Where to Start with Boris Bacic
With dozens of self-published novels and anthologies born from the viral depths of Reddit's r/nosleep community, Boris Bacic has constructed an extensive library of horror. Since his books cover multiple subgenres—including rules-based horror, zombie apocalypses, creature features, and haunted houses—the best entry point depends on what kind of scare you prefer.
For the quintessential Bacic experience, start with Tales of a Security Guard (2020). This collection of rules-based paranormal encounters showcases the author's signature style of blending real-world grit with surreal, highly specific guidelines characters must follow to survive. If you prefer a serialized, novel-length story, start with Emergency Broadcast, the launching pad for the post-apocalyptic Infected City series. For fans of atmospheric mystery and supernatural town secrets, begin with The Town The World Forgot (2024).
The Town That Shouldn't Exist Series
Unlike Bacic's thematic collections, this trilogy contains a continuous storyline that should be read in chronological order. The plot revolves around a cursed town where psychological dread and supernatural forces await unsuspecting visitors.
- The Town The World Forgot (2024)
- The Town Where Echoes Linger (2024)
- The Town Erased By Time (2024)
Infected City Series
This is a fast-paced, post-apocalyptic series focusing on a viral outbreak and the chaotic collapse of a quarantined city. Because the narrative progresses chronologically across the books, they must be read in order to appreciate the full scope of the survival story.
- Emergency Broadcast (2023)
- Necrotic Streets (2023)
- Quarantine Terror (2023)
- Decaying Haven (2023)
- Outbreak Chaos (2023)
- Dead End (2023)
Thematic Standalone Series (Read in Any Order)
Several of Bacic's series are collections of standalone novels linked by common themes rather than a shared cast of characters or a serialized timeline. While you can read them in any order, following the publication order is a popular choice for tracking the evolution of Bacic's writing style.
Creature Encounters Books
This series pays homage to classic creature-feature horror, with each book featuring characters facing a different deadly threat from the elements, the environment, or the deep.
- It Came With The Crash (2021)
- They Came From The Ocean (2022)
- They Came From The Mall (2022)
- It Lives In The Woods (2022)
- It Came From The Ice (2023)
Haunted Places Books
A series focusing on claustrophobic environments, ghost stories, and paranormal hauntings. Each novel focuses on a completely distinct haunted location.
- Apartment 401 (2021)
- The Door (2020)
- Her Home (2021)
- Yōkai Island (2021)
- Sinister Melody (2022)
- The Keeper (2022)
Horror in Small Towns Books
These books explore the dark underbellies, local conspiracies, and weird phenomena that plague isolated communities.
- Radio Tower (2020)
- The Gathering (2021)
- The Corruption (2021)
- Suicide Town (2022)
- Retown (2022)
Bite-sized Horror Stories Books
Shorter novellas and quick reads designed to deliver fast-paced suspense and chilling concepts in a single sitting.
- The Grayson Legacy (2020)
- The Northern Lights (2020)
- Pass It On (2022)
- Feel Free to Scream (2022)
What to Know Before You Start
Bacic is famous for popularizing "rules-based" horror, a subgenre where survival depends on executing a bizarre, often illogical set of instructions. This style creates a tense game-like structure for the narrative, leaving the lore and origins of the threats largely mysterious. Most of Bacic's works contain open-ended conclusions, trusting the reader's imagination to supply the final scares.
Because his standalone series are thematic, there are very few crossover characters or direct tie-ins between the different series. Readers can freely bounce between Creature Encounters, Haunted Places, and his standalone novels without worrying about missing critical context. However, reading the author's collections such as Tales of a Security Guard and Scary Stories With B.B. first is highly recommended to understand the bite-sized narrative structures that Bacic frequently adapts into full-length novels.
Boris Bacic Standalone Novels and Collections
If you prefer self-contained novels that start and finish a story in a single volume, Bacic offers a wide selection of standalone thrillers. His anthologies are also ideal for readers looking for quick, scary bedtime stories.
Standalone Novels
- Camp Firwood (2020)
- The Fertility Project (2021)
- Maria (2021)
- Till Undeath Do Us Part (2021)
- Never Leave Me (2023)
- Not My Husband (2023)
- The House Across The Street (2023)
- Mirror World (2024)
- Mother Knows Best (2024)
- Astrophobia (2024)
Short Stories, Anthologies, and Collections
- Scary Stories With B.B. (2019)
- Scary Stories With B.B. Halloween Collection (2019)
- Scary Stories With B. B. Volume Two (2020)
- Just a Bite (2022)
- The Witch of the Woods (2022)
- Beautiful Tragedy (2021)