# What's your favorite Horror novels



## Garrard Hayes (Aug 30, 2013)

Before I became hooked on Crime Fiction I read a ton of Horror books. 
Everyone knows Stephen King novels like Carrie, but what about some not so well known?

I was shocked, horrified and couldn't put it down
*The Throne of Bones* by Brian McNaughton http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HO5WQ2


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Horror is not my cup of tea, but my favorite reads in sort of the spirit of the (un)holiday are Zelazny's _A Night in the Lonesome October_ and Pratchett's _Carpe Jugulum_. 

Perhaps closer to actual horror would be Charles Stross's "Laundry" series, starting with _The Atrocity Archives_, combining British spy services with Lovecraftian horrors and some geeky snarkiness.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

I'm rather partial to three horror novels written by J. Michael Straczynski (yes, the creator of the TV show _Babylon 5_):

Demon Night (198
Othersyde (1990)
Tribulations (2000)

Not enKindled, however. In fact, I think they were only issued as hardcovers.

I also liked the first few _Repairman Jack_ novels by F. Paul Wilson. I lost interest in the later ones though, and haven't bought the last two or three.

And I've read and liked pretty much everything H. P. Lovecraft wrote.

Mike


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## Guest (Oct 12, 2013)

One of my old favorites from 7th grade was Darkness by John Saul. That was one where it went 10 pages at a time over about 6 months.

http://www.amazon.com/Darkness-ebook/dp/B0049P1LUA/


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

For Halloween - it has to be "Salem's Lot" by King...  When you read it, need to keep your lights on, windows closed, and never go down the basement!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ahhh... The Exorcist, and The Shining. And maybe Ghost Story.

We've also got an old Horror thread that hasn't been posted to since March, but lots of good stuff there:

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,1481.0.html

Betsy


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## Gabe (Oct 9, 2013)

I've read two really good horror/ghost stories recently. One was The Woman in Black by Susan Hill. It really freaked me out. The other one was House of Malice by Scott Mariani. That one gave me nightmares.....


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Great thread...scaring me just reading some of these titles!  Thanks for starting it, Garrard!

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Also, we have a HORROR genre thread in the Book Bazaar that might be of interest to y'all:
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,164163.0.html

Betsy


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## Steve Vernon (Feb 18, 2011)

bordercollielady said:


> For Halloween - it has to be "Salem's Lot" by King... When you read it, need to keep your lights on, windows closed, and never go down the basement!


The first horror novel I read - given to me by my sainted grandmother - was DRACULA, by Bram Stoker himself. Had a GREAT cover shot of Christopher Lee looking tall, dark and gruesome as usual.

HOWEVER, the book that turned the crank for me was indeed SALEM'S LOT.

(just had to stand on my tiptoes and reach up with a back scratcher to claw my old paperback copy down from the top office shelf where I keep my Stephen King novels - and now I'm going to have to read it again)

I came to Salem's Lot by way of a very weird detour. I read a Marvel comic book - (think it might have been Marvel Two In One Annual - I just spent fifteen minutes on Google hunting up the reference) - that showed Benjamin Grimm - The Thing - reading a copy of Salem's Lot.

Cool, I thought.

If the Thing can read Salem's Lot I better too.

All right, so I was pretty young at the time.


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## Gabe (Oct 9, 2013)

Steve Vernon said:


> The first horror novel I read - given to me by my sainted grandmother - was DRACULA, by Bram Stoker himself. Had a GREAT cover shot of Christopher Lee looking tall, dark and gruesome as usual.


Gosh, yes, I'd forgotten about DRACULA. I read it years ago, must read it again! Thanks for having mentioned it.


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## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

The Woman in White, by Wilkie Collins.


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## jyates (Oct 13, 2013)

happy Halloween dont you just love it? x x here is my fav hori book, jane x
Book review for 'X' by Jack Croxall

X is a captivating story set in a post-apocalyptic world. A teenage girl known only as 'X', is hiding below ground in an old farmhouse somewhere in the English countryside. As the story unfolds you realise that, although this is a temporary arrangement, she appears well organised; with food, tools and a torch to write her journal by.
The character 'X' is beautifully written and you are instantly drawn to her as you tumble into her world. Just as with Esther Emerson in his debut 'Tethers', Croxall has written a strong teenage heroine. Even though the character 'X' is incredibly brave, there is the continual fear of 'the uglies' from the outside.
The tender relationship X had with her sister and the happy childhood memories of kicking up leaves in the wood are all she really has left. Not even a real photo of her family; X has to make do with an image of another girl scavenged from her hideout. She wants her life to have some purpose, so she leaves a dairy in the hope that it will be found and read by a surviving human, although she fears that she may be the last.
'X', was an ordinary girl who has had to do extraordinary things and make unspeakable decisions. A must for zombie fans, this is a truly gripping story that is skilfully told by Jack Croxall. 'X', is an e book short story and is available from Amazon for only 77p.

If you love zombie films, read this in the dark to get the full effect.



Garrard Hayes said:


> *Happy Halloween!* Before I became hooked on Crime Fiction I read a ton of Horror books.
> Everyone knows Stephen King novels like Carrie, but what about some not so well known?
> 
> I was shocked, horrified and couldn't put it down
> *The Throne of Bones* by Brian McNaughton http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HO5WQ2


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## Garrard Hayes (Aug 30, 2013)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Great thread...scaring me just reading some of these titles! Thanks for starting it, Garrard!
> 
> Betsy


You're welcome Betsy. I love a good horror tale. Here's another good one.

*Carrion Comfort* by Dan Simmons http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00305CYHE


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## Steve Vernon (Feb 18, 2011)

Dan Simmons - always a good read, although CARRION COMFORT isn't my favorite of his.


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## Garrard Hayes (Aug 30, 2013)

Steve Vernon said:


> Dan Simmons - always a good read, although CARRION COMFORT isn't my favorite of his.


I listened to Carrion Comfort and it was awesome. There was two narrators. One for the main characters and one for the older woman. It was a great performance.

How about *Song of Kali* by Dan Simmons http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003XREWD8

That was pretty creepy.


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## darkscrybe (Jul 18, 2011)

Simply too many to single out, but anything by King, Clive Barker, Richard Laymon, Poe, Lovecraft....Bradbury.


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## James Everington (Dec 25, 2010)

So many, but off the top of my head:

_The Haunting Of Hill House_ - Shirley Jackson. Never bettered?
_The Ritual_ - Adam Nevill. One of the scariest things I've read for years...
_Ghost Story_ - Peter Straub.


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## Daniel Harvell (Jun 21, 2013)

I'm in total agreement with Salem's Lot! Now I have a hankering to pull it off the bookshelf ...


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

I'm not as big a horror fan as I used to be in my teen years and even then I didn't like them TOO scary. But *The Haunting of Hill House * by Shirley Jackson still sends shivers down my spine just hearing the title!


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## Garrard Hayes (Aug 30, 2013)

Heart-Shaped Box was a fantastically creepy story about an rock star who buys a dead man's suit on ebay. It completely caught me off guard and is still one of the scariest novels ever. Joe Hill is also Stephen King's son. Apples don't fall far from the tree. Get ready for some sleepless nights. Cheers

*Heart-Shaped Box* by Joe Hill http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004UTVM


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

I tend to like the "funny" horror or pastiche. Recently read and reviewed Booster and Reeves. 
http://www.amazon.com/Booster-Reeves-Night-Revenants-ebook/dp/B00F5TAUHE/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1381871587&sr=1-2-fkmr0&keywords=booster+and+jeeves&tag=kbpst-20

(The review is at my blog. I haven't put it on Amazon yet. I don't think I've done the goodreads one either. If you're looking for the review it's a couple of posts down with the title: Buddy Read).

Karen Cantwell has a fun murder mystery short out too--that's the kind of "Horror" I like. It's called, uhm. Next Stop, Foggy Bottom. It was in an antho: 
http://www.amazon.com/Chesapeake-Crimes-This-Murder-ebook/dp/B0091XBI26/ref=la_B003VKZTZM_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381871703&sr=1-4&tag-kbpst-20

I like "Horror" to be on the cozy or humor side and generally avoid "real" horror.


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## lazarusInfinity (Oct 2, 2012)

Steven King's It.  That damn clown still gets to me.


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## deanblake (Jun 10, 2013)

I'm not sure if they were supposed to be scary, but a few short stories from Haruki Murakami's Blind Willow Sleeping Woman freaked the hell out of me.


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## RLC (Mar 19, 2013)

Frankenstein, Dracula, The Exorcist, Legion, anything by Poe or H.P. Lovecraft, Interview with the Vampire.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

One I forgot to mention that is _perfect_ for Halloween and the harvest season is *Harvest Home * by Thomas Tryon. He is every bit as scary as Stephen King in my opinion, but also develops characters and dramatic subplots in a way that pulls you into the story and weaves a spell of his own. Another of his to try is *The Other*; it's not a Halloween or harvest theme but it is terrifying.


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

lmroth12 said:


> One I forgot to mention that is _perfect_ for Halloween and the harvest season is *Harvest Home * by Thomas Tryon. He is every bit as scary as Stephen King in my opinion, but also develops characters and dramatic subplots in a way that pulls you into the story and weaves a spell of his own. Another of his to try is *The Other*; it's not a Halloween or harvest theme but it is terrifying.


Ah yes - I bought both books in hardcover since it doesn't appear that they will ever be Kindlelized..


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

_Dracula_ and _'Salem's Lot_ are hands-down my favorite horror novels. I love the journal format of _Dracula_. It seems to be a bit at odds with the nature of the book. (Journals are, to me, an introspective, genteel sort of thing. Those adjectives certainly don't fit with the bloodsucking Count Dracula.)

_'Salem's Lot_ is in a class of its own, as far as I'm concerned. I read it every year or two in October just because it scares me silly. I think King's writing is brilliant in this book, and the descriptions and feelings that are evoked are as lifelike as any I've had while reading other books in the genre. I could almost smell the mustiness of the basement and feel cobwebs on my neck when those basement and and other parts of the Marsten house were being explored. I've really never read any other horror books that caused me to feel those sensations as acutely as I do when reading this novel. It's simply bone-chillingly realistic (as far as I would know, having never been searching for vampires.)


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

King's _Salem's Lot_.

Bradbury's _Something Wicked This Way Comes_ (dark fantasy, really, but I think it counts).

Anne Rice's _Interview with the Vampire_.

And I'm quite fond of Whitley Strieber's _The Hunger_.


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

Tony Richards said:


> And I'm quite fond of Whitley Strieber's _The Hunger_.


Would love to see David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve in this again...


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## FrankZubek (Aug 31, 2010)

I just bought the 2013 edition of Best Horror and Fantasy for kindle    hopefully there'll be a few inspirational goodies in there

Edited to add..... NO that isn't a novel
My all time fave tho is Stephen King's Misery


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## mscottwriter (Nov 5, 2010)

Ever and for always, it will be _The Stand_ by Stephen King. A close second would be Clive Barker's _Ringworld_.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

Stephen King's The Shining/'Salems Lot/IT
Thomas Tryon Harvest Home and The Other
HP Lovecraft Call of Cthulhu (OK, technically a short story or novella)/At the Mountains of Madness
Robert R. McCammon Swan Song and Stinger
Blake Crouch's Run/Pines
Ronald Malfi Floating Staircase (OK, reading that right now and loving it)
William Peter Blatty The Exorcist
Joe Hill NOS4A2


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## Garrard Hayes (Aug 30, 2013)

Another scary author is *Gary A. Braunbeck*. I loved his Mr. Hands novel. Super creepy!

*Mr. Hands* by Gary A. Braunbeck http://www.amazon.com/dp/0843956100


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## Garrard Hayes (Aug 30, 2013)

balaspa said:


> Stephen King's The Shining/'Salems Lot/IT
> Thomas Tryon Harvest Home and The Other
> HP Lovecraft Call of Cthulhu (OK, technically a short story or novella)/At the Mountains of Madness
> Robert R. McCammon Swan Song and Stinger
> ...


This is a great list. Have you read any Brian Lumley? His Necroscope series was a blast.

*Necroscope *by Brian Lumley http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00823ZQYM


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## NicWilson (Apr 16, 2011)

Lovecraft. lots and lots of Lovecraft.

The wife's been trying to get me to read Jonathan Moon's Heinous. It looks good.


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## Gabe (Oct 9, 2013)

James Everington said:


> So many, but off the top of my head:
> 
> _The Haunting Of Hill House_ - Shirley Jackson. Never bettered?
> _The Ritual_ - Adam Nevill. One of the scariest things I've read for years...
> ...


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## SidneyW (Aug 6, 2010)

'Salem's Lot and Something Wicked This Way Comes are at the top of my list, too. 

Ghost Story by Peter Straub and All Heads Turn When the Hunt Goes By by John Farris 

At the Mountains of Madness by Lovecraft 

Case of Charles Dexter Ward is pretty cool too.


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## Garrard Hayes (Aug 30, 2013)

So horrifying and disturbing, it's sometimes comical. The macabre master Clive Barker.

*Books of Blood* Omnibus 1: v. 1 by Clive Barker http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004FN1QOM


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## Gabe (Oct 9, 2013)

Started reading Peter Straub's Ghost Story. It's quite creepy. Thanks to whoever suggested it on this thread!


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

Two books that don't get enough credit - and you might have to hunt for because they may be out of print.

Thomas Tryon - an actor who wrote two of the scariest books I have ever read.

Harvest Home

The Other.

Find them, read them, love them.


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## Martin Rothery (Nov 2, 2013)

Can't say I've read many horror novels, but the one that really chilled me was Woman in Black by Susan Hill.
Don't know why, but it really gave me the creeps, must just be the good writing.


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## Garrard Hayes (Aug 30, 2013)

Brian Keene's *The Rising* was a fun zombie read.

http://www.amazon.com/Rising-Authors-Preferred-ebook/dp/B00EZC42IA/ref=la_B001IQW9KY_1_2_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383774171&sr=1-2


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## Garrard Hayes (Aug 30, 2013)

Super creepy trip back from the dead! Love the Cenobites.

*The Hellbound Heart* by Clive Barker http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FC124G


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## Amyshojai (May 3, 2010)

balaspa said:


> Two books that don't get enough credit - and you might have to hunt for because they may be out of print.
> 
> Thomas Tryon - an actor who wrote two of the scariest books I have ever read.
> 
> ...


I agree! Loved both of those.

For atmosphere and serious scariness I like Alexandra Sokoloff's stories.


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## belindaf (Jan 27, 2011)

I'm a Joe Schreiber fan. "Eat the Dark" was my favorite, but I have a soft spot for hospital-based horror. It seems his fans liked "Chasing the Dead" better. Great storytelling at a breakneck pace. If you want gory, Joe Konrath's "Afraid" might well be your thing. It's one of those government/invasion/military-type horror stories. It was good. "Kin" by Kealan Patrick Burke was an excellent read for fans of southern horror ala Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and there's a sequel in the works on that one. I also think he has a film option, but I'm not sure if that's solidified. So many great horror tales! So little time ...


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## Debbie Bennett (Mar 25, 2011)

I've just bought Great British Horror Volume 1 (8 Book Charity Box Set) on a countdown deal for the next few days. 99p in the UK for *eight* horror novels!


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## PaulLev (Nov 2, 2012)

Still Frankenstein for me ... and, if you like looking at original manuscripts, Mary Shelley's recently was put up online http://shelleygodwinarchive.org/contents/frankenstein


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## darias (Dec 10, 2013)

balaspa said:


> Stephen King's The Shining/'Salems Lot/IT
> Thomas Tryon Harvest Home and The Other
> HP Lovecraft Call of Cthulhu (OK, technically a short story or novella)/At the Mountains of Madness
> Robert R. McCammon Swan Song and Stinger
> ...


Swan Song was a great book. Definitely one of my favorites.


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## Harvey Click (Oct 28, 2013)

I still love many of the old pulp writers, especially H. P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, and Fritz Leiber. M. R. James wrote some awfully good spook stories as well. A few not-so-recent novels that I like a lot are *The Haunting of Hill House* by Shirley Jackson, *I Am Legend* by Richard Matheson, *Something Wicked This Way Comes* (not really horror) by Ray Bradbury, *Conjure Wife* by Fritz Leiber, and *The Damnation Game* and *The Hellbound Heart* by Clive Barker. I'm disappointed that Barker no longer writes flat-out horror, because he was a very bright light in a genre that has grown somewhat dim.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

I always think of *I Am Legend* as an sf classic, but hey, it counts as horror too. Great novel, one of my all-time favorites.


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## Garrard Hayes (Aug 30, 2013)

*The Elementals* by Michael McDowell http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KXAQ7NQ
A southern family goes to the Alabama Gulf shore to spend a relaxing summer at a beautiful beachfront retreat. Something old and dark is living there and it doesn't want to leave.

*One of the Scariest Book Ever!*
I read this years ago and I still think about it. it was out of print but is now available for Kindle. Well worth the price.


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## Darryl Hughes (Nov 17, 2014)

Salem's Lot by Stephen King. Love those non-twinkly vampires.

Dee


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## Garrard Hayes (Aug 30, 2013)

Yup, Salem's Lot is up there as one of my favorite Stephen King Novels. The Shining still creeps me out and it was so much better than the movie.


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## Ted Cross (Aug 30, 2012)

bordercollielady said:


> For Halloween - it has to be "Salem's Lot" by King... When you read it, need to keep your lights on, windows closed, and never go down the basement!


Yep, my favorites are Salem's Lot and The Dark Half by King.


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## Garrard Hayes (Aug 30, 2013)

*Immobility by Brian Evenson* http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0079XPUDS
A fascinating post apocalyptic journey of human survival. Josef Horkai is brought back to consciousness and finds he's unable to walk. Stuck in an odd culture he is immediately sent on a mission to recover an artifact from the wasteland. Twists and turns kept the plot unraveling at a fast clip. I loved the character's banter and snappy dialogue. The author's sharp descriptions of a world long dead were seriously creepy and didn't slow down the pace. Readers looking for something different and scary will love this gripping sci-fi thriller. I thoroughly enjoyed Immobility and I look forward to more novels by this author.


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## Harry Manners (Jul 6, 2013)

I'm going to be boring and say SK's *Salem's Lot*. But one that I read a few years back that doesn't get a whole lot of limelight, but I genuinely found terrifying, was *Duma Key*. The imagery in that one just stuck with me and got under my skin.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

Harry Manners said:


> I'm going to be boring and say SK's *Salem's Lot*. But one that I read a few years back that doesn't get a whole lot of limelight, but I genuinely found terrifying, was *Duma Key*. The imagery in that one just stuck with me and got under my skin.


I don't know that one but will look out for it. Thanks.


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## Matt Lobby (Mar 9, 2015)

Most of my favorite horror novels are from King, so there isn't a lot for me to say without sounding like an echo of previous posters.

... Meh, I'll do it anyway. My favorite horror novel of all time is _The Shining_. The scene where Jack was fixing the roof and the hedge animals were moving towards him-the scariest part of the book, in my opinion.



Harry Manners said:


> I'm going to be boring and say SK's *Salem's Lot*. But one that I read a few years back that doesn't get a whole lot of limelight, but I genuinely found terrifying, was *Duma Key*. The imagery in that one just stuck with me and got under my skin.


It was *RED*.

This phrase came out frequently enough to be called Duma Key's catchphrase. (or at least Edgar's, anyway)


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## FMH (May 18, 2013)

I expect The Vampire Lestat doesn't count?


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## Julia Kavan (Feb 6, 2011)

Another lover of The Hellbound Heart - Clive Barker

Also:
lost boy, lost girl - Peter Straub
Demon Seed - Dean Koontz

The story that has stayed with me from childhood is Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr. For a children's novel it's a pretty dark fantasy verging on horror. It was adapted into a kids' TV series in the 1970s (Escape Into Night) and a film (Paperhouse) in the late 1980s. I think it was this story that sparked my love all things dark/horror. I would have been seven when I watched Escape Into Night.


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## Matt Lobby (Mar 9, 2015)

Julia Kavan said:


> Another lover of The Hellbound Heart - Clive Barker
> 
> Also:
> lost boy, lost girl - Peter Straub
> Demon Seed - Dean Koontz


I once tried reading Demon Seed, but couldn't immerse myself for the next 5 pages. I wouldn't be surprised if this was Dean's very first novel, because his voice here is just so... different. Shame too. I wanted to read it cover to cover, but doing so would be forcing myself through it.

Btw, that avatar pic... Did you watch/read Elfen Lied?


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Matt Lobby said:


> I once tried reading Demon Seed, but couldn't immerse myself for the next 5 pages. I wouldn't be surprised if this was Dean's very first novel, because his voice here is just so... different.


Which version did you read - the first one written the the mid-70s, or the completely redone second one done in the late 90s? Apparently he was pretty dissatisfied with the earlier version. It wasn't his first novel, he'd done around two dozen earlier ones. Everyone can have an off-day, though. 

Mike


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## Matt Lobby (Mar 9, 2015)

jmiked said:


> Which version did you read -- the first one written the the mid-70s, or the completely redone second one done in the late 90s? Apparently he was pretty dissatisfied with the earlier version. It wasn't his first novel, he'd done around two dozen earlier ones. Everyone can have an off-day, though.
> 
> Mike


I fished out my paperback copy from the shelf and looked at the front matter. It's a Berkley edition, printed in 1997, so yeah, it's the revised version. There was even an Afterword at the end, with Dean admitting how cringe-worthy his first attempt on the book had been.

I tried reading it again, and I still didn't feel like reading it throughout (read until page 4 before closing and returning it to its place in the shelf), although the feeling was a lot weaker than before, so I guess there may be a chance of me reading it sometime in the future.


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## Matthew Stott (Oct 22, 2014)

I see a lot of votes for Salem's Lot, which is a great book, but I think Pet Sematary freaked me out  a bit more..!


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## David Bussell (Nov 24, 2014)

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski is very good.


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## billwil19 (Dec 14, 2013)

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson and The Wolfen by Whitley Strieber are two books that scared me the first time I read them. Harvest Home by Tom Tryon is another chilling horror read.


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## SteveHarrison (Feb 1, 2015)

Stephen King's Pet Sematary is the scariest book I've ever read - had to read it in daylight. And his son, Joe Hill's novel, Heart Shaped Box, isn't far behind!


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## loriann (Jun 20, 2014)

One beautiful summer day in 1992, I picked up It. I was alone in the house and happily settled into my comfortable chair for a read. An hour later, I was so freaked out, I ran out of the house. I took the book with me, of course, but I could only continue reading on our front steps with people and cars going by. Man, was that scary. I have Heart Shaped Box on my Kindle. Might start that next.


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## N.D. Taylor (Jun 17, 2014)

Most Stephen King novels. It, in particular, scared the daylights out of me as a child. I was either 8 or 9 when my mom brought it home from a garage sale along with Christine and Cujo. Cujo was the second scariest for me.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

Horror isn't one of my favorite genres, but I did like *The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane*. It was genuinely creepy, especially the thought that a child could actually commit murder and not even give it a second thought!


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## danpadavona (Sep 25, 2014)

Night in the Lonesome October - Richard Laymon
Intensity - Dean Koontz
Funland - Richard Laymon
Books of Blood (all of them) - Clive Barker
It - Stephen King


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## danpadavona (Sep 25, 2014)

Darryl Hughes said:


> Salem's Lot by Stephen King. Love those non-twinkly vampires.
> 
> Dee


Definitely a favorite of mine, too, Dee. The 1970s TV miniseries was pretty good, too.


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## Joe Mynhardt (Apr 26, 2015)

This is the best thread on kBoards.  

I love all these books.


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## niahflame (Apr 14, 2012)

The Stand, Revival, 14, and The Phone Company.


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## danpadavona (Sep 25, 2014)

Oh, The Stand. 

In my opinion, one of the fifty best books of any genre in the last century. Absolutely brilliant.


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## clavers (Jul 7, 2015)

I was only into horror as a teen. At the time my favourite author was Lois Duncan. The ones I remember were: "Summer of Fear", "Stranger with my Face", "Down a Dark Hall". Not really gory, but intelligent and well written (from memory  )


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## bohemianedu (Jul 24, 2014)

Carrie by Stephen King
The Bad Seed by William March
The Hellhound Heart by Clive Barker
Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg
Psycho by Robert Bloch
I Am Legend and Other Stories by Richard Matheson
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
Amityville Horror by Jay Anson
Endurance by Jack Killborn
Raising Stony Mayhall by Daryl Gregory
The Scarlet Gospels by Clive Barker


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## Seneca77 (Aug 17, 2015)

The two horror stories that really made an impact on me aren't really classified as such:

Robert McCammon - "Boy's Life". To me it was more of a coming-of-age story with some scary/horror elements. I really enjoyed it and have read it a few times over the years.
Whitley Streiber - "Communion". Streiber is a horror writer who wrote "Communion" as an autobiographical(?) account of his alien abduction. He wrote several sequels but the original scared the heck out of me when I first read it.

Good thread!

- Bob


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## horrordude1973 (Sep 20, 2014)

The Resurrectionist by Wrath James White

Depraved by Bryan Smith

Header by Edward Lee


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## Henry Sugar (Aug 21, 2015)

I don't know if I would class them as strict "horror" but Yoko Ogawa's short stories are deeply unsettling to the point of making my skin crawl.

I randomly picked up her 3-novella collection "The Diving Pool" and I was not disappointed. And I'm a huge horror fan.


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## Garrard Hayes (Aug 30, 2013)

*Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry* http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002LA0A7K
If you're a Walking Dead fan and longing for some new action get ready for a blast. When a sharp tonged Baltimore Detective named Joe Ledger is inducted by the FBI into a terrorist squad on his day off it definitely perked my interest. After snatching him up on his day off and throwing him into a black SUV it gets even better. A government official gives Joe the run down that a group of terrorists have a new chemical weapon that tips the scale to their advantage and they're looking for a guy like Joe to help. From the first page I was drawn in and sent rocketing at breakneck speed into an action-packed world of horror and violence. Joe Ledger's attitude and skills made him a fantastic hero against nasty terrorists that use a secret weapon that will blow you away. This is the first novel is the series and a total stand out as a unique concept that combined my favorite genres Scifi, horror and espionage. Strap on your seat belt and get ready for a shocking roller-coaster ride around the world. I highly recommend this novel. The fight and action scenes were outrageously fun.


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## bohemianedu (Jul 24, 2014)

Garrard Hayes said:


> *Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry* http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002LA0A7K
> If you're a Walking Dead fan and longing for some new action get ready for a blast. When a sharp tonged Baltimore Detective named Joe Ledger is inducted by the FBI into a terrorist squad on his day off it definitely perked my interest. After snatching him up on his day off and throwing him into a black SUV it gets even better. A government official gives Joe the run down that a group of terrorists have a new chemical weapon that tips the scale to their advantage and they're looking for a guy like Joe to help. From the first page I was drawn in and sent rocketing at breakneck speed into an action-packed world of horror and violence. Joe Ledger's attitude and skills made him a fantastic hero against nasty terrorists that use a secret weapon that will blow you away. This is the first novel is the series and a total stand out as a unique concept that combined my favorite genres Scifi, horror and espionage. Strap on your seat belt and get ready for a shocking roller-coaster ride around the world. I highly recommend this novel. The fight and action scenes were outrageously fun.


I have his Rot & Ruin series. Will probably check this out when I've finished those.


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## Garrard Hayes (Aug 30, 2013)

This first two books in the series were a blast. He kind of lost me on the third with too much detail.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

Has anyone mentioned _Let the Right One In_ yet? It's honestly superb, with a very different setting and characters from the ones you generally see in the majority of horror novels.


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## Sam Kates (Aug 28, 2012)

I'll second _Let the Right One In_. Glad to see _Pet Semetary_ get some mentions - it contains a scene that freaked me out when I read it and still makes me shiver twenty-odd years later. Agree with _I Am Legend_ - I was highly delighted by its deliciously dark ending, nothing like the film versions.

I found _The Historian_ genuinely creepy in parts, and loved _Dark Matter_- the sort of story that made me reluctant to turn off the bedside lamp.


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## rolandx (Jul 25, 2010)

Sam Kates said:


> I found _The Historian_ genuinely creepy in parts, and loved _Dark Matter_- the sort of story that made me reluctant to turn off the bedside lamp.


Which Dark Matter do you mean? Peter Straub?


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## Sam Kates (Aug 28, 2012)

rolandx said:


> Which Dark Matter do you mean? Peter Straub?


Sorry, I was in rush when I posted, couldn't remember the name of the author and didn't have time to look it up. It's the one by Michelle Paver; set in the far north of Norway deep in the Arctic Circle. Here's the link to the US Amazon kindle version (though it's pricey for an e-book): 
http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Matter-Ghost-Michelle-Paver-ebook/dp/B0047CPB1K/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1442513490&sr=1-3&keywords=dark+matter


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## bohemianedu (Jul 24, 2014)

Garrard Hayes said:


> This first two books in the series were a blast. He kind of lost me on the third with too much detail.


I'm always so afraid to buy series for this reason. We'll see what happens .


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## rolandx (Jul 25, 2010)

Sam Kates said:


> Sorry, I was in rush when I posted, couldn't remember the name of the author and didn't have time to look it up. It's the one by Michelle Paver; set in the far north of Norway deep in the Arctic Circle. Here's the link to the US Amazon kindle version (though it's pricey for an e-book):
> http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Matter-Ghost-Michelle-Paver-ebook/dp/B0047CPB1K/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1442513490&sr=1-3&keywords=dark+matter


Thank-you, but now it shows it's not available as a Kindle e-book.


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## Sam Kates (Aug 28, 2012)

rolandx said:


> Thank-you, but now it shows it's not available as a Kindle e-book.


I'm in the UK - it's available on Kindle here.


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## Anna Drake (Sep 22, 2014)

My favorite is The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. It has been made into two movies. I thought the first movie was the best. Love it. Love the book.


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## Garrard Hayes (Aug 30, 2013)

Garrard Hayes said:


> This first two books in the series were a blast. He kind of lost me on the third with too much detail.


I think Maberry just came out with a new one in the series.


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## Gessert Books (Apr 20, 2015)

I think the most terrifying part of Frankenstein is observing all the doctor's bad decisions, noting how human they are, and immediately imagining yourself in his shoes. He does that thing where he made a mistake and wants to just wish it away, and people do that all the time.


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## DiegoDinardi (Sep 25, 2015)

^ I agree with you 100%. Frankenstein is scary in so many levels, and it can creep you out in different ways every time you read it.

I'm also a big Lovecraft fanboy. His work is what horror is all about to me, and today's i-want-to-be-scary-but-I'm-really-not horror movies could take a lesson or two from his stories.


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## Garrard Hayes (Aug 30, 2013)

Frankenstein is FREE on Amazon here's the link. I just picked it up. Always loved the movie, but never read the novel.
*Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley* http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0084BN44Q


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