A must-read horror list

Dezibela

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So many old favorites in the list above -- I smiled when I saw John Bellairs mentioned. His books were my favorites when I was a kid. I also got all excited to see that I am not the only person who still reads and loves J.S. Le Fanu.

Anyway, here's my contribution.

The Great God Pan, by Arthur Machen.

Bonus -- downloadable for free online. Just google.

Stephen King says this is this is one of the best horror stories ever written. He's totally right! Love this story.
 

RuneMorgan

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I read through several of the books everyone has listed. Saw several I have read and loved and some I have yet to read. Yet, I don't think anyone mentioned House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. Very strange book.
 

King God Kong Zilla

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Wasn't sure where to put this and didn't want to start a new thread.

I read The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson over the past two days. I was a bit disappointed.

It's well written, and the character Eleanor was very well imagined, as was Theodora. I also thought it had exceptionally witty dialogue and humour, especially for a horror story.

That said, I just didn't find it all that scary. As far as haunted house horror goes, I thought Hell House by Richard Matheson was far more terrifying. Hill House had a pretty good build of tension, but I just thought some of the horror elements were kind of tame, and not real enough. I never really felt like the characters were in any danger, and thus, felt no fear. There were a few lines and moments but overall I was disappointed.

Basically, I'm wondering what made it so scary for the rest of you? What about Hill House made you tense up and breathe shallow? Am I missing something?
 

JustSarah

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I might check out Dark Sacrament first. I'm still wanting to check out Ringu though, since I'm more into J Horror.
 

Red Barchetta

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This has been a very interesting and informative thread. I've learned about some great horror novels in here, and I still haven't finished checking many of the others out yet.
 

Calla Lily

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I found a copy of Burnt Offerings by Robert Marasco at a used book sale and reread it this weekend.

If you've never read this, SPOILERS BELOW!










I remembered it from HS as and insanely creepy and frightening book about a horrific supernatural force feeding off a family death by death. Now... not so much.

Reading it 30+ years later, it focused exclusively on the wife and how the house is warping her to its will. And holy crow, did it take forever to get started! The foreshadowing started slow and subtle, but gained sledgehammer force by the halfway point--which is when they actually move into the house!

It actually reminded me now of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wall Paper," except TYWP, the question of "Is it real or did she go insane?" is left more or less open. in Burnt Offerings, the Big Bad is quite physical and real.

Don't get me wrong, the last 4 chapters are a payoff worth reading the rest of the book for. But it's a long and sometimes annoying road to get to the payoff.
 

Subterranean

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The Shuddering by Ania Ahlborn is quite a decent read if you're looking for a quick chill.
 

Kevvy711

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I have read 6 of these and have a long way to go. The haw book in how to become a horror writer lists 21 of these also. I see many listed here are the same. Thanks for the list since I am just beginning in the horror genre. This is very helpful!
 

mellymel

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Can anyone please recommend some good horror/creepy books that take place in the woods? I tried the YA thread, but I got no bites there and realized this may be a better thread to ask in.

Thanks!

ETA: Maybe I should be more specific: I'm looking for something where most of the story takes place in the woods and someone (or more than one person) is lost in the woods and running from someone/something that is trying to kill them, or something that has a sort of Blair Witch Project feel.
 
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edutton

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I love Raymond Feist's Faerie Tale and John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things, both of which straddle the line between horror and dark fantasy... also Alan Ryan's great ghost story Cast a Cold Eye.
 

fab_MR

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Can anyone please recommend some good horror/creepy books that take place in the woods? I tried the YA thread, but I got no bites there and realized this may be a better thread to ask in.

Thanks!

ETA: Maybe I should be more specific: I'm looking for something where most of the story takes place in the woods and someone (or more than one person) is lost in the woods and running from someone/something that is trying to kill them, or something that has a sort of Blair Witch Project feel.

Someone already mentioned The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon, so I'll add The Darkest Part of the Woods by Ramsey Campbell.

I was told Uprooted was good, but it's Fantasy and I'm not a Fantasy fan, so it did not go down so well for me
 
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ToonedInWriter

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May I suggest, for starters, in addition, to the other lists, and in the way of short stories, H. G. Wells' "The Red Room" and "The Cone," Ray Bradbury's "Heavy-Set," "The Veldt," and "Ghosts," Bram Stoker's "Dracula's Guest" and "The Judge's House," Sir Winston Churchill's "Man Overboard," Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" and "One Ordinary Day, with Peanuts," Ambrose Bierce's "The Damned Thing" and "The Boarded Window," Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper," Rabindranath Tagore's "The Hungry Stones," and Charles Dickens' "The Signal-man." (There are, of course, many other fines short stories in the horror genre; these are but a few of my own picks.)
 

ToonedInWriter

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Can anyone please recommend some good horror/creepy books that take place in the woods? I tried the YA thread, but I got no bites there and realized this may be a better thread to ask in.

Thanks!

ETA: Maybe I should be more specific: I'm looking for something where most of the story takes place in the woods and someone (or more than one person) is lost in the woods and running from someone/something that is trying to kill them, or something that has a sort of Blair Witch Project feel.


Frank Peretti's novel Monster is good. James Rollins' novel Amazonia, which takes place in a rain forest, or jungle, is also good. Parts of H. G. Wells' novel The Island of Dr. Moreau also occur in the island's forest. A short story that takes place, in part, in the woods is Bram Stoker's "Dracula's Guest."
 

Arcturus

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Torment by Stephen R George

this a neat little story that I reread about once every two years. Too bad that Hollywood can't find little gems like this and actually make something original.

This story is a rollercoaster, and the characters are more like real people going through some very tough times, many can relate and identify. While the character April dreams about the, shall we say "host" family and how her life might be better if she lived with them. However, things aren't always what they seem, which is essentially the basic takeaway of this story. Have dreams, but appreciate what you have and work toward something better.

This story is still very creepy, and battles between the "host" family and April, are harrowing to say the least. While the reader is sure who actually won, but a very small twist at the end will leave the reader with a little question mark. The story is taut and well written, with good pacing, like Stephen King on a diet.
 

Albert Buck

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Can anyone please recommend some good horror/creepy books that take place in the woods? I tried the YA thread, but I got no bites there and realized this may be a better thread to ask in.

Thanks!

ETA: Maybe I should be more specific: I'm looking for something where most of the story takes place in the woods and someone (or more than one person) is lost in the woods and running from someone/something that is trying to kill them, or something that has a sort of Blair Witch Project feel.

There's a book series I'm making my way through right now called Missing 411, and it details hundreds of missing person cases from National Parks and the woods. The stories range from creepy to baffling, and all of them are saddening. It seems the writer, David Paulides, is leaning toward a paranormal explanation, but he's a little evasive about what he actually thinks.

The prose are very meat-and-potatoes, so the writing style might not be the star attraction here. Interesting read, nonetheless.
 

Albert Buck

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I might add a little plug for Jack Ketchum. His name was mentioned in here, but some of his novels I'd suggest are required reading. Edward Lee is another writer who sometimes doesn't get enough credit. He's extremely nasty in his text, even by horror standards, but I think there's a lot of skill in what he puts on the page -- if you can stomach it.

By Ketchum:

Off Season
Red
Peaceable Kingdom

By Lee:

The Bighead
Header
The House
The Backwoods
 

Jimmy

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M.R. James did many good stories that took place in or near woodland. Wailing Well comes to mind. Short but sweet.
 

ASC McLaren

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Hostage to the Devil by Malachi Martin scared me much more then Dark Sacrament. It, along with The Cobra Event by Richard Preston were the scariest books I've ever read. I'll add the short story An Episode of Cathedral History​ By M.R. James as pure pleasure.
 

fudgetusk

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No Ramsey Campbell? The most respected horror writer in the world? His stories are doorways to true darkness.