Scariest Books Ever Written - Page 2

JA Konrath · 09-27-2010, 01:23 PM

The books that have scared me tend to be reality-based rather than supernatural. Girl Next Door and Off Season by Jack Ketchum, Pressure by Jeff Strand, Desert Places by Blake Crouch.

My fave all time is Master of Lies by Graham Masterton. It is supernatural, but it sure is a rough one.

lila55 · 09-27-2010, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

My favorite King book (though I haven't read them all) is Pet Sematary.

Same with me. And even though I read it several times over the years, each time I reread it it still scares me.

bonaldo2000 · 09-27-2010, 04:50 PM

I would say Stephen King's The Shining is easily the scariest book I ever read.

mediax · 09-30-2010, 08:00 AM

It's probably just a case of the right book at the right time/age, but Robert Heinlein's "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag" is the one that really got to me.

I haven't re-read it recently, but I fear it may not have aged too well.

coderserdar · 10-27-2011, 10:10 AM

stephen king - it
stephen king - salem's lot
stephen king - misery

these are best

issybird · 10-27-2011, 12:04 PM

James Dickey's Deliverance. The film scared me, too.

carld · 10-27-2011, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

Anything by Shirley Jackson - but esp. The Lottery and The Haunting of Hill House.

The Haunting of Hill House is right up there for me, as is a lot of Lovecraft's better works. The Amityville Horror was another case of the right story at the right time. I was alone in the house, reading late at night. I was in the middle of the creepy scene with all the flies, and the wind rattled my bedroom window. Scared the heck out of me.

seajewel · 10-27-2011, 01:51 PM

The Shining. I recently went on a Stephen King kick and read most of his classics. It, Pet Sematary, Salem's Lot.. they were good, but didn't scare me. The Shining though....

replica145 · 10-27-2011, 04:06 PM

1408 from the Everything's Eventual collection (King) and...

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski is the most horrifying thing I have ever read or seen. It's not e-available, it has unique typography/colors (some small sections you need to hold up to a mirror to read), but I recommend it to anyone looking to spend Halloween with the lights on...I can't even begin to describe how terrified I was reading this book.

xg4bx · 10-27-2011, 07:05 PM

Sparrow Rock by Nate Kenyon. its hands down the scariest book i've ever read. its a post-apocalyptic scenario that adds a lot of new twists to the genre.

chrisanthropic · 10-28-2011, 12:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bthrowsnaill

"The Dreams in the Witch House".

My absolute favorite Lovecraft story!

Traye · 10-28-2011, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by replica145

1408 from the Everything's Eventual collection (King) and...

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski is the most horrifying thing I have ever read or seen. It's not e-available, it has unique typography/colors (some small sections you need to hold up to a mirror to read), but I recommend it to anyone looking to spend Halloween with the lights on...I can't even begin to describe how terrified I was reading this book.

I have had this book for a very long time but I don't know if I will ever be able to read it.
Did you read the footnotes too? The book is very daunting to me, I would love to read it though.

replica145 · 10-28-2011, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Traye

I have had this book for a very long time but I don't know if I will ever be able to read it.
Did you read the footnotes too? The book is very daunting to me, I would love to read it though.

You can skim a lot of the footnotes; since the book mimes an academic work in some sections they're often entirely technical and have no relevance to the plot(s). Other times they are a sort of diary of a madman, so they are intentionally obscure. I read them all the first time through and on subsequent reads skim what I know to be superfluous.

It's not as dense as it looks -- some of it is just gimmicks honestly -- but I can't recommend it enough. I hope you give a try soon

TonyR · 10-28-2011, 06:35 PM

Jerome Bixby's "It's a Good Life"
Jack Finney's THE BODY SNATCHERS
Kealan Patrick Burke's "Empathy"
Fritz Leiber's "The Girl with the Hungry Eyes"
Algis Budrys's "Master of the Hounds"
Ray Bradbury's "The October Game," and "The Town Where No One Got Off"
Richard Matheson's "Prey"
Harlan Ellison's "Lonelyache"
Charles L. Grant's TALES FROM THE NIGHTSIDE
Dennis Etchison's TALKING IN THE DARK
Ramsey Campbell's ALONE WITH THE HORRORS
Joe Haldeman's "Graves"
John Varley's "Press Enter"

And I'll second pretty much everything on the list in ATDrake's post. Of the titles I listed here, the Bradburys and the Budrys aren't supernatural chillers, but they really deliver. Trust me on that.

And Happy Halloween.

Rumpelteazer · 10-28-2011, 06:57 PM

I just saw that earlier tonight on BBC radio 4 an adaptation of The House of Leaves was aired. It might be available online though maybe only for UK residents.

10-27-2011, 10:10 AM	#20
coderserdar Groupie Posts: 186 Karma: 37852 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Türkiye Device: Amazon Kindle 3 Wifi, İpod Touch 4th Generation	stephen king - it stephen king - salem's lot stephen king - misery these are best Last edited by coderserdar; 10-28-2011 at 03:38 AM.

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09-27-2010, 01:23 PM	#16
JA Konrath Thriller Writer Posts: 4 Karma: 30 Join Date: Apr 2009 Device: Kindle	The books that have scared me tend to be reality-based rather than supernatural. Girl Next Door and Off Season by Jack Ketchum, Pressure by Jeff Strand, Desert Places by Blake Crouch. My fave all time is Master of Lies by Graham Masterton. It is supernatural, but it sure is a rough one.

09-27-2010, 04:50 PM	#18
bonaldo2000 Enthusiast Posts: 33 Karma: 13208 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: prs-505	I would say Stephen King's The Shining is easily the scariest book I ever read.

09-30-2010, 08:00 AM	#19
mediax Readaholic Posts: 255 Karma: 1058454 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Swindon, UK Device: Sony PRS-T2 (previously 505 and 650)	It's probably just a case of the right book at the right time/age, but Robert Heinlein's "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag" is the one that really got to me. I haven't re-read it recently, but I fear it may not have aged too well.

10-27-2011, 12:04 PM	#21
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 20,193 Karma: 222235366 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: H2O, Aura One, PW5	James Dickey's Deliverance. The film scared me, too.

10-27-2011, 01:51 PM	#23
seajewel Fanatic Posts: 589 Karma: 1451235 Join Date: Jun 2008 Device: Sony PRS-505, Sony PRS-950	The Shining. I recently went on a Stephen King kick and read most of his classics. It, Pet Sematary, Salem's Lot.. they were good, but didn't scare me. The Shining though....

10-27-2011, 04:06 PM	#24
replica145 Bake 'Em Away Toys Posts: 210 Karma: 1271856 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Dirty Jersey Device: Kindle PW (Books) & iPad 3 (Comics)	1408 from the Everything's Eventual collection (King) and... House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski is the most horrifying thing I have ever read or seen. It's not e-available, it has unique typography/colors (some small sections you need to hold up to a mirror to read), but I recommend it to anyone looking to spend Halloween with the lights on...I can't even begin to describe how terrified I was reading this book.

10-27-2011, 07:05 PM	#25
xg4bx Are you gonna eat that? Posts: 1,633 Karma: 23215128 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Phillipsburg, NJ Device: Kindle 3, Nook STG	Sparrow Rock by Nate Kenyon. its hands down the scariest book i've ever read. its a post-apocalyptic scenario that adds a lot of new twists to the genre.

10-28-2011, 06:35 PM	#29
TonyR Connoisseur Posts: 55 Karma: 100000 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kansas Device: Kindle, Jetbook Lite, iPod Touch	Jerome Bixby's "It's a Good Life" Jack Finney's THE BODY SNATCHERS Kealan Patrick Burke's "Empathy" Fritz Leiber's "The Girl with the Hungry Eyes" Algis Budrys's "Master of the Hounds" Ray Bradbury's "The October Game," and "The Town Where No One Got Off" Richard Matheson's "Prey" Harlan Ellison's "Lonelyache" Charles L. Grant's TALES FROM THE NIGHTSIDE Dennis Etchison's TALKING IN THE DARK Ramsey Campbell's ALONE WITH THE HORRORS Joe Haldeman's "Graves" John Varley's "Press Enter" And I'll second pretty much everything on the list in ATDrake's post. Of the titles I listed here, the Bradburys and the Budrys aren't supernatural chillers, but they really deliver. Trust me on that. And Happy Halloween.

10-28-2011, 06:57 PM	#30
Rumpelteazer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,098 Karma: 24047426 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Utrecht, the Netherlands Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition	I just saw that earlier tonight on BBC radio 4 an adaptation of The House of Leaves was aired. It might be available online though maybe only for UK residents.

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