Six Of The Scariest Books Ever

[brainstorm77]

List taken from Simple Living Magazine. Have any of you read these titles? Thoughts? Opinions?

1. The Exorcist-William Peter Blatty
2.The Haunting of Hill House-Shirley Jackson
3.The House on The Borderland-William Hope Hodgson
4.Our Lady of Darkness-Fritz Leiber
5.The Shining-Stephen King
6.The Monk-Matthew Lewis

Also, what scary books would you recommend? :) And yes I do know scariest has one R. If a Mod could change that in the thread title I would be ever so happy :)

[firedrake]

I've read three of those.
I'd certainly agree with 'The Exorcist' and 'The Haunting of Hill House', but I think King has written scarier books than 'The Shining'. 'Pet Semetary' is the one that freaked me out and, since our son was born (10 years ago), I can't bring myself to re-read it. Come to think of it, 'Salem's Lot' was downright creepy too. I read it all in one sitting, finished at 3.00am, was alone in the house. Slept with a cross under my pillow and the lights on and hoped that nothing would start scratching at the window asking to be let in.

[selkn.asrai]

I've read The Shining, coz I love ghost stories.

Honestly, I'm surprised Coraline isn't on that list; I've heard, and read, that some people consider it one of the most terrifying pieces of modern fiction, no matter its YA category. I thought it was quite unnerving, not gonna lie.

[Ken]

Cugo was pretty creepy and so was Christine.
(Haven't really read many scary books.)
Saw the movie version of the Exorcist :-O

[RLB]

Just finished The Shining last week. (I'd seen the movie and never read the book.) I don't know about the scariest book ever, but I am having trouble facing drawn shower curtains. Yikes!

(But on reflection, I think Pet Semetary was scarier.)

I'll have to check out Coraline. It looked like a kids movie, so I didn't think the book would be that frightening.

[brainstorm77]

So far from that list I've ordered The Shining and The Haunting of Hill HOuse :)

[brainstorm77]

Just finished The Shining last week. (I'd seen the movie and never read the book.) I don't know about the scariest book ever, but I am having trouble facing drawn shower curtains. Yikes!

(But on reflection, I think Pet Semetary was scarier.)

I'll have to check out Coraline. It looked like a kids movie, so I didn't think the book would be that frightening.

Coraline, I think I will add that one on my list of books to get.

[AMCrenshaw]

I'll second The Shining-- That was Stephen King's "shining" moment for me.

House of Leaves-- Mark Z. D.
Book of Revelation ???
The Road --Cormac McCarthy
Beloved --Toni Morrison


AMC

[JamieB]

Honestly, I'm surprised Coraline isn't on that list; I've heard, and read, that some people consider it one of the most terrifying pieces of modern fiction, no matter its YA category. I thought it was quite unnerving, not gonna lie.


Didn't read the book, but saw the movie with my 5 and 6 year olds and it flipped them out for days. It wasn't scary to me, just very creepy. Disturbing is a good word. I can see how reading it could be terrifying depending on how active the reader's imagination is.

[willietheshakes]

The interesting thing about Coraline (which I first heard from Neil before the book came out, but which has been proven to me time and again since) is that kids tend to find it exciting, a suspenseful adventure story, while adults tend to find it terrifying and utterly disturbing.

[jodiodi]

I have to go with:

The Shining - Scariest book evah.
Salem's Lot - Couldn't read it alone at my house with my parents gone.
Some book by James Herbert about a plane crash in a field and ghosts showing up in the area afterward.
Jane Eyre - scared me the first time I read it as a kid. I love big old spooky houses.

[williemeikle]

I have to go with:
Some book by James Herbert about a plane crash in a field and ghosts showing up in the area afterward.


That was THE SURVIVOR

For me, I'll go with the six mentioned at the start and add

SHADOWLAND - Peter Straub
NAIOMI'S ROOM - Jonathan Aycliffe
TO WAKE THE DEAD - Ramsey Campbell
CAST A COLD EYE - Alan Ryan
ALL HEADS TURN WHEN THE WILD HUNT GOES BY - John Farris

[Ol' Fashioned Girl]

IMHO, you can't beat 'The Haunting of Hill House'... but 'The Exorcist' comes close. :)

[Delhomeboy]

Read The Shining, The Exorcist, and The Haunting of Hill House...and while I agree with the first too, THOHH just wasn't all that scary...good, don't get me wrong, just not scary.


I'll second The Shining-- That was Stephen King's "shining" moment for me.

House of Leaves-- Mark Z. D.
Book of Revelation ???
The Road --Cormac McCarthy
Beloved --Toni Morrison


AMC

Beloved, really? Interesting...I'd love to hear your thoughts on that. and The Road, too...didn't really see either of those as scary.

[Adelaide]

I don't know about AMC, but for me Beloved wasn't scary in the traditional horror sense, but it definitely was scary. Some parts were so bizarre they were unsettling; other parts were just outright unsettling, particularly the climax of the book, towards the end (I don't care to ruin for anybody ;)). Perhaps most terrifying was the examination of one of the darkest parts of human history: slavery and its effect on those involved. But yeah. Scary stuff. :O

[brainstorm77]

Read The Shining, The Exorcist, and The Haunting of Hill House...and while I agree with the first too, THOHH just wasn't all that scary...good, don't get me wrong, just not scary.




Beloved, really? Interesting...I'd love to hear your thoughts on that. and The Road, too...didn't really see either of those as scary.

I agree, I just finished The Haunting of Hill House and I didn't find it scary.

[Abraham]

"The Shining" is great but I have to agree that "Pet Semetary" is King's most frightening, probably followed by "Salem's Lot". I also love "The Haunting of Hill House". If you haven't checked it out read "We Have Always Lived in the Castle". It's not really scary, but it is extremely creepy and unsettling.

[jodiodi]

"The Shining" is great but I have to agree that "Pet Semetary" is King's most frightening, probably followed by "Salem's Lot". I also love "The Haunting of Hill House". If you haven't checked it out read "We Have Always Lived in the Castle". It's not really scary, but it is extremely creepy and unsettling.

I think I've read We Have Always Lived in the Castle, but I'm not sure. I need to look it up.

I tend to love books with gothic motifs: big old isolated house, mysterious surroundigs, questionable motives of 'hero', dark secrets.

I didn't find Pet Sematary scary, frightening or even unsettling. I was just depressed by the whole book. I felt bad for the animals who died and sorry for the dad.

'Salem's Lot had its moments, but The Shining is the one I'll always remember and re-read.

[katiemac]

I read Haunting of Hill House a long time ago, but I remember it being kind of dull, not scary. I'll check out The Survivor though, that sounds interesting.

[Kris]

I am a big wimp. I thought "Carrie" was intriguing, so I picked up "Christine"...you know, the one about the haunted car? I thought I'd never sleep again. Then I read "'Salem's Lot"...GAWD. I really can't read scary books, they make me a jittery wreck. I also went through a big Patricia Cornwell phase when I lived alone. I know, those books are mild for fans of really scary stuff. But again, jittery wreck. *shudder*

[Satori1977]

Only read The Shining, but I agree that he has written scarier books. I think Peter Straub has written scary books, and anything by HP Lovecraft gives me the chills. And Clive Barker's Books of Blood are pretty creepy.

[jodiodi]

The Survivor was really good. I think I still have a copy somewhere packed away in one of those boxes I haven't seen in years.

I don't find gore scary and I have a high tolerence for 'fright'. I'm increasingly disappointed in most books I try to read though I've found the Dexter books to be quite creepy, more so than even the show (my favorite TV show).

Unease, something not quite right, something a little off--those are the sort of characteristics I look for in a scary book or movie or TV show. If the writer can make me suspend my disbelief, then it's a good book. Too often, I'll be reading and think, "Oh, that's ridiculous. No one does that in Real Life." even in fantasies. But if the author grounds the events in what is real for their universe and makes me believe that's how it goes in their world, than I'm along for the ride.

World-building isn't just for fantasy.

[brainstorm77]

The Survivor was really good. I think I still have a copy somewhere packed away in one of those boxes I haven't seen in years.

I don't find gore scary and I have a high tolerence for 'fright'. I'm increasingly disappointed in most books I try to read though I've found the Dexter books to be quite creepy, more so than even the show (my favorite TV show).

Unease, something not quite right, something a little off--those are the sort of characteristics I look for in a scary book or movie or TV show. If the writer can make me suspend my disbelief, then it's a good book. Too often, I'll be reading and think, "Oh, that's ridiculous. No one does that in Real Life." even in fantasies. But if the author grounds the events in what is real for their universe and makes me believe that's how it goes in their world, than I'm along for the ride.

World-building isn't just for fantasy.

I'm a huge fan of Dexter (he's hot) and I plan on starting the book series :)

["A" Is For "Agent"]

Didn't anyone read Desperation by Stephen King? That's by far his scariest work.
Deadlock (http://www.amazon.com/Deadlock-William-Cross/dp/0515114332/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240012231&sr=8-2) is pretty 'effing scary too.

[Delhomeboy]

I've read Desperation...good, like all of his stuff, but not his scariest, in my own opinion, of course. I would say Pet Sematary is his scariest, The Shining is his best.

[Death Wizard]

I've read three of those.
I'd certainly agree with 'The Exorcist' and 'The Haunting of Hill House', but I think King has written scarier books than 'The Shining'. 'Pet Semetary' is the one that freaked me out and, since our son was born (10 years ago), I can't bring myself to re-read it. Come to think of it, 'Salem's Lot' was downright creepy too. I read it all in one sitting, finished at 3.00am, was alone in the house. Slept with a cross under my pillow and the lights on and hoped that nothing would start scratching at the window asking to be let in.

I agree entirely. Pet Semetary is the scariest (though the movie wasn't scary), and Salem's Lot was second. The Exorcist was a scarier movie than book, IMO.

[mister_lister]

Probably the most scary book I ever read was the Bible. A very close second to that was the Qu'ran. Lot's of threatening language and the whole Old Testament is a show case of the different ways people can kill each other as well as this invisible "sky" daddy that runs around crushing people that don't do what it commands. Funny thing you can't even escape it with death, it is there waiting to judge you after death and you might be sent into "hell" for ETERNITY for TEMPORAL sin.

That shit is scary, and it is even scarier that people believe it. Those books and their "fanbase" are more scarier than any other books I have read.

[Bukarella]

The ones that I read are:
The Haunting of Hill House :Wha:
The whole house, the ending, the madness, the dark creepy night - very creepy.

The Shining :eek:
The scene that I couldn't get over is the one where the boy goes into that room, and the lady is in the tub,and she's coming after him... OMG..


The book that should be on that list is Straub's Ghost Story
It was so scary, I couldn't finish it. Pathetic? Maybe. But you can't pay me enough. I really want to know how it ended, but I read half the book and I had to stop. Too spooky.

[Don Allen]

The two books that just ate me alive,,,, "Rosemarys Baby" and this may surprise some of you but "In cold blood" I know the later isn't fiction so it may be disqualified here but I could never get that scene of those two morons going up to killl that poor little girl out of my head...(to this day) Truman could write....

[AMCrenshaw]

Beloved, really? Interesting...I'd love to hear your thoughts on that. and The Road, too...didn't really see either of those as scary.

I'll start with The Road. I probably found it horrifying because the world had fallen apart, and humanity with it. That's no longer a threat. In fact we survive but we act like savages. I found it frightening. Reading, I was left alone with this tiny candle of a relationship, between the father and son; I guess the stakes were high for me and in constant danger.


Beloved is frightening to me as well. The ghost is really fueled by suffering and shame, and consumes more and more of its hosts, particularly Sethe. So this is what a mother/child relationship is if we peer through a glass darkly, that is, in the context of our darker side of history. The horror is slow, to be sure, but it's a snow that gathers. For me.

AMC

[Delhomeboy]

That shit is scary, and it is even scarier that people believe it. Those books and their "fanbase" are more scarier than any other books I have read.

Harsh, man. Harsh.

[KC Sunshine]

I thought The Amityville Horror was terrifying, even if it was probably made up.

Pet Sematary is my favorite novel of all time. I remember I would have to hide it at night, because I didn't want to wake up and see the book next to my bed, like it was waiting for me.

Speaking of King, there was a passage at the end of the first Dark Tower book that terrified me. It was a description of the universe, and how we are just tiny drops of rain on a grass blade or something like that. I find most sci-fi terrifying as it usually posits how insignificant human beings are in the grand scheme of the universe.

[jodiodi]

I remember reading something in, I think, Carl Sagan's book The Universe. It was something about how we perceive time. I don't remember the first part, but the last part was:

"...Or are we like the butterfly, that lives for a day and believes it is forever?"

Something about that quote was immensely sad to me and I always feel a touch of meloncholy when I think of it.

[ElsaM]

I haven't read Desperation yet, but I have read The Regulators. It was scary, but for me it didn't really compare to Salem's Lot and Christine.

[KC Sunshine]

I remember reading something in, I think, Carl Sagan's book The Universe. It was something about how we perceive time. I don't remember the first part, but the last part was:

"...Or are we like the butterfly, that lives for a day and believes it is forever?"

Something about that quote was immensely sad to me and I always feel a touch of meloncholy when I think of it.

Yeah. Stuff like that is the scariest of all.

[Angelus]

I would agree with most of these choices. I do think one author is missing here. H.P. Lovecraft. Mostly his writings are creepy more than scary but I would say the same about most of the novels offered up here. Also Poe, The Tell-Tale Heart that is good creepy stuff. I think The Shining was King's most well-written book and it was scary. Funny, he thought The Exorcist (book, not movie) was crap. A little well-known book is not presented as fiction: Five Cases of Possession in America by Father Malachi Martin. The book is creepy, disturbing and truly scary. The reason why it does all those things is simply this--the stories in the book make you think possession by demonic entities is real.

[brainstorm77]

I cannot find the Exorcist in print.

[Haggis]

You want scary? Read The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum. And don't come back and complain to me about it. I don't want to hear it.

[Haggis]

I cannot find the Exorcist in print.

Try again. The author's William Peter Blatty. You should be able to find it most anywhere.

Excellent book.

[C.bronco]

List taken from Simple Living Magazine. Have any of you read these titles? Thoughts? Opinions?

1. The Exorcist-William Peter Yes!
2.The Haunting of Hill House-Shirley Jackson
3.The House on The Borderland-William Hope Hodgson
4.Our Lady of Darkness-Fritz Leiber
5.The Shining-Stephen King
6.The Monk-Matthew Lewis

Also, what scary books would you recommend? :) And yes I do know scariest as one R. If a Mod could change that in the thread title I would be ever so happy :)

Salem's Lot made me spend an entire summer sleeping with the windows shut even though my parents didn't have air-conditioning at the time! Clive Barker has given me the willies too.

[Devil Ledbetter]

I guess what is "scariest" depends on what scares you, personally. While I'm one of those "don't believe in anything" (ghosts, demons, vampires, alien abduction, etc.) people, ghost stories have always scared me the most. This is why The Shining is the scariest to me, even though Pet Cemetery is damned spooky and Cujo is a gripping realistic horror story.

[Saint Fool]

The Haunting of Hill House - "and whatever walks there, walks alone."
Our Lady of Darkness - not a book to be read late at night.
Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
Pet Sematary - King
Dracula - Bram Stoker
Small Sacrifices by Ann Rule - not fiction, but I couldn't get those kids out of my head after I finished the book.

ETA: and the Illustrated Book of Dinosaurs. Freaked me out when I was around five.

[Devil Ledbetter]

Small Sacrifices by Ann Rule - not fiction, but I couldn't get those kids out of my head after I finished the book.
That book haunted me for years.

I agree on the Shirley Jackson, too.

[wyntermoon]

The Haunting of Hill House - one of my favorite books of all time. Scary? It depends on your tolerance for mental anguish vs. physical violence but I'd take the squicked out Eleanor anytime over a Steven King hero. He's a whole 'nother bag o'chips. ;)

[brainstorm77]

I just started The Shining last night and I'm enjoying it :)

[Little Earthquake]

I do think one author is missing here. H.P. Lovecraft. Mostly his writings are creepy more than scary

Whenever I read something by Lovecraft, I don't just feel scared, I feel DIRTY. For some reason his stuff just makes my skin crawl. (So I just keep going back for more... not smart, right?)

A couple of folks on another forum I frequent said that Where Are You Going Where Have You Been? (http://jco.usfca.edu/works/wgoing/text.html) was the most terrifying short story they've ever read. I tracked it down and didn't "get" it - until I found out Oates' inspiration for the story. I'd like to hear what y'all think.

I tried to read The Shining but just couldn't - I was having a hard time with the child abuse factor in the first chapter or two, and wasn't interested in moving forward. I did finally see the movie a year or so ago, and now I think I might be mentall/emotionally fortified enough to brave the book. I remember hearing that Stephen King said the scariest scene he's ever written is the one in which the wife in The Shining reads her husband's manuscript and realizes he's effing crazy. King said that he could just imagine how terrifying it was for her to realize she and her child are alone in the middle of nowhere with a lunatic.

[MrWrite]

The only one of that list I've read is the Exorcist. And that was quite a few years ago now.
I'd love to read the Hill House novel as the movie was excellent. Sadly I've never seen the novel anywhere. Is it even still in print?

[Delhomeboy]

The only one of that list I've read is the Exorcist. And that was quite a few years ago now.
I'd love to read the Hill House novel as the movie was excellent. Sadly I've never seen the novel anywhere. Is it even still in print?

Yes it is...and it shouldn't be too hard to find. I'd think most Barnes and Noble's would have it.

[brainstorm77]

The only one of that list I've read is the Exorcist. And that was quite a few years ago now.
I'd love to read the Hill House novel as the movie was excellent. Sadly I've never seen the novel anywhere. Is it even still in print?

I bought my copy online. All the mega online booksellers have it.

[Izunya]

There's a short story called "The Willows" by a man named Algernon Blackwood that freaked me out at age ten or so. I can't remember being that scared by a book before or since. The thing was, it had that effect partly because I thought it was a true story. I went back and read it as an adult, and although it was plenty creepy—kind of proto-Lovecraft, really—it didn't have the same effect.

That being said, I'll add my voice to the chorus saying that Coraline is awesomely creepy.

Izunya

[brainstorm77]

I finished The Shining by S. King and loved it :)

[Delhomeboy]

I finished The Shining by S. King and loved it :)

yay! another King fan is born...

or maybe you've read other stuff by him...

still, I'm glad you loved it. But then again, who doesn't?

[kej5009]

Speaking of Steven King, has anyone read Gerald's Game by him? That was, for me, the scariest book I've ever read. The thing that got me was her waking up to the killer lurking in the corner. Oh my God! Terrified me.

[jodiodi]

I read Gerald's Game when it came out. Yes the guy in the corner was creepy. I also loved how the eclipse in Gerald's Game tied into another book (thats title escapes me at the moment) about a little girl during the same eclipse having a vision of the woman in Gerald's Game.

[kej5009]

Really? I didn't know about that tie-in. Interesting.

[VeggieChick]

Gerald's Game was creepy. Salem's Lot is my all-time favorite, though. Had trouble sleeping for days.

[jodiodi]

Doloris Caiborne has the same eclipse as the one the Gerald's Game character recalls from her childhood. I think they even saw each other.

There are references in another book to "Place where Old Man (Something's) dog Cujo went mad."

There are always references to other SK books in his work. He created an entire mythology in the settings of many of his books. I recall references in one book (Pet Semetary?) to Pennywise, the clown from another book (name escapes me).

It's just fun to see if I can spot the references. To me, it makes the books seem grounded in a reality. They 'validate' each others' truthiness.

[jennontheisland]

Shadowland by Peter Straub. Took me a few tries to read all the way through.

Other than that, I usually found most 'horror' stories more intriguing than terrifying. Read a ton of King, Straub, Saul, and Barker, and none ever gave me shivers, nightmares, or feel the need to sleep with the light on.

[brainstorm77]

I'm currently reading Salem's Lot :)

[Cranky]

I've read a lot of these, and agree that they're all pretty effin' scary. One book I'll throw onto the pile that scared me when I read it was Primal Fear by William Diehl. Not a horror novel per se, but that ending line gave me chills and I slept with the lights on that night. Frakkin' horrible.

The movie, not so much (cuz I can't stand Richard Gere, sorry).

[brainstorm77]

Agreed about R. Gere.

[roonil_wazlib]

It's definitely not everyone's cup of tea (actually, I think very few people would be able to stomach it), but a few years ago I read Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z Brite. It was so hard to stomach and I threw it out afterwards, but it scared the bejeesus out of me. Very gory, very very disturbing, and very scary. I just could not stop reading and, afterwards, I had to pull out a good old fluffy chick lit book to help me sleep (and even then I had trouble sleeping through the night).

Another book that I'm not sure if anyone's mentioned is House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. I haven't had the chance to read past chapter one yet, but from what I've heard you either love it (and it freaks you out) or you can't get through it. It's a little jumbled, but intriguing so far.

[brainstorm77]

Sounds interesting but I'm not sure if I would be able to read it.

[Norton]

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Safon
Very good and scary book. One of the best I've ever read.

Duma Key by S.King also makes me feel uncomfortable.))

[sleepsheep]

I just read "Heart Shaped Box" and it seriously spooked me.

[Kurtz]

Another book that I'm not sure if anyone's mentioned is House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. I haven't had the chance to read past chapter one yet, but from what I've heard you either love it (and it freaks you out) or you can't get through it. It's a little jumbled, but intriguing so far.

I like House of Leaves as much as the next person. However, I read it as more of a criticsm of postmodernist literary critiscm than a true horror book. I don't want to spoil it for you because in parts it is actually pretty gripping (once you've realised you can skip all of Johnny Truant's parts and not miss anything).

It's an incredibly ambitious first book, and inevitably it has at least 2 too many plotlines, and it's let down by the stupid formatting. It's a bit of a failed exercise but its a perfect example of the modern American Gothic, very much shaped by the Dark Romanticism of Melville and Poe.

[Kathleen42]

I couldn't get through The Haunting of Hill House. It just didn't hold my interest.

[brainstorm77]

I couldn't get through The Haunting of Hill House. It just didn't hold my interest.

I got throught it but wasn't that impressed with it. I found the book rather boring.

[hester]

Jack Ketchum wrote a couple of novellas that freaked me out for days-one was "Right to Life." I can't recall the name of the other, but it came in the same volume as his work "Red." Gave me nightmares.

I'll also second "Heart Shaped Box."

[dgrintalis]

The Dark Half by King is creepy as well. I just pulled it off the bookshelf to reread. I'm going through a reread everything written by King phase. :)

[brainstorm77]

I found Misery pretty intense.

[aspiringwriter]

I just found this thread...I've read The Exorcist very scary and intense...Have also read The Shining which scared the mess out of me. I haven't read a lot of good ghost stories/horror lately.

[brainstorm77]

The Shining is one of my fav books.

[Bugboy]

...(King's) description of the universe, and how we are just tiny drops of rain on a grass blade or something like that. I find most sci-fi terrifying as it usually posits how insignificant human beings are in the grand scheme of the universe.

That idea of humankind's insignificance is precisely what cheers me up....I find it fascinating how different people respond to the same book.

When I was younger many of the books people have mentioned here scared the life out of me. Now that I am older, the scariest book I have read in ages (I'm still reading it) is Sam Harris's The End of Faith.

[sheadakota]

YES! I loved desperation! - I also thought The Tommyknockers was scary! the Shining- meh- not so much-

[Hettie]

The Shining was what came to mind for me too... then Joey from Friends putting it in the freezer was my next thought...

[x_Kathy_x]

Salem's Lot - Couldn't read it alone at my house with my parents gone.


YES! I thought this book was awesome... scary awesome :)
Although I had some old edition with a hideous cover picture of a vampire... and not the romanticised version of a vampire... a really freaky version!

[brainstorm77]

YES! I thought this book was awesome... scary awesome :)
Although I had some old edition with a hideous cover picture of a vampire... and not the romanticised version of a vampire... a really freaky version!

I read this book about a month ago for the first time and LOVED it! :)

[jodiodi]

I've tried reading Poppy Z. Brite, but can't get into the stories. They aren't scarey at all and I've been bored to tears trying to read them. They seemed too convoluted and dull to me.

[BigWords]

The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker (a novella) is impressively scary when read at three AM, a branch tapping on the window, and the wind is howling outside. I chain-smoked my way through that story...

[williemeikle]

List taken from Simple Living Magazine. Have any of you read these titles? Thoughts? Opinions?

1. The Exorcist-William Peter
2.The Haunting of Hill House-Shirley Jackson
3.The House on The Borderland-William Hope Hodgson
4.Our Lady of Darkness-Fritz Leiber
5.The Shining-Stephen King
6.The Monk-Matthew Lewis

Also, what scary books would you recommend? :) And yes I do know scariest has one R. If a Mod could change that in the thread title I would be ever so happy :)

I've read them all... the Leiber in particular will give any book lover nightmares. The Hodgson is more freaky than scary, but it's a good selection. I'm guessing hardly anyone reads "The Monk: in this day and age, which is a pity.

"The Exorcist" scared me a -lot- when I first read it, as did the sequel "Legion ". The King is one of my favorite books of all time, and the Jackson is one of the all time great ghost stories.

So, nothing to complain about there.

[LOG]

I've never read a book that could scare me, but then, I don't read much horror, anyone got a book that they think could scare someone who interrupts his reading frequently? (I.E. Me)

[brainstorm77]

Anything about demon's scares the crap outta me!

[brainstorm77]

Any new suggestions anyone?

[~*Kate*~]

Re. S.King, I found The Stand to be the scariest, I think because it was so easy to believe it could really happen. It's been a long, long time since I've read his stuff though. I should re-read some.

[RLB]

There are always references to other SK books in his work. He created an entire mythology in the settings of many of his books. I recall references in one book (Pet Semetary?) to Pennywise, the clown from another book (name escapes me).

Pennywise is in It, which I'm reading right now. And in It, Dick Holloran from The Shining has a minor cameo as well.

One book I'll throw onto the pile that scared me when I read it was Primal Fear by William Diehl. Not a horror novel per se, but that ending line gave me chills and I slept with the lights on that night. Frakkin' horrible.

The movie, not so much (cuz I can't stand Richard Gere, sorry).

Oooo... I didn't know that was a book! I'm not a Gere fan either, but that movie was where I fell in love with Edward Norton. He hasn't gone wrong much since.


I'll also second "Heart Shaped Box."

I was mixed on this one. Loved the premise - man buys ghost on the internet - was not in love with the execution. Didn't know it was King's son while I was reading it, though there were some similarities.

[jodiodi]

I was mixed on this one. Loved the premise - man buys ghost on the internet - was not in love with the execution. Didn't know it was King's son while I was reading it, though there were some similarities.

Stephen King's son's ghost was sold on the internet? Or did he buy the ghost?

How did the National Enquirer or News of the World miss that headline? ;)

[stormie]

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
The Shining by S.King
Salems Lot by S.King

Right now can't think of others that scared me.

[Kurtz]

Seeing Finnegan's Wake on my bookshelf gives me the shivers. You can't read it, it reads you

[CatSlave]

I'm a huge fan of Dexter (he's hot) and I plan on starting the book series :)
Dexter has a book series...? ! ? !

[jodiodi]

Dexter has a book series...? ! ? !

Yep. I've read all 3 of the books which started the Showtime series:
Darkly Dreaming Dexter
Dexter in the Dark
Dearly Devoted Dexter

Dexter is the only program my husband and all 3 of the kids, all 3 of the dogs and I can agree on. When it's on, no arguments, the phones are turned off and no one answers the door or uses the computer.

[CatSlave]

Woo hoo, thanks!

Has anyone mentioned Hannibal and Red Dragon yet?

ETA: I meant Silence of the Lambs but they are equally scary to me.

[RLB]

Woo hoo, thanks!

Has anyone mentioned Hannibal and Red Dragon yet?

You had to bring those up. Now I'm not going to be able to get that pig farm out of my head...

[CatSlave]

I read Gerald's Game when it came out. Yes the guy in the corner was creepy. I also loved how the eclipse in Gerald's Game tied into another book (thats title escapes me at the moment) about a little girl during the same eclipse having a vision of the woman in Gerald's Game.
I think the tie-in was to Dolores Claiborne.

[CatSlave]

I seem to be on a roll today for posting observations that have already been posted. *blush*

I don't know if this book could be called scary, but Geek Love by Katherine Dunn is one of the most disturbing and beautifully written books I've ever read.

Not for the faint-hearted...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geek_Love

[brainstorm77]

Dexter has a book series...? ! ? !

It was a series of books before a show.:)

[Gregg]

I read the Exorcist when we lived in a house without an attic - in fact our bedroom was in what had been the attic. Nothing above us but the roof.

After reading the book I heard "rats" scurrying about above our bed- in what should have been the attic. But we didn't have one.

I was terrified (until I saw the movie).

[Idkwiaowiw]

1. The Exorcist-William Peter
2.The Haunting of Hill House-Shirley Jackson
3.The House on The Borderland-William Hope Hodgson
4.Our Lady of Darkness-Fritz Leiber
5.The Shining-Stephen King
6.The Monk-Matthew Lewis


I've only read the first two, but I didn't really find any of them scary. A tad creepy. The Exorcist was mainly just disturbing (but very interesting.)

[TrickyFiction]

House of Leaves-- Mark Z. D.

Yes yes hell yes. I had to put this one down and go for a walk to clear my head. It did terrible, wonderful things to me.

[brainstorm77]

Yes yes hell yes. I had to put this one down and go for a walk to clear my head. It did terrible, wonderful things to me.

Looking this up now :)

[sommemi]

I read The Shining, but haven't had a chance to read any of the other's on the list...

Why hasn't anyone else mentioned "It"? I had to stop reading that one when I was younger and couldn't finish it until I was well over 20 years old cause my parents had the CREEPIEST basement and it totally reminded me of that book. I swore I was gonna come across some creepy sharp toothed clown down there.

I know it probably isn't one of the scariest, I haven't read many others of his yet, but when I read "Dreamcatcher" (another King book) I remember having a REALLLY hard time sitting down on a toilet seat for months afterwards without looking twice in it first (especially when I got up in the middle of the night to pee and the only light on is the hall nightlight lol).

It's probably not the 'scariest', but I thought I'd add a quite 'disturbing' note that I have recently bought a copy of Grimm's Fairy tales, the original tales (not watered down for children) and found them MUCH more disturbing and quite... down right morbid at times. But hard not to read them! Certainly not something I'd let my kid read for sure, lol, but good stories all the same.

[S.J.]

I haven't read any of the other books in this thread, and don't usually read 'horror/scary' books, but 'The Woman in Black' by Susan Hill is so freaking scary. Also, apparently the play of the book makes people scream.

Stephen King features in nearly every thread here, and yet I'd never heard of him before coming here! I'm going to Waterstone's tomorrow: is there one particular book of his I should start with?

[brainstorm77]

I haven't read any of the other books in this thread, and don't usually read 'horror/scary' books, but 'The Woman in Black' by Susan Hill is so freaking scary. Also, apparently the play of the book makes people scream.

Stephen King features in nearly every thread here, and yet I'd never heard of him before coming here! I'm going to Waterstone's tomorrow: is there one particular book of his I should start with?

S. Kings The Shining.

[S.J.]

I'll buy it tomorrow... thanks!

[brainstorm77]

I'll buy it tomorrow... thanks!

I also enjoyed Salem's Lot and Misery.

[jodiodi]

Going with The Shining on this one. Favorite SK book ever! 'Salem's Lot was kinda spooky and so was Pet Sematary. That last one made me cry.

[brainstorm77]

I need to re-read Pet Sematary again.

[Diana Hignutt]

I'll toss in a couple of suggestions:

-Any good Lovecraft anthology
-Let the Right One In

It's not horror, but if you want scary read Lord of the Flies. That book scares the living shit out of me.

As far as King goes, I think Pet Cemetary is his scariest.

[S.J.]

It's not horror, but if you want scary read Lord of the Flies. That book scares the living shit out of me.

Same! Especially that part when Piggy... ughughugh. Although some of the scariness was taken out of it for me, since I only read it AFTER being in the play (probably the only girl ever to play Jack, haha). Part of the reason it's so frightening, I think, is that you can imagine it actually happening.

Oh, and they didn't have 'The Shining' in Waterstone's (sold out probably!), so I got 'Salem's Lot' instead and will hunt around for the other. :)

[Ellefire]

The Shining is the only book that has ever given me nightmares, Pet Semetary is hard to read, I'm not a big fan of children dying in books, especially when it's so realistic.

I bought House Of leaves (how much for a paperback!) and, although it was interesting, I didn't think it was scary.

[jilly61]

I found 'Clockwork Orange' and 'misery' scary for showing the lengths people can go to. Also 1984 and 'Brave New World.'

[brainstorm77]

I found 'Clockwork Orange' and 'misery' scary for showing the lengths people can go to. Also 1984 and 'Brave New World.'


I've not read 'Clockwork Orange', but Misery indeed!

[brainstorm77]

Any more suggestions?

[rosiecotton]

I can only second what's been said already:

The Shining is truly terrifying. It's so damn eerie and claustrophic. The Overlook Hotel is one of King's greatest characters--the place just bursts off the page.

Salem's Lot--OMG. For me, Salem's Lot is one of those 'I remember where I was when...' moments. Family vacation in the Lake District, England, we had a cabin in the woods at some holiday park and I was probably 13 or 14 years old. I read it in a day and spent every night after staring at the windows in my room--just waiting for that tap, tap. The TV adaptation (remember David Soul?) was on over two nights when we got home. I begged, begged, and begged to watch it. Huge mistake. I don't think I've been the same since!

The Exorcist? For me, off the charts. It was like, "I shouldn't be reading this...I'd condemning myself for reading this...put it down...bury it in the garden." It was like reading pure evil. When I was finished reading at night, I'd keep it front cover down, the only way to stop Captain Howdy from getting out!

[Fredster]

I've been on a King-fest over the last two months or so. The battle for "Fred's favorite author" is squarely between him and Koontz.

I can't add much to what's been said here, but I'll point out that King's great works from the 70's and 80's (The Dead Zone, Firestarter, The Shining, etc.) have held up VERY well over the years and are still great reads.

I'm about 80% through Duma Key and loving it. Very creepy, not so much scary for me, but books don't usually scare me.

This thread is awesome because it's made me add a ton of books to my Amazon wish list. :)

[ninebabydragons]

Just finished The Shining last week. (I'd seen the movie and never read the book.) I don't know about the scariest book ever, but I am having trouble facing drawn shower curtains. Yikes!

(But on reflection, I think Pet Semetary was scarier.)

I'll have to check out Coraline. It looked like a kids movie, so I didn't think the book would be that frightening.

I used to take a Stephen King novel to the hospital with me after delivery to read during nursing sessions on third shift. Nothing scarier than a quiet hospital. That said, I don't scare easy but dude, I couldn't even finish The Shining. That book got too deep in my head. My youngest child is 13 and I still can't bring myself to read it. *Shivering*

[ninebabydragons]

I am a big wimp. I thought "Carrie" was intriguing, so I picked up "Christine"...you know, the one about the haunted car? I thought I'd never sleep again. Then I read "'Salem's Lot"...GAWD. I really can't read scary books, they make me a jittery wreck. I also went through a big Patricia Cornwell phase when I lived alone. I know, those books are mild for fans of really scary stuff. But again, jittery wreck. *shudder*

I started having nightmares and my personality changed during my Patricia Cornwell days. I don't look as forward to reading her newer stuff but at least I'm not looking at people weird after I read them.

[Shadow_Ferret]

I read the Exorcist and The Haunting of Hill House. I enjoyed the Hill House as far as the writing. The Exorcist bored me.

Neither scared me.

Personally, I think Psycho by Robert Bloch should be on that list over the Exorcist.

I've got The Monk on my shelf, and Kindle, to be read.

[ninebabydragons]

I would agree with most of these choices. I do think one author is missing here. H.P. Lovecraft. Mostly his writings are creepy more than scary but I would say the same about most of the novels offered up here. Also Poe, The Tell-Tale Heart that is good creepy stuff. I think The Shining was King's most well-written book and it was scary. Funny, he thought The Exorcist (book, not movie) was crap. A little well-known book is not presented as fiction: Five Cases of Possession in America by Father Malachi Martin. The book is creepy, disturbing and truly scary. The reason why it does all those things is simply this--the stories in the book make you think possession by demonic entities is real.

We read the Cask of Amontillado in middle school and I freaked out thinking about being buried alive. Ohmigoodness.

[ninebabydragons]

http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/wallpaper.html

The Yellow Wallpaper by Gilman. I made all my kids read it. Some were creeped, some were bored. That last entry nearly blew my brains out in slow motion. I sat there and just stared at the page for a few minutes.

[ninebabydragons]

The Dark Half by King is creepy as well. I just pulled it off the bookshelf to reread. I'm going through a reread everything written by King phase. :)

Doesn't it seem like he and Koontz had a contest and he wrote Dark Half and Koontz wrote Mr. Murder. Same plot, same timing published. Pretty interesting. Mr. Murder has a better ending and Dark Half has a better middle. Stephen King's not the best on endings.

[ninebabydragons]

YES! I thought this book was awesome... scary awesome :)
Although I had some old edition with a hideous cover picture of a vampire... and not the romanticised version of a vampire... a really freaky version!


I know. My son says he misses when vampires were scary and deadly not wimpy and in love.

[jodiodi]

I know. My son says he misses when vampires were scary and deadly not wimpy and in love.

I'm with your son on this subject. I loathe the wangsty tortured vampires of today. I blame Anne Rice for starting that trend.

[Meech]

Speaking of vampires who are creepy. I just read a book called "Dead Witch Walking" By...Kim Harrison..I think let me check. Yes Kim Harrison. I didn't really like the book per se but I have to say that the main vampire woman Ivy. Oh man she creeped the living daylights out of me. Especially when they first move in together the "couch scene" It wasn't a very good book. The MC was silly and much of it didn't make sense to me. My main point though is that the vampire Ivy wasn't all gooey and loveable. She unnerved me to NO END. I don't typically enjoy scary books..the feeling tends to stay with me. I love scary movies but books are different. *shudders* Vampire Ivy will stay with me for quite sometime.

[Grrarrgh]

It scared the crap out of me when I was a kid. I still re-read it once a year or so, but nothing beats the first time I read it. I still hate clowns.

And more recently, Heart-Shaped Box. That book creeped me out the way nothing has in years.

[DoomBunny]

House of Leaves is the scariest damn thing I've ever read. Stephen King on the other hand, bugs the hell out of me.

Having said that, I've yet to encounter a character that scared me. Atmosphere and implication is more my cup of tea.

[zahra]

I'd say The Haunting of Hill House has one of the scariest MOMENTS in lit. fic. - the hand-holding moment. I could barely sleep when I first read that. Though I love Stephen King, I can't remember ever being as scared as that by anything he's written so far, but Danny and Ralphie's ordeal on the way back from Mark's comes as close as dammit.

[brainstorm77]

Salem's Lot was great!

[NewKidOldKid]

Salem's Lot was great!

Salem's Lot kept me awake for more than a couple of nights when I first read it.

[brainstorm77]

:)

[Sieglinde]

No fear for Lovecraft and his Eldritch Abominations anymore? :D Well, I read his stories after meeting this page (http://www.goominet.com/unspeakable-vault-of-doom/archives/) first... so I couldn't really fear his gods.

[jodiodi]

No fear for Lovecraft and his Eldritch Abominations anymore? :D Well, I read his stories after meeting this page (http://www.goominet.com/unspeakable-vault-of-doom/archives/) first... so I couldn't really fear his gods.

I never found Lovecraft scary, frightening, or even mildly unnerving. He talked any fear out of his stories.

[Sieglinde]

Well, we can give a try to Turn of the Screw... although it's not so scary, just your classical Victorian Ghost Story with a haunted heroine and not-so-innocent children... but there are some frightening moments. I wouldn't want to meet Peter Quint at night...

[jodiodi]

I've read A Turn of the Screw. I liked it. Good atmosphere and ghosts. What more could one ask for?

[Sieglinde]

I've read A Turn of the Screw. I liked it. Good atmosphere and ghosts. What more could one ask for?

Music? No wait, it's also done. ;) And how!

[MJ Goodnow]

666 by Jay Anson

[zahra]

I never found Lovecraft scary, frightening, or even mildly unnerving. He talked any fear out of his stories.
Yes! That's it exactly!

[brainstorm77]

I've read A Turn of the Screw. I liked it. Good atmosphere and ghosts. What more could one ask for?

I'll have to pick this one up.

[Dr.Gonzo]

I agree, The Shining isn't King's scariest book. Not even Close. Salem's Lot, It, Bag of Bones - they're the ones that push my buttons.

The Haunting of Hill House is a beautiful read, but scary - no. Poetically gothic, yes.

The Exorcist is scary, but I have to say, it had a LOT of ty2pos an derros.

I'll add one to the list: A Stir of Echoes by Richard Matheson. Pure awesome.

[LordMoogi]

I'm kind of unversed in the ways of horror, but there is one scene I've read that still sends chills up my spine to think about. I'm talking about a scene from Bram Stoker's Dracula. Now, the book itself doesn't scare me very much, but the sequence with the ship captain's diary and the Count taking the form of a massive black dog when he runs ashore absolutely terrifies me, for some reason. Years before I read the book, I was visiting Whitby with my parents, and my father pointed at the Abby from across the harbor and told me about the scene from the novel. My ten-year-old mind formed a perfectly clear, terrifying image of the storm and the dog that resurfaced in my nightmares that evening. When I finally read the book, I found my old fears resurfacing for those sentences, and I had to put the book down for a second to relax before I continued. Odd that such a minor scene can be so scary, but there you go.

If we count graphic novels in this discussion, can I just say that I was deeply disturbed by the chapter "24 Hours" from the first volume of Sandman? Reading about people trapped in a diner for a day while being raped, mentally and physically, is a profoundly horrifying experience.

[Satori1977]

I am going to add some of these books to my TBR pile. Been in a horror mood lately, so keep the recs coming!


If we count graphic novels in this discussion, can I just say that I was deeply disturbed by the chapter "24 Hours" from the first volume of Sandman? Reading about people trapped in a diner for a day while being raped, mentally and physically, is a profoundly horrifying experience.

Ok, I really like Gaimen, and several people recommended this to me, so I picked it up at the library yesterday. And I got nothing from it. I don't read a lot of graphic novels anyway, so maybe it just wasn't the right format for me. But I found a lot of it confusing. Not scary at all.

[brainstorm77]

Same. I've been on a horror kick :)

[Mistress Elysia]

I'm going to throw my hat in for Lovecraft - I just love that guy. The Rats in the Walls, Dreams in the Witchhouse and The Colour Out of Space are top scares.

The Descent by Jeff Long has the most utterly terrifying first chapter I have ever read - I've read a lot of horror over the years, and that one really did make me wonder if I could carry on with it. I did and I'm so glad I did so: it was *wonderful*.

I also remember James Herbert's Domain giving me the heebie jeebies quite a lot.

As for Coraline... I teach Coraline to my Year 7's, because it's never too early to introduce an appreciation for the weird! :D

[KyraDune]

I've read The Shining, but I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call it scary. I define scary as something that gives me nightmares or has me jumpy during the day. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Stephen King fan all the way, but I can't recall any of his books giving me the scares. Actually, I can only remember getting nightmares from one book, which I read when I was a kid. Can't remember what it was called though.

[Kyra Wright]

The scariest novel I've read is The Ring by Koji Suzuki. Neither the Japanese nor the American films scared me at all, but the novel itself was rather frightening (it should also be noted that the novel is quite different from the films). The novel created a deep sense of unease that stayed with me as I read it. I need to re-read it soon (and I need to get the sequels as well).

[WackAMole]

Strange thing, when I was a teen I devoured every S King novel or short story I could find, but I never managed to read 'The Shining'.

'It' scared the crap out of me. The kid at the start playing with his boat and the whole sewer drain thing. And yeah, he did for Clowns what Benchley did for sharks. 'JAWS' - I will add to my list of scary books.

One thing lacking in many, many new horror movies and stories...imagination!! Why is it so hard to understand that it is not what you see, it's what you don't see. It's the sound, the smell, every sense but sight. If what you read or watch doesn't leave you with that creepy feeling that something or someone could be sneaking up behind you, well then, it just wasn't scary at all.

[Kyra Wright]

One thing lacking in many, many new horror movies and stories...imagination!! Why is it so hard to understand that it is not what you see, it's what you don't see. It's the sound, the smell, every sense but sight. If what you read or watch doesn't leave you with that creepy feeling that something or someone could be sneaking up behind you, well then, it just wasn't scary at all.
I agree. That's the sort of horror I enjoy, whether it's in a book, movie, or video game; I don't want jump out scares, I want atmospheric creepiness that deeply unsettles me. What I want to find is Silent Hill in book form.

[Chris P]

Amityville Horror freaked me out.

[MrWrite]

Salem's Lot was great!


Salem's Lot was easily my favourite King novel.

I also loved the original tv showing with David Soul. I saw the remake recently and wasn't so thrilled. But the original showing of Salem's Lot was really creepy. especially the bits with the boy floating in the fog outside the window. Creeeeepyyyyyyy!

[Alpha Echo]

I've read The Shining, coz I love ghost stories.

Honestly, I'm surprised Coraline isn't on that list; I've heard, and read, that some people consider it one of the most terrifying pieces of modern fiction, no matter its YA category. I thought it was quite unnerving, not gonna lie.

That doesn't surprise me. We have the movie, and it freaked out the 6-year old, and though we were impressed with Tim Burton's imaginative portrayal, the premise is very, very creepy! I mean...sewing over the kids' eyes and mouths? Yuck! Very creepy!

[Alpha Echo]

Okay, but to answer the OP - no, I haven't read any of them, and I probably won't. I like mysteries and thrillers, but I do not enjoy horror. I don't watch horror movies, and I can only imagine how much more a horror book would freak me out.

Question - if I were to decide to freak myself out over one, good horror book, which one should it be?

[brainstorm77]

That doesn't surprise me. We have the movie, and it freaked out the 6-year old, and though we were impressed with Tim Burton's imaginative portrayal, the premise is very, very creepy! I mean...sewing over the kids' eyes and mouths? Yuck! Very creepy!

And the whole child killer aspect... I did not read the book but the movie was ok.

[regdog]

It Stephen King. I stopped reading that book when It reached up and grabbed the little boy sitting in the park on the footbridge. I hate clowns

[brainstorm77]

It Stephen King. I stopped reading that book when It reached up and grabbed the little boy sitting in the park on the footbridge. I hate clowns

That clown was scary as hell.:tongue

[brainstorm77]

Any new books to add?

[childeroland]

I don't know about scariest, but certainly the best horror books I can name off-hand, in no particular order:

1.) Teatro Grottesco - Thomas Ligotti
2). Incredible Adventures - Algernon Blackwood
3.) The Centaur - Algernon Blackwood
4.) The House of Souls - Arthur Machen
5.) The Collected Strange Stories -- Robert Aickman
6.) The Collected Ghost Stories of M.R. James -- M.R. James

[Satori1977]

It is such a creepy book. The movie it too, but the book is worse. There was one scene near the end that totally didn't make sense and I didn't like. But overall, so scary. Clowns, child killers. The worst.

And I have to say, I can't look at Tim Curry without thinking of Pennywise and being completely freaked out.

Childeroland, haven't read any of those books. Will add them to the pile, thanks!

[Honeybug]

Although I wouldn't classify The Stand as a horror story, it was so realistic as far as end of the world events. I was in my 20's when I read it and can see now the similarities of today's events....it's creepy. I remember when I read it, I couldn't go around people who sneezed or coughed....makes you want to wear a mask over your face!! That was just one book I couldn't put down!!!

"IT" was just the ultimate in scare category! The one line from Pennywise, the clown...."they all float down here".....eeeeeehhhh...still gets me!! I can't look at clowns because of that book!!

[mirandashell]

I reckon Stephen King is responsible for more clown phobia than clowns themselves. They must absolutely hate him!

[mirandashell]

One short story of SK freaked me out when I was a teenager: Library Police. I don't really remember the story now, I've never read it since, but when I think about it I get an instant feeling of uneasiness.

And I never ever take library books back after the return date......

[Devil Ledbetter]

It Stephen King. I stopped reading that book when It reached up and grabbed the little boy sitting in the park on the footbridge. I hate clownsThat book had too many gaping plot holes to scare me. If you'd finished it, you'd be saying "Ha. King, you can't scare me with your Swiss cheese plotting."

[crunchyblanket]

I was terrified of clowns before I read it and nobody warned me it was...clown-centric in parts. I stopped reading as soon as the clown appeared and never picked it up again.

I'm currently reading Metro 2033 which is pretty freaky in parts.

[Arch Stanton]

Any Lovecraft compilation with "The Shunned House", "The Colour Out of Space", "The Whisperer in Darkness", "The Shadow Over Innsmouth", "At the Mountains of Madness", and "The Dreams in the Witch House". I'd argue that "Brown Jenkin" is the creepiest character ever.

I'm not scared by many stories, but these had me freaked out. His talent for creating unease is unmatched IMHO.

[brainstorm77]

I've been enjoying Bentley Little. Some of his books are a bit outlandish, but still entertaining.:tongue

[zahra]

New one - 'Dark Matter', by Michelle Paver. Not one of the 6 scariest ever written, to be sure, but certainly unnerving as hell.

[childeroland]

Stephen King's "Gramma" did it for me--the scariest of all his stories that I've read. Jack Ketchum can also be quite horrifying, though I wonder if the feeling isn't despair more than horror.

[gothicangel]

List taken from Simple Living Magazine. Have any of you read these titles? Thoughts? Opinions?

1. The Exorcist-William Peter
2.The Haunting of Hill House-Shirley Jackson
3.The House on The Borderland-William Hope Hodgson
4.Our Lady of Darkness-Fritz Leiber
5.The Shining-Stephen King
6.The Monk-Matthew Lewis

Also, what scary books would you recommend? :) And yes I do know scariest has one R. If a Mod could change that in the thread title I would be ever so happy :)

Just popping into point out that The Exorcist was written by William Blatty.

[brainstorm77]

Just popping into point out that The Exorcist was written by William Blatty.
William PETER Blatty actually. So, I guess somewhere along the way his last name was left out by mistake.

[Ophiucha]

I've read The House on the Borderland, The Shining, and The Monk. Love it though I do, I would say a different King novel should be here. My other three would probably be something from Lovecraft, Poe, and Clive Barker. Though I suppose all of my favorites by Barker are more fantasy than horror. Perhaps someone Victorian, then. Either way, disturbing lack of Lovecraft and Poe.

I really like that House on the Borderland is here instead of House of Leaves. Millions of points to Simple Living for that one.

[kdesanges]

Sorry I don't have anything new to add. I have to agree, Stephen King is the master of horror and It was one of the scariest books he's written in my opinion - although Pet Cemetary and Salem's lot was nothing to sneeze at. I love horror so I flew through them, but 2 of my friends couldn't make it through It!! I have to wonder sometimes...what goes through that man's mind? It's intriguing how he can pull out stories that universally freak readers out!!!

[grandmastertuck]

I guess the things that scare me do so for very different reasons. For example, the book CELL by Stephen King really freaked me out, because the beginning of the book starts off with a scene that's so normal. The character is a guy like anyone - or like me, for that matter - and all at once, the world goes to hell around him. I picture what would go through my mind if some pixie chick suddenly began to munch on the ice-cream man like a cannibal right there in front of me. *shudder*

Or, another story I found absolutely horrifying was 1408 (and forget the stupid movie, which missed the mark by a mile - though I have to admit that I get creeped out every time I hear that stupid song now). The descriptions of the picture frames and the door frame just did a number on me for months. And I stay in hotels a lot, which did nothing but add to the unease. Absolutely brilliantly written.

[Dandroid]

House of Leaves...i grew increasingly uncomfortable as it progressed, and regulary looked about the room nervously...

[brainstorm77]

House of Leaves...i grew increasingly uncomfortable as it progressed, and regulary looked about the room nervously...

I need to read this. :D

[brainstorm77]

Does anyone have anymore books to add? I'm looking for new titles to read. Thanks.

[Al Stevens]

(the books, not the movies, although the movies were scary, too)
Psycho
Night of the Hunter
Dracula (although I prefer books with stories that could have happened)

Dracula is effective in that it is written as a collection of letters, diaries, newspaper articles, and such. Only the reader can put it all together and know what is going on.

[Haggis]

Does anyone have anymore books to add? I'm looking for new titles to read. Thanks.
Full Dark, No Stars, King's latest (or one of his latest), is, in my opinion, one of his best. It's a collection of a hand full of short stories/novellas that are darker than the grave. The stories may not necessarily be scary, but they are evil and oh, so good.

[brainstorm77]

Full Dark, No Stars, King's latest (or one of his latest), is, in my opinion, one of his best. It's a collection of a hand full of short stories/novellas that are darker than the grave. The stories may not necessarily be scary, but they are evil and oh, so good.

I've been meaning to get that one.

[Uncarved]

I second "Heart Shaped Box" by Joe Hill. Finally got it and devored it in two days. Haunting, literally.

[Christine N.]

Didn't anyone read Desperation by Stephen King? That's by far his scariest work.
Deadlock (http://www.amazon.com/Deadlock-William-Cross/dp/0515114332/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240012231&sr=8-2) is pretty 'effing scary too.

Did you read the companion book, THE REGULATORS? All the same character names but they're different people. TERRIFIED me.

I think THE STAND is scarier than THE SHINING. I hated THE ROAD; it didn't scare me so much as make me ill and depressed. A book that will make you wonder what's the point of it all. I had to read it for a class and I will never read it again.

[brainstorm77]

I'm a fan of The Shining but it wasn't scary for me.

[Steph]

I have read a few of these and they didn't do much for me.
The only book that ever scared me in my whole history of reading was American Psycho. I'm not sure why that got to me the most, but it did.

[lindseyanne]

The Shining was great but I agree with everyone here who says that King has written much scarier books. It should probably have a place on that list. The first time I read it there were nights where I stayed up until dawn reading it because I was too freaked out to put it down and face the dark.

[Archie1989]

"Gerald's Game"-King. I didn't find The Stand scary, in fact I've read it like ten times, I LOVELOVELOVE it. "Christine" was pretty freaky too though.

[GothamGal]

The Girl Next Door... by Jack Ketchum. It's sick and creepy.

[Darren Frey]

one of my english teachers in college called The Stand her opinion of the great american horror novel. The only King books Ive read are The Shining and Carrie. I thought the movies were better than the books. I know they are both different but I found them to be better. I found parts of Memnoch The Devil by Anne Rice to be scary as well.

[SeymourPats]

1. Ghost Story by Peter Straub (it's one of the few books that kept me up at night)
2. Almost anything by Stephen King (I'd pick The Shining and Gerald's Game as two of his scariest)
3. The Exorcist
4/5. Lord of the Dead and Slave of My Thirst by Tom Holland

[readme]

List taken from Simple Living Magazine. Have any of you read these titles? Thoughts? Opinions?

1. The Exorcist-William Peter Blatty
2.The Haunting of Hill House-Shirley Jackson
3.The House on The Borderland-William Hope Hodgson
4.Our Lady of Darkness-Fritz Leiber
5.The Shining-Stephen King
6.The Monk-Matthew Lewis

Also, what scary books would you recommend? :) And yes I do know scariest has one R. If a Mod could change that in the thread title I would be ever so happy :)
yes, I agree. The Shining made me physically sick for the two weeks I was reading it. It wasn't the horror scenes as much as the build up.
But, I am surprised no one has mentioned the original VC Andrews BOOKs.
Flowers in the Attic first series, (except Garden of Shadows which was A GHOST WRITER and POSTHUMOUS)....these books are lovely yet super disturbing...and of course her stand alone MY SWEET AUDRINA....
I also just found, which I cannot wait to read IRA LEVIN'S THE BOYS OF BRAZIL
since I enjoyed his other 70's horror novels....
and one more is ANNE RICE'S BEAUTY SERIES...I couldnt finish the last one it was too much for me...