Reading Recommendations

Maryn · Nov 19, 2008

Hiya, horror hounds. The Kid (our adult daughter) is enjoying horror lately but quickly exhausted the horror-lite on my shelves. She reads both classic and current fiction, I think with a preference for work from the 70s through current. She liked my older Stephen King pretty well.

I was cruel enough to give birth to her just before Christmas, so she's got two gift-giving occasions coming up. What horror novels can you recommend for her?

Thanks in advance.

Maryn, all about unicorns and fairies (ha!)

Aschenbach · Nov 19, 2008

The Books of Blood by Clive Barker are essential reads, in my opinion. They are a collection of short stories, spread over 2 volumes.

eLfwriter · Nov 19, 2008

Aschenbach said:
The Books of Blood by Clive Barker are essential reads, in my opinion. They are a collection of short stories, spread over 2 volumes.

Clive Barker, Clive Barker!! I loved Imagica (not really horror, but it's a really good read ... and it's really long. One of those, hold-with-both-hands-and-turn-pages-with-your-nose books ... but I couldn't put it down!! Practically bowled a hole in my bookbag).

The Damnation Game (Clive Barker again) is good, too.

... the Shining scared the crap out of me. I slept with a potato masher under my pillow for protection against my (evil) house ...

ETA: If you're looking for a classic, Dracula's always a good read ... vampyres are cool ...

Calla Lily · Nov 19, 2008

Brian Keene--all of 'em!

The original Necroscope trilogy (?) by Lumley. Loved them, hated the (too) many that followed. JMO.

Jcomp · Nov 19, 2008

Swan Song, by Robert McCammon. If she's read The Stand recently though, she shouldn't read SS just yet because to call it similar might be putting it kindly. Still, McCammon's a hell of a writer so he pulls it off...

Ray Bradbury, The October Country.

Richard Matheson, I Am Legend

Peter Straub, Ghost Story

Tim Lebbon, Fears Unnamed

Ann River Siddons, The House Next Door (a little on the subtle side, but still a damn good read)

Albert Buck · Nov 19, 2008

If your daughter likes 70s horror, she might dig some of Jack Katchum's early stuff. Off Season is set in the early 80s and, at times, has a great 70s horror movie feel to it -- while being pretty strong on literary merits. Edward Lee also had some stories that take me back to the age of bellbottoms.

Other than that, I'd give a nod to Barker (Books of Blood) and some of Neil Gaiman's work (although you could debate he's not purely a horror writer, there are some great spook stories in his catalogue: Fragile Things had some great short stories in it that most fans would dig). And maybe check out Kim Newman's Anno Dracula series, if you can find some of the books. It's a great series that doesn't get enough attention, I think.

Inarticulate Babbler · Nov 19, 2008

The Wolf's Hour
Mine
Baal
Boy's Life
Swan Song
Stinger
Usher's Passing
Mystery Walk
Bethany's Sin
and the newest: The Queen of Bedlam by Robert R. McCammon

Necroscope
Necroscope: Vamphyri!
Necroscope: The Source
Necroscope: Deadspeak
Necroscope: Deadspawn (How can you read the Necroscopes without the conclusion it was so obviously building toward???)
Necroscope: The Lost Years (Switching to werewolves for a bit.)
Necroscope: Resurgence
Necroscope: Invaders
Necroscope: Defilers
Blood Brothers
The Last Aerie
Bloodwars

Psychomech (Entirely different from the Necroscopes.)
Psychosphere
Psychamok

Demogorgon (Very cool stand alone.)
The House of Doors (These last two books are very Lovecraftian.)
Maze of Worlds by Brian Lumley

The House of Caine by Ken Eulo

Night Blood by Chris T. Martindale

Aschenbach · Nov 19, 2008

Grant said:
And maybe check out Kim Newman's Anno Dracula series, if you can find some of the books. It's a great series that doesn't get enough attention, I think.

Great recommendation, I had forgotten about Newman. He writes alternate history/steampunk stuff. Always great fun to read about Victorian fictional characters interacting with real historical figures.

Jonathan Aycliffe is another great horror writer whose books don't seem to be very available any more. Naomi's Room is the most frightening ghost story I have ever read. And i've read lots of them!

Albert Buck · Nov 19, 2008

Aschenbach said:
Great recommendation, I had forgotten about Newman. He writes alternate history/steampunk stuff. Always great fun to read about Victorian fictional characters interacting with real historical figures.

Jonathan Aycliffe is another great horror writer whose books don't seem to be very available any more. Naomi's Room is the most frightening ghost story I have ever read. And i've read lots of them!

I'll have to check into Aycliffe. The name doesn't ring a bell, off hand; guess there are always a few you miss. Naomi's Room, huh? I'll have to check into him.

And Newman is great fun, isn't he? Kind of like the real life Dr. Who.

Calla Lily · Nov 19, 2008

Oh, of course: Robert W. Chambers' The King in Yellow.

Everything by HP Lovecraft. :Hail:

Especially the short story "The Colour Out of Space." And the novella The Shadow over Innsmouth. And... you get the idea.

William Hope Hodgson's The House on the Borderland

Inarticulate Babbler · Nov 19, 2008

Nathaniel
Suffer the Children
When the Wind Blows
The Unloved
The Unwanted
Comes the Blind Fury
Darkness
Sleepwalk
Shadows
Hellfire by John Saul

Cabal (They made the movie Nightbreed from this.)
The Inhuman Condition by Clive Barker

The Howling by Gary Brandner

The Bad Place
Strangers
Lightning
Phantoms
Whispers
The Mask
Odd Thomas
Mr. Murder
Cold Fire
Winter Moon by Dean R. Koontz

Floating Dragon
Ghost Story
Koko by Peter Strauss

Ravenous by Ray Garton

Black Sunday
The Silence of the Lambs
Hannibal
Red Dragon
Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris

HoraceJames · Nov 20, 2008

"Something Wicked This Way Comes" -- Ray Bradbury

I think Steven King based several of his novels on the plot of this book. Scary as hell, but no sex and little if any violence. The film version was good, too.

Maryn · Nov 23, 2008

Wow, these are great--my thanks to you all! I think I may have a gift list that'll cover books for several years.

Maryn, who never doubted AW would come through*

*The same question posted elsewhere is getting very different results, not nearly as informed as here. You guys rock.

HorrorWriter · Nov 24, 2008

Maryn,

I'm late to the party, but I'll add my two cents anyway.

MY SOUL TO KEEP by Tananarive Due
THE LIVING BLOOD by Tananarive Due
BLOOD COLONY by Tananarive Due

HELL HOUSE by Richard Matheson

THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE by Shirley Jackson

MONSTER by Frank Peretti

WITHIN THE SHADOWS by Brandon Massey

CELL by Stephen King (if she hasn't read that one yet)

Hope that helps some. Everyone already gave you some great ideas.

childeroland · Dec 13, 2008

The Nightmare Factory Thomas Ligotti

Ancient Sorceries, Algernon Blackwood

The Great God Pan, Arthur Machen

Shadowland, Peter Straub

Captain Howdy · Dec 14, 2008

I'm going to make my Recommends List a distillation of what has already been suggested:
Anne Rivers Siddon - The House Next Door
Clive Barker - The Damnation Game
Peter Straub - Shadowlands
Shirley Jackson - The Haunting of Hill House
Robert McCammon - Swan Song
Gary Brandner - The Howling

plus, if she really develops a penchant for 70s horror, Michael McDowell is another great and often overlooked writer of paperback originals. Cold Moon Over Babylon and The Elementals are both quite fun, but his masterwork will forever be the Blackwater saga which was original published as six short novels.

Maryn · Dec 14, 2008

Funny, I'm not much of a horror reader (hence my earlier reference to 'horror lite'), but the gathering of recommendations is making me want to sample again.

Maryn, who likes to read the best outside her usual genre

Reading Recommendations

Maryn

I Tried

Aschenbach

Moral Marjorie

eLfwriter

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Calla Lily

On hiatus

Jcomp

Albert Buck

Inarticulate Babbler

Pissin' Everyone off, 1 at a time

Aschenbach

Moral Marjorie

Albert Buck

Calla Lily

On hiatus

Inarticulate Babbler

Pissin' Everyone off, 1 at a time

HoraceJames

Maryn

I Tried

HorrorWriter

It's a new dawn. It's a new day.

childeroland

What happened to my LIFE?!

Captain Howdy

closer + prettier than ever

Maryn

I Tried