What's your favorite Horror novel?

[DiscoDan]

I dunno if this topic has been done before or not (probably has) but I'm tired of viewing the horror section with no exciting new posts! So here's the question:

What's your favorite horror novel? It doesn't have to be the scariest just your favorite.

For me it's The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King. It's definately not his scariest work, but it has it's moments and is definately the best out of the books I've read by him.

The scariest Stephen King moment I think is in Desperation when that cop pulls over the couple.. I won't post spoilers, but if you read it you know what I'm talking about.

[Andrew Dugan]

Out of King's novels, I'd be hard to choose between his and Peter Straub's The Talisman and Black House. Both books are absolutely incredible.

Throw in Dean Koontz's Intensity. It was just . . . hard to read. Not because it was bad, but because I didn't know whether or not I wanted to find out what happened to Chyna Shepherd. The main antagonist, Edgler Vess, was one cruel bastard.

[Starlightmntn]

I'd have to say The Shining, Stephen King; The Haunting of Hill House, Shirley Jackson; and an obscure "true" story about a haunting in Media, Pennsylvania called Night Stalks the Mansion, Constance Westbie. All are paranormal/psychological suspense novels. I also love the Victorian and early 20th century ghost stories. Very traditional, but very creepy.

[callalily61]

It's a short story, but...

"The Colour Out of Space" by Lovecraft. I reread it once every 5 years or so...it can still give me the complete willies in broad daylight.

A close second: On the Beach by Nevil Shute. You wouldn't think it fits the category, but that scene where the guy is wandering nuked Seattle searching for what's been making the Morse Code sounds is goosebump-inducing.

[preyer]

'the complete works of e.a. poe.' i wasn't able to finish it because i lost the book at work, but made it up 3/4 of the way through, missing out basically on one long short story and poe's commentary about poems and the poems themselves. i don't like poems, anyway, so no big deal there. hate to call it a 'novel' b/c it's a collection of stories. novels, maybe 'pet sematary.' i'd say 'interesting' as opposed to being scary, though. i don't know why, maybe it's simply because of the novel format, but horror novels don't scare me. now, those collections of short stories maybe just a few pages each in length, those give me the chills.

[Ebelie]

I agree Preyer, I've always found short stories much scarier than novels. My parents used to have a shelf of Pan collections and I'd spend hours reading them. Daphne Du Maurier's "The Birds" would be my favourite. I read it because I enjoyed Hitchcock's movie and was surprised to see how different the plot was.

[preyer]

i think to tell an effective horror story, you have to establish a very strong atmosphere and keep it moving fast once the story takes off. that's beyond good characters and all the rest. why shorter stories work better for me is there's not a lot of exposition or description and needless fluff to make it into a novel. i've always said stephen king writes great 400 page short stories (that's not a compliment, btw). that's probably why 'skeleton crew' (i believe it was called) is, imo, one of his better books.

[Ebelie]

why shorter stories work better for me is there's not a lot of exposition or description and needless fluff to make it into a novel. i've always said stephen king writes great 400 page short stories (that's not a compliment, btw). that's probably why 'skeleton crew' (i believe it was called) is, imo, one of his better books.

While I admit that if Stephen King were to publish his shopping list I'd probably buy it, and his "needless fluff" is one of the things I enjoy most about his writing, you've made me realise that I do find his shorter stories more powerful and memorable.

I think that with short stories, the reader has less of an emotional investment in the main character, which means that a happy ending isn't as necessary. I've found this to be a definite benefit for horror stories as it gives the writer greater freedom with the plot.

[preyer]

king himself admits to prattling on. i just happen to agree. :)

that's a good way of putting it, a lack of emotional investment goes a long way towards those ultra-short stories. freedom with the plot is a good thing when the writer knows what to do with it. i've seen a lot of pointlessly sad or ironic endings that just didn't need to be that way. so many short horror stories end with the main character dying or turning into a vampire.

i prefer clive barker over king, though.

[BlueTexas]

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson and IT by Stephen King.

[Carole]

Not technically horror, but horror doesn't usually get me anyway.


Koontz - Fear Nothing. Hubby and I have a tendancy to read together when he is home. When we lived in Florida, he came home with that book one evening. We sat up in bed switching off reading to eachother. The sun was coming up before we put it down!

The creepy monkey critters out on the beach. That still freaks me out.

[Liam Jackson]

Ghost Story, by Peter Straub

It, by S. King

Face, D. Koontz

[MitchJ]

Stephen King's Pet Sematary and The Dark Half

I find it ironic that The Dark Half, one of King's most gruesome novels, turned into one of the tamest movies, even though it was directed by George Romero, who's responsible for some of the most gruesome movies.

[RumBucuresti]

Hard to pick one for me off the top of my head. The last horror i have read was "Jinn" by Matthew Delaney which had two or three scenes that saved the book for me and made it worth picking up.




possible *spoilers*





the scene looking through the sunken ships porthole was one.

The jungle scenes of the WW2 soldiers being hunted were also well written and deeply unsettling.

[pickman]

I have a love for the classical Gothic literature myself. I have loved Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' since I studied it at Uni.

Does it have to be a novel? H. P. Lovecraft's short story The Outsider has always been a favourite horror tale of mine.

If you are referring to more modern horror novels, I would say 'The Revenants' by Geoffrey Farrington. He writes a vampire novel much better than Anne Rice and the like. It's a shame he doesn't have much more exposure, as I loved 'The Revenants'.

[Jamesaritchie]

i think to tell an effective horror story, you have to establish a very strong atmosphere and keep it moving fast once the story takes off. that's beyond good characters and all the rest. why shorter stories work better for me is there's not a lot of exposition or description and needless fluff to make it into a novel. i've always said stephen king writes great 400 page short stories (that's not a compliment, btw). that's probably why 'skeleton crew' (i believe it was called) is, imo, one of his better books.

I don't think King puts a single word of fluff in any of his novels. I do love his short stories, but I also find his novels incredible. If anything, I find most of them far too short.

Different readers have different tastes, but I really don't think King puts any fluff at all in his writing. Every word of description and exposition he writers reads to me as if it not only belongs, but makes the novel what it is.

The last thing I want with horror is fast. For me, horror is about tension, about build up, about not getting to the point before it's absolutely necessary. Short and fast horror I can get from comic books. But for a good read, give me long and give me slow. Give me character, description, exposition and tension. Give me Stephen King.

[Jamesaritchie]

.

i prefer clive barker over king, though.

Maybe this explains it. I wonder how many readers like Barker and King both? I find Barker completely unreadable. I can't get through anything Barker writes. I hate his writing. But King is definitely one of my three or four favorite writers.

[three seven]

The Dark HalfI loved that. Although actually, I read it many years ago and it might just have been the story that I loved. Maybe I should read it again.

[Jamesaritchie]

Not technically horror, but horror doesn't usually get me anyway.


Koontz - Fear Nothing. Hubby and I have a tendancy to read together when he is home. When we lived in Florida, he came home with that book one evening. We sat up in bed switching off reading to eachother. The sun was coming up before we put it down!

The creepy monkey critters out on the beach. That still freaks me out.

I loved Fear Nothing, and that was a freaky scene. I also like the sequels nearly as much.

[MacAllister]

I'm currently re-reading It--and I'd forgotten what a terrific novel it is.

I'm in James Ritchie's corner about the length of King's books. I thought The Stand was improved enormously when they put the extra material back into the book.

[preyer]

'I don't think King puts a single word of fluff in any of his novels.' ~ king himself admits to having, if i'm getting the quote right, 'diarrhea of the typewriter.' of course, it's all opinion. i happen to agree with him on that, though, lol.

'I find Barker completely unreadable.' ~ that must explain it, like you said, lol. i got tired of reading 400 pages of fairly uninspired writing (at least when i read king, mid-80's-early 90's, i'd read one of his books and find a total of maybe three lines if i was lucky that i was impressed by), and the fact he might as well come right out and say on the third page, 'by the end, he'd be dead.' once i started reading barker, i never picked up another king book again: i had found a writer who i thought could actually write. again, just one dude's opinion.

rather an aside, and i use king as an anecdotal example though it applies to any well-know writer, i once opened a door for a little old lady as we entered a book store. as soon as we stepped inside, she caught a passing clerk and asked, 'do you have the new stephen king book in? i'm not sure of the title, but i'd like to buy it.'

now, to me, this is just pure silly, to blindly follow an artist's work without sampling it first to make sure it any damn good. i admit i used to do this... when i was 15, my favourite band was asia, and i bought their third album 'blind' and it sucked. i kinda learned then and there that, hey, while i'm a fan and will definitely give my favourite band or author first looksies, that doesn't automatically instill quality into the work. unless i get it for a helluva price and decide to take a chance, no way i pay full price for something i can't sample first. i wouldn't automatically go out and buy led zeppelin's or the beetles' new album, either. when my money is involved, there's no blind faith (unless i'm at a book fair and am pressed for time, i'll chance a quarter on a book).

to each their own, and all that. neither of us are right or wrong given our pesonal tastes.

i should clarify the 'speed' aspect of what i said. i'd hoped it would go without saying that atmosphere and characterization and all that are established before the story gets going, just after the essentials are taken care of i don't want the plot to sit on a stump and grow mushrooms, either. set your ducks up and shoot, damnit. i say that and there was one barker story, forget the name, which was torturously dull to read, although it had a few scenes in it i'd have been proud to call my own. don't misunderstand me, either: i'm not suggesting you condense everything down to monosyllabic three word sentences.

[Carole]

I loved Fear Nothing, and that was a freaky scene. I also like the sequels nearly as much.
We bought Seize the Night and it didn't draw either of us in like Fear Nothing did. I liked it, but not as much. I think Koontz is a wonderful storyteller. His way of writing paints vivid scenes in my mind, and his charachters are memorable to me. Even Christopher Snow's dog! "Squirrels, Master! Squirrels had sex here!" HA!

[robeiae]

I used to be an avid Peter Straub reader. I loved Shadowland--easily my all-time favorite horror novel. However, I would say that The King in Yellow, by Robert Chambers is in a class by itself. But since it's not really a novel, per se, I can't claim it as my favorite horror novel!

Rob :)

[callalily61]

"The King In Yellow"! How could I have forgotten it?!

Also "The Beckoning Fair One" by Oliver Onions. Really sneaks up on you.

[louisgodwin]

King is by far my favorite author. While not all of his books are great, I've enjoyed most of them. The scariest for me was Pet Semetary, but his highest literary accomplishment was The Green Mile.

I also love the work of Anne Rice, but none of her stuff is really "scary."
Thomas Harris... now that's a guy who knows how to make your skin crawl. I just wish he'd come out with more than one book per decade.

[Josh]

IT - by King at the top of my list.

For shorter work, I absolutely loved "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson.

For short stories, Clive Barker's Books of Blood. Game. Set. Match. This guy had some serious chops at a very early age. I'm disappointed with how his career has turned out thus far, but this guy's short story collection is unbelievably good.

[Faritova]

That's interesting what someone posted, that the short stories carry more of a punch than the long ones. If I had to pick favorites for King, well, for sentimental reasons, I was about 11 when I read Firestarter for the first time and my mom didn't realize the type of book it was. I guess when I think back on images that he's written and what stays in my mind as his strongest work, Night Shift with stories like Strawberry Spring,The Last Rung of The Ladder, Children of the Corn, Jerusalem's Lot, and others. My hometown usually has a few nights like that in the spring, minus the murders. Skeleton Crew has some awesome shorts as well, I think it starts with the raft. I remember the lady who drives her car on different short cuts and comes back with all sorts of strange bugs on the grill. There is also the 4 stories in Different Seasons for sure. When I think of Stephen King conjuring a mood, I think of the "The Body" and "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" as both those stories don't deal directly with blood, guts, and gore instead they hold the a sense of the fantastic, a sense of fear, a sense of loss and it's this style of writing, this captured mood that I see in all his books, as inconsistent as it can be sometimes that makes me think of Stephen King as a good writer and story teller. He's written some crap in his lifetime too, and I found that some of his later collections of short stories seemed to lack the earlier punch of his youth although the quality of writing and the style had matured. It was that type of loss and mood setting that makes the Green Mile work in the long run. I loved the Shining and The Dead Zone. As well, Salem's Lot, total cheese, but scared me at 13, and Carrie. The worst ones, I really never did dig Christine all that much, or Cujo and I thought the ending of Tommyknockers was a total let down.On a different note, did anybody ever read his wife's book One on One? After slogging through the Caretaker and the Pearl, she did an about face and wrote a really really good story, not horror at all.

[gina]

It by Stephen King is one of mine. I love all his works, but It is my favorite. That and The Stand. I read that book in under a month, and I know both come in over 1000 words.

[aspiringwriter]

My favorite horror novel would have to be Misery by Stephen King. It was totally different for his usual element. Most of his books are about the "devil" coming to town in one form or another, but with Misery he completely surprised his readers and had something a little more "normal" for a change.

[Andrew Dugan]

It by Stephen King is one of mine. I love all his works, but It is my favorite. That and The Stand. I read that book in under a month, and I know both come in over 1000 words.

That's probably for the best. >=) It's difficult to write an epic tale in under one thousand words, isn't it? :wag:

My favorite horror novel would have to be Misery by Stephen King. It was totally different for his usual element. Most of his books are about the "devil" coming to town in one form or another, but with Misery he completely surprised his readers and had something a little more "normal" for a change.

I can't decide which scene is more gruesome: the hobbling scene from the film, or the complete amputation in the book. And then to cauterize it. Ouch. :eek:

[David McAfee]

King is by far my favorite author. While not all of his books are great, I've enjoyed most of them. The scariest for me was Pet Semetary, but his highest literary accomplishment was The Green Mile.

I also love the work of Anne Rice, but none of her stuff is really "scary."
Thomas Harris... now that's a guy who knows how to make your skin crawl. I just wish he'd come out with more than one book per decade.

Personally, I think Bag of Bones was King's best book, but The Green Mile is definitely up there.


As for the scariest novel I've ever read, It ispretty high up there. Some scenes in The Stand really spooked the crap out of me, particulalry in the openening sequences where King told of the crumbling of society after the start of the superflu.
Also, while not technically a horror, there were some scenes in Jurassic Park that scared the crap out of me, too.

[preyer]

'house of leaves' ranks up there for me. not sure if you'd call it horror or not.

[Magna]

Anything by Barker, notably Weaverworld, Books of Blood (all of em), Sacrament, The Damnation Game and Imajica.

Of Stephen King's work I like Salem's Lot, but I think Carrie is extremly well written.

HP Lovecraft's collected works are a must for any fan of horror literature.

And finally, check out Brian Lumely's 'Necroscope' series for the most original take on vampires.

[RumBucuresti]

Am I the only person here who cannot appreciate King? Maybe the failing is mine but the only work of his I have been able to enjoy unreservedly, written or filmed, was Shawshank.

[Tiaga]

Revenue Canada's 2005 Tax Guide.
I screamed, I cried, I hid under the sheets, it still gives me the shakes just thinking about it.

[dceptiveophelia]

I've always been a fan of Peter Straub, but "lost boy, lost girl" gave me the willies like i haven't had in awhile.

[Magna]

The only Straub book I have read is Mr X, and I found that I began to lose interest by the end, as the story descended into confusion.

[ScottAJohnson]

Absolute favorite? Richard Mattheson's "Hell House."

[preyer]

you're not alone, RB, i find king's book better suited as short stories. out of an entire king book, i used to find maybe two or three lines that i think, wow, i wish i'd written that. personally, i think he's nothing more than a name anymore (though i stopped reading him years ago), as evidenced in his bachman books which went roundly unbought until he leaked out those were his books, which, of course, sent them into the bestseller heights. slapping the name 'king' on a book is like slapping a 'star wars' label on a product: call a jar of vaseline 'mynock spit' and you'll move a million units.

[Lifeforce]

The Shining, by King can't be beaten for that slowly building 'eek' factor. Another goodie but way overlooked (pun??) is Stephen Laws Daemonic. That book is so creepy but with that kind of post modern wit that everything strives for nowadays. Check it out.



John

[williemeikle]

A top ten... this week anyway. It changes on a weekly basis :)

Doctor Jeckyll and Mr Hyde: Robert Louis Stevenson
Something Wicked this Way Comes: Ray Bradbury
Our Lady of Darkness: Fritz Leiber
A Song of Kali: Dan Simmonds
The Shining: Stephen King
Ghost Story: Peter Straub
The Parasite: Ramsey Campbell
Fevre Dream: George R R Martin
Weaveworld: Clive Barker
The List of Seven: Mark Frost


Willie
http://www.willie.meikle.btinternet.co.uk

[ANNIE]

I love anything by Dean Koonzt particularly Fear Nothing.

[Storyteller5]

Fear Nothing was so boring to me! I couldn't get through it. I did really like False Memory by Koontz!

For King shorter stuff, The Apt Pupil really bothered me. I guess the fact I was taking German history that semester in university didn't help. For novels, I love The Dark Half above all others. :)

[BlueTexas]

'house of leaves' ranks up there for me. not sure if you'd call it horror or not.

I enjoyed that one too, though, like you, I couldn't name the genre. It says it's horror...but it seemed more experimental than anything.

[emeraldcite]

as evidenced in his bachman books which went roundly unbought until he leaked out those were his books, which, of course, sent them into the bestseller heights. slapping the name 'king' on a book is like slapping a 'star wars' label on a product: call a jar of vaseline 'mynock spit' and you'll move a million units.

i actually think that the bachman books are some of his more inventive stuff. king writes pretty decent material that could be considered on par with poe if he was edited a bit more. compared to other writers in the genre, he is far more skilled.

i think the bachman books demonstrated that good doesn't always sell. although christine was very, very well written. maybe he was better when he was on drugs or drunk, but that could be said for a number of really good writers.

not that i'm even a big king fan, but i think he takes a good deal of flak...at least he's not egomanical...

[NancyMehl]

Just found this thread.

Have any of you read anything by Scott Nicholson? His first novel, The Red Church, is a horror classic. I reviewed it, and now Scott sends me all his new novels for review.

His other books include The Harvest, The Manor, and his newest, The Home. The Home was really good.

If you haven't read him, I highly recommend his work. Especially The Red Church.

Nancy

[Scytale]

For my money if you want something really frightening and thought-provoking and contemporary it has to be HOUSE OF LEAVES by Mark z. Danielewsky, first published I think about 2000. Extraordinary multifacetted book about a house bigger on the inside than the outside and what it does to its inhabitants and those who hear about it. Very unconventional.

If you're looking for something really different try ANCIENT EVENINGS by Norman Mailer which is set in Ancient Egypt a few hundred years after the time of Ramses II (who was the captor of Moses). It goes into a sense of the past and its gods and fear and intensity like nothing else I've ever read and is genuinely weird and scary but also very high of quality.

Neither are easy reads, but well worthwhile if you give them time! Best regards,

Scytale

[vipersmile]

This was a very good book.

I would have to say IT by King, followed very close by HELL HOUSE Richard Matheson, and then COLD HEART CANYON by Barker


For my money if you want something really frightening and thought-provoking and contemporary it has to be HOUSE OF LEAVES by Mark z. Danielewsky, first published I think about 2000. Extraordinary multifacetted book about a house bigger on the inside than the outside and what it does to its inhabitants and those who hear about it. Very unconventional.

If you're looking for something really different try ANCIENT EVENINGS by Norman Mailer which is set in Ancient Egypt a few hundred years after the time of Ramses II (who was the captor of Moses). It goes into a sense of the past and its gods and fear and intensity like nothing else I've ever read and is genuinely weird and scary but also very high of quality.

Neither are easy reads, but well worthwhile if you give them time! Best regards,

Scytale

[Flapdoodle]

I dunno if this topic has been done before or not (probably has) but I'm tired of viewing the horror section with no exciting new posts! So here's the question:

What's your favorite horror novel? It doesn't have to be the scariest just your favorite.

For me it's The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King. It's definately not his scariest work, but it has it's moments and is definately the best out of the books I've read by him.

The scariest Stephen King moment I think is in Desperation when that cop pulls over the couple.. I won't post spoilers, but if you read it you know what I'm talking about.

The Tooth Fairy by Graham Joyce.

I struggle with King - I read some of his shorter novels when I was a kid, and they're pretty good, definite classics, but stuff like IT was just so boring. I quite like his writing, but there's just too much of it - ideas stretched too thinly, and characters that sometimes come across as a bit too cliched. It all seems very cleanly setup as well - the "pyschic powers" appear at the right time, or the telepath turns up and sorts out inner problems. Gag.

The last book by his I attempted was From a Buick 8, but despite the excellent premise, I got cheesed off by a lot of padding about the mounted police and gave up. I sort of assumed that it would be aliens. It always seems to be aliens with King.

I did order Desperation from Amazon, but it never arrived! (Someone said it was a return to form.)


"On Writing" is a great read, as is "Danse Macabre".

I remember enjoying "The Keep" by some other chap - can't remember his name.

[Flapdoodle]

i actually think that the bachman books are some of his more inventive stuff. king writes pretty decent material that could be considered on par with poe if he was edited a bit more. compared to other writers in the genre, he is far more skilled.

i think the bachman books demonstrated that good doesn't always sell. although christine was very, very well written. maybe he was better when he was on drugs or drunk, but that could be said for a number of really good writers.

not that i'm even a big king fan, but i think he takes a good deal of flak...at least he's not egomanical...

I loved "Road Work" by "bachman". What a great novel, apart from the terrible - Kingesque mafia character. I find King slips into "film" cliches when he's writing about things like the army and mafia and prisons.

His writing is indeed good, but for me, stuff like IT and Tommyknockers were just glorified B-movies. I read Christine almost 20 years ago, and can still recall some of the images in it.

I wasn't aware that King got much flak?

I can see why folk like his stuff.

[Mark Anderson]

My top 10:
1) Hell-bound Heart by Clive Barker (basis for the Hellraiser movies)
2) Wet Work by Philip Nutman
3) The Overnight by Ramsey Campbell
4) I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
5) The Nightrunners by Joe Lansdale
6) City Infernal by Ed Lee
7) Santa Steps Out by Robert Devereaux
8) They Thirst by Robert McCammon
9) A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
10) Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo

[nandu]

Any list like this has to be highly subjective, depending a lot on what you've read and personal tastes. My two cents' worth:

Novels
Dracula by Bram Stoker
The Shining by Stephen King

Stories
Pickman' s Model by H.P.Lovecraft
The Janissaries of Emilion by Basil Copper
How love came to Professor Guildea by Robert Hitchens
Casting the Runes by M.R.James

[dtwilbanks]

Maybe PET SEMATARY or THE EXORCIST.

Maybe not. :)

[Pennywise]

As you can probaly guess from my username, my favorite horror novel is IT by Stephen King.

A close second would be The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty.

[BlackCrowesChick]

Welcome to Absolute Write, Pennywise!

I'm a big King fan, too. My favorite horror novel is Bag of Bones. Its my favorite novel period.

[Pike]

My current favorite is Laurel K Hamilton's Obsideon Butterfly. It had a great combination of creature feature and blazing guns. I know some don't consider her work horror but her Anita Blake books are just ghoulish enough for me.

[madderblue]

Last night I read Dale Bailey's short story "Hunger: A Confession" and it scared the beejeebers out of me. I remember quite a few sleepless nights while reading John Folwes, The Collector.

[Juliensmom]

Oh, wow! I just found this thread. Favorite horror book, huh? Well, I can't limit it to just one book. My two favorite authors are Stephen King and Anne Rice. I read someone's post about how boring they thought IT was because of the length. I loved IT! That was the first book I've ever read that transitioned from that past to the present and back with each chapter in that manner. (I hope I'm explaining it right.) I can probably count the number of Stephen King books that I don't own on one hand. (Thank God for the Stephen King Book Club! :) )
I was just wondering though, has anyone read Poppy Z. Brite? I tried reading one of her books but I just couldn't get into it.

Carolyn

[Pike]

I was just wondering though, has anyone read Poppy Z. Brite? I tried reading one of her books but I just couldn't get into it.

Carolyn

I tried reading her book The Crow: the Lazarus Heart. I understand her writing is lyrical but at the time I couldn't get into it. Maybe it was timing or me but I'll try it again sometime.

[breena]

I love King and am thrilled that my 12 yr old and I are reading 'The Long Walk.' (I homeschool) He loves it. I was his age when I began reading things that gave me the kind of rush that only Stephen King could provoke. I have a lot of favourites.

Desperation-King
The Shining-King
The Stand-King
Something Wicked This Way Comes-Bradbury
Dark Rivers of the Heart-Koontz
Intensity-Koontz
Pet Semetary-King
Bag of Bones-King

[bsolah]

As you can probaly guess from my username, my favorite horror novel is IT by Stephen King.

Me too. I'm a big King fan and I'd have to say that this book is one of the only books that actually scared me. That said, I haven't done nearly enough reading to have much of an idea of some of the great stories out there.