Shaun M Jooste 
If you’ve been searching for books like Silent Hill, you’re not alone. Fans of the iconic survival horror series are always on the hunt for psychological horror books and supernatural horror novels that capture the same eerie tension, fog-drenched towns, and mind-bending realities. Whether it’s the quiet dread of haunted places or the torment of guilt-laced storylines, these stories plunge deep into the unknown.
In this list, we’ve gathered seven horror novels similar to Silent Hill that blend survival horror fiction, disturbing imagery, and slow-burning psychological terror. From haunted houses to abandoned towns warped by trauma, these tales will claw their way under your skin and stay there.
7 Haunting Books Like Silent Hill
If you’re drawn to books like Silent Hill, you’re likely a fan of chilling atmospheres, psychological breakdowns, and towns where nothing is quite what it seems. The best psychological horror books and supernatural horror novels don’t rely solely on jump scares; they creep under your skin, bend your perception of reality, and trap you in an eerie fog of dread.
From twisted haunted houses to isolated towns plagued by unspeakable horrors, this list of Silent Hill-style horror books is for readers who crave unsettling stories that linger long after the final page.
The Mist by Stephen King
Often cited as a major inspiration for the Silent Hill series, The Mist is a masterclass in survival horror fiction. When a mysterious, unnatural fog rolls into a small American town, it brings with it nightmarish creatures and escalating paranoia. A group of townsfolk trapped inside a supermarket must confront not only the monstrosities lurking outside, but the growing madness within.
What makes The Mist such a compelling choice for fans of books like Silent Hill is its oppressive atmosphere and sense of helpless isolation. The supernatural horror unfolds gradually, allowing psychological tension to build as characters begin to question what’s real and what’s not. With a setting cloaked in fog and fear, this novella captures the same suffocating dread and existential terror that define Silent Hill-style horror books. It’s short, sharp, and utterly haunting.
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Few novels are as unsettling, or as structurally experimental, as House of Leaves. At its core, it tells the story of a family whose house begins to shift and expand from the inside, creating endless hallways, impossible spaces, and an ever-growing sense of dread. But the narrative is layered: the story is being told through fragmented footnotes, erratic formatting, and the obsessive descent of multiple narrators into madness.
For fans of books like Silent Hill, House of Leaves offers a different kind of psychological horror, one that’s disorienting, abstract, and deeply unnerving. The house is as much a living entity as any town in Silent Hill, with surreal dimensions and a symbolic link to inner trauma. It’s a novel you don’t just read; you survive. If you’re drawn to mind-bending horror novels that distort perception and blur the lines between fear and reality, this one is essential.
Phantoms by Dean Koontz
In Phantoms, two sisters return to a quiet mountain town only to find nearly every resident mysteriously dead or missing. What begins as a chilling mystery quickly spirals into a supernatural horror novel of epic proportions, where ancient, shape-shifting evil plays with reality itself. Koontz builds a suffocating atmosphere of dread, layering paranoia, isolation, and cosmic terror with each page.
What makes Phantoms a standout for fans of books like Silent Hill is its focus on a seemingly abandoned town haunted by an unseen force. The pervasive fear of not knowing what’s real mirrors the survival horror and dreamlike storytelling Silent Hill is famous for. Add to that a slowly unravelling mystery and a sense that something incomprehensible lurks just out of view, and you have a novel that delivers that same creeping, inescapable horror fans crave.
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
A cornerstone of psychological horror fiction, The Haunting of Hill House follows a small group invited to study an allegedly haunted estate. As they spend more time within its warped architecture and chilling silence, the house begins to affect their minds, particularly Eleanor, whose fragile psyche becomes increasingly unstable.
For readers looking for books like Silent Hill, this classic offers a masterclass in quiet, creeping horror. The house isn’t just haunted; it’s alive, in the same way Silent Hill’s townscape morphs and reflects a character’s trauma. Shirley Jackson’s novel thrives on ambiguity, dread, and the psychological decay of its characters. The horror is internal as much as external, making it a perfect fit for fans of Silent Hill-style horror books where the enemy is as much your own mind as any monster.
Sinner’s Pass by S.S. Fitzgerald
When a father receives a disturbing letter from his young son, who’s spending the summer in a remote mountain town, he returns to his childhood home to investigate. But Sinner’s Pass is no ordinary place. It’s a cursed town where twisted creatures stalk the shadows, secrets are soaked in blood, and no one escapes without confronting the sins they’ve buried deep. As the town claws into his psyche, the father must wrestle with personal demons as terrifying as the supernatural ones waiting for him in the dark.
S.S. Fitzgerald has openly credited Silent Hill as the main inspiration for this novel, and it’s easy to see why. Sinner’s Pass captures the same brand of psychological horror, oppressive atmosphere, and distorted reality that defines books like Silent Hill. With themes of redemption, generational trauma, and survival, it’s a chilling ride through one man’s descent and potential salvation.
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Set in 1950s Mexico, Mexican Gothic follows Noemí Taboada, a glamorous socialite drawn into a decaying countryside manor after receiving a disturbing letter from her newlywed cousin. What she finds is a crumbling estate riddled with mould, madness, and a deeply disturbing family legacy. The house itself seems to breathe with menace, and the line between reality and nightmare dissolves with each passing day.
While very different in setting, Mexican Gothic is a brilliant choice for fans of books like Silent Hill. Its atmosphere is thick with psychological horror, slow-building dread, and surreal visuals that evoke the fog-drenched eeriness of Silent Hill-style horror books. Moreno-Garcia masterfully blends Gothic tropes with body horror and psychological decay, creating a haunting story where the house is a living, consuming force, just like the towns and spaces Silent Hill is known for.
Sacred Valley: Betrayal by Shaun M Jooste
When Trevor is pulled from reality into a fog-choked town filled with monsters and malformed memories, he quickly realises that Sacred Valley isn’t just haunted; it’s alive. A place twisted by personal trauma and supernatural vengeance, this once-forgotten town is now a nightmarish realm where grief, guilt, and betrayal manifest as terrifying creatures. With burnt maps, no escape, and no one to trust, Trevor must navigate two overlapping dimensions, Etherealm and Darcwurld, in a desperate quest for the truth… and his own salvation.
Sacred Valley: Betrayal was originally inspired by the Silent Hill games, and it shows in every fog-drenched alley and soul-twisting confrontation. It’s a masterclass in psychological horror, blending the surrealism of a shifting town with symbolic monster design and deep emotional storytelling. For anyone searching for books like Silent Hill, this is not just a recommendation: it’s a spiritual successor.
Main Themes in Books Like Silent Hill
The most unforgettable books like Silent Hill aren’t just scary; they’re deeply psychological. These stories often explore fractured identities, grief, guilt, and trauma, using horror as a lens to examine the human mind. Reality is rarely stable. Towns shift. Monsters reflect inner pain. And characters must often face more than just supernatural threats—they must face themselves.
A recurring theme in books like Silent Hill is the concept of isolation. Whether it’s a fog-covered town, a decaying mansion, or a supernatural plane like Darcwurld in Sacred Valley, characters are cut off from help or reason. They must survive with what little they have: mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Another common thread is surrealism. The horror isn’t always external. These stories blur the lines between dream and nightmare, sanity and madness. It’s why fans of psychological thrillers and books like Silent Hill keep coming back for that slow, unsettling unravelling of everything we think is real.
Why Silent Hill Fans Love Supernatural Horror Books
There’s a reason fans of books like Silent Hill are drawn to the supernatural. It’s not just about ghosts or demons; it’s about what they represent. In these stories, the supernatural is often a mirror for grief, guilt, fear, or trauma. The horror isn’t random; it’s personal, and that’s what makes it powerful.
Supernatural horror creates a world where the rules are broken. Doors appear where there were none. Time loops. The air feels wrong. This atmosphere of uncertainty is a hallmark of books like Silent Hill, where the eerie and unexplained aren’t just flavour; they’re central to the story’s emotional core.
Whether it’s cursed towns, possessed buildings, or realms like Otherworld, the supernatural brings an added layer of danger and meaning. That’s why books like Silent Hill resonate so deeply; they use the paranormal to explore the psychological, creating horror that hits on every level.
Which Books Like Silent Hill Did You Like?
We hope you enjoyed this curated list of books like Silent Hill, crafted for fans who crave haunting atmospheres, layered symbolism, and stories where the mind is the true battleground. Whether you’re drawn to foggy towns, psychological torment, or the twisted beauty of supernatural horror, each title on this list was chosen to reflect what makes Silent Hill unforgettable.
As the anticipation builds for the upcoming release of Silent Hill f, now’s the perfect time to immerse yourself in stories that channel the same surreal dread and emotional depth. You can read more about the upcoming game here on the PlayStation website.
Which of these books like Silent Hill stood out to you? Let us know in the comments or tag us on social media. And don’t forget to explore Sacred Valley: Betrayal, a modern horror tale born from the same shadows.
