A Horror Novel YOU would recommend

Dr. Drib · 05-18-2009, 08:56 PM

Ok, you went and did it. Don't blame me for starting this thread, because Cthulhu seems to be controlling my every thought and action. In fact, I smell something decidedly fishy right now and the door itself seems to be breathing, if you know what I mean.

[Pause.]

Ok, I'm back. The fish smell was just my neighbor cooking up some fish for dinner. Jeezus, turn on the oven fan, I told him. You're stinking up the whole apartment building!

Well...I better stop being silly and stupid before someone complains that this thread belongs in another Forum.

So: One of the great horror novels I would recommend is also one of my favorites: The Night Land, by William Hope Hodgson. I've made this book available on MobileRead. It's also available on some other sites.

What horror novel do YOU recommend, huh?

Don

Dave Berk · 05-18-2009, 09:10 PM

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson.

I cannot not recommend this. Oh, and if you have seen the movie and dislike it, give the book a try. It is different. And better.

It by Stephen King. I haven't read many stephen king's books, and I can't forget this one. It's a bit overlong, IMO, but very scary.

HistoryWes · 05-18-2009, 09:43 PM

Speaking of Cthulhu, I like
The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H. P. Lovecraft.

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King is great.
Maybe not true horror, but many parts are scary-ass creepy.

snape · 05-18-2009, 10:18 PM

Needful Things, Misery and The Green Mile - Stephen King (what can I say, I like the guy's work. These are among the very few fiction books I've read more than once.)
Headstone City - Tom Piccirilli (maybe not outright horror, but a great read from a great horror writer)
The Licking Valley Coon Hunters Club - Brian A. Hopkins (fun, fun, fun!)

Renaldo · 05-18-2009, 10:51 PM

My reccomendations:

Hell House by Richard Matheson
Psycho by Robert Bloch
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Hell House is horror, suspense, and mystery all rolled into one. One of Matheson's better stories in my opinion.

Psycho is an especially rewarding read if you're already familiar with the story from the film. Bloch does a wonderful job of dropping hints throughout the book, and pretty much spells out the entire situation within the first 4 pages. It's a lot of fun finding his 'clues' and the way he weaves them in.

Haunting of Hill House is really more of a novella, but wonderfully written, very subtle, and extremeley creepy in parts. Where Matheson's Hell House is an 'in your face' haunted house book, Jackson's Haunting is the exact opposite. It's moody and atmospheric, not to be read alone on a stormy night.

Greg Anos · 05-18-2009, 10:52 PM

Speaking of classics, A Shadow Over Innsmouth - H. P. Lovecraft

BenG · 05-18-2009, 11:37 PM

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson is one of the best ever written.

Quote:

"No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream. Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within; it had stood so for eighty years and might stand for eighty more. Within, walls continued upright, bricks met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone."

weateallthepies · 05-19-2009, 04:29 AM

Couldn't think of a novel right now but a short story collection I loved was:

Teatro Grottesco by Thomas Ligotti

BenG · 05-19-2009, 10:45 AM

For short stories I would recommend Robert Aickman. The Wine Dark Sea and Cold Hand in Mine are good starting points.

Somewhere in the Back of Beyond
(The article has spoilers to a couple of short stories)

Gideon · 05-19-2009, 11:16 AM

I quite liked Duma Key - Stephen King's last big novel. First ebook I ever read, too!

Another favorite is The House of Leaves. A strange, strange book that we won't likely see as an ebook ... forever.

Xenophon · 05-19-2009, 11:20 AM

I'll recommend two:

Darker Than You Think and Conjure Wife both by Fritz Lieber.

The first is a werewolf novel with a twist. You may see it coming, but it was exceedingly novel and unexpected when the book was originally published in the 1950s.

The second book involves an anthropologist who accidentally discovers that all women (or at least all wives of successful men) are witches -- quite literally -- who contend magically for power and secondarily for the conventional success of their husbands. So, of course, he gets his wife to promise to stop. Oops.

Both classics from the '50s.

Xenophon

mjh215 · 05-19-2009, 11:49 AM

Heh, I was just getting ready to post one of Leiber's novels and Xeno beat me to it, though I was going with a different title. Strangely this title is only listed at Sony's store, I don't see anyone else carrying it as an ebook.

Our Lady of Darkness - Fritz Leiber

"Our Lady of Darkness introduces San Francisco horror writer Franz Westen. While studying his beloved city through binoculars from his apartment window, he is astonished to see a mysterious figure waving at him from a hilltop two miles away. He walks to Corona Heights and looks back at his building, to discover the figure waving at him from his apartment window--and to find himself caught in a century-spanning curse that may have destroyed Clark Ashton Smith and Jack London." -Sony Store

-MJ

poohbear_nc · 05-19-2009, 01:08 PM

Stephen King's Pet Cemetery (spelling?) - I read this in one sitting from about 8 pm until the wee hours - around 2 am I started hearing things move in the house and had to turn all the lights on to finish it.

Also - The Exorcist - also a reason to burn the electricity all night to finish.

Penforhire · 05-19-2009, 01:28 PM

Try "Lost Boys" by Orson Scott Card, if you like King or Koontz.

MelC · 05-19-2009, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penforhire

Try "Lost Boys" by Orson Scott Card, if you like King or Koontz.

Or Homebody (also by OSC).

Mel

05-18-2009, 08:56 PM	#1
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 44,736 Karma: 55645321 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: Kindle: Oasis 3, Voyage WiFi; Kobo: Libra 2, Aura One	A Horror Novel YOU would recommend Ok, you went and did it. Don't blame me for starting this thread, because Cthulhu seems to be controlling my every thought and action. In fact, I smell something decidedly fishy right now and the door itself seems to be breathing, if you know what I mean. [Pause.] Ok, I'm back. The fish smell was just my neighbor cooking up some fish for dinner. Jeezus, turn on the oven fan, I told him. You're stinking up the whole apartment building! Well...I better stop being silly and stupid before someone complains that this thread belongs in another Forum. So: One of the great horror novels I would recommend is also one of my favorites: The Night Land, by William Hope Hodgson. I've made this book available on MobileRead. It's also available on some other sites. What horror novel do YOU recommend, huh? Don

05-19-2009, 10:45 AM	#9
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,729 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	For short stories I would recommend Robert Aickman. The Wine Dark Sea and Cold Hand in Mine are good starting points. Somewhere in the Back of Beyond (The article has spoilers to a couple of short stories) Last edited by BenG; 05-19-2009 at 10:56 AM.

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05-18-2009, 09:10 PM	#2
Dave Berk Fanatic Posts: 574 Karma: 138556 Join Date: May 2006 Device: PRS505	I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. I cannot not recommend this. Oh, and if you have seen the movie and dislike it, give the book a try. It is different. And better. It by Stephen King. I haven't read many stephen king's books, and I can't forget this one. It's a bit overlong, IMO, but very scary.

05-18-2009, 09:43 PM	#3
HistoryWes Teacher/Novelist Posts: 632 Karma: 2274466 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Nevada Device: Nook STR, iPad	Speaking of Cthulhu, I like The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by H. P. Lovecraft. The Dark Tower series by Stephen King is great. Maybe not true horror, but many parts are scary-ass creepy.

05-18-2009, 10:18 PM	#4
snape Language Lover Posts: 111 Karma: 71544 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Current: PRS-350, Kindle PW // Previous: PRS-505, Kindle 1, Kindle 2	Needful Things, Misery and The Green Mile - Stephen King (what can I say, I like the guy's work. These are among the very few fiction books I've read more than once.) Headstone City - Tom Piccirilli (maybe not outright horror, but a great read from a great horror writer) The Licking Valley Coon Hunters Club - Brian A. Hopkins (fun, fun, fun!)

05-18-2009, 10:51 PM	#5
Renaldo Addict Posts: 294 Karma: 250590 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: The Great Pacific Northwest Device: Kindle 3G + WiFi	My reccomendations: Hell House by Richard Matheson Psycho by Robert Bloch The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson Hell House is horror, suspense, and mystery all rolled into one. One of Matheson's better stories in my opinion. Psycho is an especially rewarding read if you're already familiar with the story from the film. Bloch does a wonderful job of dropping hints throughout the book, and pretty much spells out the entire situation within the first 4 pages. It's a lot of fun finding his 'clues' and the way he weaves them in. Haunting of Hill House is really more of a novella, but wonderfully written, very subtle, and extremeley creepy in parts. Where Matheson's Hell House is an 'in your face' haunted house book, Jackson's Haunting is the exact opposite. It's moody and atmospheric, not to be read alone on a stormy night.

05-18-2009, 10:52 PM	#6
Greg Anos Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,247 Karma: 35000000 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Pocketbook	Speaking of classics, A Shadow Over Innsmouth - H. P. Lovecraft

05-19-2009, 04:29 AM	#8
weateallthepies Lord of the Pies Posts: 252 Karma: 103458 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle Scribe, Kindle Oasis 3, Kobo Sage, Onyx Boox Leaf 2, iPad Pro	Couldn't think of a novel right now but a short story collection I loved was: Teatro Grottesco by Thomas Ligotti

05-19-2009, 11:16 AM	#10
Gideon Wearer of Pants Posts: 1,050 Karma: 7634 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norman, OK Device: Amazon Kindle DX / iPhone	I quite liked Duma Key - Stephen King's last big novel. First ebook I ever read, too! Another favorite is The House of Leaves. A strange, strange book that we won't likely see as an ebook ... forever.

05-19-2009, 11:20 AM	#11
Xenophon curmudgeon Posts: 1,481 Karma: 5748190 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Redwood City, CA USA Device: Kobo Aura HD, (ex)nook, (ex)PRS-700, (ex)PRS-500	I'll recommend two: Darker Than You Think and Conjure Wife both by Fritz Lieber. The first is a werewolf novel with a twist. You may see it coming, but it was exceedingly novel and unexpected when the book was originally published in the 1950s. The second book involves an anthropologist who accidentally discovers that all women (or at least all wives of successful men) are witches -- quite literally -- who contend magically for power and secondarily for the conventional success of their husbands. So, of course, he gets his wife to promise to stop. Oops. Both classics from the '50s. Xenophon

05-19-2009, 11:49 AM	#12
mjh215 Guru Posts: 988 Karma: 12653 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: None of your business	Heh, I was just getting ready to post one of Leiber's novels and Xeno beat me to it, though I was going with a different title. Strangely this title is only listed at Sony's store, I don't see anyone else carrying it as an ebook. Our Lady of Darkness - Fritz Leiber "Our Lady of Darkness introduces San Francisco horror writer Franz Westen. While studying his beloved city through binoculars from his apartment window, he is astonished to see a mysterious figure waving at him from a hilltop two miles away. He walks to Corona Heights and looks back at his building, to discover the figure waving at him from his apartment window--and to find himself caught in a century-spanning curse that may have destroyed Clark Ashton Smith and Jack London." -Sony Store -MJ

05-19-2009, 01:08 PM	#13
poohbear_nc Now what? Posts: 58,796 Karma: 135181808 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Durham, NC Device: Every Kindle Ever Made & To Be Made!	Stephen King's Pet Cemetery (spelling?) - I read this in one sitting from about 8 pm until the wee hours - around 2 am I started hearing things move in the house and had to turn all the lights on to finish it. Also - The Exorcist - also a reason to burn the electricity all night to finish.

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05-19-2009, 01:28 PM	#14
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	Try "Lost Boys" by Orson Scott Card, if you like King or Koontz.