# Let's talk HORROR! 'fraidy cats stay out!



## pidgeon92

We all know about Stephen King.... What other horror novelists/books do you like?

The first horror novel I can remember reading was James Herbert's *The Rats*. Of course, not Kindleized.... I loved this book, read it several times.











Talk amongst yourselves while I come up with some more....


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## Mikuto

I've been singing the praises of Scott Sigler's Infected since before I finished it, it's sort of sci-fi, sort of action, but most definitely horrific.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked

J. Michael Straczynski (creator of Babylon 5) has written three horror novels that were pretty good. Not on Kindle yet, but I guess there's always hope.

Does F. Paul Wilson's _Repairman Jack_ series count as horror? I like those a lot. I don't think any of these are on Kindle, either.

Also, H.P. Lovecraft's work, which _is_ on the Kindle (yea!). And August Derleth (a protogé of Lovecraft).


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## Mikuto

Well if you're going to mention Lovecraft then I have to mention Poe! One of my favorite "horror story" memories is reading The Masque of the Red Death for the first time and getting chills up and down my arms.

I guess I'm a little narrowly read compared to you guys, cause I can't think of many other examples of the horror genre even though it's one of my favorites.

I was told that John Saul is good though.


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## Scathach

Ohh Infected! I have to download that one. Poe will always win out as my favorite horror writer, maybe its just because its the first horror I ever read.  I just got done with World War Z and I really loved it.  My favorite horror book so far though has been House of Leaves, though its not on the kindle its a little too strangely edited to probably be put on a kindle.  I felt I was slowly going mad reading that book, I even threw it across the room cause I got so spooked, and I rarely get spooked with a horror book.  Even though its a DTB its one of my faves.


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## CS




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## Mikuto

Wasn't WWZ fantastic? By the time I was done with it I was saying "Get me Ken Burns! This needs to be a documentary!" Infected is pretty film-worthy too, but as far as I know the only one ACTUALLY in production is WWZ. 

Not by Ken Burns though, I'm sure. Though he'd be perfect for it.


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## pidgeon92

I loved _Infected_. I picked it up from the library earlier this year. What a great voice the writer has. I have been meaning to look up more of his stuff.

A book I read this year, that they made into a terrible movie, was The Ruins:











This book was creepy. Really creepy. I loved the way the characters behaved towards each other once they determined they were in real trouble.


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## pidgeon92

Mikuto said:


> I was told that John Saul is good though.


I haven't read any of his stuff in a few years.... I remember picking up the last one, reading it, and thinking it was pretty bad.... ah, here it is:











I remember Saul's earlier works being much better.


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## Mikuto

pidgeon92 said:


> I loved _Infected_. I picked it up from the library earlier this year. What a great voice the writer has. I have been meaning to look up more of his stuff.


Wanna know something weird? I raved about his book in my blog and he commented to it. How weird is it to get a message notification that "ScottSigler" made a comment to your entry?

Speaking of his other books, the sequel to Infected, "Contagious" will be out Dec. 30th, he's going on a booksigning tour after wards, I'm hoping to meet him and get a book signed, even if it means I can't read it on the Kindle.

As for Saul, the person who suggested him told me I should read "Suffer the Children" which isn't Kindlized


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## pidgeon92

Mikuto said:


> As for Saul, the person who suggested him told me I should read "Suffer the Children" which isn't Kindlized


I remember that book. Not that I _remember_-remember it. I can't remember the books I read last week.

I have a terrible memory. It helps when watching a movie a second time, since I can never remember how it ended.


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## Suzanne

Thanks for these titles. I'm reading The Stand. It's my first horror genre book ever. (I'm a 'fraidy cat!) The Stand is sooooooo good I'm deliberately dragging it out so it won't end. I'll be getting samples of these books and hope that we get some bargain prices - especially on that Infected which sounds totally creepy!


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## Guest

Besides Swan Song, Robert McCammon also wrote a terrific novel about moder-day vampires declaring war on L.A. called They Thirst. *thumb up*


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## Michael R. Hicks

I loved a lot of Robert McCammon's stuff, but only one of his titles - the Queen of Bedlam - is on the Kindle (but I haven't read that one)...


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## Guest

kreelanwarrior said:


> I loved a lot of Robert McCammon's stuff, but only one of his titles - the Queen of Bedlam - is on the Kindle (but I haven't read that one)...


Ditto. Got the sample but haven't read it yet.


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## Guest

pidgeon92 said:


> Talk amongst yourselves while I come up with some more....


The Holy Roman Empire was neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire.


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## pidgeon92

I recall loving these two books.... I no longer have them, and alas, they are not Kindleized yet, either.....


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## Guest

^^^ I seem to recall reading an early Simmons book and liking it.  This would have been around 1979.  Don't remember the book, and not able to look it up easily at work.

But like Quasimodo, the name rings a bell.


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## Guest

Bacardi Jim said:


> Ditto. Got the sample but haven't read it yet.


Kinda hard to read the sample, when I monopolize the Kindle.......mwwwahhhahaha


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## Guest

LuckyRainbow said:


> Kinda hard to read the sample, when I monopolize the Kindle.......mwwwahhhahaha


Someday... some way... I will finish the Martin books we own (of course, there are two more coming) and I'll get my chance at the reading computer machine!


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## Cuechick

I am almost finished with this spooky book by Joe Hill, called Heart Shaped Box. I think it is 
very well written, a little reminiscent of early King, but in a good way. I think I actually found it while checking
out King's new book of short stories. It has a very unique premise and I am anxious to finish it...


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## stomsf

One of my favorites (not Kindlized yet though) is "The Wolf's Hour" by Robert McCammon (previously mentioned).  Great epic story about a werewolf during WWII.

I like his earlier works (also not Kindlized yet, drat!) but Brian Lumley has some of his newer stuff for the Kindle.  Check out "Invaders", "Defilers", and "Avengers".  Interesting vampire books with the addition of the Necroscope, who can speak to the dead.

Still new and haven't gotten the links down yet.


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## Scathach

Can anyone recommend any good zombie, contagion/plague-based, or apocalyptic styled horror?  Just downloaded Infected and loving it so far.  I tend to like the survival horror genre I guess, not so much of the supernatural stuff (okay zombies don't count, zombies tend to have a different feel to them then other monster/supernatural based books).  I have been having a very "its the end of the world as we know it" week... aka finals are next week


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## Guest

Scathach said:


> Can anyone recommend any good zombie, contagion/plague-based, or apocalyptic styled horror? Just downloaded Infected and loving it so far. I tend to like the survival horror genre I guess, not so much of the supernatural stuff (okay zombies don't count, zombies tend to have a different feel to them then other monster/supernatural based books). I have been having a very "its the end of the world as we know it" week... aka finals are next week












Also Richard Matheson's I am Legend. (Not on Kindle.)


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## Guest

Also, Robert McCammon wrote a zombie book, Night Boat, in which a WWII German submarine crewed by Nazi zombies rises from the depths of the modern-day Atlantic. I haven't read it, but it _is_ Robert McCammon. 

Also not on Kindle.


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## Mikuto

We need to do something about the lack of Horror Fiction on the Kindle! Horror Fans Unite! Write publishers!


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## Guest

Mikuto said:


> We need to do something about the lack of Horror Fiction on the Kindle! Horror Fans Unite! Write publishers!


There simply isn't much zombie fiction period. *shrug*


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## Mikuto

Mm. I don't mean just zombie fiction. Horror in general. 88,398 books in fiction, only 2,072 of them are horror.


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## Betsy the Quilter

I've always said there isn't enough good zombie fiction...



Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter

Mikuto said:


> Mm. I don't mean just zombie fiction. Horror in general. 88,398 books in fiction, only 2,072 of them are horror.


I would bet some of the other 86,326 books are horrors. 

Betsy


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## Michael R. Hicks

Scathach said:


> Can anyone recommend any good zombie, contagion/plague-based, or apocalyptic styled horror? Just downloaded Infected and loving it so far. I tend to like the survival horror genre I guess, not so much of the supernatural stuff (okay zombies don't count, zombies tend to have a different feel to them then other monster/supernatural based books). I have been having a very "its the end of the world as we know it" week... aka finals are next week


I second Jim's mention of Night Boat - that one's excellent. Swan Song is another excellent choice (quite a bit longer). Again, neither appears to be on Kindle (yet).

Another one that I read a long time ago is The Keep. But not on Kindle, either. D'oh!


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## Michael R. Hicks

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I would bet some of the other 86,326 books are horrors.
> 
> Betsy


Ooooo, Betsy! You're bad!


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## pidgeon92

The last zombie thing I read, not on the Kindle, obviously, was the Walking Dead graphic novels. The last one, book 9, doesn't come out until the end of January.... Fortunately, they had the first eight at my local library.... I thought they were pretty good.











I finished this book (also from the library, not available for Kindle) last week:











It's about a super-rabies outbreak, that may have been a bio-terror test initially. A little choppy, with a lot of victims, but a quick read. The ending was rather abrupt.


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## Betsy the Quilter

kreelanwarrior said:


> Ooooo, Betsy! You're bad!


Who, me? 


Come on, you thought it too, you know you did!

Betsy


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## Michael R. Hicks

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Come on, you thought it too, you know you did!


Okay, I confess...I did...


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## Guest

kreelanwarrior said:


> I second Jim's mention of Night Boat - that one's excellent. Swan Song is another excellent choice (quite a bit longer). Again, neither appears to be on Kindle (yet).
> 
> Another one that I read a long time ago is The Keep. But not on Kindle, either. D'oh!


Plus, The Keep is about a vampire (more or less) and not zombies.

That being said, the _Adversary Cycle_ as a whole (six books) definitely has an apocalyptic story arc, with Mankind coming very close to being wiped out.


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## MikeD

jmiked said:


> ...Does F. Paul Wilson's _Repairman Jack_ series count as horror? I like those a lot. I don't think any of these are on Kindle, either.


Actually, several of his Repairman Jack series are on Kindle, but not the whole series, yet. His latest:

By The Sword (no image available)

is still a bit pricey at $15.42, although it has come down a bit. Kinda slowly dropping, compared to others.



Bacardi Jim said:


> Plus, The Keep is about a vampire (more or less) and not zombies.
> 
> That being said, the _Adversary Cycle_ as a whole (six books) definitely has an apocalyptic story arc, with Mankind coming very close to being wiped out.


For those who don't know, Repairman Jack is introduced in the Adversary Cycle (The Tomb) and is an off-shoot of that series.

I'm also a Bentley Little fan. I've liked most of his books. His latest:











is also a pretty good read. And if any of you belong to a Home Owners Association, then Little's "The Association" (not yet on Kindle) is a MUST read.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked

kreelanwarrior said:


> Another one that I read a long time ago is The Keep. But not on Kindle, either. D'oh!


Ah, The Keep. Made into one of the most awful movies ever filmed. 

I'm waiting for the price of Wilson's new one to come down, also.

Mike


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## Guest

I am getting the new RJ in DTB format for Xmas. It's already here, but I promised to wait until Xmas to start reading it. Not an easy promise to keep!

Also, for those interested in the books, be aware that The Tomb has recently been re-titled Rakoshi. In order, the Adversary Cycle is:
The Keep
The Tomb/Rakoshi
The Touch
Reborn
Reprisal
Nightworld

To find out more about these books and the Repairman Jack spinoff series, go to www.repairmanjack.com


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## Michael R. Hicks

jmiked said:


> Ah, The Keep. Made into one of the most awful movies ever filmed.


Yeah, I'd forgotten about that: the movie certainly did inhale mightily on the Movie Suck-O-Meter!


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## Guest

kreelanwarrior said:


> Yeah, I'd forgotten about that: the movie certainly did inhale mightily on the Movie Suck-O-Meter!


Hard to believe that Michael Mann went on to become an accomplished and successful director.


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## MikeD

Bacardi Jim said:


> I am getting the new RJ in DTB format for Xmas. It's already here, but I promised to wait until Xmas to start reading it. Not an easy promise to keep!...


In the FWIW category, By the Sword supposedly relates back to his WWII book, "Black Wind", due to be re-released in March, 09. A good read in its own rights.


Spoiler



The sword in the title is a katana that was first introduced in "Black Wind". "By the Sword" also brings us fairly up-to-date with some of RJ's actions in "Nightworld".


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## Mike D. aka jmiked

Another horror novel (or horror/fantasy novel) I'd recommend is Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes. I've read this several times as a DTB, and am waiting for it to surface as a Kindle book.

It was made into a tolerable movie.

In a similar vein, I liked Charles Finney's The Circus of Dr. Lao (also made into a so-so movie).

Mike


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## pidgeon92

jmiked said:


> Another horror novel (or horror/fantasy novel) I'd recommend is Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes. I've read this several times as a DTB, and am waiting for it to surface as a Kindle book.


Ray Bradbury is one of the finest authors of our time..... He spent some time growing up here in Waukegan, and my neighbor owns a beautiful old mirror that used to be in a soda shop in town that he wrote about in one of his books, I can't recall which one.


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## Guest

MikeD said:


> In the FWIW category, By the Sword supposedly relates back to his WWII book, "Black Wind", due to be re-released in March, 09. A good read in its own rights.
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> The sword in the title is a katana that was first introduced in "Black Wind". "By the Sword" also brings us fairly up-to-date with some of RJ's actions in "Nightworld".


LR has read the Adversary Cycle but not the other RJ books. I've been telling her for a couple of years now that by the time Wilson is done with RJ, he will have to completely re-write Nightworld. I mean, RJ now _knows_


Spoiler



all about Rasalom and Glaeken.



I haven't read Black Wind. Nice to know it's being re-released so I'll finally get the chance.


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## Chad Winters

I haven't found an ebook variation yet, but Phil Rossi's Crescent podiobook was pretty good horror:
http://www.crescentstation.net/?page_id=11 (this page includes a blurb by Scott Sigler (the Ancestor guy)

technically I think you could listen to it on your Kindle....


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## ScottBooks

Octochick said:


> I am almost finished with this spooky book by Joe Hill, called Heart Shaped Box. I think it is
> very well written, a little reminiscent of early King, but in a good way. I think I actually found it while checking
> out King's new book of short stories. It has a very unique premise and I am anxious to finish it...


Do you know his full name? Joseph Hillstrom King. It's a great book and I'm not surprised that he reminds you of his dad.


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## Gables Girl

I'll nominate Shirley Jackson who wrote The Lottery and The Haunting of Hill House, neither of which are available on Kindle. Drat!


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## Guest

Scathach said:


> Can anyone recommend any good zombie, contagion/plague-based, or apocalyptic styled horror? Just downloaded Infected and loving it so far. I tend to like the survival horror genre I guess, not so much of the supernatural stuff (okay zombies don't count, zombies tend to have a different feel to them then other monster/supernatural based books). I have been having a very "its the end of the world as we know it" week... aka finals are next week


There is also _The Stand_ by Stephen King. It is on kindle and while not a zombie book, it is a survival following a massive plague book.


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## Guest

LuckyRainbow said:


> There is also _The Stand_ by Stephen King. It is on kindle and while not a zombie book, it is a survival following a massive plague book.


I considered this one, but discounted it as Scathach specifically said "not supernatural." And there are no zombies in it.

But it * is* "apocalyptic." And *I LOVE YOU!*


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## Scathach

Thanks for the recs all put a bunch of stuff on my wishlist to try out.  I need to throw The Stand on my kindle, I read it when I was a teen and I remember loving it.  I also remember by the time I got done reading the paperback version it was nearly falling apart, that book was so thick and cumbersome I never went back to reading it, how I know its on the Kindle I am so putting it on to re-read!


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## Guest

Mike: I just read about Black Wind on Wilson's site. I found this comment (Wilson talking about the book) intriguing: "I'm very proud of BLACK WIND. Looking at it in terms of character development and sweeping plot, it's probably my most accomplished work."

Makes me excited for the re-release. Unfortunately, it looks like it's going to be one of those wildly expensive special editions only available from Borderland Press.


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## MikeD

Bacardi Jim said:


> Mike: I just read about Black Wind on Wilson's site. I found this comment (Wilson talking about the book) intriguing: "I'm very proud of BLACK WIND. Looking at it in terms of character development and sweeping plot, it's probably my most accomplished work."
> 
> Makes me excited for the re-release. Unfortunately, it looks like it's going to be one of those wildly expensive special editions only available from Borderland Press.


It is an excellent book. "Black Wind" and "The Keep" are the two books that hooked me on Wilson. But Amazon shows a PB edition being published and available on 3/4/09 @ $7.99. I'm sure (I hope) that a Kindle version will follow. I'd like to re-read it, but my current copy is a signed 1ed....

No ASIN yet so I can't use Harvey's link-maker, but here is a regular link: Black Wind PB







(if a mod can come in here and fix the link to give the site credit without the ASIN, please do). _done! BTW, you can also use the ISBN-10 if there is no ASIN. --Betsy_


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## Guest

I'll keep my fingers crossed.  On his site, Wilson specifically says that the book is going to be expensive, and the pre-order link takes you to Borderland.  Thus my trepidation.


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## pidgeon92

MikeD said:


> No ASIN yet so I can't use Harvey's link-maker, but here is a regular link: Black Wind PB (if a mod can come in here and fix the link to give the site credit without the ASIN, please do).


FYI: you can use the ISBN in the link maker as well..... I borrowed the picture from the original hardcover.


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## Guest

Check this out: http://www.borderlandspress.com/blackwind.html 

Looks like you are right, darling.


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## Guest

^^^ On the other hand, Borderland also does special editions of Wilson books that are also released in regular format.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed, since Amazon claims they are getting a PB version in March.  No way we're spending $100 or $350 for it.


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## Guest

Oh yeah, you get a Wilson book for my birthday.


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## Guest

LuckyRainbow said:


> Oh yeah, you get a Wilson book for my birthday.


Well, I'm getting a Harry Potter movie for mine.


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## MikeD

FWIW (from LR's link):



> Though considered by Wilson to be his best novel, Black Wind has been out of print for more than a decade. Borderlands Press will remedy that with a special new edition *to be published in 2006*.


Note the bold. I think that is older news. At least, I hope so.

Amazon doesn't usually allow a book to be pre-ordered, as they are the PB version of "Black Wind", unless they are relatively sure that it is to be published. So I'm hopeful.


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## Guest

Thanks, Mike.  I didn't catch that.


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## Guest

Oops, my bad. I didn't read the page, just followed the link from the main page that says "order now".


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## Guest

I just want to say to the two Mikes how refreshing and wonderful it is to finally run into some other Wilson/RJ fans.  People who ask me "What are you reading?" when they see me in public with one of his DTB's just give me a blank stare when I answer them.

LR is not a RJ fan, but enjoyed his Lanague series quite a bit.


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## Guest

^^^^What he said. Thoroughly enjoyed Lanague, could have lived without Repairman Jack.


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## Guest

LuckyRainbow said:


> ^^^^What he said. Thoroughly enjoyed Lanague, could have lived without Repairman Jack.


Although... you have to admit that you liked the Adversary Cycle overall. And The Tomb was _not_ your least favorite of the six books.


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## Guest

Yes, dear.


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## Guest

LuckyRainbow said:


> Yes, dear.


You call that "admitting?"


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## Guest

Darn that script girl.


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## Cuechick

ScottBooks said:


> Do you know his full name? Joseph Hillstrom King. It's a great book and I'm not surprised that he reminds you of his dad.


I just discovered this! I just finished it about 20 minutes ago and was reading some reviews (yes, prefer to read them after) and saw that. 
Pretty funny cowinky dink since, I really had no idea and it really is a great book!


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## Geemont

If you like horror check out *Horror-Mall Digital Editions* for new stories, novellas, and novels in ebook formats. The publisher really, really, really, really likes the PDF format, but has recently begun offering Kindle formats due to customer demand. You give him your Kindle address at the time of purchase and he'll send the file to your Kindle. He calls it an option because he is really selling the PDF.

These should be good horror stories as he is the publisher of Delirium Books, an indepentant publisher of small press horror and limited editions. Right now the offering is small, but the prices are good, and he has plans to add more titles as he publishes more books. This could become the best source for horror fiction available Kindles outside mainstream publishing.

Because the primary format is PDF, you'll have to wait a few hours before the file will be sent to your Kindle. Improvements could be made in home screen title, author headings, and embeded font size for _Descent_, but otherwise I think these are promising, though I haven't actually read them yet.

You also have to add @horror-mall.com to the approved e-mail list for your Kindle to receive the files.


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## pidgeon92

While puttering around tonight I came across Cemetery Dance. I went ahead and signed up for a one year subscription to their magazine, and their comic Graveyard Tales. The comic reminds me of horror comics I bought 25-30 years ago. Does anyone subscribe to either of these? I like that they have lifetime subscriptions to both, if the magazine/comic turns out to be good, I think I will sign up.

Sadly, I don't see anything that indicates they will be doing e-books any time soon. They seem to specialize in collector's books, with fresh graphics and author's signatures. It looks like they have a lot of good horror novels. Of course, none of the books I looked up from there on Amazon have Kindle editions.

I came across Cemetery Dance via this website, whose author is giving away a few of his novellas as PDFs.

kealanpatrickburke.com


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## Mikuto

Cemetery Dance looks pretty neat, too bad they have no intention of publishing for Kindle, I'd download it in a heartbeat, I love reading Asimov's SciFi magazine on the Kindle...

Maybe we should e-mail them and tell them that we're very interested in an e-version of it?


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## Suzanne

Just out of curiosity, what is the scariest book you have ever read? What scared the wits out of you? I'm reading my first Horror genre book ever, which is The Stand. There was one very rough scene that I've read so far (I'm about 2/3 the way through), but other than that I do not find it a particularly scary book. As far as getting the wits scared out of me really & truly, that would have to be watching the movie, The Exorcist. I would never in a million worlds watch that again.


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## Guest

Suzanne said:


> Just out of curiosity, what is the scariest book you have ever read? What scared the wits out of you? I'm reading my first Horror genre book ever, which is The Stand. There was one very rough scene that I've read so far (I'm about 2/3 the way through), but other than that I do not find it a particularly scary book. As far as getting the wits scared out of me really & truly, that would have to be watching the movie, The Exorcist. I would never in a million worlds watch that again.


'Salem's Lot is far scarier. Probably the scariest book I ever read.


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## Mikuto

Suzanne said:


> Just out of curiosity, what is the scariest book you have ever read? What scared the wits out of you? I'm reading my first Horror genre book ever, which is The Stand. There was one very rough scene that I've read so far (I'm about 2/3 the way through), but other than that I do not find it a particularly scary book. As far as getting the wits scared out of me really & truly, that would have to be watching the movie, The Exorcist. I would never in a million worlds watch that again.


You'll probably not believe me on this, but I don't actually get scared. I don't read horror novels because I find them scary, but rather that I enjoy the macabre and find it interesting. I get grossed out (only occasionally) startled by loud noises, but I'm never frightened. The last time I remember truly being scared is when I was a very small child, reading one of the Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark illustrated by Stephen Gammell. His drawings were surreal, creepy, and really not appropriate for most children my age. There were two stories, one about spiders (I won't go into detail) and one about Bloody Mary. The first made me sleep with my head under my blankets, and the second I had to actually tape the pages that the story was on together, because it freaked me out so much.

But that was a very long time ago. Haven't been scared since.


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## pidgeon92

I have to agree with Mikuto. I've read things that made me uncomfortable, but nothing that has frightened me.

On the other hand, there are several movie scenes that stand out:

The original *The Blob*, when it crawls up the old man's arm.
*The Exorcist*, when she comes down the stairs like a spider.
*The Ring*, the whole movie was creepy.
*The Sixth Sense*, when the boy is under the tent with the dead girl.
*The Grudge*, with the little boy in the closet.

There are others I can't think of right now, but the horror movies have all gone off the deep end too. Too much slasher, not enough subtlety. The Japanese seem to take horror seriously, and they put out the original The Ring and The Grudge. I saw the Japanese version of The Grudge, but I thought the American version was actually better. I think horror may lose a little of its effect in having to read subtitles.


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## Guest

pidgeon: You know that scene wasn't in the theatrical release of The Exorcist, right? Only in the "restored" version. Given that it's one of the creepiest scenes in both the movie and the book, I have always been puzzled by the decision to leave it on the editing room floor.


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## pidgeon92

Just read some new info about Scott Sigler's new book, Contagious, on BoingBoing. He's doing some sort of internet treasure hunt. Pre-orders of the Kindle version are at $9.99 on Amazon. Looks like the release date is 12/30/08.


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## Mikuto

I would disagree about subtitles. I prefer Japanese horror movies to American ones, and can't stand remakes. I watched the original and remake of Ringu back to back, as well as with Dark Water, and the originals are just superior. 

But I read very very fast and have a rudimentary understand of the Japanese language, something which I know isn't true for everyone. 

The Sixth Sense was a huge disappointment to me. After the first scene I had figured out the "big surprising twist"  In fact, Signs was the only M. Night movie that wasn't a big let down for me, mostly because there wasn't a big secret twist at the end that was supposed to surprise you...not much surprises me either


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## Mikuto

pidgeon92 said:


> Just read some new info about Scott Sigler's new book, Contagious, on BoingBoing. He's doing some sort of internet treasure hunt. Pre-orders of the Kindle version are at $9.99 on Amazon. Looks like the release date is 12/30/08.


Edit: Sorry for the double post. 
Huh, neat. I'll probably get the DTB version though, he'll be signing books at a store not 5 minutes away from me on January 3rd.


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## pidgeon92

Mikuto said:


> The Sixth Sense was a huge disappointment to me. After the first scene I had figured out the "big surprising twist"


Fortunately, I'm kinda thick, so I didn't get it until the end.  I loved the movie. I liked Signs a lot too, one of my favorite lines was when Joaquin Phoenix was talking about why he struck out so often in baseball, and he said "it just felt wrong not to swing." My husband really liked Unbreakable as well. The rest of Shyamalan's movies.... Well, we shall not speak of them.

Fortunately, Netflix carries a lot of the Japanese horror films, I'm going to add some to my queue.


----------



## pidgeon92

Mikuto said:


> Huh, neat. I'll probably get the DTB version though, he'll be signing books at a store not 5 minutes away from me on January 3rd.


Thanks for mentioning.... I checked the calendar, and he's coming to Chicago on Jan 19th, not terribly far from me in Winnetka. I think I'll head over there.


----------



## sergirl

Scathach said:


> Can anyone recommend any good zombie, contagion/plague-based, or apocalyptic styled horror? Just downloaded Infected and loving it so far. I tend to like the survival horror genre I guess, not so much of the supernatural stuff (okay zombies don't count, zombies tend to have a different feel to them then other monster/supernatural based books). I have been having a very "its the end of the world as we know it" week... aka finals are next week


Just finished this book that was recommended in the bargin book thread. It fits some of your criteria, walking dead, apocalyptic style, interesting read.


----------



## Lizzy

pidgeon92 said:


> Just read some new info about Scott Sigler's new book, Contagious, on BoingBoing. He's doing some sort of internet treasure hunt. Pre-orders of the Kindle version are at $9.99 on Amazon. Looks like the release date is 12/30/08.


I just came here from the Amazon book store where i put this book on my wish list. Funny to see already listed here. Nice to find other people that like Scott Sigler to. Ive read Infected and Ancestor and loved them both.


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

pidgeon92 said:


> On the other hand, there are several movie scenes that stand out:
> 
> The original *The Blob*, when it crawls up the old man's arm.


Me, too - reading scary stories hasn't ever frightened me, but when I was a kid _The Blob_ really got me. I used to stay up late on Friday and Saturday nights and watch the scary movies they used to run, like _The Abominable Dr. Phibes_ (ahh, the good old days!). _The Blob_ was one of the ones they aired, and it scared the snot out of me - same scene, in particular, as pidgeon92.

The other movie that got me was the original _Alien_. I was in high school, and a friend and I went to see it. Both of us couldn't get to sleep that night, cowering in my room!


----------



## pidgeon92

kreelanwarrior said:


> The other movie that got me was the original _Alien_. I was in high school, and a friend and I went to see it. Both of us couldn't get to sleep that night, cowering in my room!


_Alien_ and _Aliens_ are two of my favorite films, ever. Have you seen the uncut _Aliens_? They chopped a lot of good scenes out of the theatre version.

_The Fly_ with Jeff Goldblum was creepy too....

And _The Incredible Shrinking Man_.... when that spider came for him..... I don't like spiders....


----------



## Jesslyn

Bacardi Jim said:


> Besides Swan Song, Robert McCammon also wrote a terrific novel about moder-day vampires declaring war on L.A. called They Thirst. *thumb up*


If you like McCammon, you've got to read Stinger (*shivers*). Also other fav from him is The Wolfs Hour, but not sure that qualifies as a horror story


----------



## Mikuto

Oooh, the remake of The Fly was an awesome movie. When he starts falling apart and


Spoiler



peels of his fingernails


 it always grossed me out!


----------



## Jesslyn

kreelanwarrior said:


> Me, too - reading scary stories hasn't ever frightened me, but when I was a kid _The Blob_ really got me. I used to stay up late on Friday and Saturday nights and watch the scary movies they used to run, like _The Abominable Dr. Phibes_ (ahh, the good old days!). _The Blob_ was one of the ones they aired, and it scared the snot out of me - same scene, in particular, as pidgeon92.
> 
> The other movie that got me was the original _Alien_. I was in high school, and a friend and I went to see it. Both of us couldn't get to sleep that night, cowering in my room!


The only book that I couldn't read at night or by myself any time of day was Pet Semetary. Not sure what it was about that one.....
Horror Movies made me scared of the dark. My parents took me to see Night of the Living in its 1st release and I haven't been the same since.


----------



## pidgeon92

Totally off topic, and really bizarre... I present to you, _The Birds_ Barbie:


----------



## Guest

OMFG!!!

*gives the auto-censor the finger*


----------



## Guest

I think the scariest for me was Stephen King's _Christine_. I read it in college in a dorm room on the weekend when the dorm was mostly empty. Every unexpected noise made me jump.

As for movies, I think it was the scene in the TV version of 'Salem's Lot when the gravedigger


Spoiler



jumps down onto the boy's casket and lifts the lid and the kid bites him


. It was where they chose to end part 1. I was home alone and it scared the bejesus out of me. Thank goodness for our local PBS produced _Saturday Night Oldtime Picture Show_, they were showing _Penny Serenade_. It is still one of my very favorite pics of all time, and not sure if it is because I like the movie or am grateful for it rescuing me from horrible dreams.


----------



## chynared21

LuckyRainbow said:


> I think the scariest for me was Stephen King's _Christine_. I read it in college in a dorm room on the weekend when the dorm was mostly empty. Every unexpected noise made me jump.
> 
> As for movies, I think it was the scene in the TV version of 'Salem's Lot when the gravedigger
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> jumps down onto the boy's casket and lifts the lid and the kid bites him
> 
> 
> . It was where they chose to end part 1. I was home alone and it scared the bejesus out of me. Thank goodness for our local PBS produced _Saturday Night Oldtime Picture Show_, they were showing _Penny Serenade_. It is still one of my very favorite pics of all time, and not sure if it is because I like the movie or am grateful for it rescuing me from horrible dreams.


*You know...I have never seen Salem's Lot, nor have I read it. I think I'm going to add this one to my reading list.*


----------



## Gables Girl

one of the scariest books I've read is Helter Skelter. It's about the Manson family and I couldn't put it down and then I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about them breaking in and touching people while they were asleep. Very creepy.


----------



## pidgeon92

Gables Girl said:


> one of the scariest books I've read is Helter Skelter. It's about the Manson family and I couldn't put it down and then I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about them breaking in and touching people while they were asleep. Very creepy.


How about In Cold Blood? It always amazes me how these whackjobs manage to find each other. I think we need a True Crime thread too.... hmmmmm.


----------



## Ann in Arlington

pidgeon92 said:


> Totally off topic, and really bizarre... I present to you, _The Birds_ Barbie:


Definitely one of the scariest things I've seen a long time. . . . .


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Jesslyn said:


> If you like McCammon, you've got to read Stinger (*shivers*). Also other fav from him is The Wolfs Hour, but not sure that qualifies as a horror story


Yes! Stinger is one of my all-time favorites. I read the Wolf's Hour a long time ago, and that was excellent, too - a very different take on the werewolf theme.

And Salem's Lot is required reading for all horror fans!


----------



## Gables Girl

pidgeon92 said:


> How about In Cold Blood? It always amazes me how these whackjobs manage to find each other. I think we need a True Crime thread too.... hmmmmm.


Sounds good to me.


----------



## Guest

kreelanwarrior said:


> And Salem's Lot is required reading for all horror fans!


I don't know if you've ever read my "Favorite Novels" thread, but SL is included in my Top Ten.


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Hmm, will have to check out your top ten...


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Sorry, Jim, but we're not entirely compatible! 

Salem's Lot and the Foundation series (which I haven't read in ages, but remember enjoying tremendously) are the only ones I'm with ya on, I think because my tastes run into a very eclectic mix (mess?) of sci-fi (particularly military sci-fi), horror, and military fiction. Gack!


----------



## Guest

^^^ I ain't mad atcha.   It would be a sad (and exquisitely dull) world if everybody liked exactly the same thing.  Nice to know we agree on the ones we do, though.


----------



## Guest

Also, since you say you like military SF, how do you feel about military fantasy? You might want to check out Raymond Feist's _Serpentwar Saga._. It starts out stealing directly from The Dirty Dozen, but turns into a pretty decent epic series.


----------



## Suzanne

On that book, Salem's Lot, are there any demons & devils in it? Or is it just


Spoiler



vampires


? I don't want to give away the plot and if you think this answer would give away the plot to someone who hasn't read it, could you P.M. me the answer, please? I don't do books with demons & devils in it.


----------



## Guest

Suzanne: No demons.  Just that one thing you mentioned and which I hope you will go back and put in Spoiler Block.


----------



## Mikuto

That "Birds" Barbie is FANTASTIC! I would love one of those!


----------



## Suzanne

Thanks, Jim! And that's the first time I ever attempted that spoiler thing! It wasn't hard at all!


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Bacardi Jim said:


> Also, since you say you like military SF, how do you feel about military fantasy? You might want to check out Raymond Feist's _Serpentwar Saga._. It starts out stealing directly from The Dirty Dozen, but turns into a pretty decent epic series.


Hmm, don't think I've actually tried military fantasy, but looks like none of those are in the Kindle Store yet.


----------



## Guest

kreelanwarrior said:


> Hmm, don't think I've actually tried military fantasy, but looks like none of those are in the Kindle Store yet.


You should at least check out the descriptions and see if they're up your alley. I enjoyed them quite a bit, though not so much as his _Riftwar Saga_ books.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Mikuto said:


> That "Birds" Barbie is FANTASTIC! I would love one of those!


You can have one for only $40....there's a link to it.

Betsy


----------



## ScottBooks

I vote with the Pet Sematary people. Far and away the scariest book I ever read. Everything about that book was creepy; just the first mention of


Spoiler



the highway and the Oronco truck


 sent chills up and down my spine. You knew what was coming and you just couldn't stop it. (And you really wanted it to stop!)

I have to reread SL sometime; I don't remember it as being all that special. It was a


Spoiler



vampire


 book that they made into a movie with Hutch. I never felt dragged into it or dreading the next page.

Must be missing something and I'm sure Jim and Mike will let me know what it is.


----------



## Guest

ScottBooks said:


> I vote with the Pet Sematary people. Far and away the scariest book I ever read. Everything about that book was creepy; just the first mention of
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> the highway and the Oronco truck
> 
> 
> sent chills up and down my spine. You knew what was coming and you just couldn't stop it. (And you really wanted it to stop!)
> 
> I have to reread SL sometime; I don't remember it as being all that special. It was a
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> vampire
> 
> 
> book that they made into a movie with Hutch. I never felt dragged into it or dreading the next page.


I loves PS. It is classic _Grand Guignol_ at it's finest.



> Must be missing something and I'm sure Jim and Mike will let me know what it is.


http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,353.msg4149.html#msg4149


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

The only book that I vividly remember being scared by was The Exorcist.  I was reading it in my room at my parent's house, couldn't put it down, it was wayyyy late and there was a wind and branches started tapping on the windows.  I think I threw the book down, pulled the covers entirely over my head and left the light on.

Betsy


----------



## Guest

Betsy the Quilter said:


> The only book that I vividly remember being scared by was The Exorcist. I was reading it in my room at my parent's house, couldn't put it down, it was wayyyy late and there was a wind and branches started tapping on the windows. I think I threw the book down, pulled the covers entirely over my head and left the light on.
> 
> Betsy


Once it got rocking, this book scared the daylights out of me. But it took getting through Karras's dealing with his mother and Regan's trip to the hospital before it reached that point for me.


----------



## chynared21

Betsy the Quilter said:


> The only book that I vividly remember being scared by was The Exorcist. I was reading it in my room at my parent's house, couldn't put it down, it was wayyyy late and there was a wind and branches started tapping on the windows. I think I threw the book down, pulled the covers entirely over my head and left the light on.
> 
> Betsy


*Ok...another book I haven't read. I loved the movie though. I was in my early teens when I first it and when mom and I moved into our townhouse I freaked out because it had pull down stairs to the attic ;-p For the longest time I slept with my door closed...lol. *running over to Amazon to check out the book**


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Betsy the Quilter said:


> The only book that I vividly remember being scared by was The Exorcist. I was reading it in my room at my parent's house, couldn't put it down, it was wayyyy late and there was a wind and branches started tapping on the windows. I think I threw the book down, pulled the covers entirely over my head and left the light on.
> 
> Betsy


Umm, that one was scary enough that I never even *tried* to read it!


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

chynared21 said:


> *Ok...another book I haven't read. I loved the movie though. I was in my early teens when I first it and when mom and I moved into our townhouse I freaked out because it had pull down stairs to the attic ;-p For the longest time I slept with my door closed...lol. *running over to Amazon to check out the book**


Sadly, or maybe not so sadly, not available on the Kindle...

Betsy


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Bacardi Jim said:


> Once it got rocking, this book scared the daylights out of me. But it took getting through Karras's dealing with his mother and Regan's trip to the hospital before it reached that point for me.


To tell the truth, I don't remember that many details from the book; remember more of the movie now. As I said in the other thread, it was many, many, many, many years ago...and never read again since, which tells you something, because I do read books more than once...

Betsy


----------



## Scathach

Just finished Infected by Scott Sigler.

Wow... just wow... I really liked it, it got a little weird towards the end but it was a great read, I couldn't put it down lol. Can't wait to read his new one coming out. Hope it's as good as Infected...

...omg I still cant get THAT horrible scene out of my head lol <shiver>


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

Scathach said:


> Just finished Infected by Scott Sigler.
> 
> Wow... just wow... I really liked it, it got a little weird towards the end but it was a great read, I couldn't put it down lol. Can't wait to read his new one coming out. Hope it's as good as Infected...
> 
> ...omg I still cant get THAT horrible scene out of my head lol <shiver>


I got a sample of Infected today. I don't normally read horror but this sounds so good, can't wait to read the sample. I don't think if I hadn't gotten a Kindle and found Kindleboards I ever would have chosen some of the books I've read and to my surprise enjoyed.


----------



## Anne

Scathach said:


> Just finished Infected by Scott Sigler.
> 
> Wow... just wow... I really liked it, it got a little weird towards the end but it was a great read, I couldn't put it down lol. Can't wait to read his new one coming out. Hope it's as good as Infected...
> 
> ...omg I still cant get THAT horrible scene out of my head lol <shiver>


I just got a sample of Infected. It sounds good.


----------



## Angela

chynared21 said:


> *Ok...another book I haven't read. I loved the movie though. I was in my early teens when I first it and when mom and I moved into our townhouse I freaked out because it had pull down stairs to the attic ;-p For the longest time I slept with my door closed...lol. *running over to Amazon to check out the book**


I never read the book either. I saw the movie when it came out. I was under age and my sister-in-law got me in. The movie scared me bad enough. _Salem's Lot _ was pretty scarey, but the one that really scared me while I was reading it was _The Shining_. I was alone and had been reading on the couch then went upstairs to bed to read and I started hearing noises coming from downstairs and ended up freaking myself out so badly that I slept with all the lights on that night. _Pet Semetary _ was just plain creepy! I guess all my scarey books were by Stephen King!!


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Linda Cannon-Mott said:


> I got a sample of Infected today. I don't normally read horror but this sounds so good, can't wait to read the sample. I don't think if I hadn't gotten a Kindle and found Kindleboards I ever would have chosen some of the books I've read and to my surprise enjoyed.


I just downloaded the sample. I enjoy a good horror story, although I haven't read all that much of them lately...


----------



## Geemont

_Infected







_ by Scott Sigler is a contender for the best horror/science fiction novel of 2008, IMHO. Highly recommended, but there is an awful lot of blood and violence. Just you wait for the chicken scissors.

You can listen to an unabridged version of the audiobook at *Podiobooks* for free.

_Added link for Infected. --Betsy_


----------



## Linda Cannon-Mott

Geemont said:


> _Infected_ by Scott Sigler is a contender for the best horror/science fiction novel of 2008, IMHO. Highly recommended, but there is an awful lot of blood and violence. Just you wait for the chicken scissors.
> 
> You can listen to an unabridged version of the audiobook at *Podiobooks* for free.


I am excited about reading this Geemont. I have the sample, now I want to read it. The last time I stopped reading the book I was reading to try a sample I never finished it.  I guess I will have to show some discipline here, not my forte.


----------



## Scathach

eeek chicken scissors... (ugh that scene!)

One of the things I liked about Infected was the medical science jargon... which my husband hated because he was constantly having to ask me what this was and what that was (omg the kindle has a frickin' dictionary! Use it!).  Anyhoo, awesome book... I didn't want to put it down, however I have to admit it was hard to give a poo about most of the characters.  I was more interested in what would happen next then having any attachment to the characters themselves, most of them weren't likable in the general sense.  Its very rare that I genuinely enjoy a book while at the same time not really rooting for any of the characters... Good book, somewhat high on the gross out scale which is nice, and a nice open ending.  A very fun and easy read, can't wait for the next one.


----------



## Lizzy

The chicken scissor thing in Infected was kinda gross but it was a great book. You might also like Ancestor by him. Its a great read to.


----------



## Count Zero

Anything by Dan Simmons is well worth your time. He's one of the best writers out there (in any genre -- and he's written in just about all of them). As for horror, give these a try:





















*Song of Kali* is his first novel and *The Terror* is his latest (and one of the top ten best books of 2007, period).


----------



## Mikuto

Scathach said:


> eeek chicken scissors... (ugh that scene!)


Chicken Scissors didn't get me. The Kitchen Stove got me. Chicken Scissors was horrific, but the Kitchen Stove scene had me squirming in my seat.


----------



## Geemont

Lizzy said:


> You might also like Ancestor by him. Its a great read to.


I've got _Ancestor_ as a DTV on the TBR pile. I tried converting the free PDF, but the formatting was too wonky.

_Earthcore_ , his first novel, was also good, but not as good as _Infected_. There is no Kindle versions yet for _Ancestor_ and _Earthcore_, but you can get used DTV for $50.00 and $39.99. (Probably not worth the cost, IMHO)


----------



## Chad Winters

Wow!! that's outrageous!
I think you can still get them as free podcasts...


----------



## Mikuto

http://www.scottsigler.com/

Not exactly the safest for work site, if only for the fact that he cusses like a drunken sailor.


----------



## Lizzy

Geemont said:


> I've got _Ancestor_ as a DTV on the TBR pile. I tried converting the free PDF, but the formatting was too wonky.
> 
> _Earthcore_ , his first novel, was also good, but not as good as _Infected_. There is no Kindle versions yet for _Ancestor_ and _Earthcore_, but you can get used DTV for $50.00 and $39.99. (Probably not worth the cost, IMHO)


Be sure to read the DTV then cause its worth it. Your right the PDF does not convert very good, it puts footnote numbers in the pages when there arent any footnotes and sometimes the next sentence after the footnote number is in smaller type, but once you know what your dealing with you kinda get used to it. Still its a great book.


----------



## chobitz

I am a HUGE horror fan. Someone was looking for zombies? What about World War Z by Max Brooks?

Oh and I'm surprised no one mentioned Clive Barker! Alot of his newer stuff is kindlized but not sadly the Books of Blood


----------



## Michael R. Hicks

Barker, yes!

Also, I can't remember now if someone had already mentioned this (if so, my apologies), but H.P. Lovecraft! There are several books, here's just one:











One of my long-ago favorites was _The Call of Cthulhu_. I put this book on my sample list - it would be nice to revisit Lovecraft's worlds...in a scary sort of way!


----------



## chobitz

Here's an oldie :

The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen 

Its the reason HP Lovecraft and even Stephen King got into horror. Its also legally free on many websites.


----------



## chynared21

Angela said:


> I never read the book either. I saw the movie when it came out. I was under age and my sister-in-law got me in. The movie scared me bad enough. _Salem's Lot _ was pretty scarey, but the one that really scared me while I was reading it was _The Shining_. I was alone and had been reading on the couch then went upstairs to bed to read and I started hearing noises coming from downstairs and ended up freaking myself out so badly that I slept with all the lights on that night. _Pet Semetary _ was just plain creepy! I guess all my scarey books were by Stephen King!!


*I forget how old I was when I read Pet Semetary....scary as heck and for the longest time I'd stare at my cat now and then  I clicked away for The Shining...the movie was creepy and gave me nightmares.*


----------



## Guest

MikeD said:


> It is an excellent book. "Black Wind" and "The Keep" are the two books that hooked me on Wilson. But Amazon shows a PB edition being published and available on 3/4/09 @ $7.99. I'm sure (I hope) that a Kindle version will follow. I'd like to re-read it, but my current copy is a signed 1ed....
> 
> No ASIN yet so I can't use Harvey's link-maker, but here is a regular link: Black Wind PB
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (if a mod can come in here and fix the link to give the site credit without the ASIN, please do). _done! BTW, you can also use the ISBN-10 if there is no ASIN. --Betsy_


Huzzah! LR bought me a used-but-pristine HB copy of Black Wind for Christmas along with By the Sword! If I ever get through this last George Martin book, I'll be all set.


----------



## Mike D. aka jmiked

Bacardi Jim said:


> LR bought me a


LR?

Living Room
Long Rifle
Lou Romano
Lietuvos Republika
Labelled Recall
Local Realism
Lost Road
Lab Report
Labrador Retriever
Logistic Regression


----------



## Guest

LuckyRainbow


----------



## pidgeon92

Horror Mall has begun a discussion forum for fans of the genre.... Here's the email I received:



> Dear Verena,
> 
> I want to personally invite you to become a member of THE HAUNT. It is a FREE and open HORROR social networking site, designed by myself, to unite horror genre members, fans and other interested people linked to horror.
> 
> On this site you can create your own page, profile, blog, bulletins and a hell of a lot more, all focused within the horror crowd.
> 
> We expect this site to grow quickly as it is an open forum. You may link anywhere (back to your own site, your publisher's or elsewhere), though we'd appreciate your support of Horror Mall's storefront whenever we have products you are promoting, but it is not necessary. This site has been developed to bring the horror genre together (authors, publishers, fans, bibliophiles, musicians, filmmakers and much more).
> 
> And just to answer one of the most popular questions: how's this any different from MySpace? The answer is that it is focused only on horror. A staff of more than a dozen people will comb forums and profiles and remove listings that do not belong (any non-horror related member).
> 
> It's free. It's horror. It's what you love.
> 
> You can signup here: http://www.horror-mall.com/haunt/signup/
> 
> I hope to see you there.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Shane Ryan Staley
> Horror Mall


I signed up yesterday, we'll see how it goes.... It's got a lot of advertising, but it's all for Horror Mall stuff, so while distracting it's at least pertinent. They are up to 300 members so far, and are looking to expand...

Here's my profile page: http://www.horror-mall.com/haunt/pidgeon92

Horror Mall sells e-books, sadly they literally have _two_ titles. I bought one, which I have not read yet. They have a nice selling interface for the ebooks, they will send the PDF directly to your Kindle email address, and the PDF looked good when it arrived on the Kindle. They have a few e-short stories and novellas as well.


----------



## Lizzy

pidgeon92 said:


> Horror Mall has begun a discussion forum for fans of the genre.... Here's the email I received:
> 
> I signed up yesterday, we'll see how it goes.... It's got a lot of advertising, but it's all for Horror Mall stuff, so while distracting it's at least pertinent. They are up to 300 members so far, and are looking to expand...
> 
> Here's my profile page: http://www.horror-mall.com/haunt/pidgeon92
> 
> Horror Mall sells e-books, sadly they literally have _two_ titles. I bought one, which I have not read yet. They have a nice selling interface for the ebooks, they will send the PDF directly to your Kindle email address, and the PDF looked good when it arrived on the Kindle. They have a few e-short stories and novellas as well.


Im only getting a white screen with nothing on it. Is it down now? Anyway i like the idea of it.

oh never mind. Its up now.


----------



## fishcube

MikeD said:


> FWIW (from LR's link):
> 
> Note the bold. I think that is older news. At least, I hope so.
> 
> Amazon doesn't usually allow a book to be pre-ordered, as they are the PB version of "Black Wind", unless they are relatively sure that it is to be published. So I'm hopeful.


Who is RJ?


----------



## MikeD

fishcube said:


> Who is RJ?


Repairman Jack. He is the protagonist in the books being discussed...

More on Repairman Jack here


----------



## Alexandra Sokoloff

Totally agree on PET SEMATERY, THE SHINING, THE TERROR (one of the most transcendent horror novels ever) and Repairman Jack.

She doesn't write supernatural, but I think Mo Hayder's crime novels are some of the most horrific books I've ever read. THE TREATMENT is just devastating.

- Alex


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

I'm going to sample, thanks!

Betsy


----------



## Chad Winters

this was free today over on the free ebook thread

(I used linkmaker 1 and still couldn't get the image to show)


----------



## pidgeon92

This is the free book (as of 9/22/09):











Chad: you need to copy the correct image _location_. How you do that depends on your browser. In Firefox, right-click on the image, and choose *Copy Image Location*. Safari is similar, IE is more difficult.


----------



## MariaESchneider

Okay, I'm one of those 'fraidy cats, so I don't belong here. But I wanted to put down the scariest...no really to me it was the most horrifying book I ever tried to read. To this day I remember the first story in this book and it spooks me out and upsets me. And mind you Vivian Vande Velde is one of my favorite writers. I love her fantasy.

But here it is. The scariest book ever.



Probably won't bother y'all at all. But I dunno. It could creep you out.


----------



## pidgeon92

^^^ Love the cover.... I have downloaded the sample.


----------



## MariaESchneider

Do not blame me if you have nightmares...


----------



## Brenda Carroll

MariaESchneider said:


> Okay, I'm one of those 'fraidy cats, so I don't belong here. But I wanted to put down the scariest...no really to me it was the most horrifying book I ever tried to read. To this day I remember the first story in this book and it spooks me out and upsets me. And mind you Vivian Vande Velde is one of my favorite writers. I love her fantasy.
> 
> But here it is. The scariest book ever.
> 
> 
> 
> Probably won't bother y'all at all. But I dunno. It could creep you out.


OK, look. Is it just me or does that little aura around the creepy dead person on the cover actually seem to move like its breathing in and out? Just sayin'...


----------



## pidgeon92

^^^ It's creepy... And so is the awful topaz format of the book.... That said, I finished the sample today, and had to buy it... The first story is wonderful, and very well written.... I haven't finished it yet, but will probably do so tonight.... I read chick-lit during the day, and I like horror at night.


----------



## MariaESchneider

pidgeon92 said:


> ^^^ It's creepy... And so is the awful topaz format of the book.... That said, I finished the sample today, and had to buy it... The first story is wonderful, and very well written.... I haven't finished it yet, but will probably do so tonight.... I read chick-lit during the day, and I like horror at night.


Hon, that first story is _awful_. It's been years since I read it. Scarred me, I tell you.

But I agree with you on the writing--I never, ever saw that story forming. Her fantasy is just as well-written. Superb. If you've never read fantasy and thought about trying some, her "Never Trust a Dead Man" wouldn't be a bad place to start. It has some horror overtones, but I wouldn't classify it as horror (it did not freak me out beyond repair or anything.)

And yeah. The cover moves. Don't leave the book upside on the table at night. Keep that thing contained.


----------



## Chad Winters

Thats the advantage of a Kindle!


----------



## RavenRozier

An FYI for horror film fans: actor, Sid Haig (Capt. Spaulding from Rob Zombie's _Devil's Rejects_) will be directing the film version of my book, _Last Door_, a true, psychological thriller (I know it's not pure horror genre, but it's similar in nature to _The Exorcist_ and _Rosemary's Baby_. It's true horror. One Hollywood cinematographer said of _Last Door_, "It's riviting, I couldn't put it down, but it creeped me out." An editor/author responded, "Killer and creepy. I was blown away and got chills."

Kindle link should show below if you're interested in checking it out. Thanks for looking. Raven


----------



## prairiesky

The latest really creepy book that I read was Still Life with Crows.  I still think about that book and read it many months ago....before I bought my Kindle.  I just watched last weeks "Fringe" on TV and the story reminded me of this book.  Just creepy!


----------



## kathygnome

How about terrifying and out of copyright free? William Hope Hodgeson's House on the Borderland. HP Lovecraft was apparently a big fan, which is how I found the book.

I'm a freak for zombies and apocalypse fiction. There is a ton of zombie semi-pro fiction out there and some of it is some pretty decent "genre material." Nothing like WW-Z, but worth reading. I've enjoyed the As the World Dies







series which is fast moving zombies with a romance and abuse recovery subplot and Dying to Live







which is written by a theologian and brings a lot more questions of morality to the table (it's not sectarian in any way btw). I also read some of the Monster Island







series, but it was more a mix of zombies and military fiction and I just couldn't get into it. There seems to be a ton of zombie military fiction out there in general, particularly in blog fiction.


----------



## pidgeon92

kathygnome said:


> How about terrifying and out of copyright free? William Hope Hodgeson's House on the Borderland. HP Lovecraft was apparently a big fan, which is how I found the book.


Thanks for mentioning this one, I love old horror.... I see there are several works by this author, it will be great Halloween reading.

RE: zombies... Have you read Autumn by David Moody? I picked it up for free somewhere, but it is no longer available on his website... The rights to the series have been purchased, so hopefully all of the books will be available again at some point. They are making the first novel into a movie.

Another interesting zombie pair is The Rising







and City of the Dead







by Brian Keene


----------



## kellyabell

Boy all of these books sound great.  I think I'd like to check out Being Dead.  That sounds chilling.  Probably the scariest book I ever read was Stephen King's Pet Semetary.  Oh Lord, I will never look at a cat the same way again.

I remember as a kid and the readers club at school.  I would order all the scary stuff.  I never outgrew by love for horror, but I don't like the really weird way out there stuff.  I tend to stick more to the spirit world for my shivers.
Kelly


----------



## jaayimee

pidgeon92 said:


> Totally off topic, and really bizarre... I present to you, _The Birds_ Barbie:


Oh my gosh! I know this was posted awhile ago but thank you! i love this and ordered it for my mom for her b-day  She will love it!


----------



## Pea

A few good ones:

I Just finished Audrey's Door











Here is my Amazon review (I'm new at that!)

*Just finished this e-book and I must say that I haven't read one this creepy in quite a long time. Being a true horror fan this tale really hit the spot. The story line though unique in its own right reminds me of 1977's "The Sentinel" Jeffrey Konvitz - about a creepy apartment building in Brooklyn Heights. I found myself drawn to the two main characters and felt myself giving them advice during certain situations, saying no don't do that, or do it this way and fast! For me forgetting your surroundings and being engulfed in all that creepiness is one of the main reasons for reading horror. I am looking forward to reading "The Keeper" and "The missing"

Glad to see a gem in the mostly male dominated genre of horror. Bravo Ms. Langan!

Overall a great, dare I say, creepy read!*

Also a fantastic book to check out by T.J. Sheils (ALL his books are great!) is "Butterfly House" - you can purchase this from fictonwise for under $5.00 (it was on sale when I purchased it). It's one of my favorites

For a truly horrific ride try:











Not an ebook and I purchased a used copy - I read it when it first came out years ago and it remains one of the strangest books I have ever read!

_--- created Kindle ebook link_


----------



## Chloista

prairiesky said:


> The latest really creepy book that I read was Still Life with Crows. I still think about that book and read it many months ago....before I bought my Kindle. I just watched last weeks "Fringe" on TV and the story reminded me of this book. Just creepy!


Still Life With Crows - great book!











_--- created Kindle ebook link_


----------



## PD Allen

The Birds Barbie, how bizarre. 

That was quite possibly the scariest movie I have ever seen. I remember when I watched it with my daughters about ten years ago. I warned them it was very scary. They made light of it through the first half, then they were terrified.

Anyway, back to books. 

Robert McCammon is one of my favorites. As is Bentley Little. 

Then there's the book The Auctioneer. I read that back in the 70s. It was an intense book. Anyone else familiar with it?


----------



## MichelleR

Pea said:


> A few good ones:
> 
> I Just finished Audrey's Door
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here is my Amazon review (I'm new at that!)
> 
> *Just finished this e-book and I must say that I haven't read one this creepy in quite a long time. Being a true horror fan this tale really hit the spot. The story line though unique in its own right reminds me of 1977's "The Sentinel" Jeffrey Konvitz - about a creepy apartment building in Brooklyn Heights. I found myself drawn to the two main characters and felt myself giving them advice during certain situations, saying no don't do that, or do it this way and fast! For me forgetting your surroundings and being engulfed in all that creepiness is one of the main reasons for reading horror. I am looking forward to reading "The Keeper" and "The missing"
> 
> Glad to see a gem in the mostly male dominated genre of horror. Bravo Ms. Langan!
> 
> Overall a great, dare I say, creepy read!*


I just saw this -- I liked this book quite a lot.


----------



## Chloista

prairiesky said:


> The latest really creepy book that I read was Still Life with Crows. I still think about that book and read it many months ago....before I bought my Kindle. I just watched last weeks "Fringe" on TV and the story reminded me of this book. Just creepy!


Yes, that is creepy... but even creepier is the same authors' book, "Cabinet of Curiosities." Really creepy.


----------



## The Hooded Claw

I'm not an avid horror reader, but I do spread myself around to the genre sometimes. My favorite horror novel is "Shades of Gray" by Timothy R. O'Neill. Here's an Amazon link (out of print, but plenty of used copies out there):

http://www.amazon.com/Shades-Gray-Timothy-R-ONeill/dp/0345354257/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260750587&sr=8-1

The book is a ghost story, set at West Point. Most of the major characters are either professors or students at West Point. When cadets repeatedly report ghostly experiences in a dorm room, an investigation reveals this has been going on for decades, and two West Point professors decide to check into things scientifically. They use an array of advanced equipment similar to the corny "reality" ghost hunter shows on cable tv. But this isn't a cornball exploitation thing, the story is excellent, and a major and very well-known author ends up being connected with the haunting. You will end up learning some real and true things about the author that are interesting. I reread the book a couple of years ago, and still loved it. I'm disappointed to find that O'Neill doesn't appear to have written anything else. I recommend the book.


----------



## alangst

Although its not on kindle yet, Summer of Night by Dan Simmons is one of my most recent favorites.      Sort of reminded me of It crossed with Stand by Me.

It also has a pretty good sequel, A Winter Haunting, which is available for kindle.    I recently discoverd Dan Simmons, and have been devouring everything I can find..... even the difficult Drood.


----------



## PD Allen

Bacardi Jim said:


> Besides Swan Song, Robert McCammon also wrote a terrific novel about moder-day vampires declaring war on L.A. called They Thirst. *thumb up*


Just reading through this thread.

Ya know, I'm a fan of McCammon and I hadn't heard about his vampire novel before this. I'll have to find a copy.


----------



## WilliamM

Bacardi Jim said:


> Besides Swan Song, Robert McCammon also wrote a terrific novel about moder-day vampires declaring war on L.A. called They Thirst. *thumb up*


another vote on these as they are two favorite horror McCammon novels...They Thirst was the first book of his that I read..


----------



## angel_b

Gary Val Tenuta said:


> If I may be so bold,  I'd like to suggest my horror short, *A Bite Out of Time*. (Approx. 7300 words)
> _*A rock-n-roll vampire tale with a time travel twist!*_....*99-cents*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The story is set primarily in Los Angeles in the late 1960s. Blind Man's Bluff (an up-and-coming folk/rock group) is playing a New Year's gig at the Backstreet Ballroom, an historical old building on the outskirts of the city. Many years ago - or so it's said - the members of something called the Blood Cult used to hold some sort of bizarre, depraved rituals somewhere deep in the bowels of the old building. It's just an urban legend, of course. It is. Isn't it? Well, no matter. Vince Blaylock, the lead singer with the band, couldn't have cared less. A full-fledged hippie, a poster child for the Love Generation, and a rising young rock star, Vince was just thrilled to be playing the Ballroom, the hottest venue in town. Everything was just groovy - until he stepped out back to grab a smoke between sets. But you know, a dark alley behind an old building in the middle of the night is probably not the best place to hang out... alone. I mean, something's gotta happen and it's probably not going to be good. Right? And you know the ironic thing? His friends used to tell him it would be the cigarettes that would kill him. You're probably guessing that's not what killed him and you'd be right about that. You're probably guessing it was a vampire and you'd be right about that too. I don't think I'm spoiling anything here because it is a vampire story, right? But that's just the beginning of a tale that takes a most unusual turn. You won't see it coming any more than Vince saw it coming. This is a story of a reluctant vampire's revenge. This is a vampire tale with a time travel twist. This is _*Twilight*_ meets _*Twilight Zone*_.
> 
> If you're into vampires, this will be the coolest little vampire story you'll ever read for *99-cents*.
> *Come on! Don't be a 'fraidy cat! Take* *A Bite Out of Time**!*
> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002OHD2CK


Just downloaded this. Thanks Dan.

I also have Ezekiel Code on my Kindle and is on my ever-growing TBR list.


----------



## Mandy

The first horror book I recall reading was John Saul's Comes the Blind Fury. Some of my favorite childhood memories are curling up and reading my mom's horror novels. I was around 9 or 10 years old, begged and begged relentlessly, she was hesitant to let me read books that had adult language. She apparently thought I was mature enough to handle it, 'cause she eventually gave in. (She didn't know how much I snickered when I found a "s" or "d" word, haha.) I read her entire collection of Stephen King, V.C. Andrews, and John Saul. I lived and breathed books.

How I miss those days when my biggest concern was what book to read next! Really wanna read King's Under the Dome, but trying to hold out until I get my Kindle. That book is huge!


----------



## angelad

Pea said:


> A few good ones:
> 
> I Just finished Audrey's Door
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here is my Amazon review (I'm new at that!)
> 
> *Just finished this e-book and I must say that I haven't read one this creepy in quite a long time. Being a true horror fan this tale really hit the spot. The story line though unique in its own right reminds me of 1977's "The Sentinel" Jeffrey Konvitz - about a creepy apartment building in Brooklyn Heights. I found myself drawn to the two main characters and felt myself giving them advice during certain situations, saying no don't do that, or do it this way and fast! For me forgetting your surroundings and being engulfed in all that creepiness is one of the main reasons for reading horror. I am looking forward to reading "The Keeper" and "The missing"
> 
> Glad to see a gem in the mostly male dominated genre of horror. Bravo Ms. Langan!
> 
> Overall a great, dare I say, creepy read!*
> 
> Also a fantastic book to check out by T.J. Sheils (ALL his books are great!) is "Butterfly House" - you can purchase this from fictonwise for under $5.00 (it was on sale when I purchased it). It's one of my favorites
> 
> For a truly horrific ride try:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Not an ebook and I purchased a used copy - I read it when it first came out years ago and it remains one of the strangest books I have ever read!
> 
> _--- created Kindle ebook link_


I like strange horror books, I might have to put your 2nd title on download list.


----------



## travelgirl

I just wanted to let all you non-fraidy cats know that the Robert McCammon book Swan Song is now available on Kindle!  

I'd post a link, but I haven't figured out how to do that yet.


----------



## MikeD

travelgirl said:


> I just wanted to let all you non-fraidy cats know that the Robert McCammon book Swan Song is now available on Kindle!
> 
> I'd post a link, but I haven't figured out how to do that yet.


Here ya go!


----------



## pidgeon92

I started reading Swan Song last week, I am about 40% into it.... Comparisons to The Stand are inevitable. I'm enjoying it so far.


----------



## Chloista

Just downloaded SWAN SONG -- sounds like a great read.


----------



## fictionfandd

pidgeon92 said:


> We all know about Stephen King.... What other horror novelists/books do you like?
> 
> The first horror novel I can remember reading was James Herbert's *The Rats*. Of course, not Kindleized.... I loved this book, read it several times.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Talk amongst yourselves while I come up with some more....


I read The Rats and his sequels to it several times as well. I've been a fan of James Herbert ever since. I also loved The Magic Cottage (which I want to re read but it seems none of his books are available for Kindle) and Haunted.


----------



## Mike D. aka jmiked

I liked _Swan Song_ also. But it was this one:











 

Mike


----------



## G. Henkel

James Herbert's books are fun. I particularly enjoyed "Domain."



And if someone is looking for a reeeallly creepy short read, try Robert E. Howard's short story "Pigeons From Hell" which is part of his Horror Stories Collection and even available for the Kindle.


----------



## MikeD

Guido Henkel said:


> ...And if someone is looking for a reeeallly creepy short read, try Robert E. Howard's short story "Pigeons From Hell" which is part of his Horror Stories Collection and even available for the Kindle....


Available for free (legally) from Feedbooks here:


----------



## MichelleR

Just DLed:











Missed it a a Vine offering. VERY much looking forward to this. Joe Hill really has such tremendous potential to be an even better writer than Stephen King. There are similarities in voice, for obvious reasons, but Joe Hill seems to avoid some of the excesses. I'm not saying he'll ever be more successful though. Read an article in Time or Newsweek about how he tried to be a more literary writer for a long while and really thought be might never find success -- and then he embraced his destiny. ::Insert evil laugh::


----------



## Thalia the Muse

I didn't know there was a horror thread here -- I love horror! Very excited about the new Joe Hill. Although I didn't totally love Heart-Shaped Box, you could see potential all over his writing.


----------



## geko29

MikeD said:


> Here ya go!


Thanks travelgirl and MikeD for pointing this book out. I just finished it this morning, and loved it! Doesn't quite knock The Stand off its pedestal, but definitely a similarly worthy entry into the post-apocalyptic thriller genre.


----------



## travelgirl

Geko29,

Swan Song is one of my all time favorite books.  I fell in love with the characters the first time I read it, and just love the story!  It's one of the ones I can read over and over.  And now that it's on Kindle, I can stop worrying about my paperback copy that is falling apart!  WOOHOO!


----------



## Chad Winters

http://www.amazon.com/Abraham-Lincoln-Vampire-Hunter-ebook/dp/B00351DSCS/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

From the author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies......its "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" which looks better and less campy than it sounds


----------



## David.Niall.Wilson

As a former president of the Horror Writer's Association,and avid horror reader, I'm happy to see this thread too.  I love McCammon's work.  In particularly, I liked Usher's Passing and Wolf's Hour - and what I consider his finest, "Boy's Life."  How can you beat a kid who is chased by a triceratops in modern times...

I'm listening to Joe Hill's "Horns" on audio.  I think he's a good, solid writer, but has a long way to go to match his father's storytelling ability.  I'm also disturbed that he doesn't know the resilience of Barbie dolls to explosives...  

Anyway, good to see this thread is active...maybe I'll see some of my books on here eventually.

David


----------



## MikeD

David.Niall.Wilson said:


> As a former president of the Horror Writer's Association,and avid horror reader, I'm happy to see this thread too. I love McCammon's work. In particularly, I liked Usher's Passing and Wolf's Hour - and what I consider his finest, "Boy's Life." How can you beat a kid who is chased by a triceratops in modern times...
> 
> I'm listening to Joe Hill's "Horns" on audio. I think he's a good, solid writer, but has a long way to go to match his father's storytelling ability. I'm also disturbed that he doesn't know the resilience of Barbie dolls to explosives...
> 
> Anyway, good to see this thread is active...maybe I'll see some of my books on here eventually.
> 
> David


On Joe Hill -

I agree with you. IMHO, he is a very good wordsmith, but his story telling needs to mature before he is on the same level as some of the better horror authors. In fact, I felt that his first novel, Heart-Shaped Box, had a better story line than did Horns.

On David Niall Wilson -

I've been trying to find some good, new (to me), independent writers and have been successful in that I have found a few new authors that are really good. If I were to ask which one of your books I should try so that I could get a good feel for your books, which one would you recommend?

Mike


----------



## David.Niall.Wilson

If you are a horror fan, I'd say DEEP BLUE would be your best bet.

Just to clarify though, while I've published my out of print books and a couple of others digitally, I've been publishing through traditional channels for many many years 

One piece you might want to try - 'Scuse Me, While I Kiss the Sky - is a novelette on Amazon for $1.99 - that's shorter and slightly cheaper. I'm keeping the books low, but not too low on the price scale.

Deep Blue was published in HC and then in Trade paperback... I recently digitized it. I'd say that, or This is My Blood for horror right off the bat in digital. I have a new book out in Hardcover, "Vintage Soul," but that's more of an urban fantasy (first in a series). My next horror novel, Maelstrom, is due later this year, as is the Stargate Atlantis novel I wrote with my wife... BRIMSTONE.

David


----------



## Guest

Just downloaded SWAN SONG


----------



## SimonWood

Good to see you here, David...


----------



## SimonWood

pidgeon92 said:


> We all know about Stephen King.... What other horror novelists/books do you like?
> 
> The first horror novel I can remember reading was James Herbert's *The Rats*. Of course, not Kindleized.... I loved this book, read it several times.


The same for me. THE RATS was the first adult horror book I read when I was twelve and I've been a big Herbert fan since. My favorite remain the books of his I read afterwards--THE FOG and THE DARK


----------



## MikeD

David.Niall.Wilson said:


> If you are a horror fan, I'd say DEEP BLUE would be your best bet...


Just picked it up. Thanks!


----------



## David.Niall.Wilson

No, thank you.  There can never be enough readers...

I'd like to second the Simon Wood suggestions above...great guy, top notch author.


----------



## cheerio

MikeD said:


> Here ya go!


love the artwork


----------



## JA Konrath

My favorites are LEGION by William Peter Blatty, MASTER OF LIES by Graham Masterton, BEAST by Peter Benchley, OFF SEASON by Jack Ketchum.

I dedicated AFRAID to Stephen King for SALEM'S LOT, Dean Koontz for WATCHERS, and David Morrell for THE TOTEM. 

I wrote a funny story called SUCKERS with Jeff Strand, but by himself he wrote one of the most disturbing novels of all time, called PRESSURE.

I also wrote a story called SERIAL with Blake Crouch (it's been downloaded 200,000 times and is still available as a Kindle freebie.) Blake wrote a book called DESERT PLACES which is frightening as hell.

F. Paul Wilson's THE TOMB is one of my favorite books, and the first in a terrific series.

VAMPIRE$ by John Steakley is a lot of fun. So is WOLF'S HOUR by Robert McCammon.


----------



## sweetgirl1226

I love Dean Koontz. I think it would be cool if King & Koontz wrote a book together. I don't really have any other favorite horror authors but I've read many horror books. Any suggestions on new authors?


----------



## Chloista

Jack Kilborn said:


> My favorites are LEGION by William Peter Blatty, MASTER OF LIES by Graham Masterton, BEAST by Peter Benchley, OFF SEASON by Jack Ketchum.
> 
> I dedicated AFRAID to Stephen King for SALEM'S LOT, Dean Koontz for WATCHERS, and David Morrell for THE TOTEM.
> 
> I wrote a funny story called SUCKERS with Jeff Strand, but by himself he wrote one of the most disturbing novels of all time, called PRESSURE.
> 
> I also wrote a story called SERIAL with Blake Crouch (it's been downloaded 200,000 times and is still available as a Kindle freebie.) Blake wrote a book called DESERT PLACES which is frightening as hell.
> 
> F. Paul Wilson's THE TOMB is one of my favorite books, and the first in a terrific series.
> 
> VAMPIRE$ by John Steakley is a lot of fun. So is WOLF'S HOUR by Robert McCammon.


Wilson's THE TOMB is terrific! I love his Repairman Jack series. Good stuff.


----------



## David.Niall.Wilson

I always like F. Paul Wilson's "The Keep" better than "The Tomb."  (heh)  He calls me "That other Wilson writer".


DNW


----------



## loca

Chloista said:


> Just downloaded SWAN SONG -- sounds like a great read.


Not sure about the book itself, but I like the title.


----------



## Blanche

Bacardi Jim said:


> Besides Swan Song, Robert McCammon also wrote a terrific novel about moder-day vampires declaring war on L.A. called They Thirst. *thumb up*


I read "They Thirst" while living by myself in my first apartment. Shortly after finishing the book, I dreamed that while sleeping I woke to rustling noises coming from underneath the bed. I stirred and sat up in time to hear and see a vampire working its way out from under my bed... it was clicking its teeth at me and growling...and its eyes were glowing red (in "They Thirst," newly turned vampires are wrapped in bedsheets and stuffed under beds to "incubate" until they complete the change). I nose-dived out of the bed in an attempt to save myself and kicked at the vampire as I dove. I did not fully wake up until my head struck the solid cinder-block wall of the apartment. I sat there hyperventilating with blood running down from my split head (right above the eye), a sprained wrist and a broken lamp. I had kicked at "the vampire" as I dove out of bed and ended up knocking the lamp off the bedside table.

Yes... the book is that good. I went to work with a shiner and had to tell everyone that I earned it while defending myself from a vampire. My co-workers looked at me funny for a long time after that. I have never had a dream that was so vivid nor a book that scared me as badly as "They Thirst."


----------



## David.Niall.Wilson

I liked They Thirst, but it was one of those books where I think the author wrote himself into a corner and then chose a very "pat" ending...so I don't list it as one of my favorites by McCammon, even though it was creepy, and I loved the characters.  Endings are important.  I hated (for instance) the ending to The Stand...


----------



## angel_b

David.Niall.Wilson said:


> I liked They Thirst, but it was one of those books where I think the author wrote himself into a corner and then chose a very "pat" ending...so I don't list it as one of my favorites by McCammon, even though it was creepy, and I loved the characters. Endings are important. I hated (for instance) the ending to The Stand...


Couldn't agree more, and it was a long way to go for a 'not with a bang but with a whimper' ending. The journey was enjoyable though.

David, 'Deep Blue' looks intriguing - will download when I get home from work.


----------



## scottnicholson

Good to see James Herbert hasn't been forgotten. I loved those Rats books, and the David Ash series of paranormal books.


----------



## PG4003 (Patricia)

loca said:


> Not sure about the book itself, but I like the title.


Swan Song is a WONDERFUL book. I was so totally into this book. I had to make myself quit reading it one night and turn on the television. I was getting creeped out.


----------



## Blanche

Can't stay away... I think I am going to have to try "Swan Song."  Too many positive comments.  It has been aro 25 years since I read a  McCammon novel.  Guess I am overdue.


----------



## WilliamM

another thumbs up for They Thirst...it was my first McCammon book . They need to get more of his books as well as Herberts books on Kindle


----------



## Anne

Fuzzy Dunlop said:


> another thumbs up for They Thirst...it was my first McCammon book . They need to get more of his books as well as Herberts books on Kindle


I wish they would get They Thrist on Kindle.


----------



## travelgirl

I downloaded "Being Dead" yesterday and just started reading it today.  Hope it's good!!


----------



## David.Niall.Wilson

angel_b said:


> Couldn't agree more, and it was a long way to go for a 'not with a bang but with a whimper' ending. The journey was enjoyable though.
> 
> David, 'Deep Blue' looks intriguing - will download when I get home from work.


I'll be very interested to hear what you think. A lot of my life and career is wrapped up in DEEP BLUE - one of my best, I think...hasn't had the readership I'd hoped, and that is one reason I put it out in Kindle / e-Book formats...to give it a better shot.

David


----------



## Carol Collett

Downloaded DEEP BLUE last week. It's #2 on my TBR list. Can't wait to get to it.


----------



## R. M. Reed

I would like to mention Richard Laymon here. David, you probably knew him. He was the President of the HWA at one time, but unfortunately passed away too young. I met his daughter at a few L.A. area events.
He was published more in Britain than in America. I don't know how many of his books are on Kindle, if any. Pick any of them up in whatever edition you can find and you won't be disappointed.


----------



## David.Niall.Wilson

R. Reed said:


> I would like to mention Richard Laymon here. David, you probably knew him. He was the President of the HWA at one time, but unfortunately passed away too young. I met his daughter at a few L.A. area events.
> He was published more in Britain than in America. I don't know how many of his books are on Kindle, if any. Pick any of them up in whatever edition you can find and you won't be disappointed.


I certainly did know Dick. He was President of HWA when I was Vice President, and I ended up in charge at the time of his very UNtimely passing. He was a great guy, and wrote some brutal, in your face horror. He's missed. Kelly is good people, by the way, though I haven't run across her much lately anywhere other than Facebook...


----------



## David.Niall.Wilson

collett said:


> Downloaded DEEP BLUE last week. It's #2 on my TBR list. Can't wait to get to it.


I appreciate it Colleen... I've noticed a big upsurge in Deep Blue orders. At first The Orffyreus Wheel was the clear winner among my digital offerings, but Deep Blue is now giving it a run for its money...

David


----------



## Blanche

I launched "Swan Song" on Sunday afternoon and am totally hooked.  I hit the halfway mark this evening and had to put it down.  Can't wait to see what happens next... awaiting the big battle.


----------



## chefsuzyq

I just finished Skull Ring by Scott Nicholson--it was definitely creepy. I couldn't put it down, I had to finish it to see who was "the bad guy in the hood".
Great book--I recommend it!!!


----------



## JMelzer

It's been a long time since I read a horror novel that really gave me the willies. 

Infected (Scott Sigler) made my stomach turn in parts, which is a good thing, but it didn't make me want to read it with the lights on or anything. *Shameless self promotion - Scott actually blurbed my first novel coming out next year, calling it, "The 1984 of zombie novels." Helluva guy  

Swan Song (Robert McCammon) is one of my all-time favorite apocalypse novels, but again, didn't give me the shivers. 

I think the last book I read that really freaked me out, and I re-read it once a year just to get back that feeling, was The Exorcist (William Peter Blatty). A lot better than the movie, and the words he uses give me such creepy mental images that to this day, I still can't read it before bed.


----------



## WilliamM

JMelzer said:


> It's been a long time since I read a horror novel that really gave me the willies.
> 
> Infected (Scott Sigler) made my stomach turn in parts, which is a good thing, but it didn't make me want to read it with the lights on or anything. *Shameless self promotion - Scott actually blurbed my first novel coming out next year, calling it, "The 1984 of zombie novels." Helluva guy
> 
> Swan Song (Robert McCammon) is one of my all-time favorite apocalypse novels, but again, didn't give me the shivers.
> 
> I think the last book I read that really freaked me out, and I re-read it once a year just to get back that feeling, was The Exorcist (William Peter Blatty). A lot better than the movie, and the words he uses give me such creepy mental images that to this day, I still can't read it before bed.


gotta agree with the Exorcist..a lot creepier than the movie..i also felt the same way when i read Red Dragon when it first cam out


----------



## travelgirl

Hmmm...  I read The Exorcist when I was in junior high.  I remember it being the scariest thing I ever read, but I don't remember it giving me nightmares or making me feel like I needed to sleep with the lights on.  In fact, I think I remember reading it another 2 or 3 times before I was out of high school because I enjoyed it so much.  

Guess I better start clicking "I want to read this book on Kindle" since I don't have the DTB of it anymore.  

Anyone here ever read Amityville Horror?  That movie scared me out of my wits when I saw it, and was wondering if the book is even scarier?


----------



## JMelzer

travelgirl said:


> Hmmm... I read The Exorcist when I was in junior high. I remember it being the scariest thing I ever read, but I don't remember it giving me nightmares or making me feel like I needed to sleep with the lights on. In fact, I think I remember reading it another 2 or 3 times before I was out of high school because I enjoyed it so much.
> 
> Guess I better start clicking "I want to read this book on Kindle" since I don't have the DTB of it anymore.
> 
> Anyone here ever read Amityville Horror? That movie scared me out of my wits when I saw it, and was wondering if the book is even scarier?


I read The Amityville Horror way back in the day. I remember liking it more than the movie and being pretty scared by it, but I was 12 or so. Haven't read it since, so I'm not sure how it would affect me now as an adult.


----------



## Carol Collett

Amityville Horror scared me when I read it in jr high. Haven't read it since. Saw the movie back then too. Haven't seen the movie again either. I'm currently reading Deep Blue by David N Wilson. I'm not very far into it, but so far like it a lot. I like Wilson's voice and writing style. At 5% in it seems more eerie than frankly scary, which is what I like. I just finished the first two books in Eric Wilson's Jerusalem Undead trilogy. I liked both of them. The third comes out in DTB in April. (I seem to have a Wilson theme going here don't I!)


----------



## SimonWood

scottnicholson said:


> Good to see James Herbert hasn't been forgotten. I loved those Rats books, and the David Ash series of paranormal books.


I always thought Herbert was mean to David Ash. He had the worst luck with women.


----------



## Genaro Zamora

Cool thread. Lots of interesting books to consider.
I'm previewing 

Dean Koontz's
Frankenstein.

It seems interesting. Can't wait!


----------



## Ty Johnston

McCammon, Laymon, both excellent suggestions for horror reading. After staying away for almost 20 years, I've recently been getting back into F. Paul Wilson. His stuff today tends to be more dark modern fantasy with some hardboiled action tossed in, but it's a fun read. I also tried to get back into Koontz again after a couple of decades away, but I found his modern writing predictable; maybe I need to give him another shot?


----------



## Genaro Zamora

For me, this would be the first book that I've read by Dean Koontz. 
So I couldn't say in comparison to his earlier works.


----------



## scottnicholson

With Koontz, you pretty much now what you are getting. I love his precision and craft, but I know where I will end up. But he's pretty skilled at building character. Really, a great storyteller. I just like a shock now and then.

Scott

PS Suzyq thanks for the kind words about The Skull Ring.


----------



## BrianJamesFreeman

Blanche said:


> I launched "Swan Song" on Sunday afternoon and am totally hooked. I hit the halfway mark this evening and had to put it down. Can't wait to see what happens next... awaiting the big battle.


Now there is a book I wish I could "read again" for the first time. Just a wonderful example of how a huge book can still be a page turner.

Best,
Brian


----------



## travelgirl

Woohoo!  My favorite thread is resurrected again!  

I wish I had something new to add to the list of great horror books, I just don't right now.  However, after perusing this thread again, I've moved a couple of the books listed here up on my TBR list.


----------



## David McAfee

How about Guy N. Smith? Has he been mentioned yet? I loved _Night of the Crabs. _


----------



## Joel Arnold

Loved Swan Song, and also loved McCammon's Boy's Life. 
Has anyone read Dan Simmon's Black Hills, yet? I bought it, but it's on my TBR pile. I really enjoyed The Terror. I love his blend of history and horror.

Joel Arnold


----------



## Thalia the Muse

I've only read Watchers by Koontz, but I was not blown away by his writing. I also felt he didn't really think through what a highly intelligent dog would be like, and how it would differ from a human intelligence -- a possibly fascinating angle he didn't explore at all, his smart dog was just basically a human with a really good sense of smell. It didn't stop me from tearing through the book, though.


----------



## Jan Strnad

Thanks for resurrecting the horror thread!

I already mentioned _I Am Legend _ in a vampire thread. _Pet Sematary _ is my favorite King, and I'm a Lovecraft fan. I've just read (and enjoyed!) one of Harry Shannon's horror novels, _Night of the Beast_, but now have all of his books through Amazon/Kindle...non-DRMed so I converted them to ePub for my Kobo.

And of course...check out the link below! Not zombies, but unholy resurrections.

All of the talk about _Swan Song _ has me intrigued, but there's bad news attached: It's one of those books that is priced at $13.99 for the Kindle/ePub and sells for $12.24 as a paperback. I'm sorry, but I'm just not buying from that marketplace when there's so much other good stuff to read that isn't DRMed and is more competitively priced. Thanks for the recommendation though.


----------



## Paegan

I read this book last month. This is no Twilight knockoff. Creepy, creepy!


----------



## travelgirl

Jan Strnad said:


> All of the talk about _Swan Song _ has me intrigued, but there's bad news attached: It's one of those books that is priced at $13.99 for the Kindle/ePub and sells for $12.24 as a paperback. I'm sorry, but I'm just not buying from that marketplace when there's so much other good stuff to read that isn't DRMed and is more competitively priced. Thanks for the recommendation though.


That really bites! I picked it up a few months ago when it was only $6.39. What a bargain! However, having already read Swan Song prior to owning a Kindle, I'd have gladly paid $13.99 to have it on my Kindle. It is just that good.


----------



## bevie125

Mikuto said:


> Wanna know something weird? I raved about his book in my blog and he commented to it. How weird is it to get a message notification that "ScottSigler" made a comment to your entry?
> 
> Speaking of his other books, the sequel to Infected, "Contagious" will be out Dec. 30th, he's going on a booksigning tour after wards, I'm hoping to meet him and get a book signed, even if it means I can't read it on the Kindle.
> 
> As for Saul, the person who suggested him told me I should read "Suffer the Children" which isn't Kindlized


He only has a few books on kindle, but the ones he has are all very worth reading! I have read most of his books, and all of the ones for kindle. You wont be sorry!


----------



## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish

My wife really liked the Strain. Guillermo del Toro is just awesome.

David Dalglish


----------



## Anne

Half-Orc said:


> My wife really liked the Strain. Guillermo del Toro is just awesome.
> 
> David Dalglish


I llked that book too. I cannot wait till the second one comes out.


----------



## MikeD

David McAfee said:


> How about Guy N. Smith? Has he been mentioned yet? I loved _Night of the Crabs. _


I bought it some time back when Scott Nicholson had it featured on his web site. Haven't read it yet. I kinda got the impression that it was sort of intentionally cheesy, pulpy & over the top, which sounds fun to me. I just haven't had a chance to read it yet...


----------



## pidgeon92

I started reading _Night of the Crabs_ recently. I am _almost_ certain I never finished it. It was most definitely cheesy.


----------



## SimonWood

Thalia the Muse said:


> I've only read Watchers by Koontz, but I was not blown away by his writing. I also felt he didn't really think through what a highly intelligent dog would be like, and how it would differ from a human intelligence -- a possibly fascinating angle he didn't explore at all, his smart dog was just basically a human with a really good sense of smell. It didn't stop me from tearing through the book, though.


Certainly not my favorite.

I'd recommend INTESNITY, VELOCITY, CHASE, STRANGE HIGHWAYS for his best work...


----------



## Genaro Zamora

ha ha, Pet Semetary is cool. 
I like Stephen Kings earlier books.
Misery is awesome!


----------



## purplepen79

My favorite horror writer is Ira Levin (_Rosemary's Baby, Stepford Wives, The Boys from Brazil, A Kiss Before Dying, Sliver _ . . . there are others I think, but those are the titles I've read.)

His writing is an exquisite blend of satire and horror and wonderfully understated writing. Great characters too. _Rosemary's Baby_ is one of the best exercises in paranoia I've ever read . . . I just wanted to shake Rosemary and tell her to pay attention to all the weird suspicions and intuitions she had because they were spot-on.


----------



## Genaro Zamora

I've never actually looked into Rosemary's Baby. It sounds interesting.


----------



## Jan Strnad

Though I read _Rosemary's Baby _ many years ago, I remember enjoying it a lot.


----------



## Thalia the Muse

Rosemary's Baby is terrific.

I recently read Audrey's Door, by Sarah Langan, and thought it was a very enjoyable haunted-house - er, apartment - story, that owed a lot to Ira Levin.


----------



## bvlarson

My only real horror book is SHIFTING and it is a real horror book. Not at all "funny".
But I like to put horrific moments in many of my books, it is probably my fave genre when I'm reading.

Fave author is still Stephen King.


----------



## David McAfee

pidgeon92 said:


> I started reading _Night of the Crabs_ recently. I am _almost_ certain I never finished it. It was most definitely cheesy.


It was. That was part of what I liked about it. Not that I would want to read _only_ books along that vein, but even B-Movies have their place.


----------



## purplepen79

Thalia the Muse said:


> Rosemary's Baby is terrific.
> 
> I recently read Audrey's Door, by Sarah Langan, and thought it was a very enjoyable haunted-house - er, apartment - story, that owed a lot to Ira Levin.


Thanks for the tip!


----------



## BrianJamesFreeman

Genaro Zamora said:


> I've never actually looked into Rosemary's Baby. It sounds interesting.


It's a lot of fun to go back and read books like Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist, etc -- the ones that really launched the genre within the publishing world. I always wonder what it was like before then. By the time I came along, horror was *everywhere* because it was the 80s. You couldn't throw a rock in a bookstore without hitting a stack of horror paperbacks. Not that you should be throwing rocks in bookstores... 

best,
Brian


----------



## Jan Strnad

I wonder how many Stephen King fans wouldn't even check this thread. I think of the many, many King fans who read no other horror author, who don't seek out horror titles, who don't even consider themselves "horror fans"...but whose favorite author is Stephen King.

I can't imagine how an author even goes about trying to reach this audience...though I'd love to hear ideas!


----------



## travelgirl

Jan Strnad said:


> I wonder how many Stephen King fans wouldn't even check this thread. I think of the many, many King fans who read no other horror author, who don't seek out horror titles, who don't even consider themselves "horror fans"...but whose favorite author is Stephen King.
> 
> I can't imagine how an author even goes about trying to reach this audience...though I'd love to hear ideas!


I'm a huge SK fan, but I'm also a horror NUT. I love it.

To be fair, though...a lot of what SK writes is not horror. I can only think of maybe, what? Less than 10 books that he's written that are truly scary. The scary ones though...leave the lights on!

An example of what I mean is his latest, Under The Dome. I loved it, and have participated in the thread about that book, but it's never been mentioned on this thread until now. It just doesn't really belong here. So I can totally understand why some SK fans wouldn't seek out "horror" genre books, because maybe it's not their thing!


----------



## romac

Does anyone know of any good Werewolf fiction? I'm not a huge horror buff but I do enjoy werewolf movies lol. Mo


----------



## G. Henkel

Well, since Stephen King came up, how about "Talisman?" That is a werewolf story.



Then there is the classic "The Werewolf of Paris" by Guy Endore



And then last, but not least, Jonathan Maberry's novel to the movie "The Wolf Man"


----------



## Jan Strnad

There's this list on Amazon: Werewolf Books.


----------



## prairiesky

Has Still Life with Crows been mentioned? That one creeped me out!











_--- created Kindle ebook link_


----------



## SimonWood

prairiesky said:


> Has Still Life with Crows been mentioned? That one creeped me out!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _--- created Kindle ebook link_


Cracking book. My favorite in the series.


----------



## SimonWood

romac said:


> Does anyone know of any good Werewolf fiction? I'm not a huge horror buff but I do enjoy werewolf movies lol. Mo


have you tried W. D. Gagliani? He's written a series of werewolf novels.


----------



## Thalia the Muse

I liked but was not totally blown away by Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box. Now I'm reading 20th Century Ghosts, and OMG, these stories are outstanding! Eerie, beautifully written, and very diverse in style and subject matter. Love, love, love these.


----------



## pidgeon92

Thalia the Muse said:


> I liked but was not totally blown away by Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box. Now I'm reading 20th Century Ghosts, and OMG, these stories are outstanding!


I thought Heart Shaped Box was terrible; a veritable retread of Stephen King themes. I wasn't too thrilled with 20th Century Ghosts, either. I felt that three out of the fifteen stories were worth reading.


----------



## Genaro Zamora

I just read one of my favorites from when I was 10 years old.
R.L Stein's Hit and Run.

lolz....


----------



## Cuechick

Paegan said:


> I read this book last month. This is no Twilight knockoff. Creepy, creepy!


Thanks for reccomending this, I just started it and am already pretty intrigued.
I need a good read after wading through the bog of _Outlander_!


----------



## Harry Shannon

I loved Justin Cronin's "The Passage," got my hooked like the early King novels. Like most authors, I'm a genuine fan (Jan's "Risen" is a great read btw) and it's just dismaying how time consuming promotion has become. Personally, I just love to read and write, and nothing is more fun than a really delicious scary read. 

harry


----------



## Se7inhand

pidgeon92 said:


> I recall loving these two books.... I no longer have them, and alas, they are not Kindleized yet, either.....


Carrion Comfort is one of my favorites from way back and it IS on Kindle


----------



## Se7inhand

Joe Hill's "Horns" is also a damn good book.  He's starting to really show his father's feel for characters instead of just situations.  Also, wheres the love for superfreak Clive Barker?


----------



## Genaro Zamora

^^^Damn I didn't even notice that.
Clive Barker hasn't been mentioned....


----------



## Blanche

Clive Barker.... .  I don't know how he was missed either.  I had to look up the name of the book to remember but "Weaveworld" gave me a real case of the heebie jeebies when I read it years ago.  I just checked but didn't appear that it is available in Kindle format.... but I did see some of his books listed.  I will have to give them a rediscover.


----------



## RyanMWilliams

There are a bunch of authors I enjoy.  King, of course.  Clive Barker.  Laurell K. Hamilton.  Poppy Z. Brite.  I tend to prefer more supernatural horror and dark fantasy sorts of books/stories.


----------



## Harry Shannon

Carrion Comfort is a great read, and don't forget Song of Kali, also by Dan Simmons. My all time fave horror novels are Pet Semetery and Salem's Lot by King. Joe Hill rocks, but didn't find Horns scary.


----------



## VanillaEps

Mikuto said:


> I've been singing the praises of Scott Sigler's Infected since before I finished it, it's sort of sci-fi, sort of action, but most definitely horrific.


The sequel, Contagious is even better.


----------



## jason10mm

My favorite werewolf novel, by far, is Robert McCammons "Wolf's Hour". About a werewolf who is an OSS agent in WW2. Not straight up horror, but McCammon infuses all his works with some chills. Anyway, has one of the more plausible werewolf mythologies. Not sure if the McCammon back catalogue is on kindle yet.

Hmm, just checked. Only Swan Song is up there, which is a fantastic apocalyptic book. The other two are his more recent colonial investigator series, and not even the first one of those. Grrr, e-publishing is so erratic these days!


----------



## 16205

Dean Koontz, John Saul (earlier work) and Robin Cook, though Cook's work is more along the thriller line.


----------



## splashes99

How about some H.P. Lovecraft?

Very Poe-esque, but better.  Everyone has heard of the Necronomicon and that's an original Lovecraft idea!  Call of Cthulhu was fantastic in one of those abstract horror ways.  Highly recommend.


----------



## Harry Shannon

Just finished "The Strain" by Del Toro and Hogan, and it has some very good, freaky moments. Very "Salem's Lot" at times, although nothing can touch that one for small town American horror IMHO


----------



## pidgeon92

Speaking of Lovecraft.... I recently read a book that I bought from Fictionwise.... It is multi-format, so you can get a Kindle version:



It was a fun read, and a nice homage to Lovecraft. There is also a sequel, which I have purchased but not yet read:


----------



## JL Bryan

Can someone let me know their thoughts about Clive Barker and Poppy Z. Brite's more recent work?  I used to love those authors and haven't read anything by them in a few years, as this thread just reminded me.

Anything by Lovecraft is worth reading!

I'm always looking for new horror to read, so I'm enjoying everyone's recommendations here!

Jeff Bryan


----------



## MikeD

pidgeon92 said:


> Speaking of Lovecraft.... I recently read a book that I bought from Fictionwise.... It is multi-format, so you can get a Kindle version:
> 
> It was a fun read, and a nice homage to Lovecraft. There is also a sequel, which I have purchased but not yet read:


Speaking of McNaughton, the most disturbing horror book that I've ever read was an anthology written by him. Also not available at Amazon, but available in multi-format from Fictionwise:





> "You hold in your hands a book of stories that forced Brian McNaughton to write. Make no mistake: I don't exaggerate. There's a reason this book won the World Fantasy Award. The stories inside it are rich, fascinating stuff--creepy and unsettling and phantasmic. Imagine what Tolkien's Lord of the Rings would have been like if Tolkien had tried to tell that story sympathetically from the point of view of the human denizens of Mordor and you'll have the slightest sense of what you're about to wade into--but only just a sense. These stories will make the same demands on you that they made on Brian: they will command and compel you, and fill you full of terrible wonder. And when you've finished them you'll find yourself wanting more."--Alan Rodgers


I can easily say that no horror book affected me as much as this one. Truly creepy and, at times, kinda icky (technical term for yucky  ). Not in a slasher/gory way, although there is some of that as well, but a visceral reaction to some of the subject matter and McNaughton's fascinating way of presenting them.

This book is certainly not for everyone. Wife, who loves the horror genre, had to put it down.


----------



## Sean Sweeney

I want to recommend Steven Savile's THE SUFFERER'S SONG. It's a long book, but it's an intricately-woven story that features several storylines which, at first, seem completely unrelated -- but as the story moves along, it becomes obvious what the author is in the process of doing.

Set in a fictional suburb of Newcastle, England, this horror novel is centered around a virus, N.E.S.T., which is causing residents to develop sores around their mouths, causing them to lose weight, etc. An American maniacal doctor is behind it all, and it is evident right from jump street. 

A newspaper reporter, Kristy French, is digging around for information regarding three seemingly random disappearances...

Another character, Johnny Lisker, is wanted for a stabbing in connection with a bar fight...

And Ben Shelton is a novelist... enough said.

I highly recommend this book, and it's at a perfect price.


----------



## Daniel Pyle

Thalia the Muse said:


> I liked but was not totally blown away by Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box. Now I'm reading 20th Century Ghosts, and OMG, these stories are outstanding! Eerie, beautifully written, and very diverse in style and subject matter. Love, love, love these.


_20th Century Ghosts_ is my favorite collection of all time. I'm blown away by the fact that Hill could put together such an excellent group of stories so early in his carreer. Blown away and jealous.

Has anyone read any Ketchum? Although it's sometimes disturbing, I've always enjoyed his work. Particularly _Off Season_, _The Girl Next Door_, and _Red_. _The Girl Next Door_ might be the only one of those available on the Kindle (I can't remember), but if the others aren't, they're worth hunting down.

I see several of you have enjoyed _The Strain_. That's been on my TBR list for a long time. I think I might have to move it up a few slots.


----------



## Cuechick

FYI: the kindle version of Horns by Joe Hill just dropped to 9.99 ....in case like me anyone was waiting for it too. Really enjoying it so far.


----------



## Thalia the Muse

I just finished reading Horns as a library book! I thought it was excellent -- and I was leery going in because I thought the premise was stupid.


----------



## Carolyn J. Rose Mystery Writer

Scariest book? My checkbook, definitely. The bottom-line balance is enough to turn my hair white.


----------



## SidneyW

Not sure if Joe Lansdale has been mentioned, but he has some chillers and some of his mystery/mainstream books have chilling elements. The Nightrunners is a classic.


----------



## FrankZubek

I'm still trying to get through Dan Simmon's Carrion Comfort
Tough to read, although I bought the anniversary edition and the introduction at the start of the book on the trouble he had trying to publish the book made for fascinating reading.


----------



## SidneyW

Just picked up Scott Nicholson's The Red Church for 99 cents, speaking of horror.


----------



## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish

SidneyW said:


> Just picked up Scott Nicholson's The Red Church for 99 cents, speaking of horror.


Good read, great value.


----------



## Thalia the Muse

that is really a fantastic price for that book!


----------



## Indy

chobitz said:


> Here's an oldie :
> 
> The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen
> 
> Its the reason HP Lovecraft and even Stephen King got into horror. Its also legally free on many websites.


I have to say that was a great read! It scared the hell out of me and I never even knew what "it" was!


----------



## Jen

Genaro Zamora said:


> I just read one of my favorites from when I was 10 years old.
> R.L Stein's Hit and Run.
> 
> lolz....


HA!!! I LOVED R.L. Stein as a 10 year old. I think I read every single one. I picked one up at half price books a few months ago, it's hysterical.

I've always loved horror, twisted horror especially - I grew up on VC Andrews and some Stephen King. There are so many I haven't read of King's though, and I've decided to read through a bunch of them. I'm halfway through IT and just loving it. I can't believe I never read this one as a kid.


----------



## robertduperre

Couldn't find many posts on this, our most important of genres.  

What's the best you've ever read?  What authors do the best job of mixing frightening imagery with social commentary?

For me, Barker will always be the best.  His Books of Blood were the standard for horror shorts, and Weaveworld remains, to this day, one of my all-time favorite novels.

Best horror book I ever read, however?  Probably not.  That distinction goes to "It" by King.

How about you?


----------



## Danielleqlee

Pet Sematary kept me awake at nights for a while, for sure. I read a book when I was a kid called Effigies, scared the crap outta me! lol


----------



## Valmore Daniels

I don't read a lot of horror, and when I do, I usually stick to Stephen King, Dean Koontz and John Saul. The only book I've ever had a "chill" while reading was "It".  I read early Clive Barker, but I haven't picked up anything he's written in about fifteen years - he has great imagery in his prose, but I find his themes repeat too often.


----------



## robertduperre

Yeah, Pet Semetary is a rather chilling book.  For some reason, I often forget about that one.


----------



## MichelleR

Pet Semetary or Salem's Lot. PS is an example of King being so much more than a horror writer, because the book really challenges you to wonder what you'd do in that position, what grief would make you do. Of course, it's very Monkey's Paw-ish, but I think it expands on that. 

(People still disparage King, people who haven't read him, but I always wonder how many of these people love Shawshank or Stand By Me -- both based on King stories.)


----------



## Victorine

The Shining - I think that one stopped me from reading many more horror novels.  And I read that years ago.  Still gives me shivers.

Vicki


----------



## Thalia the Muse

I adore horror (especially this time of year), and am sorry that so many recent novels are modeled more on slasher movies and less on old-school "things that go bump in the night."


----------



## William Meikle

Favorites from more than 40 years of reading in the genre

Vampire:                  Fevre Dream - George R R Martin
Satanic:                  The Devil Rides Out - Dennis Wheatley
Demonic Possession:  The Exorcist - William Peter Blatty
Crime/Horror mix:        Falling Angel - William Hjortsberg
Post Apocalyptic:      The Stand - Stephen King
Ghost Story:              Naiomi's Room - Jonathan Aycliffe
Creature Feature:      The Day of the Triffids - John Wyndham
SF/Horror mix:            At the Mountains of Madness - H P Lovecraft
Young Adult:              Something Wicked This Way Comes - Ray Bradbury
Splatter:                  The Scream - John Skipp and Craig Spector


----------



## robertduperre

williemeikle said:


> ome favorites in some of the sub-genres
> 
> Vampire: Fevre Dream - George R R Martin
> Demonic Possession: The Exorcist - William Peter Blatty
> Crime/Horror mix: Falling Angel - William Hjortsberg
> Post Apocalyptic: The Stand - Stephen King
> Ghost Story: * Ghost Story - Peter Straub*


Added it in for you, Willie.


----------



## William Meikle

robertduperre said:


> Added it in for you, Willie.


Nope... the Aycliffe -just- beats the Straub for me.... although it would be a very close run thing...


----------



## travelgirl

You have to check out this thread: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,1481.0.html


----------



## jbh13md

robertduperre said:


> Couldn't find many posts on this, our most important of genres.
> 
> What's the best you've ever read? What authors do the best job of mixing frightening imagery with social commentary?
> 
> For me, Barker will always be the best. His Books of Blood were the standard for horror shorts, and Weaveworld remains, to this day, one of my all-time favorite novels.
> 
> Best horror book I ever read, however? Probably not. That distinction goes to "It" by King.
> 
> How about you?


Barker is great. He's definitely my overall favorite horror writer as well, but my favorite horror story is "The Rats in the Walls" by H.P. Lovecraft.


----------



## Cuechick

Has anyone read Bad Ronald? It was written by John Holbrook Vance, who was mostly known for sci fi. This was a departure for him but there was only one original printing so it is very hard to find and if you do find it, the original paperback can go for $100 or more. I lucked into a copy on eBay when it was sold as a lot by a seller that did not know what they had.

It was made into a pretty good tv movies in the early 70's starring Scott Jacoby (loved him!). I had seen it a few times and even have a so so copy on DVD. I heard the book was much darker and was excited to finally get a chance to read it. It is much more intense and creepy. I resold it on eBay for a tidy profit.

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

be aware, the wik link above contains spoilers!


----------



## purplepen79

To mention some that haven't been mentioned:

Anything by Ira Levin (_A Kiss Before Dying, Rosemary's Baby, The Stepford Wives, Sliver, The Boys from Brazil_)

Most of Stephen King's early stuff still creeps me out, but his fiction has already been mentioned--if you haven't read it though, I highly recommend his non-fiction book _Danse Macabre_--I found out about so many creepy movies and books from his reviews in _Danse Macabre_. I wouldn't be an Ira Levin or Shirley Jackson fan if Stephen King hadn't been one first.

Shirley Jackson's _The Haunting of Hill House_ -- great psychological horror.

Tabitha King, Stephen King's wife, wrote a nasty little horror novel called _Small World_ that will terrify anyone who had a dollhouse as a child.

And I agree--George RR Martin's _Fevre Dream_ is a great vampire book, my all-time favorite vampire novel after _Dracula_.


----------



## AlanBaxter

Definitely CLive Barker and H P Lovecraft among my favourites. Both have influenced my writing. As has King. I loved "It" right up until the end. Stephen King always leaves me with a feeling of anti-climax. His endings never satisfy me. James Herbert is another favourite of mine.


----------



## KindleChickie

I love horror.  Both in fiction and in movies.  Some of my favorite are the demonic possession ones.  The first book I can recall ever making me loose sleep was one called Jay's Journal.  Of coarse, I was about 8-9 at the time.  Havent tried to read it as an adult.

The Exorcist, Silence of the Lambs, Helter Skelter, Phantoms, all have kept my pulse racing and my heart thumping.


----------



## R. M. Reed

Pet Sematary has two things that made it stand out for me. King has a long middle section where the young family is happy. They go about their ordinary lives. Then he tosses in one line, something like "(The little boy) had two months to live." After that there is more happy, ordinary times, while the reader is mentally on a knife edge, desperately wanting to know what happens to the two year old boy.

There is also the quote I love, "Having children is like agreeing to die."


----------



## robertduperre

I think people like Brian Lumley and John Skipp don't get near the amount of press they deserve, either.  Love them both.  Oh, and though he's more hit-or-miss for me, Layman too.  

And how can I forget Matheson, who's the godfather of every apocalyptic tale we read nowadays.


----------



## Nick Steckel

I've read a couple of books by Robert R. McCammon, "Swan Song", and "They Thirst", and I loved both. I may like Stephen King, but "Swan Song" blows "The Stand" out of the water, in my opinion.

And to the person that mentioned James Herbert, he's another favorite of mine.


----------



## MichelleR

purplepen79 said:


> Most of Stephen King's early stuff still creeps me out, but his fiction has already been mentioned--if you haven't read it though, I highly recommend his non-fiction book _Danse Macabre_--I found out about so many creepy movies and books from his reviews in _Danse Macabre_. I wouldn't be an Ira Levin or Shirley Jackson fan if Stephen King hadn't been one first.
> 
> Shirley Jackson's _The Haunting of Hill House_ -- great psychological horror.


Yep. I love that book and have read it at least ten times over the years. I was going to say it's out of print, but checked that and they reprinted it back it February. Not on Kindle though. He goes into a lot of detail about The Haunting of Hill House, Stepford Wives, and Rosemary's Baby, but he also spent time talking about Anne Rivers Siddons's The House Next Door which is an interesting take on a haunted house, or, a house that's evil all by it lonesome. Is available on Kindle, too tired to mess with a link.


----------



## DaronFraley

I don't think I have ever read a horror novel. Edgar Allen Poe's stories are the closest I have ever come to doing so. And I do like Poe. For me it has been a time thing . . . Fantasy is my favorite, so that is what I spend my time on.

But I just won a copy of "I Am Not A Serial Killer" by Dan Wells on a Goodreads Giveaway. I plan on reading that for Halloween if I get the chance. If I am going to be creeped out, might as well do it right.


----------



## Cindy416

My favorite is probably _'Salem's Lot_.


----------



## R. Doug

_The Exocist_, William Blatty. _Rosemary's Baby_, Ira Levin. _The Amityville Horror_, Jay Anson.


----------



## Laurensaga

I have to vote for HP Lovecraft.  I know they are most short stories and few novellas, but I love his stuff.  Started reading him when I was 13 and never stopped.  I've re-read most of his works I don't know how many times (usually around halloween.  

I'm not usre if they count, but I also like Thomas Harris the Hannibal series.


----------



## AnelaBelladonna

I am about 60% through *Salem's Lot * and it is awesome! HP Lovecraft is up next.


----------



## Cindy416

AnelaBelladonna said:


> I am about 60% through *Salem's Lot * and it is awesome! HP Lovecraft is up next.


Until I got a Kindle, I had been reading _'Salem's Lot_ in October of each year (for about 10 years). (Now that I have a Kindle, I have so many books waiting to be read that I haven't started reading _'Salem's Lot_ yet this year.) Isn't King's writing wonderful in this book? I felt as if I could smell the mustiness of the basement, feel the cobwebs that were down there, and feel the horror that pervaded the town. It was as if I'd been plucked up and put down right in 'Salem's Lot. What a book!!


----------



## AnelaBelladonna

Cindy416 said:


> Until I got a Kindle, I had been reading _'Salem's Lot_ in October of each year (for about 10 years). (Now that I have a Kindle, I have so many books waiting to be read that I haven't started reading _'Salem's Lot_ yet this year.) Isn't King's writing wonderful in this book? I felt as if I could smell the mustiness of the basement, feel the cobwebs that were down there, and feel the horror that pervaded the town. It was as if I'd been plucked up and put down right in 'Salem's Lot. What a book!!


I know exactly what you are saying! I feel like I am there...and I am afraid. My husband coughed while I was reading last night and I about peed my pants!


----------



## Cindy416

AnelaBelladonna said:


> I know exactly what you are saying! I feel like I am there...and I am afraid. My husband coughed while I was reading last night and I about peed my pants!


I refuse to read it with my back to a window. (I've never been too crazy about sitting with my back to a window after dark anyway, but after reading 'SL, I always have my back to a wall when reading a scary book. I remember having to finish reading 'SL in our small bathroom that has no windows (although it DOES have a large mirror, which I avoided like the plague the night I finished the book).


----------



## Cuechick

No "Bad Ronald" fans?


----------



## ZsuZsu

Oh my Gosh!!!!  Bad Ronald!!!!  I haven't read it, but I saw the movie when I was young, and it STILL messes with my head!!  The idea of a creepy guy in the walls....  still gets to me!  (We moved ALOT when I was a kid, and I was constantly terrified any time I heard a noise in the new house that it was RONALD!!!)


----------



## purplepen79

MichelleR said:


> Yep. I love that book and have read it at least ten times over the years. I was going to say it's out of print, but checked that and they reprinted it back it February. Not on Kindle though. He goes into a lot of detail about The Haunting of Hill House, Stepford Wives, and Rosemary's Baby, but he also spent time talking about Anne Rivers Siddons's The House Next Door which is an interesting take on a haunted house, or, a house that's evil all by it lonesome. Is available on Kindle, too tired to mess with a link.


Thanks for posting this! I haven't read the Siddons book in a long time but remember enjoying it. Now I can enjoy it again on my kindle.

Another really creepy writer is Roald Dahl--not his children's stories (though those have their moments) but his short stories for adults. Those stories have some wicked twists.


----------



## MichelleR

Roald Dahl wrote a great story called Lamb to The Slaughter -- it became a Alfred Hitchcock presents. I don't want to give anything away though, so...

Here is the wiki description with spoilers:



Spoiler



_Mary Maloney, a pregnant young woman in 20th century England, waits for her husband Patrick to return home from his job as a detective for the local police. When he returns, Mary notices that he is strangely aloof and assumes that he was tired from work. After blatantly ignoring her, Patrick finally reveals (to Mary; the information is kept from the reader, although it is insinuated that he wants to leave her) what it is that is making him act strangely.

In shock at the news, and seemingly in a trance, Mary fetches a large leg of lamb from the deep-freeze in the cellar to cook for their dinner, apparently trying to restore a sense of normalcy. Then Patrick angrily tells Mary not to make him any dinner, as he is going out. She then strikes Patrick in the back of the head with the frozen lamb leg, killing him. After pacing the room, Mary realizes that she must hide her crime, since she is aware of the punishment she would face and she is scared for her baby and is not sure whether it would live. She prepares the leg of lamb and places it in the oven. Then, after practicing a cheerful routine to show the world, she heads out to the store to buy some vegetables for her roast from the Grocer. This is so she can form an alibi for the crime. Upon returning, she enters the room with her dead husband laying on the floor and calls the police.

When the police arrive, they question Mary and survey the scene. The police, lacking any reason to be suspicious of Mary because Mr. Maloney was actually a policeman too, come to the conclusion that Mary's husband was killed with a large blunt object, likely made of metal. They then search the house and surrounding area for the murderer's weapon. After a fruitless search, the police realize that no one has turned off the oven. Mary offers all the policemen the cooked leg, which the policemen kindly accept. When the lamb is nearly finished, the police facetiously discuss the possibility of the murder weapon's location. One officer says "Its probably right under our very noses". Mary begins to giggle, knowing that the police have just eaten the evidence._


----------



## William Meikle

purplepen79 said:


> Thanks for posting this! I haven't read the Siddons book in a long time but remember enjoying it. Now I can enjoy it again on my kindle.
> 
> Another really creepy writer is Roald Dahl--not his children's stories (though those have their moments) but his short stories for adults. Those stories have some wicked twists.


And many were turned into a great British TV series back in the late '70s and '80s - "Tales of the Unexpected" -- well worth seeking out.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075592/


----------



## Glenn Bullion

It's Halloween time, guys.  What horror works are you enjoying out there right now?


----------



## Daniel Arenson

I just finished reading The Dark Tower and enjoyed it very much.


----------



## JoeMitchell

I'll cast another vote for Steven King's 'It' as my favorite horror novel of all time.  I also enjoyed Robert McCammon's epic post-apocalypse 'Swan Song', and his vampire plague story 'They Thirst', one of the first horror novels I read as a teenager.  I've been meaning to re-read that one to see if it's as good as I remember.


----------



## Cuechick

I am enjoying "The Seance" by John Harwood. A very good creepy gothic tale.


----------



## Daniel Pyle

JoeMitchell said:


> I'll cast another vote for Steven King's 'It' as my favorite horror novel of all time. I also enjoyed Robert McCammon's epic post-apocalypse 'Swan Song', and his vampire plague story 'They Thirst', one of the first horror novels I read as a teenager. I've been meaning to re-read that one to see if it's as good as I remember.


Everybody's always good talking McCammon, but I still haven't read one of his books. I really need to move him up on my TBR list.

_The Shining_ and _Misery_ are two of my favorites. I also loved Richard Laymon's _Beast House_ series and _Intensity_ by Dean Koontz.



Daniel Arenson said:


> I just finished reading The Dark Tower and enjoyed it very much.


Alright! Another DT fan. Which book was your favorite? I've always been fond of _The Drawing of the Three_ myself. _The Wastelands_ is a very close second.


----------



## jbh13md

Has anybody mentioned "World War Z" by Max Brooks yet? It's meant to be dark comedy I guess, but a lot of the stories are genuinely creepy. His story about what happens to the dictatorship in North Korea was especially unsettling for me.


----------



## robertduperre

Daniel Pyle said:


> Alright! Another DT fan. Which book was your favorite? I've always been fond of _The Drawing of the Three_ myself. _The Wastelands_ is a very close second.


They all have their high points, but I love love love Wizard and Glass. The last scene with Susan D is one of the most heartbreaking, gut-wrenching scenes I've ever read. Fantastic stuff.


----------



## G. Henkel

Octochick said:


> I am enjoying "The Seance" by John Harwood. A very good creepy gothic tale.


I love "The Seance." Such a wonderfully atmospheric novel. Most people would not really place it in the "Horror" genre though, I suppose, although I do agree with you that it should be there.


----------



## G. Henkel

jbh13md said:


> Has anybody mentioned "World War Z" by Max Brooks yet? It's meant to be dark comedy I guess, but a lot of the stories are genuinely creepy. His story about what happens to the dictatorship in North Korea was especially unsettling for me.


That Korea scenario would make a perfect hook for a sequel to the book. Imagine that they really all went underground as he suggests and theo ne gets infected and years later someone finds the entrance to their lair only to unleash hundred thousands of zombies all at one! That would make for a cool story...


----------



## Cuechick

Another oldie but goodie (and another Scott Jacoby reference) is The Little Girl WHo Lives Down the Lane, maybe borderline thriller, it was an excellent book, not ava in kindle but worth hunting down in paperback. It is also an excellent movie with Jodie Foster, Scott and a very creepy Martin Sheen...it is ava on netflix.


----------



## Harry Shannon

For some reason haven't gotten around to WWZ, not sure why. I'm enjoying the second Del Toro/Hogan Strain novel, good pulpy vampire fun. I loved The Passage. Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry is a solid zombie YA novel with deeper tones to it. My all time scariest? Probably King, a tie between Pet Semetery and Salem's Lot with The Exorcist in the mix somewhere. I do love me some zombie action if really, really well done.


----------



## SimonWood

Harry Shannon said:


> For some reason haven't gotten around to WWZ, not sure why. I'm enjoying the second Del Toro/Hogan Strain novel, good pulpy vampire fun. I loved The Passage. Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry is a solid zombie YA novel with deeper tones to it. My all time scariest? Probably King, a tie between Pet Semetery and Salem's Lot with The Exorcist in the mix somewhere. I do love me some zombie action if really, really well done.


Pet Semetery is the best. love that book. I've just picked up Jon Maberry's First Patient and I've got the Passag on my wish list. World War Z is worth checking out. Not the scariest book in the world, but an interesting premise.


----------



## scottnicholson

I read World War Z as a sociological text, not really a satire like some people but more of extrapolation of how different cultures would react. On that level, it was brilliant. As a horror story, not so much--hard to see which way Brad Pitt would go with the movie version.

It's hard to place "scary" in context as I was easier to scare when young, so I will probably go with "The Sentinel" by Jerry Kovitz

Scott


----------



## strawhatbrat

I'm going to have to come back and read all 14 pages of this thread and take notes! I'm in need of a good scare.


----------



## jbh13md

Guido Henkel said:


> That Korea scenario would make a perfect hook for a sequel to the book. Imagine that they really all went underground as he suggests and theo ne gets infected and years later someone finds the entrance to their lair only to unleash hundred thousands of zombies all at one! That would make for a cool story...


I'd love to read that. Zombies being able to live under water and coming out of the sea was another really creepy idea presented in the book. If there was a WW2Z I would definitely pick it up.


----------



## robertduperre

Never read WWZ.  Wanted to, just haven't had the time.  Been too busy reading review books...


----------



## G. Henkel

It is well worth reading, Robert.


----------



## Glenn Bullion

My faves:

Lumley, McCammon, Edward Lee.

Trying to find my copy of "Wolf's Hour", been lost for quite some time.  Obviously, many people lean toward vampire, but "Wolf's Hour" was an amazing werewolf tale.


----------



## Thalia the Muse

The Red Tree is turning out to be EXCELLENT, although the narrator, who is a writer, incessantly drops the names of legendary horror writers the situation reminds her of. It's enough to make your story Lovecraftian -- you don't have to keep MENTIONING Lovecraft (and Blackwood, and Picnic at Hanging Rock ....) I suppose this may be Kiernan leading up to something clever, but right now it just seems sloppy.

Otherwise, though -- so fun! So spooky! I always love stories where someone finds a manuscript full of disturbing backstory ...


----------



## R. M. Reed

I read _Darkness on the Edge of Town_ by Brian Keene, because it was free. A character mentions that the situation is similar to Steven King's _The Mist._

I liked the book up until the ending. The narrator says, "Well, we're off to the sewers to try to find a way to escape. I can't write this diary any more. Good bye." That's it. The End. I could hardly believe that a publisher would allow that. I also thought of a better way for them to escape, but Keene killed off the only character who could help them do that. So it ended up being a disappointment.


----------



## Thalia the Muse

R.Reed, I grabbed that one too. How heavy is it on gross-out gore? My impression is that Keene is farther down that road than I usually enjoy (although I've enjoyed some pretty gross books if they've been well-written and not gratuitous) and it has kind of put me off starting it.


----------



## R. M. Reed

I'm pretty immune to gore, so maybe I am not remembering it all, but what I remember is bodies in the streets that are not described in detail, some shootings but not a lot of blood splatter, and people screaming from behind a wall of darkness. Oh, one guy gets burned up by a mob. You will have to gauge it on your own scale of squeamishness.


----------



## Thalia the Muse

Oh, thanks -- that's well within my squeamishness level. I mean, I read horror novels! But I don't need page after page of, for instance, people's eyeballs getting popped ...


----------



## Erik Williams

THE CEREMONIES - T.E.D. Klein
SONG OF KALI - Dan Simmons
ALL HEADS TURN WHEN THE HUNT GOES BY - John Farris

Are a few of my favorites.


----------



## G. Henkel

R. Reed said:


> I read _Darkness on the Edge of Town_ by Brian Keene, because it was free. A character mentions that the situation is similar to Steven King's _The Mist._
> 
> I liked the book up until the ending. The narrator says, "Well, we're off to the sewers to try to find a way to escape. I can't write this diary any more. Good bye." That's it. The End. I could hardly believe that a publisher would allow that. I also thought of a better way for them to escape, but Keene killed off the only character who could help them do that. So it ended up being a disappointment.


I read "Darkness" too and wasn't too hot for it. I didn't really like the voice of the book and the ending, as you say, was a disappointment. After reading it I had to ask myself, really, what this book was about. What the purpose was of writing it, because I found the story neither very intriguing nor overly exciting. There is really not a whole lot happening in this story.


----------



## William Meikle

Erik Williams said:


> THE CEREMONIES - T.E.D. Klein
> SONG OF KALI - Dan Simmons
> ALL HEADS TURN WHEN THE HUNT GOES BY - John Farris
> 
> Are a few of my favorites.


Obviously a man of taste Erik... they're all high on my list too 

It's a great pity Klein didn't write more. THE CEREMONIES is one of the best Lovecraftian novels ever written.


----------



## G. Henkel

I'll have to make a note of these then. Too bad "The Ceremonies" is not out on the Kindle.


----------



## Erik Williams

williemeikle said:


> Obviously a man of taste Erik... they're all high on my list too
> 
> It's a great pity Klein didn't write more. THE CEREMONIES is one of the best Lovecraftian novels ever written.


Well, thank you much. Yes, I still "weep" that Klein hasn't written more. Have the mass market originals of THE CEREMONIES and DARK GODS still on the shelf waiting for a companion. It'd been incredible if he re-released them on Kindle. Huge potential there...

For those who haven't read him, I HIGHLY encourage finding one or both of the above titles in a used bookstore or used online. THE CEREMONIES will rock your world if you love subtle yet deliberate horror.


----------



## SidneyW

I think The Ceremonies is so good because it is completely immersive, drops the reader deep into the farm country of its setting. It's one of about three horror novels that really manage that brilliantly. Ghost Story and All Heads Turn When the Hunt Goes by do so also.


----------



## Cuechick

Erik Williams said:


> THE CEREMONIES - T.E.D. Klein
> SONG OF KALI - Dan Simmons
> ALL HEADS TURN WHEN THE HUNT GOES BY - John Farris
> 
> Are a few of my favorites.


I read Song of Kali recently. A little slow going but the last 3rd of the book was unrelenting.


----------



## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish

Ooh, Swan Song! Both it and the Stand should just be linked at their spines in how similar and enjoyable they are.

Of all the Stephen King books I've read (and we're talking like 20 or so) I haven't read Salem's Lot. In honor of Halloween, I'm ordering it now to correct that omission.


----------



## robertduperre

Half-Orc said:


> Of all the Stephen King books I've read (and we're talking like 20 or so) I haven't read Salem's Lot. In honor of Halloween, I'm ordering it now to correct that omission.


Ah, yes. The first vampire book I ever read.

(the book is much better than the famous made-for-tv movie, but for some reason, I like the movie's Nosferatu-esque version of Barlow more than the book's.)


----------



## William Meikle

Half-Orc said:


> Ooh, Swan Song! Both it and the Stand should just be linked at their spines in how similar and enjoyable they are.
> 
> Of all the Stephen King books I've read (and we're talking like 20 or so) I haven't read Salem's Lot. In honor of Halloween, I'm ordering it now to correct that omission.


In my opinion you're saving one of the best for last. I envy you reading it for the first time. I read it on the day of its mass market paperback release in the UK way back when, and it changed me overnight, from a mainly SF and Fantasy reader into mainly a horror reader and set off a phase that lasted quite a few years.

I don't know if it would resonate the same with me now, or feel quite as fresh, but back then there just weren't that many vampire books around for it to be compared with, and since then the genre has moved on in different directions.

I read it again recently and it still holds up remarkably well. The gruesome bits seem tamer now than they did then, but that is more than made up for by the genuine sense of menace SK manages to build, and the wonderful characters that still come to mind even now.


----------



## monkeyluis

Mikuto said:


> I've been singing the praises of Scott Sigler's Infected since before I finished it, it's sort of sci-fi, sort of action, but most definitely horrific.


Have it but haven't read it yet. I have several of his books.


----------



## William Meikle

This thread prompted me to to one of my top 10 lists... hadn't done top 10 horror for a while. 

So here's this week's version, quick before I change my mind.

Robert Louis Stevenson - Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde
William Hope Hodgson - The House on the Borderland
H P Lovecraft - At the Mountains of Madness
Richard Matheson - I am Legend
Theodore Sturgeon - The Dreaming Jewels
George R R Martin - Fevre Dream
Clive Barker - Weaveworld
T E D Klein - The Ceremonies
William Hjortsberg - Falling Angel
Dan Simmons - The Terror


----------



## John Hamilton

williemeikle said:


> Dan Simmons - The Terror


Ooooh! The Terror! It makes me dread our upcoming winter. For an equally harrowing tale, try to find a copy of Canadian author Pierre Berton's "The Arctic Grail," which details the true story of the Franklin expedition, and others.


----------



## William Meikle

John Hamilton said:


> Ooooh! The Terror! It makes me dread our upcoming winter. For an equally harrowing tale, try to find a copy of Canadian author Pierre Berton's "The Arctic Grail," which details the true story of the Franklin expedition, and others.


Yep, read that too. Scary, and humbling.


----------



## John Hamilton

williemeikle said:


> Yep, read that too. Scary, and humbling.


Luckily, Minnesota isn't within the southern migratory range of demon polar bears. But the ice weasels! Will somebody please think of the ice weasels?!


----------



## William Meikle

John Hamilton said:


> Luckily, Minnesota isn't within the southern migratory range of demon polar bears. But the ice weasels! Will somebody please think of the ice weasels?!


I'd just finished reading THE TERROR last winter when there was a news report of a polar bear less than ten miles from here! (I'm in Newfoundland).


----------



## John Hamilton

williemeikle said:


> I'd just finished reading THE TERROR last winter when there was a news report of a polar bear less than ten miles from here! (I'm in Newfoundland).


Oh, man. My wife has family in St. John's.

"The Terror" gave me the serious creeps, almost as much as "Song of Kali." I have "Drood" on my nightstand, waiting to be read. I've heard mixed reviews.


----------



## Daniel Pyle

williemeikle said:


> This thread prompted me to to one of my top 10 lists... hadn't done top 10 horror for a while.
> 
> So here's this week's version, quick before I change my mind.
> 
> Robert Louis Stevenson - Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde
> William Hope Hodgson - The House on the Borderland
> H P Lovecraft - At the Mountains of Madness
> Richard Matheson - I am Legend
> Theodore Sturgeon - The Dreaming Jewels
> George R R Martin - Fevre Dream
> Clive Barker - Weaveworld
> T E D Klein - The Ceremonies
> William Hjortsberg - Falling Angel
> Dan Simmons - The Terror


No Stephen King? I demand a recount.

_Weaveworld_ is anoher one I've always wanted to read but haven't got around to. Yet.


----------



## Erik Williams

I should add:

THE NIGHTWALKER - Thomas Tessier
THE GIRL NEXT DOOR - Jack Ketchum
THE ARMAGEDDON RAG - George R.R. Martin


----------



## William Meikle

Daniel Pyle said:


> No Stephen King? I demand a recount.
> 
> _Weaveworld_ is anoher one I've always wanted to read but haven't got around to. Yet.


King -nearly- made it. THE SHINING, SALEM'S LOT and THE STAND would be in my top twenty, and BAG OF BONES, IT, THE DEAD ZONE, CHRISTINE and PET SEMETARY all in my top 50

And if we were to do a list of short story collections, KING would have NIGHT SHIFT and SKELETON CREW in the top 10 there (alongside RAMSEY CAMPBELL, RAY BRADBURY, HP LOVECRAFT, ROBERT BLOCH, ALGERNON BLACKWOOD and M R JAMES)


----------



## John Hamilton

williemeikle said:


> And if we were to do a list of short story collections, KING would have NIGHT SHIFT and SKELETON CREW in the top 10 there (alongside RAMSEY CAMPBELL, RAY BRADBURY, HP LOVECRAFT, ROBERT BLOCH, ALGERNON BLACKWOOD and M R JAMES)


My copy of Bradbury's _The October Country_ always comes out this time of year.


----------



## William Meikle

John Hamilton said:


> My copy of Bradbury's _The October Country_ always comes out this time of year.


Mine is sitting on the table beside my chair right now...


----------



## G. Henkel

John Hamilton said:


> I have "Drood" on my nightstand, waiting to be read. I've heard mixed reviews.


Yeah, I started reading "Drood" a while ago and could not get myself to finish it. The book is so dry and stiff that it is painful. Barely any dialogue, everything is just dragged out and "told" rather than shown. I was very intrigued by the book but really found it to be a drag. Curious to hear how you liked it.

As for "Salem's Lot," that is definitely one of the King's best books. Very, very moody and creepy at times. (And I still can't understand why people keep putting "The Stand" so high on their lists. To me there has never been a more boring book, really. 1000 pages of "nothing about nothing.")


----------



## John Hamilton

Guido Henkel said:


> Yeah, I started reading "Drood" a while ago and could not get myself to finish it. The book is so dry and stiff that it is painful. Barely any dialogue, everything is just dragged out and "told" rather than shown. I was very intrigued by the book but really found it to be a drag. Curious to hear how you liked it.


Ugh. Well, I'll let you know.

It always amazes me when an author who is so consistently brilliant (like Simmons) can write a misfire. (And I'm sure Simmons would disagree that it's a misfire--the artist is always the last to know.) I try to remember that Babe Ruth had all those strikeouts. Still, sitting up in the peanut gallery, you always expect a home run, you know?


----------



## Jen

I finished IT a couple of weeks ago, and just love love LOVED it.  I'm so happy that I didn't read it when I was younger!  Now I sort of feel like everything else has to match up to hit.  I also haven't read the Stand, I think that'll be next.  I'm about 1/3 through Under the Dome, maybe it's coming but so far I wouldn't categorize it as horror at all.  Any of you guys read that one?  Does it get scarier (*hoping*)?


----------



## monkeyluis

Jen said:


> I finished IT a couple of weeks ago, and just love love LOVED it. I'm so happy that I didn't read it when I was younger! Now I sort of feel like everything else has to match up to hit. I also haven't read the Stand, I think that'll be next. I'm about 1/3 through Under the Dome, maybe it's coming but so far I wouldn't categorize it as horror at all. Any of you guys read that one? Does it get scarier (*hoping*)?


Haven't but haven't read it yet. It's huge, so I'm waiting till I know I can devote a lot of time to it.


----------



## R. M. Reed

Under the Dome has a very bleak picture of human nature. I wouldn't call it shivers and nightmares kind of scary, except that, besides the dome itself, nothing is supernatural, it's all just people at their worst.


----------



## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish

A LOT of Stephen King wouldn't really classify as 'scary'. I actually was upset when I first started reading King. I kept waiting to be 'scared'. I was disturbed at times, but not really scared. But once I got over this adamant desire to be spooked and just settled in for the story, I fell in love.

David Dalglish


----------



## bordercollielady

Half-Orc said:


> Ooh, Swan Song! Both it and the Stand should just be linked at their spines in how similar and enjoyable they are.
> 
> Of all the Stephen King books I've read (and we're talking like 20 or so) I haven't read Salem's Lot. In honor of Halloween, I'm ordering it now to correct that omission.


I read Salem's Lot for the first time in my early 20's..I'm 61 now. And couldn't sleep in the dark for a long time. It is VERY scary. Enjoy!


----------



## Thalia the Muse

Not all King is scary, but some of the scariest things I have ever read were by King:

Many of the stories in Night Shift -- Children of the Corn, The Bogeyman, a few others
Salem's Lot
The Shining -- I was paralyzed with fear while reading the bathtub scene for the first time. I was afraid to pee at night for months after that ... (OK, I was 13 years old).


----------



## travelgirl

I loved Children Of The Corn SO much!  Scared the hell out of me.  

I recently re-read 'Salem's Lot because of this thread.  It had been a long many years since I read it for the first time, and I wanted to see if it really was as scary as everyone was saying, because I remembered it being scary, but not 'sleep-with-the-lights-on' scary.  Well....  Let's just say that I could NOT even read it after dark, I had to limit my reading of that book to daylight hours only or I'd lay awake half the night listening for noises in the house.  

I think that might be the last time I read that particular scare-fest for at least another 20 years.  =)


----------



## G. Henkel

Hmmhhh.. maybe it is time for me to re-read this book, too. I haven't read any Stephen King in  15 years or more, since he bored me half to death with "Insomnia" and "The Stand."


----------



## Cindy416

Half-Orc said:


> Ooh, Swan Song! Both it and the Stand should just be linked at their spines in how similar and enjoyable they are.
> 
> Of all the Stephen King books I've read (and we're talking like 20 or so) I haven't read Salem's Lot. In honor of Halloween, I'm ordering it now to correct that omission.


Can't wait to hear what you think of 'Salem's Lot. (I consider it to be among the best if it's genre.)


----------



## William Meikle

Guido Henkel said:


> Hmmhhh.. maybe it is time for me to re-read this book, too. I haven't read any Stephen King in 15 years or more, since he bored me half to death with "Insomnia" and "The Stand."


I -nearly- gave up on him after Insomnia, but Bag of Bones won me back for a while. It's a belter.

Then Rose Madder went and ruined it again -- I hated that one with a passion. Since then the only one I've read (apart from the Dark Tower series) is CELL and that was a huge disappointment.


----------



## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish

CELL wasn't very good, and I honestly didn't think Bag of Bones was that great, either. Never read Rose Madder.

About 12% through Salem's Lot. It's not anywhere near the "sleep with light on" stage yet. Still setting up the characters and town. Shades of the Stand, except no one's travelling anywhere  . Sort of a precursor to It, really, in what he's doing so far. Except I'm assuming vampires will show up instead of a strange shapeshifting clown abomination.

David Dalglish


----------



## Cindy416

Half-Orc said:


> CELL wasn't very good, and I honestly didn't think Bag of Bones was that great, either. Never read Rose Madder.
> 
> About 12% through Salem's Lot. It's not anywhere near the "sleep with light on" stage yet. Still setting up the characters and town. Shades of the Stand, except no one's travelling anywhere . Sort of a precursor to It, really, in what he's doing so far. Except I'm assuming vampires will show up instead of a strange shapeshifting clown abomination.
> 
> David Dalglish


To quote the late, great Steve Allen, "You can bet your bippee" that vampires will show up. I don't know that I'd describe the book as a "sleep with the light on" book, as much as a "don't read it with your back to a window or in view of a mirror" type of book. It's pretty scary, but even better than that is the way that King describes things with such precision that I, anyway, felt as if I could almost smell and/or feel the things he was describing.


----------



## R. M. Reed

I forget the details, but the more recent TV version of 'Salem's Lot had a scene that scared cynical old me. It involved one child talking to another who seemed to be in an air vent or something, a place way too small to hold even a child.

The book might have been my first King, back in the day. I will have to revisit it.


----------



## Cindy416

R. Reed said:


> I forget the details, but the more recent TV version of 'Salem's Lot had a scene that scared cynical old me. It involved one child talking to another who seemed to be in an air vent or something, a place way too small to hold even a child.
> 
> The book might have been my first King, back in the day. I will have to revisit it.


Wow! I didn't realize that there's another movie of 'Salem's Lot in addition to the old, cheesy one with David Soul. I watched that movie shortly after having read the book the first time, and was hoping that the mocha would be great, but I was disappointed in it. I'll have to go to IMDB to check out the newer version.


----------



## MichelleR

I have very fond memories of the cheesy David Soul version.


----------



## HenryHopper

I love the David Soul tv movie!  Directed by Tobe Hooper.  Such a creepy vibe to it.  Watch the dvd once a year or so.


----------



## SidneyW

'Salems Lot was the first King I read, after the TV movie came out. Carrie was a book all the girls were reading in junior high. Really liked it and grabbed The Stand, which was new in paperback then.


----------



## Harry Shannon

Got Carrie in hardcover and tore through Salem's Lot the same way. Also loved The Stand and The Shining. But I still think Pet Semetery is one of the scariest books I have ever read. It is a testement to King's skill that the plot sounds predictible and corny when you try to describe it, but the novel itself is simply terrifying.


----------



## William Meikle

Cindy416 said:


> Wow! I didn't realize that there's another movie of 'Salem's Lot in addition to the old, cheesy one with David Soul. I watched that movie shortly after having read the book the first time, and was hoping that the mocha would be great, but I was disappointed in it. I'll have to go to IMDB to check out the newer version.


It's a TV mini-series. Rob Lowe takes the David Soul part... Donald Sutherland and Ruthger Hauer are also in it. It's not bad, but takes big liberties with the ending. (And it's available on DVD... I got mine for $5 in Walmart.)


----------



## Cindy416

MichelleR said:


> I have very fond memories of the cheesy David Soul version.


I'll have to watch the 1979 movie with David Soul and James Mason again. I'm not sure that "cheesy" was the best word to use to describe it. I think I just had such high expectations after having just read the book (and using my vivid imagination, of course) that it was a letdown. Of course, given the fact that I first read 'Salem's Lot in the late '90's makes a difference, too, since movies today are so much more realistic (technologically, anyway) than the ones made in the '70's.


----------



## Cindy416

Cindy416 said:


> Wow! I didn't realize that there's another movie of 'Salem's Lot in addition to the old, cheesy one with David Soul. I watched that movie shortly after having era the book, and was hoping that the mocha would be great, but I was disappointed in it. I'll have to go to IMDB to check out the newer version.


By the way, I think I was typing the word "movie" when my iPad's auto-correct feature substituted the word MOCHA. Guess I need to either use my new Bluetooth keyboard, proofreader more closely, or not post using my iPad. Sorry if reading my post made you hungry or thirsty.


----------



## bordercollielady

travelgirl said:


> I loved Children Of The Corn SO much! Scared the hell out of me.
> 
> I recently re-read 'Salem's Lot because of this thread. It had been a long many years since I read it for the first time, and I wanted to see if it really was as scary as everyone was saying, because I remembered it being scary, but not 'sleep-with-the-lights-on' scary. Well.... Let's just say that I could NOT even read it after dark, I had to limit my reading of that book to daylight hours only or I'd lay awake half the night listening for noises in the house.
> 
> I think that might be the last time I read that particular scare-fest for at least another 20 years. =)


That's too funny. I have it on my Kindle and I keep telling myself to reread it but then there's always an excuse. Hah!


----------



## jbh13md

Is Children of the Corn in a collection or do you have to get it stand alone? I'd like to reread it too, but I'd always rather have a collection when it comes to short stories.


----------



## William Meikle

jbh13md said:


> Is Children of the Corn in a collection or do you have to get it stand alone? I'd like to reread it too, but I'd always rather have a collection when it comes to short stories.


It's in "Night Shift"... and there are many GREAT stories in that one, all early King on top of his form.


----------



## jbh13md

williemeikle said:


> It's in "Night Shift"... and there are many GREAT stories in that one, all early King on top of his form.


Thanks! I think I may even have a copy of that somewhere.


----------



## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish

Just had my first true shiver moment in Salem's Lot, all over three simple little words.

Yes, _come in._


----------



## Cindy416

Half-Orc said:


> Just had my first true shiver moment in Salem's Lot, all over three simple little words.
> 
> Yes, _come in._


Here are two more for you:
Just wait.......

(from me, not from 'Salem's Lot.).


----------



## R. M. Reed

Spoiler



I remember the basement stairs. I read this book in the 1970's, and I remember the basement stairs.


----------



## Cindy416

R. Reed said:


> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> I remember the basement stairs. I read this book in the 1970's, and I remember the basement stairs.


So do I. In fact, I think that is what scared me the most. When I first read about


Spoiler



them going down into the basement,


 that was the point at which I decided that Stephen King was one of the best writers I'd read. I could almost


Spoiler



feel the cobwebs and smell the mustiness, and truly felt as if I were going down those stairs, too.


 Brilliant writing, in my opinion.


----------



## MichelleR

This Koontz feller has a novella out in time for Halloween. (It does tie in with his next novel, but can stand alone.) $1.59


----------



## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish

Just finished 'Salem's Lot. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Reminds me of why I love King's books so much.


----------



## Cindy416

Half-Orc said:


> Just finished 'Salem's Lot. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Reminds me of why I love King's books so much.


Glad to hear that you enjoyed the book. I had a feeling you'd like it.


----------



## AnelaBelladonna

I am a little over half way through *The Historian * and for me, it is much scarier than anything I have read in a long time including *Salem's Lot*. It's difficult to explain why except it feels like I am reading a real (like it really happened) account of Dracula. I am not a superstitious person at all but this book has me waking up scared or not being able to sleep at all. As some of the reviews said, it goes into the historical details and scenery details a little too much for some people but I love that kind of thing. I feel like I am there. So far, I love this book and will let you know what I think about it when I finish it.


----------



## Cindy416

AnelaBelladonna said:


> I am a little over half way through *The Historian * and for me, it is much scarier than anything I have read in a long time including *Salem's Lot*. It's difficult to explain why except it feels like I am reading a real (like it really happened) account of Dracula. I am not a superstitious person at all but this book has me waking up scared or not being able to sleep at all. As some of the reviews said, it goes into the historical details and scenery details a little too much for some people but I love that kind of thing. I feel like I am there. So far, I love this book and will let you know what I think about it when I finish it.


I loved _The Historian,_ but it didn't scare me nearly as much as _'Salem's Lot._ Of course, I started reading it as a huge hardbound book, but it was too heavy to take with me when I wanted to read during those scarce minutes of down time. It was actually the first Kindle book that I read, and I picked up where I'd left in the hardbound version.


----------



## Thalia the Muse

I'm about halfway through The Beetle, which someone recommended to me on Good Reads. It was published the same year as Dracula, and was far more popular at the time. It's delightfully loopy! While Dracula has a slow build, it takes about two pages into The Beetle before our first narrator breaks into a supposedly deserted house and gets hypnotized by an evil magician who can turn into a giant scarab beetle, and is forced to take part in its hideous plot for revenge. As the book goes on, we get gender-bending, an Instrument of Mass Destruction created by one of the supposed heroes (which he uses to kill his romantic rival's cat -- poor kitty!), tomb-robbing, and heaven only knows what's coming in the rest of the book. 

The Victorians sure knew how to have fun.


----------



## pidgeon92

I like the sound of this one..... This link is for the 99¢ version, it can also be had for free....


----------



## Erik Williams

If you like comedic horror with an edge, I highly recommend the works of Jeff Strand.  His GLEEFULLY MACABRE TALES is available on Kindle for $2.99.  

Harry Shannon does good work and has a bunch of Kindle.

And I think someone already mentioned it but you cannot go wrong with F. Paul Wilson's THE KEEP.  A little Dracula mixed with Cosmic Horror but a work all his own.


----------



## SidneyW

It's been a while since I read it, but The Keep is good. Really cool blend of elements.


----------



## William Meikle

SidneyW said:


> It's been a while since I read it, but The Keep is good. Really cool blend of elements.


F. Paul Wilson's THE TOMB is one of my favorite books. Repairman Jack's first outing, coming up against a group of RAKOSHI and their master


----------



## Thalia the Muse

The Keep is good fun.


----------



## StevenSavile

In terms of horror, I've always been a big fan of Stephen Gallagher, the UK author of stuff like Down River, Nightmare with Angel, Rain and Valley of Lights (you need to read VoL in my opinion), and a lot of the 90s UK horror stuff like Mark Morris (Secret of Anatomy was brilliant and brutal), Stephen Laws (Spectre, Wyrm, Macabre, Gideon, and my personal favourite, The Frighteners), Steve Harris (Adventureland, Wulf, etc), which were all must reads for me at the time...

I'm sure Willie will have read these guys and back up my recommendations...


----------



## William Meikle

StevenSavile said:


> In terms of horror, I've always been a big fan of Stephen Gallagher, the UK author of stuff like Down River, Nightmare with Angel, Rain and Valley of Lights (you need to read VoL in my opinion), and a lot of the 90s UK horror stuff like Mark Morris (Secret of Anatomy was brilliant and brutal), Stephen Laws (Spectre, Wyrm, Macabre, Gideon, and my personal favourite, The Frighteners), Steve Harris (Adventureland, Wulf, etc), which were all must reads for me at the time...
> 
> I'm sure Willie will have read these guys and back up my recommendations... and erm, I might have written one or two horror novels m'self... ahem.


I'll second all of them, including your good self, and add Kim Newman (the Anno Dracula series, The Quorum), Joe Donnelly (Shrike, Havock Junction, Bane) and Christopher Fowler (Roofworld, Rune, Psychoville) to the list of UK authors that US readers might have missed out on.

And as Steven said, Valley of Lights by Stephen Gallagher is a must read. One of my favorites too.


----------



## StevenSavile

I was blanking on Chris... I kept thinking 'c'mon Sav, who's the other one...!' Roofworld. Oh my.


----------



## jbh13md

I just reread "It's a _Good_ Life" by Jerome Bixby for the millionth time. Great story. Great Twilight Zone episode. Ohio is a very haunted place (see "Haunted Ohio" if you don't believe me... And, if that doesn't convince you, you're probably thinking too rationally) but the only horror stories set in Ohio that spring to my mind are the aforementioned one and "The Regulators." I like "The Regulators", but the suburb in the novel is so generic you could drop it anywhere (there's a joke in the forward about Bachman having never been to Ohio that I appreciate because it works on two levels). Anybody else know any good horror stories that take place in Ohio off the top of their head? I'd like to compose a list for my blog maybe.


----------



## SimonWood

StevenSavile said:


> In terms of horror, I've always been a big fan of Stephen Gallagher, the UK author of stuff like Down River, Nightmare with Angel, Rain and Valley of Lights (you need to read VoL in my opinion), and a lot of the 90s UK horror stuff like Mark Morris (Secret of Anatomy was brilliant and brutal), Stephen Laws (Spectre, Wyrm, Macabre, Gideon, and my personal favourite, The Frighteners), Steve Harris (Adventureland, Wulf, etc), which were all must reads for me at the time...
> 
> I'm sure Willie will have read these guys and back up my recommendations...


For those who might be aware that Stephen Gallagher also created the 11th Hour TV show, wrote for Dr. Who amongst other things.


----------



## StevenSavile

And Crusoe, as well as currently writing about 50% of the episodes of The Forgotten, the Christian Slater vehicle that was running recently. Steve is absolutely brilliant across multiple genres.


----------



## frizico

Maybe I missed it... but did anyone mention 'IT'? The most likely cause of the high occurrence of clown phobia in recent generations? hahah

I remember loving the movie Christine as a kid. I have never read the book though. Same with Tommyknockers....I should totally watch that again! I'd be interested to hear what people thought of that movie/book.

First Stephen King that I read was his collection of short stories "Nightmares and Dreamscapes", then "Skeleton Crew"... and the story that stuck with me the most was "Survival Type" where the man eats himself to death and documents everything in a journal-form. SO GOOD!

Read "The Shining" when I was 16, and then I started reading "The Regulators" (King as R. Bachman) but I never finished it and heck if I remember what it was all really about.... 

I have always wanted to read the Dark Tower series and is on my list of "To Reads" for sure, as well as the majority of the King library haha I have a lot of catch-up to do :/


----------



## Vetwriter

When it comes to horror, I love Dean Koontz.  Yes, some of his villains are similar, but he can create really sick characters with some really crazy situations.  The last Koontz book I read was called "Life Expectancy."  It made me fear having children (now I have two), or ever working in a hospital. 

Let me know if you're a lover of Koontz as well.


----------



## Sean Sweeney

You guys should be reading Mr. Savile there. Can't go wrong with his stuff; you can smell the blood coming off the page and off your Kindle.


----------



## Vetwriter

pidgeon92 said:


> I loved _Infected_. I picked it up from the library earlier this year. What a great voice the writer has. I have been meaning to look up more of his stuff.
> 
> A book I read this year, that they made into a terrible movie, was The Ruins:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This book was creepy. Really creepy. I loved the way the characters behaved towards each other once they determined they were in real trouble.


Both my husband and I read this book, and I have to agree it was very creepy. Didn't they also make a movie based on this book? My assumption is it was probably not nearly as good.


----------



## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish

The Ruins did not translate to movie form very well...


----------



## G. Henkel

Yes, "The Ruins" was an unwatchable movie.  I have the book here but the movie turned me off so badly that I never touched it and probably never will.


----------



## Mike D. aka jmiked

Thalia the Muse said:


> The Keep is good fun.


And was a horrible, horrible movie.

Mike


----------



## AnelaBelladonna

I just finished The Historian and loved it!  It wasn't and in-your-face scary book but it had me looking in the shadows and gave me a couple of sleepless nights because it made me feel it was all real.


----------



## VanillaEps

Bleekness said:


> Forgot to mention Dan Simmons.
> 
> Very intense, very diverse writer who does it all.
> 
> I really liked "The Terror" although through the middle it was a bit of a chore to get through, but the last few chapters were great.
> If you like Sci/Fi with your horror, then check out his "Hyperion" series which has some great scenes of terror.


I also read The Terror. I loved the tie-ins with actual history. However, like you, felt that the middle of the book was a bit difficult to read. The ending chapters were absolutely great.

I'd recommend it.


----------



## Erik Williams

Drive-by list:

Kealan Patrick Burke
Laird Barron
Norman Partridge (if you haven't read DARK HARVEST shame on you)
Ray Garton
John Skipp & Craig Spector
John Skipp & Cody Goodfellow
Cody Goodfellow's independent work (Radiant Dawn and Ravenous Dusk).
John Langan
Nick Mamatas

Okay, I'm tired.


----------



## ellebanna

There is a book I read quite a while ago called ANNABELLE by R. J. Jenson.  My friend bought it for me because finding things with my name (especially if it is spelled the same as mine) has become a little hobby of mine.  She also thought it was amusing because it is about dolls that come to life and I have a fear of dolls.  Would love to find this book again...was a bit on the creepy side...


----------



## pidgeon92

ellebanna said:


> There is a book I read quite a while ago called ANNABELLE by R. J. Jenson. My friend bought it for me because finding things with my name (especially if it is spelled the same as mine) has become a little hobby of mine. She also thought it was amusing because it is about dolls that come to life and I have a fear of dolls. Would love to find this book again...was a bit on the creepy side...


You're best bet will be the public library, or a used book store....

Here's a link to request the book on Kindle.


----------



## velicion

I've just had a random glance at my bookcase and my eyes rested on one particular horror book. It called Adventureland by Steve Harris. I think I'd recommend that to anyone. It's about twenty years old and probably a little hard to find but it is a good read.


----------



## G. Henkel

I am re-reading "Salem's Lot" currently and I have to say that I liked it much better when I read it some 25+ years ago. It is every bit as drawn out with boring and inconsequential stuff like all the other Stephen King books that turned me off so badly, to the point that I stopped reading King altogether some 15 years ago. I will read through it and finish it, but it has not improved my impression of Stephen King a whole lot so far, I have to say. Plenty of writers out there who do a much better job at pulling readers in IMHO.


----------



## William Meikle

velicion said:


> I've just had a random glance at my bookcase and my eyes rested on one particular horror book. It called Adventureland by Steve Harris. I think I'd recommend that to anyone. It's about twenty years old and probably a little hard to find but it is a good read.


I second that. And get hold of any of Steve's others while you're at it. Wulf and The Hoodoo Man are personal favorites.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Harris_(writer)


----------



## pidgeon92

I am pleased to announce that Anne Rice's _Witching Hour_ series is available for pre-order on Kindle! Release date 11/17/10.


----------



## Cuechick

Just finished "Come Closer" by Sara Gran. Very unique and well written... about a woman possessed by a demon.
Not very long, super quick read.


----------



## travelgirl

Pidgeon, THANK YOU for the heads up about Anne Rice's The Witching Hour, it's one of my favorites.  I don't care for the other two in the series, they get way too weird for me, but the first one REALLY draws me in!


----------



## Brenda Carroll

What is the name of the movie that had the creepy girl climbing out of the well and a video tape and a spooky telephone call that came after watching the video and meant you were going to die?  Does that make sense?  It was scary. BTW: the question is: Is there a book that goes with that movie?


----------



## travelgirl

Brendan Carroll said:


> What is the name of the movie that had the creepy girl climbing out of the well and a video tape and a spooky telephone call that came after watching the video and meant you were going to die? Does that make sense? It was scary. BTW: the question is: Is there a book that goes with that movie?


I believe the movie you mean is "The Ring". I have no idea if it was a book first. The stop motion video that they used in the movie is super creepy!!


----------



## William Meikle

Brendan Carroll said:


> What is the name of the movie that had the creepy girl climbing out of the well and a video tape and a spooky telephone call that came after watching the video and meant you were going to die? Does that make sense? It was scary. BTW: the question is: Is there a book that goes with that movie?


That was the Ring or the original Japanese movie RINGU. Started as a 1996 Japanese horror film by Hideo Nakata, adapted from the novel of the same name by Koji Suzuki, which draws from the Japanese folk tale Banchō Sarayashiki.


----------



## Jan Strnad

_The Ring _ was one of the few American remakes of Japanese horror that I thoroughly enjoyed. I didn't know there was a book...thanks for the info!


----------



## ellebanna

Regarding whether THE RING or RINGU is from a book...  It is!  The name of the book is THE RING  and it is by KOJI SUZUKI.  you can buy it off amazon.com


----------



## R. M. Reed

I actually saw Koji Suzuki at a world horror convention. He is well known in Japan.
The creepy effect of the girl walking in The Ring movies is simpler than stop motion animation. They film her walking backwards, then reverse it to show her walking forwards.


----------



## William Meikle

ellebanna said:


> Regarding whether THE RING or RINGU is from a book... It is! The name of the book is THE RING and it is by KOJI SUZUKI. you can buy it off amazon.com


There's an echo in here


----------



## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish

The Ring is one of the few horror movies that I was so thoroughly engaged and enjoying the storyline that I


Spoiler



nearly crapped myself when she appeared in the 'second' ending coming out of the TV.


 I'm sure there's plenty that didn't think it was scary, but I don't think I've ever been as scared in a movie theater.

David Dalglish


----------



## ellebanna

...pardon my echo...that is why I rarely reply to these things...cause when mine posts it never fails someone posted my response right before me and then I look like a total dork...  ah well... dork it is!!!


----------



## aaronpolson

Ah, ellebanna, my worries exactly.  I'm sure someone's talked up Joe R. Lansdale already, but hey.  

Tackle High Cotton for a great introduction to his work.


----------



## travelgirl

Half-Orc said:


> The Ring is one of the few horror movies that I was so thoroughly engaged and enjoying the storyline that I
> 
> 
> Spoiler
> 
> 
> 
> nearly crapped myself when she appeared in the 'second' ending coming out of the TV.
> 
> 
> I'm sure there's plenty that didn't think it was scary, but I don't think I've ever been as scared in a movie theater.
> 
> David Dalglish


^^^^Yes. We watched it at home, and I was trying to shrink back into my chair the whole time


Spoiler



she was walking toward the camera...cuz I just KNEW she was coming out of there...my hubs was pretty surprised when she did!


----------



## R. M. Reed

Anyone who liked the American remake of The Ring, as I did, should try the Japanese originals. There are Ringu 1 and 2, and a prequel Ringu 0.
On the other hand, the American The Ring 2 wasn't as good, though it had its moments.

The long-hair-over-her-face scary girl seems to be part of Japanese culture. She appears in The Grudge. I didn't like the American Grudge, even with Michelle Gellar in a small part. I haven't tried the Japanese one.

Another great Japanese horror movie is Audition.


----------



## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish

Okay, so my brother was watching Ring at home with his friend and his friend's girlfriend. Girlfriend was crazy-into the movie. At the very, very end of the movie, my brother sneaks out his cell phone and gets it ready to call his friend's cell phone. Then he waits until about 7 seconds before that final end of the movie. Right as it does the creepy cut-off... RING.

Girlfriend jumped out off her couch screaming. Freaking. Awesome.

David Dalglish


----------



## velicion

williemeikle said:


> I second that. And get hold of any of Steve's others while you're at it. Wulf and The Hoodoo Man are personal favorites.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Harris_(writer)


Hi Willie, It's good to see you on here.

Regarding Steve Harris, I'd also advise you to seek out Angels the The Devil on May Street.


----------



## AnelaBelladonna

pidgeon92 said:


> I am pleased to announce that Anne Rice's _Witching Hour_ series is available for pre-order on Kindle! Release date 11/17/10.


The Witching Hour is one of my favorite scary books. For me, Anne Rice is like Stephen King. Some books I love and some I can't stand. Thank you for letting us know they are available.


----------



## velicion

Here's a question for our Atlantic friends. Are the horror shelves in your bookshops as sparse as ours over here in the UK?


----------



## pidgeon92

velicion said:


> Here's a question for our Atlantic friends. Are the horror shelves in your bookshops as sparse as ours over here in the UK?


I find this to be the case. Mostly it gets lumped into sci-fi. And mostly it's a pile of Stephen King novels.

I can't say I care for the category on Amazon either. Again, lots of Stephen King.


----------



## Thalia the Muse

Wow, they priced Witching Hour right, too! None of this "$14 for a book that's been out in mass-market paperback for years" nonsense.


----------



## William Meikle

velicion said:


> Here's a question for our Atlantic friends. Are the horror shelves in your bookshops as sparse as ours over here in the UK?


My closest branch of Chapters has about 4 shelves of horror, mostly King, Koontz, Meyer and Rice with the odd anthology here and there. It used to have some Leisure titles, but they've all gone. (Sci-Fi and Fantasy has about 30 shelves.)


----------



## Harry Shannon

It's pretty exciting watching horror breaking out on Kindle. All of my early novels are quite inexpensive in this format, and the latest two, though through a publisher, are priced competitively as well. Try some. But don't miss Scott Nicholson, our own Willie, Kealan Patrick Burke, Norman Partridge, Ray Garton, Ed Gorman, Dave Zeltserman's "The Caretaker of Lorne Field," Elizabeth Massie, Vicki Hendricks, William Ollie, Bill Crider, there are a lot of experienced genre folks with skill and talent who have yet to be discovered over here. Can't even name them all.


----------



## robertduperre

williemeikle said:


> My closest branch of Chapters has about 4 shelves of horror, mostly King, Koontz, Meyer and Rice with the odd anthology here and there. It used to have some Leisure titles, but they've all gone. (Sci-Fi and Fantasy has about 30 shelves.)


The B&N in my old hometown in Connecticut has the largest horror selection I've ever seen. 6 whole bookcases dedicated to it. Most of the stuff I haven't heard of.

Unfortunately, mine isn't one of them. Though I did ask.


----------



## Madcow

How did we get 19 pages with no Jack Kilborn? His three books are well worth the read, my favorite of his gives you two versions of the book for the price of one. I have enjoyed all of them, and am starting to read Blake Crouch, another great writer.

http://www.amazon.com/Trapped-Novel-Terror-ebook/dp/B003TFESNS/ref=pd_sim_kinc_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2


----------



## TUNGSTEN

Steven King is of course my top choice.

I really enjoyed "The Mist" short story, though i thought the film was a very poor recreation.


----------



## R. M. Reed

I have read several Repairman Jack novels on Kindle but for some reason the second one wasn't available in that form. Maybe that has changed since then.


----------



## John Hamilton

Bleekness said:


> Forgot to mention Dan Simmons.
> 
> Very intense, very diverse writer who does it all.
> 
> I really liked "The Terror" although through the middle it was a bit of a chore to get through, but the last few chapters were great.
> If you like Sci/Fi with your horror, then check out his "Hyperion" series which has some great scenes of terror.


A big "yes" on "The Terror." I always check for demon polar bears now when I take the dog outside in the winter.


----------



## velicion

So it seems that we are all in the same boat regarding bookshop horror availability. Over in the UK, our towns and cities are full of charity shops, now these places used to be a goldmine for finding old horror books. Mow though, you are lucky to find anything over five years old in any of them. In fact, that is a rumour that most charity shops discard older titles. I'm not sure if that's true of not.


----------



## jbh13md

velicion said:


> So it seems that we are all in the same boat regarding bookshop horror availability. Over in the UK, our towns and cities are full of charity shops, now these places used to be a goldmine for finding old horror books. Mow though, you are lucky to find anything over five years old in any of them. In fact, that is a rumour that most charity shops discard older titles. I'm not sure if that's true of not.


I buy books regularly from Good Will and V.O.A. and the selection is usually pretty respectable here in the States. Sadly, part of the reason for this is that libraries are discarding more and more books due to a lack of funding and interest and super stores like Target are donating a disturbing number of good books that just must not be selling. Still, I take comfort in the fact that these books are still available in some way for a person willing to go out and hunt them up.


----------



## M. G. Scarsbrook

I like Dan Simmons, too - DROOD was good!


----------



## joanhallhovey

I loved Shirley Jackson's the House on Haunted Hill. They made a terrible movie of it.  Also liked We Have Always Lived in the Castle is excellent, a slim little book.  

The most frightening short story I ever read is W.W. Jacob's The Monkey's Paw.  Truly creeply.  There are many, but those come to mind.  Stephen King of course: Salem's Lot, The Shining, Pet Semetery... I can't conclude without a bow to the master.  He has royally entertained hoards of us for so many years.  And yes, his son, Joe Hill is also very, very good.


----------



## SidneyW

joanhallhovey said:


> ... Also liked We Have Always Lived in the Castle is excellent, a slim little book.


Castle is a great book, and it works so well, letting the reader follow the hints of the truth in the narrator's account.


----------



## SteveCamp

Bram Stoker


----------



## scottnicholson

Harry, thanks for the shout-out for the long-time horror writer revival. Crossroad Press is doing a good job bringing back some of the "modern new classic" writers of the 1980s and 1990s. I haven't been in a bookstore in so long that horror was just King, Koontz, Keene, Rice, and Maberry, but all the paranormal romance books were starting to show up in there, too. It will be fun to see what new horror trends the digital era era launches.

Scott Nicholson


----------



## aaronpolson

joanhallhovey said:


> I loved Shirley Jackson's the House on Haunted Hill. They made a terrible movie of it. Also liked We Have Always Lived in the Castle is excellent, a slim little book.


Have you seen the '63 version (directed by Robert Wise)? Much better than that awful movie from '99. I think We Have Always Lived in the Castle is my favorite Jackson book, though. The ending is just so...perfect.


----------



## Harry Shannon

Anyone talk about early Richard Matheson yet? "I Am Legend," "Hell House?" Classics. Some of the short fiction from that era was incredible, Matheson and Ray Bradbury to name just two. Used to love the short fiction of John Collier, Saki, Ambrose Bierce. Anyone remember TED Klein? A couple of amazing novels twenty or more years ago. 

Btw I finally got around to The Terror by Dan Simmons, and it's now my favorite of his over Song of Kali, which wrecked me, especially the ending. Of King's novels, Pet Semetery may be the scariest, all though all props to Salem's Lot and The Shining. Full Dark, No Stars had some moments as good as he's ever writtne.  Last year, "The Passage" knocked me out, can't wait for the sequel. Was less impressed with the Guellermo del Toro vampire books but they were fun popcorn reads.

If you guys enjoy literate horror, find some stuff by Kealan Patrick Burke, Glen Hirschberg and Gary Braunbeck to try. I tend to write action/adventure/popcorn horror myself, but have tremendous appreciation for those men. For a police proceedural close to horror,
find the early works of UK author Mo Hayder. Pig Island was her weakest effort.


----------



## Daniel Powell

Champion Joe Lansdale's The Nightrunners gave me serious nightmares. Easily the darkest story I've ever read (and I don't see it on kindle, unfortunately)...It seems to be having a nice little run as a collectable, though.

Also, Audrey's Door was pretty great.

http://www.amazon.com/Nightrunners-Joe-R-Lansdale/dp/0786702893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296582232&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Audreys-Door-ebook/dp/B002PEP4RS/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_ke?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296582373&sr=1-1

Very nice atmospheric horror, with a great central character...


----------



## Thalia the Muse

I don't think I'll ever read Song of Kali, because I know what happens at the end and I just don't need that in my head.


----------



## James Everington

Harry Shannon said:


> Anyone remember TED Klein? A couple of amazing novels twenty or more years ago.


I've got one I found in a charity shop and it was excellent - it's a collection of novellas. Other than that haven't been able to find his books/stories. Annoying as what I've read is really worth reading.

James


----------



## LaFlamme

Harry Shannon said:


> Anyone talk about early Richard Matheson yet? "I Am Legend," "Hell House?" Classics. Some of the short fiction from that era was incredible, Matheson and Ray Bradbury to name just two. Used to love the short fiction of John Collier, Saki, Ambrose Bierce. Anyone remember TED Klein? A couple of amazing novels twenty or more years ago.


Yup. "Hell House" is on my list of all-time scariest. The movie wasn't bad, either. Nice and 70's style cheesy.
Not much mention of Jack Ketchum in here. I think of him as a horror author, though its more psychological horror than drooling clowns that live in the sewers.


----------



## a.m.harte

velicion said:


> So it seems that we are all in the same boat regarding bookshop horror availability. Over in the UK, our towns and cities are full of charity shops, now these places used to be a goldmine for finding old horror books. Mow though, you are lucky to find anything over five years old in any of them. In fact, that is a rumour that most charity shops discard older titles. I'm not sure if that's true of not.


London's pretty great for that although I must admit I prefer shiny new copies of books because nothing makes me sad than a book that's been ill-treated. I find though that the range of horror titles available highly depends on what area of London the charity shop is in.

Mostly though in the mainstream chains, horror's just lumped in with fantasy/sci-fi. I end up browsing for things online more often than not through Book Depository (free deliveries, yay!).


----------



## Shelia A. Huggins

Thalia the Muse said:


> I don't think I'll ever read Song of Kali, because I know what happens at the end and I just don't need that in my head.


Actually, I have less of a problem with that in fiction than I do in real life. I can read horror but I can't watch the evening news. In real life, people are truly...


----------



## Harry Shannon

Agreed. Real life horror seems far worse to me.


----------



## LaFlamme

I've been a newspaper crime reporter for 17 years. I agree that the horror and cruelty in the real world becomes more shocking and depressing with each new headline. Cut to the bone and you'll find that all of the fictional horror we so enjoy stems from some author's real world fears, or from his disdain for the barbaric nature of his fellow man.


----------



## AlexSeverin

Here's a couple of favorites of mine - one old and one new-ish.

This was on of the books responsible for me wanting to write erotic horror -



And this one was responsible for me falling in love with horror all over again -



- Alex.


----------



## pidgeon92

Excellent news!

_Hater_, by David Moody, just went down to $2.99 this week. I suspect this is due to the followup novel in the series - _Dog Blood_ - being released ($10.99). I picked up Hater, and will wait on Dog Blood until it either (a) gets cheaper or (b) the third novel (_Them or Us_) is released later this year.

 

In other good David Moody news, his excellent zombie novel _Autumn_ is now available for Kindle in the US, as well as the second novel in the series, _Autumn: The City_ (both $9.99):

 

There are two more novels in this series, scheduled for release later this year. I read Autumn as an ebook a few years ago, from the free copy that Moody had floating around the web. It was a PDF, which I converted to Kindle, and the conversion was awful, but the book was so good I managed to suffer through the awful formatting. I will pick both of these up soon, in anticipation of books 3 & 4 being released later this year.

Here is the official site for the Autumn series (US link). There is a UK link as well.


----------



## Shelia A. Huggins

I hadn't heard of David Moody. Thanks for sharing. The covers alone for the Autumn series look scary enough...before I even open a page of the sample.


----------



## kindlec

hmm.... Not sure if the horror effect in a book is as good as the movies without the eerie sound effects... Tried Hannibal, though a good read, but not terribly impressed on the "chill factor".

Or am I just plain wrong? If so any classic horrors to recommend that will send some good old shivers down my spine?


----------



## Cindy416

kindlec said:


> hmm.... Not sure if the horror effect in a book is as good as the movies without the eerie sound effects... Tried Hannibal, though a good read, but not terribly impressed on the "chill factor".
> 
> Or am I just plain wrong? If so any classic horrors to recommend that will send some good old shivers down my spine?


For me, the quintessential horror book is _'Salem's Lot_.


----------



## DanDillard

Would it be too common to mention Frankenstein or Dracula? Both fantastic books... must reads for the genre...
Or what about Peter Straub's Ghost Story?


----------



## Steve Vernon

Cindy416 said:


> For me, the quintessential horror book is _'Salem's Lot_.


Actually, it was Salems Lot that first put the bug inside of me to write horror novels. A solid book, far stronger than a lot of the windy stuff King is churning out lately.


----------



## Cindy416

DanDillard said:


> Would it be too common to mention Frankenstein or Dracula? Both fantastic books... must reads for the genre...
> Or what about Peter Straub's Ghost Story?


I think those are among the best books in the genre.


----------



## Plotspider

Probably someone's mentioned it: Dean Koontz has written some pretty good horror, or at least the stuff I first encountered was.  I bought a book at a convention called Needles and Sins which had some good horror in it.  Other than that, I haven't come across really a lot of horror that's truly frightened me.  Maybe I'm just not getting it from the right sources.


----------



## Plotspider

Mikuto said:


> Wasn't WWZ fantastic? By the time I was done with it I was saying "Get me Ken Burns! This needs to be a documentary!" Infected is pretty film-worthy too, but as far as I know the only one ACTUALLY in production is WWZ.
> 
> Not by Ken Burns though, I'm sure. Though he'd be perfect for it.


I didn't find World War Z all that scary, though. It was horrifying more how the humans behaved (which was likely the point), but the zombie stuff wasn't all that scary in most places. It was fascinating for me, and yes, absolutely fantastic, but it didn't make me worry a zombie was right outside my door. Now, it did kind of make me worry about what I would do in the same situation, so maybe it's a terror novel, rather than horror, but that's a fine line to cut.

But, good call on that one.


----------



## Plotspider

One of the scariest horrors I have ever read, aside from the Cask of Amontillado by Poe was a short story by Ray Bradbury in his Quicker than the Eye anthology of short stories.  I think being buried alive is a particular terror for me.  I share that with Edgar Allan Poe.


----------



## Cindy416

Plotspider said:


> One of the scariest horrors I have ever read, aside from the Cask of Amontillado by Poe was a short story by Ray Bradbury in his Quicker than the Eye anthology of short stories. I think being buried alive is a particular terror for me. I share that with Edgar Allan Poe.


I'm with you on "The Cask of Amontillado." Of course, most of Poe's prose had that effect on me. He loved to bury people (or parts of them) in walls and floors. I remember being scared when I read "The Pit and the Pendulum," too. I grew up listening to Vincent Prince read Poe's words, and he could really make the shivers run up my spine and my hair stand on end. (Those were the days. I loved being scared silly.)


----------



## Plotspider

Cindy416 said:


> I'm with you on "The Cask of Amontillado." Of course, most of Poe's prose had that effect on me. He loved to bury people (or parts of them) in walls and floors. I remember being scared when I read "The Pit and the Pendulum," too. I grew up listening to Vincent Prince read Poe's words, and he could really make the shivers run up my spine and my hair stand on end. (Those were the days. I loved being scared silly.)


Get a copy of that Ray Bradbury antho. I forget what the story is called, but it's like only one line in it, where these two guys are walking through a graveyard and it is one of the most horrifying and terrifying paragraphs I have ever read in my life. No joke.


----------



## Cindy416

Plotspider said:


> Get a copy of that Ray Bradbury antho. I forget what the story is called, but it's like only one line in it, where these two guys are walking through a graveyard and it is one of the most horrifying and terrifying paragraphs I have ever read in my life. No joke.


I'll have to see if I can locate it. Do you have a specific Ray Bradbury anthology title or is it the only one available?


----------



## RChaffee

Awe horror, good times, good times. It was, of course, Stephen King's 'The Stand' that first kindled(pardon pun) my interest in reading and writing. What i don't understand is the assertion that horror books are scary. I don't recall ever reading a book that scared me. Ive read just about everything from King, Koontz and Saul. Personally, i think Saul sucks. I only read his stuff when I'm desperate, but Dean Koontz is freaking awesome. If you haven't read 'Fear Nothing' then you haven't read the best. I almost sh*t myself when i found out there was a sequel, and i would love dearly to see that third installment finally come to fruition. 

Are you listening Koontz? I want more, fear nothing!

These are definitely authors that have influenced my writing.


----------



## Cindy416

RChaffee said:


> Awe horror, good times, good times. It was, of course, Stephen King's 'The Stand' that first kindled(pardon pun) my interest in reading and writing. What i don't understand is the assertion that horror books are scary. I don't recall ever reading a book that scared me. Ive read just about everything from King, Koontz and Saul. Personally, i think Saul sucks. I only read his stuff when I'm desperate, but Dean Koontz is freaking awesome. If you haven't read 'Fear Nothing' then you haven't read the best. I almost sh*t myself when i found out there was a sequel, and i would love dearly to see that third installment finally come to fruition.
> 
> Are you listening Koontz? I want more, fear nothing!
> 
> These are definitely authors that have influenced my writing.


I've always had a very vivid imagination, and have used it to the fullest extent when reading . (That's probably why I work hard to teach my reading students to visualize what they are reading in order to immerse themselves in their books.) I started reading Poe when I was probably in about the 4th grade or so, and I can assure you that I succeeded in scaring myself. As an adult, I really found 'Salem's Lot to be scary because King wrote it extraordinarily well, and my imagination had a field day with his vivid descriptions. (I'm not saying that being scared is a bad thing at all. It's just another way to immerse myself in the book.)


----------



## belindaf

I really liked The Kult by Shaun Jeffrey.

"People are predictable. That's what makes them easy to kill.

Acting out of misguided loyalty to his friends, police officer Prosper Snow is goaded into helping them perform a copycat killing, but when the real killer comes after him, it's not only his life on the line, but his family's too. Now if he goes to his colleagues for help, he risks being arrested for murder. If he doesn't, he risks being killed."


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

I'm going to bump this as there was another request for horror selections and I want to make sure everyone sees this!

Betsy


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

Aaah, Robert....

that looked suspiciously like an attempt to get product placement in the thread.    You're welcome, though, to post with something that actually advances the conversation.  



Betsy


----------



## robertduperre

SO not my intention, but I understand completely.  (and judging by the thread you bumped it because of, anything I do wouldn't appeal)  But this is a conversation about one of my favorite subjects, so I thought I'd give you props.

As for the convo at hand...I'm reading "The Infection" now, sent to me for review by Permuted Press.  Darn fine work, zombies with an alien bent.  Good stuff.  Check it out.


----------



## Alan Ryker

Thomas Ligotti is the very best. The very very best. So smart.


----------



## Plotspider

Cindy416 said:


> I'll have to see if I can locate it. Do you have a specific Ray Bradbury anthology title or is it the only one available?


The anthology is called Quicker than The Eye and it has a rabbit on the cover. It's one of Ray Bradbury's more recent anthologies (from somewhere in the early 2000's or so. Most of the stories are not necessarily scary, but that one is horrifying.


----------



## James Everington

Alan Ryker said:


> Thomas Ligotti is the very best. The very very best. So smart.


Yeah I really like Ligotti, although not many of his books are easily available in the UK. Ramsey Campbell is right up there for me, as well.


----------



## Daphne

...sidles on nervously... I'm very much a newcomer to horror (thanks for the link, Betsy ), not quite a 'fraidy cat, but I prefer chilling and psychological to gory and graphic. So far I have read three books (short stories) - unless 19th century Gothic literature such as Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson counts. I loved The Masque of Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe and noticed The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe mentioned above, so I will try this next - I am also sampling The Haunting of Hill House. Any other suggestions of "psychological" horror would be welcome. I do love 19th century writing but am trying to break into reading more modern stories too.


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

robertduperre said:


> SO not my intention, but I understand completely. (and judging by the thread you bumped it because of, anything I do wouldn't appeal) But this is a conversation about one of my favorite subjects, so I thought I'd give you props.
> 
> As for the convo at hand...I'm reading "The Infection" now, sent to me for review by Permuted Press. Darn fine work, zombies with an alien bent. Good stuff. Check it out.


  I apologize if I misconstrued, and thanks for both the understanding and the book recommendation!

Betsy


----------



## Alan Ryker

James Everington said:


> Yeah I really like Ligotti, although not many of his books are easily available in the UK. Ramsey Campbell is right up there for me, as well.


Ligotti IS hard to find. I have no idea why. He's like a well-kept secret.

Ramsey Campbell is awesome, for sure.


----------



## William Meikle

Daphne said:


> ...sidles on nervously... I'm very much a newcomer to horror (thanks for the link, Betsy ), not quite a 'fraidy cat, but I prefer chilling and psychological to gory and graphic. So far I have read three books (short stories) - unless 19th century Gothic literature such as Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson counts. I loved The Masque of Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe and noticed The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe mentioned above, so I will try this next - I am also sampling The Haunting of Hill House. Any other suggestions of "psychological" horror would be welcome. I do love 19th century writing but am trying to break into reading more modern stories too.


Check out anything you can from ASH TREE PRESS or TARTURUS PRESS - they republish old supernatural tales, and modern writers writing in the tradition.


----------



## bnapier

Oooh how did I miss this thread?

_--- edited... no self-promotion (book covers, web links, mentioning your book/blog/etc.) in posts outside the Book Bazaar forum. please read our Forum Decorum thread. future posts containing self-promotion will be deleted without notice._

VERY glad this thread exists!


----------



## Daphne

williammeikle said:


> Check out anything you can from ASH TREE PRESS or TARTURUS PRESS - they republish old supernatural tales, and modern writers writing in the tradition.


Liked the look of this one from the Ash Tree Press, but at £11.40 in hardback it will have to go on my wishlist - and I clicked "Tell The Publisher" in hope of a Kindle copy. Thanks.


----------



## William Meikle

Daphne said:


> Liked the look of this one from the Ash Tree Press, but at £11.40 in hardback it will have to go on my wishlist - and I clicked "Tell The Publisher" in hope of a Kindle copy. Thanks.


One of the Ash Tree regulars, a mate of mine who writes in the old tradition, is Simon Kurt Unsworth. He's appeared in many "Best of the Year..." anthologies, was nominated for the World Fantasy Award and has recently started to Kindle. I can recommend this:

http://www.amazon.com/Uneasy-Tales-ebook/dp/B004RPXTBG


----------



## Daphne

williammeikle said:


> One of the Ash Tree regulars, a mate of mine who writes in the old tradition, is Simon Kurt Unsworth. He's appeared in many "Best of the Year..." anthologies, was nominated for the World Fantasy Award and has recently started to Kindle. I can recommend this:
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Uneasy-Tales-ebook/dp/B004RPXTBG


Will take a look.


----------



## Cal_Noble

One of my favorite horror novels in the past couple years is

Nate Kenyon's -- _The Reach_ It's not a scare-yer-breeches-off scary novel, but it never claims to be, either. It's more a subtle horror novel.

In the also ran... ok... also like  category:

Brian Keene -- _The Rising_ (zombies)

Brian Keene -- _Ghoul_ (a ghoul... go figure. Seriously, this is a slower, more character-oriented BK novel. It's very good... and if you survived the 80's you might enjoy the nostalgia).

Edward Lee -- _Flesh Gothic_ this is a good novel, but it is ADULTS ONLY. About the haunted mansion of a (now-dead) porn king. The porn plays a large part... If you are opposed to sex in novels, avoid this one. If you don't mind, this is a must-read.


----------



## James Everington

Alan Ryker said:


> Ligotti IS hard to find. I have no idea why. He's like a well-kept secret.
> 
> Ramsey Campbell is awesome, for sure.


Yeah it's odd, because the people who like him seem to love him, so I'm sure there's a market for reissues of his back catalogue. I'd happily pay more than I would for most authors for them - you can only easily get two of his books here in the UK, and he doesn't even seem to be anthologised much either.


----------



## BethCaudill

It's been many years since I read horror. Just not into it as much anymore. Poe is a favorite for short stories but when I read novels, Brian Lumley was the best.

 The House of Doors was the scariest

But I did enjoy his Necroscope series as well


----------



## aaronpolson

I'm sure it's been mentioned, but The House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski remains the single most disturbing book I've ever read.  In fact, I've just started it for the third time.  

Masterful.


----------



## robertduperre

BethCaudill said:


> It's been many years since I read horror. Just not into it as much anymore. Poe is a favorite for short stories but when I read novels, Brian Lumley was the best.
> 
> The House of Doors was the scariest
> 
> But I did enjoy his Necroscope series as well


Brian Lumley is quite cool. Good writer and excellent speaker. I had the joy of meeting him this past summer, and man, that guy can tell a story - in person as well as in print. Definitely someone I'd like to sit down to dinner with and just have a conversation.


----------



## bnapier

aaronpolson said:


> I'm sure it's been mentioned, but The House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski remains the single most disturbing book I've ever read. In fact, I've just started it for the third time.
> 
> Masterful.


AMEN! Awesome book!


----------



## Thalia the Muse

For Daphne:

I think you'd enjoy Algernon Blackwood's short stories "The Willows" and "The Wendigo." Also, The Woman in Black by Susan Hill, The Ghost Writer and The Seance by John Harwood, Ancient Images by Ramsey Campbell (also, his short stories), The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and anything by Phill Rickman.


----------



## Daphne

Thalia the Muse said:


> For Daphne:
> The Woman in Black by Susan Hill


Now you come to mention it, I have this sitting on my bookshelf and have never thought to read it. The back cover says: "A rattling good yarn that chills the mind as well as the spine" - I'm taking up to bed with me now. My son had it as a school book, so it can't be too scary...can it? 
Thank you.


----------



## William Meikle

Thalia the Muse said:


> For Daphne:
> 
> I think you'd enjoy Algernon Blackwood's short stories "The Willows" and "The Wendigo." Also, The Woman in Black by Susan Hill, The Ghost Writer and The Seance by John Harwood, Ancient Images by Ramsey Campbell (also, his short stories), The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and anything by Phill Rickman.


All great... and to which I'd add Naiomi's Room by Jonathan Aycliffe, Cast a Cold Eye by Alan Ryan, The Ceremonies by T.E.D. Klein and any of the short story collections of M.R.James, E.F. Benson, Walter Macken and Robert Aikman


----------



## Jrose

I've read so many recommendations for Naomi's Room, but can't seem to find it on ebook.  I sure want to read it though.


----------



## Daphne

Thalia the Muse said:


> For Daphne: The Woman in Black by Susan Hill


Many thanks for the recommendation. A beautifully written book, engrossing story and very strong ending: just what I wanted.  I will be trying some of the other suggestions from the thread soon.


----------



## Sean Thomas Fisher

I agree with Cal - Brian Keene has some great horror stuff out there as does budding novelist Joe Hill.


----------



## JohnMcDonnell

I love Stephen King, Clive Barker, H.P. Lovecraft and Poe. I'm partial to short horror stories, and I love the ones that grip you from the first sentence and don't let go until the horrific ending (usually with a twist). There's a famous short story called "The Hand", I think, and for some reason I can't remember the author, but it scared the daylights out of me when I first read it.

I've written an ebook of short horror fiction, and most of my stories are more psychological horror -- which can be scarier than the blood and guts kind.

John


----------



## William Meikle

Sean Thomas Fisher said:


> I agree with Cal - Brian Keene has some great horror stuff out there as does budding novelist Joe Hill.


I think that, given his success already, Joe Hill is a bit more than a "budding" novelist


----------



## James Everington

williammeikle said:


> All great... and to which I'd add Naiomi's Room by Jonathan Aycliffe, Cast a Cold Eye by Alan Ryan, The Ceremonies by T.E.D. Klein and any of the short story collections of M.R.James, E.F. Benson, Walter Macken and Robert Aikman


T.E.D. Klein, there's another author whose books I find it almost impossible to get hold of in the UK! 
Not heard of some of the others you mention, will check them out.


----------



## Julia Kavan

Big horror fan - but particularly short stories. I guess I like a quick thrill/scare! I think I collected almost all of the Pan Horror story books as a teenager (anyone remember them...?) I prefer psychological horror over gore, especially stories that creep up on you - the more subtle the better! I'd really like to do that -  write the 'perfect' horror story...


----------



## robertduperre

Julia Kavan said:


> Big horror fan - but particularly short stories. I guess I like a quick thrill/scare! I think I collected almost all of the Pan Horror story books as a teenager (anyone remember them...?) I prefer psychological horror over gore, especially stories that creep up on you - the more subtle the better! *I'd really like to do that - write the 'perfect' horror story... *


Wow, Julia. Talk about an impossible dream...but I'm with you on that one...


----------



## Julia Kavan

robertduperre said:


> Wow, Julia. Talk about an impossible dream...but I'm with you on that one...


We can but try...


----------



## J.L. McPherson

Robert McCammon is probably the most underrated writer ever. The man is a freaking genius ! Swan Song, Gone South , Blue World. These are some of the best horror books ever written.


----------



## William Meikle

J.L. McPherson said:


> Robert McCammon is probably the most underrated writer ever. The man is a freaking genius ! Swan Song, Gone South , Blue World. These are some of the best horror books ever written.


Plus Hour of the Wolf, They Thirst, Stinger, Night Boat, Baal and many others that I love.

Not exactly underrated though -- he has sold millions of books after all


----------



## Elizabeth Black

I _love_ horror! I've been reading horror since I was a kid, starting with ghost legend books like "The Screaming Sculls And Other Ghosts" by Eliott O'Donnell and then moving on to Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King. I'm getting ready to buy "Elementals" by Michael McDowell and a few books by Tom Piccirilli. What's amusing is that I write erotica and erotic romance. My stories can be a bit dark. It's that horror influence. I've written a few erotic horror stories, too. Loads of fun.


----------



## robertduperre

Elizabeth Black said:


> I _love_ horror! I've been reading horror since I was a kid, starting with ghost legend books like "The Screaming Sculls And Other Ghosts" by Eliott O'Donnell and then moving on to Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King. I'm getting ready to buy "Elementals" by Michael McDowell and a few books by Tom Piccirilli. What's amusing is that I write erotica and erotic romance. My stories can be a bit dark. It's that horror influence. I've written a few erotic horror stories, too. Loads of fun.


Have you written any erotic zombie stuff? That's the one variation I don't think I've seen yet.


----------



## William Meikle

robertduperre said:


> Have you written any erotic zombie stuff? That's the one variation I don't think I've seen yet.


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1010342/


----------



## sal79parody

Have any of you read Jack Ketchum's The Woman? It's the third book in the Off Season series. I finished it recently. Off Season is one of my favorite horrors ever, but the Woman is quite good. Warning! It is pretty gruesome, too.


----------



## SebastianDark

What's everyone's first horror book?  Mine (if it can be considered 'horror') was T. Harris's RED DRAGON... back in the seventh grade!


----------



## Daphne

SebastianDark said:


> What's everyone's first horror book?


Mary Shelley's *Frankenstein*, which I read as a teenager. I don't think I ever classified it as "horror" - just thought that it was a brilliant, moving, thought provoking story. It takes a lot of beating.


----------



## julieannfelicity

Ya'll are probably going to laugh at me, but I started reading horror with Christopher Pike books. I mean, I'm a fan of H. P. Lovecraft, Poe, and King - but I still like the Dean Koontz, R. L. Stine and Pike books.  Loved Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (even wrote a short story with her in mind) and Bram Stoker's Dracula (could read those over and over).

When I was 11, my favorite Pike book was Monster. My older sister (who was 16 at the time) had it and I stole it out of her room and read it in one sitting. I loved it! That lead into the _Chain Letter_ series, then the _Remember Me_ series. Great YA horror! It was my gateway drug into horror.


----------



## Plotspider

I read a book called Them, though I do not remember the author. It was about evil brains from outer space that make people do horrible things as their slaves or some such. Definitely a pulp novel, and not even an original idea, but a good read nonetheless for me. I don't know, it was sort of pod people meets village of the damned. One of the more interesting, and horrifying, parts of it for me (and I read this when I was in late middle school), was the mentally challenged manchild who wandered around with an ax, randomly saying the word "Sumbitch." The narrator enters his head for a little while, and I think the horror of it is that the guy barely is aware he's doing anything at all or that anything is wrong. I think it just had a creepiness to it that really worked for me AT THE TIME. I'm sure I'd laugh at the book now, though, but I remember how creepy that was. Maybe this had something to do with establishing a fear/respect/interest in zombies and ghoulish, unthinking undead. Not sure.


----------



## Miriam Minger

Bram Stoker's Dracula.  

Miriam Minger


----------



## J.L. McPherson

I can't remember which short story collection it was in, but the first horror I remember reading was stephen King's, The Man in The Black Suit. I was a kid and it scared the living hell out me, thus beginning my love for horror.


----------



## Jennybeanses

J.L. McPherson said:


> Robert McCammon is probably the most underrated writer ever. The man is a freaking genius ! Swan Song, Gone South , Blue World. These are some of the best horror books ever written.


Swansong is one of my all-time favorite books ever written!

One of the most horrific books I ever read was Jack Ketchum's Off Season, with the cannibals... *chills*


----------



## William Meikle

I read THE EXORCIST before the film came out back in the early '70s -- and it scared the hell out of me


----------



## Steve Emmett

Yes, the Exorcist was a great read - better than the film. But, I still think Clive Barker is God.


----------



## robertduperre

Steve Emmett said:


> Yes, the Exorcist was a great read - better than the film. But, I still think Clive Barker is God.


To this day, Weaveworld remains my favorite all-time novel. (It might not be the _best_ book I've read, but it's still my favorite.) And the Books of Blood are gold.


----------



## Steve Emmett

robertduperre said:


> To this day, Weaveworld remains my favorite all-time novel. (It might not be the _best_ book I've read, but it's still my favorite.) And the Books of Blood are gold.


Yep, I'm with you!


----------



## bnapier

Steve Emmett said:


> Yes, the Exorcist was a great read - better than the film. But, I still think Clive Barker is God.


I'm a huge Barker fan, too. Although I think I probably like his fantastical stuff a bit more than the horror he writes (stuff like Imajica and Sacrament).


----------



## Bryan Smith

First horror novel I remember reading is Stephen King's The Shining, the same year Kubrick's film version was released.  To say it made a huge impression would be an understatement of epic proportions.  I was a sci-fi geek before reading that book, and afterward I was all about horror and nothing but horror for a long time.  Eventually I broadened my reading tastes, but King's work definitely rocked my world in a big way.

The first horror story of any type I read--or at least the first I recall--was Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart", which also made a significant impression.  I was in third grade when I read that one.


----------



## Elizabeth Black

robertduperre said:


> Have you written any erotic zombie stuff? That's the one variation I don't think I've seen yet.


Yes, I have, but it's sitting with an agent now getting a look-over. I hope to hear something soon. It's called "Dead Meat".


----------



## Elizabeth Black

SebastianDark said:


> What's everyone's first horror book? Mine (if it can be considered 'horror') was T. Harris's RED DRAGON... back in the seventh grade!


Mine was "Tales Of Mystery And Imagination" by Edgar Allan Poe. Been hooked on Poe ever since.


----------



## Elizabeth Black

robertduperre said:


> To this day, Weaveworld remains my favorite all-time novel. (It might not be the _best_ book I've read, but it's still my favorite.) And the Books of Blood are gold.


I love that "Books Of Blood"! Barker is so twisted.


----------



## robertduperre

Elizabeth Black said:


> Yes, I have, but it's sitting with an agent now getting a look-over. I hope to hear something soon. It's called "Dead Meat".


Whenever it comes out, make sure to let me know. I'd love to read it.


----------



## Michelle Muto

A lot of great suggestions here. 

Yes, King, Koontz, Straub, Laymon, Rice, Poppy Z. Brite.

I know a lot of you might not consider it real horror, but how about Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House? It's still one of my all-time favorites.


----------



## athanos

I enjoyed Malachi Martin's Widnswept House. If your idea of scares are demon, & supernatural 
then this would be right up your alley. 

I was into Stephen King & Clive Barker. Though I never really considered them horror per se, 
I always loved their characterizations & I really enjoyed the world they created, & was not necessarily 
too bothered by their attempts at frightening me.

I loved Anne Rice too for the same reasons.


----------



## belindaf

If you like fast-paced horror, Joe Schreiber is great! I like Eat the Dark the best, but it's because I worked in a hospital for so many years. Chasing the Dead is good and No Doors, No Windows was good, but my third favorite of the three.


----------



## Harry Shannon

I love this topic when it comes up, how we found our appetites. Think post Hardy Boys and Tom Swift and Nancy Drew it was SF. Robert Heinlein, A.E. VFan Vogt, Issac Asimov. Started to discover horror elements there, and in Conan, ER Burroughs, etc. I was hooked. Read Roahld Dahl, Saki, John Collier, Shirley Jackson, Richard Matheson and more. My first writing God was probably Ray Bradbury, The Martian Chronicles. I loved his short fiction, and then as an early teen "Something Wicked This Way Comes" knocked it out of the park. I wandered off into pulp detective and spy stuff from John D. MacDonald, Donald Helm and others until King brought me back to horror in a big way with Carrie and Salem's Lot. Have read and written horror regularly ever since. My 11 year old daughter read Carrie and is currently plowing through Pet Semetery! The leaf doesn't fall from the tree, I suppose


----------



## sal79parody

Jennybeanses said:


> One of the most horrific books I ever read was Jack Ketchum's Off Season, with the cannibals... *chills*


I agree. That's still his best, in my opinion. It's almost like you want to stop reading, but you can't.


----------



## garethmottram

They Thirst

Great book from 30 years ago now - modern day vampire plague in LA following several stories of individuals and groups trying to survive. Great on characters and suspense. No vampire romance I'm afraid (yea!) but a great retro feel.


----------



## James Everington

Alan Ryker said:


> Ligotti IS hard to find. I have no idea why. He's like a well-kept secret.
> 
> Ramsey Campbell is awesome, for sure.


Alan, just wanted to say I read the first story in the sample of Pulling Teeth and thought it was great - can probably see a Ligotti influence in there in the way its a vague, almost abstract horror. Will definitely be buying the full thing.

To everyone else reading this thread, looks like we have a good horror writer in our midst.

James


----------



## William Meikle

garethmottram said:


> They Thirst
> 
> Great book from 30 years ago now - modern day vampire plague in LA following several stories of individuals and groups trying to survive. Great on characters and suspense. No vampire romance I'm afraid (yea!) but a great retro feel.


I remember buying it on its first release in paperback (and I've got the limited edition hardcover too). I feel old now.


----------



## Alan Ryker

James Everington said:


> Alan, just wanted to say I read the first story in the sample of Pulling Teeth and thought it was great - can probably see a Ligotti influence in there in the way its a vague, almost abstract horror. Will definitely be buying the full thing.
> 
> To everyone else reading this thread, looks like we have a good horror writer in our midst.
> 
> James


Thanks so much! Yes, it was Ligotti / Lovecraft inspired. It was published in an anthology about evil books, and I knew other people would be writing about spell books and demons, so I went for cosmic horror.

I will warn you that it's the only tale of that type in the collection.


----------



## EliRey

Not sure I should be in here. But I was curious so as I scrolled down looking at all the scurry book covers, doing the shifty eyes, and wondering if I should make a run for it I decided satisfying my curiosity was worth it. So when exactly do y'all read the scurry stuff? Not at night right?  I mean I do and I'm one of those that has vivid dreams usually about the last thing on my mind... this is my reason for not reading much horror. So I was curious. *Holds chin up*  And I have read a Steven King book btw. Duma Key... just a few months ago. But I did all the reading in the day.


----------



## James Everington

Alan Ryker said:


> Thanks so much! Yes, it was Ligotti / Lovecraft inspired. It was published in an anthology about evil books, and I knew other people would be writing about spell books and demons, so I went for cosmic horror.
> 
> I will warn you that it's the only tale of that type in the collection.


No worries, I like variety rather than people sticking to rigid genre restrictions. Will try and make sure I review once I've read it.


----------



## bnapier

Alan Ryker said:


> Thanks so much! Yes, it was Ligotti / Lovecraft inspired. It was published in an anthology about evil books, and I knew other people would be writing about spell books and demons, so I went for cosmic horror.
> 
> I will warn you that it's the only tale of that type in the collection.


Was that anthology by any chance called "Bound for Evil"?

Also, the cover or Burden, Kansas is amazing. Kudos.


----------



## aaronpolson

Michelle Muto said:


> I know a lot of you might not consider it real horror, but how about Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House? It's still one of my all-time favorites.


I love Shirley Jackson--and I find her brand of "horror" the kind which really stays with you. I've had the privlage of teaching _The Haunting of Hill House_ a few times.


----------



## Alan Ryker

bnapier said:


> Was that anthology by any chance called "Bound for Evil"?
> 
> Also, the cover or Burden, Kansas is amazing. Kudos.


Yes it was, and I just checked the ToC of the massive tome and saw that you're in it too! Mine is almost the last story, "The New Words," though published under a different name.


----------



## bnapier

Alan Ryker said:


> Yes it was, and I just checked the ToC of the massive tome and saw that you're in it too! Mine is almost the last story, "The New Words," though published under a different name.


Ha...I did the same thing after making that post. And I promise I am not just saying this to be nice, but "The New Words" was one of my favorites from the book. Very unique idea. Why the pseudonym, may I ask?


----------



## Alan Ryker

bnapier said:


> Ha...I did the same thing after making that post. And I promise I am not just saying this to be nice, but "The New Words" was one of my favorites from the book. Very unique idea. Why the pseudonym, may I ask?


Thanks a lot! The book is so big I wondered if anyone read that far.

On the pseudonym issue: when I started self-publishing, I decided to use my real name for works that'll get me a teaching job, and a pseudonym for my self-publishing and stories I think of as being straight genre. So one is for a teaching career, and one is for a getting-paid-to-write career. At the time that that story came out, I wasn't doing that, so it's under my real name, jeffrey alan rice. I don't actually care if people know both. I just try not to confuse people.

However, I have sort of slipstream genre stories that I will publish in journals under my real name, and then maybe self-publish in a collection under my pseudonym. My closest brush with a career making publication was to The Missouri Review, and it was a zombie story. That story and a pushing-people-in-front-of-trains story have gotten out of the slush and are under consideration at a few good lit journals, while my straight realism submissions this season have all tanked! So who knows what the hell I'm doing.


----------



## J.L. McPherson

Alan, just wanted to say that I recently read your novel, Burden Kansas. Kieth Harris rocked ! You are a hell of a character writer, he actually reminded me a lot of my mean ass uncle. I wrote Burden Kansas a review, but it has not loaded yet for some reason. I enjoyed the book thoroughly. You, my friend, are a very talented writer.

J.L. McPherson


----------



## Alan Ryker

J.L. McPherson said:


> Alan, just wanted to say that I recently read your novel, Burden Kansas. Kieth Harris rocked ! You are a hell of a character writer, he actually reminded me a lot of my mean ass uncle. I wrote Burden Kansas a review, but it has not loaded yet for some reason. I enjoyed the book thoroughly. You, my friend, are a very talented writer.
> 
> J.L. McPherson


Wow, thank you so much! I got a low-star review today and it had me bummed. I'm used to rejection, but not yet used to bad reviews. So that's just what I needed to hear!


----------



## J.L. McPherson

I'm telling you man, I don't do very many reviews. It takes a book I really enjoy to motivate me to write a review. I've got two 5 star reviews and three 4 star reviews so far, of course I'm expecting to get slammed eventually, but that's just the way it is.


----------



## paisanofthedead

I am currently reading William Hope Hodgson for the fifth time. To this day Hodgson, and similar authors such as Lovecraft and Derleth, have an amazing ability to make the average rational human being look over their shoulder occasionally while reading their books. Cosmic horror makes one realize how empty and inexplicable the universe truly is. So sound off on your favorite, I'll be back to look after I answer the dull thud on the door.


----------



## Vianka Van Bokkem

My favorite horror author has always been Stephen King.  


-Vianka Van Bokkem


----------



## PraiseGod13

I don't want to be repetitive... but it has to be Stephen King for me also.


----------



## Will Granger

King, but I don't love all his books. I would like to try someone else.

I do think King's _On Writing_ is the best book I've seen about writing in general.


----------



## Mike Cooley

Hard to pick just one!

I would say: Stephen King, Peter Straub, H.P Lovecraft, and Richard Matheson.  (cheating I know...)


--Mike


----------



## Daphne

I have only started reading horror recently, but so far I love Edgar Allan Poe for his sheer good writing and some truly chilling moments.


----------



## JimJ

King for me as well.  He was the first real adult author I read (before King I was an R. L. Stine addict).


----------



## huwcol

Since you are reading Hodgson I'm assuming that you have a taste for the older style of horror writing. M R James is the grand master. He wrote some all-time great 'ghost stories' many of which would by modern standards be called 'horror'.


----------



## Mike D. aka jmiked

H. P. Lovecraft remains my favorite.

Mike


----------



## slpierce

J.A. Konrath is my favorite.


----------



## bnapier

Some days it Stephen king, others it Clive Barker.  I lover Barker's fantasy-related stuff (Imajica, Weaveworld, etc) but if he wrote nothing BUT horror, it would be him hands down.


----------



## Harry Shannon

Off the top of my head? And leaving out the giants such as Lovecraft, Poe and Shirley Jackson. Horror or very dark thrillers or both--Stephen King, Clive Barker, John Connelly, Peter Straub, Dan Simmons, Robert McCammon, Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Harlan Ellison, Joe Hill, Neil Gaiman, Justin Cronin, Glen Hirschberg, Joe R. Lansdale, Caitlin Kiernan, Thomas Harris, Dave Zeltserman, Mo Hayder, Ed Gorman, Kealan Patrick Burke and a ton of lesser known talents who work quietly in the small press. Trust me, if I got serious, that would be a very long list. I'd love to believe I'd be on someone's short list, but after typing those names somehow I doubt it


----------



## aaronpolson

I'm on a H.P. Lovecraft kick right now...



but I also love King, Matheson, Shirley Jackson...


----------



## Mark Young

Dean Koontz will remain my favorite. I love his grasp of the language and his depiction of dark side of man while still suggesting a ray of hope.


----------



## MosheG

King, by far.


----------



## James Everington

For me, hard to chose between Shirley Jackson and Ramsey Campbell (with honourable mentions for Thomas Ligotti, Dan Simmons, Robert Aickman and Algernon Blackwood).

I've only read one William Hope Hodgeson, but really liked it, so have some more in my virtual pile of books crying out to be read.


----------



## joanhallhovey

Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Edgar Allan Poe, Shirley Jackson, Lovecraft and others.  But they are all like your children; you love them for different reasons. And learn from them all.  But it's impossible to pick a favorite.

Joan


----------



## Alan Ryker

He's been mentioned (hey there Everington), but if you like Lovecraft, you've gotta try Ligotti!


----------



## Elizabeth Black

I grew up in Baltimore so Edgar Allan Poe has always been my ultimate favorite. I have a ten volume complete set of his works that's over 100 years old. Love my rare books collection!


----------



## vincent287

I've been reading HP Lovecraft for some time now and he has to be my favorite. I do love Stephen King's early work, but King often cited Lovecraft as one of his big inspirations in the genre. If you read Lovecraft out loud, it really demonstrates how much his writing flows. In stories like The Call of Cthulhu and The Haunter of the Dark he reveals the facts of the story slowly, as if the reader is actually an investigator looking into the matter in question. Every few years I go on a Lovecraft jag, and it never fails to inspire me to write.


----------



## paisanofthedead

So many amazing authors here! I have so many new books to add to my list now. Thank you all for your suggestions. Now can anyone suggest a good Lurker repellent for my threshold?


----------



## mjdispirito

jmiked said:


> H. P. Lovecraft remains my favorite.
> 
> Mike


Uh-huh. Lovecraft is the only author that actually scared me with his stories. He wrote some very, very creepy stuff. I noticed they put up some Lovecraft-based movies on Netflix recently--"Dagon" and another, but I forgot the title.


----------



## Michelle Muto

Stephen King is my favorite. But I love Dean Koontz as well. And, Shirley Jackson still has the best haunted house story ever, IMO. There's Hitchcock, too.


----------



## SebastianDark

slpierce said:


> J.A. Konrath is my favorite.


Is he your favorite because of his books, or his blog?


----------



## aaronpolson

mjdispirito said:


> Uh-huh. Lovecraft is the only author that actually scared me with his stories. He wrote some very, very creepy stuff. I noticed they put up some Lovecraft-based movies on Netflix recently--"Dagon" and another, but I forgot the title.


Most of the Lovecraft-based movies are so-so. Re-Animator is a cheesy classic, though.

I forgot to mention Ramsey Campbell. He's an inspiration.


----------



## Cindy416

The one whose works I've been reading nearly all my life is Edgar Allan Poe, followed closely by Stephen King. (I, like others, don't like all of King's books, but the ones that I really like are wonderful.)


----------



## Carson Wilder

Just wanted to see how many horror fans hang out here. What are some of your favorite books?


----------



## rayhensley

I dig Clive Barker


----------



## JChappell

Hello everyone I am new to Kindle but thought I would share my love of horror with everyone. I have been an avid horror reader since the early nineties and always look forward to a good new bit of horror. My latest reads have been Convict Grade by Azrael Paul Damien. The book was amazing it had horror, action romance and moments of levity with good character development and a decent pace I really enjoyed it. (in spite of a few editing errors its now one of my favorites) The second book I would speak of is Crimson by Gord Rollo it has a pretty good take on the whole "demonic creature feature". It had a few lulls in the storyline but all and all a good book. here are the links for them...


----------



## Ann in Arlington

***merged a couple of threads on the same topic.  ***


----------



## Sean Thomas Fisher

Briane Keen, Joe Hill and Max Brooks are all awesome. 

But it is weird that no horror author has hit the big time like King did in the 80s. I wonder why...


----------



## Tamara Rose Blodgett

Dean Koontz' earlier works and I was absolutely *taken* with J.A. Konrath's novel, _Trapped._ Wow, a stunner...


----------



## w0rdvirus

The first horror book that I read was Clive Barker's The Thief of Always I was around 12 when it came out so it was a good match being a book for younger audiences. I read a lot of King, but kind of started getting tired of him. To me Poe and Lovecraft are always a safe bet.

Also since I just got my tablet I wanted to try someone I had never heard of and that was Jack Kilborn. I saw a post of his actually while I was scanning through this thread.

So besides the obvious Barker, Poe, and Lovecraft I have to recommend checking out Kilborn. I read both Trapped and Endurance I liked them both, but ended up liking Trapped more. I definitely suggest checking it out.


----------



## brettjirvine

Does anyone have some recommendations for decent horror/supernatural books? I just finished nocturnes by John Connolly, and working my way through some Poe and Lovecraft stuff, but I'm really looking for some super creepy, really scary stuff.

Looking forward to the recommendations!


----------



## Ann in Arlington

brett. . . .I merged your question with the existing "horror recommendations" thread. . . .there are 24 pages so have a look through. .  .and I'm sure there will be more coming!


----------



## brettjirvine

Ahh...many thanks, Ann   I'm off to go do some buying!


----------



## paisanofthedead

brettjirvine said:


> Does anyone have some recommendations for decent horror/supernatural books? I just finished nocturnes by John Connolly, and working my way through some Poe and Lovecraft stuff, but I'm really looking for some super creepy, really scary stuff.
> 
> Looking forward to the recommendations!


The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson!
Hodgson influenced Lovecraft from what I've heard and I've read the book three times, I also tried worshipping at the altar of Lovecraft and Hodgson with my story.


----------



## aaronpolson

Sean Thomas Fisher said:


> Briane Keen, Joe Hill and Max Brooks are all awesome.
> 
> But it is weird that no horror author has hit the big time like King did in the 80s. I wonder why...


I suggest "splatterpunk overload" started the downward spiral. Maybe.


----------



## WilliamEsmont

The first horror I recall reading was The Shining by Stephen King. I still consider The Stand to be _the _ single most influential horror/post-apocalyptic book I've ever encountered.


----------



## Alan Ryker

Sean Thomas Fisher said:


> But it is weird that no horror author has hit the big time like King did in the 80s. I wonder why...


I think it's weird, too. Especially because horror movies have made a couple of big resurgences.

But King changed everything, and maybe there hasn't been such a huge, revolutionary voice since. Poe, Lovecraft, King... who's next?


----------



## aaronpolson

Alan Ryker said:


> who's next?


Alan Ryker? I hear that guy writes plays about Cthulhu.


----------



## Alan Ryker

aaronpolson said:


> Alan Ryker? I hear that guy writes plays about Cthulhu.


Oh man, you're my new bestie.
Not yet, but I'm aiming for it!


----------



## bnapier

aaronpolson said:


> Alan Ryker? I hear that guy writes plays about Cthulhu.


That Polson guy is a machine, too.


----------



## balaspa

Robert McCammon was, and is, one of my favorites.  I am not sure if he is available for Kindle, though.

As far as Kindle authors go, I cannot recomment Blake Crouch's novel RUN, enough.  It really kind of blew me away.  Maybe I am crazy, but it has been my current fave in terms of Kindle-only books and in the general horror genre.

I also like JA Konrath, although he strays into the torture-porn kind of genre too often.  He is a fellow CHicago area writer, though, and I support that.  His books are also really fast reads and very entertaining.


----------



## James Everington

aaronpolson said:


> Alan Ryker? I hear that guy writes plays about Cthulhu.


I've read said play now, and can reveal that, despite the fact it could so easily have ended in tears, he pulls if off. Kudos!


----------



## travelgirl

balaspa said:


> Robert McCammon was, and is, one of my favorites. I am not sure if he is available for Kindle, though.


Some of his books are indeed available for Kindle. I have Swan Song, one of my faves on my kindle. I've worn out two paperbacks.


----------



## Plotspider

Sean Thomas Fisher said:


> Briane Keen, Joe Hill and Max Brooks are all awesome.
> 
> But it is weird that no horror author has hit the big time like King did in the 80s. I wonder why...


I wonder if it's because we lack a certain ability to leave the horror in the book. With a Stephen King, you come back to reality and say: Gee, I'm glad it's not like that in real life. Most of the time, people these days say: "I wish there were zombies or monsters. At least there would be an excuse for the stuff going on in real life." Just a hastily hemmed together theory.


----------



## heatherjustesen

I'm not normally a horror reader, but Dan Well's books, "I am Not a Serial Killer," and "Mr. Monster" (first and second in a three-book series) were completely wonderful. Creepily fascinating story of a sociopath teen who realizes he's on the edge with all the tendencies that serial killers have, and fighting it every step of the way. Then when a serial killer really does come to town, he has to let the monster out to try and stop the killer before anyone else dies. I haven't read his third book "I Don't Want to Kill You," but it's on my short list, and all of the books are available on Kindle.


----------



## balaspa

I loved Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box.  And, yes, I appreciate the fact he is Stephen King's kid.

OK, this is way out of left-field, and none of these books are for Kindle, but if you want two great horror stories to track down, find Thomas Tryon's The Other and Harvest Home.


----------



## aaronpolson

The Other is a great book.  I'm afraid it might be OOP, though.


----------



## Mike Cooley

I'm writing a Paranormal Romance Horror novel called "The Craft of Love."
It has Cthulhu on the cover, shirtless, with his long, flowing tentacles blowing in the wind.
And he has a voluptuous blonde, with a faraway look in her eye, draped all over him.

(I kid, I kid)


Mike


----------



## Mike Cooley

aaronpolson said:


> The Other is a great book. I'm afraid it might be OOP, though.


Hey is the movie "The Other" (which I love and I think was made in the UK) based on the book?

Mike


----------



## aaronpolson

Mike Cooley said:


> Hey is the movie "The Other" (which I love and I think was made in the UK) based on the book?
> 
> Mike


Yes. I haven't seen the movie, but the book is wonderful. (runs to check Netflix)


----------



## balaspa

Do any of you feel horror has strayed a bit as a genre?  I remember being terrified at the opening scenes of Cujo, one of the first horror novels I read as a teen.  These days, it's all vampires and zombies.  Nothing against them, I guess, but I feel like all of the vampire and zombie stories have been told now.  At the same time, although I have greatly enjoyed reading Konrath's work, I sometimes feel he drifts too far into "torture porn."  I am not a fan of Saw or Hostel or those movies.  While being tortured is scary, watching people being tortured (or reading about it) I feel is not.  

Any thoughts on that?  Just curious.  I write some horror, and I always try to go for the psychological scare (Well, RIG maybe not quite).  To me, what is left up to my mind is often much scarier than what is shown.


----------



## Mike Cooley

balaspa said:


> Do any of you feel horror has strayed a bit as a genre? I remember being terrified at the opening scenes of Cujo, one of the first horror novels I read as a teen. These days, it's all vampires and zombies. Nothing against them, I guess, but I feel like all of the vampire and zombie stories have been told now. At the same time, although I have greatly enjoyed reading Konrath's work, I sometimes feel he drifts too far into "torture porn." I am not a fan of Saw or Hostel or those movies. While being tortured is scary, watching people being tortured (or reading about it) I feel is not.
> 
> Any thoughts on that? Just curious. I write some horror, and I always try to go for the psychological scare (Well, RIG maybe not quite). To me, what is left up to my mind is often much scarier than what is shown.


Yeah I agree. Other threads have commented on how 'paranormal' doesn't mean what it used to, and the same
holds true for 'horror.' I prefer the more Lovecraftian/suspenseful/creepy horror of old, to the "slasher" horror.
And I agree that vampires and zombies have pretty much been done to death.

Mike


----------



## aaronpolson

Slasher horror--torture porn--isn't scary at all. It's repulsive, but it doesn't plant real _fear _in a reader's mind.

Now, add the right amount of suspense and you might have a winner. Make a reader/viewer believe her favorite character (and by extension, herself) might be the next victim and draw out the tension... In my mind, that's a win. Alfred Hitchcock is credited with the phrase: It's not the bang which terrifies; it's the anticipation of it.

Truer words couldn't have been said about why Saw, Hostel, et al fail in the long run.


----------



## travelgirl

OK, these aren't books, I know (or if they are, I haven't read them, nor did I know that they WERE books), but who else remembers the movies Jeepers Creepers and Joyride?

Joyride was SO scary to me, because there could really be a psycho out there capable of that!!

Jeepers Creepers was terrifying to me right up until you see


Spoiler



the monster that's not human


, and then it just got stupid for me.

I feel the same way about *most* books in the horror genre, however there ARE exceptions, like 'Salem's Lot, which had me sleeping with the lights on for weeks after reading it as a teenager and after re-reading it again at 37!!


----------



## J.L. McPherson

aaronpolson said:


> Slasher horror--torture porn--isn't scary at all. It's repulsive, but it doesn't plant real _fear _in a reader's mind.
> 
> Now, add the right amount of suspense and you might have a winner. Make a reader/viewer believe her favorite character (and by extension, herself) might be the next victim and draw out the tension... In my mind, that's a win. Alfred Hitchcock is credited with the phrase: It's not the bang which terrifies; it's the anticipation of it.
> 
> Truer words couldn't have been said about why Saw, Hostel, et al fail in the long run.


 This ! You hit the nail on the head my friend.


----------



## bnapier

I think a lot of the genre HAS strayed.  To echo Aaron's torture porn statement, it's a pity that this stuff is labeled horror.  If done properly..maybe.  "Audition" is a key example because while it's not scary at all, there is that ONE scene near the end where (spoiler!!!) the sack behind her jumps.  Unsettled the hell out of me.

I still believe the best horror is the most subtle kind.  I know a lot of people tout Paranormal Activity as a great example of bloodless horror, but I still think The Fourth Kind did it better.  No blood, no monsters, no real jump-out-at-you scares.  But it is absolutely a creepy movie and has been my favorite horror film of the last few years...without being a TRUE horror film.


----------



## sagambino

balaspa said:


> Robert McCammon was, and is, one of my favorites. I am not sure if he is available for Kindle, though.
> 
> As far as Kindle authors go, I cannot recomment Blake Crouch's novel RUN, enough. It really kind of blew me away. Maybe I am crazy, but it has been my current fave in terms of Kindle-only books and in the general horror genre.
> 
> I also like JA Konrath, although he strays into the torture-porn kind of genre too often. He is a fellow CHicago area writer, though, and I support that. His books are also really fast reads and very entertaining.


I just finished JA Konrath's Origins and Blake Crouch's Run and loved them!!!!! I found Robert McCammon's Swan Song under Pocket Books horror instead of his name. If you've not read it's wonderful.


----------



## sagambino

Hello horror lovers... Im addicted to horror books and looking for recommendations. I've been trying to keep my Goodreads Profile updates but really don't have too many people refer me books. I had read Craig Dilouie's The Infection and loved it! I need to start making a list of my top horror favorites. Any really scary suggestion?

_--- edited... no self-promotion outside the Book Bazaar forum. please read our Forum Decorum thread._


----------



## J.L. McPherson

Sagambimo, I just finished _Bigfoot Wars _ by Eric S Brown and really enjoyed it, gritty stuff. If you like Blake Crouch, _Dessert Places _ and _Locked Doors _ were awesome too.


----------



## James Everington

aaronpolson said:


> Slasher horror--torture porn--isn't scary at all. It's repulsive, but it doesn't plant real _fear _in a reader's mind.
> 
> Now, add the right amount of suspense and you might have a winner. Make a reader/viewer believe her favorite character (and by extension, herself) might be the next victim and draw out the tension... In my mind, that's a win. Alfred Hitchcock is credited with the phrase: It's not the bang which terrifies; it's the anticipation of it.
> 
> Truer words couldn't have been said about why Saw, Hostel, et al fail in the long run.


They fail in the short term with me too. I mean the first Saw was okay, but the rest... it doesn't even repulse me any more, just genuinely bored. Paranormal Activity seemed to be trying to do the right thing, but failing, but it was hard for me to watch as the cinema as filled with rowdy teenagers so it was like trying to watch a film in the middle of a chimp's tea-party.


----------



## aaronpolson

James Everington said:


> Paranormal Activity seemed to be trying to do the right thing, but failing, but it was hard for me to watch as the cinema as filled with rowdy teenagers so it was like trying to watch a film in the middle of a chimp's tea-party.


Paranormal Activity had nice moments, but the characters were too unbelievable. Why not at least _TRY _and get out of the house (even though they're told it won't help)? Why always run for the camera when something spooky happens? Is this behavior in which real people would engage?


----------



## sagambino

J.L. McPherson said:


> Sagambimo, I just finished _Bigfoot Wars _ by Eric S Brown and really enjoyed it, gritty stuff. If you like Blake Crouch, _Dessert Places _ and _Locked Doors _ were awesome too.


I plan to read a lot more of Blake Crouch and will mark these suggestions on my Kindle wish list. I loved Bigfoot Wars by Eric S. Brown and he's just released part two.


----------



## robertduperre

sagambino said:


> Hello horror lovers... Im addicted to horror books and looking for recommendations. I've been trying to keep my Goodreads Profile updates but really don't have too many people refer me books. I had read Craig Dilouie's The Infection and loved it! I need to start making a list of my top horror favorites. Any really scary suggestion?


I'll stick with newer stuff.

The Infection by Craig DiLouie is a fantastic pseudo-zombie book. Anything by Aaron Polson is very, very good. Nasty Little F$%^#ers by David McAfee is a severely underrated book. Also, The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan is a great example of a more YA bent on the apocalyptic genre.

These are just a few.


----------



## balaspa

So very sick of zombies and vampires.  Anything else, please!


----------



## J.L. McPherson

sagambino said:


> I plan to read a lot more of Blake Crouch and will mark these suggestions on my Kindle wish list. I loved Bigfoot Wars by Eric S. Brown and he's just released part two.


I forgot to mention Matt Hults, _Husk _ and _Anything Can Be Dangerous _ were both creepy as hell, the dude is talented.


----------



## aaronpolson

robertduperre said:


> Anything by Aaron Polson is very, very good.


Awww, now you've made me blush. (Thanks!)


----------



## James Everington

aaronpolson said:


> Paranormal Activity had nice moments, but the characters were too unbelievable. Why not at least _TRY _and get out of the house (even though they're told it won't help)? Why always run for the camera when something spooky happens? Is this behavior in which real people would engage?


No, although to be fair it's quite like certain 19c novels in diary form, where the narrator manages to find time to record everything that's happened to them, despite being trapped on a rainy moor without pen or paper, for example.


----------



## R. M. Reed

The convention of a whole movie being told by characters holding video cameras is a bit silly. When the real danger comes, I would put the camera down and run. Has anyone made one that adds in security cameras, traffic cameras, etc? That would at least lead to some shots that aren't so shaky.


----------



## aaronpolson

I haven't seen Paranormal Activity 2, but I thought they utilized security cameras.  

Anyone?


----------



## julieannfelicity

aaronpolson said:


> I haven't seen Paranormal Activity 2, but I thought they utilized security cameras.
> 
> Anyone?


Yes - they used home security surveillance tapes. No nauseating-picture jumping in that one. I won't give my opinion on the flick (*yawn*), but I will say I wasn't nauseous watching it.

**EDITED TO ADD** I forgot, there are small snippets of hand-held video, but they're not as bad as the Blair Witch Project.


----------



## Plotspider

R. Reed said:


> The convention of a whole movie being told by characters holding video cameras is a bit silly. When the real danger comes, I would put the camera down and run. Has anyone made one that adds in security cameras, traffic cameras, etc? That would at least lead to some shots that aren't so shaky.


I agree, though what you would end up is the recobbled version of the Thief and the Cobbler cartoon where it would be sort of scatter shot and hard to comprehend. More believable, but does that always tell the best story. I agree its silly, but since we're acknowledging the camera's existence, it almost becomes a new character in the story. I tried to watch Paranormal activity, and have to admit it's a pretty creepy movie (no, the try was not because I was scared, but because my wife doesn't like scary movies and was in the room). It's actually kind of disturbing.


----------



## ColinJ

Vetwriter said:


> When it comes to horror, I love Dean Koontz. Yes, some of his villains are similar, but he can create really sick characters with some really crazy situations. The last Koontz book I read was called "Life Expectancy." It made me fear having children (now I have two), or ever working in a hospital.
> 
> Let me know if you're a lover of Koontz as well.


Koontz is often over-looked by horror snobs, mainly because he is so mainstream and prolific.

But at his best he can write an amazing story. One of my all-time favourite books is STRANGERS. That book had such great characters that even though the ending got a bit silly I was still engrossed.

I also loved INTENSITY. Did you folks know that that book was ripped off by the French horror movie HIGH TENSION? Koontz didn't sue, but plenty of horror fans noticed it.


----------



## ColinJ

Erik Williams said:


> *THE GIRL NEXT DOOR - Jack Ketchum*


Oh, man. That book _destroyed_ me.

I was a blubbering mess by the end of it.


----------



## Alexandra Sokoloff

This may have been brought up in the previous thread, but for Brett: looking at your "like this" list I'd recommend Dan Simmons' THE TERROR, one of the creepiest, smartest horror novels I've ever read.

And in answer to the question of "Why is there no recent equivalent to Stephen King?" I'd say - because there IS no equivalent to King.  He's not just a horror writer, he's a massively brilliant writer, period. So really you have to compare him to massive talents in ANY genre, not just in the horror genre.


----------



## Geoffrey

Hi Horror Fans! and Boo! 

Your brand spanking new moderator here and I have a question for you .... This is a very active thread - well a couple threads actually - and I'd like to know what you all think about starting up a book klub. It could look like a couple things:

1. We're working on fleshing out some ideas for a Book of the Month Klub, so we could do a horror book one of the first months - if you want to try a single book out. I'm envisioning this Klub as a place where different types of books are read from different genres - and for a first one, I'm thinking maybe a current top seller or a classic or something like that. For something like this, there would have to be interest, a consensus on a book that won't freak people out (No Poppy Z. Brite and her _Exquisite Corpse_ for example ... but it doesn't have to be sparkly vampires either) and someone willing to be the discussion leader.

2. If there's a lot of interest in here, we could discuss a Horror Klub. This would give you all greater freedom to select books but also require someone or someones willing to organize the klub and arrange for book selections and discussion leaders and stuff ... don't know exactly what it would look like but it could be fun.

So, what do you think? Go take a looksie in the Book Klub (http://www.kboards.com/index.php/board,35.0.html) and then tell me all your thoughts .... What do you like about the ideas? what don't you like? How much do you want to be the Klub leader? 

Oh, and PS, I miss the "Let's talk HORROR! 'fraidy cats stay out." thread title ...


----------



## Betsy the Quilter

I miss it, too, Geoffrey!  So I restored it.  

(Sorry for any confusion or cases of whiplash!  Just think of it as a good horror flick, where the villian just won't die, LOL!)

Betsy


----------



## ColinJ

I had a Jack Ketchum binge the other day where I read his dark western novella THE CROSSINGS, and his insanely violent 'women on the rampage' novel LADIES' NIGHT. Both were great reads, although very different in tone and style.

For flat-out horror LADIES' NIGHT recalls the best of Richard Laymon, with his cinematic plots and gleefully violent carnage.

I've heard that Ketchum has a few duds to his name but I haven't come across any so far. The closest to a 'bad' book of his I've read is OFF SEASON. Not that it's a bad book, but for its high reputation among horror fans I was a bit disappointed by how shallow and insubstantial it is in terms of characterisation. When you compare that book to Richard Laymon's similarly-themed THE WOODS ARE DARK, which came out around a year earlier, then there's no contest which is the better of the two. Laymon's book smokes Ketchum's.

But Ketchum has written some great stuff since. As I mentioned before THE GIRL NEXT DOOR was an incredibly powerful experience.


----------



## Joseph.Garraty

House of Leaves, by Mark Z. Danielewski. It's a bizarre book about a house that's bigger on the inside than the outside, and it doesn't seem like it should be frightening--there's no monsters or psychopaths or anything like that--but it's terrifying. It suggests an alienness that is truly disturbing, and the way one of the characters slips into madness is really, really disturbing. 

Also, The Red Tree by Caitlin Kiernan. Again, it's very subtle, but very disturbing. I read this on an airplane for crying out loud and still felt the need to get up and assure myself of my place in the universe when I was done.


----------



## Shaun Jeffrey

Favourites are Graham Masterton, Richard Laymon, Shirley Jackson, Bentley Little and Stephen King. There are others too, but I'd be here all day if I listed them all


----------



## James Everington

Shaun Jeffrey said:


> Favourites are Graham Masterton, Richard Laymon, Shirley Jackson, Bentley Little and Stephen King. There are others too, but I'd be here all day if I listed them all


Never heard of Bentley Little, but if you sandwich him between Jackson and King must be worth checking out...!


----------



## Bogbuilder

Has anyone mentioned Ramsey Campbell yet? One of the greatest yet least known horror writers anywhere. His short-story collection 'Alone with the Horrors' is highly recommended (don't know if it's available on Kindle, though), and it includes 'Again', one of the most seriously disturbing stories I have ever read.

Seriously. You will be freaked when you've finished reading it.


----------



## Shaun Jeffrey

James Everington said:


> Never heard of Bentley Little, but if you sandwich him between Jackson and King must be worth checking out...!


He's an author who can make the everyday seem scary. Well worth checking out.


----------



## WFMeyer

@Bogbuilder - totally agree about Ramsey Campbell. Besides, King and Koontz, I also like Robert R. McCammon and even Peter Straub put out a couple of good ones.


----------



## Bogbuilder

^^ Good to see another Campbell fan. The guy always deserved more success, IMO. Perhaps his writing was just too disturbing for most people...


----------



## Todd Russell

I like the early mentions in this thread (200 for McCammon. He's my favorite horror author and it's good to see he's got a new horror book out, THE FIVE.

Besides the tons of great King books, I'd also recommend some of the early 80s Dean Koontz (Watchers, Phantoms). Koontz had some creepy books back then.

Clive Barker, The Damnation Game. I've enjoyed most of his short stories.

As for what's on the Kindle and horror these days? Wow, there's a lot of books on the Kindle now that we've fast forwarded to 2011. The Amazon top 100 list has some ideas of what's selling and what's interesting in the FREE horror section.


----------



## gryeates

Shaun Jeffrey said:


> He's an author who can make the everyday seem scary. Well worth checking out.


I'll second Shaun on Bentley Little and I will also pull a little for my home team by recommending Gary McMahon's work - grim, grisly miserablist horror from the dark, dark north of England. Mwa ha ha ha etc. 

Also, if you want your action-packed rock'n'roll horror, I can recommend Shaun's own Deadfall and suggest checking out the works of Garry Charles as well.


----------



## Tony Richards

Los Angelean John Skipp is a fine and funky writer, and his work deserves to get mentioned more often.


----------



## MichelleR

James Everington said:


> Never heard of Bentley Little, but if you sandwich him between Jackson and King must be worth checking out...!


I'm really surprised to read that -- we seem to have a lot of overlap in writers. He's sort of an uneven read for me. I love some of his stuff, particularly his short stories, and other selections are crazy in a not good way. 

I'd say he's always an option for me, but he's not an autobuy.


----------



## Tony Richards

I love fresh approaches to the horror genre, and 'The Long Last Call' is as fresh as they come. But okay, I'll concede not everybody's taste.


----------



## Mary11

I just finished John Saul's Nightshade. It was pretty good. Not as good as his other books though.


----------



## aaronpolson

I'm glad someone mentioned Ramsey Campbell--more folks need to read his material.  "Alone with the Horrors" is a nice place to start.  I also enjoyed his early novel, The Face That Must Die.  

Highly recommended.


----------



## James Everington

MichelleR said:


> I'm really surprised to read that -- we seem to have a lot of overlap in writers. He's sort of an uneven read for me. I love some of his stuff, particularly his short stories, and other selections are crazy in a not good way.
> 
> I'd say he's always an option for me, but he's not an autobuy.


Any specific book of his worth checking out first?


----------



## WriterCTaylor

pidgeon92 said:


> I loved _Infected_. I picked it up from the library earlier this year. What a great voice the writer has. I have been meaning to look up more of his stuff.
> 
> A book I read this year, that they made into a terrible movie, was The Ruins:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This book was creepy. Really creepy. I loved the way the characters behaved towards each other once they determined they were in real trouble.
> 
> I agree. I read the book and thought it was great. I was very surprised to see it on DVD. I brought it and was very disappointed. I talked it up to my wife and looked like a fool at the end of it. I hope someday to have my novel made into a film. If they smashed it like The Ruins, I would scram. I live in New Zealand. I mights stalk Peter Jackson!!


----------



## NS

I just filled out my "to read" list for ten years!


----------



## KindleChickie

I just downloaded Lucifer's Lottery by Edward Lee. I am not familiar with his work, but the idea intrigued me. The Debil holds a lottery every 666 years and gives a tour of hell with riches and eternal youth as a prize.

http://www.amazon.com/Lucifers-Lottery-ebook/dp/B004EYT540/ref=kinw_dp_ke?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2


----------



## scottnicholson

Ramsey Campbell, a real overlooked gem. This Face Must Die is one of the early "killer mind" books. He and Bentley Little were forced more and more away from true supernatural, over-the-top horror by the publishing industry (which still insists horror doesn't sell). Luckily, the digital era will bring all these works to a new audience.

Scott


----------



## robertduperre

Tony Richards said:


> Los Angelean John Skipp is a fine and funky writer, and his work deserves to get mentioned more often.


I love Skipper. He's the nicest, coolest dude I've ever had the honor of spending time with. And oh, "Light at the End" is, to me, the ultimate vampire novel. Very underrated writer. And also, he's getting into directing now. He has a zombie musical named "Rose" that's under production right now. It looks freaking sweet.


----------



## Shaun Jeffrey

It may not be as popular as other genres, but horror has always been my favourite genre. There's just something about dark fiction that resonates with me and there's nothing like settling down with a good book that will send a chill up your spine or have you on the edge of your seat. Among my favourite horror authors are Graham Masterson, Richard Laymon, Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, F Paul Wilson and Robert McCammon.


----------



## tim290280

Not my favourite genre, but I do stroll down that road every once in a while.

The best horror novel I read was The Hoodooman by Steve Harris. Actually let me qualify that, it was the one that resonated with me the most when I read it. If I reread it now I'd probably not like it as much. 

Unfortunately I find it hard to remember a lot of the novels I read years ago. Goodreads is such a god-send as a result.


----------



## PatrickWalts

Shaun Jeffrey said:


> It may not be as popular as other genres, but horror has always been my favourite genre. There's just something about dark fiction that resonates with me and there's nothing like settling down with a good book that will send a chill up your spine or have you on the edge of your seat. Among my favourite horror authors are Graham Masterson, Richard Laymon, Shirley Jackson, Stephen King, F Paul Wilson and Robert McCammon.


I've never understood why horror fiction is not wildly popular. Horror _movies_ are big business, so why, other than a select few authors, has it remained more of an "underground" phenomenon?


----------



## joanhallhovey

Next to straight suspense, horror is my next favorite genre.  And sometimes they overlap.  For example, Stephen King does not always write horror: there's an excellent story about a serial killer in his book Full Dark, No Stars, that still 'haunts' me.  Very different, told from the point of view of the wife.  Of course Edgar Allan Poe is always in front - what's more frightening than 'The House of Usher'.  I can still her gasp when she wakes in the coffin.

good stuff!

Joan


----------



## Kathleen Valentine

I LOVE Shirley Jackson's books -- I'm a sucker for the kind of psychological horror that sort of creeps up on you and leaves you shaken. She is so good at that.

I also like horror/ghost-type stories. Especially in a Victorian setting. I'm reading one right now called _The Seance_ which is starting to get deliciously creepy.


----------



## Shaun Jeffrey

PatrickWalts said:


> I've never understood why horror fiction is not wildly popular. Horror _movies_ are big business, so why, other than a select few authors, has it remained more of an "underground" phenomenon?


Yes, it's a mystery. Horror was really big in the 70's and 80's but then it seemed to peter out. Many books that could now be classed as horror seem to be labelled under another banner, as though horror is still a dirty word


----------



## EGranfors

I just read Anne Rivers Siddons new book, which is supposed to have some magic and horror, but falls flat. If I had to choose, I'd choose Thomas Tryon, Harvest Home.  Creepy.


----------



## Ann in Arlington

***new post merged with existing Horror discussion thread***


----------



## PatrickWalts

Dan Simmons is really good.


----------



## J.L. McPherson

PatrickWalts said:


> Dan Simmons is really good.


I'll second that ! Simmons is highly underrated.


----------



## aaronpolson

PatrickWalts said:


> I've never understood why horror fiction is not wildly popular. Horror _movies_ are big business, so why, other than a select few authors, has it remained more of an "underground" phenomenon?


The difference is in the mediums--film can be very visceral, whereas writing requires more on the part of the reader. I'm not sure many horror-film goers really want to invest that kind of mental effort. This isn't an insult--just an observation as to what a "consumer" might want when coming to a particular story.

Horror film is a kind of physical catharsis. Maybe?


----------



## PatrickWalts

Shaun Jeffrey said:


> Yes, it's a mystery. Horror was really big in the 70's and 80's but then it seemed to peter out. Many books that could now be classed as horror seem to be labelled under another banner, as though horror is still a dirty word


Which makes them harder to find.


----------



## PatrickWalts

aaronpolson said:


> The difference is in the mediums--film can be very visceral, whereas writing requires more on the part of the reader. I'm not sure many horror-film goers really want to invest that kind of mental effort. This isn't an insult--just an observation as to what a "consumer" might want when coming to a particular story.
> 
> Horror film is a kind of physical catharsis. Maybe?


I've thought about that. I came to the conclusion that true horror films are few and far between, anyway, so the massive audience for the mainstream, PG-13 "horror" flicks are the same people going to see stuff like "Dear John" and "The Notebook." It's just another movie to them; they're not particularly interested in one genre over another.


----------



## PatrickWalts

J.L. McPherson said:


> I'll second that ! Simmons is highly underrated.


Yeah, he's great. I love his writing style.


----------



## Steve Vernon

I'm a big fan of Brian Keene, Greg Gifune, Ray Garton, Ronald Malfi, Tim Curran and Robert McCammon.


----------



## James Everington

I'm hearing good things about Robert Dunbar in various places... anyone hear read him and have an opinion?


----------



## David McAfee

robertduperre said:


> Nasty Little F$%^#ers by David McAfee is a severely underrated book.


Just saw this. Thanks for the pimpage, Rob!


----------



## Tony Richards

Used to be a huge fan of Poppy Z. Brite, and then she just crashed and burned as a horror author. Real shame.


----------



## WriterCTaylor

I know it's old, but I have to say Bram Stokers Dracula.


----------



## aaronpolson

WriterCTaylor said:


> I know it's old, but I have to say Bram Stokers Dracula.


"Old" is another way of stating "classic". Dracula is a must-read, a brilliant book with many moments which still offer first-rate chills.


----------



## James Everington

I think Dracula is great too - I was saying on another thread on here, I love the way Count Dracula is present for the first quarter of the book, and then just disappears for the next two quarters - you know he's 'backstage' doing dreadful stuff but you're not sure what... great way to structure the book.


----------



## Robert S. Wilson

Wow, there's a lot of interesting sounding recommendations in this thread. I know about some of them but a lot I hadn't heard of. It's going to take me a while to read through these. Thanks everybody!


----------



## Harry Shannon

Some fine talents here. Recently, I've enjoyed Justin Cronin's elegant "The Passage," Stephen Kings latest collection of novellas, even the Guellermo del Toro vampire novels that were co-written with Chuck Hogan. My old favorites have been covered, from Robert McCammon to Richard Matheson, Shirley Jackson, et. al. I think Ambrose Bierce often belongs in this category, with harrowing short fiction (Occurance at Owl Creek Bridge, Coup des Gras) and also Saki, John Collier, the great Ramsey Campbell.


----------



## Elizabeth Black

KindleChickie said:


> I just downloaded Lucifer's Lottery by Edward Lee. I am not familiar with his work, but the idea intrigued me. The Debil holds a lottery every 666 years and gives a tour of hell with riches and eternal youth as a prize.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Lucifers-Lottery-ebook/dp/B004EYT540/ref=kinw_dp_ke?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2


Is this the same Edward Lee who wrote "The Bighead"? I've had that one on my "to buy" list for some time now. I like extreme horror, but it's harder to find. Any other extreme horror/splatterpunk fans out there? Got some recommendations for me?


----------



## mark1529

Bacardi Jim said:


> Also Richard Matheson's I am Legend. (Not on Kindle.)


try brian keene you'll love him


----------



## mark1529

Cuechick said:


> FYI: the kindle version of Horns by Joe Hill just dropped to 9.99 ....in case like me anyone was waiting for it too. Really enjoying it so far.


just finished hide and seek by ketchum i liked it will have to read more by him


----------



## WriterCTaylor

Shaun Jeffrey said:


> Yes, it's a mystery. Horror was really big in the 70's and 80's but then it seemed to peter out. Many books that could now be classed as horror seem to be labelled under another banner, as though horror is still a dirty word


Funny you say that. I was at the book store the other day after not being there for a while. I much prefer my kindle books now. I thought I would see what was on the shelves. I asked the lady behind the counter where the horror section was and the look she gave me, showed me she thought I was asking for rubbish. Then she said, "do people still read that?"

I left soon after, but as has been mentioned, I think what we would consider horror is now categorized as other genres for some reason. A good horror movie blows people away, but a great horror novel struggles against the tide.

Rise up I say and bring horror back to the masses and make it something people want again!


----------



## Harry Shannon

I think Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend" IS on Kindle now? Thought I saw it a ways back.


----------



## Tony Richards

James Everington said:


> I think Dracula is great too - I was saying on another thread on here, I love the way Count Dracula is present for the first quarter of the book, and then just disappears for the next two quarters - you know he's 'backstage' doing dreadful stuff but you're not sure what... great way to structure the book.


There's _loads_ to admire in Dracula. What slightly spoils it is the preachy tone throughout most of the book ... Stoker was extremely stuffy, even for his day and age.


----------



## gryeates

Elizabeth Black said:


> Is this the same Edward Lee who wrote "The Bighead"? I've had that one on my "to buy" list for some time now. I like extreme horror, but it's harder to find. Any other extreme horror/splatterpunk fans out there? Got some recommendations for me?


You want to try Edward Lee's The House, which is about a bestiality porn shoot that goes very, very wrong. Then, his novel, The Black Train, and Slither is good gross-out fun too. If you fancy reading Lovecraft put through the splatterspunk mincer, Lee has also done The Innswich Horror and Trolley No.1852 as his perverse tributes to the Old Gent.

Also look at the work of Wrath James White, Succulent Prey & The Resurrectionist, and Charlee Jacob's Haunter.

I hope those recommendations help.


----------



## Tony Richards

Harry Shannon said:


> I think Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend" IS on Kindle now? Thought I saw it a ways back.


That's great news. One of my all time favourites and a genuine genre classic. The only question now is, when are they going to make a good and faithful movie of that novel? Both attempts so far have been pretty messed up, to put it kindly. Ah well, third time lucky, I suppose.


----------



## johnhornor

I don't know if anyone in this thread has already mentioned him, but Daryl Gregory's books take horror themes and elevate them to beauty - while still being awesome horror novels. _PanDEMONium_ and _Raising Stony Mayhall_ are incredible reads. They take old themes of possession and zombies and completely turn them on their head. Highly recommended.


----------



## R. M. Reed

Tony Richards said:


> That's great news. One of my all time favourites and a genuine genre classic. The only question now is, when are they going to make a good and faithful movie of that novel? Both attempts so far have been pretty messed up, to put it kindly. Ah well, third time lucky, I suppose.


The Will Smith version was the third, actually. There was "The Omega Man" with Charlton Heston where the monsters/vampires are hippies, and "The Last Man on Earth" with Vincent Price. I haven't been able to find a copy of that, so I haven't seen it.


----------



## MartinWrites

You all need to read "Furnace" by Muriel Gray - the best King novel Stephen King never wrote! Of course it's not available for Kindle, and is out of print I think, but can be found (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Furnace-Muriel-Gray/dp/0006496407)


----------



## Steve Vernon

R. M. Reed said:


> The Will Smith version was the third, actually. There was "The Omega Man" with Charlton Heston where the monsters/vampires are hippies, and "The Last Man on Earth" with Vincent Price. I haven't been able to find a copy of that, so I haven't seen it.


You ought to be able to find a copy of "The Last Man on Earth" in some of those bargain basement movie packs that sell under the title of FIFTY HORROR MOVIES. I believe the movie must be in public domain, because I've seen it in quite a few of those "cheap and dirty" multi-packs.

It is worth hunting up. Not great, but worth it.


----------



## unitbit

Steve Vernon said:


> You ought to be able to find a copy of "The Last Man on Earth" in some of those bargain basement movie packs that sell under the title of FIFTY HORROR MOVIES. I believe the movie must be in public domain, because I've seen it in quite a few of those "cheap and dirty" multi-packs.
> 
> It is worth hunting up. Not great, but worth it.


I do believe that movie is now public domain and I do agree, while it isn't _amazing_ it is really worth the watch.


----------



## Harry Shannon

Hollywood just can't seem to resist messing with that brilliant novel. I understand why they are reluctant to make it a vampire story, although surely someone could come up with a spooky visual new way for them to feed--the existential lonliness of the character was captured well by Will Smith, but the rest of the film fell apart. Hope someone tries again someday, smaller and tighter and darker. Great horror and and a stunning finish that has never been fully captured.


----------



## Robert S. Wilson

A lot of great conversation specific to horror is going on here. This is a wonderful place for Kindle horror fans and horror authors to chat with each other!

http://www.facebook.com/groups/kindlehorrorreading


----------



## balaspa

Thanks for this link.  As a fan and a writer of horror, this is a great resource.


----------



## Robert S. Wilson

balaspa said:


> Thanks for this link. As a fan and a writer of horror, this is a great resource.


Glad to help!

Here's another great resource for those looking for Horror for their Kindle! A freebie and cheapie Facebook page for the darker genres!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kindle-Dark-Horror-Mystery-and-Thriller-Freebies-and-Cheapies/134002546697327


----------



## Ann in Arlington

***merged the FaceBook Horror group thread with the ongoing Horror recommendations thread . . . sorry for any confusion***


----------



## Joel Arnold

R. M. Reed said:


> The Will Smith version was the third, actually. There was "The Omega Man" with Charlton Heston where the monsters/vampires are hippies, and "The Last Man on Earth" with Vincent Price. I haven't been able to find a copy of that, so I haven't seen it.


Hippies? That's hilarious!!


----------



## R. M. Reed

Joel Arnold said:


> Hippies? That's hilarious!!


Oh, it is.

To give the Will Smith version a little credit, the original ending was much better. It is on the DVD as an alternate ending.


----------



## KindleChickie

Has anyone read the book tie-in for Guillermo Del Toros movie Don't Be Afraid of the Dark? I am curious but $9.99 could buy me a couple/few of great books from indy authors. I liked the movie, but I dunno. Faeries just don't excite me. I have a mental block when it comes to faeries, elves and magicians.


----------



## Tony Richards

R. M. Reed said:


> Oh, it is.
> 
> To give the Will Smith version a little credit, the original ending was much better. It is on the DVD as an alternate ending.


The Will Smith version wasn't terrible in its own right. It just wasn't Matheson's story any more than I Robot was Asimov's. He's a tremendously likeable actor, and I just don't understand why he has this grudge against sf and horror classics.


----------



## Robert S. Wilson

I refuse to watch any movie version of I Am Legend. The book was just too damn good to let some crappy movie ruin it.


----------



## WriterCTaylor

R. M. Reed said:


> The Will Smith version was the third, actually. There was "The Omega Man" with Charlton Heston where the monsters/vampires are hippies, and "The Last Man on Earth" with Vincent Price. I haven't been able to find a copy of that, so I haven't seen it.


I saw a DVD of The Last Man On Earth a few days ago at a bargain store. I think it was selling for $1. I didn't realise it was based on the novel. 
I have read a lot lately about horror being dead (no pun intended) and the fan base eroding. I think the sheer amount of interest in this thread and the recommendations proves otherwise.


----------



## Robert S. Wilson

I agree completely, Craig! I think there's an uprising in the works and its growing more and more every day with the help of social networking!


----------



## mscottwriter

I read a good indie novella last spring called "The Scrubs" by Simon Janus.  It's about a doomed prisoner and a horrible scientific experiment.  Kind of Clive Barker-ish.


----------



## Joseph DiFrancesco

I, too, love H.P. Lovecraft!!  Awesome he's on Kindle now.  I recently re-read Bram's Dracula.


----------



## wakincade

Okay, I have a few questions that seem to be somewhat controversial with some horror fans. What constitutes a horror novel? Does it have to be Dracula, Jason, or Freddie peering over the side of your baby's crib, or can it be something that is horrifying, but not in the traditional sense of a monster in the closet waiting to chase you either up the stairs and into a bathroom or into the garage where the garage door no longer works (just a few scenes I remember being overused in some horror flicks)? I tend to think there's a wider variety of books that belong in the genre and it seems that Amazon and book retailers agree, but a few horror fans I've spoken with recently disagreed wholeheartedly. Is this traditional sense of what constitutes horror just coming about because Halloween is approaching?


----------



## James Everington

wakincade said:


> Okay, I have a few questions that seem to be somewhat controversial with some horror fans. What constitutes a horror novel? Does it have to be Dracula, Jason, or Freddie peering over the side of your baby's crib, or can it be something that is horrifying, but not in the traditional sense of a monster in the closet waiting to chase you either up the stairs and into a bathroom or into the garage where the garage door no longer works (just a few scenes I remember being overused in some horror flicks)? I tend to think there's a wider variety of books that belong in the genre and it seems that Amazon and book retailers agree, but a few horror fans I've spoken with recently disagreed wholeheartedly. Is this traditional sense of what constitutes horror just coming about because Halloween is approaching?


An interesting question... I don't view 'horror' as a genre per se, but more as a 'feeling'. You know what it is when you're reading it, even if you can't put your finger on exactly 'it' is. Like bit of spice in food - it doesn't have to be a full blown ragin' chilli - sometimes there's just a hint.


----------



## J.L. McPherson

mscott9985 said:


> I read a good indie novella last spring called "The Scrubs" by Simon Janus. It's about a doomed prisoner and a horrible scientific experiment. Kind of Clive Barker-ish.


Simon Wood is an amazing writer. He is definitely worth checking out.


----------



## Tony Richards

James Everington said:


> An interesting question... I don't view 'horror' as a genre per se, but more as a 'feeling'. You know what it is when you're reading it, even if you can't put your finger on exactly 'it' is. Like bit of spice in food - it doesn't have to be a full blown ragin' chilli - sometimes there's just a hint.


Dead right. I have a story coming out in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine early next year -- there are unsolved murders in it, so it is a mystery tale; but it's set in the near future, so it's sf as well; but then it has a strong horror vibe towards the end, and so it's actually all three things. Horror is only listed as a separate genre for the sake of convenience.


----------



## James Everington

Tony Richards said:


> Dead right. I have a story coming out in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine early next year -- there are unsolved murders in it, so it is a mystery tale; but it's set in the near future, so it's sf as well; but then it has a strong horror vibe towards the end, and so it's actually all three things. Horror is only listed as a separate genre for the sake of convenience.


Sounds good to me Tony; writer's who mix things up a little are among my favourites.


----------



## Robert S. Wilson

So, how come almost anything anyone posts about horror seems to get lumped into this thread? Who wants to weed through 700+ pages to find separate topics? I don't see this happening to all the posts having to do with romance. Is anyone else a little put off by this?


----------



## Robert S. Wilson

700+ replies rather, but still...


----------



## balaspa

Thought I would bump this one to recommend this novel by Edward Lorn called "Dastardly Bastard." Not only a good book and a talented writer, but a great guy.

http://www.amazon.com/Dastardly-Bastard-ebook/dp/B007ZXKCXA/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1355631485&sr=1-4&keywords=Edward+Lorn

When war photographer Mark Simmons is sent to do a promo on Waverly Chasm, he assumes it's a puff piece, a waste of his talents.

Widow Marsha Lake brings her son, Lyle, to help him heal after his father's death.

Donald Adams, aka H.R. Chatmon, joins the tour to get away from a sticky situation.

Justine McCarthy consents to the hike to placate her boyfriend, Trevor.

For Jaleel Warner, the tour guide, walking the chasm is just part of his job.

Each of these people must face their darkest memories in order to discover and defeat the secret buried in Waverly Chasm.


----------



## Tony Richards

Once again, thanks for the recommendation, Balspa.


----------



## James Everington

Simon Bestwick's _The Faceless_ is the best 2012 horror novel I've read - it's about WW1 dead coming back to haunt a small village in the North (UK) and is truly excellent. Recommended.


----------



## Tony Richards

James Everington said:


> Simon Bestwick's _The Faceless_ is the best 2012 horror novel I've read - it's about WW1 dead coming back to haunt a small village in the North (UK) and is truly excellent. Recommended.


Simon is a darned good writer, and a genuinely good guy as well. Haven't read _The Faceless_ yet, but it's just moved up to the top of my list


----------



## Lynn McNamee

I have long been a fan of King, Koontz, and Laymon. 

I have to admit I prefer my horror to be somewhat realistic. 

I mean, I like "real" monsters, the human kind. Those are far scarier to me than vampires, werewolves, or supernatural entities.


----------



## Jorja Tabu

This thread is awesome.  And I found it just in time for xmas, when I get my annual supply of amazon gift cards   Thank you!


----------



## James Everington

Tony Richards said:


> Simon is a darned good writer, and a genuinely good guy as well. Haven't read _The Faceless_ yet, but it's just moved up to the top of my list


Yeah, I had the pleasure of attending a writing workshop on 'Creating Monsters' that he ran this year. Really nice and funny guy.


----------



## Tony Richards

James Everington said:


> Yeah, I had the pleasure of attending a writing workshop on 'Creating Monsters' that he ran this year. Really nice and funny guy.


That's the weird thing, isn't it? Most horror writers, when you meet them, turn out to be the nicest people, often possessed of a good sense of humour. They probably get rid of their bad karma through their work.


----------



## balaspa

I just started reading Iain Rob Wright's novel ASBO. It's a more realistic horror thriller. I am just about at the halfway point and I have to say - it is excellent.


----------



## rjspears

I really enjoyed Dan Simmons, "The Terror" which I read earlier this year.  It has an epic feel.  

I've always been a fan of Stephen King.  His early stuff is fantastic.

If you haven't read Silence of the Lambs, then you should.

If you like horror combined with action along with some comedic slants, you should try out Mark Tufo's Zombie Fallout series.


----------



## kit1978

I have quite a few horror authors I rate.

obviously Stephen King and Lovecraft

But also Clive Barker, Richard Laymon, James Herbert, and more recently I have to say that the work of Christopher Ransom is astounding, as is Justin Cronin's the passage.

As and aspiring writer myself, these are the people most responsible for me wanting to write horror


----------



## thedavebright

King is my favorite when it comes to horror. I think he does supernatural horror incredibly well. I do also really enjoy the more "real" horror stories about people as the heinous villains.


----------



## balaspa

I am relatively new to Lovecraft.  I like the concepts behind his work more than the work itself - which seems rather cold and clinical to me.  For example, his mythos is fascinating and interesting, but the stories themselves are not quite as good as some others.


----------



## Tony Richards

balaspa said:


> I just started reading Iain Rob Wright's novel ASBO. It's a more realistic horror thriller. I am just about at the halfway point and I have to say - it is excellent.


Not familiar with this one, but thanks for the tip.


----------



## Carrie Rubin

I'm currently reading . More tame maybe than other horror novels, but a really good read so far.


----------



## kit1978

At the moment I'm reading Justin Cronin's 'The Twelve', and I'm enjoying it thoroughly


----------



## James Everington

Just finished Ramsey Campbell's _The Overnight_.

Very slow-build horror, but still great. If you know Campbell's stuff you'll know how good he is at atmosphere, and at those moments where characters try and rationalise what they are seeing.


----------



## J Dean

I've got a couple to throw out there, courtesy of King's son Joe Hill: 
Heart Shaped Box
20th Century Ghosts


----------



## Tony Richards

J Dean said:


> I've got a couple to throw out there, courtesy of King's son Joe Hill:
> Heart Shaped Box
> 20th Century Ghosts


Another very nice guy when you meet him.


----------



## J Dean

Tony Richards said:


> Another very nice guy when you meet him.


Oh sure... make me jealous...


----------



## Boston Rich

What a great thread! I must have written down about 20-25 new authors that I did not know about. At this point there have been a lot of books and authors mentioned so I am trying to recommend some I did not see listed. (I read almost all 30 pages of this thread but skimmed a bit of it). I Lucifer by Glen Duncan was good, his werewolf series is great too. Dog Blood and Hater by David Moody were good (zombie apocolypse) American Gods by Neil Gaiman was fantastic (borderline horror, could be fantasy) Deathbird Stories by Harlson Ellison (collection) Draculas A Novel of Terror by multiple authors including F Paul Wilson was great too. Speaking of vampires and I did see this mentioned at least once in the thread, the Anno Dracula books by Kim Newman are great. The premise is that Van Helsing did not kill Dracula and Dracula eventually conquors England. Very fun and a lot of cameos by other English Lit characters (like Sherlock Holmes.)


----------



## Debbie Bennett

Tony Richards said:


> Another very nice guy when you meet him.


As are you, Tony! 

God I miss conventions. Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker *and* Joe Hill - all in the same room! Will be back at FantasyCon next year hopefully - if it's up north!


----------



## Ben Finn

Well to many to count... just love it


----------



## Beez

I'm a horror reader and writer. When writing my latest novel, I realized after some time that I needed a good lesson or two on writing scenes of violence, violence of the sexual kind as well. I started reading books by Jack Ketchum and Edward Lee, especially Ketchum. Books like _Off Season_ and _The Girl Next Door_. His style and prose are so gruesome its unbelievable, but he has quite a knack for doing it. Even Stephen King appreciates that about him.


----------



## William Meikle

Lynn McNamee said:


> I have long been a fan of King, Koontz, and Laymon.
> 
> I have to admit I prefer my horror to be somewhat realistic.
> 
> I mean, I like "real" monsters, the human kind. Those are far scarier to me than vampires, werewolves, or supernatural entities.


When it comes to horror reading, I'm your polar opposite. I can see human monsters on the news any minute of the day. I don't want to read about them for pleasure too.


----------



## James Everington

williammeikle said:


> When it comes to horror reading, I'm your polar opposite. I can see human monsters on the news any minute of the day. I don't want to read about them for pleasure too.


I'm with you brother.


----------



## Elizabeth Black

williammeikle said:


> When it comes to horror reading, I'm your polar opposite. I can see human monsters on the news any minute of the day. I don't want to read about them for pleasure too.


For me, it depends on how well it's written. I get tired of the same old serial killers after awhile. I prefer when the plots go outside the box.


----------



## kit1978

I definitely prefer supernatural horror, though I do enjoy some things with human monsters as well. On the whole I think that horror works best when it's underpinned by a very real fear, no matter how fantastical the supernatural monster, it should in some way represent, or at least reflect something real.


----------



## HezBa

I prefer supernatural horror too. I like to be terrified as opposed to horrified. Maybe it's just me and my preferences, but I think that it takes more skill to write something truely terrifying (like that scene in The Shining when Danny is in a small tunnel...so good!!), than to write something horrifying.


----------



## Tony Rabig

Supernatural horror.  Stories about the human monsters you pass by every day on the street.  I like both kinds of horror stories.

But what do I find really chilling these days?  A few examples:

A couple of lines in the closing monologue in Robert Anderson's play (and the film of same) I NEVER SANG FOR MY FATHER, Gene's lines about his father dying in the nursing home, staring at the television without comprehension, without even an orange in his hand.

The moment in Stephen King's HEARTS IN ATLANTIS (in the chapter "Why We're in Vietnam") when Diffenbacker sees the obituary of an old friend, sees that the services were arranged by his bank.

And that moment in King's book echoes an essay in Barry Malzberg's ENGINES OF THE NIGHT (expanded edition available as an ebook under the title BREAKFAST IN THE RUINS, and highly recommended) on the last days of Cornell Woolrich, a giant of mystery fiction who died alone, five names in the visitation guest book, flowers sent by his bank; the closing lines of that essay are, I think, both horrifying and unspeakably sad (and no, I won't quote them because I think they need to be read with the essay in its entirety).

In his short story collection SHATTERDAY (one of his best, and if you've not read it, you're cheating yourself), Harlan Ellison quotes several times a line from Jack Gelber's play THE CONNECTION: "You are not alone."  

It's nice to think that, but it ain't necessarily so, and that possibility holds more terror than most of what passes for horror fiction.  But maybe that's just me getting old...


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## johneverson

I love supernatural horror. The really creepy "it's from beyond" stuff. I was never a fan of "slasher" horror, either in film or books (though I have to admit that I have ended up enjoying some over the years.) I grew up reading science fiction because it could take you to far away places... but then I started reading Stephen King and Anne Rice and Clive Barker and realized that the "faraway places" I loved to escape to could be places just beyond your line of sight.

Over the last few years, I have to admit I've fallen away from reading King/Rice/Barker in favor of stuff that is a little more "out there."

My absolute favorite author working in the horror genre these days is Edward Lee. His  was one of those books that kept me locked in my hammock (I read it on a 4th of July a few years ago in my backyard) literally the entire day. I only got up to go to the bathroom and eventually, to get a reading light so I could finish it after dusk had fallen!

A couple of my favorites of his (Slither, Flesh Gothic) are currently not available, but some of my other favorite Lee books include:

     .

He's got an amazing catalogue of over-the-top erotic horror! (And yes, I am an unabashed Edward Lee fan!)


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## yaradager

I still like the horror of HP Lovecraft and Arthur Machen.


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## Beez

johneverson said:


> My absolute favorite author working in the horror genre these days is Edward Lee. His  was one of those books that kept me locked in my hammock (I read it on a 4th of July a few years ago in my backyard) literally the entire day. I only got up to go to the bathroom and eventually, to get a reading light so I could finish it after dusk had fallen!


Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I haven't read it yet. Just downloaded it.


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## SidneyW

I like Edward Lee a lot as well. First book I read of his was "Ghouls."


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## johneverson

I've read most of Lee's catalogue at this point, and have liked them all, but my favorites definitely come from his earlier period -- Incubi, Succubi, Coven, Creekers, Shifters, etc.


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