Anne Billson Books in Order

Where to Start Reading Anne Billson

For readers new to Anne Billson's distinctive style of satirical horror and supernatural mystery, the best starting point is her acclaimed 1993 vampire novel, Suckers. Set in the London yuppie culture of the late 1980s, it perfectly showcases her ability to blend sharp social comedy with genuine thrills. If you prefer a ghostly detective mystery over vampire satire, The Ex (first published in 2012) is another fantastic entry point, following a supernatural investigation that takes readers from London to the canals of Venice.

For fantasy readers interested in a more structured series path, you can start with Blood Pearl (2019), which serves as the opening volume of her Camillography series. Because the vast majority of her fiction consists of standalone stories, you can otherwise read her novels in any order you choose without worrying about missing critical character arcs or overarching plots.

The Camillography Series

As of now, Billson's only multi-book fantasy project is the Camillography series. However, it currently contains just a single installment, making it a quick read for fans of urban fantasy:

• Blood Pearl (2019) – Follows Millie Greenwood, a quiet village teenager whose school trip to Paris reveals that she is being hunted by an ancient, global syndicate of vampires.

Chronological Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Reading Anne Billson's standalone novels in order of publication allows you to trace her evolution from movie tie-ins to original satirical horror masterworks. Note that while The Ex is sometimes listed with a 2019 date due to its popular Brooligan Press paperback reissue, it was originally published in 2012.

1. Dream Demon (1989) – Billson's debut novel, written as the official novelization for the 1988 British horror film of the same name. It follows a bride-to-be whose nightmares begin bleeding into her real life in a creepy London house.
2. Suckers (1993) – A biting horror-satire focused on a gothic love triangle and a 300-year-old vampire invading the upwardly mobile yuppie scene of London.
3. Stiff Lips (1997) – A atmospheric ghost story set in Notting Hill, exploring a woman's move into a fashionable townhouse with a dark, spectral history.
4. The Ex (2012) – A supernatural detective story that follows a ghost hunt across London and Venice.
5. The Coming Thing (2017) – Described by readers as a mix of dark horror and dry humor, following a devilish plot in modern London.
6. The Half Man (2019) – A standalone supernatural thriller set in a remote Norfolk coastal inn where a low-level London gangster gets caught in a deadly mystery.

Film Monographs and Non-Fiction Works

In addition to her fiction, Anne Billson is a highly regarded film critic and scholar. She has contributed individual volumes to prestigious cinematic series, such as the British Film Institute's BFI Film Classics and Auteur's Devil's Advocates. Please note that while lists of these series feature dozens of titles by other film scholars, Billson wrote specific monographs within them:

• Screen Lovers (1988) – A look at romantic chemistry in cinema.
• My Name Is Michael Caine: A Life in Film (1992) – A comprehensive look at the career of the iconic British actor.
• The Thing (1997, updated in 2020) – A highly praised monograph for the BFI Film Classics series, analyzing John Carpenter's 1982 masterpiece.
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2005) – A monograph analyzing the cultural impact of the classic television show for the BFI TV Classics series.
• Let the Right One In (2011) – A volume written for the Devil's Advocates horror series, breaking down the social realism and genre themes of Tomas Alfredson's Swedish vampire film.
• Billson Film Database (2014) – A collection of film reviews and ratings.
• Breast Man (2016) – A conversational study on the cult filmmaker Russ Meyer.
• Cats on Film (2017) – A witty, illustrated celebration of the roles cats play in cinema history.

Short Fiction Collections and Anthologies

If you want to sample Billson's shorter horror and movie-related writing, she has compiled reviews, essays, and stories across a couple of self-published volumes and horror anthologies:

• Spoilers Part 1 & Part 2 (2012) – Collections of movie reviews and cultural commentary.
• Zombie Apocalypse! Fightback (2012) – A multi-author mosaic horror anthology featuring contributions by Billson.
• The Best Horror of the Year: Volume Eleven (2019) – Features select short horror fiction contributions from the author.

What to Know Before You Start

Anne Billson's writing is heavily influenced by her decades of work as a film critic. Her fiction features a highly cinematic pacing, sharp dialogue, and direct nods to classic genre tropes that she subverts with dark comedy. Readers should expect stories that lean into dry, black humor rather than straightforward, grim horror. Additionally, because most of her books are standalone novels, you do not need to worry about reading them in sequence, allowing you to jump straight to the premise that intrigues you the most.