an ark on the water. Life aboard is difficult with minimal resources and beasts in the water just waiting for their chance to attack. Pregnant with a child she’s no longer so sure is human, Iraxi is trapped in more ways than one with no way out. And Iraxi needs something with all her anger at how it all turned out.

In the mood for more horror in unexpected and mundane places? Check out these underground horror novels or these suburban horror novels!