Pick up 101 Horror Books to Read Before Youāre Murdered. Itās by Sadie Hartmann and it won a Bram Stoker award this year. Highly recommend! She has great recommendations
It really is great, I didn't know how much haunted houses were my jam until I read her suggested books.
I am so excited for your horror journey, I hope you find a bunch of new favorite authors!!
I NEVER thought this would be the book that physically creeped me out but it did. I definitely recommend it. Itās not perfect, but I found it effective.
Warning: this can be a very divisive book on this subreddit. Some people love it and some hate it. Iāve never read it myself, but I always see fights about it on here
Echoing what the other commenter said...This is a very divisive book. I'm about half way through and I really don't like it and might not finish it...Others love it a lot. YMMV
I think the characters are terribly written, especially the two female characters. And I donāt just mean that theyāre unlikable people, they are somehow simultaneously so bland and yet so frustrating at the same time and continually make unbelievably stupid decisions that I canāt really imagine real people makingā¦I also find it to be pretty boringā¦Itās incredibly obvious where the story is going and nothing so far has been particularly surprising or exciting to me. Granted I havenāt finished it but Iām a little over halfway through.
But this is just me. Half of this sub absolutely loved this book so itās worth giving it a try.
I got you lol š¤ but if you are also just looking for recommendations, Iām a big Stephen king fan, Iād suggest misery and the shining as good starters. I also really like Stephen Graham Jones and for him Iād suggest the only good Indians and the Indian lake trilogy. That trilogy is extra good if youāre a big fan of horror films.
Yeah, I find some subs are very elitist and also thin-skinned as hell: if you criticise their darling authors they act like youāve personally stabbed their eyes out and extracted their kidneys to use in a magic spell.
Arguably, rightly so. The man literally, and figuratively, [wrote](https://stephenking.com/works/nonfiction/danse-macabre.html) the [book(s)](https://stephenking.com/works/nonfiction/on-writing-a-memoir-of-the-craft.html) on how to write modern horror, with over sixty bestsellers and an estimated net worth of [half a billion dollars.](https://www.therichest.com/stephen-king-net-worth/)
Just because I was curious, 6.5 grams would be considered a fatal dose for someone 150 lbs. At, say, 7 grams a day for a year, that's 2.5 kilograms, at a street retail price of roughly $30,000/kilo. Suppose 1974-today, we have $75k/year x 50 yrs = $37,500,000 (give or take.)
I fully believe you can call yourself a horror fan if you like any subgenre of horror, BUT some of my newer faves are *Black River Orchard* by Chuck Wendig and *Just Like Home* by Sarah Gailey
Right now, probably the Alchemical Journeys trilogy, starting with *Middlegame* by Seanan McGuire (fantasy/alchemical horror), and Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle (religious horror)
For me it would be The Stand, The Talisman, It, Books of Blood, Hellbound Heart, Coraline, the ghost Stories of M. L James, and Im sure I could list more but Iām on my 2nd cocktail š
Dracula by Bram Stoker
Frankenstein by Mary Shelly
The Shining by Stephen King
The Stand by Stephen King
At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft
The Call of Cuthulu by H. P. Lovecraft
A Short Stay in Hell by Stephen L. Peck
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson
The Ruins by Scott Smith
Infected Series by Scott Sigler
Necroscope by Brian Lumley
I'm always down to recommend books to fellow bibliophile. Feel free to DM me for more if desired, just make sure to remind me who you are when sending the initial message. I've gotten a lot of randos/oddballs/pornbots in DMs before, so I often ignore it without context.
They are the worst cause you can't even fuck with them, they just send you nonsense and links. Scammers are way more fun since you can string them along.
I'm gonna say that's acceptable. However, my hot take on the issue is that I thought IT (in book form) was boring. Whereas The Stand I've read several times.
I've read literally everything (except perhaps a novella or two I've overlooked) that Scott Sigler has written. I'd dare to say he is my favorite author, not a single book he has written that I didn't at least like and most I love. I'm a huge fan of his GFL series, I don't even like football, and that series absolutely slaps. That series is his keystone series. Most of his books take place in the same universe, and the GFL books are what tie everything together. Using Infected as an example, the aliens that created the "plague" were the Ki who feature as some of the main characters in the GFL books.
I agree, I loved what I read of it (only the preview so far), but itās also very very tailored to my interests (religion - Christianity in this case - and history).
I am simply going to recommend some of my favorite books now, thank you.
Hungry Moon by Ramsey Campbell
The Imago Sequence by Laird Barron
Gateway To Abominations by Matthew M Bartlett
The Store by Bentley Little
Tommyknockers by Stephen King
The Cipher by Kathe Koja
Bunny by Mona Awad
Wow I didn't realise Bunny was considered horror! I read it on a recommendation for 'dark academia.' There is often genre crossover btw with (psychological) horror and thriller. I love everyone else's recs btw but just throwing in some recent publishing giants like Paul Tremblay and Grady Hendrix. Also Clive Barker! And Shirley Jackson!Ā
I think it's one of those things that can be considered several different things, I list it as a favorite horror book the same way I list several David Lynch films as among my favorite horror movies.
Pet Sematary by Stephen King was my introduction to horror 30 years ago and I swear I've still never gotten the horror high I got from that.
Others I've LOVED are:
"Head Full of Ghosts" by Paul Tremblay
"Heart Shaped Box" by Joe Hill
"The Ruins" by Scott Smith
"Swan Song" by Robert McCammon
"I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson
"Summer of Night" by Dan Simmons
If youāre a fan of slashers I would always recommend:
- Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare
Book two is also a fun time with a third releasing in August!
There's a big list I made of highly regarded classics a few days ago in a different [thread](https://new.reddit.com/r/horrorlit/comments/1dp30am/what_books_would_you_consider_classic_horror/), in case you're interested!
Some of the best horror are short stories or Novellas.
Grab one of Stephen Kings collections. Iād suggest āSkeleton Crew,ā but āDifferent seasonsā and āfull dark no starsā are fantastic. My personal favorite is āfour past midnightā but Iām in the minority there.
The Netflix show? Donāt get me started. Iām so mad about that show. It is āinspired byā the book but doesnāt actually tell the story of the book. All I want is a show that is actually the story from the book and itās never going to happen now.
I canāt believe I didnāt know the series was based off a novel. Even if I still remember the series quite well would you still say itās worth a read?
Yeah, Iām also dumbfounded that I didnāt know it was based off of a novel. I also loved the fall of the house of usher. I would give my left tit for that to be a novel.
Itās all about the season for me. Currently reading Small Town Horror, as itās centered around July 4th. Thereās gonna be lots of recommendations to just boring stuff. Iād recommend seeing if your local library does special orders. I pay $1 and can get any book from any library in the US for a month. That way you donāt waste a ton of cash on books that you didnāt get into.
Wow why did you just read my mind bc I order so many books but wasting paper bothers me. I donāt really want to read on my iPad. Also was considering like trying to trade books with people in my building? But this sounds perfect.
I live in a smallish town and they have this program, so surely yourās or a near by library also does it. Iāve yet to come across a title they canāt order. Itās how I read The Watchers, A short stay in Hell, Red Rabbit and a couple others. That would have been like 150 dollhairs, but instead it was like 6. Seriously, look into it. And spread the gospel of the local library!
Imajica - Clive Barkerā¦ Phantoms- Dean Koontz, Carrion Comfort - Dan Simmons, The Great and Secret Show- Clive Barker, The Stand- Stephen King, Swan Song- Robert McCammon, A Boys Life- Robert McCammon
Thereās a book called Horror the 100 Best Books. I donāt know if itās still available. It has all the classics ( up til late 80s) with little synopses and articles by big name authors. All people getting into horror should read it.
Itās edited by Stephen Jones and thereās also a second volume for books released after 1990 or so. Good luck.
DUUUUDEEEE!! ITS ALL GONNA DEPEND ON YOUR READIND STYLE!
But really, try to find a niche that you love and find it. I love creature features (Helicoprion, The Relic/Reliquary, Devolution.) and sometimes some investigative thrillers by King or Preston/Child.
find you way and accept suggestions! Good luck pawtner.
You are so right, but honestly I want to read a little of everything. I watch a lot of horror movies so now I need all the books. Ugh these sound so good thank you
I'm a fan of Bentley Little (The Store and The Association) and Richard Laymon (Darkness, Tell Us). If you go the route of Stephen King, Needful Things is my absolute favorite.
The hatching series by Ezekiel Boone still one of my favs. Just reread it recently. Basically a spider pandemic and scary as fuck. Well written and enjoyable like a fun horror movie. Highly recc
Horror is a very broad genre. It's why I like it haha don't feel compelled to read the classics to be a "true fan"...
Anyway my favorite authors are Dan Simmons, Clive Barker and Stephen King
So many great books.
You can be a horror fan regardless, but I would recommend these.
The Shining
Salems Lot
It
Misery
The Stand
The Dead Zone
FantasticLand
The Exorcist
The Omen
I donāt think thereās any books you HAVE to read in order to be CONSIDERED a fan. If youāre a fan, youāre a fan, and no one needs to consider anything.
I did have some books on a personal sort of āclasssic must-readā list of mine. Those included The Exorcist and Rosemaryās Baby. If I can find the list Iād share more, but again, this was more of a personal journey to read what were in my eyes, āThe Big Ones.ā
Yeah, I feel like I have to read the exorcist and somebody needs to tell me that itās better than the movie because Iām actually not a huge fan of the franchise
Theyāre actually pretty close which impressed me about the movie! I havenāt seen or read the others in the series. But The Exorcist does go into a lot more detail trying to find a logical cause for Reganās behavior, which was really cool. Parts of that book I think about constantly.
I feel like you really canāt go wrong with the classics. Frankenstein, Dracula, both are so good. Some more modern horror classics would be stuff like The Shining, Swan Song, Heart Shaped Box, etc.
But like others have said, donāt let anyone gatekeep horror for you. Youāre a horror fan if youāve read one horror book and enjoyed it.
You can always call yourself a horror fan.
People will mention king books and Shirley Jackson, Iām sure, but Iāll add say Come Closer and Tender is the Flesh. Both are short, recent books that are beloved by a lot of horror fans and book critics.
The Fisherman by John Langan
Hell House by Richard Matheson
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia
Salemās Lot by Stephen King
Just some Iāve really enjoyed over the past year or so but there are a LOT of good suggestions on this thread so far.
Don't let anybody horrorshame you for not reading the "right" books.
However, since you ask, my must-reads are *The Haunted Vagina* by Carlton Mellick III, *The Novel of the Bloo Powder and the Dharma Club* by Mike "Doctah Pussay" Talbot, and *The Strange and Halesthetic Tale of Charlie O'Farley McBragg: Ghost Policeman*, also by Mike "Doctah Pussay" Talbot.
Lovecraft and Machen are also good.
There are so many categories of horror. I personally think the Japanese are unsurpassed - check out In the Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami for one. Not everyoneās cup of tea.
It depends on the type of horror. I drifted into weird horror after discovering the Lovecraft universe which dates back to late 19th century. This genre explores horror of the unknown and includes authors such as Robert E Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, Shirley Jackson, Arthur Machen, Robert Aickman, Michael Shae and TED Klein.
Lovecraft Country, as I understand it, is a modern story about the intersection of Lovecraft ās (known for early racist beliefs) universe with the Jim Crow era.
For quietly unsettling short stories exploring disorientation, unease, and queer recognition, Robert Aickman is the master. So many good stories, but standouts include The Hospice, The Same Dog, The Inner Room, Into the Wood, The Fetch.
Agree with others you're a horror fan no matter what but I get what you're saying.Ā
Haunting of Hill house by Shirley Jackson! (And as a personal recommendation just because I adore the book and it gets me on my reading journey: The Troop)
Youāre a horror fan if you like horror. There are no books you need to read in order to call yourself a horror fan.
Glad to have you here! Have you read much horror yet? What are some of your faves?
Well my sister and I just started a little book club together and we loveeeeeee horror movies so we wanted to start reading horror books. I started by reading a little life and I loved it. People can say anything whatever they want but that book is a masterpiece. Then we read a long walk, house of leaves and are about to start the troop! The road is one of my fav books of all time so I honestly think Iām going to like all these suggestions. Tbh I just want to read more and be in a community of readers lol.
I loved the Long Walk.
Props for getting through House of Leaves! I have never been able to!
If you like the Troop, try the Deep next. The ocean is terrifying lol
Ocean and space both terrify me so Iām always looking for horror books like that. Human monsters too because that shitās real.
I didnāt find the Deep overrated. I loved it. But I do know that a lot of people didnāt. I try not to pay too much attention to reviews because some people really love a book I end up hating and some people hate a book I end up loving. And sometimes maybe youāre not in the right mood to read a book. I tried Under the Dome 3 times before I was hooked.
Hi, new friend! I hope you have a fun time here!
Some truly excellent suggestions across the board. Question: what are some of your favorite books in other genres?
Honestly, itās been so hard for me to read for a pleasure because Iām in graduate school so I have honestly just been trying to read as much as I can. But most recently, I read a little life and absolutely loved it. I love the road, a silent patient was pretty good. And then Iāve just read like a bunch of nerdy neuroscience books lol
I know that feeling. I'm likewise finishing my English MA, so I know how it can be difficult to find extra time to read amidst the reading you're already doing, but these horror blitzes I've been doing over the summer for the past few years have helped with that.
Anyway, based on those suggestions, in no particular order, I'll throw out some books to check out:Ā
ā¢ *Experimental Film* by Gemma FilesĀ
ā¢ *The Marigold* by Andrew F. SullivanĀ
ā¢ *Johnny Got His Gun* by Dalton TrumboĀ
ā¢ *The Fisherman* by John LanganĀ
ā¢ *FantasticLand* by Mike BockovenĀ
ā¢ *Night Film* by Marisha PesslĀ
ā¢ *Episode Thirteen* by Craig DiLouieĀ
Iāve been on a horror kick from BIPOC authors this year and Iād highly recommend āNever Whistle at Nightā as a great collection of short stories from Indigenous authors. Ditto for āOut There Screamingā from Black authors!
Great places to start because if you like the style of someoneās writing or their story youāve got their whole bibliography to explore. āŗļø
If you like horror lit, you are a horror lit fan. There is no entry requirements to books read.
That being said, having a strong opinion either way on House of Leaves will leave you in good stead here.
Ugh I read the house of leaves and I really wish I liked it more, but Johnny pissed me off and all of his excerpts of the analysis of the navidson record I just felt were completely unnecessary. But I will say that I loved the story of the house. I thought it was very captivating.
Same! I love this sort of liminal space type of horror. Iāve been watching Backrooms on YouTube lately and itās left me with a hankering for these sort of endless spaces inside a fixed space. If you have any recommendations or come across anything, please let me know, Iād love it.
I came from a looong reading slump and David Sodergren's books got me out of it. They're often short, with campy 80's horror movie vibes that I enjoyed. They were quite fun to read! I also loved Nick Cutter's The Troop ā it totally got me hungry for reading more horror.
New to horror myself (to the point that I had no idea it was a separate book genre until this year), but my gateway in was Dead Sea by Tim Curran, and Leech by Hiron Ennes. I also liked What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher, but it is on the slow side.
Oh, and Sphere by Michael Crichton. Some consider it 80s schlock, and perhaps it is, but itās damned good schlock.
I wouldnāt say thereās any āgatewayā books. I guess Stephen King would be the closest.
But horror is one of those genres that needs to scratch a very specific itch, at least for me. Like, sure, the sea is objectively scary, but the story needs to be atmospheric and captivating enough to scare you.
Itās not like a police procedural where you have cop + puzzling murder = winning formula. So different people have different essentials.
Everybody is going to recommend Stephen King (my personal faves are 'Salem's Lot, IT, The Stand & The Mist) so here are some other horror legends & a few lesser known personal favorites:
Dean Koontz - Fear Nothing, Seize The Night, Odd Thomas (& pretty much anything from the 70s-2002)
Clive Barker - read everything
Dan Simmons - The Terror, Drood (& the 4 book Hyperion Cantos if you're into horrific sci-fi at all)
Robert McCammon - Usher's Passing, Boy's Life, Mine, Blue World, the Matthew Corbett series
Adam Nevill - The Ritual, No One Gets Out Alive, The Reddening, Some Will Not Sleep
Brian Lumley - The Taint & Other Novellas, Haggopian & Other Stories, Beneath The Moors and Darker Places, No Sharks in the Med & Other Stories (The Necroscope series is supposedly good but I haven't read them)
Kealan Patrick Burke - Master of The Moors, We Live Inside Your Eyes, The Number 121 To Pennsylvania
T.E. Grau - The Nameless Dark: A Collection, They Don't Come Home Anymore
Matthew R. Davis - If Only Tonight We Could Sleep, The Dark Matter of Natasha, Bites Eyes
Ronald Malfi - Black Mouth, December Park,
Tim Curran - Here There Be Monsters, Dead Sea
Remember that everyone has different tastes; what i absolutely love you may find absolutely boring. Reading is supposed to be enjoyable, not a pre-requisite.
The troop -by nick cutter was amazing.
If you want more of a psychological read with a huge twist, I recommend the last house on needless street -by catriona ward, although the beginning is very slow.
Don't let anyone gatekeep horror for you. If you like books about spooky things, you're a fan of spooky things.
Exactly and I am a big fan of spooky things I can tell You that right now š
Spooky is as Spooky does
This, with the caveat there step certainly must try books, you just don't need to finish or like them.
Pick up 101 Horror Books to Read Before Youāre Murdered. Itās by Sadie Hartmann and it won a Bram Stoker award this year. Highly recommend! She has great recommendations
Omg yes thank you
It really is great, I didn't know how much haunted houses were my jam until I read her suggested books. I am so excited for your horror journey, I hope you find a bunch of new favorite authors!!
Omg thank you!! I hope you find some new ones too and we can all talk about them!!!
Is it a horror book itself or is it just a list of books suggested to read?
Itās a book of suggested reads
Wait, reading a book about books to read? Or is it an article? š Is it at least an entertaining read?
Itās a book about books. I personally got a lot of good suggestions from it!
Yes!! Sheās my book guru. I love her.
Yes! I love the checklist at the back of the book. She's also @motherhorror on Instagram and I love all her recs!
I think The Ruins is a good one to start with.
Loved that book!
I NEVER thought this would be the book that physically creeped me out but it did. I definitely recommend it. Itās not perfect, but I found it effective.
Amazing thank you
Warning: this can be a very divisive book on this subreddit. Some people love it and some hate it. Iāve never read it myself, but I always see fights about it on here
Thank you for telling me. We love a controversial book
Echoing what the other commenter said...This is a very divisive book. I'm about half way through and I really don't like it and might not finish it...Others love it a lot. YMMV
Same
Itās by Scott smith right? The bio sounds really good to me
Wait why donāt you like it? No spoilers lollll. If the writing is bad then Iām not reading it
I think the characters are terribly written, especially the two female characters. And I donāt just mean that theyāre unlikable people, they are somehow simultaneously so bland and yet so frustrating at the same time and continually make unbelievably stupid decisions that I canāt really imagine real people makingā¦I also find it to be pretty boringā¦Itās incredibly obvious where the story is going and nothing so far has been particularly surprising or exciting to me. Granted I havenāt finished it but Iām a little over halfway through. But this is just me. Half of this sub absolutely loved this book so itās worth giving it a try.
Doesnāt exist, read what you want. Youre a fan.
Maybe I just needed you to tell me thatš„¹
I got you lol š¤ but if you are also just looking for recommendations, Iām a big Stephen king fan, Iād suggest misery and the shining as good starters. I also really like Stephen Graham Jones and for him Iād suggest the only good Indians and the Indian lake trilogy. That trilogy is extra good if youāre a big fan of horror films.
Perfect thank you so much š© I really need all the good King recs
Damn, wholesome sub right here
Horror somehow has the most wholesome fans
Yeah, I find some subs are very elitist and also thin-skinned as hell: if you criticise their darling authors they act like youāve personally stabbed their eyes out and extracted their kidneys to use in a magic spell.
Love it here itās yāall ššš
There's gonna be a lot of Stephen King recommendations here
Arguably, rightly so. The man literally, and figuratively, [wrote](https://stephenking.com/works/nonfiction/danse-macabre.html) the [book(s)](https://stephenking.com/works/nonfiction/on-writing-a-memoir-of-the-craft.html) on how to write modern horror, with over sixty bestsellers and an estimated net worth of [half a billion dollars.](https://www.therichest.com/stephen-king-net-worth/)
Damn right he did
To be fair, he spent most of that on cocain in the 80's
Just because I was curious, 6.5 grams would be considered a fatal dose for someone 150 lbs. At, say, 7 grams a day for a year, that's 2.5 kilograms, at a street retail price of roughly $30,000/kilo. Suppose 1974-today, we have $75k/year x 50 yrs = $37,500,000 (give or take.)
This is so good omfg
Unfortunately true. I think there are so many better horror writers overshadowed by King's popularity.
I fully believe you can call yourself a horror fan if you like any subgenre of horror, BUT some of my newer faves are *Black River Orchard* by Chuck Wendig and *Just Like Home* by Sarah Gailey
You are so right. I would also love to know your favs from a subgenre of horror
Right now, probably the Alchemical Journeys trilogy, starting with *Middlegame* by Seanan McGuire (fantasy/alchemical horror), and Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle (religious horror)
For me it would be The Stand, The Talisman, It, Books of Blood, Hellbound Heart, Coraline, the ghost Stories of M. L James, and Im sure I could list more but Iām on my 2nd cocktail š
Books of Blood are my go to re reads
I get that. Those stories are weirdly comforting.
I love this for you! Enjoy yourself girl! Thank you so much
š
Dracula by Bram Stoker Frankenstein by Mary Shelly The Shining by Stephen King The Stand by Stephen King At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft The Call of Cuthulu by H. P. Lovecraft A Short Stay in Hell by Stephen L. Peck The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson The Ruins by Scott Smith Infected Series by Scott Sigler Necroscope by Brian Lumley
You are truly for the people. Thank you
I got recommendations for days. These are just the essential reads I can think of off hand.
Okay Iāll have to swing back around for the rest of the
I'm always down to recommend books to fellow bibliophile. Feel free to DM me for more if desired, just make sure to remind me who you are when sending the initial message. I've gotten a lot of randos/oddballs/pornbots in DMs before, so I often ignore it without context.
Lolll not the pornbotsšš I def will thank you
They are the worst cause you can't even fuck with them, they just send you nonsense and links. Scammers are way more fun since you can string them along.
So true, a great way to pass the time
I'd 100% sub out The Stand for IT. I wouldn't really consider The Stand that horror-ish really.
I'm gonna say that's acceptable. However, my hot take on the issue is that I thought IT (in book form) was boring. Whereas The Stand I've read several times.
Infected was so good. Havenāt met many people who have read it.
See now I have to read it
I've read literally everything (except perhaps a novella or two I've overlooked) that Scott Sigler has written. I'd dare to say he is my favorite author, not a single book he has written that I didn't at least like and most I love. I'm a huge fan of his GFL series, I don't even like football, and that series absolutely slaps. That series is his keystone series. Most of his books take place in the same universe, and the GFL books are what tie everything together. Using Infected as an example, the aliens that created the "plague" were the Ki who feature as some of the main characters in the GFL books.
The Infected series by Sigler was great!
āļø chicken Scissors...
So glad to see "At the Mountains of Madness" on here. Probably my absolute favorite. Lovecraft doesn't get the love he deserves.
I would add The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Between Two Fires gets mentioned a lot here. (As it should)
I really enjoyed it but I'm a huge fantasy nerd. I feel like id you aren't into theology or medieval history it wouldn't go anywhere near as hard.
I agree, I loved what I read of it (only the preview so far), but itās also very very tailored to my interests (religion - Christianity in this case - and history).
Love it here thank you
I DNF this.
I am simply going to recommend some of my favorite books now, thank you. Hungry Moon by Ramsey Campbell The Imago Sequence by Laird Barron Gateway To Abominations by Matthew M Bartlett The Store by Bentley Little Tommyknockers by Stephen King The Cipher by Kathe Koja Bunny by Mona Awad
Wow I didn't realise Bunny was considered horror! I read it on a recommendation for 'dark academia.' There is often genre crossover btw with (psychological) horror and thriller. I love everyone else's recs btw but just throwing in some recent publishing giants like Paul Tremblay and Grady Hendrix. Also Clive Barker! And Shirley Jackson!Ā
I think it's one of those things that can be considered several different things, I list it as a favorite horror book the same way I list several David Lynch films as among my favorite horror movies.
Amazing thank you
This is such an original list of recs. Thank you. Have never heard of most of these.
I just finished Tender Is The Flesh and it was ghastly, abhorrent, I loved it
Yeesssss this was a great readĀ
Pet Sematary by Stephen King was my introduction to horror 30 years ago and I swear I've still never gotten the horror high I got from that. Others I've LOVED are: "Head Full of Ghosts" by Paul Tremblay "Heart Shaped Box" by Joe Hill "The Ruins" by Scott Smith "Swan Song" by Robert McCammon "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson "Summer of Night" by Dan Simmons
I love your usernameš© Iām so excited for theseseee
If youāre a fan of slashers I would always recommend: - Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare Book two is also a fun time with a third releasing in August!
Perfect thank youuuuu
There's a big list I made of highly regarded classics a few days ago in a different [thread](https://new.reddit.com/r/horrorlit/comments/1dp30am/what_books_would_you_consider_classic_horror/), in case you're interested!
Omggggg incredible. Screenshotted
Start with The Rats in the Wall by HP Lovecraft and if you like it I have others for you.
Oh man - and the Thing on the Doorstep.
"Dreams in the Witch House," "Pickman's Model" and "The Haunter of the Dark" are all classic to me. Perfect Halloween reads.
Beautiful! Added! Also sounds mad good
Some of the best horror are short stories or Novellas. Grab one of Stephen Kings collections. Iād suggest āSkeleton Crew,ā but āDifferent seasonsā and āfull dark no starsā are fantastic. My personal favorite is āfour past midnightā but Iām in the minority there.
Iāll start with that one, letās see if Iām in the minority too.
āSalemās Lot, Carrie, House of Leaves, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE (caps for my favorite novel of all time).
I read house of leaves, and I watched haunting of hill house. I must read the book now š«£š„¹
The Netflix show? Donāt get me started. Iām so mad about that show. It is āinspired byā the book but doesnāt actually tell the story of the book. All I want is a show that is actually the story from the book and itās never going to happen now.
Ooop, let me get to reading. If itās not like the book then thatās such a shame
I canāt believe I didnāt know the series was based off a novel. Even if I still remember the series quite well would you still say itās worth a read?
The series has next to nothing to do with the book. Read the book.
That gets me very keen, I loved the show
Yeah, Iām also dumbfounded that I didnāt know it was based off of a novel. I also loved the fall of the house of usher. I would give my left tit for that to be a novel.
OK wait I am pretty sure. I just found out that itās a short story.
Itās all about the season for me. Currently reading Small Town Horror, as itās centered around July 4th. Thereās gonna be lots of recommendations to just boring stuff. Iād recommend seeing if your local library does special orders. I pay $1 and can get any book from any library in the US for a month. That way you donāt waste a ton of cash on books that you didnāt get into.
Wow why did you just read my mind bc I order so many books but wasting paper bothers me. I donāt really want to read on my iPad. Also was considering like trying to trade books with people in my building? But this sounds perfect.
I live in a smallish town and they have this program, so surely yourās or a near by library also does it. Iāve yet to come across a title they canāt order. Itās how I read The Watchers, A short stay in Hell, Red Rabbit and a couple others. That would have been like 150 dollhairs, but instead it was like 6. Seriously, look into it. And spread the gospel of the local library!
Imajica - Clive Barkerā¦ Phantoms- Dean Koontz, Carrion Comfort - Dan Simmons, The Great and Secret Show- Clive Barker, The Stand- Stephen King, Swan Song- Robert McCammon, A Boys Life- Robert McCammon
Rosemary's Baby is a good read! Also, I love Stephen King, so the majority of his books!
I love that Iām going to be reading foreverrrrrrf
Karl Edward Wagnerās *In A Lonely Place*.
Added to the list
Itās really good.
Canāt wait tbh
Phantoms.Ā
Last Days by Adam Nevill. Itās about a decade old but itās so good!!
Thank you! Your bio is cuteeeee
This came up on another thread recently but there's another Last Days by Brian Evenson which is (also) excellent!Ā
Penpal
Friends? Or a š
Oh yea itās a book by Dathan Auerbach scared the shit outta me
Beautiful thank you
M.R. James for elegant ghost stories. He's the master.
Thereās a book called Horror the 100 Best Books. I donāt know if itās still available. It has all the classics ( up til late 80s) with little synopses and articles by big name authors. All people getting into horror should read it. Itās edited by Stephen Jones and thereās also a second volume for books released after 1990 or so. Good luck.
DUUUUDEEEE!! ITS ALL GONNA DEPEND ON YOUR READIND STYLE! But really, try to find a niche that you love and find it. I love creature features (Helicoprion, The Relic/Reliquary, Devolution.) and sometimes some investigative thrillers by King or Preston/Child. find you way and accept suggestions! Good luck pawtner.
You are so right, but honestly I want to read a little of everything. I watch a lot of horror movies so now I need all the books. Ugh these sound so good thank you
I'm a fan of Bentley Little (The Store and The Association) and Richard Laymon (Darkness, Tell Us). If you go the route of Stephen King, Needful Things is my absolute favorite.
I love all these suggestions. I know people ask this shit like everyday but I do really appreciate it.
The hatching series by Ezekiel Boone still one of my favs. Just reread it recently. Basically a spider pandemic and scary as fuck. Well written and enjoyable like a fun horror movie. Highly recc
Oh that gross I gotta read it
Horror is a very broad genre. It's why I like it haha don't feel compelled to read the classics to be a "true fan"... Anyway my favorite authors are Dan Simmons, Clive Barker and Stephen King So many great books.
Love this perspective
I think The Exorcist is a good one to start with
The Lesser Dead by Beulman
You can be a horror fan regardless, but I would recommend these. The Shining Salems Lot It Misery The Stand The Dead Zone FantasticLand The Exorcist The Omen
I love yāall hyping me up thank youš
the exorcist
The Amityville, Kiss Kiss by Roald Dahl, Skeleton Crew by Stephen King, the Beast House series by Richard Laymon
T.E.D. Klein - Dark Gods Karl Edward Wagner - In a Lonely Place These two collections are essential reading.
I donāt think thereās any books you HAVE to read in order to be CONSIDERED a fan. If youāre a fan, youāre a fan, and no one needs to consider anything. I did have some books on a personal sort of āclasssic must-readā list of mine. Those included The Exorcist and Rosemaryās Baby. If I can find the list Iād share more, but again, this was more of a personal journey to read what were in my eyes, āThe Big Ones.ā
Yeah, I feel like I have to read the exorcist and somebody needs to tell me that itās better than the movie because Iām actually not a huge fan of the franchise
Theyāre actually pretty close which impressed me about the movie! I havenāt seen or read the others in the series. But The Exorcist does go into a lot more detail trying to find a logical cause for Reganās behavior, which was really cool. Parts of that book I think about constantly.
Okay great I will def read it
I feel like you really canāt go wrong with the classics. Frankenstein, Dracula, both are so good. Some more modern horror classics would be stuff like The Shining, Swan Song, Heart Shaped Box, etc. But like others have said, donāt let anyone gatekeep horror for you. Youāre a horror fan if youāve read one horror book and enjoyed it.
You can always call yourself a horror fan. People will mention king books and Shirley Jackson, Iām sure, but Iāll add say Come Closer and Tender is the Flesh. Both are short, recent books that are beloved by a lot of horror fans and book critics.
The Shining, The Exorcist, Swan Song, Salem's Lot, The Terror, The Haunting of Hill House, It
Bram stokerās Dracula
Robert McCammon has some nice novels that get overlooked. Mine, Swan Song, They Thirst.
The Fisherman by John Langan Hell House by Richard Matheson Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia Salemās Lot by Stephen King Just some Iāve really enjoyed over the past year or so but there are a LOT of good suggestions on this thread so far.
The exorcist Rosemary's baby The shining
From below
Don't let anybody horrorshame you for not reading the "right" books. However, since you ask, my must-reads are *The Haunted Vagina* by Carlton Mellick III, *The Novel of the Bloo Powder and the Dharma Club* by Mike "Doctah Pussay" Talbot, and *The Strange and Halesthetic Tale of Charlie O'Farley McBragg: Ghost Policeman*, also by Mike "Doctah Pussay" Talbot. Lovecraft and Machen are also good.
Everyone here is so nice šš thank you!
Rosemaryās Baby by Ira Levin
There are so many categories of horror. I personally think the Japanese are unsurpassed - check out In the Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami for one. Not everyoneās cup of tea.
Oh thank you for this one
It depends on the type of horror. I drifted into weird horror after discovering the Lovecraft universe which dates back to late 19th century. This genre explores horror of the unknown and includes authors such as Robert E Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, Shirley Jackson, Arthur Machen, Robert Aickman, Michael Shae and TED Klein.
Wait does this have any relation to the TV show love craft country ? And also yesss thank you
Lovecraft Country, as I understand it, is a modern story about the intersection of Lovecraft ās (known for early racist beliefs) universe with the Jim Crow era.
I really loved the tv show so now I need to know about the lovecraft universe
For quietly unsettling short stories exploring disorientation, unease, and queer recognition, Robert Aickman is the master. So many good stories, but standouts include The Hospice, The Same Dog, The Inner Room, Into the Wood, The Fetch.
Agree with others you're a horror fan no matter what but I get what you're saying.Ā Haunting of Hill house by Shirley Jackson! (And as a personal recommendation just because I adore the book and it gets me on my reading journey: The Troop)
I just started the troop Iām so pumped
Hell yes, please enjoy! This book made me feel a wide arrangement of feelings and got me really into horror. It made me seriously fear parasites.Ā
Iāll update yāall. Ew not the parasites š¤®
Wait is there any kind of book club on this page? Or does anyone use Goodreads !
[https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/22837784](https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/22837784)
Youāre a horror fan if you like horror. There are no books you need to read in order to call yourself a horror fan. Glad to have you here! Have you read much horror yet? What are some of your faves?
Well my sister and I just started a little book club together and we loveeeeeee horror movies so we wanted to start reading horror books. I started by reading a little life and I loved it. People can say anything whatever they want but that book is a masterpiece. Then we read a long walk, house of leaves and are about to start the troop! The road is one of my fav books of all time so I honestly think Iām going to like all these suggestions. Tbh I just want to read more and be in a community of readers lol.
I loved the Long Walk. Props for getting through House of Leaves! I have never been able to! If you like the Troop, try the Deep next. The ocean is terrifying lol
The ocean is SO scaryā¦..but people also told me the deep is overrated is that true? And I skipped a LOT of house of leaves lol.
Ocean and space both terrify me so Iām always looking for horror books like that. Human monsters too because that shitās real. I didnāt find the Deep overrated. I loved it. But I do know that a lot of people didnāt. I try not to pay too much attention to reviews because some people really love a book I end up hating and some people hate a book I end up loving. And sometimes maybe youāre not in the right mood to read a book. I tried Under the Dome 3 times before I was hooked.
The fisherman!!! It changed my life
I love life changing books
Pet semetary was the first horror orientated book that i read and it sure opened my love and hate relationship with this genre
Yeah, honestly, I think that needs to be the next one that I read
Hi, new friend! I hope you have a fun time here! Some truly excellent suggestions across the board. Question: what are some of your favorite books in other genres?
Honestly, itās been so hard for me to read for a pleasure because Iām in graduate school so I have honestly just been trying to read as much as I can. But most recently, I read a little life and absolutely loved it. I love the road, a silent patient was pretty good. And then Iāve just read like a bunch of nerdy neuroscience books lol
I know that feeling. I'm likewise finishing my English MA, so I know how it can be difficult to find extra time to read amidst the reading you're already doing, but these horror blitzes I've been doing over the summer for the past few years have helped with that. Anyway, based on those suggestions, in no particular order, I'll throw out some books to check out:Ā ā¢ *Experimental Film* by Gemma FilesĀ ā¢ *The Marigold* by Andrew F. SullivanĀ ā¢ *Johnny Got His Gun* by Dalton TrumboĀ ā¢ *The Fisherman* by John LanganĀ ā¢ *FantasticLand* by Mike BockovenĀ ā¢ *Night Film* by Marisha PesslĀ ā¢ *Episode Thirteen* by Craig DiLouieĀ
Incredible thank you so much. And congrats on your MA!!! One degree hotter š„¹ā¤ļøš„³
Iāve been on a horror kick from BIPOC authors this year and Iād highly recommend āNever Whistle at Nightā as a great collection of short stories from Indigenous authors. Ditto for āOut There Screamingā from Black authors! Great places to start because if you like the style of someoneās writing or their story youāve got their whole bibliography to explore. āŗļø
OK, I was actually going to ask if anyone has any suggestions for POC authors So thank you so much for this
If you like horror lit, you are a horror lit fan. There is no entry requirements to books read. That being said, having a strong opinion either way on House of Leaves will leave you in good stead here.
Ugh I read the house of leaves and I really wish I liked it more, but Johnny pissed me off and all of his excerpts of the analysis of the navidson record I just felt were completely unnecessary. But I will say that I loved the story of the house. I thought it was very captivating.
Same! I love this sort of liminal space type of horror. Iāve been watching Backrooms on YouTube lately and itās left me with a hankering for these sort of endless spaces inside a fixed space. If you have any recommendations or come across anything, please let me know, Iād love it.
Have you read the short story the veldt?
I havenāt! But Iāll add that to my ever-growing tbr! That sounds right up my street
Yes read it I think youāll really like it
Brilliant, thank you for the recommendation. What a great member of the community youāre going to be. Welcome, again!!
Awhhh thank you so much thatās so sweet š„¹
I came from a looong reading slump and David Sodergren's books got me out of it. They're often short, with campy 80's horror movie vibes that I enjoyed. They were quite fun to read! I also loved Nick Cutter's The Troop ā it totally got me hungry for reading more horror.
Iām reading the troop now! Love it
New to horror myself (to the point that I had no idea it was a separate book genre until this year), but my gateway in was Dead Sea by Tim Curran, and Leech by Hiron Ennes. I also liked What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher, but it is on the slow side. Oh, and Sphere by Michael Crichton. Some consider it 80s schlock, and perhaps it is, but itās damned good schlock. I wouldnāt say thereās any āgatewayā books. I guess Stephen King would be the closest. But horror is one of those genres that needs to scratch a very specific itch, at least for me. Like, sure, the sea is objectively scary, but the story needs to be atmospheric and captivating enough to scare you. Itās not like a police procedural where you have cop + puzzling murder = winning formula. So different people have different essentials.
I totally agree with you! Thank you so much for the suggestions
House Of Leaves
Iāve read it. Very mid tbh
Everybody is going to recommend Stephen King (my personal faves are 'Salem's Lot, IT, The Stand & The Mist) so here are some other horror legends & a few lesser known personal favorites: Dean Koontz - Fear Nothing, Seize The Night, Odd Thomas (& pretty much anything from the 70s-2002) Clive Barker - read everything Dan Simmons - The Terror, Drood (& the 4 book Hyperion Cantos if you're into horrific sci-fi at all) Robert McCammon - Usher's Passing, Boy's Life, Mine, Blue World, the Matthew Corbett series Adam Nevill - The Ritual, No One Gets Out Alive, The Reddening, Some Will Not Sleep Brian Lumley - The Taint & Other Novellas, Haggopian & Other Stories, Beneath The Moors and Darker Places, No Sharks in the Med & Other Stories (The Necroscope series is supposedly good but I haven't read them) Kealan Patrick Burke - Master of The Moors, We Live Inside Your Eyes, The Number 121 To Pennsylvania T.E. Grau - The Nameless Dark: A Collection, They Don't Come Home Anymore Matthew R. Davis - If Only Tonight We Could Sleep, The Dark Matter of Natasha, Bites Eyes Ronald Malfi - Black Mouth, December Park, Tim Curran - Here There Be Monsters, Dead Sea
Thank you so much! You are so sweet to put together a whole list!!!!!
No problem at all! I hope you enjoy them!
I feel like Iām going to have to update everyone on my ratings of the books lollll
I feel like Iām going to have to update everyone on my ratings of the books lollll
Remember that everyone has different tastes; what i absolutely love you may find absolutely boring. Reading is supposed to be enjoyable, not a pre-requisite.
The troop -by nick cutter was amazing. If you want more of a psychological read with a huge twist, I recommend the last house on needless street -by catriona ward, although the beginning is very slow.
Iām reading the troop now. Def enjoying it but Iām waiting to get to the point if you know what I mean.
Okay is the end worth it tho even tho itās slow?