Kiernan's 'The Drowning Girl' wins Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel

The Horror Writers Association announced this year’s slate of Bram Stoker Award winners on Sunday at the World Horror Convention in New Orleans.

Named after the author of “Dracula,” these awards are presented annually for “superior achievement” in horror writing, and this year marked the 26th anniversary of the awards.

This year’s winner in the Best Novel category was “The Drowning Girl” by Caitlin R. Kiernan.

In the category for Superior Achievement in a First Novel, this year’s winner was “Life Rage” by L.L. Soares.

This year’s winner in the category of Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel was “Flesh & Bone” by Jonathan Maberry.

This year’s winner in the category for Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel was “Witch Hunts: A Graphic History of the Burning Times” by Rocky Wood and Lisa Morton.

In the category for Superior Achievement in Long Fiction, this year’s winner was “The Blue Heron” by Gene O’Neill.

Lucy Snyder’s “Magdala Amygdala” won top honors in the category for Superior Achievement in Short Fiction.

There was a tie in the category for Superior Achievement in a Collection. The winners in that category included “New Moon on the Water” by Mort Castle and “Black Dahlia and White Rose: Stories” by Joyce Carol Oates.

Mort Castle and Sam Weller were the editors of “Shadow Show,” which garnered top honors in the category for Superior Achievement in an Anthology.

This year’s winner in the category for Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction was “Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween” by Lisa Morton.

In the category for Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection, this year’s winner was “Vampires, Zombies & Wanton Souls” by Marge Simon.

The HWA’s annual award for Best Novel is arguably the top honor bestowed by the group each year. What follows is an all-time list of the Best Novel winners.

1987 (tie) – Misery by Stephen King
1987 (tie) – Swan Song by Robert McCammon
1988 – The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
1989 – Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons
1990 – Mine by Robert McCammon
1991 - Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon
1992 – The Blood of the Lamb by Thomas F. Monteleone
1993 – The Throat by Peter Straub (pictured above)
1994 – Dead in the Water by Nancy Holder
1995 – Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates
1996 – The Green Mile by Stephen King
1997 – Children of the Dusk (Madagascar Manifesto Trilogy) by Janet Berliner
1998 – Bag of Bones by Stephen King
1999 – Mr. X by Peter Straub
2000 – The Traveling Vampire Show by Richard Laymon
2001 – American Gods by Neil Gaiman
2002 – The Night Class by Tom Piccirilli
2003 – Lost Boy, Lost Girl by Peter Straub
2004 – In the Night Room by Peter Straub
2005 (tie) – Creepers by David Morrell
2005 (tie) – Dread In the Beast by Charlee Jacob
2006 – Lisey’s Story by Stephen King
2007 – The Missing by Sarah Langan
2008 – Duma Key by Stephen King
2009 – Audrey’s Door by Sarah Langan
2010 – A Dark Matter by Peter Straub
2011 – Flesh Eaters by Joe McKinney
2012 – The Drowning Girl by Caitlin R. Kiernan

In the end, how many of the works mentioned above have you had the chance to read? Which did you like or dislike? Why? Which is your personal favorite and why? Let us know in the comments section below.