Scary Reading Recommendations Based on Classic Horror Novels

Aveirah wrote: "Beyond Birthday wrote: "They recommended Nothing But Blackened Teeth?
Shirley Jackson must be banging on her coffin."

agreed"
triple agreed.

Honestly love @stephenking . Great addition to my list :)

Beyond Birthday wrote: "They recommended Nothing But Blackened Teeth?
Shirley Jackson must be banging on her coffin."

My thoughts exactly...

Ambrose Bierce's Chickamauga had me stock still, gape mouthed, and blinking at the ending. I don't scare easily.

As someone who loves horror, I would like to recommend the following books:

- Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (I know it's on the list, but I wanted to emphasize how brilliant it is. It has beautiful, gorgeous prose that wraps around your mind like poison ivy; a great sense of atmosphere, especially when it comes to Manderley itself, which feels as alive as any other character; and an exemplary understanding of psychology and society. Highly recommend it.)

- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (She wrote it fairly young, and her age shows sometimes with the melodrama and the minor flaws in writing, but her handling of the themes of life and death, playing God, and being haunted by mistakes caused by one's irresponsibility is truly something for the ages, and definitely worthy of exploring, even if it isn't as great as it could have been.)

- Misery by Stephen King (This book is a tad problematic, which kind of lessens the quality of its writing, but I love it for its claustrophobic atmosphere and the exploration of what it's like to be kidnapped by a seemingly well-meaning person in a truly helpless position. The prose is also pretty good, what with its vividness and staccato-like rhythm that causes an undisputed sense of dread. Truly a modern classic.)

- Coraline by Neil Gaiman (Yes, it's a book for children, the film was better, and I don't think it deserves five stars, but it's still pretty great. I admire Gaiman because he doesn't condescend to children or sugarcoat anything for them in his writing, while still not being above their reach, like a perfectly balanced scale. His retelling of Alice in Wonderland/Wizard of Oz with the vastly important and teachable lessons about gratitude, controlling one's curiosity and not judging a book by its cover is reasonably famous, and if you've watched a film, I think that comparing the two will improve the experience. I've watched the film first, and I'm glad to consume both, as I feel that the two are inseparable in a way.)

- Last, but not least, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (With prose that is beautiful, but not too artificial, the author tells a truly iconic story about the foibles of the late Victorian era; how morality and beauty and society's perception of those things correlate; how youth and maturity can intersect in cruel ways if one is not prepared; how one small mistake can change a person's life; how the burden of sin can irreparably change someone, and all with occasional moments of comic relief that don't lessen the story's quality at all. The pace is slow - if a bit too slow - but that only adds to the novel's mastery, showing how Lord Henry slowly but surely corrupts Dorian's soul and starts a chain reaction that will go on for years to come. Seriously sublime.)

I hope that someone will truly read this wall of text. If you have, goodbye and have a nice day/night.)

I just finished reading "Into the Drowning Deep" by Mira Grant, which is about killer mermaids and the research in proving they're real. It was truly scary because the extensive research made the conclusions about mermaids seem fairly plausible!

Goran wrote: "I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream - Harlan Ellison"

That's terrifying.

CinCO wrote: "If you like Dracula, I recommend The Historian."

Any recommendations for someone who loved The Historian but can't find another book that is as good?

Beyond Birthday wrote: "They recommended Nothing But Blackened Teeth?
Shirley Jackson must be banging on her coffin."

Oh man, that book was terrible.

Very new to the horror genre, and looking for something I guess you could call 'horror lite' (?).

I've really enjoyed Earthlings, and also Life Ceremony by Sayaka Murata, and am looking to branch out further. Any recommendations anyone might have? Not sure if either of the follow would also be a good fit, but I'm drawn to pick up Lapvona or Eileen both by Otessa Moshfegh or Bunny by Mona Awad.

Many thanks in advance for any suggestions :)

The Grip of It by Jac Jemc is one of those stories about a couple who moves into the perfect house only to find out it’s not what it seemed. Except it’s SO MUCH BETTER.

Nos4R2 and The Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill are good and creepy.

Some really great recommendations on here! I actually enjoyed Nothing but Blackened Teeth, lol, but there's something for everyone.
If you want something a little weird/weird/surreal, I'd recommend Little Miss Cheery, Ariadne, I Love You, or Ghost Wall (Ghost Wall is INCREDIBLE)
But my all-time favorites are:
The Hollow Places (how has no one had a giant river otter as a villain before?),
The Nest, Small Spaces (both for younger readers but creepy and very good)
Contagion Salvation Day (for space horror - the best horror)

I've read a lot of horror, but after I read *Pet Semetary*, I literally had to remove the book from my home. It was that terrifying and left me with nightmares.

Some of my favs in the genre are: The Exorcist, Silence of the Lambs, Interview with the Vampire (also Queen of the Damned).

For gothic horror, you really can't beat Frankenstein, which was as much Mary Shelley's comment on our obsession with science as a cure for everything, and her posit that science could, indeed, produce monsters.

Yes, Frankenstein cannot be beaten when it comes to Gothic horror.

I'd add: The Missing by Sarah Langan, The Fisherman by John Langan (no relation), The Cabin at the End of The World by Paul Tremblay, Legend by Richard Matheson, Usher's Passing by Robert MacCammon, and the scariest I've ever read: I Remember You by Yrsa Sigudarsdottir

Carrion Comfort is a good horror novel to add to your list.

Coraline was a book that absolutely terrified me as a kid! As an adult, the stories in The Night Shift by Stephen King really gave me a scare!

I believe that Tananarive Due deserves to be on this list for her outstanding Black Horror novels including, The Good House & the often overlooked The Between. Both must reads.

Beyond Birthday wrote: "They recommended Nothing But Blackened Teeth?
Shirley Jackson must be banging on her coffin."
DAmn skippy.

Can't recommend A Certain Hunger enough for people craving some American Psycho-esque modern horror with a magnetic yet repulsive protagonist. Also, in terms of King, Gerald's Game is super underrated. It's a fabulously internal book and has some of the most disturbing imagery he's ever written, IMO.

Pat wrote: ""Ghost Story" by Peter Straub is definitely worth reading.

I still remember the time of day and where I was sitting 43 years ago reading Straub’s “Ghost Story.” Great book!




"

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer this one really creeped me out

Sophie wrote: "I believe that Tananarive Due deserves to be on this list for her outstanding Black Horror novels including, The Good House & the often overlooked The Between. Both must reads."

The latter is in Mount TBR, but the former I did read and it was quite good. I liked even more Ghost Summer, the title story alone is worth the price of admission.

G. Joseph wrote: "In my book (pun intended), one cannot be a bonafide classic horror fan until you've delved into the magic of M.R. James, Ambrose Bierce, and Algernon Blackwood. Also Robert Aikman, Robert Westall, Arthur Machen, and E.F Benson. Let's not overlook the ladies: Michelle Paver, Susan Hill, Angela Carter, Dorothy Macardle, and (of course!) the great Shirley Jackson."

You're talking largely short story writers.

Among other women writers to check out, Elizabeth Bowen and Edith Wharton. Neither wrote extensively in the ghost/horror genre but their short stories are generally excellent, with a depth and power many of their male contemporaries couldn't match. Vernon Lee also has a limited number of stories to her credit, but "Amour Dure," "Dionnea" and "Oke of Okehurst" are all worth seeking out.

I've also enjoyed what short works I've read -- not as much as I should have read, though -- by Mrs. J. H. Riddell and Daphne Du Maurier.

Anyone looking for stories less contemporary and more Gothic, could look into collections by Theodora Goss and Angela Slatter, both of whom have produced interesting Gothic fantasy verging on horror.

I don't really read much horror and usually I reread Dracula for Halloween. This year, I thought I'd do something different. I read The Hunger because I thought that historical fiction as horror might be more interesting. I was right, at least for me. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

Beyond Birthday wrote: "They recommended Nothing But Blackened Teeth?
Shirley Jackson must be banging on her coffin."

OMG yes, I have to question the whole validity of these choices after seeing that…