THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB discussion
Scary stuff! - FAVORITE SPINE-CHILLING BOOKS!!
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Honna
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Oct 30, 2010 06:22am
I'd like to read something intensely scary for Halloween. Suggestions, anyone?
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I'm not sure this book is as scary as you'd like, but have you ever read "The Heart-Shaped Box" by Joe Hill? I really enjoyed it on audio.Heart-Shaped Box with Bonus Material
Don't Look Now: Selected Stories of Daphne Du Maurier by Daphne du Maurier - this volume also inludes "The Birds" - which is really creepy.
Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon scared the you know what out of me. We had just moved to Germany and were still living on the economy as we hadn't gotten our government housing yet. My husband was working late every night so here I sat in a different country with no English speaking friends around. So what do I pick to read?? A very scary book. The creepy factor was very high!! I later saw the movie with Bette Davis which was excellent, also.
Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm just starting to read Shirley Jackson's book (while I wait for the trick-or-treaters to arrive). I'll let you know what I think!
The Exorcist scary, hmm, not for me. Gave my sister nightmares tho when she saw it at the cinema years ago. Noiw she wont watch anything like it.
Martha wrote: "Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon scared the you know what out of me. We had just moved to Germany and were still living on the economy as we hadn't gotten our government h..."I'm imagining being in that kind of situation. I think a novel like that would scare the you know what out of me, too. How long did you live in Germany?
And Larry? The Exorcist movie scared the dickens out of me, too.
The Exorcist was very scary, too!! We lived in Germany for 3 years ... from 74-77. Had our first baby 2 mos after we arrived in country. Jerry left the hospital after Jason's birth & took forever to come back. Turns out he had been signing papers for gov't housing. Jason was a week old when our belongings were delivered. The German movers were shocked that we had a week old baby sleeping in the nursery! :-) They were also shocked at the number of boxes of books that they had to move into our apartment! :-)
Well Honna, one reviewer wrote about "Littluns: And the Book of Darkness," "You should keep more lights on than just the reading lamp."
I hope everyone had a lovely Halloween. We had only one candy seeker...a little fireman. Ah, well. I'm about halfway through "The Haunting of Hill House" and, I confess, I may have bad dreams tonight. Eleanor is starting to give me the creeps. There's something major happening with her.
Live in an apartment building in Oakland, CA. Yeah, no one is coming by. Off this week and am watching the 4th game in the World Series. As you can tell from where I live, you know who I am rooting for!
Wow. Hill House is definitely not a home for the faint of heart. The ending shocked me (though I won't say why for fear of spoiling it for others). It was the perfect book for Halloween. For those who haven't read it yet, I recommend it highly! Heather, you must be pleased with last night's game. :)
If you're a horror fan, you'll enjoy my latest release, Grey Dogs: Zombie Survival!Here's the back cover copy - feel free to let me know if you find it spine-tingling enough!
WHEN GOD TURNS HIS BACK ON THE EARTH
Fires blaze out of control. Looters are run through with speeding lead. Children scream as their flesh is torn by broken teeth. Firearms insistently discharge in the night air. Overtop of it all, the moans of the infected crowds out any pause for silence.
THE EPIDEMIC SHOWS NO MERCY
Men. Women. Fathers. Daughters. Wives. Brothers. All are susceptible, and the viral infection is a death sentence. One hundred percent communicable. One hundred percent untreatable. It s making people insane, turning them feral. Zombies! No end is in sight, and Carey Cardinal has run out of options.
ONE SHOT AT SEEING SUNRISE
Past lives, shadowed histories and long-kept secrets will emerge, making the twisted road ahead ever more difficult to navigate as Carey will discover a foe far more dangerous than the shattered grey dogs himself.
----
In any case, my personal favourite horror read is Stephen King's 'Desperation.' I know, I know - many didn't really catch on to what it was trying to say, but personally it kept me reading up through the night on more than one occasion. I know Mr. King is one of the most loved yet most hated horror writers out there, but you can't argue what he's done for the genre.
Cheers,
IDGS
Grey Dogs: Zombie Survival
Ian, why so many zombie novels now? Not a criticism, I love them and want more. My question is more along the lines of, what do you think that reveals about the national psyche? Remember the 50's horror flicks- Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, Godzilla. This was all post Hiroshima/Nagasaki, so we feared "the bomb", radiation. Horror movies in the 80's- virgin always lives, everyone else dies- AIDS. So, what is it that we fear that is embodied in the zombie?
Shay - I'm not so sure, to be honest. For a lot of us who enjoy and write in the genre, I think we all hold different opinions.Some say that the zombie apocalypse embodies the ultimate disaster, which people are particularily sensitive to after the tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and 9/11. The ultimate end of social norms and conventions, if you will.
For me, I think the zombie is gaining popularity because people are beginning to realize that genre fiction isn't just for hacks and hipsters - as much as I hate to admit it, I think the whole Twilight kick really brought new lights to horror fiction - if you can call it that. I think people are just beginning to notice that monsters aren't just the original villans, but they bring something else to the table.
In any case, zombies for me are entertaining to read because I have an interest in survivalism, and surviving the zom-pocalypse would be the final test of those strategies.
Think of an enemy that is completely relentless, and has only one order in it's mind - to kill you. It doesn't sleep, it doesn't breathe, it doesn't need to eat. It needs to communication networks and has no supply trains you can interrupt. You can cut off its arm, and it will come at you just the same as if it were whole.
Now, think of the fact that every time the zombie takes down one of your number it actually GAINS a fighter on its side. Another one-man-army, if you will. Its the only enemy that gets stronger in direct relation to how weak you get.
Now imagine this over an entire region. City. Country. Continent. World.
Bit of a bleak situation, isn't it? Certainly one I think the mass population can identify with the recent tragedies in their minds. It's like Iraq, Desert Storm, 9/11, The Cuban Missle Crisis, AIDS, SARS, H1N1, and armageddon all rolled into one.
I enjoy post-apocalyptic fiction in general, but zombie horror is certainly my favourite, which is why I chose to write it in the first place.
I apologize for the long-winded explanation, but I hope this helps shed some light on the zombie genre and I hope you give it a try!
Best regards,
IDGS
Grey Dogs: Zombie Survival
Scariest book I ever read was The Amityville Horror Don't know if it's true or not [certainly hope not] but it gave me nightmares for months and I could ONLY read it during the day {shudder}
Tracey wrote: "Scariest book I ever read was The Amityville Horror Don't know if it's true or not [certainly hope not] but it gave me nightmares for months and I could ONLY read it during the day {..."Actually based on a true story! The house is still there, but the eye-like quater-round windows have been removed to keep the gawkers away.
Ian wrote: "In any case, zombies for me are entertaining to read because I have an interest in survivalism, and surviving the zom-pocalypse would be the final test of those strategies. ..."SURVIVALISM! I agree. Most of us live very easy and simple lives...even those of you who have had a "hard life." I'm not dogging anyone, but in the world we live in today, we don't have to kill so that we might live. We don't have to constantly think about survival.
I think with zombie stories, people relate by putting themselves in those situations... asking "do you have what it takes when all hell brakes loose? or are you a goner?"
Survival of the fitest. Survival against all odds. Survival... for what? What can the future possibly hold? Zombies really are an extremely interestly concept and make an excellent genre for apocalytic type movies/novels.
So here's my thought... seriously. Have you ever looked at some of these zombie-type movies (esp. the ones where they try to control or quarentine the outbreak) and thought about the rise of meth in America? I'm not saying meth heads are zombies, but I do see how a situation could easily get out of control.
Imagine a society where over 50% of the populus no longer contriubutes positively to the work force. Users are forgotten about, moved to bad parts of town, or quarentined. A higher grade type of meth is developed which further increases user paranioa. Users are resistant to fatigue, easily aggrivated, and addicted... (you see where this is going?)
Now, clearly, they do die and can be killed. However, if a virus, a bite, or biochemical wepons can create apocalyptic zombie-type scenarios, then how about considering a something present in today's real-life. Currently considered an epidemic, how long before it's a plauge, or...? (and yes, if alcoholism is a "disease", then 150 million meth addicts could be a plague).
Just something to think about. I'm not saying it's going to happen, but I am saying there's something there to think about... AND, it could make for a good story. =)
Kara wrote: "Ian wrote: "In any case, zombies for me are entertaining to read because I have an interest in survivalism, and surviving the zom-pocalypse would be the final test of those strategies. ..."SURV..."
Interesting thoughts Kara. I sometimes think Zombies remain so popular because of anecdotal cases where it supposedly happened. Your thoughts on survivalism also ring true when we see how much death and destruction, in one form or another, is out there. Drugs do turn people into living zombies and governments do make up some scary biological weapons.
Maybe I should get into apocalyptic fiction instead of fantasy?
Tracey wrote: "Maybe I should get into apocalyptic fiction instead of fantasy? ...."LOL. I'm a big fantasy reader who is becoming very curious about good horror or apocalyptic fiction reads.
Unfortunately, I'm a little nervous too. (aka wus)
=P~
Kara wrote: "Ian wrote: "In any case, zombies for me are entertaining to read because I have an interest in survivalism, and surviving the zom-pocalypse would be the final test of those strategies...."If you haven't seen Zombieland, you really should. And if you haven't read Mira Grant's Feed, I can't recommend it highly enough. Feed is set in a post-zombie apocalypse world where people have managed to survive - but so have zombies. The main characters are 20-something siblings who are web reporters tagging along for a presidential campaign. It's the first book in a trilogy, and it does a great job of imagining a world where survival is a day-to-day concern.
Tracey, re your comment about The Amityville Horror, as Ian said, it was actually based on a real-life incident. However, from what I've read, the original reports were later unmasked as a hoax.
I'll add another story to my scary list, not because it contains vampires, psychotic murderers, or zombies (and I do like some books in that genre) but because the object of the horror is something that we see every night..........the stars. The short story Nightfall by Isaac Asimov made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Very effective.
Gini wrote: "Kara wrote: "Ian wrote: "In any case, zombies for me are entertaining to read because I have an interest in survivalism, and surviving the zom-pocalypse would be the final test of those strategies...."Our Space Channel just finished showing a British series, Dead Set, about Zombies w/ Big Brother twist. it was excellent, very intense. An excellent book in the zombie genre is . World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War It was fantastic!
Bill wrote: "Gini wrote: "Kara wrote: "Ian wrote: "In any case, zombies for me are entertaining to read because I have an interest in survivalism, and surviving the zom-pocalypse would be the final test of thos..."Hey great comments all! Thanks! Gonna see if I can locate Dead Set, and then check out Feed and WWZ. =)
Bill wrote: "Gini wrote: "Kara wrote: "Ian wrote: "In any case, zombies for me are entertaining to read because I have an interest in survivalism, and surviving the zom-pocalypse would be the final test of thos..."That Big Brother spin was FANTASTIC! Dead Set, yeah? I saw it a while back and had forgotten the title - thanks for reminding me!
I think that the comments above definitely show why so many love zombie tales - because while sometimes the author may be openly using the zom-pocalypse for as a metaphor for something larger (or real), the reader is often permitted to make their own interpretations of the work. Who knows, really - the 'zombie' is a beautiful placeholder for just about anything that doesn't fit with society and threatens to take it's legs out from under it!
IDGS
Grey Dogs: Zombie Survival
World War Z was great. I listened to the audiobook and I would recommend that over reading the book. It's without a doubt the best audiobook I've ever listened to, because it's got a great cast (Alan Alda, Carl & Rob Reiner, John Turturro, etc.).
most scary and horrifying book I ever read?forgot the title but it was some biography of Zsa Zsa Gabor
Suza wrote: "Ha ha, Rick!seriously, though, I vote for Ghost Story. Loved the book and the movie."
great film- what a cast!! Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, John Houseman!!
Rick wrote: "Suza wrote: "Ha ha, Rick!seriously, though, I vote for Ghost Story. Loved the book and the movie."
great film- what a cast!! Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, John Houseman!!"
It was indeed very scary... both the book and movie. Quite agree
Hi Honna,I read a Dean Koontz book once that took place in a carnaval. Can remember the name. Sorry. But it was really scary.
Werner wrote: "Tracey, re your comment about The Amityville Horror, as Ian said, it was actually based on a real-life incident. However, from what I've read, the original reports were later unmasked as a hoax."I've heard that also, however, I did see a doco with the real George Lutz and he certainly seemed scared to me... still a very, very scary book. The movies ruined it, all versions, but the book - that's one I only read in the daylight :)
"An Occurence At Owl Creek Bridge" is a classic for me. It's short, but the way it makes you think is quite chilling, really. Check it out for a quick subway read!IDGS
Grey Dogs: Zombie Survival
THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB
Books mentioned in this topic
Let the Right One In (other topics)Heart-Shaped Box with Bonus Material (other topics)
Mister B. Gone (other topics)
Ghost Story (other topics)
The Exorcist (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
John Ajvide Lindqvist (other topics)Daphne du Maurier (other topics)
Stephen King (other topics)
Thomas Tryon (other topics)
Shirley Jackson (other topics)
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