"In Bed" with Darren Shan

Posted by Goodreads on June 3, 2014
Irish writer Darren Shan makes his living frightening children and teens, and they love him for it. His best-selling horror novels feature bloodthirsty vampires in his Cirque du Freak series (also known as the Saga of Darren Shan) and gruesome demons in his Demonata series. Shan's new book, City of the Snakes, concludes the City Trilogy, a noir fantasy for adult readers set in a violent metropolis teeming with rival gangsters and mysterious Incan priests who are all struggling for power. Shan shares with Goodreads his favorite works of horror.


Salem's Lot by Stephen King
"I read this when I was nine or ten years old, and it terrified the life out of me. Which was a GOOD thing!"


Books of Blood by Clive Barker
"I first read these as a teenager, and they redefined what horror could do for me. For a few years every short story I wrote was heavily influenced by these feral tales."


Domain by James Herbert
"A chilling look at London after a nuclear strike, when rats surge to the fore and the human survivors must battle for their lives. Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse!"


A Child Across the Sky by Jonathan Carroll
"A disturbing, haunting work by the modern master of dark fantasy. He's a criminally overlooked genius."


Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons
"Vampires as you've never seen them before. A rip-roaring blast of a novel that will have you turning the pages so fast, your fingers will probably bleed!"



Comments Showing 1-12 of 12 (12 new)

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message 1: by Kayla (new)

Kayla I looove Darren Shan's writing. When I started reading his "Demonata Series," I thought to myself "Oh my gosh this is disgusting," but I just couldn't put it down! It was awesome!


message 2: by Rocio (new)

Rocio He is so awesome I read the cirque du freak series all of them I like a month


message 3: by Kevin (new)

Kevin Books of Blood are awesome! That series made me a HUGE fan of Clive Barker!


message 4: by Sue (new)

Sue Instead of Domain, I'd submit Others by James Herbert as being my own favorite (and most personally influential) of his books, but otherwise pretty much parallels my choices. And you're absolutely and totally correct re: Jonathan Carroll. Criminally overlooked is perhaps understatement!


(Benji) The Non Reluctant Reader DARREN ROCKS!


message 6: by S.K. (new)

S.K. Epperson I still watch Salem's Lot at least once a year; the book got away from me and never came back!


message 7: by Julia (new)

Julia Stopped to take a look - my daughter has read most of the Cirque du Freak series and has started the Demonata series - she has inherited he mother's taste in dark literature I think. Loved Salem's Lot was I was young - and Clive Barker's Hellbound Heart has a place in my own. I think I read every James Herbert book I could get my hands on when I was young too - starting with The Rats, Lair, Domain... but I think my favourite is Shrine.


message 8: by Mack (new)

Mack Darren Shan, I'm sorry to say I never heard of him before. But based on his favorites I will start now. I agree with him right down the line. Everyone overlooks Salem's lot but it was one of the first before vampires were all the rage and still one of the best. And Dan Simmons come on folks get with it, he is the best. James Herbert is killer. I am all over Mr Shan as of now.


message 9: by Olivera (last edited Jun 10, 2011 03:34PM) (new)

Olivera I loved the Vampire Saga as a teenager. I also love the list of books here, I just wrote my English Lit Undergraduate Major Project on short horror stories. The Books of Blood by Clive Barker are brilliant, and Salem's Lot terrified me as well!


message 10: by Gerd (new)

Gerd Oh, it's always a pleasure to see Herbert's "Domain" get some love. Thought it to be a highly enjoyable post-apocalyptic story and a lovely closer to the rats trilogy.


message 11: by Ashadam (new)

Ashadam darren shan truely and undoubtedly is the true master of horror non may take his throne lol ^^ i must say i adored the vampire series but the demonata destroy,d it the demonata is the best series he,s written so far if he can beat it ill eat my dads hat lol

(sorry for my bad spelling and very poor grammer thank you ^^ )


message 12: by Chad (last edited Feb 27, 2015 12:37PM) (new)

Chad Mason I fell in love with the Cirque Du Freak series while waiting for Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince to be released. Darren Shan is an excellent writer!


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