This time a scientist’s experimental bacteria study goes awry when a heat wave activates something horrific inside his test subject – his pet cat. Nick Sharman’s The Cats continues our theme of psychotic animals taking over the world. Spawn of Hell can be purchased online from Amazon. The cheesy catchphrase on the cover also made this a yes in my books. Spawn of Hell makes the list for its very ‘80s B-grade horror title and font, as well as the chilling graphic of the aforementioned mutant species peeking from out of the manhole.

The novel tells the story of what happens when a crazed scientist teams up with a big business corporation to create a species of mutant creatures with an insatiable lust for human flesh. Starting off our list is the 1984 novel by film historian William Schoel Spawn of Hell. So Join me as we do exactly what we were always told NOT to do – Judge a book by its cover, these are my top 10 Horror Novels from the crazy 1980s’. The book must be still available to purchase today.The book cover must be exciting and engaging, as well as being quintessential ‘80s in style.They must have been published between 19.My rules in selecting this list are as follows: As such, I thought it would be fun to revisit the paperback horror novel industry of those years and instead of rating the books by quality of prose or plot, let’s pay homage to the decadent splatter-punk style of the cover art. Horror in the ‘80s was filled with blood and guts, it oozed green slime and carried a strange sexual energy that we haven’t really seen since in the world of horror. It’s from the ‘80s that we get such classics like The Evil Dead series and Arachnophobia. With the arrival of Stephen King and others to the forefront of the collective consciousness, horror became a massive industry in both film and literature. One particular industry was absolutely booming back then. But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy a few things from back then. I missed growing up in the ‘80s, I was a ‘90s kid. Whether it was the hair styles, the music, the movies or the money, everybody was indulging in something. It’s no secret that the ‘80s were a time of excess.

The Morgow Rises! by Peter Tremayne