What horror novel/short story are you reading?

Tinman

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What horror novel/short story are you currently reading? I'll give you Rep Points if it's by an AW member (I'm not sure what Rep Points are good for; rumor has it they're like old-time trading stamps -- if you collect 1000, you can trade for a free toaster -- but that might not be true). Please give the story a rating or mini-review, so we'll know if it's any good; I have a hard time finding enough good horror to read. Thanks!!!


I just finished Stephen King's Revival. I'll be generous and give it 3 out of 5 stars.


SPOILER ALERT. For some reason, I didn't connect with the MC, that didn't help, and the ending was very dark and depressing.
 
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Jcomp

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Just finished John Farris's Nightfall (did not live up to the promise of the first third or so of the book), now reading Stephen Graham Jones's short story collection After the People Lights Have Gone Off. Found the first story to be very good, though I'm a sucker for quiet, emotional horror and fictional small town lore, so I couldn't have resisted the story if I wanted to.
 

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Just finished The Stepford Wives. Ira Levin has never disappointed me. I thought it was wonderfully creepy. Reminded me a little of The Cormorant.

I'm about to finish Dracula, and I'm split about 50/50 on whether or not the Count's creepiness makes up for Mina being so goshdarn annoying.
 

The Raen

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Just finished Under the Skin. Dark, satirical, and also funny at times, which I wasn't expecting. An interesting read, especially if you've seen the film, which is darker and more austere.
 

CheG

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Just started 77 Shadow Street by Koontz- to my probable deep regret later (by that I mean the end). I'm so very much NOT a Koontz fan and was totally burned by the last book my mother was all "You have to read this." But I found it in the back seat of her car and took it anyway. Mostly because I LOVE haunted houses and haunted apartment buildings are even better so I couldn't pass it up.
 
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ShaunHorton

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Just started 77 Shadow Street by Koontz- to my probable deep regret later (by that I mean the end). I'm so very much NOT a Koontz fan and was totally burned by the last book my mother was all "You have to read this." But I found it in the back seat of her car and took it anyway. Mostly because I LOVE haunted houses and haunted apartment buildings are even better so I couldn't pass it up.

Koontz is very hit or miss for me. 77 Shadow Street is good, but parts of it feel like he's trying to channel Micheal Crichton. It hits the target for me, but it's not a bulls-eye.

I've had Dead Sea by Tim Curran sitting on my kindle at 45% for the past four months. Everyone tells me it's good, and I keep meaning to go back to it, but I just can find no will to do so.
 

Bartholomew

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I think I'm going to chain together Salem's Lot and Dracula before going on an exorcism kick.
 

Tinman

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I think I'm going to chain together Salem's Lot and Dracula before going on an exorcism kick.

Lol. Chain theme reading. I might have to try that, the idea had never occurred to me.

You should go for the trifecta. Read They Thirst by Robert R McCammon -- which might be the best of the three.
 
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Dezibela

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I'm reading The Wine Dark Sea by Robert Aickman. So far, my favorite story is "Growing Boys". I'm dying to talk about it with someone! Anyone?
 

Calla Lily

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NF horror, actually: Dead Mountain, The Untold Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar

I'm not generally a NF reader, but this RL mystery is stuffed full of great characters and plot elements and storytelling.
 

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Just started Stephen king,s "Desperation" the first two chapters have a lot of brutality in them but the book has a way of making keep reading to find out what is going to happen next!
 

Dezibela

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NF horror, actually: Dead Mountain, The Untold Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar

I really enjoyed that book. I won't spoil it, of course, but I didn't buy his theory. Still an interesting read.
 

Calla Lily

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I finished it last night, Dezibela. His theory is plausible, but I didn't buy it either. Too much glossing over of details. When I was reading, we had the Mythbusters marathon on the TV, in time to catch their Halloween show that tested that particular myth.Serendipity! The Mythbusters busted it.

I have coming from Amazon the book from Russia that has all the translated documents available. I want to reach my own conclusions.
 

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Being one of the few King novels I've never read, I'm currently plowing through Duma Key. I'm just loving the style and the similarities to some of King's life events; I'm never sure if I'm reading fiction or if King's purposely reaching through.

I'm also halfway through Horns for the first time as I'd held off reading it for a good while.

Oh, and I'm re-reading The Exorcist, because why not?
 

Jamesaritchie

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Just started 77 Shadow Street by Koontz- to my probable deep regret later (by that I mean the end). I'm so very much NOT a Koontz fan and was totally burned by the last book my mother was all "You have to read this." But I found it in the back seat of her car and took it anyway. Mostly because I LOVE haunted houses and haunted apartment buildings are even better so I couldn't pass it up.

I think Koontz is one of the few writers out there who's much better than King. But Koontz really doesn't write horror, he writes suspense, and hardcore horror readers are often disappointed because they're expecting horror, even though he makes it clear that he doesn't.

If you're a true horror fan, Koontz is probably not the writer for you. If you're a true suspense fan, he's the best out there.
 

Jamesaritchie

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Just started reading a horror collection called The Throne of Bones by Brian McNaughton. I've read only part of the first story, but so far, I really like the writing. This collection won the 1998 World Fantasy Award for best collect, but somehow I overlooked it until now.
 
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Dezibela

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I finished it last night, Dezibela. His theory is plausible, but I didn't buy it either. Too much glossing over of details. When I was reading, we had the Mythbusters marathon on the TV, in time to catch their Halloween show that tested that particular myth.Serendipity! The Mythbusters busted it.

I'm pretty happy never knowing for sure. No earthly explanation can be as intriguing as the possibilities.

But I still want to hear what you think after you read the translated docs. Desperately!
 

CheG

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OK. 77 Shadow St. was not horrible. It was predictable in the way that all Koontz books are- no dogs or children will be harmed in the making and it WILL end with true love. But the true love was thankfully off screen and it held together. So I am pretty satisfied.
 

Calla Lily

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I'm pretty happy never knowing for sure. No earthly explanation can be as intriguing as the possibilities.

Lily sez: Yes. This. So much.

But I still want to hear what you think after you read the translated docs. Desperately!

Will do. :)

It might take me awhile to get through them. My week off from writing is over and I'm back on deadline. But I *will* read them and come back here to report.