Help! I need something interesting to read!

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by Gideon

I'd like something scary... but smart. Ancient evils, old ruins, ghosts.. all good. Monsters don't do a lot for me.

I like the chillers of Jonathan Aycliffe (aka Daniel Easterman).

[JSWolf]

None of those books recommended are all that scary when compared to this nonfiction book. Give this a try and you'll be scared big time. What makes this so scary is that it's all true. Nobody could make this stuff up.

The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How The War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals by Jane Mayer

From Publishers Weekly
This hard-hitting expose examines both the controversial excesses of the war on terror and the home-front struggle to circumvent legal obstacles to its prosecution. New Yorker correspondent Mayer (Strange Justice) details the battle within the Bush Administration over a new anti-terrorism policy of harsh interrogations, indefinite detentions without due process, extraordinary renditions, secret CIA prisons and warrantless wiretappings. Fighting with memos and legal briefs, Mayer reports, hard-liners led by Dick Cheney, his aide David Addingtion and then-Justice Department lawyer John Yoo rejected any constraints on the treatment of prisoners or limitations on presidential power in fighting terrorism, while less militant administration lawyers invoked the Constitution and international law to oppose their initiatives. As a counterpoint to the wrangling over the definition of torture and the Geneva Conventions, the author looks at the use of techniques like waterboarding, stress positions, sleep deprivation and sexual humiliation against prisoners by the American military and CIA; her chilling account compellingly argues that this "enhanced interrogation" regimen constitutes torture. The result is a must-read: a meticulous behind-the-scenes reconstruction of policymaking that demonstrates how legal abstractions became an ugly reality.

[Gideon]

"House of Leaves" was amazing... I have his next book, but haven't had a chance to read it yet.

JS - The whole point here, for me, is escapism. I'm positively drowning in that sort of thing - I need a break! I want to be nicely disengaged for a bit before diving back into the good fight.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Gideon

"House of Leaves" was amazing... I have his next book, but haven't had a chance to read it yet.

JS - The whole point here, for me, is escapism. I'm positively drowning in that sort of thing - I need a break! I want to be nicely disengaged for a bit before diving back into the good fight.

I know.. But it is quite interesting and very scary at the same time. Part of the problem is that Dick Chaney is a paranoid schizophrenic megalomaniac and he took control behind the scenes and the public had no idea how much he controlled the President. It is more scary then any fiction I've ever read or heard of.

But as for fiction, Prom Nights from Hell is supposed to be good.

In this exciting collection, bestselling authors Meg Cabot, Kim Harrison, Michele Jaffe, Stephenie Meyer, and Lauren Myracle take bad prom nights to a whole new level—a paranormally bad level. Wardrobe malfunctions and two left feet don't hold a candle to discovering your date is the Grim Reaper—and he isn't here to tell you how hot you look.

From angels fighting demons to a creepy take on getting what you wish for, these five stories will entertain better than any DJ in a bad tux. No corsage or limo rental necessary. Just good, scary fun.

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by garygibsonsf

Apart from Drood, mentioned above, I would very, very strongly recommend Dan Simmons' previous novel, The Terror. I *think* it's available as an e-text. Either way, you'll thank me.

I second this. Great book. And yes, it's available as an ebook: http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook44993.htm